Culinary IQ: Wednesday, October 19, 2011; Chocolate and Cocoa

Chocolate and Cocoa

Chocolate and cocoa are derived from cocoa or cacao beans. When the beans are fermented, roasted, and ground, the resulting product is call chocolate liquor, which contains a white or yellowish fat called cocoa butter.

Cocoa

Cocoa is the dry powder that remains after part of the cocoa butter is removed from chocolate liquor. Dutch process cocoa, or dutched cocoa, is processed with an alkali. It is slightly darker, smoother in flavork and more easily dissolved in liquids than is natural cocoa.

Unsweetened or Bitter Chocolate

Unsweetened chocolate is straight chocolate liquor. It contains no sugar and has a strongly bitter taste. Because it is molded in blocks, it is also referred to as block cocoa or cocoa block. It is used to flavor items that have other sources of sweetness.

Unsweetened chocolate is also known as bitter chocolate. Do not confuse this product with bittersweet chocolate which is a category of sweetened chocolate with a low sugar content.

In some less expensive brands, some of the cocoa butter may be replaced by another fat.

Sweet Chocolate

Sweet chocolate is bitter chocolate with the addition of sugar and cocoa butter in various proportions. If the percentage of sugar is low, sweetened chocolate may be called semisweet or, with even less sugar, bittersweet. Most chocolate used for baking or cooking usually display of percentage such as, Bittersweet 70%. The percentate refers to the percentage of cocoa liquor contained in the product.

Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate to which milk solids have been added. It is usually used as coating chocolate and in various confections. It is seldom melted and the incorporated in batters because it contains a relatively low proportion of chocolate liquor.

Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is the fat pressed out of chocolate liquor when cocoa is processed. Its main purpose in baking is to thin melted chocolate to a proper consistency.

White Chocolate

White chocolate consists of cocoa butter, sugar, and milk solids. It is used primarily in confectionery. Technically, it should not be called chocolate, because it contains no chocolate solids.

Tomorrow I will discuss how to substitute cocoa for bitter chocolate and vis versa and coming Friday my discussion of various brands of baking chocolates and a delicious chocolate recipe! 

Adapted from: Professional Baking, Fifth Edition: Wayne Gisslen. John Wiley and Sons, Publishers

Culinary IQ: Tuesday, October 18, 2011; Production of Chocolate

Production of Chocolate

Chocolate is produced from the seeds of a tropical tree called the cocoa or, mor properly, cacao tree. As with coffee, the quality of cocoa is sensitive to growing conditions, so cocoa from the best growing regions commands the highest prices. Cocoa trees produce large pods full of seeds called cocoa beans.

After the pods are harvested, the beans are quickly removed and allowed to ferment until they lose most of their moisture. There are several  ways of doing this, but the traditional lmethod is to spread them between layers of banana leaves and leave them for several days, turning them often so they ferment evenly

The chemical changes that take place during fermentation turn the beans from yellowish to brown and begin to develop the flavor. The fermented beans are next dried in the open air. The fermented beans are next dried in the open air, because they still contaion a great deal of moisture. The dried beans are now ready to be shipped to processors. A single tree yields only 1 to 2 pounds of dried beans.

Cocoa processors clean the dried beans thoroughly and the roast them. The true flavor of the cocoa develops during roasting, and the temperature and degree of roasting are important factors in the quality of the finished chocolate. After roasting, the beans are cracked and shells removed. The broken particles of cocoa that result are called nibs. Nibs contain more than 50 percent fat, in the form of cocoa butter, and very little moisture.

Grinding the nibs produces a paste and releases the cocoa butter from inside the cell walls. This paste is called chocolate liquor or cocoa mass and is the basis of chocolate production. When chocolate liquor cools, it sets into a hard block. (Chocolate liquor contains no alcohol, in spite of its slightly misleading name.)

The next stage of manufacturing is to separate the cocoa powder from the cocoa butter. This is done with powerful hydraulic presses that squeeze out the melted fat, leaving hard cakes that are then ground into cocoa powder. Meanwhile, the cocoa butter is purified to remove odor and color.

To manufacture chocolate, the cocoa powder is blended with sugar and in the case of milk chocolate, milk solids. These ingredients are ground and blended together. At this point comes the critical procedure called conching. This is a two-stage process that first removes additional moisture and refines the flavor. During the second stage of conching, cocoa butter is added back and the liquid mass is ground and mixed for hours or even days to develop a fine, smooth texture. In general, higher-quality, more expensive chocolates derive their superior texture from longer conching. Finally, the liquid chocolate is tempered and molded into blocks for sale.

Tomorrow I will discuss dark, milk and white chocolate.

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