To fuck or to cook?

[ltl/fb]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

you need to brine your mean more. fringey was attack-mode mean, and would have hit him much harder. edit and attack something more basic to his being.

Brine? Like soak in salt water to preserve and/or flavor?

I made a meringue out of the egg whites left from separating eggs for cheesecake today and used it as a topping. Ginger-flavored today. Yummy.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Adder

Turned out okay, actually. "Pulled" turkey breast:

2-2.5 lbs turkey breast "roast" (I bought pre-bound breast at Whole Foods, but you could construct your own)
salt
honey
tbs each of cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, fennel seeds, onion powder (combined in a spice grinder)
dash of sugar, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder to taste, combined with the other spices

1. Brine the turkey with a handful of salt, a healthy dose of honey, and enough water to cover, overnight
2. Remove the turkey from the brine, and pat dry
3. Coat the turkey in spices (I also larded lightly with salt pork)
4. Slow roast turkey, in a smoker, charcoil grill or oven at 210 degrees for 4-5 hours.
5. Remove from oven and "pull" with two forks.

Serve on wheat bun, dressed with a quality barbecue sauce. I had a side of potato salad (with fresh dill).

Trying again, I might try to add some liquid at the start (in a pan, obviously) to help combat the fundamental challenge - the fact that the turkey is low in fat - but it turned out better than you (i.e. Wonk) might think anyway.

For a good brine, you need more than a "handful" of salt. How much more depends on whether you are using kosher salt or table salt.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally Posted by Fugee

For a good brine, you need more than a "handful" of salt. How much more depends on whether you are using kosher salt or table salt.

Or big hands.

It is only a 2.5 lb breast.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)

It is only a 2.5 lb breast.

That's a fair point. It also depends on how much water is used for the brine and a turkey breast that small wouldn't take much water.

[taxwonk]

Originally Posted by Adder

Turned out okay, actually. "Pulled" turkey breast:

2-2.5 lbs turkey breast "roast" (I bought pre-bound breast at Whole Foods, but you could construct your own)
salt
honey
tbs each of cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, fennel seeds, onion powder (combined in a spice grinder)
dash of sugar, cayenne, black pepper, garlic powder to taste, combined with the other spices

1. Brine the turkey with a handful of salt, a healthy dose of honey, and enough water to cover, overnight
2. Remove the turkey from the brine, and pat dry
3. Coat the turkey in spices (I also larded lightly with salt pork)
4. Slow roast turkey, in a smoker, charcoil grill or oven at 210 degrees for 4-5 hours.
5. Remove from oven and "pull" with two forks.

Serve on wheat bun, dressed with a quality barbecue sauce. I had a side of potato salad (with fresh dill).

Trying again, I might try to add some liquid at the start (in a pan, obviously) to help combat the fundamental challenge - the fact that the turkey is low in fat - but it turned out better than you (i.e. Wonk) might think anyway.

I have smoked turkey breasts to good effect for years. I usually just slice mine instead of pulling it though, because without the connective tissue to gelatinize, I think the turkey might be a bit fibrous if not sliced againstthe grain. Larding it was a good idea. I think I'll steal it.

[Fugee]

Just got Rose Levy Beranbaum's new cake cookbook from the library and there is a recipe for ginger cheesecake. This is "real" cheesecake requiring an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.

Fringey, if you want the recipe, let me know and I'll copy it and send it to you. It's too long to type in here.

[Sparklehorse]

Originally Posted by Fugee

Just got Rose Levy Beranbaum's new cake cookbook from the library and there is a recipe for ginger cheesecake. This is "real" cheesecake requiring an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.

Fringey, if you want the recipe, let me know and I'll copy it and send it to you. It's too long to type in here.

What do you think of the new one? And do you generally like her books? I've been reading her blog for a few months but I was underwhelmed flipping through my SIL's copy of Cake Bible.

ETA: Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts is my favorite sweets cookbook and therefore the standard I measure others against.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Sparklehorse

What do you think of the new one? And do you generally like her books? I've been reading her blog for a few months but I was underwhelmed flipping through my SIL's copy of Cake Bible.

ETA: Richard Sax's Classic Home Desserts is my favorite sweets cookbook and therefore the standard I measure others against.

I love her books and have several of them. The Cake Bible was my first "baking" book and my original goal was to work my way through it, cake by cake.

I got distracted and hung up on a few different recipes that I wanted to make over and over. The chocolate angel food cake recipe is one of my favorite cakes (with the chocolate chiffon cake not far behind).

The new book solves two of my biggest issues with the Cake Bible -- first that the pictures were all in a couple chunks in the middle of the book and not right with the recipe, and second that the recipes were a little too heavy on elaborate "special occasion" cakes rather than regular cake recipes.

I may have a new favorite recipe from the new book. There is a recipe for a "chocolate tweed" angel food cake that is a white angel food cake recipe with finely chopped chocolate mixed in. Oh yummy yummy! My only problem with that recipe is that my stand mixer may not have a bowl large enough to whip 16 egg whites so I might have to use my hand (electric) mixer.

