Drink Up, Cool Off!

With summer quickly headed our way, we’ve got some nice ideas for your Sunday picnics or Shabbos Seuda Shlishis. While food is always the star of every get-together, what you serve to drink alongside your tasty food can really make your party shine. Here is a selection of different summer drinks that will quickly take center stage your family meals. Some contain alcoholic components; others do not. You can decrease or add these components to suit your guests and family.

A spritzer is a tall, chilled drink, usually made with white wine and seltzer or club soda. The word comes from the German word spritzen, meaning to "spatter, squirt, spray or sprinkle."   In other words, adding water to dilute wine so that it can be drunk in larger, thirst-quenching amounts.

A cooler is an alcoholic beverage made from wine and fruit juice, often in combination with a carbonated beverage and sugar. It can also refer to any combination of liquor and coffee and milk or dairy ingredients.

Sangria is a wine punch invented in Spain. It usually consists of wine, chopped fruit, sugar or sweet soda, and a small amount of added liquor. Chopped fruit can include orange, lemon, lime, apple, peach, melon, berries, pineapple, grape, kiwifruit and mango. It may include honey, sugar, fruit syrup, or orange juice. Instead of liquor some recipes use other liquids such as Seltzer, Sprite or other lemon soda may be added.

A shandy is beer, either alcoholic or not, mixed with lemon or orange-flavored soda, carbonated lemonade, ginger ale, or fruit cider. The proportions of the two ingredients are usually half-and-half.

Punch can refer to a mixed fruit drink, with or without alcohol. The word punch originates from the Hindi language. The original drink was named “paantsch,” which is the Hindi word for "five", and the drink was made from five different ingredients: liquor, sugar, lemon juice, water, and spices. The drink was brought back from India to England by the sailors and employees of the British East India Company in the early 1600’s, when England ruled most of the world. From there it was introduced into other European countries. Punch quickly became a popular drink. It was served in large punch bowls, usually ceramic or silver, which were often decorated with a family symbol. Punch bowls sometimes had accessories such as a serving ladle and matching cups in which to serve the drink.

Now that you will recognize the names of lots of refreshing drinks, we’ve got some tasty recipes for you to try. Some can be prepared in advance while others are best served immediately.

Fruity Slush Punch

½ cup granulated sugar

3 cups water

1 (3 ounce) package strawberry-flavored gelatin mix

3 cups pineapple juice

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 cups orange juice

1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored soda

1 cup fruit liquor—apricot, peach, orange or banana are all fine

Bring the sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin to a boil in a large saucepan; boil for 3 minutes. Stir in the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Pour the mixture into a  wide container and freeze.

Combine the frozen mixture with the lemon-lime soda in a large wide bowl; stir until slushy. Add liquor and stir. Serve immediately.

Honeydew Granita Spritzer

Granita refers to ices that are served by scraping a fork across the surface and serving the scrapings in a bowl.

6 cups cubed honeydew melon (about half of a medium melon)

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 cups seltzer

Lime peels, for garnishing

Working in batches, puree 6 cups cubed honeydew melon in a blender. Pour puree through a fine sieve into an 8-inch square glass or plastic dish.

Put 1/2 cup water and sugar into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Stir into puree. Add fresh lime juice; stir to combine. Freeze, covered, at least 6 hours (up to 3 days).

Scrape granita with a fork; spoon about 1 cup granita into each of 6 glasses. Pour 1/2 cup seltzer into each glass; garnish with lime peels.

Just Peachy Sangria

1 750 ml bottle semi dry white wine

1/4 cup peach or apricot liquor

1/2 cup sugar

2 peaches, cubed

1 navel orange, peeled and sliced

1 mango, peeled and cubed

1 liter ginger ale

Bring wine, liquor and sugar to a boil in a large sauce pan. Cook just until sugar dissolves. Turn off flame. Add all fruit and allow to infuse at least 1 hour.  Pour into a large pitcher and chill 4 to 6 hours or overnight. Add ginger ale just before serving.

