From Egg Whites to Meringue by Rachel Dau September 9, 2021 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Who says the only place for a marshmallow is on a s’more? Now, don’t get me wrong, I LOVE a good s’more, but there is something about light and refreshing fruit that really hits the spot! My family and I love this season for all the amazing produce, and specifically the fruit. We have a one year old daughter who eats anything and everything! And always on the menu for her are a wide variety of different fruits. However, this weekend we decided to play around with a different base for the fruit, and get our fancy on! There is something really rewarding about taking your egg whites all the way from their fresh, out of the shell state to the beautiful fluffy meringue! All those thousands of tiny bubbles beginning to form. And beneath all that beauty is a network of proteins trapping the air bubbles, that gives your meringue its structure and volume. Meringue offers a blank canvas for so many different things. (Also made an amazing cake with a swiss meringue buttercream, but we’ll save that story for another time J) We chose to go with a classic pavlova. What makes this a little different is the addition of cornstarch in the meringue. With cornstarch, your baked meringue is delicate and crispy on the outside while chewy and soft on the inside. In addition, allowing it to cool and rest in the oven after baking overnight helps to avoid cracking in the pavlova. From here, you can run wild! We liked to capitalize on summer fruits like berries and citrus! Atop the pavlova is an orange curd and whipped cream, then berries to garnish. I love being able to get others involved to decorate and garnish with the fruit! The best part is, you can make it completely seasonal – switch up the berries for poached apples or pears in the fall! And change up the sauces that you serve it with. Try your hand at this delicate and delicious dessert and customize it however you like! Pavlova 2021-09-09 12:31:50 Print Ingredients 221 grams egg whites 3 grams cream of tartar 225 grams granulated sugar 10 grams cornstarch 4 grams white vinegar (or other flavors as desired) 4 grams vanilla bean paste Instructions Preheat your oven to 300 F. In a mixing bowl, add your egg whites and cream of tartar, and whip until foamy and frothy. Separately, combine the sugar and cornstarch. On medium speed, slowly rain in the sugar mixture (slow and consistent dusting). Continue raining until it has all been added. Turn off the mixer and add the vanilla bean and vinegar. Increase your speed to medium high and whip until stiff peaks form. The meringue will get very thick and stiff. You will be able to hold the bowl upside down without any of the meringue moving. Form the meringue into desired shape on a parchment lined sheet pan. You can form into one large one, around 9” around or individual minis, about 3-4”. Once you pile the meringue on, spread it out a little bit into your desired shape and depth. If the meringue is whipped to the stiff peak, it will not spread or grow during baking beyond where you form it. Bake until it is crispy on the outside and resembles a creamy light beige color, about 1 hour (could be less for smaller ones or more for a large one). Turn the oven off and allow to cool completely overnight or up to a few hours. When ready to assemble, gently remove off the parchment paper with a spatula. It should lift right off and on to your serving plate. Garnish as desired – crème anglaise, fruit curds or sauces, whipped cream, chocolate, fruit, etc. You can make the pavlova 1-2 days ahead and store the meringue lightly covered on your counter until ready to assemble and eat. Notes Tips: It is important that all your tools are very clean before making meringue. Fat is the enemy of meringue and can cause it not to whip. Starting with egg whites at room temperature allow the meringue to whip more efficiently and have increased volume. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Pan Asian Grilling by Robin Nathan August 6, 2021 by Jenny Chang 1 Comment The summer of 2019…..ah! Remember?? No COVID, no masks, people sharing chips from the same bowl. That July 4, my dear friend Anelyn, a native Filipino, arrived at 7am to begin marinating chicken for our Filipino Grill Extravaganza. Both our extended families would be arriving several hours later to enjoy our creations and celebrate Independence Day. I dreamed about the salty-sweet-tart flavor of that chicken and the chewy-crispy charred spots throughout lockdown and quarantine. What I did not dream about was the very long and complicated prep and marinating time. I also didn’t dream about how long bone-in chicken takes to cook on a grill, and the meticulous