blueberry pie

It’s been awhile since I’ve watched a movie. Aside from lack of time, finding one that my husband and I both agree on begins to feel like an enterprise. He likes the kind that entertain with fast cars, impending doom, guns and blood. I like the kind that dig in and stick. Our common ground is the ones that make us laugh.

That’s what I thought I was getting when he dropped a DVD into my hands with a grin on his face. I was nonplussed that he had handed me a romantic film by Wong Kar-wai, a Chinese director known for visually stylized films. Looking over the cast, a name jumped out at me and it all made sense…if there’s one thing that he likes more than cars and guns, it’s Nora Jones.

The movie, My Blueberry Nights, was almost forgettable despite the stunning melancholic atmosphere created by Wong through roving shallow lenses and lush chiaroscuro. The minor key mood was a good fit for Nora, but Jude Law never convinced me as a marathon runner wannabe who settles for running a diner where he makes blueberry pies that no one ever eats. It was the pie, and the way that Wong committed it to celluloid that I will remember: tight macro shots of ice cream salaciously melting into mounds of lurid blueberries. It was so deliciously lascivious that I wanted to avert my eyes.

In the end, it was blueberry pie that brought the characters together and endeared Wong to me as a film maker and food pornographer. And it inspired this dish.

Blueberry Pie

blueberry cheese

When I put raw blueberries through a juicer, something unexpected happened: the juice began to thicken and clot as it poured out of the spout. As it began to turn brown, I heated it to set the color and noticed that the soft clots had broken down into small, firm curds that reminded me of ricotta. I decided to treated it as cheese and let it drain overnight in a cheesecloth-lined sieve. The next day, I had a firm mass that could be sliced or molded and retain it’s shape. After some research, I’m still not clear what caused the blueberry juice to behave this way. I initially attributed it to pectin, but 73 g. of fresh blueberries only contain 0.3 g. of pectin, making them a low-pectin fruit. However, blueberries do contain a significant amount of fiber, which in combination with the pectin, may have caused the juice to clot and form curds

blueberry sauce

Use the juice reserved from draining the blueberry cheese. Ultratex 8 is a modified food starch derived from tapioca that thickens liquids without applying heat.
150 g. reserved blueberry juice
8 g. agave nectar
2.5 g. ulratex 8
Place all ingredients in a bowl and blend with whisk or immersion blender until starch swells and juice has thickened.

sous vide blueberries

Cooking blueberries at a low temperature leaves them firm and intact, yet taste cooked.
1 pint raw blueberries
60 g. reserved blueberry juice
30 g. unsalted butter
10 g. agave nectar
Place blueberries in a vacuum bag and seal. Cook in a water bath at 63C (150F) for 1 hour. Make a glaze by heating the blueberry juice and agave nectar over low heat. Whisk in butter until melted. Remove bag from water bath and toss berries in glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.

roasted flour nuggets

Roasting flour is a technique introduced by Pierre Gagnaire and Herve This in their collaboration, Art et Science. Cooking flour in this way brings out the toasty aroma and flavor of wheat but it alters its starch and gluten molecules, causing it to lose much of it’s elasticity. While roasted flour may not be suitable for baking bread, it’s perfect for baked goods with sandy textures such as sables.
40 g. all purpose flour
8 g. confectioners sugar
.5 g. salt
13 g. tapioca maltodextrin
30 g. unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 325F (160C). Spread flour in an even layer on a baking sheet and roast in oven for about 45 minutes, stirring often until fragrant and golden. Cool completely. Toasted flour can be made ahead and kept in a sealed container.
Preheat oven to 350F (180C) Place the flour, sugar, salt and TM in a bowl and toss to combine. Slowly drizzle in melted butter while tossing with a fork. Remove rounded nuggets as they form and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes and allow to cool completely before handling.

lemon balm frozen yogurt

Greek yogurt makes a sublime frozen product that rivals the best frozen yogurt boutiques. If it’s not available in your area, plain yogurt can be drained overnight in a cheesecloth-lined sieve with similar results. I’ve found that the best way to infuse ice cream (or any sweetened cream base) with herbs is not in the cream, but by processing them with the sugar. The hygroscopic property of sugar draws out the essential oils in the herbs, making them more available.
30 g. fresh lemon balm leaves
100 g. sugar
50 g. heavy cream
300 g. greek yogurt, well chilled
Place lemon balm and sugar in a food processor and process with 10 pulses or until lemon balm is finely chopped. Working quickly, as lemon balm begins to oxidize and turn brown, empty contents of food processor into a saucepan and add heavy cream. Set over medium heat and cook gently, just until sugar melts. Remove from heat and pass mixture through a fine-mesh sieve. Chill until cold, then fold in yogurt. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to manufacturers instructions.