Watermelon Strawberry Lemonade

½ cup lemon juice

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups frozen strawberries

½ a watermelon

1 cup water

1 lemon, sliced into 1/4” thick slices

Bring lemon juice and sugar to a boil until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Cut flesh out of the watermelon and remove all the seeds if it has any. Cut it into chunks. Place in a food processor and blend the watermelon and strawberries with water until completely liquefied. Strain watermelon juice through a sieve into a large pitcher.  Add the sugar mixture and mix well. Chill and add ice and lemon slices to the pitcher.

Apple Ginger Spritzers

6” piece ginger

1 cup water

1 cup ginger ale

2 cups apple juice

1 cup seltzer

½ cup chopped crystallized ginger

Peel and slice ginger. In a small saucepan, simmer water and ginger ale with the ginger slices until reduced by half.  Pour through a fine strainer & chill. Mix the ginger syrup with the apple juice, seltzer and chopped ginger. Pour into iced filled glasses and garnish with cinnamon sticks.

Mochaccino Cooler

This recipe contains heavy cream which is dairy. You can just substitute with thawed whipped topping if you’d like to serve this coffee-lover’s drink at a pareve meal or seuda.

½ cup strong brewed  coffee

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

¼ cup vanilla vodka

¼ cup chocolate liquor

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 gallon milk

Combine brewed coffee, water and sugar. Add vanilla vodka and chocolate liquor. Combine ingredients chill 4-6 hours. Add heavy cream and stir. Pour over ice cubes and milk in a large

pitcher and serve immediately.

Cheesecake for the Non-Baker

Hate to bake? Yes, some of our readers do not like to bake. If you want to treat your family to a homemade treat this Shavuos but refuse to turn on the oven we’ve got the perfect solution for you—no bake cheesecake! These cheesecakes use other ingredients like heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar or gelatin to firm them up. They can be spread into graham cracker crusts just like traditional cheesecake or they can be piped into individual glasses or even push-up pops. This type is also referred to as cheesecake mousse.

Try one this Shavuos for an easy and quick milchig dessert.

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

You can substitute any fruit or other flavor jello if you prefer.

2 cups graham cracker crumbs or 15 graham crackers, ground fine

6 tablespoons butter, melted

1 ½ cups sugar, divided

4 packages (8 ounces each) unwhipped cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

2 cups frozen strawberries, thawed and chopped

8 ounces heavy cream

Mix graham crumbs, butter and 1/4 cup sugar; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Beat cream cheese and ¾ cup sugar with mixer until blended. Add dry gelatin mix; mix well. Stir in chopped strawberries.

In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and remaining ½ cup sugar. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour over crust.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Cut in bars or squares to serve.

Cheesecake Mousse Push Pops

This recipe does require you to turn on the oven—but just for a few minutes—our apologies! These can be prepared in our new daisy-shaped push-up pops or dessert glasses. They can be prepared in advance and frozen.

for the crumbs:

12 whole graham crackers

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

for the mousse:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons coffee liquor

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

Combine graham crackers and sugar in a food processor; remove, add butter and mix well. Press crumbs to a 1/4” thickness on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. Crumble and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and coffee liquor until fluffy. Fold in the whipped cream.

Place in a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe half the mousse to fill 10 push-up pops halfway. Sprinkle with half of crumbs. Pipe remaining mousse and cover with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cheesecake

What could be better than the combination of chocolate, peanut butter and cheesecake?

18 chocolate cookies, crushed

2 tablespoons butter, melted plus more for pan

2  8 ounce unwhipped cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cups sugar, divided

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup liquid marble chocolate (available at The Peppermill)

¼ cup peanuts, chopped, optional

Rub some butter around the sides and bottom of a 9 inch springform pan

Place crushed cookies in medium bowl. Add butter; mix well. Press firmly onto bottom and up the sides of buttered springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and peanut butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

 In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream and remaining ½ cup sugar. Fold into cream cheese mixture Spoon over crust. Drizzle with fudge topping; swirl with knife several times for marble effect. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, if desired.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Run knife or metal spatula around side of pan to loosen cake; remove side of pan.

Vanilla Chocolate Spider Web Cheesecake

If you’ve always wanted to know how to create one of those beautiful “spider web” cheesecakes without a lot of work, follow this easy recipe!

