Daring Bakers~January 2009-Tuiles

I've always wanted to make tuiles. I love how they taste, I love the delicate texture, and I love the fact that you can eat a lot of them and not feel full. Tuiles always look so pretty as they adorn cakes and desserts. As you can see in all the pictures of the post, my cooking style is not "pretty." I'd like to think that my strategy is to make food taste good, but that is not always the case. Here's a picture of my thin dough circles. The next picture is of the cooked product.
Okay, so my final product did not turn out very pretty. They were so delicate that I just couldn't handle them. Once I touched the tuiles, they broke apart. mmm...that means that there was a LOT of butter and sugar in the recipe. I am not sure if I made them correctly because they kind of look like potato chips.
After trying some of the tuiles, I realized that I liked the taste of the thinner tuiles that were slightly burnt. So, I ended up baking large thin sheets of batter on parchment paper to make thin wafers. Mmm...they were so yummy that I ate all the pieces you see below. My husband liked it, so ended up eating up all of them. I think he was hungry because he had just come back from playing basketball for a couple of hours.


This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen aka Baking Soda and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf.
The recipe I used is " Tuiles" from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

Hard Brown Sugar?~Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

While living in Hawaii, I never had to deal with hard lumps of brown sugar. In Champaign, the air is pretty dry, so once I open a bag of brown sugar, within my next use of brown sugar there are dry lumps of sugar. I cannot use rocks of brown sugar in my baking, so I end up tossing the whole bag (or baking muffins with pockets of sugar).

But, this past Christmas season, I was introduced to Andes Chocolate Mint cookies! Another student in my department made these for a progressive dinner and I had to have the recipe! Not only do they taste great, I do not have to waste my brown sugar!

Andes Chocolate Mint Cookies

Ingredients:
¾ c. margarine
1 & 1/2 c. brown sugar
12 oz. chocolate chips (I used Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips)
2 eggs
2-1/2 c. flour
1-1/4 t. baking soda
½ t. salt
2 T. water
2 (6 oz.) boxes Andes Candies

Melt margarine, brown sugar, and water together. Add chocolate chips and stir until melted. Cool mixture for 10 minutes. Beat in eggs with chocolate mixture and add remaining dry ingredients. Chill dough for at least one hour. Roll dough into approx. 1" balls and bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. After the cookies are removed from the oven (immediately) place ½ of an Andes candy on each cookie and after a few minutes, spread the chocolate around with the back of a spoon evenly over the cookie and add sprinkles.

If you slightly under-cook the cookies, or make them thicker, they have a chewy slight brownie consistency, which makes the uber delicious too!

These cookies are so simple to make and so delicious! I am not sure how they will hold up in warmer climates, but in colder climates, these cookies are great!
It's a pretty foolproof recipe. But we'll see just how foolproof they are. I emailed the recipe to my sister (that's the foolproof test) and she made it a few weeks ago. My sister also used Splenda's brown sugar, so we'll see how her cookies turned out.

My research

For the past few years, my "job" has been being a Food Science graduate student. I'm specializing in Sensory Science which involves evaluating and understanding foods/products, etc. using human senses. It also involves a LOT of statistics. I'm not doing the discipline any justice with that definition, but trust me, it's super duper cool and if you're interested, here's a link to the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) Sensory Evaluation Division (SED).

Sometimes we run acceptance tests to determine the level of liking of a product. Other tests like a Descriptive Analysis panel involves training panelists to hone in on key attributes(sweetness, flavor, texture, etc.) of products and rate the samples on these attributes. It's a great field to be in, plus there never seems to be a shortage of sensory scientist jobs on the mainland. You could work for companies focusing on food, pet food, skincare, household products...pretty much any company that involves consumer insight.

Yeah, so my lab is great! We all really enjoy food,like to eat, and like to study food. That's probably the reason why most of us decided to pursue Food Science and specialize in Sensory Science.

In February I'll be conducting a Descriptive Analysis panel for 4 weeks, so the blog posts will probably be sparse next month. I'll be training my human subjects to be "instruments" in rating attributes in solutions.
Does it sound like fun? Email me uiucsensory 'at' gmail.com if you're in Champaign, IL and interested in participating. This semester a few of my labmates are conducting panels, so if you want to be a human guinea pig, let me know.

My panel runs from Feb. 2-Feb. 27 (~1 hour/day, five days a week, four weeks) and we're paying you! Plus every day you get a snack (chips, snack bar, etc) too.