benzaldehyde

                          peach leaf blancmange
                            peach whipped gelatin
                            coffee fluid gel
                            sour cherry
                            toasted mahlab
                            coffee oil

Benzaldehyde is the essence of bitter almonds (Prunus Amygdalus var. Amara), which unlike sweet almonds (Prunus Amygdalus var. Dulcis) contain hydrogen cyanide, a potentially lethal toxin. It is a fragrant volatile molecule and a by-product of cyanide production. Pure almond extract is pure Benzaldehyde, without the cyanide. It is used in the making of marzipan, maraschino cherries, amaretto liqueur, and amaretti biscuits and occurs naturally in the fruits, leaves, flowers and bark of stone fruits. It is the eminent aroma compound in the complex flavor of peaches, apricots, and cherries. The highest concentrations can be found in the kernels of these fruits, which must be heated in order to destroy the toxin. Benzaldehyde is also present in beer (216 ppm), apple juice (294 ppm), roasted coffee (2008 ppm), tomato (8501 ppm), and white bread (40903 ppm). [ppm=parts per million]

The leaves of the peach tree, when very young, taste of Benzaldehyde. As they mature, they take on an unpleasant acrid pungency. It took me several growing seasons to figure this out. This year, I got it right.
The only reason that I know this is because I have a habit of tasting plants as they grow–not just the familiar parts– all parts: flowers, leaves, roots, bark. I do this out of curiosity, not hunger, though it feeds my sense of discovery.
All plants are fair game–be they weeds, shrubs, flowers, or trees–if they are not harmful and taste good, then they have culinary potential. I rely on my knowledge of plants to steer me away from the toxic ones but I sometimes think that if I should die an untimely death, it could be attributed to having put something in my mouth that had no business being there in the first place. I could think of worse ways to go.

I also wanted to tell you about the fun I'm having making molds from silicone, but let me just say… get some. Trust me.

cake, fashion, and hydrocolloids

Recently, I was asked to make a custom cake, a request that I’ve not accepted for a long time…too many balls in the air, not enough hands. I used to make wedding cakes on a regular basis and I enjoyed it immensely,
until it came time to deliver them. I had a rule in which the only people that were allowed to transport these cakes were: the one who made it or the one who paid for it . Since the latter was rarely an option, it was often left to me. Gratefully, they all arrived intact at their destination, and on time, but I estimate that I’ve lost about 5 years off of my lifespan on the winding, hilly roads of Connecticut.

I accepted this request, mainly because the theme intrigued me; it was to reference the recipients’ penchant for Gucci shoes.

I learned to sew at about the same time that I learned to cook. I never considered either of these skills as something that I could build a profession on…until I discovered haute couture; the extreme form of fashion. It is often the extremities of things that attract me to it, then allow me to find my own ground within it. After high school, I headed to NYC to study fashion design at Parsons, long before Tim Gunn & company put it on the reality TV map. I had high expectations, perhaps unrealistic ones. I went there to explore the extreme, but found
that they were peddling moderation in the form of ready-to-wear. In the ensuing years, I have found my ground in fashion design, even when I started cooking professionally, and to this day, I maintain parallel careers in fashion and food. I have designed and made many things, from dog collars to wedding gowns, but I have never made a pair of shoes…until now. It is not without irony that my first pair would also be edible.

It was through the extremities of avant guarde cuisine that I first learned of hydrocolloids and other chemicals. I don’t deny that I was seduced by their possibilities, but I had questions. First up: "Are they safe to consume?" For answers, I turned to scientific data and independent studies and avoided all information that was tempered by agendas. Satisfied, I moved on to the next question, "What is the point?" Do they contribute to making food better, or are their applications just smoke and mirrors? I reconciled with this by examining the ingredients that I already use in making cakes. Baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, cornstarch, and gelatin are some of the processed additives that are commonly used in baking. The transformative effects that they produce in cake batters and other baked goods are undeniable and have stood the test of time.

