Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Week 5: Puff Pastry

Show your (and get your friends too!) support for the adventures of QuinJa, Culinary Ninja, by becoming  a fan of Cooking-Dojo on Facebook!

Note: One quarter of the way and I think Savory is more fun!

No, I said Quick Puff Pastry (Yes, it does exist...you mix the butter (beurrage) with the flour  (detrempe -it actually calls for Crisco -the classic version) directly...)
Not Stay Puft.



For you math geeks, apparently:
The number of layers in puff pastry is calculated with the equation:
l = (f + 1)^n
where l is the number of finished layers, f the number of folds, and n the number of times the dough has been folded.
For classic puff, we do 6 Turns and for Quick Puff, we do 4 Turns! Yes, the equation is like the time value of money.   Hey, the QuinJa's gotta be savvy to get paid my assassination money!   Oh yeah, a Double Turn is folding a dough in 1/4 then overlapping them; a Single Turn is folding in thirds like an snail mail letter (remember them?).  Everytime you do a turn you mark it with your fingers to remember (kinda like a Dim Mak)! Oh, you roll out when you turn the dough. Much easier to buy Pepperidge Farm!

Anyways, in addition to Classic Puff, I made...
 Chocolate Tart: Patee Sucree with Chocolate Filling... chef made a ring of confectioner sugar).  The chocolate is bittersweet at 58%.
Pear Tart: Patee Sucree with Poached Pear, Frangipane and Glazed with Apricot Jam)
The apricots, or apple jam is a technique used to seal the flavor - it has little flavor.  You can use canned Pear Halves but don't poach as it will degrade and fall apart!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Pastry School: Week 4

Show your (and get your friends too!) support for the adventures of QuinJa, Culinary Ninja, by becoming  a fan of Cooking-Dojo on Facebook!

BRIOCHE: It's not shaping a snowball or a smoke bomb... you gotta fold to take out the air first!
QUICHE: Carrots, Leeks, Cheese, and Mushrooms...with Pate Brisee.

LEMON TART: Lemon Curd with French Meringue (Shaped with the "Q")... with Pate Sucre.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Ninja Training: Pastry School (Weeks 2 and 3)

Show your (and get your friends too!) support for the adventures of QuinJa, Culinary Ninja, by becoming  a fan of Cooking-Dojo on Facebook!


So, the first SEVEN weeks is going to be all doughs... I feel like Uma Thurman from Kill Bill practicing that short range punch...  it does feel like the same thing so far...



But here are the fruits of my labor...
 BRIOCHE dough... you gotta Mix-a-Lot ("Baby Got Back") to build gluten and elasticity...
 PATE SUCREE... a sweet dough to make tarts... filled with a raspberry bottom layer, then filled with frangipane, topped with almonds and apricot glaze.

PATE BRISEE... a flaky dough?  The powdery dough forms a ball... Hmm... I guess it's the opposite when I punch someone!  :-)
Cream Puff (Pate A Choux) Stuffed with Sponge Cake with Simple Syrup (and Rum) with Paris-Brest and Covered with Powdered Sugar and Chocolate Sauce

Show me the Dough (Money)?  Hiya!


BTW, I hate this movie...