Yum! Cherries!

Cherries, named after Cerasus, a city in Turkey, are divided into two general groups: sweet and sour.
The United States is the world's largest producer of sweet cherries, and Washington state produces about 40 percent of the nation's crop. Varieties of this dark red, heart-shaped fruit include Bing, Lambert and Tartarian cherries. Other sweet cherry varieties, such as Royal Ann and Rainier, are yellow with red tinges.
You also know sweet cherries by a different name: maraschinos. To make maraschinos, the cherries are bleached, dyed red and steeped in a sweet syrup. They are named for the Italian liqueur with which they were originally soaked.
Sweet cherries are available May through August, with peak season in June. Select plump, glossy, hard fruit. The ripest cherries have the deepest color. Fruit with stems left intact last longer.
Refrigerate unwashed cherries in a plastic bag up to 5 days. Freeze individual cherries on cookie sheets until solid, about 1 to 2 hours; transfer to a freezer bag to use later in pies and other baked goods. Frozen cherries are at their best only up to 4 months.
Posted on Wed, Aug. 01, 2007 in the State (SC)

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NUTTY TIPS

Blanching Almonds:

To blanch shelled almonds, put them into boiling water and let stand 3 minutes. Drain. Slide
skins off with your finger. Spread nuts on absorbent paper towels to dry. Roasting also will loosen the skins of peanuts, either shelled or unshelled. Source: Almond Board of California.
Chopping Nuts:
If you need large nut pieces, simply break nuts like pecans or walnuts with your fingers. For finer pieces, use a knife or chopping bowl. Almonds may be chopped in a blender or food processor, 1/2 cup at a time for 30 seconds on high speed. Or, place nuts in a zip lock bag and pound with a mallet or the bottom of a small sauce pan.
Roasting Nuts:
Roasting improves the flavor of nuts. To roast, place blanched or blanched nuts on a baking sheet in a preheated 300 o F. oven. Bake for about 5 to 10 minutes, turning frequently to avoid scorching. Watch closely, as the nuts may be golden one minute then turn dark brown the next.
Storing Nuts:
Store nuts in their shells to protect from light, heat, moisture, and exposure. If already shelled, store tightly covered in cool, dark, dry place or in the freezer. Salted nuts are more prone to rancidity than unsalted, so we recommend refrigerating after opening.
Bonus Tip! Roasted Oats:
Roast in a 325*F (160*) oven, stirring 2 or 3 times during baking, watching closely, as the oats will roast faster than nuts. Try using roasted oats the next time you make oatmeal for breakfast... yum!

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How to make whipped cream

If you're serving a pie for dessert over the holidays, it's going to look naked without whipped cream. You could go the spray-can route, but for a better-tasting alternative, whip up your own. Here's how:

# Before you begin: Make sure the cream is very cold; if you have time, chill the whisk (or beaters) and bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes. This will help the cream whip quickly and will increase its volume.

# Adding flavor: If you plan to use any flavorings, such as extracts, liqueurs or spices, add them with the sugar in Step 2 (below).

# A sweet substitution: You can replace granulated sugar with an equal measure of confectioners' sugar.

SWEETENED WHIP CREAM

Makes: 2 cups

1. In a deep mixing bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form. If you use an electric mixer, beat on medium speed; do not overbeat (or the cream will turn buttery).

2. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar over the cream. Beat until soft peaks return.

-- Adapted from the Holiday 2007 issue of Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

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Pastry chef's tips will make yoor baking better

The French Pastry School in the Chicago's Loop turns out new pastry chefs ready for the professional world of ganache, puff pastry, mousse and much more. But it also offers classes for the non-professional. In a recent class on "Introduction to Cakes & Tarts," pastry chef Bob Hartwig took 16 baking enthusiasts through several French standards, including chocolate hazelnut cake with two mousses, lemon and chocolate tarts and much more.AdvertisementAlong the way, the always encouraging and always entertaining (and sometimes very funny) Hartwig offered tips that anyone facing a roster of holiday baking can take into the kitchen:

Cakes# When making a cake batter with more than two mixtures going together, don't incorporate the batters 100 percent until the final addition. Mix them just 75 percent. This helps avoid overmixing.

# "Comb" cake batter up the inside of the cake pan with a spatula and the cake will rise better.

# Don't poke a cake with a toothpick or other cake tester; if it isn't done and must return to the oven, then you've just given moisture a way to escape. Instead, touch the center lightly; it is done when it springs back.

# When letting a cake cool after baking, place a paper towel on top to trap steam and prevent the cake from drying out.Pastry

# When making a tart or pie dough, don't mix all the way until the dough comes together. Instead, when the dough is nearly together, place it on a large piece of plastic wrap and gently mold together by hand into a ball in the wrap. This will help prevent overmixing.

# While you're at it, roll the dough out partway in the wrap. First, unwrap the ball of dough partially so that the wrap is under the ball. Place another piece of wrap over the dough. Gently flatten with your palm into a flat disc. Then roll out the dough, still between the layers of wrap, until close to your finished size. Now the dough is ready to chill until ready for final rolling out between plastic wrap.

# Two strips of thin wood placed on either side of your rolling pin can help you roll more evenly. Try paint stirrers found at hardware stores.

# Avoid using a serving dish that detracts from your pastry. You want the eye to be enticed by your work, not the dishware.

