Lining a cake pan with kitchen parchment is always a great idea when making cakes as it makes it much easier to release the cake from the pan and prevents leaving part of the cake stuck to the bottom of the pan.  I used to trace an outline of the pan onto the parchment with a pen or pencil and then cut the circle out… ugh.  You know, school can come in handy on occasion, and sometimes to just point out the obvious.  As a matter of  fact this tip isn’t from cooking school, but more from making paper snowflakes in kindergarten.

Begin by folding the parchment in half, then in half again…

At the closed corner, fold the longer edge to the shorter edge…

Keep folding the sides together until you really can’t fold any longer…

Line of the tip with the center of the pan…

Give a snip, unfold… et voilà!

A perfect circle to line your pan!  Simple I know, but I’m not always clued in to spot the obvious.  Oh, if the urge comes to take a couple decorative snips, go on ahead and do it… it is snowflake season afterall!

Peace – J

Please ‘Share’ and/or ‘Like’ if ya wanna!

The inspiration for this dessert was an extra bag of fresh cranberries that had gone unused at Thanksgiving.  I love cranberries cooked in orange juice, brown sugar, and spices with finely chopped pecans stirred in at the end and wanted to incorporate those flavors into the topping of this cake.  Revisiting some vintage upside-down cake recipes in my mom’s 1958 Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking, I found the actual cake recipes themselves to be fairly incidental to the topping; usually a simple sponge used as a delivery vehicle for the topping.  Flavored with fresh orange juice and scented with green cardamom, I wanted this cake to enhance what was going on in the topping and to become a perfect compliment.

Cranberry-Orange Upside Down Cake

Adapted from Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking

For Topping:
1 large orange
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
12 ounces fresh cranberries

For Cake:
1 1/2 cups sifted caked flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
15 green cardamom pods*
1 large orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (preferably with a removable bottom). Cut a circle of parchment 1/2-inch larger than the diameter of the pan and line the bottom of the pan; butter the parchment and set aside.

With a fine grater, zest the orange. Then with a sharp paring knife supreme the orange (cut away the peel and pith then remove the segments); cut each segment in to thirds and set aside.  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar, stirring until sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest and finely chopped pecans.  Spread this mixture evenly over the bottom of prepared cake pan.  Layer in the cranberries and evenly distribute the orange segments.

In a small mixing bowl, combine sifted caked flour, baking powder, and salt. With a mortar and pestle, crack open the cardamom pods and empty the black seeds and papery husks back into the bowl and grind to a fine powder; for about 1 teaspoon.  Add ground cardamom to the flour mixture and give a quick whisk to incorporate the ingredients; set aside.  Remove zest from orange and then squeeze enough juice for 1/4 cup.

In a larger mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the orange zest and vanilla extract.  Beat in eggs one at a time until just incorporated.  Combine the 1/4 cup of orange juice and milk (it’s okay if it curdles a little).  In three batches, alternately beat in the flour and liquids; scraping down the sides of the bowl between batches.

Spread mixture evenly over the cranberries and tap pan on counter a few times so everything settles.  Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle of the cake come away clean.

Remove from oven, loosen the sides of the cake, and immediately invert onto a serving plate.  Carefully remove pan and parchment.  Let cool completely before slicing.  Delicious on it’s own or with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream.

*If using store-bought ground cardamom, use 1 1/2 teaspoons as commercial ground cardamom has the hard shell ground into the powder as well.

Serves 8.

This awesomely delicious cake will look fantastic on your holiday table or buffet.  It is fantastic with my mid-morning coffee beak or afternoon tea. So invite some friends over and enjoy!

Peace – J

Show the love, please hit the ‘Like’ button below.

We were also playing around with some harsh lighting to go with the doughnut shot for a promotional collateral piece. Again, I love the starkness of this shot – it tells a definite story.

Peace – J

Show the love and hit the ‘Like” button below!

Cooking terms lesson of the day: Stock is made by simmering bones and vegetables in a liquid (usually water). Stocks are the bases for soups and sauces and therefore should be lightly seasoned and, in my opinion, unsalted.  Broth is very similar to stock except it derives it’s flavor from meat and vegetables rather than bones.

After making turkey or any other kind of stock, I usually divide it into 16-ounce deli containers and freeze it to use later as a base for soups (other than turkey) and in other dishes in place of chicken stock.  I mean com’on… it’s easy to do, although a little time consuming, and virtually free!  There is no real need to follow technique here and make sachets or bouquet garni, peel vegetables, etc. — it’s all gonna get strained out at the end.

