Posted on 07/16/2011 8:45:09 AM PDT by libertarian27
Mmmmm-—that sounds delicious.
Actually this is very good: broil/brown stale plain donuts and smear them with butter and jam.
I think vanilla paste is the vanilla that you scrape from the inside of the vanilla bean. You see the chefs/cook on tv scrape the inside of the vanilla bean all the time.
I got curious. Here is what the cup cake project dot com has to say about vanilla paste
http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/03/why-you-should-buy-vanilla-bean-paste.html
What is Vanilla Bean Paste?
When I first heard about vanilla bean paste, all I could picture was that white paste that you eat (umm.. glue with) in Kindergarten mixed with some bean specks. I found lots of pictures of the vanilla bean paste bottle online but no pictures of the actual vanilla bean paste itself. I had heard that it was vanilla extract, but with the beans in it. I began to picture a liquid with some specks.
It turns out that vanilla bean paste is much thicker than vanilla extract. It’s actually a thin syrup. While I would never drink vanilla extract straight up, I have been known to lick my fingers if they get some vanilla bean paste on them. It’s still a bit strong (not to mention expensive) to, for example, pour on your pancakes.
I also found a recipe for making your own.
Vanilla Paste - how to make it
http://www.mixingbowl.com/content/NonniezCorner/recipe/10032928/Vanilla-Paste-—how-to-make-it
Ingredients:
Four vanilla beans
4 tablespoons corn syrup, more or less as needed
Flat baking pan
Parchment paper
Sharp paring knife
Spice or coffee grinder
Directions:
step 1 - Lay a piece of parchment paper over a baking or cookie sheet. If air drying, find a dry place with low humidity to allow the beans to dry, or preheat oven to 175 to 200 degrees, depending on how low the oven will go. The temperature should be warm but not hot.
Step 2 - Place each vanilla bean on a flat work surface or countertop. Using a small paring knife, split the vanilla bean in two. This is done in one of two ways. The first is to hold the vanilla bean firmly down with one hand and in the other take a paring knife and work the tip of the knife down the vanilla bean, working right to left if you are righthanded. The second is to hold the vanilla bean on the right side, place the knife parallel to the work surface and cut the vanilla bean in two by going left to right. Repeat with remaining vanilla beans.
Step 3 - Place the cut vanilla bean halves on the parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them out to avoid touching.
Step 4 - If letting air dry, let the beans dry out for several days until brittle and completely dry. If drying out in an oven, place the vanilla beans inside and bake for about 30 minutes. Check every 10 to 15 minutes thereafter and remove when completely dried and brittle. Remove and allow the beans to cool to room temperature.
Step 5 - Break up the beans into smaller pieces and place several broken-up vanilla beans in the bowl of a spice grinder or a thoroughly cleaned coffee grinder. Pulse until the vanilla beans have been pulverized into a powder. Open up the top and pour out into a mixing bowl. Repeat with remaining vanilla bean pieces.
Step 6 - Measure the corn syrup one tablespoon at a time and add enough to get the desired consistency. Add only enough to make a paste that will be easy to scoop. The amount of corn syrup will depend on the amount of powder from grinding the vanilla beans.
Step 7 - Use in sauces and batters to flavor, giving them a rich, true vanilla flavor and visual texture. Mixture will keep for a week in the refrigerator.
Which makes me ask, what are they calling the stuff they scrape from inside of the vanilla bean then? To me there is a big difference between syrup and paste. Oh well.
Obama’s comment about everyone having to eat our peas, reminded me of a pea salad my mother used to make a lot when I was a child, and every once in a while I see it at our local deli as well. I made the salad for my family to try this last week and while one person in the family doesn’t like peas and wouldn’t even try it, the other four of us all liked it quite well. In fact, they liked it so much I have had to make two more batches of it since. So here is the green pea salad.
Green Peas
Crumbled bacon, or finely chopped ham
Small cubes of cheddar cheese or shredded cheddar cheese
Mayonaise
Seasonings
Fold everything together and enjoy!