For the crust:

18 ounces chocolate cookies

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks), melted

For the chocolate ganache

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

For the cheesecake:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

2 cups sugar, divided

1 cup boiling water

3   8 ounce packages unwhipped cream cheese, softened

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Make the crust:

Coat a 9 inch springform pan with butter.

Mix chocolate cookies, sugar and butter, in a medium bowl. Pat mixture into pan, pressing firmly into bottom and all the way up sides. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Make the ganache:

Chop chocolate into small chunks. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan, and then pour over chocolate. When chocolate begins to melt, whisk until smooth. Reserve 2 tablespoons ganache for decorating, and spread the remainder evenly on bottom and up sides of crust. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Make the filling:

Place gelatin and ½ cup sugar in a small bowl. Pour boiling water over gelatin and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and slowly add sugar. Beat in lemon juice and gelatin mixture until combined.

Pour filling into crust and spread evenly. Gently tap bottom of pan on counter to release air bubbles.

Transfer reserved ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round decorating tip. Starting in the center of the cheesecake, pipe a spiral, working your way outward, spacing lines about 1/2 inch apart.

Pull the tip of a paring knife in a line from the center of the spiral to outer edge. Wipe knife clean, and repeat every inch or so to form a web.

Cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Unmold cheesecake, and serve.

A Pound of Cake

Of course you’ve heard of pound cake—the dense, buttery cakes that are so different from lightweight sponge or chiffon cake.  Have you ever wondered why this rich yellow cake, originating in England, is called “pound cake?” The answer is very simple—the cake was made with one pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs, plus a flavoring like vanilla or lemon. Over the years, as ingredients and technique evolved, the recipe for a typical pound cake changed with additions such as leaveners like baking powder or baking soda. The cake's ingredients are frequently enhanced by sour cream, heavy cream and a variety of flavorings like coconut, nuts, raisins and dried fruit. Eventually they also became known by other names such as coffee cakes or butter cakes.  Only the technique has remained constant.  Alternating the wet and dry ingredients when mixing the batter ensures that you don’t end up with a cement door stop.  In addition, sifting the flour before measuring is beneficial when preparing pound cakes.

The original English pound cake was exactly that - a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour – combined and mixed in exactly that order.  Thinking about the quantity of ingredients and the fact that there were no electric mixers, you can just imagine the tremendous effort that must have been needed to incorporate enough air so the cake would rise. Converted to quantities we are familiar with, the typical recipe would read as follows:

1 pound butter = 2 cups or 4 sticks

1 pound sugar = about 2¼ cups

1 pound eggs = about 6-7 extra large

1 pound flour = 3 to 3 ½ cups

These proportions make for a dense, compact cake that packs a lot of flavor in every bite.  In fact, there are bakers who feel pound cakes taste better the day after its baked.

As these cakes evolved over generations, cooks added layers of nuts and chopped chocolate or cinnamon and spices to create personal favorites. But one thing remained constant—the use of butter or cream in the recipes.  Substituting margarine for the butter in these recipes will not give you the same results.  This brings us to the perfect opportunity to try them—especially if you are not a cheesecake lover.  Shavuos is the best time to bake milchig cakes for dessert and snacking. 

Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake

If you like cinnamon, this cake is a great way to load up on that warm spice. This sweet, moist cake is layered with a brown sugar and cinnamon crunch. FYI, coffee cake does not necessarily contain coffee—it refers to a cake eaten with your coffee!

2 eggs

1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup cinnamon chips (available at The Peppermill)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 10 cup Bundt pan with flour and oil spray.

 In your mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.  Mixture may appear curdled—not to worry, it will become smooth once the dry ingredients are added.
Sift dry ingredients together. Alternate adding dry ingredients and sour cream to the cake batter.  Mix briefly after each addition.
In a separate bowl, mix topping ingredients.  Sprinkle ¼ cup of the topping into the Bundt pan.  Spread half the batter into Bundt pan, add ½ cup of the topping, and then add remaining batter. Sprinkle the rest of topping mixture on top of the batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool. 