Road Trip! Chicago

Mike and I spent Friday on a road trip to C-H-I-C-A-G-O! Okay, that's not so exciting when we actually live 2.5-3hours south of Chicago, but still, here's our action-packed day.
This our second trip to the Museum of Science and Industry. And guess what? Certain days are "Free Days" so our $19/admission was free. It makes the $16/parking easier to stomach. The museums in Chicago are super cool. I really like the Museum of Science and Industry and the Art Institute of Chicago. I'd rather *gasp* go to these museums than shop for clothes! I even curbed my clothes shopping habit, since after I graduate, I realize I have to pack my stuff up in the two suitcases I came with so I can fit on a plane to go home.

We then picked Kendell up since she was in town and then stopped at a restaurant I've been eyeing out for a while. Rick Bayless's Frontera Grill. Chou gave me a Rick Bayless cookbook last year, but Mike and I haven't made anything in the book yet.

Mike ordered the Puerco en Mole Coloradito (grilled-roasted Maple Creek pork loin in classic Oaxacan mole coloradito of ancho chile, sweet spices and chocolate. bacon-infused Iroquois white corn torta, frilled green beans)

Kendell had the Tacos al Carbon (wood-grilled poultry sliced and served with roasted pepper rajas, two salsas, frijoles charros, guacamole and homemade tortillas)

and I ordered the Pescado Encalabazado (red chile-marinated day-boat, cooked over the coals, in garlicky red chile-butternut sauce. Red chile rice, braise dlacinato kale, crispy butternut. I also ordered the tortilla soup from Frontera Grill's sister restaurant "Tompolobampo."

We shared the homemade ice cream (brownie chunk? and corn ice cream) with chocolate sauce and cajeta (goat's milk caramel). The corn ice cream was really yummy!

The prices were suprisingly reasonable for a celebrity chef's restaurant.

We had reservations for a 12noon lunch, and when we walk in, I my eyes quickly focus on Rick Bayless! The Rick Bayless. I didn't know that chefs actually are present in their own restaurant for a lunch service. In case you do not know who Rick Bayless is, he's a chef in Chicago known for Mexican/Spanish influenced dishes. He lost to Bobby Flay on the American version of "Iron Chef" and is the owner of Tompolobampo, which is frequented by Barack Obama.

I'm still kicking myself for not having the guts to go up to Rick Bayless and ask him if we could take a picture. He was sitting on a stool a few feet away from me (and looked just like he did on tv), and starstruck Lauren could not get over her jitters to go up to him.

*Note to self* Next time I see someone famous, I will not hesistate and I will muster up the courage to talk to him/her.

Dropped Kendell off at the airport and then headed to Trader Joe's. The mochi ice cream there was super cheap ($3.50?) for a box of 6, so Mike and I inhaled the whole box of mochi ice cream in the first 30 minutes of the drive back to Champaign. I mean we had to eat the mochi ice cream, or it would have melted.

And that left us with Saturday to sleep all our adventures off.

New Year's Eve Extravaganva

We were planning on going to a restaurant for New Year's Eve, but couldn't find a restaurant. Lauren wanted to go to the English Hedgegrow Bistro, but when she called for reservations, they were sold out. At first I was interested in a place called Silver Creek, but I opted out when I found out the porter house steak was $70 (most other dishes were $50, and I only really wanted the steak). So being foodies, we decided to cook our own meals and spend the money on ingredients instead. It was a good excuse to go crazy at the grocery store....something that we don't do often. Lauren kept asking me if it was alright for her to buy stuff like soda and chips, because she was afraid we would go over budget. Sometimes I think she worries too much, but then again I worry to little.

Mike's Menu

First Course-Jalapeno Poppers and Thai Chicken Eggrolls (store bought)
These were appetizers that always looked good to me in the frozen foods section, but I would never buy them. Now I don't have to wonder anymore. The eggrolls were pretty bad. There were only 4 eggrolls in the pack,which really disappointed me at first, since it cost $3 (on sale from $5) But once I tasted one I was kind of happy there were so few. Here's my guess on what their recipe is.....Add salt, chicken, something gummy, curry powder, and carrot to blender, and blend into indiscriminate mush. Wrap in wonton wrapper, and fry. Put nice picture on box, and overprice it so people think it tastes good. The jalapeno poppers were okay, but then again, they were $1.50, and there were a lot of them. Lauren's toasted ravioli is also in the picture.

Second Course - Brown sugar glazed bacon wrapped shrimp and asparagus
Definitely my favorite thing of the night. I fried the bacon until it was almost crispy and still pliable (because I don't like soggy bacon), then wrapped the shrimp and asparagus. I doused it with brown sugar, and then fried it in the same pan. (bacon fat mmmmm.....) A nice crust of brown sugar formed, and it was awesome. Next time I think I'll add some maple syrup. Lauren even liked it, but she didn't eat a whole lot of bacon.