Photo: JaseMan

Simple Turkey Stock

Turkey carcass, bones, wings, neck – meat removed
2 medium brown onions
3 celery ribs
2 large carrots
1 head garlic
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
12 springs fresh Parsley
A lot of ice

Cut carcass into 4 or 5 pieces and add to an 8- to 12-quart stock pot. Trim the root end off onions and quarter leaving the skins on.  Scrub celery ribs and carrots and cut into chunks. Cut garlic clove in half horizontally (through the cloves).  Add cut vegetables and remaining ingredients, except ice, to the pot.  Cover with water; about 16 cups.

Over high heat, bring stock to a simmer, but not a full boil.  Adjust heat and continue simmering for 3 to 4 hours. Every hour or so skim the impurities that have come to the surface and check to see that the water hasn’t evaporated too much – if it has, boil water in a kettle and add to the stock. Do not add cold water.  Here you need to make a decision; if you want more of a lighter flavored stock – keep the water liquid level close to where it began.  If you would like less of a richer flavored stock, then don’t keep adding so much boiling water and just let it reduce (my preference).

Once the stock is finished strain into another pot through a colander that has been lined with a couple layers of cheese cloth.  If you don’t have cheese cloth on hand, then strain through the colander and then through a fine mesh strainer.

Important: To keep your stock safe from bacteria, it must be cooled quickly and properly. Put a stopper into the drain of your sink. Set the pot of strained stock into the sink and surround pot with ice.  Fill sink with just enough water to come to the height of the stock in the pot. Stir the stock occasionally until cool. Transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely.

When you go to use it the stock, you may notice flecks of fat that, if you are a low-fat freak, you can remove with a spoon.  However, DO NOT remove the gelatin like stuff that has congealed in the stock.  This is the collagen that has been simmered from the bone and gives the stock it’s luscious body. The stock will last in the fridge for up to a week.  If you are not going to use it in that time, it freezes really well for 3 or 4 months.

Peace – J

If you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘Like’ button below.

Growing up, I was that kid who LOVED Brussels sprouts. I used to beg my mom to make them.  She would simply boil them – I’m sure to states of over-cooked mush – and then toss them with a little butter, salt and pepper.  To this day, I still love them sautéed with bacon and pecans or in a creamy gratin with pancetta and shallots.  Earlier this year while working on MasterChef, one of the contestant challenges was to guess the ingredients in a dish and replicate it.  I created a cole slaw with blanched Brussels sprouts, Granny Smith apples, pecans, and a spicy jalapeno vinaigrette!  Amazingly delicious… even Gordon liked it!

Today, my preferred way to cook these little green orbs simply is tossed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper then roasted in a hot oven.  They are all at once tender, crunchy, sweet, and umami.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 to 1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, if desired.

Wash Brussels sprouts removing any outer leaves that are loose or have yellowed. Trim off brown cut end of stem. Place on baking sheet and toss with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast in preheated oven for 35 to 45 minutes or until fork tender; occasionally shaking pan to turn sprouts.

Remove from oven and serve immediately.  It’s that easy.

Serves 4.

Selection Tips: Although they are in the stores pretty much year-round, the actual growing season is September through mid-February. Brussels sprouts range from 1- to 1 1/2- inches in diameter.  Look for smaller, tightly closed, compact, bright green sprouts.  Try to select them as close to the same size as possible for even cooking.  Store unwashed in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, but try to cook within a couple of days of purchasing as the longer they sit, the more pungent they become.  Some stores (like Trader Joe’s) and farmers market sell them still on the stalk for ultimate freshness.

These simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts would make an easy side dish to accompany your Holiday meal.  Eat seasonally and enjoy!!

Peace – J

If you enjoyed this post, please hit the ‘Like’ button below.

Styling a turkey for a cover shoot or whole “roasted” poultry is one of my favorite things to do in food styling.  It’s the ultimate transformation. It’s sorta like when Tyra gets up in the morning… not cover ready. Same for Tom coming out of his wrapper. Each gets their own form of make-up and BAM cover model.

A fully cooked turkey from the oven isn’t used in photography for several reasons: 1) because when meat is cooked, the proteins tighten up and some of the moisture is squeezed out (why overcooked meat is dry). With the loss of moisture comes some shrinkage. This is why as soon as your bird comes out of the oven and rests a bit, the skin wrinkles. 2) There is the unknown of how the skin is going to react in the oven – splits, tears, uneven cooking – would mean hours of lost time waiting for the bird to cook, and then trying to repair what has happened or possibility of  having to cook another.