Butter Pecan Coffee Cake

For the cake:

2 cups flour  

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces sour cream (1 cup)

For the topping:

1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed (not brownulated)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

Prepare the topping:

 Mix together flour, sugar, salt and chopped pecans. Cut butter into small pieces. Work butter in with your hands until mixture is crumbly. Set aside.

Prepare the cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 10” tube pan—not a Bundt pan.             

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

In your mixer bowl cream butter with sugar until fluffy and light; add egg and vanilla and mix well. Add half of the dry ingredients, mixing just until flour is blended. Stir in sour cream then stir in remaining dry ingredients.

Spread half of batter into prepared tube pan. Sprinkle half of topping and spread with remaining batter. Sprinkle with remaining topping. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.

If you are a purist and prefer your pound cake unadorned you’ll want to try this basic vanilla pound cake.  The addition of cream cheese makes it richer and moister.  In this recipe the eggs are alternated with the dry ingredients as no other moisture is added.

Vanilla Pound Cake

1 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups granulated sugar

12 ounces cream cheese (1 ½ packages) at room temperature

3 cups flour

6 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and flour a 10” tube pan or a 12 cup bundt pan. 

In your mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in cream cheese. Stir in vanilla. Add flour, alternating with the eggs, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour and 25 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then remove to a rack to cool completely. Slice and serve with a dollop of whipped cream and some fresh fruit. 

Pushing Allowed

Move over cupcakes, move over cake pops...the newest culinary treat to take the world by storm is Push-up Pops.

What are push-up pops? They're single-serving dessert molds that can be filled with anything from ice cream to pudding, and you can hold and eat them almost like a Popsicle. Made of a plastic cylinder with a push plate inside, a cover and a stick to hold the pop, these see-through containers will showcase any layered treat. You can decorate them to fit the theme of any party, whether its cream tinted to match your tablecloth or pastel-colored bows and ribbons for a birthday. Simply combine you favorite cakes, crunches and creams in alternating layers for a dessert that’s sure to impress!

Push-up pops are great because the versatile container allows you to match your food to your décor and you can customize the pop containers with a bit of creativity.  At first they were only available in a standard round cylinder, but of course, things in the kitchen just keep getting more exciting. We’ve now gotten them in a flower-shaped style—just in time for Shavuos.

If you are serving them at a baby Kiddush you can tack a pink or blue bow on the cover or tie a ribbon around the middle. You can also print colored paper bands to wrap around the pops. At a graduation party you can top the containers with tiny graduation caps—complete with hanging tassels. You can purchase small fabric flowers and glue them to the top cover to be served at your Shavuos kiddush. The possibilities are endless!

The best part of cake pops is that you can create delicious and beautiful treats with the most basic of recipes. Bake your go-to basic chocolate or vanilla one-bowl cake in a sheet pan. Whip up a thawed whipped topping and add flavored extract or liquor and food color. Cut circles of cake using the pop’s tube. Layer cake circles, piped cream and chopped nuts or other brittle in the pop. Alternately, you can leave out the cake and use jello or mousse with your favorite chopped candy.

Have fun--you are limited on by your imagination!

White Chocolate Nougat Mousse Push-up Pops

If you are looking for inspiration for your push-up pops start with this milchig recipe that will wow your family this Shavuos.

for the mousse:

1 1/4 cups milk, divided

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

12 ounces white chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons butter, softened

2 ounces nougat powder

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon hazelnut liquor (optional)

for assembly:

8 whole graham crackers

nut crunch

prepare the mousse:

Put 1/4 cup of milk and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Sprinkle gelatin over milk and let stand 5 minutes. Place the measuring cup in a small pot with enough water to come halfway up the side of the pot. Heat the water and stir the gelatin mixture for 2-3 minutes until the gelatin is dissolved and clear. turn off the heat; leave the cup in the warm water until needed.

 Place the chopped white chocolate in a large bowl. Heat the remaining milk in a small saucepan. Pour the hot milk over the chopped chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth. stir in the butter. Whisk in the gelatin mixture. Divide mixture in half. Whisk nougat powder into one half of the chocolate mixture. Allow each half to cool completely.

