Foods Field Trip--La Caso Gelato

We went to the Gelato store on Venables Street where 209 flavours are stored! But of course, I chose to have chocolate fudge brownie at last. It was delicious, and the flavours there were very unique, such as the maple & bacon flavour, as well as the curry one..which I didn't quite like :)

Ice-cream Sandwiches

The last cooking lab of Food Art class, we made ice cream sandwiches! Mine was really tiny, but it was still delicious and that's all it matters, rgith? :)

Best Flowers

These two flowers-the rose and the button flower, are my best flowers overall. I had them on the cake as well! :)

CAKE! :)

Cake pops!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE! HAVE AN AMAZING SPRING BREAK!<3

Carrot Cake




Ingredients
-315ml all-purpose flour
-8ml baking powder
-2ml salt
-5ml cinnamon
-1ml nutmeg
-1ml ground cloves
-190ml vegetable oil
-2 large eggs
-250ml finely grated carrots
-250ml granulated sugar
-5ml vanilla

Optional:
-80ml walnuts finely chopped
-80ml raisins

Method
1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray non-stick spray onto the pan molds and dust with flour.
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together in a medium bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix the oil, eggs, sugar, and vanilla together until they are well blended.
4. Add the carrots (and optionally the raisins and walnuts) and mix until blended.
5. Spoon the batter evenly into molds. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cake. Cool for 5 minutes before removing the little cakes from the molds. Trim the edges with kitchen shears if needed for a neat presentation.
6. After cooling, put on icing.

Cloverleaf Rolls

Ingredients
800ml flour (more if needed)
15ml dry yeast
175ml warm water
60ml sugar, divided
250ml warm milk
60ml butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg
5ml salt
melted butter, for tops

Method
1. Grease a muffin tin.
2. In a liquid measure, combine yeast with 15ml of sugar in warm water; Let sit for 10 minutes, or until the yeast is foamy.
3. In a large bowl add the remaining sugar, melted butter, warm milk, egg and salt.
4. Add 250ml of clour and add in the yeast/sugar mix. Gradually add remaining flour to make a slightly sticky dough.
5. Coat a second large bowl with vegetable oil. Transfer the dough to the bowl.
6. Cover; and let rise in a warm draft-free area until doubled in size
7. Remove from bowl then place the dough on the counter
8. Slice the dough evenly in half lengthwise down the middle, set one piece aside.
9. Shape piece of dough into chunky long rope using hands
10. Slice into 18 even pieces
11. Shape into about 38mm balls or a little more
12. Repeat the remaining piece of dough and muffin tin.
13. Cover the tins with a clean tea towel and allow to rise warm place for 30-40minutes
14. Remove the tea towel; brush tops with melted butter
15. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until buns are a dark golden colour.

Pulla - Finnish Coffee Bread

Ingredients
-250ml milk
-60ml warm water
-5ml white sugar
-8ml yeast
-60ml white sugar
-3ml salt
-sml ground cardamom
-2 eggs, beaten
-1L all-purpose flour
-60ml margarine or butter, melted
-1 egg, beaten
-15ml course white sugar

Method
1. Warm the water in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Let cool until lukewarm.
2. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and the 5ml sugar. Stir in the lukewarm milk, 60ml sugar, salt, cardamom, eggs, and enough flour to make a sticky batter (approximately 250ml) Add the melted butter or margarine, and stir well. Beat again until the dough looks glossy. Stir in the remaining flour until the dough is slightly sticky.
3. Knead the dough until smooth and satiny. Place in a lightly greased mixing bowl, and turn the dough to grease the top. Cover with a clean dish towel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch down, and let rise again until almost doubled.
4. Turn out again on to a floured surface, and divide into 4 parts (if four members). Divide each third into 3 again. Roll each piece a strip. Braid 3 strips into a loaf. Lift the braids onto greased baking sheets. Let rise for 20 minutes.
5. Brush each loaf with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar
6. Bake at 200°C for 25-30 minutes. Check occasionally because the bottom burns easily.

