Summer Pie Cooking July 25th

Summer Pie Cooking



Lemon Meringue Pie

Grasshopper Pie
Fruit Tarte

Coffee Granita

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

Ingredients

CRUST:
1/2 cup flour 小麦粉
1/4 cup shortening 短縮
1/8 teaspoon salt 塩
2 tablespoons milk ミルク

FILLING:
1-1/4 cups sugar砂糖
5 tablespoons cornstarch
コーンスターチ
1/4 teaspoon salt塩
1/2 cup cold water冷水
4 egg yolks卵黄
1/2 cup lemon juice
レモン・ジュース

Directions
CRUST: 生地

§ Combine flour, shortening, and salt, and mix until well blended.
§ 小麦粉、ショートニング、塩をよく混ぜる。

§ Form dough into a ball and then flatten.
§ Roll out dough and put into a 9 inch pie plate.
§ パイ皿にしく。
§ Bake at 350°F/ 175 C until crust is golden brown.
§ 175℃に熱したオーブンで焼き色がつくまで焼く。
§ Remove from the oven and set aside.
§ 焼き色がついたら取り出す。
FILLING:
§ Combine sugar, cornstarch and salt in a sauce pan.
§ 砂糖、コーンスターチ、塩をソースパンに入れて混ぜる。
§ Beat egg yolks and cold water together and add to the mixture in the saucepan; and then add the lemon juice and butter.
§ 卵黄と水を混ぜ、ソースパンに加える。そこへレモンジュースとバターを加える。
§ Bring the mixture to a boil; boil for one minute.
§ Remove from the heat and pour into the baked pie crust.
§ 火からおろし、焼いた生地にながしこむ。
MERINGUE: メレンゲ
3 egg whites 卵の白人1/4 tsp. cream of tartar酒石英6 tbsp. sugar砂糖1/2 tsp. vanillaバニラ・エッセンス
§ Beat egg whites to a soft peak; and then add the sugar and cream of tartar.
§ 卵白を泡立て、粉砂糖とクリームを加える。
§ Beat until whites form stiff peaks. § さらによく泡立てる。
§ Spread over pie filling and bake at 300F/145C (about 12-15 minutes)
§ until meringue is golden brown.

Grasshopper Pie Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup crushed chocolate cookie crumbs　　チョコレートのクッキー断片5 Tbsp butter, melted　　バター3/4 cup hot milk　ホットミルク24 large marshmallows1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur　　ミント　liquer2 tablespoons white creme de cacaoチョコレート liquer1 cup whipping cream, whippedヘビークリームOptional A drop or two of green food dye.
Method　作り方Preheat oven to 425°F.218C In a bowl, mix crushed chocolate cookies and butter.
オーブンを218℃に予熱しておく。ボウルにチョコレートクッキーとバターを入れて混ぜる。
Pat into bottom and sides of 10 inch pie dish.
バットに混ぜたものを均等に流し込む。 Oreo choclate cookies work the best but they are so hard to come by in Quantity in Japan/ ANNA chocolate thin mint cookies worked well- but you have to crush them very well.
Bake in oven for 5 to 10 minutes; remove from oven and cool completely.
5分から10分オーブンで焼く。とりだしたら、完全に冷ます。
Once cooled, place in freezer to chill.
完全に冷めたら、冷凍庫に入れる。
2 In saucepan, melt marshmallows in milk over medium heat.
ソースパンにマシュマロと牛乳を入れ、中火で火にかける。
Remove from heat and cool.
溶けたら火からおろして冷ます。
Add creme de menthe and creme de cacao, and mix well.
クリームミントリキュールとクリームカカオリキュールを加え、よく混ぜる。
Add a drop or two of green food dye if desired.
お好みで、グリーンのものを加える。
Fold in whipped cream. Pour into chilled pie shell. Freeze for 3 or 4 hours.
ホイップクリームを泡立て、冷凍庫で凍らせたパイの上にかける。さらに3，4時間冷凍庫でねかす。

Coffee Granita
Yield: Makes 8 servings
4 cups freshly brewed strong coffee (made from 6 cups water and 2 1/2 cups ground French roast coffee or I used Starbucks Oceanside Blend)1 cup sugar1 tablespoon grated orange peel1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 tablespoon pernod or other anise-flavored liqueur

Stir first 4 ingredients in bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour into 13x9x2-inch metal pan. Chill 2 hours; mix in pernod.
Freeze coffee mixture until icy at edge of pan, about 45 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Freeze again until icy at edge of pan and overall texture is slushy, about 45 minutes. Whisk to distribute frozen portions evenly. Then freeze until solid, about 3 hours. Using fork, scrape granita down length of pan, forming icy flakes. Freeze at least 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; keep frozen.Presentation
Orange peel strips or chocolate-covered coffee beans
Working quickly, scoop granita into glasses, filling halfway. Fill to top with cream. Garnish with peel or coffee beans.