In a clean bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form--do not overbeat. Using a large spatula, fold half the whipped cream into each half of the white chocolate mixture. The consistency will be soft. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of each bowl of mousse and refrigerate 30 minutes.

assemble the pops:

Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until slightly crushed. Place the nougat mousse and the white chocolate mousse into 2 piping bags, each  fitted with a large star tip.

Assemble the pops.  Place a heaping tablespoon of crackers in the bottom of the pop. Pipe nougat mousse to fill the pop halfway. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon nut crunch. Pipe white chocolate mousse to fill the pop and top with more nut crunch. Stand pops in a glass, a bowl of sugar or small candy. Pops may be prepared in advance and frozen but the mousse will lose texture.

Chocolate Crunch Pops

For the cake:

4 ounces margarine, at room temperature (one stick)

1 ½ cups sugar

2 eggs

2 ¼ cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup water

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa

1/3 cup boiling water

For the chocolate cream:

1 pound chocolate Bavarian cream or custard

8 ounces whipped topping, thawed

For the trifle:

6 bars chocolate covered toffee (Viennese crunch)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper or a silpat mat.

Beat together margarine and sugar.  Add eggs and continue beating until combined.  Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Alternating with water, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in three additions.  Stir together cocoa and boiling water until cocoa is completely dissolved and no lumps remain.  Add to the batter.  Pour batter into lined pan.  Tap the pan on the counter to be sure the batter is evenly spread. Bake 30 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool.

Beat 8 ounces whipped topping and fold into chocolate custard.  Place in a large piping bag fitted with a star tip. Break chocolate-covered toffee bars into small pieces. 

Cut 30 cake circles from the sheet cake, using one of the pops as your cutter.  Assemble the pops.

Place a circle in the pop, pushing it all the way to the bottom. Pipe about 1 tablespoon cream into the pop. Push in another cake circle. Pipe some more cream. Top with one more circle and pipe a swirl of cream. Sprinkle generously with the chopped candy. Repeat until all the pops are filled. Serve within 24 hours or freeze.

Cut It Out!

Last week we discussed lots of culinary terms related to mixing. Another sphere of food preparation that has a variety of expressions is cutting. Of course, one can just say “cut up the vegetables” but using specific task relates words give the recipe reader a better understanding of how the food should look. Using particular expressions will allow you to follow a recipe so it turns out just the way the recipe writer plans. You may be familiar with some terminology while others will be new to you but you never know when you’ll come across a new word in the next recipe you read. Many of these words are both a verb; referring to the technique used as well a noun; referring to the product resulting from the technique.

Brunoise--Foods cut into cubes of 1/8″ X 1/8″ X 1/8″.

Carve--To cut cooked meat or poultry into portions.

Chiffonade—This word may refer to finely slice or shred leafy vegetables or herbs or to the cut leafy vegetables or herbs often used as a garnish.

Chop—To cut food into random shapes and sizes

Composed Salad-A salad prepared by arranging each of the ingredients on individual plates in an artistic fashion.

Crudites--Raw vegetables usually served as hors d’ oeuvres accompanied by a dipping sauce.

Cut In--A technique for combining margarine or butter with dry ingredients until the mixture resembles small crumbs; it is done with a pastry blender, two knives, a food processor or an electric mixer.

Dice-- To cut food into uniform cubes.
Flute-- To carve grooves, slashes or other decorative markings into vegetables and fruits.
Food Mill--A tool used to strain and puree foods simultaneously; it consists of a bowl with a hand-crank mechanism that forces the food through a perforated disk.

Frenched--A roast, rack or chop of meat, in which the meat and connective tissue have been removed from the rib bone.

Grate--To reduce food to small pieces by scraping it on a rough surface—usually a grater.

Hash--To cut food into very small, irregularly shaped pieces. The most common use is in “Hash Browns” which are chopped cooked potatoes fried in oil, pressed into a cake, and fried on the other side.