Third Course

Surf and Turf Pan-seared Ribeye Steak with garlic butter, Broiled Lobster Tail, and Roasted Red Pepper Red Potato Salad
This was my high-end course, but pretty simple in preparation. I seared the steak in a really hot pan....it would have been better grilled over an open fire, but I didn't want to freeze. It still came out pretty good. It's hard to mess up a steak. The lobster was broiled with garlic and butter. There was a weird texture to it. I think because it was frozen, but it was also good. I was on a lobster kick (not that I ate it a lot, but just that I wanted to eat it) for a while, but I think this cured me. The potato salad was a Bobby Flay recipe with a roasted red pepper and smoked paprika sauce. I really liked it, because you roast the potatoes, so they're crispy in the salad. However, the next day it really didn't taste very good.

Fourth Course

No desert here...I was way to full.

Lauren's Menu

First Course- Warm prosciutto and goat cheese crostinis

Good french bread with goat cheese and prosciutto on it. What's not to like? I ended up eatin most of these since Lauren wanted to make them, but not really eat them. (not a complaint....more like a perk)

Second Course - Toasted Ravioli (store bought) with homemade marinara sauce
These are shown in a picture above. Lauren really liked them, which was good, because I didn't particularly like them. To each his own I guess.

Third Course - Decadent Spinach and Artichoke Dip and Fusion Spanakopita (a twist on greek spanakopita-delicate philo dough filled with goat cheese, spinach, and prosciutto)

The spinach and artichoke dip was creamy and warm. Lauren made a lot, which was good, because it was breakfast for the next few days. I liked Spanikopita, but thought it could have used more cheese. Lauren didn't like it because she thought there was too much cheese. Hence, another perk....I finished this off :) You couldn't really taste the proscuitto, but it was still tasty.

Fourth Course - Mushroom medley with papperdelle pasta
crimini, porcini, morel, oyster, and shitake mushrooms in a light garlic, white wine and cream sauce
Lauren was excited about using this kind of pasta for weeks. We acctually went to the store that sells it earlier in the month, but she didn't want to get it because it was too expensive ($5). Since we were doing our challenge, Lauren splurged for the pasta, and it was a good deciscion. I'm a big fan of this noodle, and Lauren likes it too. The sauce was rich, but not too heavy. Very good.

Fifth Course
Back to the Classics
IBC Cream Soda and Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Sandwiches-Store-bought
Lauren made great choices here. Turned out I managed to have enough room to try her deserts. It was great. Happy New Year to us.

(Both our meals cost under $50 each, Mike's serves 1-1.5 people; Lauren's could serve 3-4 people. There were also a lot of leftover ingredients) It was a really fun event to go crazy and just get whatever we wanted, and it was cheaper than going out.

Happy New Year! Japanese Tradition-Ozoni

Happy New Year Everyone! We hope that 2009 brings you all a lot of joy, prosperity, and good health! I just found out that one of my friends got engaged so it looks like the year is starting on a positive note!
I'm three-fourths Japanese and Mike's full Japanese. This means that every New Years Day we've eaten Ozoni. Ozoni is a soup containing mizuna and mochi. I was told that you eat the soup on News Years Day to symbolize sticking together as a family.
We also eat soba noodles (for long life b/c the noodles are long) and later on we eat fried mochi with a shoyu sugar sauce. Then we split the tangerine that sits on top of the kagami mochi. (See the modified kagami mochi picture above. yeah, it's mochi blocks and an orange). I'm not sure if my mom made it up, but I think that we each it a few sections of the tangerine to symbolize the family sticking together too.
It's funny, every New Years Day, I would dread the ozoni breakfast. I'm a pig in mud when it comes to slurping up the soba and chewing the fried mochi, but something about the gooey-ness of the mochi in broth with the mizuna is one of my least favorite foods. My mom makes a tasty ozoni, and my family loves it and cannot wait to eat bowls of this stuff. My family members would have large bowls of ozoni while I would have a tiny bowl of it because I was obligated to eat the soup so that I would "stick together" with my family.
Here's a secret...growing up, I would be given 1/2-1 piece of mochi in my soup. While I was setting the table, I would quickly break apart my mochi and hide part of my piece in my dad's soup.
And guess what, I married a Japanese guy who doesn't like the mochi in the soup either. He likes the broth and stuff, but not mochi in it. So the dilemna this year was, "should we make ozoni?"

We decided to bite the bullet and make ozoni. Why? Because it's a Japanese tradition and we do not want to lose a cultural tradition. Yes, when we have kids we will make ozoni for them and pretend to like the soup so that they will not lose their Japanese culture. Here's a picture of our modified ozoni with no mizuna because we could not find it in the asian market. I fried the mochi and then put it in the soup to reduce the gooey-ness of the mochi.