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A soufflé has to be one of the easiest yet most elegant of dishes. They have been admired and loved since the late 1780’s and were created in France by a chef who really used his head. It is lightened by whipped egg whites and the frothiness expands with the heat from baking and pushes the dessert to rise, rise and rise, to the top and a bit over the rim of the soufflé dish.
First you’ll want to chose a recipe and decide whether you want it as a main course, a side dish or as your dessert. Once you have made up your mind, pre heat your oven for 20 minutes and be certain it is at the right temperature. Next, prepare your baking dish by buttering every inch of the inside of your dish. For a sweet soufflé you’ll want to generously butter every crevice, and dust it with fine sugar before adding the batter. For a savory soufflé`, butter and then dust with fine breadcrumbs or a grated hard cheese, such as Parmesan.
A soufflé is no more than a simple sauce or a fruit puree that is lightened by folding in whipped egg whites. If you are using a large dish fill it, but leave at least an inch of space from the rim so it will not spill out while baking. If you are using individual ramekins then you may fill the dish almost to the very top. The little size will keep the soufflé from falling and this is what no cook wants, a deflated soufflé.
If you bake in a big dish make sure it is a deep, straight-sided mold. The straight sides will allow the soufflé to rise and appear tall with a poufy crown. It is served immediately and you spoon it from the top and the soufflé sauces itself. Smaller dishes should be baked on a sheet pan and since the dishes are hot use tongs to pick them up and set them gently onto serving dishes.
Once you have your recipe it is time to create a base, or use fruit puree and then whip your egg whites. The rule here is to be sure the beater(s) and bowl are squeaky-clean. Whip on medium-low speed until frothy and then turn up speed to medium. Continue whipping until they are at soft peaks, when the beater is lifted from the bowl and hold very soft peaks. Do Not Over Whip. If you do then your eggs will not have any place to go. They will not rise very much and you have wasted them. You must start over. Trying to add another egg white will screw up your proportions. This is baking chemistry remember? So now fold in the eggs and pour the batter into the dish or dishes and bake-away.
Classical French technique is to bake @ 425º to 450º, quicker rise and a little undercooked resulting in more sauce. However, I have heard Americans want theirs baked longer and prefer a sauce on the side, so the temperature is reduced to 375º to 400º.
There you have it. You understand a good beginning of what to do and how to do it. Pick out a recipe and try it out. Before you know it you’ll be popping soufflé out of your oven in no time and experimenting with both savory and sweet ones. Bon Appetit.
Sweet Soufflé
Prepare 1 1/2 to 2 quart mold beforehand by heavily buttering the bottom and sides and dusting with granulated sugar.
Chill before using.
1 1/2 oz butter
1 1/2 oz flour
3/4 c milk heated
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3 yolks
2 oz sugar
1/8 to 1/4 c Grand Marnier
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6 oz egg whites
1 oz sugar
1) Melt butter with flour making a very light rue; the consistency of applesauce.
2) Make bechamel by adding heated milk to the rue and blending together.
3) Dissolve the sugar into the mixture. Pour into a clean bowl and cool over ice bath.
4) Stir in yolks. Add Grand Marnier.
5) Whip egg whites and sugar to softest peaks.
6) Fold whites into mixture, light to heavy and heavy into light.
7) Pan molds. Which means to pour batter into the pans.
Bake 375º to 400º 18 to 20 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR.
The souffle will appear brown and caky on the top. If you tap the side there should be just the slightest jiggle.
Serve immediately. Two spoons in the middle at the top…and the souffle sauces itself.
Note: the photograph is of a Cheese Soufflé we made in French culinary school.
Everyone has certain things that help to save time with various tasks, from laundry to studying to cooking. I'm no different, with 9 people in our family, there's a lot going on in a day and I need all the help I can get.
This list is by no means comprehensive, but it is the 10 things that I find most helpful in getting meals on the table in a timely fashion.
1. Pasta - The most versatile food ever, its a great filler, stretcher and all-around fabulous food. Quick to cook and goes with just about anything. Not to mention its a favorite of the kids. Boxed mac and cheese makes it into this list, too. I try to buy organic, but if I can't, I don't beat myself up over it. Any mom will tell you how much of a life-saver it can be. A pound of ground beef and a bit of tomato with a box of mac makes the best 'beef-a-roni' ever - just ask my kids.
2. Jarred pasta sauce - I'm not big on cans and boxes, but when it comes to pasta sauce and tomatoes - the canned and jarred varieties are excellent choices for many things. Straight up on pasta or used as a base for chili, soups and stews, it makes dinner prep so easy and the end result is always delicious.