I like that her recipes are stated in both volume and weight. I've been measuring ingredients for baking by weight and it is much more accurate than measuring by the cup, especially for flour. And I liked that in The Cake Bible she spends time talking about the science of baking and why ingredients work together the way they do.

My other main baking cookbook resource is Baking Illustrated by Cook's Illustrated. Despite having a shocking number of baking books, I don't have your favorite. I'm going to have to check it out to see what I am missing!

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Fugee

I love her books and have several of them. The Cake Bible was my first "baking" book and my original goal was to work my way through it, cake by cake.

I got distracted and hung up on a few different recipes that I wanted to make over and over. The chocolate angel food cake recipe is one of my favorite cakes (with the chocolate chiffon cake not far behind).

The new book solves two of my biggest issues with the Cake Bible -- first that the pictures were all in a couple chunks in the middle of the book and not right with the recipe, and second that the recipes were a little too heavy on elaborate "special occasion" cakes rather than regular cake recipes.

I may have a new favorite recipe from the new book. There is a recipe for a "chocolate tweed" angel food cake that is a white angel food cake recipe with finely chopped chocolate mixed in. Oh yummy yummy! My only problem with that recipe is that my stand mixer may not have a bowl large enough to whip 16 egg whites so I might have to use my hand (electric) mixer.

I like that her recipes are stated in both volume and weight. I've been measuring ingredients for baking by weight and it is much more accurate than measuring by the cup, especially for flour. And I liked that in The Cake Bible she spends time talking about the science of baking and why ingredients work together the way they do.

My other main baking cookbook resource is Baking Illustrated by Cook's Illustrated. Despite having a shocking number of baking books, I don't have your favorite. I'm going to have to check it out to see what I am missing!

I may need to check this out. The fancy cakes in her Cake Bible are really annoying -- it's just overkill.

I also have her Christmas Cookies book. Which has some great cookie recipes, and then a 20-page guide to making a gingerbread Notre Dame cathedral that is truly insane.

[ltl/fb]

Originally Posted by Fugee

Just got Rose Levy Beranbaum's new cake cookbook from the library and there is a recipe for ginger cheesecake. This is "real" cheesecake requiring an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.

Fringey, if you want the recipe, let me know and I'll copy it and send it to you. It's too long to type in here.

No, thank you. I'm good with my current recipe, which I can make with Splenda and nonfat or low fat ricotta and cream cheese. The candied Ginger is calorific, but yummy. I use a regular pie pan instead of a springform. Call me a rebel. I will be making this weekend a chocolate cheesecake using chocolate chips and adding some chocolate protien powder and possible some Dutch process cocoa. Crust will be chocolate also. Wafers. And butter. I'm hoping I will find it yummy. I am brain-damaged, tho, so my opinions may be more useless than usual.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

I may need to check this out. The fancy cakes in her Cake Bible are really annoying -- it's just overkill.

I also have her Christmas Cookies book. Which has some great cookie recipes, and then a 20-page guide to making a gingerbread Notre Dame cathedral that is truly insane.

I have the Christmas Cookies one too. The recipe in it for peanut butter blossoms is insanely good, but I use Hershey's Kisses instead of piping chocolate on them.

If you ever make the stained glass windows cookies from that book, make sure you have a heavy glass bowl on your blender (or else partially crush the sour balls first). My friend had a plastic container on her blender and put the sour balls in whole -- they exploded out through the container.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Fugee

I have the Christmas Cookies one too. The recipe in it for peanut butter blossoms is insanely good, but I use Hershey's Kisses instead of piping chocolate on them.

If you ever make the stained glass windows cookies from that book, make sure you have a heavy glass bowl on your blender (or else partially crush the sour balls first). My friend had a plastic container on her blender and put the sour balls in whole -- they exploded out through the container.

Mrs. Finch has made stained glass cookies, not sure if they were from that book or another. She used Jolly Ranchers.....

But that's the sort of food-as-decor thing that doesn't thrill me. I'm fine with presentation if it tastes good. The better it looks, the better it should taste -- otherwise, but more effort into the taste than into the decor.

The Ultimate Cookie Book rocks, btw. Last Sunday was cookie day at my house, and I made 6 or 7 recipes from there.

[Fugee]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

Mrs. Finch has made stained glass cookies, not sure if they were from that book or another. She used Jolly Ranchers.....

But that's the sort of food-as-decor thing that doesn't thrill me. I'm fine with presentation if it tastes good. The better it looks, the better it should taste -- otherwise, but more effort into the taste than into the decor.

The Ultimate Cookie Book rocks, btw. Last Sunday was cookie day at my house, and I made 6 or 7 recipes from there.

That's a lot of cookies. Is it for your school dinner thing?

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Fugee

That's a lot of cookies. Is it for your school dinner thing?

No. My son really wanted me to bake some cookies, and he and I got a little carried away. It happens. It was fun.

[PresentTense Pirate Penske]

.....tomorrow


"Bitch 'n' Bacon @ Esquin

Nothing can compare to a pairing of Australian wine and bacon! Taste some of the highest quality bacon the world has to offer alongside some Aussie favorites."

I'll be there, not quite bacon beer, but I ain't averse to some meaty shiraz from down unda'. Toss another shrimp on the barbie and good on ya mate!!