Coq Au Vin: Under Pressure

We have been testing several recipes in the kitchen for use in a pressure cooker. We are currently testing 5 electric and one stove top model. It is very interesting to see how they all compare to each other.

We have tested them with chicken stock, a brunswick stew, baked beans, cheesecake and Coq Au Vin. The amazing thing about pressure cookers is how quickly they cook. Everything except the cheesecake has been successful. We will continue to test the cheesecake until we get it correct. One of the most delicious recipes we have tested is for Coq Au Vin.
Look for the recipes and recommendations on the pressure cookers coming in future issues.

Remember to check back tomorrow for my blog on processing chocolate!

Culinary IQ: Monday, October 17, 2011; Source of Chocolate

5 Days of Chocolate! Is It Enough?

Where Chocolate Comes From

Cacao Around the Globe 

Chocolate is a product of the cacao bean (also known as a cocoa bean) which grows in pod-like fruits on tropical cacao trees.

Ground up and roasted, cacao beans are the all-natural raw material for the chocolate we love. While there are 5 regions in which chocolate is grown in the world most of the chocolate we eat has its roots in Africa, which generates about 70% of the world’s cacao beans.

Kinds of Trees: Forastero, Criollo and Trinitario

There are three main kinds of cacao trees grown throughout the world, each with their own flavor profiles and growth characteristics. There also are hundreds and hundreds of different hybrids.

1. Forastero: Forastero, the main bulk bean, accounts for about 90 percent of all beans. It has a clean chocolate flavor with low acidity and is prized for its disease resistance and consistent performance.  While Forastero beans do not have fruity or aromatic flavors found in other beans, the bean’s dependability makes it a favorite for large chocolate producers.
2. Criollo: Treasured for its complex, fruity flavor, Criollo is a flavor bean grown mainly in Latin America. Its susceptibility to disease and low productivity, however, means many cacao farmers have traded its rich flavor for hardier plants.
3. Trinitario: A fusion of the two strains, Trinitario is believed to combine the best of both- good flavor and hardiness. Also considered a flavor bean, it gets its name from the island of Trinidad where it was first grown. Its flavor notes range from spicy to earthy to fruity to highly acidic.

Factors Affecting Taste: The Origins of Flavor

Like wine, chocolate reflects the distinct flavors of its region. The kind of cacao beans grown, climate conditions, and how the beans are dried and fermented vary from country to country. All these factors play an important role in defining a bean’s flavor characteristics.

What’s the end result? A range of flavors to explore. Consider: Beans from Trinidad have a cinnamon spiciness while those from Ecuador have a floral quality. Beans from Jamaica even hint of pineapple. Eating chocolate can be a never-ending flavor adventure.

Flavors Across the Globe: Tasting Notes by Region

Following is a list of unique flavor notes by region. The list was principally developed by the respected artisanal chocolate company, Scharffen Berger:

Africa:

Madagascar:  Bright acidity. Light citrus flavors reminiscent of tangerines.

Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire: Deep, classic cocoa flavors.  Lends balance to more complex beans.

São Tomé: Bold, upfront chocolate notes with underlying roasted coffee tones.

Mexico and Central America:

Mexico: Bright acidity

Costa Rica: Fruity with a balanced cocoa flavor.

Panama: Classic cocoa flavor highlighted by subtle fruit and roasted nut flavors.

South America:

Colombia:  Deep cocoa flavor with moderate fruitiness. Slightly bitter.

Ecuador:  Known best for the Arriba bean. Well-balanced floral (jasmine) and fruit notes. Also has herbal tones.

Brazil:  Bright acidity.  Well-balanced cocoa flavors, often with subtle fruity notes.

Venezuela: Complex fruit flavors.  Evokes flavors of ripe red plums and dark cherries. Very well-balanced.

The Caribbean:

Dominican Republic (also identified on bars as Santo Domingo):  Deep earthy flavor. Fragrant tobacco notes. Some beans have delicate red wine and spice notes.

Trinidad and Tobago: Complex fruitiness with appealing spiciness such as cinnamon.  Very well-balanced.

Jamaica:  Bright and fruity, with appealing aromas. Complex and well-balanced.  Often recalls subtle flavors of pineapples.

Asia:

Indonesia (also identified on bars as Java):  Well-balanced. Appealing acidity balanced with clean cocoa flavors.


Adapted from: http://www.allchocolate.com/understanding/where_chocolate_comes_from/

Tomorrow: How do we get the smooth, rich, creamy chocolate we know form the hard rough cocoa pod?