attention required not to burn it to bits. For those of you who know me, it will come as no surprise to learn that during the long, quiet months that followed in 2020, I developed a quicker, yet admirable knock-off of Anelyn’s authentic Filipino Adobo Chicken, which I affectionately dubbed Faux-Dobo. How do I know it’s an admirable knock-off? I had the gumption to cook it for her and her family this summer, and the sight of her happily gnawing the chicken right from the skewer (her second!!) was all I needed to know that Faux-Dobo had the flavors to earn a spot in my grilling rotation. While Adobo is traditionally served over rice, during summer season we prefer lighter flavors at my house, so I riffed on another Asian classic – Chinese Tiger Salad – to serve beneath the grilled chicken. Classic Tiger Salad calls for a quick pickle of veggies with chile, lots of fresh herbs and baby greens, but I used slightly under-ripe stone fruits in the pickle instead, which magically turns the fruit sweet on your palate. Hope you enjoy it as much as Anelyn did! Faux-Dobo Grilled Chicken Skewers 2021-08-06 14:27:16 Yields 8 Print MARINADE ½ large white onion, coarsely chopped 1 cup Datu Puti Filipino Vinegar (or sub white vinegar) ½ cup soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, crushed ½ large white onion, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons brown sugar 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, and cut into 5-6 pieces 8 soaked bamboo skewers Instructions Combine the marinade ingredients in a blender and whirl until liquefied. The mixture will be foamy – just stir it back when it begins to separate. Pour half the mixture into a shallow glass pan or plastic container and add the chicken pieces. Toss to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 hour. Divide the remaining marinade into 2 bowls. Just before grilling, thread 5/6 pieces of chicken onto each soaked skewer. Don’t pack the chicken pieces tightly together on the skewer (giving them a little space allows for quicker cooking and more yummy charred spots.) Preheat the grill to medium-high (about 450/500 °) and lightly oil it. Arrange the skewers on the grill and cook undisturbed for about 5 minutes, turn and cook an additional 5 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through. During grilling, brush with some of the reserved marinade from one of the bowls. After grilling, brush with the marinade from the second bowl. Enjoy with the Tiger Fruit Salad or over white rice garnished with sliced scallions. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Reconnecting by Paul Lindemuth July 7, 2021 by Kristen Cudden Leave a Comment When John Donne wrote that “no man is an island,” he recognized that our lives do not happen in a vacuum. Human connections are vital. After months of isolation and social distancing, socialization appears to be roaring back to life! Masks are coming off, family and friends are beginning to gather together again, and so many are trying to make up for lost time with special events that were cancelled or postponed. It’s really great to actually see a smile, and to reach out to capture a hug. If you’re still looking for ways to step out of your comfort zone, consider a few fun ways to reconnect with family and friends: Pack a picnic and enjoy it in the park; prepare a couple extra servings of tonight’s dinner and walk it over to your neighbor; or mix up a batch of summer cocktails and share with your friends on the patio. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to reconnecting, so take the re-entry process however feels best to you. Share a meal, raise a glass, and enjoy seeing those smiles again! And speaking of raising a glass, why not try a Watermelon/Cucumber Gin and Tonic? It’s the perfect summer cocktail. Watermelon/Cucumber Gin and Tonic 2021-07-13 20:34:22 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 8 cups cubed seedless watermelon 4 ounces fresh lime juice 1 cup gin 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber 1 tablespoon agave nectar 1/2 cup mint leaves 1 cup of tonic water 1 thinly sliced cucumber lime slices thinly sliced watermelon wedges Instructions Place the watermelon and 1 cup thinly sliced cucumber in the jar of a blender. Process until smooth and there are no lumps. Strain the watermelon/cucumber juice through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher. Discard the solids. Add the gin, lime juice, agave nectar and mint. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into 6 ice-filled cocktail glasses. Top off each cocktail with tonic water. Garnish with the cucumber, lime slices and watermelon wedges. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
