At last. The Dispatch has hired Lisa Abraham as food editor and the section of this newly formatted newspaper is back to interesting. I was so afraid that Cook's Corner would simply wither and die while the sports section continued to nibble taking up more and more space. I look forward to Wednesday mornings with my coffee and the cooking section with all of its helpful information, places to go, things to try and hints such as this one: Someone asked Lisa the difference between cake flour and regular all purpose flour and it is because of the levels of protein. Who knew? If a recipe calls for cake flour and you only have regular flour this is what you do: Take regular flour and for every 1 cup of this (all-purpose) flour, remove 2 tablespoons of that and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir to combine. Cake flour makes lighter cakes. Today her section is full of interesting recipes such as custard-filled cake. Each time she is listing and describing a cookbook that she has discovered to be exceptional. She has a contest going to name a food that Columbus is famous for and of course one of the choices for which to vote would be Buckeyes. How about shaved asparagus with mushrooms and Parmesan crumble? Shaved asparagus reveals more flavor. Who knew? I am trying this recipe too. After I finish reading this section of the paper, I'll get back to the blog. I have many more things to reveal from the pages of Cook's Corner. Yea! Thank you, Lisa.
Custard filled cake
1 tablespoon lemon juice 6 tablespoons orange juice 1/3 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 3 egg yolks 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 tablespoon sugar 1 two-layer cake, white or yellow
Cook lemon juice, orange juice, water, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt and egg yolks in the top of a double boiler until thick. Cool.
Beat cream, vanilla and sugar until whipped cream holds its shape.
Fold small amount of whipped cream into custard and use to fill cake. Pile remaining custard filling onto top of top layer of cake.
Frost top and sides of cake with remaining whipped cream.
— M.B., Columbus
SHAVED ASPARAGUS WITH MUSHROOMS AND PARMESAN CRUMBLE
Makes 4 servings
2 ounces Parmesan, grated Generous 1/3 cup walnut halves 1 pound medium asparagus 1/4 pound white mushrooms 1 tablespoon minced chives 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice Salt
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicon sheet or parchment paper. Spoon the grated Parmesan in 1-tablespoon mounds on the sheet and press lightly to flatten. Bake until the cheese is melted and browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool.
When the Parmesan crisps are done, place the walnuts on the baking sheet and bake until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove and cool.
To shave the asparagus: Lay a stalk flat on the cutting board, holding it at the base. Starting at about where the pale base turns green, use a vegetable peeler to shave the stalk in long, even strips all the way through the tip. When you’ve gotten about halfway through the stalk, turn it over and start on the other side. When you reach the point that the peeler will no longer shave the spear, rest the spear on top of the flat handle of a wooden spoon to elevate it and take the last two or three strips.
You can either discard what remains or save it to make an asparagus soup.
Trim the bottoms of the stems from the mushrooms so they’ll sit flat on the work surface. Using a very sharp knife, slice the mushrooms as thin as you can.
Combine the asparagus shavings, mushrooms and walnuts in a large mixing bowl, and toss gently.
Place the minced chives in the bottom of a small bowl and cover with the olive oil. Add the lemon juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and whisk until smooth. Pour all but a teaspoon or so of the dressing over the asparagus mixture and toss gently with your hands to lightly coat. Add the rest of the vinaigrette, a little at a time, as necessary. Season with salt to taste.
Arrange the salad on a platter, and crack the Parmesan crisps over the top in large pieces. Serve immediately.
You can view the entire Cook's Corner on line, but it is not as satisfying to me as holding the paper for some reason. Dispatch.com/food
Try not to kill your family and guests according to Doyle:
You can view the entire Cook's Corner on line, but it is not as satisfying to me as holding the paper for some reason. Dispatch.com/food
Try not to kill your family and guests according to Doyle:
Wash fruits, vegetables ( I must admit, after reading this I am going to be more careful!)
Food-borne illnesses are often traced to fruits or vegetables, so pay extra attention when preparing them.
All fruits and vegetables should be washed under cold running water to help eliminate bacteria.
Even with a clean knife, the bacteria on the outside of a melon’s rind can be carried to the inside of the melon’s flesh. Take a brush and scrub summer favorites such as watermelon and cantaloupe under cold running water before cutting into them.
Tests have shown, Doyle said, that the friction from the scrubbing and rubbing eliminates bacteria more effectively than does running water.
“It’s as important or even more important as the washing,” he said.
The natural sugar in fruit makes fruit the perfect petri dish for bacterial growth, so dishes such as fruit salad and tossed salad face a greater risk of contamination than mayonnaise-based salads.
Even bacteria that would usually be harmless can multiply to harmful levels on cut fruit.
Washing fruits and vegetables, Doyle said, also helps to eliminate any pesticides lingering on their surfaces.