# When prebaking a tart crust, take it directly from the freezer to the hot oven. A crust will form before the dough thaws, retarding shrinkage of the crust.

Source : Joe Gray * Chicago Tribune * December 19, 2007 * Jackson Clarion-Ledger

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TEETOTALLERS CAN GET SNAZZY TOO

A lonely glass of juice or cola looking wistfully at an exotic Cosmopolitan or a pinacolada. Boring teetotalers! Not necessarily true. The rules of looking good apply universally and do not have to be partial to cocktails. You can use good glassware to serve anything from a simple juice to a mocktail. Why, even water looks brighter in a nice glass.
Lots of ice, slices of fresh fruit, mint and stylish glasses will elevate even the most ordinary drink. Some mint sprigs over jal jira. A green chilli and coriander over buttermilk or a sprinkling of roasted jeera over aam panna.
Let’s take the simple iced tea to greater heights. All you have to do is flavour the tea with aromatics such as orange peel, lemon grass or ginger before you pour it on ice. Fill a stylish beer pilsner glass with ice. Add a generous measure of lemon juice, sugar, mint leaves and pour in hot tea. Stir and top with more ice. Garnish with a fruit slice and more mint.
You should also try mixing a thousand milkshakes and generously dousing them with ice cream. Fresh strawberries, chickoos, mangoes, bananas; the more usual cold coffee and chocolate treated with butterscotch ice cream. Serve them in steamed beer goblets or footed pilsners. Garnish with fruit or wafer biscuits.
Pina colada is everybody’s favourite drink. It isn’t difficult at all to make. Rim a glass by dipping it in pineapple juice and then into a plate of dessicated coconut. Put a few cubes of ice in a blender, add 120ml pineapple juice, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a spoon of cream, 60 ml coconut milk and blend.
Then there are the frozen mixes. Fill a jug with crushed ice, add a dessert topping, lime juice, soda or lemonade and slush it together using a hand blender. Pour into a nice stemmed glass and garnish with fruit or mint.
Make an exotic punch using frozen lichees or frozen pineapple with coconut water, even frozen watermelon with pineapple juice. Pour into stemmed wine glasses. They’re simple, easily accessible and quick. They also taste and look very good.

Source Asian Age

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HOW GOOD CAN CHOCOLATE BE

1. Chocolate is much more than a mood enhancer, energy booster or aphrodisiac. In fact, chocolate contains vitamins A, B1, C, D and E, as well as potassium, sodium, iron and fluorine.
2. Chocolate is a good source of copper and magnesium, which helps to regulate heartbeats and blood pressure.
3. Researchers have found that raw and / or minimally processed cocoa contains flavonoids similar to catechins found in green tea, which help prevent heart disease and possibly cancer, as well as boost the immune system.
4. Amazing as it sounds, chocolate can help decrease blood pressure. One study found that a substance in cocoa helps the body process nitric oxide (NO), a compound that maintains healthy blood flow and blood pressure. Another study showed that flavonols in cocoa prevent fat-like substances in the blood stream from oxidizing and also blood platelets from sticking together thereby avoiding the formation of clots.
5. Chocolate improves blood circulation and lowers death rate from heart disease.
6. The fat from cocoa butter comprises equal amounts of oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat also found in olive oil), stearic and palmitic acids. Though saturated fats are linked to increases in LDL-cholesterol and risk for heart disease, research indicates that stearic acid appears to have a neutral effect on cholesterol, neither raising nor lowering LDL-cholesterol levels.
7. Chocolate provides magnesium, which helps increase pre-menstrual progesterone levels before periods, and improved your mood.
A Word Of CautionThough chocolate has a lot of health benefits, having a decadent piece of chocolate once in a while is not going to harm you. But don’t go rushing to stock up on all the chocolate products you can fit into your refrigerator! And while no one is going to claim chocolate is the ideal diet food, a dieter can add a small piece of chocolate to her diet food, a dieter can add a small piece of chocolate to her diet if she subtracts an equivalent amount of calories by cutting back on her foods.While moderate amounts of dark chocolate may have some heart benefits, many claims are unproven and much more research is needed before chocolate can take its place amount true healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which also contain other vitamins, minerals, and fibre not found in chocolate. So don’t turn your back on traditionally healthy food. That said, occasionally replacing the regular sweet treat in your diet with the darkest chocolate you can find (look for a high cocoa content) is a great idea, so go for it!

sourced from cooking & more Jan-feb

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Tips for a Great cake

* Use cake flour if the recipe calls for it. If you don't have it on hand, measure 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into a 1-cup dry measure, then fill with all-purpose flour and blend.

* Use aluminum pans with a dull finish and straight sides.* Cake pans should be at least half full with batter.

* Use vegetable shortening to grease pans.

* The perfect temperature for baking most cakes is 350 degrees.

* Bake cakes in the center of the oven.

* Don't open the oven door until you're very sure the cake is close to done.

* To see if it's done: Touch the center of the cake. If it springs back and the sides have pulled away from the pan, it's done. Or try the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick in the center. If the toothpick is clean and dry when you pull it out, the cake is done.

* Cool cakes about 10 minutes before removing them from their pans. Let a cake cool completely before slicing or icing it.

By Rebecca CoudretWednesday, August 22, 2007 in the Evansville Courier & Press

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