Mexican Stack

Ingredients:
400g ground beef
1 package taco seasoning mix (see below for a homemade version)
250ml water
1 tomato, diced
1/4 head shredded leaf lettuce
100g cheddar cheese grated
4 tortillas
sour cream
olives, sliced (black or green stuffed)

*Garnish options: Green onion, Cilantro, Green Jalapeno or red Serrano pepper, Whole olives, cherry tomatoes, Sour Cream, Guacamole, Salsa

Method:
1. Spray insides of can.
2. Using can as a cutter, cut at least 5 circles out of tortilla for each person.
3. Brown ground beef, add seasoning and water and cooking accordingly to directions (make sure it is quite dry, not too liquidy)
4. Meanwhile wash all vegetables first. Then die tomatoes, shred lettuce, grate cheece, slice olives, slice some green onion using both some of the white part and the green part for colour.
5. Set can on a dish and begin layering ingredients, compressing each layer slightly as you go. Alternate layers beginning and ending with a tortilla circle, using about 30ml to 60ml of 2-3 different fillings for each layer: Repeat layers 3-5 more times, ending with a tortilla
6. Using a large spatula, slide it under the can and transfer it to the position on the 'serving plate' you wish it. You may like to place it on a lettuce leaf as a base.
7. Holding stack with one hand from the top, gently slide the can straight up off the stack.
8. Garnish top with dollop of sour cream, few diced tomatoes, few slices green onion, a few slices of black olive, etc.
9. Plate may be garnished, with green onion flower or hot pepper flower, a few whole black olives, chives, cilantro and some fresh salsa, sour cream, or guacamole.

Cherry Pie Cake Stacks

Ingredients:
Poud cake:
3 large eggs, room temperature
45ml milk, room temperature
7ml vanilla
375ml sifted cake flour
5ml baking powder
1ml salt
190ml granulated white sugar
200ml margarine, room temperature

250ml cherry pie filling
250ml whipping cream

Chocolate sauce:
90ml margarine
375ml brown sugar
125ml sugar
250ml heavy cream (whipping cream)
pinch of salt
60ml Cocoa powder
30ml instant espresso powder
5ml vanilla extract

Method:
1. Preheat oven 175°C and place rack in center of oven. Line the bottom of the pan whith parchment paper and spray the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, plac the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the margarine and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the  remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until the cake in golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the cake browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.
6. The pound cake can be covered and stored for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months. Store your cake in a ziplock bag and refrigerate until next class.

Chocolate sauce:
1. Heat the margarine in a large saucepan. Stir in the sugar and brown sugar and allow to dissolve. Stir in the cream, salt, cocoa and espresso powder. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, whisking to blend. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. The sauce can be stored, covered, in a glass container in the refrigerator for 1 month. Heat gently before using.
2. Whip the cream until stiff using an electric mixer, stir in 10ml icing sugar and 2ml vanilla. Fill the piping bag with the whip cream and add an open star tip. Using the cooking rings cut out four circles out of the pound cake. Slice each cake into three pieces each with a very sharp knife.
3. To create your stack; start with a cake layer, add 25ml of the cherry pie filling, then top with another cake layer. Repeat and add a final cake layer on top. Pour some of the chocolate sauce flowing over the sides. Pipe the whipping cream into a spiral pattern on the top of the cake stack. To complete the plating, use a sieve and sprinkle icing sugar over the stack.

Black & White Cheesecake with Strawberry Coulis

                                             

Ingredients:
Crust
-50mL margarine, melted
-250mL chocolate cookie crumbs

Filling
-1/2 a navel orange
-20mL cornstarch
-125mL sour cream
-15ml vanilla
-125ml white sugar
-2 packages cream cheese, softened
-2 large eggs

Strawberry Coulis
-500ml strawberries, frozen and unsweetened
-60ml white sugar
-orange juice from your half orange

Method:
For the crust:
1. Position rack to the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Remove the sides of a spring from pan and cover the bottom sides with foil.
3. Use a pastry brush and margarine to cover sides
4. In a medium bowl, stir together the crust ingredients until combined.
5. Press into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes.
6. Cool on wire rack.