Thank you everyone!

I hope you had a good time and keep cool this summer!

Thai Cooking June 2010

Thai Cooking
Back by popular demand....this is a very popular class and I usually offer it during the summer months to beat the heat. The spices are usually easier to find in the Asian Markets during the summer. We held two sessions with both basically having the same menu. The latter added Fish Cakes(Mook Pla) as a special added treat!

Gaeng khiaw waan Café Gecko
Chicken Thai Yellow Curry
1-1/2 cups Chicken Meat, diced
1/2 cup Thai red shallots, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime leaf
2 TBS vegetable oil
3 cups coconut milk(Chao Koh/Mae Ploy)
1-1/2 to 2 cups water
50g(3 TBS) Curry paste
1/2 tsp. palm sugar
1 cup Zucchini, sliced
3-4 Thai Eggplants, diced
2-3 Thai red/green chilies

In a hot pan brown the chicken meat and add shallots and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. Set aside.
Canned coconut milk. (DO NOT shake the can) Remove the lid and spoon out the top cream. Heat spooned cream with 1 cup of coconut milk with 3TBS water for 3 minutes. Add 50g(3TBS) curry paste and simmer slowly for two more minutes. Add another cup of coconut milk and simmer. (Do not let paste to burn.) The paste should become fragrant as the oil separates. Add remaining water, coconut milk, sugar, chicken meat, zucchini, Thai eggplants, chilies and bring to a rapid boil for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve with Thai Jasmine Rice(Thai Hom Mali)

Som tum plah koong thai
Green Papaya Shrimp Salad
8-9 medium Black Tiger Prawns
(5-6 large Green Lobster tails)
(1 tsp salt.1 lemon grass)
1 1/2 cups Green Papaya, shredded
4 fresh green beans
1 garlic clove, medium
1-2 TBS Nampla(Fish Sauce)
2-3 tsp fresh lime juice (Ma-naw)
1 1/2 TBS Palm Sugar
2 fresh chili peppers
5 cherry tomatoes(red or yellow), halved
2 TBS toasted peanuts, chopped

De-vein and clean prawns.
Place in a pot with salt and lemon grass. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3-5 min, or until meat is firm and brightly colored. Strain water and set aside

Peel the hard, outer skin of the papaya. Shred the papaya with a grater and set aside in a bowl. (Be sure to discard any immature seeds.)
In a large motar bowl smash the garlic clove, then add the green beans and pound slightly to bruise the beans. Add the chili peppers and pound enough to release their hotness-more pounding releases more hotness. Add sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, and pound a few times to make juicy. Add the green papaya, shrimp meat, cherry tomatoes and peanuts. Push the mixture down well to mix well. (Do not over pound and make soggy. The papaya should be crunchy) Chill before serving. Serve with cabbage and Thai basil leaves.

Kopun-krup to everyone for coming. I hope you had a good time!

Aloi-ma! (the food tasted delicious)

Session 2 Additional

Thod Ma Pla (Cafe Gecko’s SpicyThai Fish Cakes)
トート　マンプラー（タイ風さつま揚げ）
Ingredients:　材料
1 pound boneless fish fillets, cubed
白身魚フィレ
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
小麦粉1/2カップ
3/4 cup finely sliced long bean
タイいんげん　3/4カップ
3 fresh kaffir leaves, thinly sliced
こぶみかんの葉　3枚
2 teaspoons fish sauce(nampla)
ナンプラー　小さじ2
1 teaspoon brown sugar
ブラウンシュガー　小さじ１
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
コリアンダー　1/4カップ

4 green onions, sliced
玉ねぎ　4個
1.5 tablespoons Red Curry paste
レッドカレーペースト　大さじ1　1/2
1 tsp salt/to taste
塩　小さじ1
1 egg
たまご　1個
all-purpose flour
小麦粉
oil for frying(3 cups)
サラダオイル　3カップ
Lemon grass stalks
レモングラス

Directions:
1.
Combine fish, 1/2 cup flour, fish sauce, brown sugar, cilantro, green onions, long beans, leaves, curry paste, salt, and egg in a food processor or work with mortar and pestle.
白身魚、小麦粉1/2カップ、ナンプラー、ブラウンシュガー、コリアンダー、たまねぎ、いんげん、こぶみかんの葉、カレーペースト、塩、たまごをフードプロセッサーにかけ、ペースト状にする。
Process until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
よく混ざったら、ボウルにうつして冷蔵庫で30分間冷やす。
2.
Shape mixture into patties, warp around lemon grass stalks and dust with flour.
レモングラスをパテで包むようにして、小麦粉をまぶす。
3.
Pour enough oil into a heavy skillet to fill the pan with 1/2 inch of oil.
フライ用にサラダオイルを深めのフライパンで熱する。
Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Fry fish cakes for 8 minutes, turning once, or until golden brown. Remove and drain off oil.
170℃/340F　程度になったら、パテをいれ、約8分間揚げる。

Cheesecake and Cheesesteak May 2010

Say Cheese!