The use of rolled fondant to cover cakes is something that I have struggled with. Although it is completely edible, I’ve never found it particularly good to eat…it brings to mind the centers of the drugstore chocolates that were abandoned after the first hopeful bite. It’s only merit is that it provides a pristine and alabaster-smooth surface to apply decoration, acting like the gesso on an artists’ canvas. I always point out these pros and cons to my clients when they request a fondant-covered cake. When they insist on it, I try to find the humor when the plates come back to the kitchen with peeled-away strips of fondant, like discarded rinds.

On the occassions when I am required to use fondant, I choose to make it from scratch. My recipe is based on the one found in Rose Levy Beranbaum’s "The Cake Bible" and contains gelatin, glucose and glycerine, as well as shortening and confectioners sugar. For this cake, I swapped sodium alginate for the gelatin, remembering that it is sometimes used for the commercial production of this product. While it produced a more pliable and silkier fondant to work with, it didn’t make it any more palate-friendly…don’t think I’ll be joining a fondant fan club anytime soon.

flower power

On more than one occasion, I have been accused of being a hippie.The finger is usually pointed by my children after one of my long-winded dissertations on the importance of recycling, composting, and energy conservation. I do not take offense at being called a hippie, but I remind them that I missed that boat and had I been born earlier, I would have fit right into a culture that protested war with the power of flowers.

Flowers do indeed have power; they evoke emotions, trigger memories, convey language, and stimulate the senses. The latter is usually associated with sight and smell, but flowers also have flavor.

Roses belong to the family Rosaceae which includes raspberries, strawberries, cherries and almonds, and are all aroma with tender, mildly sweet petals. Violets contain ionone, a flavor compound that is also shared by carrots. Jasmine contains indole, which is also present in liver. Carnations have a distinct spicy clove flavor. Pansies taste grassy, with hints of wintergreen. Hibiscus have an acidic flavor that is reminiscent of cranberries. Daylilies are mildly sweet with melon and pear tones. Chamomile tastes like green apples. In contrast, Nasturtiums are pungent and peppery. Herb flowers usually mimic the flavors found in their leaves, in a milder and sweeter version. Most fruit and vegetable flowers are edible and, in fact, broccoli, cauliflower, and artichokes are actually flowers.

The history of cooking with flowers can be traced back thousands of years. Dandelions were one of the bitter herbs in the Old testament. The oldest surviving cookbook by the Roman Apicius featured a recipe for brains with rose petals. And the Victorians were fond of decorating confections with violets and pansies.

Modern chefs are rediscovering the power of flowers.
In Spain, Ferran Adria uses the flavor of flowers prominently in his evolving collections of thought-provoking dishes. In his Papel de Flores, (Flower Paper), he traps begonias, marigolds and herb flowers in cotton candy, or spun sugar, and compresses it to form an edible paper. In another dish, he covers a pistachio salad with caramelized rosemary honey air and up to 14 varieties of flower petals. Quique Dacosta of el Poblet infuses prawn stock with rose petals and texturized rose water in his celebrated Red Denia Prawn dish. Jordi Roca, the pastry chef at El Celler de Can Roca draws inspiration for his desserts from popular perfumes such as Calvin Klein’s Eternity and Lancome’s Tresor by isolating the notes and recreating them with flavors on a plate. His Eternity dish is made up of vanilla cream, basil sauce, fresh and frozen mandarin, orange blossoms, maple syrup, and bergamot ice cream. When these components are eaten together, they evoke the scent of the perfume.

With a veritable garden of flowers at our disposal, waiting to be tasted and put to culinary use, is it just a matter of time before the consumption of flowers becomes as common as that of vegetables and herbs? That was a question that I recently posed to a chef/friend, who also happens to be a male. His reply and the ensuing conversation went like this:

“that’ll never happen.”

“why?”

“real men don’t eat flowers”

“that’s absurd…try telling that to Adria, Aduriz, Dacosta, and others. Aren’t they real men?”

“no…they are culinary gods.”