Juice--To extract the juice of a fruit or vegetable.
Julienne--To cut a food into a julienne shape which is a matchstick shape of approximately 1/8 X 1/8 X ½”.  This can be done with a knife, slicing tool or julienne peeler.
Mandoline--A manually operated slicer with adjustable blades used to obtain uniform slices, matchstick shapes or waffle cuts.

Mill-- To grind, pulverize or break down into smaller particles.
Mince--To cut or chop a food finely; much smaller than “dice.”

Pare--To remove the thin outer layer of foods such as fruits and vegetables) with a small, short-bladed knife known as a paring knife or with a vegetable peeler.

Pitted--A fruit that has had its pit removed.

Pitter--A tool used to remove stones from cherries and olives.

Puree--To process food to achieve a smooth pulp.

Ricer--A tool used to reduce a cooked food, such as a potato into rice-like pieces.

Shred--To cut into thin but irregular strips.

Steel--A tool, usually made of steel, used to straighten knife blades.

Supreme—A segment of citrus fruit with all membrane removed. “To supreme” means to remove the fruit from the membrane.

Zest--To remove strips of rind or peel from a citrus fruit. This is done with a zester or grater. It also refers to the strips that have been removed.

Let’s put some of these techniques to use in these simple but tasty recipes.

Veggie Stir Fry

3 tablespoons canola oil

1 Spanish onion, diced

1 carrot, pared and julienned

1 zucchini, julienned

1 red pepper, julienned

2 cloves garlic, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 bunch fresh basil, checked and chopped with a few leaves reserved and cut in a chiffonade

Heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat.  Add onions and sauté onions until just translucent. Remove from pan and set aside. Add carrot strips to the pans and sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Add zucchini and red pepper and continue to stir fry over high heat until just a bit soft. Add back the onions. Add the minced garlic and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper and stir once or twice to combine and coat the vegetables. Remove from heat and place in a bowl or platter. Top with basil chiffonade and serve immediately.

Tilapia Filets with Grapefruit, Orange and Mango Salsa

4 filets tilapia, about 1 pound per 4 filets

Kosher salt

1 grapefruit, supremed, juice reserved

1 orange, supremed

1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced

1 small red onion, diced

3 scallions, checked and diced

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. honey

1 small jalapeño pepper, minced (remove all seeds and ribs if you don’t want the salsa to be hot.)

Fresh parsley checked and cut in a chiffonade

Preheat oven to 475 F.

Rinse fish and pat dry with paper towel. Arrange fish in single layer in shallow 12 x 8-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray or lightly oiled with canola oil.

Season fish with salt, to taste.

Place grapefruit pieces and juice in bowl with orange supremes, mango, onions, scallions, olive oil, honey and jalapeño pepper. Stir gently and pour over fish filets.

Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 14 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with fork (fish should just turn opaque; do not overcook.)

Remove from oven and sprinkle with parsley.  Serve hot or warm.

Are You Mixed Up?

 At The Peppermill we often get phone calls asking us to explain culinary terms found in cookbooks that are not as simple as the generic word “mix.”  Some of these words are necessary to denote slight differences in the way a recipe is prepared but some are just used for variety and can be used interchangeably.  We’ve put together a list of terms you might find in baking books and we’ll explain the differences between them.  All of the following words are related to “mixing” and will give you a better understanding of why certain steps are important to proper recipe technique.

Batter—a thin mixture consisting of flour, liquid and leaveners, that can be poured or spread.  Pourable batters are most often used for chiffon cakes, bundt cakes and pancakes.  Pound cake batters are usually thicker and need to be spread in the pan with a spatula.

Beat—to mix ingredients rapidly until they are well combined.  Usually used in relation to eggs or cream. 

Blend—lightly combine ingredients by hand.  This term may also refer to using an electric blender to combine ingredients. 

Cream—to beat an ingredient, usually a fat like butter or margarine, until well softened and combined with sugar.

Dough—a mixture of flour, liquid and a leavening agent such as yeast or eggs, that is combined to form a mixture that is stiff but still pliable.  Dough is either rolled out using a rolling pin or formed by hand.

