Did everybody catch up? Sorry to drown you in chowder there.
#EdenCooks - Corn Chowder and English Muffins - Mon. Oct 17 at 8pm EDT
10/17/2011
Quote:
So far I think I'm good.
Originally posted by
Antipova
I'm going to give everyone a minute to digest those... any questions?
10/17/2011
I feel a little ditzy asking this, but what exactly is scalded milk? Does that just mean to boil it?
10/17/2011
Quote:
Not quite---you heat it up til it's just about to form bubbles. I learned from the baristas at my old restaurant that the magic temperature is 140 degrees F, but you can see the change take place too. Use low heat, and once the bubbles start to form, take it off the stove.
Originally posted by
True Pleasures
I feel a little ditzy asking this, but what exactly is scalded milk? Does that just mean to boil it?
10/17/2011
Great! Let's get cooking.
English muffins are pretty simple. Just add all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl.
Head over to the stove and scald 2 cups of milk. (To do this, put your burner on low and heat the milk til bubbles are just beginning to form (this is just a hair under 140F, if you have a candy thermometer handy... but it's easy to see the change happen if you can't do a precise measurement with tools).)
Now add the milk to the flours-sugar-yeast-sal t bowl, and mix together well. Knead a bit (the dough will be warm, but it won't burn you).
Pause a minute to take stock of your kitchen---do you have a griddle (electric or stovetop?) If so, lay some wax paper out on your counter and dust it with cornmeal. If you don't have a griddle, grab two cookie sheets and spread your cornmeal around on them, and set your oven to preheat to 425F.
10/17/2011
Quote:
Will a cast iron pan work just as well in place of a griddle?
Originally posted by
Antipova
Great! Let's get cooking.
English muffins are pretty simple. Just add all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl.
Head over to the stove and scald 2 cups of milk. (To do this, put your burner on low and heat ... more
Great! Let's get cooking.
English muffins are pretty simple. Just add all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl.
Head over to the stove and scald 2 cups of milk. (To do this, put your burner on low and heat the milk til bubbles are just beginning to form (this is just a hair under 140F, if you have a candy thermometer handy... but it's easy to see the change happen if you can't do a precise measurement with tools).)
Now add the milk to the flours-sugar-yeast-sal t bowl, and mix together well. Knead a bit (the dough will be warm, but it won't burn you).
Pause a minute to take stock of your kitchen---do you have a griddle (electric or stovetop?) If so, lay some wax paper out on your counter and dust it with cornmeal. If you don't have a griddle, grab two cookie sheets and spread your cornmeal around on them, and set your oven to preheat to 425F.
less
Great! Let's get cooking.
English muffins are pretty simple. Just add all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl.
Head over to the stove and scald 2 cups of milk. (To do this, put your burner on low and heat ... more
Great! Let's get cooking.
English muffins are pretty simple. Just add all the dry ingredients and mix them together in a large bowl.
Head over to the stove and scald 2 cups of milk. (To do this, put your burner on low and heat the milk til bubbles are just beginning to form (this is just a hair under 140F, if you have a candy thermometer handy... but it's easy to see the change happen if you can't do a precise measurement with tools).)
Now add the milk to the flours-sugar-yeast-sal t bowl, and mix together well. Knead a bit (the dough will be warm, but it won't burn you).
Pause a minute to take stock of your kitchen---do you have a griddle (electric or stovetop?) If so, lay some wax paper out on your counter and dust it with cornmeal. If you don't have a griddle, grab two cookie sheets and spread your cornmeal around on them, and set your oven to preheat to 425F.
less
10/17/2011
Quote:
Yep, that'd be just fine. Since it's a little smaller you'll probably have 3 or 4 shifts of baking/griddling them, but it will work just the same.
Originally posted by
Starkiller87
Will a cast iron pan work just as well in place of a griddle?
10/17/2011
Now that your surface is prepared, divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape them into circles. Remember to make the circles big enough that you'll be able to grab them from the top of your toaster. (Seems like I always forget that part, and have to eat the smallest ones first!)