So…according to my chef/friend, only girls and gods eat flowers…that’s good enough for me.

spring flower salad
elderflower dressing
almond milk cream

s’more

chocolate-filled methocel marshmallow
aerated chocolate
graham cream
graham crumbs

methocel marshmallow

230 g water
90 g sugar
4.5 g methylcellulose
1/2 tsp vanilla
confectioners sugar

Bring water and sugar to a boil. Let cool. Add methylcellulose and vanilla. Blend with immersion blender. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until thickened. Transfer to a mixing bowl and beat at high speed until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Spread out on a silpat or mold and bake at 300F for 5-8 minutes or until set. Unmold or cut into desired shape. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar and apply a blowtorch or place under broiler until browned. Serve hot.

shortcake strawberry

By the time that March rolls in, winter begins to feel like a guest who has overstayed its welcome. There are days when it murmurs its promise of imminent departure, then turns a cold shoulder and digs in deeper.
The anticipation unsettles me.
I cope with this polarity by alternately sowing seeds and baking, The sowing fills me with hope for what is to come, while baking provides comfort during this last vestige of winter.

In unabashed defiance of this in-between season, I’ve made strawberry shortcake.
It started out in a traditional form…you know the one…shortcake biscuit, split in half, filled with macerated sliced strawberries, billows of whipped sweet cream.
It was delicious, but there were leftovers.
And I started thinking about the crumbs on the outside of a Good Humor strawberry shortcake (it’s the best part).
And you know how I like to play…

shortcake strawberry
shortcake
3/4 cups flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tblsps unsalted butter, cut into small bits
1/4 cup heavy cream
cream
1 cup heavy cream, well chilled
2 Tblsps cool water
1 tsp powdered gelatin
1 Tblsp confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups reserved coarse shortcake crumbs
glaze
1 cup strawberry puree
1 tsp powdered gelatin
sugar and/or lemon juice to taste
crumbs
1/2 cup reserved fine shortcake crumbs
1/2 cup crumbled freeze dried strawberries, kept in an airtight container until needed
1/4 cup toasted,unsweetened dessicated coconut

shortcake: Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a small baking sheet with parchment or a silpat. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the butter bits and blend in thoroughly on med-low speed using the paddle attachment. Add the cream and mix just until the dough comes together in a mass. Transfer dough to the prepared baking sheet and form into a rough rectangle that is 3/4" thick. Cut the rectangle in half to form 2 squares and separate them, leaving about 1" space in between them. Bake for 20 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Remove from oven and turn oven down to 150F. Allow shortcakes to cool completely. Crumble the cooled shortcakes with your hands into pieces about the size of peas. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of coarse crumbs and reserve. Further crumble the remaining coarse crumbs into pieces about the size of rice. Measure out 1/2 cup of these fine crumbs and spread them out on the baking sheet. Return to oven for about 8-10 minutes or until they are dry and crisp, but have not browned. Reserve.
cream: Place the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer and place in refrigerator to chill. In a small bowl, place the water and sprinkle on the gelatin. Allow to soften for 3 minutes. Whisk and place in the microwave at 5- second intervals until gelatin is dissolved and clear. Whisk well and set aside. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator and whip with whisk attachment on high speed until cream stands at soft peaks. Sprinkle the powdered sugar and vanilla over the cream and beat just until incorporated. Pour the dissolved gelatin in the center of the cream all at once and immediately beat until it holds stiff peaks. Immediately fold in coarse shortcake crumbs. Set aside in refrigerator to chill for about 15 minutes or until set. Remove from refrigerator and form into large quenelles, using 2 tablespoons, with one rounded end and one pointed. Transfer the quenelles onto a plate lined with plastic wrap. Transfer to the freezer and let set just until outside is firm, but not frozen through, about 10-15 minutes.
glaze: While cream mixture is in the freezer, place the strawberry puree in a bowl. Taste it–if the berries were ripe it should be sweet and well balanced. If not, adjust to your taste. Remove about 2 Tablespoons of puree to a smaller bowl. Sprinkle on the gelatin and let soften for 3 minutes. Whisk and place in the microwave at 5-second intervals until gelatin is dissolved and clear. Whisk again, then pour into remaining puree and whisk well. Transfer this mixture into a tall narrow vessel in which you can completely submerge the quenelles. Remove the quenelles from the freezer. Impale the sharp end of a skewer into the rounded end of a quenelle. Lift off the plate and submerge into the puree until quenelle is well coated. Lift out and replace on plate. Repeat with remaining quenelles. Transfer to refrigerator to set puree.
crumbs: Combine fine shortcake crumbs, freeze dried strawberries, and coconut just before using as the strawberries will become soft within 5-10 minutes after combining.