3. Rice - Sort of a sister to pasta, another great filler and base. Fried rice from leftover cooked rice is so fast and chicken with rice is an old stand-by here that everyone loves. It cooks in a mere 20 minutes and even plain buttered rice is a great addition to any meal.
4. Frozen meatballs - homemade or store-bought, the uses are endless. Soup, chili, subs, curry and good old spaghetti and meatballs are all big hits here. Cook time is quick and the flavor is always consistent.
5. IQF Chicken breasts - Individually Quick Frozen chicken is always, always in my freezer. It thaws quickly and we all know the uses for chicken are endless.
6. Frozen veggies - Next to fresh, frozen veggies are the best choice and as they are already pre-blanced they cook really quickly and augment any meal in just the right way.
7. Pre-packaged 1 pound bags of ground beef - I buy ground beef on 5 to 10 pound packages and separate into one pound segments to freeze. Once they're separate, they thaw easily and I even cook from frozen for things like sauce and chili - just keep an eye on it and stir often.
8. Boxed or canned stocks - When I don't make my own stock and freeze in 4 cup containers, I rely on boxes or cans of stock. Any sauce or soup is prepared really quickly when all you have to do is open and pour.
9. A small hand grater - Not exactly a Microplane zester, but close. When I need garlic minced and don't have time for chopping by hand, this is my best friend. I use it for everything from citrus zest to garlic to nutmeg grating and it works perfect every time.
10. Food processor - I went for years without a food processor and chopping and slicing got to be a real chore. When my husband bought me one with a wide-mouth tube, I was in heaven. It takes second to slice fresh veggies and anything that needs to be pureed is finished faster than you can read this sentence.
What are your favorite time-savers in the kitchen?
I am always on the lookout for new ways to use up food rather than throwing 
it away, and it makes me feel great when I can avoid waste. One of the foods I have the hardest time with is bananas. It seems I am always fighting against them for some reason...those suckers just get ripe faster than I can use them and I hate throwing them out! But, as you may recall from my last post about using "too-ripe" bananas, there is only so much banana bread one family can stand!
Not buying them is not an option for us...my hubby, the triathlete, has one almost daily in his smoothies, and my youngest grandson will eat them until you make him stop (or until he...well...you know). I have tried estimating how many we need for the week and purchasing accordingly, but most weeks I either run out or get stuck with 2 or 3 "too ripe" bananas!
So, what can I do with those darn overly-ripe bananas? Some people say to stick them in the freezer whole and use them for banana bread in the future. Now maybe it's just me, but there is something about seeing those lifeless, blackened bananas in my freezer that just creeps me out! However, I really like the idea of freezing them for later, so I came up with this solution....banana cubes!!
As I mentioned before, my hubby has a protein smoothie almost every day, and I always put a banana in it. So, I decided to see if I could mash the ripe bananas into a kind of puree and freeze them in ice-cube trays. Well, I tried it and it worked beautifully! Just put the bananas in a dish, mash them up with your potato masher, spoon them into an ice-cube tray and freeze! I freeze them in sets of two per baggie and just pop them into the blender with my other ingredients. They work like a charm, don't turn brown, and help make his smoothie cold, thick and delicious!
So next time you wonder what to do with those pesky "too-ripe" bananas, try making some banana cubes and using them in a cool, refreshing smoothie! Here is my smoothie recipe:
Daryl's After Workout Smoothie
8 oz. cold soy milk (or regular milk) 1 (4 oz.) container soy yogurt (or your favorite yogurt) 3-4 whole frozen or fresh strawberries 2 banana cubes (or 1 whole banana) 1 scoop vanilla-flavored protein powderAdd all ingredients to blender and pulse on puree setting until blended. Enjoy!
These days, when it seems that everyone is striving to make ends meet, people are turning to the sure thing. The one forgotten diner down the road is being revisited, chosen over the local fast-food joint. Hanging out and having game night is popular again as are potluck dinners. Making dinner from scratch and leaving out the cans and boxes is chic again (that's homemade butter in the photo). Everyone is looking for the comforts of a slower time, and my own family is doing it, too.
We broke out our 20 year-old video games and made popcorn on the stove recently, eschewing the microwave and computer games that only one person plays at a time. Instead we hooked up the old-school SEGA and had a blast from the past. The kids loved it and the fact that there were fewer choices (we only have a handful of SEGA games as compared to the pile of Play Station games) made the night flow smoother.
Food has become the same across the globe - folks are returning to their culinary roots and embracing the recipes of yesteryear. Simple dishes like Shepherd's Pie, Apple Pie, Chocolate Cake and Chicken Soup are making the rounds again. It's all about comfort, about feeling safe and sound and not on shaky ground.