One thing I really miss about being back on the east coast is the size and portion of the artery-hardening foods there! I went to college in Connecticut, but it was only an hour train ride to downtown Manhattan and all the decadence feast havens! In the city when you ordered a cheesecake; it meant you got a cheesecake-no-if -and-or-buts. And a piece of cheesecake meant a portion thick enough to sit comfortably on the plate served with whipped cream and a sweetened fruit sauce. Unfortunately, since Ive moved to Japan I've had to maneuver my way through endless cake shops in Tokyo, only to find ones which serve what they only imagine to be a cheesecake, but is in actuality merely an inexcusably thin, floppy, wannabe new yorker. I longed for a real New York-style cheesecake...you know, the kind that makes a shearing sounds as you man-handle it with a fork and one with a rich cheesiness seductiveness that would make even Lady Gaga blush with decadence.

There were only a few places that served a decent cheesecake in Japan, but again you were paying through the nose for the prices in comparison to the wimpy portion.

I told my cooking students to get ready for a Cheesy Revelation. Also, to add hurt to injury, I decided to include Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches, which everyone knows is a cheesy concoction of thinly sliced meat, peppers, onions, and cheese galore, saddled between an Italian bread roll all of which would make a horses heart stop.

New York-Style Baked Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients
2 pounds ricotta cheese
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
6 eggs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 1/2 inch spring form pan, and tap out excess flour.

2. Place the ricotta in a large mixing bowl, and stir it as smooth as possible with a rubber spatula. Stir the sugar and flour together thoroughly into the ricotta. Stir in the eggs 1 at a time. Blend in the vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, and salt. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the center of the oven for about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, until a light golden color. Make sure the center is fairly firm, and the point of a sharp knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. It will sink slightly as it cools. Cover, and chill till serving time.
Ingredients食材
リコッタチーズ　　　　　　　　900g
グラニュー糖　　　　　　　　　150g
小麦粉　　　　　　　　　　　50g
卵　　　　　　　　　　　　　6個
シナモン (粉末)　　　　　　　小さじ ¼
オレンジゼスト(皮のすり卸し)　小さじ2
バニラエッセンス　　　　　　　小さじ2
塩　　　　　　　　　　　　　ひとつまみ
Directions調理方法
1.
オーブンを150度に予熱しておき、中段にセットする。底抜けタイプの23cmのケーキ型にバターを塗り、小麦粉をまぶす。
2.
大きなボウルにリコッタチーズを入れ、パレットナイフで出来るだけ滑らかにする。 3.
グラニュー糖と小麦粉をチーズに混ぜ合わせたら、卵を1つずつ混ぜ込む。バニラ、シナモン、オレンジゼスト、塩を混ぜ入れ、ケーキ型に流し込む。
4.
型をオーブンの中央に置き、薄いきつね色になるまで1時間15分~1時間30分焼く。ケーキの真ん中がしっかり固まり、竹串を刺してきれいに抜くことができるまで焼く。網の上で冷ます。中心部は冷めるに従い、窪んでくる。ラップをして冷蔵庫で冷やす。

Original Philly Cheese Steak Recipe
Ingredients:12 ounces boneless beef rib eye steak2 tablespoons margarine or butter2 medium onions, thinly sliced and separated into rings1 medium red or green sweet pepper, cut into thin strips4 French rolls or hoagie buns, split4 ounces thinly sliced cheddar cheese
Directions:
Partially freeze beef. Thinly slice beef across the grain into bite size strips. In a 10 inch skillet melt margarine or butter; add onions and pepper. Cover and cook over medium low heat about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove onion pepper mixture from skillet with a slotted spoon. If necessary, add additional margarine to skillet. Add beef; cook and stir over medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until done. To serve, spread rolls open face on a baking sheet. Divide beef and onion pepper mixture among rolls. Top with cheese. Broil 4 to 5 inches from the heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. We also made some fresh tomatoe Bruschettes with the extra french bread They complimented the heaviness of the sandwiches well.Thanks to everyone for coming. Let's take a picture together, so say...."Velvetta!"