I did not list measurements as this is the kind of salad that you make based on how many peas you have on hand. I thawed a 12 oz. package of frozen peas, one 1/4 inch slice of cheddar cheese cut into small cubes, and two slices of deli ham one time, and the other times used about three slices of cooked bacon. About 1 tablespoon of mayonaise, and seasoned it to taste.
This is what’s for dinner later in the week when some of my leftist friends are over, hehehehe!
This week, I made 3 quarts of rhubarb syrup.
19 cups chopped rhubarb
4 pounds sugar
1 cup light local honey
2 TBS orange zest*
1 tsp orange extract*
1/2 tsp powdered ginger*
9 cups water
*adjust to personal taste.
Mix all ingredients, and slowly bring to a full boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat, and simmer about 25 minutes, until rhubard is fully reduced to pulp, and all juice is extracted.
Drain thoroughly through colander, discarding pulp.
Strain juice through jelly bag, adjust sweetness to taste, then slowly simmer until reduced to prefered thickness.
Bottle and process as for jelly; or bottle, allow to cool, then freeze: leave plenty of head space.
Be sure to beep a bottle handy in the fridge for use on pancakes & waffles, or drizled over strawberry ice cream.
Can also be added to juices or drinks, like Italian soda syrups.
Might as well kickback and have a few Texas Tumbleweeds.
Blender smooth 3 scoops best vanilla ice cream, oz each Kahlua, vodka, Creme de Cacao. Now add some HalfnHalf.
Sip from tall glasses by the pool.
I remember the great threads from when Chef Carlos was still aboard.
Wait - make sure that it is edible by adults as well - teenagers can eat some food that is ... questionably heart attack inducing for folks on Lipitor.
I made Rhubarb Strawberry Crisp last week, but am keeping your syrup recipe for next year when I’ll be able to harvest my first batch of rhubarb. :)
I’ll probably leave the zest and extract out. Not a fan of zest. Do you think I should swap vanilla extract for the orange?
Didn’t think a recipe was needed———
Just bake two pizzas......sandwich together with a cooked burger the circumference of the pizza. Cut in wedges.
Make individual ones using the smallish Celeste pizzas as the “burger buns.”
Glad you explained that. I did not realize that was how it was made from the pic. I had to go back up and take another look! lol
I hate you, just so you know.........
j/k......
Actually I am sooo envious. I tend to be an embodiment of my profession (engineer) and meticulously measure everything.
Just soften it.
Not sure about the vanilla at all; I’ve never coupled it with rhubarb.
I usually stick to a bit of ginger; or maybe some cinnamon & nutmeg, with walnuts; or orange.
I used the zest & extract because I didn’t have fresh orange peel that the recipes I adapted mine from all called for.
SHAME on you! All those precise measurements are totally useless, unless you are also compensating for the changes due to the mixing/slurrying/cooking properties of dry ingredients due to both the current relative humidity, and their age and storage conditions; and changes in cooking temperatures & times due to your current pressure altitude affecting boiling point(s).
You need to apply a set of properly calibrated correction tables to be used in conjunction with an accurate barometer & relative humidity reading, at the very least.
Or do what a lot of us do quite successfully: wing it by experienced eyeball for most things. LOL
My late FIL was an engineer; he was hardly ever allowed in the kitchen, other than for snacks or sandwiches.
I might go with the cinnamon & nutmeg with a touch of ginger. I just checked my recipe for the rhubarb crisp and while is uses cinnamon it didn’t call for vanilla, so I’ll leave it out. Thanks.
LOL! I do 99% of the cooking now that I am retired.....and have a mostly relaxing time doing it. Intense concentration, sure, but mostly relaxed (until I screw up).
That said, my wife knows to stay clear once the knives and pans start flashing: serious business at hand. Mebbe some day I will achieve the nonchalance of the real chef and stop being a kitchen technician...........
4 cups spinach
½ cup pomegranate seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
In a large salad bowl, combine spinach and pomegranate seeds
Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar
Sprinkle with salt and pepper
Toss and serve
Serves 4
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