Recipe: Pumpkin spice

Pumpkin spice is one of those things that may show up on a recipe as an ingredient, but then you go to the store and it's hit or miss whether they will stock it.  No worry, it's an easy mix of things you either already have on hand or can easily get a hold of.  You don't have to just use it with pumpkin either, it's a nice blend of earthiness, coziness and aromatics that use can use in a lot of recipes.  The ratios are not set in stone either, but this is the blend that I use.  It's a small recipe - this way I tend to mix it each time I need it with little left over - this way the individual spices keep to their own until the mix, making for a more vibrant character when mixed.  By the same token, the more you can grind the spices yourself from whole, the bigger the flavour.

You will need:

1tsp                       ground cinnamon

1/2tsp                    ground nutmeg

1/4tsp                    ground ginger

1/4tsp                    ground clove

1/4tsp                    ground allspice

Method:

 - grind

 - mix 

 - use

Recipe: British "mixed spice"

Sometimes you will read a recipe for a proper English Christmas pudding or mincemeat and come across "spice mix" in the list of ingredients.  What is it?  It is a spice blend usually bought in a store and most commonly used during the holiday season.  As a commercial product, the blend itself can vary in proportions, but the spices involved are generally pretty constant.  If you can't find it in a store or just want to make it yourself, this is a recipe I came across years ago.  Basically, the idea is to make a large batch of the blend, then use as much as a recipe calls for.  Store the rest in a jar with your other spices.  Since it's a big mix, once you get it together, give it a little taste, and don't be afraid to add a little extra of any of the spices you especially like - then it becomes your personal blend and people will be scratching their heads trying to figure out how to duplicate your fabulous mincemeat.

You will need:

10ml / 2tsp          ground cinnamon

10ml / 2tsp          ground nutmeg

10ml / 2tsp          ground ginger

5ml / 1tsp            ground cloves

5ml / 1tsp            allspice

5ml / 1tsp            mace

5ml / 1tsp            ground coriander

5ml / 1tsp            ground caraway

5ml / 1tsp            cardamom

Method:

 - mix it
 - tweak it (remember to write down what you did)
 - use it
 - store the rest in a jar

Peeling almonds

Peeling almonds is something not everyone knows how to do and even fewer bother to do it.  The strange thing is that it is so easy and the money you can save for the sake of a little time is remarkable.  The skin of an almond is more like a thin membrane, and once you get it loosened, the perfectly clean almond just pops out so easily it seems ludicrous to pay a premium for peeled almond again.  It's so easy in fact there's a good chance you will have a few jumping right out of their skins and across the counter.

Method:

 - get a pot of water up to a boil

 - drop in the unpeeled almonds and let the water come back up to a simmer

 - after a minute or two, strain the water off and drop the almonds into cold water

 - once they are cool, grab each almond and gently squeeze one end almost like taking the tail off a prawn

 - the clean almond will just pop out the other side

Gelatin: Sheet vs powder

Gelatin is invaluable in a kitchen, unfortunately there is a common problem translating professional recipes to the home environment - while sheet gelatin is common in a commercial kitchen, it is harder to find available for household supply outside of specialty shops.  Used properly, there is virtually no difference in the outcome and it's a matter of conversion.  Given the choice, I prefer sheet.

 - the two most common calculations are:  1tsp powder gelatin is equal to 2 sheets

                                                                    1 10g packet of powder gelatin is equal to 6 sheets

 - always keep moisture content in mind when using gelatin.  When "blooming" powder gelatin, use a portion of the recipe's liquid to bloom it.  When soaking sheet gelatin, just moisten it enough to make it soft in order to limit how much water it absorbs, then drain it really well - some chefs will even pat the leaves dry after soaking.

 - always use cold water (or liquid) to bloom or soak gelatin.  Powder gelatin is best sprinkled over the liquid to ensure even absorption.

 - try to avoid "cooking" gelatin - it is best to get the liquid hot, then melt the gelatin into it off the stove.