Even here at Half Hour Meals, where we tout a quicker way of getting dinner done, the recipes for comfort food classics are flooding in. Everyone wants to sit at the table just a little longer and linger over good conversations and good food. Give the newest recipes a look and see if you don't see the trend, as well.
I, for one, welcome the chance to slow down and savor and I think my family and I will be better off for it. What do you think?
You may read Part One here. Hopefully these rules and guides will prove helpful to the beginner cook and everyone in-between.
Prior to jumping into your food project to begin cooking, there are some important steps to take and tips to consider. After you choose the recipe you want to make sure to read your recipe, and then, read it through again. Be certain to have all of the ingredients you need before your start and that you comprehend the written instructions.
You will find that all recipes are not written alike. Nor are they written with the purpose of making it easier for you. They could actually end up confusing any unsuspecting cook. Many times the order of ingredients are, in fact, not listed properly or according to their importance. Be aware of this and look to see how the recipe is written. If necessary, just use the cookbook as a guide and re-write the recipe in order of use, or dry versus wet, in order to incorporate them ahead of time. Be certain you have left nothing out and that the amounts are correct. Double-check everything before you measure.
Next the most important thing to remember is this: Mise en Place (MEEZ-ahn-plahs) and it is the very first thing you learn about in culinary school. The term is French and simply means “everything in its place”.
First read the recipe, comprehend, re-write if necessary, then make sure you have all of the ingredients. Next you put everything in its place. Pre-sift, pre-measure, have certain ingredients at room temperature or chilled appropriately. Blend together the dry ingredients and set aside and remember to set the temperature in your oven so it is pre-heated.
Most dinners include more than one dish and it is such an important step to be completely organized before you begin. Plus you must check cooking or baking times in order to coordinate producing your entire meal on time and in accord.
Another step of mise en place is gathering the bowls, spoons, measuring tools, pots, pans, and baking dishes you’ll need. Deep-frying? You’re going to have to have heat resistant potholders and tongs. It’s simple things like these that will help you get the job done and having them on-hand before you begin to cook is a wise decision.
By incorporating this rule of mise en place, you will enjoy your food preparation because you will have thought ahead and made sure everything is in its place. Bon Appetit!
Today's post is all about the idea of blogging as community. Through blogging, and especially here at Half Hour Meals, I have made some great friends and met some truly amazing people. These people and their friendships mean a great deal to me and I feel very blessed because of them. We may live at opposite ends of the country, or even the globe, but we are united in our love of food, cooking and fellowship. That, my friends, is community, and it's an incredible thing!
So why do we blog? I believe it's not just because we want to express our thoughts and feelings to whoever is "out there". That's part of it to be sure, but I believe there is something deeper that motivates us to blog. I think we are searching for community...to know that somewhere out there, someone has the same thoughts, feelings and interests as we do. I know I often find myself wondering if anyone is reading my blog...does anybody care about what I'm writing? I don't know about ya'll but it just makes my day when I get a new follower or someone leaves a comment!
So let's reach out to each other and say "hello" ok? I would like to challenge each of you to reach out to other bloggers....give them a "follow", leave comments...let them know they really are part of the community! We bloggers are wonderful, caring and generous people...let's not forget to support one another! And to Anne, Theresa, Angie, Tony, Trish, Lady Catherine, Amy B., Chilly and Wanda, Marla, BJ, and all my other HHM family...love you all and thanks for the support!
Yesterday was the first-ever Half Hour Meals Tweet Event - and we definitely had fun. If you missed it, you can check out the conversation HERE at Twitter. Not only did we have some great food conversations, but the even landed on a page of the LA Times Food section! Check that out HERE.
Special thanks to my co-hosts, Penny and Theresa from here at Half Hour Meals, and to our biggest contributors to the conversations - @atastythought and @waylandcook - thanks so much for taking part! Give them all a follow, won't you? Don't forget to also follow @HalfHourMeals to keep up-to-date with all we have going on here and also check out our Fan Page on Facebook.
Stay tuned for our next Tweet Event date and a chance to become a co-host, too!
I thought it would be fun to bring ya'll a retro recipe today and this one is 
straight out of 1972. It's called a "Sock-it-to-me" cake, and those of us of a certain age recognize the name as a reference to Rowan and Martin's "Laugh In", a hippie-culture sketch comedy show that was on tv from 1968 to 1973.
The name might be based on a comedy show, but there's nothing funny about this cake because it's some seriously yummy eating! Back in 1972 when my mom got this recipe, it was all the rage, and any hostess worth her salt served this for tea parties, brunches, card parties, or even for dessert after dinner. My parents entertained quite a bit, and let me tell you...we ate a lot of Sock-it-to-me cake at our house!