Seven Sunsets by Kelly Sears June 11, 2021 by Jenny Chang 2 Comments We spend a good portion of our adult life trading our time for money. College tuition for an education, 9 to 5 for our first job, morning to night for our careers. Along the way, to catch our breath, we trade our money for time. Time to escape the morning to night or nine to five. Time to breath more and stress less. This trip we headed North. For eight days and seven nights we rented a cabin on a lake in Northern Wisconsin. Seven sunsets to relax, unwind, boat, fish, and swim. As much as this trip was for us, this trip was for Pete, our yellow lab. For 12 of his 14 years, we had a lake house, Pete’s favorite place on the planet. He rarely left the water, never was without a tennis ball to chase, or his best friend Scout that lived next door. Pete was a puppy when he met Scout. They were instant friends. Our kitchen window faced Scout’s house and Pete would get up every morning and sit, looking out that window until his friend shot out the back door. If Scout took too long, Pete would go get him. Scout taught Pete the proper approach and loft to a dock dive, how to stick your head under the water to nab a sinking throw toy, how to swim so fast no one will ever beat you, and in the winter, how to roll down a snow-covered hill on your side. Pete taught Scout, how to catch popcorn, and how to lay on your back and throw the ball to yourself to catch if no one would play with you. Pete was the happiest at the lake. He never understood why we would leave. He was the first one up, the last one asleep, the wettest, the dirtiest, and the one that consistently had the most fun. Pete was fairly sure that the other stuff we did, boating, water skiing, tubing, fishing, were purely a waste of time until we could and would throw the ball for him just one more time. When Pete wasn’t at the lake, he was just as busy, running with me, hunting with Dan, jumping out of things onto things over things, a dog in constant motion A couple of years ago, Pete’s life took a turn. Those legs that spent so many years jumping out of things, onto things, and over things began to give out. The back two would crisscross and his front shoulders struggled to pull the weight of the rest. We have done our best to keep him as pain-free as possible and as happy as he can be. One thing we know for sure is where Pete was the happiest. So, we traded our money for time, drove north, and bought seven sunsets on a lake where Pete could pretend to be a puppy again. In the water, those crisscrossed legs paddle simply fine, shoulders bear no weight, and he remembers a life lesson from Scout and can still stick his head under water to nab a sinking throw toy. Pure joy for our Pete. We don’t know how or when this story will end but we do know this. Mother Nature and Father Time never lose so don’t wait. One day your legs will crisscross, your shoulders will struggle to pull the weight of the rest. Chase balls, swim freely, find your pure joy. A chilled cocktail for watching sunsets at the lake when Pete has you throw the ball just one more time. Frozen Gin & Juice 2021-06-23 15:48:26 Print Ingredients 1 cup gin, such as Hendrick's Gin ¼ cup fresh-squeezed lime juice 3 cups tonic water (preferably an artisan tonic like Q Tonic or Fever Tree) 2 cups ice Lime wedge or wheels for garnish Instructions Combine the gin, lime juice, tonic, and ice in a blender. Blend until evenly combined and the consistency of a milkshake. Scoop into glasses and garnish with lime. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/
The Granola Story by Kiley Fields May 7, 2021 by Jenny Chang Leave a Comment Food is emotional. Most of us can identify with a food or meal that elicits a memory or emotional connection. I have many… granola is one of them. This past year my emotional connection to granola grew, entwined deeper into my life, and became a small-batch food company. Flashback 10 years ago. When I was in culinary school, I took a trip to New York. My husband and I treated ourselves to an unforgettable and more-than-we-could-afford dinner in the city. At the end of the evening our server presented us with a small bag of granola and said, “Please enjoy this granola at breakfast tomorrow as you revisit the meal and memories of this evening.” Such a thoughtful and personal connection made with something as simple as granola. I dabbled in making my own granola in culinary school and the recipe has evolved and matured over the years. I 86ed the oats and picked up ingredients that added a more well-rounded taste and texture. My favorite time spent in the kitchen is experimenting. Changing the smallest element in the simplest recipe or adding an unexpected ingredient can change the complete takeaway of a dish… or