Culinary IQ: Friday, October 14, 2011; Egg Coagulation

Right in the Middle of Things

Eggs are frequently used in baked goods to assist in the structure of the item by binding it together. How does this happen? As the mixture with egg in it is heated the proteins in the egg seize and become firm. The higher the heat the firmer the structure. Coagulation is the term used for the seizing of the proteins. Egg whites coagulate somewhere between 140°-150°F and egg yolks coagulate somewhere between 150°-160°F with a whole egg coagulating somewhere in the middle.

The basic egg custard consists of eggs, milk or cream, sugar, and flavoring. The mixture is thickened or gelled through the heat coagulation of egg proteins. Example of egg custards include crème caramel, crème brûlée, and crème anglaise--vanilla custard sauce. Many other products have a custard base. For example, pumpkin pie filling, cream pie filling, bread pudding, rice pudding, pastry cream, quiches, even cheesecakes are variations on the basic egg custard.

A properly cooked custard-based product is a moist, tender gel or a smooth, creamy sauce. The thickening and gelling occurs over time as the temperature of the mixture increases and the eggs coagulate.

Helpful tip: Water baths are good for baking egg custard, bread pudding and cheesecake. Water baths rarely exceed simmering (180°-190°F), even when the oven is set to 325°F or more. This slows the process and evens out baking so that the outside of the custard does not become tough, rubbery, and curdled before the inside bakes.

To use a water bath, place filled containers to be baked in a pan. Place the pan in the oven and fill with hot water at least halfway up the sides of the containers. Do not fill so high that water sloshes into your product.*

One of the most versatile egg custards is Pastry Cream. It can be used in fruit tarts, eclairs and cream puffs, as well as flavored for cream pies. Please follow this link to an easy delicious recipe for pastry cream.

Pastry Cream Recipe

Next week I will cover chocolate, probably the most loved food in the world.
*Adapted from How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science

Culinary IQ: Thursday, October 12, 2011; Egg Sizes

Sizing up the Egg

Several factors influence the size of an egg. The major factor is the age of the hen. As the hen ages, her eggs increase in size.

The breed of hen from which the egg comes is a second factor. Weight of the bird is another. Pullets significantly underweight at sexual maturity will produce small eggs.

Environmental factors that lower egg weights are heat, stress, overcrowding and poor nutrition.

All of these variables are of great importance to the egg producer. Even a slight shift in egg weight influences size classification and size is one of the factors considered when eggs are priced. Careful flock management benefits both the hens and the producer.

Sizes

Egg sizes are Jumbo, Extra Large, Large, Medium, Small and Peewee. Medium, Large and Extra Large are the sizes most commonly available because hens most often lay eggs of these sizes. Sizes are classified according to minimum net weight expressed in ounces per dozen.

Which Size to Buy

You can use any size egg for most basic egg recipes, including scrambled or fried eggs. However, most recipes for baked goods are formulas in which it’s important to maintain the proper proportion of liquid to dry ingredients and to have enough whole egg, white or yolk to perform the needed functions. Most baking recipes are based on Large-sized eggs. (To substitute one size egg for another in recipes, see Size Equivalent.)

Size Equivalent

Although you can use any size egg for frying, scrambling, cooking in the shell or poaching, most recipes for baked items such as custards and cakes are based on the use of Large eggs.

To substitute another size, use the following chart.

You can also figure how many of which size to use by cup measurement. To make 1 cup:

If you have ever been in a quandary over what to do when the recipe calls for a large egg and all you have are jumbo, I hope this post helps you out.

Tomorrow I will get right the the middle of things and talk about using the yolk. Look for a delicious recipe as well.

Adapted from: http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggcyclopedia/g/grading

Culinary IQ: Wednesday, October 12, 2011; Egg Grades

Bringing Home the Best Grades

The three USDA grades for acceptable shell eggs are U.S. Grades AA, A, and B. Canada has two acceptable grades: A and B. Quality grades do not reflect product safety or nutritional quality, and Grade B eggs - stored properly - are safe to eat and will have the same nutritional quality as higher-grade eggs.

Usually, USDA-graded eggs are washed, packed, and graded within a day to a week of being laid, but they can be legally graded for up to 30 days. They must be labeled with the date that they were packed and graded; often they will also have a sell-by or expiration date. The sell-by date is defined as no more than 30 days from the time the eggs were packed and graded. This means that USDA-graded eggs can theoretically be sold for up to two months after they are laid, although most will be sold within 30 days or less.*

Egg Grades: (a) Grade AA (b) Grade A (c) Grade B

Courtesy of U.S. Department of Agrigulture

In the grading process, eggs are examined for both interior and exterior quality before they’re sorted according to weight (size). Grade quality and size are not related to one another. In descending order of quality, grades are designated AA, A and B.