honeycomb candy

Science was my weakest subject in school. Although I had not yet decided on an occupation, I knew that it would be in a creative field, to which science would be irrelevent. As it stands, I was wrong. Science and creativity are two sides of the coin that is cooking. Modern cooks understand this.
Despite my lack of interest in hypothesis and theories, the experiments captured my attention. One in particular was the effect of carbon dioxide when combining baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with an acid. The voluminous foam that billowed out of the beaker and all over the lab table delighted and fascinated me.
I find myself now, many years later, reliving that experience. This time, the results are edible and delicious.

honeycomb
candy
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbspns water
2 Tbspns honey
1 1/2 tsps
baking
soda

Because the final steps must be executed rapidly, before you start cooking the sugar have ready: a baking sheet that has been well greased or lined with a silpat, a whisk and the premeasured baking soda.
Spread the sugar out in an even layer in the bottom of a large saucepan. Drizzle the water and honey over the sugar and place on a burner over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until it reaches 300F. You will observe the sugar melting, then the syrup forming small, tight bubbles, then the bubbles will become larger and looser and finally, the syrup will begin to take on an amber color. When it reaches 300F., immediately remove it from the heat. Quickly add the baking soda and whisk just until the baking soda is mixed in. In one quick motion, dump the foaming syrup onto the prepared baking sheet. Do not spread or disturb, as this will cause it to deflate. Let it stand until cool to the touch, about 10 minutes. Break or cut into pieces. Transfer immediately to an airtight container to preserve the crispness.

teacakes

                     "It has been said that tea is suggestive of a thousand wants,
                                 from which spring the decencies and luxuries of civilization"
                                                                                                               Agnes Repplier

Tea is a seemingly simple beverage, just water and leaves, yet look deeper and you will find that it is steeped in legend, ritual, history, geography, religion, and politics. Once available only to emperors and kings, it can now be found in the humblest of pantries around the world.
What you may not know about tea is that white, green, oolong and black teas all come from the same plant, Camellia Senesis. The difference lies in the stage at which the leaves are harvested, and in the way that they are processed. The simplest form being white tea, which is harvested from young buds before they open and quickly dried before oxidation can take place. The most complex (and rarest) is the pu-erh, which is allowed to oxidize, then fermented in a process similar to composting for up to a year, then compressed and aged further. One international hotel lists a 1949 Vintage Cave-aged pu-erh on its tea menu at $90 a cup and a 1985 Royal Reserve (that was hand carried out of China after a 5 year negotiation) at $300 a cup! Who knew?

matcha genoise
A genoise, or sponge cake, contains no leavening. Instead, it gets its lightness from whipped eggs. Because it contains no fat in the form of butter or oil, it tends to be dry, which can be corrected by soaking it with a simple syrup. I’ve found that the addition of a small amount of gelatin in the syrup helps it cling to the cake, producing a moist instead of wet texture. Matcha, which is the powdered form of green tea, blends in very nicely with the dry ingredients, lending the cake its vibrant green color and characteristic grassy flavor.

matcha genoise
orange flower syrup
honey ginger buttercream
meyer lemon ice cream
honeycomb candy

matcha genoise
1/3 cup sifted cake flour
3 Tblsps cornstarch
2 Tblsps matcha
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

syrup
2 Tblsps sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp powdered gelatin
1/8 tsp orange flower water

cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a 9" cake pan. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch and matcha. In a large bowl, beat the whole eggs, the yolks, and the sugar on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until thick, fluffy, and about tripled in volume. Sift half of the flour mixture over the eggs and fold in with a spatula. Repeat with the remainder of the flour mixture. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites just until foamy. Sprinkle on the cream of tartar and continue whipping to stiff peaks. Fold the whites into the batter, then pour into prepared cake pan and level off the top. Place in the oven immediately and bake for 25 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed, or a cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out of pan to finish cooling.
syrup: Place sugar and water into a small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and allow to soften for 3 minutes. Whisk the gelatin into the mixture an place over medium high heat until it comes to a full, rolling boil, and the gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Cover tightly and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature and stir in the orange flower water. Brush or spoon the syrup over the cake.