 - some fruits have enzymes called proteases that affect the gelling process when used raw.  Giving these fruits a bit of a cook should make them ok to use, but remember that if the fruit is frozen, the enzyme is still active.  According to About.com, these fruits are: 

     - pineapple

     - kiwi

     - figs

     - papaya

     - pawpaw

     - mango

     - guava

     - ginger

                                                               

                                                            

Recipe: Smoked butter

Smoking food often has at least a slight drying effect - an interesting way to incorporate a  smoked flavour into a dish without changing the food's natural properties is to smoke the cooking medium, in this case the butter.  Fat does a great job of carrying flavours, so you can really smoke the butter well, then just use enough to get the smokiness you want, then use regular butter the rest of the way.  If you are like me and don't have a smoker at home, but have a smoking gun, the same effect can be achieved by sealing the butter in a bowl and pipe smoke in several times and mixing the butter up a few times along the way.  The last time I did this was at work, so I got to just throw the butter in the smoker and come back to it later.  Easy.

You will need:

1lb / 454g       unsalted butter (room temperature)

smoker

Method:

 - put the butter in a tray on an upper rack in the smoker (to catch the most smoke and stay cooler)

 - put another tray of ice on a lower rack as a heat shield (optional)

 - smoke for at least 2 - 3 hours

 - remove from smoker

 - if some separation has occurred, put the butter in a bowl in cold water and whisk until it re-emulsifies

 - store in an airtight container until use

Maple syrup

Let 'er rip!

I  recently mentioned how the maple lemonade cleanse turned me onto low grade maple syrup as my syrup of choice - here's why.

First off, the flavour is far superior.  Maple syrup grades "B" or "C" (#2 or #3) are less refined than grade "A" (#1).  You simply get the purer flavour of the sap.  In Vancouver you see all the tourist shops with their maple leaf shaped bottles of syrup proudly advertising "Grade A" - it's sad.  Feeding all these folks a watered down product at a premium price.  The "A" syrup is so filtered, the colour is almost gone, along with all that flavour.  My lucky brother out in horse country in Ontario actually gets to go out to the Mennonite farms and pick up bottles of #4 - I can only imagine.  Maybe this year he can send me a bottle for Christmas (hint, hint).

Second, believe it or not, by getting less refined maple syrup, you get a nutritional boost.  You still don't want to be sucking the stuff down by the pint, but if you are topping off your pancakes, why not get the odd nutrient along with it?  The less refined your maple syrup, the more you get to benefit from:

Take the one on the right

potassium
calcium
magnesium
manganese
phosphorus
iron
zinc
copper
tin
sodium
pantothenic acid (vitamin B5)
niacin
biboflavin (vitamin B2)
malic acid
citric acid
succinic
fumeric
amino nitrogens
phenios

 - as well as several other elements in trace amounts.

Often, to get the lower grades of syrup, you need to resort to an organic company - whether you're big on that or not, it's another plus.  Some hardcore healthy people actually don't like to use honey (Honey and I get along fine) as it is technically a product digested by an animal, and therefore some of the goodness is already gone - it also makes honey vegan non-friendly.  Good old maple syrup comes straight from the tree, no monkey business, right into your belly. There's nothing not to like.

So there you have it, say goodbye to the "golden" crap and go maple, dark maple.  Put it on your pancakes, put it on your flag - we did.

Product review: Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste

This is a unique and very delicious product.  The people at Nielsen-Massey have been making the premium vanilla extract of choice for commercial kitchens for many years, but this is even better, it's vanilla paste.  Regardless how good an extract may be, I often find myself looking for the little black specks that come from using real bean pods.  Let's face it, real vanilla is real expensive.  This vanilla paste fills that middle ground perfectly - fantastic flavour and the visual aspect that extract is missing.  It's made from top quality Madagascar vanilla, and to use it is basically a straight across substitution:  1Tbs of paste = 1Tbs of extract = 1 vanilla bean - can't get much easier than that.  Look for it at your local gourmet store or CHECK IT OUT HERE.