Exterior

The first step in egg grading is to examine the shell for cleanliness, soundness, texture and shape. Shell color isn’t a factor in judging quality.

All eggs must be clean to pass grading requirements, but a small amount of staining is permitted in Grade B. All eggs must have sound, unbroken shells. Eggshells with cracks or markedly unsound shells are classified as restricted eggs.

The ideal eggshell shape is oval with one end larger than the other. Abnormal shells, permitted for Grade-B eggs, may be decidedly misshapen or faulty in texture with ridges, thin spots or rough areas.

Interior

The next step in grading is examination of the interior of the egg. This is done by candling or by the breakout method using the Haugh unit system to evaluate the albumen, yolk and air cell.

Albumen is judged on the basis of clarity and firmness or thickness. A clear albumen is free from discolorations or from any floating foreign bodies.

When an egg is rotated over the candling light, its yolk swings toward the shell. The distinctness of the yolk outline depends on how close to the shell the yolk moves, which is influenced by the thickness of the surrounding albumen. Thick albumen permits limited yolk movement while thin albumen permits greater movement – the less movement, the thicker the white and the higher the grade.

Factors determining yolk quality are distinctness of outline, size and shape and absence of such defects as blemishes or mottling, germ development or blood spots.

Higher-grade eggs have shallower air cells. In Grade-AA eggs, the air cell may not exceed 1/8 inch in depth and is about the size of a dime. Grade-A eggs may have air cells over 3/16 inch in depth. There is no limit on air cell size for Grade-B eggs.

While air-cell size is considered in grading and eggs take in air as they age, the size of the air cell does not necessarily relate to freshness because size varies from the moment contraction occurs after laying. To judge freshness, use carton dates.**

Tomorrow I will help you size up your eggs.

* Figoni, P. (2009). How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science. Hoboken, New Jersey. John Wiley and Sons.

**Retrieved from: http://www.incredibleegg.org/egg-facts/eggcyclopedia/g/grading

Culinary IQ: Tuesday, October 11, 2011; Beating Egg Whites

Beating Egg Whites

This is a beating you can give without being called a bully!

The purpose of beating egg whites is to use them in baked goods and custards or sauces to lighten them. They are also used in different forms of icing for cakes and toppings for pies. Beaten egg whites are a leavening element in baked goods.

Here are a few tips to follow before you start beating the egg whites.

1. It is best to separate the eggs cold but let the egg whites come to room temperature before beating.
2. Always use a clean bowl that is free of oil or grease. Copper bowls are considered by many to be the best bowl to beat egg whites in. Copper bowls are usually expensive and not easy to find. Stainless steel is the most reasonable choice for beating egg whites. Avoid aluminum as it can turn the egg whites gray. Glass should be avoided because the egg whites slip on the surface and can take much longer to beat and full volume is harder to achieve. Plastic and rubber bowls should be avoided because grease and oil can stick in scratches in the bowl.
3. Egg whites can be beaten by hand using a whisk or in an electric mixer using the whisk attachment. Once proper methods are learned it can be just as easy to beat them by hand as it is in an electric mixer. Beating them by hand also gives you more control in achieving the proper stage of beating.
4. Acid and sugar act on egg whites to make the cell structure more stable. A common acid for use in egg whites is cream of tarter (a pinch) but a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar can be used. Taste is always a consideration when selecting the acid. Salt and acid can be added to the egg whites in the beginning. Sugar, however, should be added once the egg whites have been beaten to a foam similar to the foam on a cappuccino.
5. Begin beating the egg whites on low and then increase to medium until foaming is achieved. Beating too fast will cause larger unstable cells.
6. Once foam is achieved, sugar should be gradually rained into the egg whites as they are beaten. While sugar helps stabilize the air cells it also adds weight to the egg whites and increases the time required to achieve the desired texture of egg white. If sugar is used in the egg whites it is near to impossible to over whip the egg whites.
7. There are typically 3 stages of beaten egg whites, soft peak, medium peak and stiff peak. Egg whites can be tested by stirring the whisk or whisk attachment in the egg whites and lifting it vertically out and inverting it. Soft peak should have structure but will only hold a soft peak that tends to fall away. Medium peak is accomplished when the point of egg white falls to approximately a 45 degree angle. Stiff peak is reached when the point remains erect with only a minimal angle at the very top of the point. The egg whites also become more shiny as they progress through the stages.
8. When incorporating egg whites into other mixtures you should always fold and not mix them in. Egg whites should always be incorporated into the heavier mixture and not the opposite. A sacrifice of a small amount of the whites can be mixed into the heavier mixture to lighten it and help it except the egg whites more easily. Add egg whites in a few smaller amounts. Using a spatula scrape around the edges of the bowl turning the heavier mixture over the egg whites. Mix only until the egg whites are fully incorporated and no streaks are evident.