rooibos butter cake
Rooibos is considered a tisane, or herbal tea, as it comes from red bush, Aspalanthus linearis, indigenous to South Africa, and not Camillia Senensis. It contains no caffeine, and has a naturally sweet cream and vanilla flavor with hints of sun- baked hay. For the color and flavor to permeate this cake, it will need to be finely ground (I use a coffee grinder), then steeped in hot water. Butter cake, as the name implies, gets its moisture and richness from butter, as well as eggs and sugar. In this recipe, I’ve used honey and brown sugar to enhance the flavor of the rooibos. The acidic buttermilk reacts with the alkaline baking soda to give the cake its lift, while the protein in the eggs and gluten in the flour give it structure.

rooibos butter cake
creamsicle marble
mango
tangerine caramel

rooibos butter cake
1/4 cup finely ground rooibos
1 1/4 cups hot water
2 1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1 1/4 cup muscovado or brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9" cake pan. Place the rooibos in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Stir well and allow to steep for 5 minutes. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. To the steeped rooibos, add the honey, the butter, and the eggs. Beat on high speed for 2-3 minutes. Beat in half of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Repeat, using the remainder of flour mixture and milk. Beat for 2 minutes more to aerate. Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed, or a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out of pan to finish cooling.

chai financier
Chai is black tea to which spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper have been added. Financier is moister and denser than genoise or butter cake. Egg whites are used here because they contain more water than the yolks, yet have the same stabilizing protein. Finely ground almonds and browned butter add flavor and texture. Because the eggs and butter are used in liquid form, instead of whipped and creamed,there is less air in this cake, which contributes to it’s density, but also lowers it’s risk of oxidation. This means that the batter can be held in the refrigerator for up to a week (in fact, it improves upon standing) and is ready to be baked on a whim.

chai financier
kala jeera rice pudding
persimon "yolk"
brown butter powder

chai financier
3 oz. blanched almonds
1/2 cup plus 2 Tblsps sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsps cake flour
1 1/2 Tblsps finely ground chai
1/4 tsp salt
4 egg whites
1/2 cup warm browned butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour an 8" cake pan. Place the almonds and 2 Tblsps of the sugar in a food processor and process in short pulses until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the remaining sugar, cake flour, chai and salt and stir until blended. Add the egg whites and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour in the butter and beat for 2 minutes more. Let stand for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 week in the refrigerator (in which case, the batter should be brought to room temperature and stirred before proceeding). Pour into prepared cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out of pan to finish cooling.

banana pandan date

Inspired by a new flavor and technique…

pandan panna cotta
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 cup finely chopped pandan leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 Tablespoon sugar
In a small saucepan, stir together the cream, half and half, and pandan. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat. Cover tightly, then set aside to steep until cool. When cool, strain through a sieve and return infusion back into the saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over the surface and allow to soften for 5 minutes. Whisk in the gelatin, followed by the sugar and place over medium high heat, whisking until mixture is very hot and sugar and gelatin have dissolved. Pour into four 1/3 cup molds and chill until set, 2-4 hours.

date lime molasses
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup diced dates
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon butter
Put water and dates into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cover saucepan and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes or until dates are very soft. Puree mixture in a food processor and press through a fine sieve or tamis. Return to saucepan and stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat until mixture reduces and thickens to the consistency of molasses. Let cool.

sugar crusted banana
3 lbs (7 cups) granulated sugar
3 egg whites
4 ripe, peeled bananas
Mix the egg whites into the sugar until well blended. On a baking sheet, form sugar mixture into 4 separate bases, each about 2’" wider and longer than banana, and about 1/2" thick. Place a banana on top of each base and cover with additional sugar mixture to completely enclose. Press firmly to compact sugar, paying close attention to the seam along the base. Bake in a preheated 275 F oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and set aside to for 15 minutes before opening crust.

to finish
coconut powder (dried coconut cream) found in asian markets or online.
coquitos (baby coconuts) found in hispanic markets or online
Unmold panna cottas by wrapping a hot, wet towel around molds until they release.
Break open the sugar crust by driving the tip of a knife along the edges until it breaks away and banana can be dislodged.
Screen molasses onto plates. Place a chilled panna cotta, sliced warm banana, coconut powder and coquito on each plate.
Serves 4

pear butterscotch gingerbread

comice pear
butterscotch pudding
caramelized mascarpone
gingerbread pebbles and soil
hickory nut cream
roasted pear gel