Here's my mom's recipe (with a few updates from me). So what do you say? Wanna party like it's 1972?
Sock-It-To-Me Cake
For the cake: 1 Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Butter Recipe Golden Cake Mix 8 oz. sour cream ½ cup vegetable oil ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup water 4 eggs For the filling: 1 cup chopped pecans ½ cup brown sugar ½ cup cinnamon For the glaze: 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 2 tbsp. milkPreheat oven to 375°. Grease and flour a bundt pan. In a large bowl, combine cake ingredients; pour 2/3 batter into prepared cake pan. Combine filling ingredients in a medium bowl; sprinkle filling over cake batter in pan. Pour remaining batter into pan. Bake at 375° for 45-55 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on serving plate.
Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over warm cake.
Wednesday afternoon, February 17, 2010 between 2 and 4 PM EST marks our very first Twitter event. We'll be discussing time-saving meal solutions for everything from breakfast to dinner to dessert. If you have some awesome tips or recipes to share or have your own questions about saving time in the kitchen, then you don't want to miss this event.
We'll be using the hash tag #HHMC so that everyone can follow along. To learn more about hash tags and how they fit into the Twittersphere, you can read about them HERE. Join in the conversation with @HalfHourMeals , even if it's just to ask questions, we're more than happy to have you along!
One of the most delightful things I learned to prepare while attending culinary school was this recipe. Madeleines are traditional petit sponge cakes from the northeastern regions of France. If you do a little research you can find the cool history surrounding this confection. They are also referred to as cookies.
They even have their very own adorable baking container. The Madeleine Pan is found in speciality stores that cater to the serious and professional cook. It is one piece of metal, and sometimes comes with a non-stick coating. The one I own is stainless steel and is a good weight. The lighter a baking instrument, the more the possibility exists of burning or uneven baking. The Madeleine Pan is similar to a muffin pan and has a dozen half-shell shaped depressions. As you can readily see in the picture of these petit cakes, the sides showing are actually the bottoms, the tops being rather dome shaped and smooth.
There are many variations for this recipe and you can even bake Savory Madeleines. In one restaurant where I once worked for a short time, they served Thai and Asian fusion foods. The pastry chef there taught me to prepare them with sesame oil and other spicy flavorings, and I have to admit they were very good to eat.
These little sponge cakes present well, and you must always remember to grease and flour your pans between every batch. If you have a deep container for flour, such as a floor container, like they use in big kitchens, you can dip your pan into the flour and pull it out to find it is evenly covered. When you pipe your batter inside the prepared shell pan, squeeze evenly from base to tip and back down again. Because the batter will expand while baking, you only fill the shell 3/4 full. As soon as the cakes are a golden brown color, they are done. Wearing a heavy oven mitt, remove the pan from the oven and tap the side of the pan to release all of the little Madeleines. They will jump out of their baking container. Shake confectioners sugar over top right away and take a bite.
These cakes are well received because they are light, airy, are full of flavor, whichever you decide to use, and you or your guest need only eat one. They are smaller than a cupcake and may be iced or not. You can store them in your freezer for up to a month, and take them out as you need them. You can pipe fillings into them and dip the ends of the bottoms in chocolate. Sprinkle decor on them and ship them to your friends and relatives as gifts. People love Madeleines. Look at everyone's smiling faces!
This recipe can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several days. Pipe the batter and bake as you need them. Baking time is perhaps 8 to 10 minutes. Watch them closely because if you over bake them they will be dry and no good.
Madeleines
This cookie has its very own cookie pan. The characteristics are a shell on the front and a hump on the back. You can make the batter, and take it out to use as needed, for up to a week. Take out, warm up the batter to room temperature and pipe. Grease and flour the pans.
8 oz butter softened
8 oz sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon zest (or any kind or zest or flavorings)
4 large eggs
1 egg yolk
12 oz all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
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Finish with 10 X sprinkled on top
1) Cream butter, sugar, zest and salt.
2) Sift baking powder and flour together.
3) Alternate adding the dry ingredients and then eggs, a little bit at a time to incorporate; ending with the dry.
4) Stir until well combined.
5) Pipe batter into Madeleine pan with #5 tip, and fill about 3/4 full. Start at the base, go up, and come back.
Bake 375º for 8 to 10 minutes. They will puff up a bit and be brown on the backside. Remove from pans immediately by tapping the mold onto a mat, and they will fall out.
Serve plain, with 10 X sugar, a lemon glaze or with tempered chocolate. Be sure to let the edges show. Serve fresh out of the oven in a warm container.
Freezes nicely.
Just remember once you have made these a few times and see how easy they are to make, put your own spin on them with flavorings, sweet versus savory, for your next meal.
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