Once you have mastered the ability to beat and use egg whites properly you will be able to make some of the most delicate and sought after dishes and desserts known to man!

Culinary IQ: Monday, October 10, 2011; Make up of an Egg

The Make-up of an Egg

The egg came first! At least it does in Culinary IQ. I hope you find the information about the egg and how to use it in the kitchen this week useful. If you have any other foods or kitchen items you would like me to discuss in Culinary IQ, please let me know.

Eggs have six distinct parts: thin white, thick white, yolk, shell, air cell, and chalazae. About two-thirds of the weight of the edible part of an egg is egg white; about one-third is the yolk. Overall, most of the whole egg is moisture, with smaller amounts of protein, fat, and emulsifiers.

White

Another name for the egg white is egg albumen. Other than small amounts of mineral ash and glucose, egg whited consists entirely of protein and water. While the special mix of proteins in egg white is extremely important to its functionality, egg white is actually mostly water, about 90 percent water and only 10 percent protein.

Compared to the yolk, egg white has very little flavor or color. It has both thick and thin portions, with the thick portion thinning as the egg ages. As it thins, egg white loses its ability to form foams that are stable.

Yolk

Egg yolks are about half moisture and half yolk solids. As eggs age, yolks pick up additional moisture from the white. When this happens, the yolk thins out and flattens when the egg is cracked into a smooth surface. It has a protective membrane that weakens as it ages, making it more difficult to separate the yolk from the white. The weakening of this membrane also increases the possibility that bacteria will pass into the nutrient-rich yolk where they can multiply if the egg is not kept cold.

The solids in egg yolks consist of proteins, fats, and emulsifiers, with small amounts of mineral ash and yellow-orange carotenoids. Egg yolk proteins are not the same as egg white proteins. Many egg yolk proteins are lipoproteins, proteins bound to fats and emulsifiers, which are both lipids.

The most well-known emulsifier in egg yolk is lecithin. Egg yolk contains an incredibly high amount of lecithin, about 10 percent. Like most of the lipids in egg yolk, lecithin is bound as lipoproteins. The emulsifying lipoproteins perform many functions in foods, most notably bonding to both water and oil. By bonding to both, emulsifiers and emulsifying lipoproteins hold together, or bind, complex mixtures of ingredients, such as cake batters.

An important factor in the color of egg yolk is the hen’s feed. The more carotenoids in the feed, the more yellow-orange the yolk. Alfalfa and yellow corn, which are both high in carotenoids, produce deeply colored yolks. Wheat, oat, and white corn produce lighter yolks. When feed is naturally low in carotenoids, marigold petals, which are a rich source of carotenoids, can be added for color.

The hen’s feed also affects the flavor of the yolks. This explains why some brands of eggs taste different from others. Sometimes, for example, organic eggs tasted different from regular eggs. It isn’t that being organic necessarily gives them a different flavor; more likely, the growers are using a particular feed that - organic or not - has a distinct flavor that passes into the egg.

Omega-3-fatty acids are sometimes added to feed for hens so that the eggs are high in this healthful oil. Eggs that contain omega-3-fatty acids will have a different flavor from regular eggs.

Shell

Eggshell represents about 11 percent of the weight of eggs. Although it serves as a hard protective covering, the eggshell is porous. This means that odors penetrate eggshells, and moisture and gases (primarily carbon dioxide) can escape. In commercial practice, shell eggs are washed and sanitized to remove dirt and to reduce the likelihood of salmonella contamination. They are also lightly coated with mineral oil to delay moisture loss. 

Eggshell color can be either brown or white, depending on the breed of hen. Hens with white feathers and white earlobes lay white eggs, hens with red feathers and red lobes lay brown eggs. While most (95 percent) commercial breeds produce white eggs, hens bred in parts of New England produce brown eggs. Shell color has no effect on flavor, nutrition, or functionality of eggs.

Air Pocket

Eggs contain two protective membranes between the shell and the white. Soon after an egg is laid, an air cell forms between the membranes at the egg’s larger end. As the egg ages, loses moisture, and shrinks, the air pocket increases in size. This is why older eggs float in water while fresh ones sink.

Chalazae

The chalazae are twisted white cords that hold the yolk to the center of the egg. They disintegrate as the egg ages. Chalazae are an extension of the egg white and are completely edible, although pastry chefs typically us a chinois or sieve to strain them from certain products such as custards.

Figoni, P. (2008). How Baking Works: Exploring the Fundamentals of Baking Science. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.