Filling:
1. Set oven temperature to 325°F
2. Zest one half orange. Careful, do not include the bitter white pith.
3. In a medium bowl, blend with an electric mixer the cream cheese.
4. In a smaller bowl, combine white sugar, cornstarch and zest.
5. Add sugar mixture, sour cream and vanilla.
6. Mix together until just blended.
7. Break eggs into a custard cup and beat with a fork.
8. Add to batter and mix for one minute or until very smooth.
9. Pour carefully into the spring from pan.
10. Bake 60 minutes or until the sides are puffy and the center quivers.
11. Cool for another 20 minutes. Use a knife to loosen sides and remove from pan.
12. Cool completely and then refrigerate.

Decoration (125ml chocolate chips):
1. Using a double-boiler, melt chocolate chips.
2. Using a paint brush (one that is only used for chocolate) paint the back of several leaves.
3. Refrigerate and then pull off the chocolate leaves.

To serve:
Slice the cake into pieces. Put each slice on a plate. Decorate each slice with a leaf. Drizzle the coulis around the base of each slice.

Truffles

Ingredients:
210 mL heavy cream (whipping cream)
50mL margarine
250mL semi-sweet chocolate
5-15mL flavouring (those used to speciality coffees)
cocoa powder for rolling balls

Method:
1) Put cream and margarine into a saucepan. Let margarine melt over medium heat then, stirring all the while, turn up heat and let the cream just come to a boil.
2) Off the heat add the chocolate to the saucepan and stir until it is completely melted. Continue stirring until mixture thickens and cools somewhat.
3) Stir in flavouring. Then let mixture thicken over an ice bath or refrigerate one hour.
4) To form truffles, scoop up portions of the chocolate with an ice cream scoop or spoon about the size of a large marble.
5) Dust a small plate with cocoa powder. Cover your hands with cocoa and then roll the balls in the cocoa.
6) Place the balls in candy liners
7) Keep refrigerated!

*Ice Bath: Can be made from putting ice cubes into a medium sized bowl. Transfer the chocolate mixture into a small bowl and let it rest on top of the ice cubes. Using a whisk, stir until mixture is thick and very cold.

Bird Apples





-Cutting using a small knife
-Spray lemon juice on apple that turned brown would help

Chicken with Noodles (Udons) and Mushrooms and Snow Peas


                                          

Ingredients:
15mL vegetable oil
454g boneless skinless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
10mL minced garlic
10mL minced fresh ginger
500mL mushrooms, thinly sliced
125mL water
60mL hoisin sauce
15mL oyster sauce
1 package 400g fresh udon noodles (or fresh Shanghai noodles)
250mL snow peas, sliced
5mL sesame oil

Method:
1) In a wok, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; stir-fry chicken, garlic and ginger until chicken is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
2) Add mushrooms; stir-fry until beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in water, hoisin sauce and oyster sauce; bring to simmer.
3) Add noodles and toss to combine; simmer until sauce is thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add snow peas and sesame oil; cook for one minute
4) Plate on a platter and add a garnish!

Watermelon basket! (cut the watermelon using specialized tools, then scrape the watermelon out of the skin completely by using a ice-cream scooper, and put the circular watermelon back into the watermelon.

Cucumber shark!

The Penguin Cake!



It is made from the same cake pan as the previous one (The teddy bear cake pan); After baking it, we cut off the arms/legs of the bear, and used the arms as the wings for the penguin, and half of the legs for the legs of the penguin.

The variety of colours come from the colourings of classic icing.

Teddy-Bear Cake!!!!!





-Baked from a bear cake pan
-After it's cooled from baking, we applied classic icing with different colours (using the colourings) and decorated the cake