Our cover-bird Tom, is for all intent and purpose, raw.  He’s stuffed with  aluminum foil to stay plump and cooked just enough as to not appear raw – only for about 30 to 40 minutes.  This insures that his skin stays nice and taught and the meat appears plump and juicy.  Note: that this only holds true for the whole roasted bird. When you open the magazine to the article and you see the beautifully carved bird – that is the actual prepared recipe.

After he comes out of the oven, we use a butane torch to tighten up any loose skin, cauterize any bloody bones and highlight what would be the parts that might cook a little darker in the oven like the tops of the breast and thighs.

The fun part is coloring the bird!  Browning sauce is used for the base color of yellowy brown, mixed with Angustora bitters for an orangey-red tint, yellow food coloring, paprika for highlighting the darker parts, and some cooking spray to make it appear moist and juicy!

This last picture is the same turkey as the first.  With a fully cooked turkey, it would be nearly impossible to manipulate him from one set onto the next without a lot of reworking and the possibility of him falling apart. The reason for all of this is not to deceive, but because our cover-bird Tom has to sit under hot lights for hours at a time to get that perfect shot. Just like those girls on Top Model, he’ll get moved and manipulated and his make-up has to stay fierce and flawless!

Have a fantastic Thanksgiving! May you turkey be not only delicious but beautiful as well.

Photography (exception is the ingredient shot) is by the amazingly talented Heather Winters. Click on her name and check out her site!

Peace – J

Please hit the Like button! Share with your friends!

Red Onion Jam

1 1/2 to 2 pounds red onions
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup red wine
1 cup sugar
1 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup grenadine (optional)

Cut onions in half and then slice very thinly. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, thyme, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Sweat onions for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently; do not let color. Stir red wine and simmer until liquid has all but evaporated. Add the remaining ingredients and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until the liquid thickens and coats the back of a spoon, about 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool

Blackening Spice

1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground fennel seeds (optional)

Combine and store in an air-tight container for up to 3 months.

There are primarily two varieties of commercially available vanilla beans – Madagascar or Mexican, and Tahitian. Yes my friends, Madagascar and Mexican are the same species… good to know for my SoCal peeps! It seems those crafty Spaniards snaked (read: stole) some vanilla cuttings on their way outta town and planted them on the island of Madagascar. For hundreds of years, Madagascar had the market cornered on vanilla export and today, along with Mexico, is the major producer of vanilla. Tahiti is the only other player of note in the vanilla game. Tahitian vanilla is a sweeter and more floral bean and by virtue of economics (umm… remember supply and demand), is almost twice the price. Whew, history and economics lessons accomplished!

One of the perks of working on cooking and cooking reality shows is leftover product and equipment. From a recent show, I inherited somewhere in the vicinity of 100+ vanilla beans. Jealous? Thought so. Well, after giving the majority away, I still had quite a few, so I decided to make vanilla extract.

Making vanilla extract is super easy, economical, and will make an excellent holiday gift! It does take a little planning as you need to wait a month or so before it is ready to use.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

6 long, soft vanilla beans
1 quart good quality vodka
Extra vanilla beans for presentation (optional)

Split the six beans lengthwise and then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Add the vanilla pieces to a clean 1-quart canning jar and fill with vodka. Let steep in a cool, dark place for 30 to 45 days, shaking the jar every once in awhile. Strain through a cheesecloth lined wire mesh strainer. Return to a clean jar or smaller bottles and add a fresh vanilla bean for presentation.

Store tightly sealed. Vanilla extract will keep indefinitely (blessed by the USDA). There you have it, easy peasy.

I did a little experimenting with the recipe substituting Cuban rum and bourbon for the vodka. For straight on vanilla flavor, vodka is the best choice. The rum and bourbon variations are still very strong in vanilla flavor but, also have the underlying characteristics of smooth, sweet rich rum and smoky sweet bourbon respectively. Both the rum and bourbon vanillas I would gladly use in baking for more dimension of flavor, but also in cocktails. Hmm… vanilla scented Manhattan <<slurp>>!

Peace – J

]]> http://jeffparkercooks.com/2011/11/04/homemade-vanilla-extract/feed/ 3 JPCooks homemade vanilla