a granola. In March 2020 the pandemic placed a shadow on many of our lives, and I found myself needing to refocus. The time and energy I dedicated to my chef work and teaching at Marcel’s needed to shift to my family. I have a husband, a son (who is 17), and two daughters, Langley (now 15) and Boelyn (now 12). Langley and Boelyn were born with a rare genetic disorder and both have special needs. Being a parent shifts your perspective on many things, being a parent to kids with special needs challenges those perspectives every day. Our daughters have guided us to make thoughtful and fulfilling decisions in our lives and along the way we have found organizations and programs that allow them to grow and thrive into the young ladies they are today. In our eyes, Langley and Boelyn have “super abilities.” But even with their “super abilities,” their needs are significant, and their medical fragility is real. COVID came and we locked down. We spent the first few months in lock down as most others did – enjoying lots of family togetherness, cooking, game nights, and new hobbies. The speed of life slowed. Time went on, COVID continued rearing its ugly head…and the novelty of me not working wore off. My professional purpose was on the back burner and I needed to reignite it. It started as a mixed bag of ideas – a memory of that dinner in New York ten years ago, the need to find self-directed professional fulfillment, a way to give back to programs that make a difference in my daughters’ lives. Granola, enter stage left. That mixed bag of ideas evolved and became a well-orchestrated bag of granola on a mission to DO GOOD. For Good Foods was founded with the mission to craft great tasting food for the purpose of doing good. We give to organizations and support programs that encourage, empower, and engage kids and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the caregivers who support them. Our first product, For Good Granola, Original Blend, dropped in February, 2021. The response to our granola and support of our mission has been exciting. Thank you to Marcel’s for being one of our biggest cheerleaders. Pop over to Marcel’s, buy a bag of granola, and help us DO GOOD. For Good Granola Oatmeal Cookies 2021-05-07 13:51:31 Print Ingredients 2 cups (8oz) For Good Granola, Original Blend 1 1/2 cups (6.5oz) all-purpose or all-purpose gluten-free flour 1 t baking powder 1/2 t kosher salt 3 cups (10oz) old-fashioned oats 1 cup (8oz) unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups (7.5oz) brown sugar, light or dark 2 eggs 1 t vanilla bean paste (can substitute vanilla extract) 1/4 cup (1oz) For Good Granola, Original Blend, for topping (smaller crumble from the bottom of the bag works best for topping cookies) Instructions Prepare two rimmed sheet pans with parchment paper or silicone baking mats (i.e., silpats). In a medium bowl, whisk to combine flour, baking powder, salt, and oats. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat to combine butter and brown sugar, approximately 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat to combine. Add vanilla bean paste and continue beating until incorporated. Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using firm spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in 2 cups of granola. Dough will be stiff but continue to fold until granola is evenly incorporated. Using a 1 tablespoon spring-loaded scoop, portion cookie dough on prepared baking sheets leaving about 1.5 inches between cookies. Transfer sheet pans to refrigerator and let scooped dough chill for one hour. Arrange oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (350 degrees if using convection). Place remaining 1/4 cup of granola in a small shallow dish. When cookies have finished chilling, remove from refrigerator. Using the heel of your hand, push down on dough to flatten slightly. You just want to press down the “dome” of the scooped dough. Lightly press the granola into the top of the cookies. Inverting the cookie and pressing it into the granola seems to work best here. Bake for 9-12 minutes until toasty brown, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. Additional thoughts: Too many cookies for one sitting? You can easily half this recipe, or portion scoop dough and freeze unbaked. Place frozen dough on baking sheet in refrigerator to defrost and then proceed with flattening and topping with granola before baking. Notes Note: This recipe was successfully tested with both a standard all-purpose flour and a gluten-free all-purpose flour as noted in the ingredients list below. If making the gluten-free version, don’t forget to use oats and baking powder that are labeled as gluten-free. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/