Emulsion—a mixture of two or more liquids that don’t combine easily, like oil and vinegar.  Emulsions can achieved with a hand-held whisk or electric blender and food processor.  The most common emulsions are salad dressing vinaigrettes

Fold—to incorporate a light, fluffy mixture, such as egg whites or whipped cream, into a heavier mixture.  Folding is done by lifting the mixture from the bottom of the bowl and literally “folding” it over the batter at the top of the bowl.  The act of folding prevents the delicate structure of the egg whites from being crushed by strong strokes.  Folding is best accomplished with a silicone spatula or spoonula.  Never attempt to fold using an electric mixer—even a low speeds.  The strength of the mixer will always flatten the egg whites.  Folding is a technique used when preparing mousse, chiffon or sponge cakes and meringues.

Immersion blender—an electric hand-held blender with the blade at the end of a long narrow handle.  Immersion blenders are great for pureeing soups right in the pot.  They also work well for emulsifying salad dressings and vinaigrettes.  If your immersion blender has a whisk attachment, you can use it to beat egg whites as well.

Knead—to mix workable dough with your hands, a mixer or food processor in order to develop gluten, the proteins which make dough elastic.  The longer a dough is kneaded the more gluten it develops, a feature that is desired when baking bread.  However, when preparing pie dough, the less you knead the better.  Too much gluten will cause the dough to shrink unattractively in your pie plate.

Meringue—egg whites that have been combined with sugar and beaten until stiff.  Meringues are usually baked until crisp and dry on the outside and soft and fluffy within.  When adding sugar to egg whites to make meringue, first beat the egg whites at high speed until they form soft peaks that will fall over when the beater is lifted out of the bowl.  Continue beating at high speed and add sugar gradually until the peaks have become stiff enough so that when the beater is removed from the bowl the peaks of egg whites remain standing stiffly.   Do not continue to beat at that point because the added beating will begin to break the curds that have formed and the meringue will fall.

Pastry blender—a device with curved wires or blades that is used to cut butter, margarine or shortening into flour until the mixture resembles large crumbs.  This tool works much better than the instructions that say “two knives, used scissor-like” for making light pie crusts and cobbler toppings.  It’s also handy for chopping eggs and mashing canned tuna fish.

Sift—to pour flour or other dry ingredients through a sifter; a tool with a mesh bottom used to remove lumps and impurities from dry ingredients.  Sifters come in many different sizes suitable for varying tasks.  Large sifters are useful for flour when baking in large quantities while smaller sifters are used for a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar which tends to be lumpy.  Sifting cocoa is also advisable as it is often clumped and will form unattractive, bitter spots in your cake.  Some sifters feature cranks or shaker handles to help break up any unwanted chunks.    When adding dry ingredients, many recipes suggest sifting together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  This makes the ingredients light and airy as well as prevents them from forming lumps in the batter. 

Toss—to quickly mix ingredients such as vegetables for a salad.  Tossing is most often done with a fork or spoon.

Whip—beat rapidly, by hand or with an electric mixer to incorporate air and increase volume.  This term is most often used in conjunction with egg whites or cream

Whisk—used as a noun or verb, the term whisk can refer to a tool used to combine ingredients by hand or to the act of combining the ingredients by using a whisk.  A whisk is a tool that consists of looped wires attached to a long handle that break up lumps when used to stir ingredients.  The balloon-shape of the wires also aerates as it mixes.  Dressings made with mayonnaise benefit from the whisking action as do creamy mixtures containing eggs or melted chocolate. 

Classic Chocolate Mousse

Here is a recipe that uses a number of techniques we talked about.

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 ounces margarine, cut into small pieces

4 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup, plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons orange liquor or red wine

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a double boiler melt together the chocolate and margarine, whisking over the barely simmering water, until smooth. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the yolks of the eggs with the 2/3 cup of sugar, liquor, for about 3 minutes until the mixture is thick. Then fold the chocolate mixture into the egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy. Continue to beat until they start to hold their shape. Whip in the tablespoon of sugar and continue to beat until thick and shiny, but not completely stiff, then the vanilla.

Fold one third of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remainder of the whites just until incorporated, but don’t overdo it or the mousse will lose volume.

Transfer the mousse to 6 martini glasses or dessert bowls, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm.