Category Archives: General

DO YOU EAT YOUR BOOKS?

Posted on December 3, 2011 | 18 Comments

If you don’t, perhaps you should start. My life got a lot easier ever since I joined “Eat Your Books.“ Would that be good for you? Let’s go over a few simple questions.

1. Do you have more than 50 cookbooks?

2. Do you subscribe to food magazines such as Fine Cooking, Food and Wine, Gourmet?

3. Do you download recipes from some of the very popular food blogs around?(Smitten Kitchen, Simply Recipes, many others available too)

4. Do you often remember a particular recipe, can even visualize the page in your mind, but are absolutely unable to remember where the heck is it?

5. Is this situation familiar to you? Your partner / roommate / parents / siblings know it’s better to leave you alone when you are sitting on a sofa with 12 cookbooks open around, and a very distressed look on your face. You need that recipe, and you will find it, at all costs.

If you answered yes to at least 3 out of the 5 questions, you need to start eating your books. I am sure glad I do! Once you add all the cookbooks and magazines you own to your “bookshelf”, you can search recipes by ingredients, type of cuisine, author, anything you remember about it. Adding cookbooks is very easy using the database available in the website. It is just a matter of clicking on the cookbooks you own, and they end on your virtual bookshelf, ready to be searched. No, I do not own stock in the company, and was not contacted to write a review. I just find it a great tool for cookbook addicts, and maybe some of my readers will benefit from it. ;-)

And this, my friends, is my first post composed in the iPad! It took me a ridiculously long time to do it, but I am having fun with My Preciousss…

ONE YEAR AGO: Into the Light

TWO YEARS AGO: Dinner in a hurry

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Tagged cookbooks, eat your books

MY PRECIOUSSS

Posted on December 1, 2011 | 33 Comments

My beloved husband gave me an early Christmas gift, the iPad2! I am in love with it, although we are still in that phase of getting to know each other. I’ve been quite busy figuring it out, particularly the possibility of composing posts for the blog using this baby.

I am having problems leaving comments in some blogs I visit using the iPad and cannot quite understand why, but once we arrive home tomorrow, I’ll have more time to indulge in “My Preciousss.” If any of my readers blogs using the iPad2, please drop me a line by email (sallybr2008 at gmail.com), as I’d love to get some feedback.

The Bewitching Kitchen will soon re-open for blogging business!

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Tagged iPad2 and blogging

TURKEY DAY, TRYPTOPHAN, AND FLUORESCENCE

Posted on November 26, 2011 | 21 Comments

This post could also be called “How We Spent Thanksgiving,” although the order of events would be reversed … in that the turkey came last.

Tryptophan and Sleep. Everyone is familiar with that sleepy feeling after the big Thanksgiving meal, that’s often blamed on the presence of the amino acid tryptophan in the bird’s meat. Tryptophan can be metabolized by our body to produce melatonin and seratonin, and both substances have known calming effects. However, for tryptophan to cause sleepiness, it must be consumed in pure form and on an empty stomach, a situation far from reality at the Thanksgiving table. Oddly enough, turkey meat contains about the same amount of tryptophan as other types of poultry, and actually less (on a percentage basis) than items such as chocolate, oats, milk, or peanuts. Its bad reputation is unfair!

The sleepy feeling associated with a big meal in fact results from a combination of factors, in which the tryptophan only plays a partial role. Meals with a high carbohydrate content induce the production of insulin, which is responsible for the control of sugar metabolism, but also for changes in the way amino acids are absorbed from the bloodstream. In the presence of insulin some amino acids are preferentially removed from circulation and absorbed by muscle cells, but tryptophan is not part of that group, so its relative concentration in the blood increases. Some of the tryptophan is converted into serotonin, and this compound makes a person sleepy. Of course, a large, carbo-loaded meal coupled with a few glasses of wine (or other alcoholic beverages) just adds to the overall desire to take a nap.

Tryptophan and Fluorescence. Tryptophan has an interesting characteristic: it is fluorescent! When it is excited by light, a fluorescent substance subsequently emits light. It’s almost like a happy diner opening a huge smile when the turkey is served… All proteins contain tryptophan, some in higher proportions than others. By purifying a particular protein we can measure its fluorescence in the laboratory using a fancy, $150,000 instrument called a fluorometer. Here is the little station where I spent a few hours on Thanksgiving Day:

A close up of the computer screen shows what the fluorescence measurement looks like: a curve with a peak, a “mountain-like”shape, and the height of the peak is related to the amount of light emitted by the protein.

The whole idea is to study the protein by adding different substances to it and observing how the fluorescence changes. The purified protein, as well as anything else added to it, is placed inside an expensive, transparent cell called a “cuvette,“ made of an optical-quality quartz glass that allows the passage of light without any interference.

But, after the work was done, the equipment was shut down, and the reagents were put away, we enjoyed a great Thanksgiving meal! We met many interesting people and had fun with four strong-willed golden retrievers, one of whom had a remarkable ability to jump up and gently steal a cracker with brie cheese from your hand.

ONE YEAR AGO: The Ultimate Apple Cake

TWO YEARS AGO: Trouble-Free Pizza Dough

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Posted in General

Tagged fluorescence spectroscopy, tryptophan and sleepiness, turkey and tryptophan

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Posted on November 24, 2011 | 8 Comments

For those in the US, who celebrate the date, have a wonderful day! I wish I had a lot of cooking to share with you, but we will be pampered guests this year again. I heard our boss’ daughter will be bringing her signature butternut squash soup to the get-together, and his wife will make her family’s turkey recipe and the usual side dishes. Can hardly wait!

If they had allowed us to bring something to the meal, I’d probably make this delicious sweet potato and carrot puree, so I leave you with a little flash-back from a previous post in the Bewitching Kitchen.

For the full post with recipe, click here

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Tagged Happy Thanksgiving

BACK IN LOS ANGELES

Posted on November 19, 2011 | 18 Comments

We are back in California, to work for two weeks in the lab at UCLA, continuing experiments in our collaboration with Dr. Kaback. Thanksgiving week will be a little unusual, instead of taking some time off and preparing a nice dinner, we will be working, but it is for a good cause, so we don’t mind. Plus, we got to be invited for Thanksgiving dinner at the boss’ home, and of course we look forward to it!

Last year, when we were in the nano-house, I often took the dogs for a walk up and down the many hilly streets around Beverly Glen Blvd. We managed to rent a guest house (another tiny place, but with a much better kitchen ) on a street in the hills. When we arrived here, I was thrilled to see that I used to walk all the way up to this very house, and admire the view. It is a very quiet spot, nothing around except the woods and the view of the Beverly Glen canyon below.

The Bewitching Kitchen might have a small slow down, but nothing too serious. I’ve got a couple of posts to publish from last week in our own kitchen, and might be able to pull one or two meals made here. Who knows? Stay tuned!

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Tagged back in California, nano-house, UCLA

SHORT AND SWEET

Posted on November 15, 2011 | 36 Comments

No, this is not an autobiographic post! Even though I like to think the name fits me to a T, “Short and Sweet” is actually Dan Lepard’s new cookbook. The moment I learned of its upcoming publication, I pre-ordered it at amazon.uk. Do I live in England? No, not even close. Would I wait for its US printing? No way! And I am thrilled to have it.

My first surprise was its size: 561 pages! On the cover, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall summarizes my own impression after a couple of very late nights reading it: “Dan demystifies the baker’s art… all kinds of seductive treats become instantly achievable.” This is the essence of Dan Lepard, particularly evident on the subject he is best known for: breads. He dedicates the first 100 pages of the book to them, starting with a must-read introduction that covers all the basics, from flour to yeast, proofing temperature, kneading, shaping and baking. One by one, he destroys all the misconceptions and the rigid (often snobbish) advice so widespread in many publications by other authors. Then he offers a long list of recipes for white loaves, whole wheat, rye, quick breads, rolls, flat breads, wrapping up the chapter with some sweet and fruit breads, and a quick tutorial on how to make a sourdough starter. In one of the recipes, called “Flash Loaf,” Dan puts all his expertise into designing a recipe that will give you a fantastic loaf of bread in two hours from start to finish. I have it on my list to try in the near future.

The second chapter of the book is dedicated to cakes (my nemesis). Once again, he introduces the subject by going over the ingredients and techniques, and even though I always get a rapid pulse while reading about cakes, by the end of the introduction I felt I could tackle any of the recipes that followed. That’s probably not a smart thing to say, considering some of the messy situations I’ve faced in the past. Some examples included in this section are: Apple, Walnut & Custard Cake (the photo is enough to make me swoon), Cinnamon Cake with Blackberries (oh, my!), Brown Sugar Chocolate Cake (sigh), Caramel Christmas Cake (double sigh).

Next in line is a full chapter on “Small Things.” These are small like Chocolate Custard Muffins…. Blueberry Creme Fraiche Cupcakes…. Pumpkin Ginger Cupcakes…. Madeleines….Sweet Buttermilk Scones…. you get the picture.

Biscuits & Cookies follow the party. As in every chapter, an initial introduction helps set the mind frame for the recipes ahead. If titles such as Passion Fruit Melting Moments, Banana Fudge Cookies, Ginger Macadamia Biscuits, Blue Cheese and Oatmeal Biscuits appeal to you, you’ll have enough to bake for a long time thanks to those 38 pages of goodies.

A small chapter for doughnuts, batters, and babas, assembled together because, as Dan puts it “they are eaten the moment they’re golden and set after cooking….” Doughnuts, blinis, pancakes, the famous Crepe Suzette Tour d’Argent (that one brought me memories of an outstanding dinner with my beloved back in 2003), closing with babas (a treat I’ve never had, but after Dan’s description I wish I had a few right in front of me right now! ).

Next in line comes “Sugar Sugar.” Cute name for an impressive collection of techniques and recipes, the chapter opens with Making Caramel, and I must transcribe Dan’s remark about it: “be careful and organised and stay relaxed.” I might just print this phrase and frame it. Butter Caramels, Olive Oil and Black Pepper Caramels, Vanilla Fudge, Chocolate Truffle Cubes… A full section on icing, sweet sauces, and a few ice cream options close this sweet chapter.

Desserts comes next. Whoever is afraid of making tarts must get this book and indulge in this chapter. By the time you are done reading his “tips and techniques,” you’ll want to get into the kitchen and put in practice all his sensible advice. A few teasers for you: Malted Chocolate and Caramel Tart, Banana Caramel Cream Pie, Soft Crust Apple Pie, Black Forest Eclairs (I’ve always wanted to make eclairs, will definitely try this recipe), Prune and Armagnac Sponge Puddings, Blueberry Cocoa Meringue Pie…

If you think that’s all, then you would be wrong. The final chapter assembles a series of savory recipes such as Ham, Egg, and Potato Pie, Sweet Potato Crescents, Goat’s Cheese and Celeriac Tart, Black Olive Gougeres (triple sigh by Sally, the Kalamata Cheerleader), and many savory doughs, including Dan’s take on a few types of pizza dough.

One very nice touch is the index in outline form, with minor headings in bold. It’s a simple detail that makes finding recipes a lot easier!

Just as his previous book, “The Handmade Loaf,” I can’t recommend “Short and Sweet” highly enough. Together, these two books cover all the techniques and recipes to keep a baker busy and happy. Phil, who rarely opens a cookbook, saw it on the kitchen counter and started flipping through the pages. His words: “…this book is great! In just a quick glance I see at least 30 recipes you must make for us, I mean….. for the students in the lab, of course!”

If you want to order the book, click here…

If you want to follow the progress of people baking all recipes in it, click here for the Sweet and Tweet Challenge…

If, like me, you can never get enough recipes from Dan, check his column at The Guardian by clicking here, or his discussion forum.

If you want to know which recipe I chose to inaugurate his book…
come back for my next post…