Group all your dough circles together in a warm place and let them rise for 45 minutes. I cover mine with a flour sack which I've dampened with warm water---this keeps the surface from getting tacky.
(Note---I'm not familiar with the kitchen I was cooking in, so I couldn't find the cornmeal til someone helped me. Ignore the fact that my photos had no cornmeal on the waxed paper, and cornmeal on the griddle instead. It worked well in the result, but they were all sort of stuck to the waxed paper.)
Trivia: The muffin man from the nursery rhyme (who lived on Drury Lane?)---you thought he was selling poppyseed muffins, didn't you? Nope, he was selling English muffins. English muffins became popular in the 18th century, and by the 19th century door-to-door 'muffin men' were quite common.
10/17/2011
Quote:
I really just like any excuse to use that pan. I love it, even if it is huge, heavy and has to be washed specially.
Originally posted by
Antipova
Yep, that'd be just fine. Since it's a little smaller you'll probably have 3 or 4 shifts of baking/griddling them, but it will work just the same.
10/17/2011
Everyone good with that?
10/17/2011
Quote:
I love mine too I don't have it in these pictures (the joys of living in two states at once!) but I just got a cast iron stovetop griddle to complement my sautee pan... it's so amazing.
Originally posted by
Starkiller87
I really just like any excuse to use that pan. I love it, even if it is huge, heavy and has to be washed specially.
10/17/2011
While your muffins are rising, it's the perfect time to make a soup, don't you think? Collect all your ingredients, chop up the vegetables, and get ready.
Melt your butter in a soup pan over medium heat. We'll be making a combination 'tadka' (where you infuse spices into butter---somehow I only know the Hindi word for this, not the American or French one... if you know, enlighten me!) and 'roux' (where you make a thickening agent by combining melted butter with an equal part of flour).
Once the butter's melted, add your pepper, paprika, and salt. Pepper will be the defining flavor of the chowder (unless you're adding prawns or bacon...) so use a nice quality, finely-ground pepper. Mix this up in the butter, and then add the onion, celery, and garlic. When they're sauteed, add the flour (one tablespoon at a time) and mix it up with your spoon to create the roux paste.
10/17/2011
Once you've got a nice roux, add your chicken stock (or court boullion, or chicken stock + water to equal three cups). Increase the heat and bring the soup to a boil.
Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat a tid bit and add the corn and green bell peppers. (I keep chopped green pepper in the freezer because I never use a whole bell pepper at once---if yours aren't frozen, you can put them in a little after the corn. Or with the corn. No big deal either way.) Let the soup return to a boil, and then let it simmer for about 10 minutes (or as long as you're tending to your muffins for. Soups are not picky, and often benefit from extra simmering).
10/17/2011
Everyone caught up to this point? I want to keep moving so we don't have to squish the prizes into the last 5 minutes, but I don't want to leave anyone behind, either.
10/17/2011
Your muffins should have risen, and hopefully they haven't stuck to the waxed paper. If you're cooking on a griddle, let it come up to 325F (or medium flame on a stovetop griddle). Place each muffin, cornmeal side down, on the griddle surface, and let it cook for 8 minutes. You should get some 'griddle-spring 9;---the yeast will perk up at the increased temperature and rise a little extra for you. After 8 minutes, flip each one over and let it cook for 7 additional minutes.
These times are actually identical if you're in the oven. Simply put the cookie sheet in (at 425F) and let bake for 8 minutes, remove the tray, flip'em all over, and let back for 7 more minutes.
Pull them off the heat source and slap'em on a plate! Slice one in half and marvel at the air pockets.
10/17/2011
Quote:
Nommy. I love English Muffins. I used to make English Muffin pizzas as a kid. haha.
Originally posted by
Antipova
Your muffins should have risen, and hopefully they haven't stuck to the waxed paper. If you're cooking on a griddle, let it come up to 325F (or medium flame on a stovetop griddle). Place each muffin, cornmeal side down, on the griddle ... more
Your muffins should have risen, and hopefully they haven't stuck to the waxed paper. If you're cooking on a griddle, let it come up to 325F (or medium flame on a stovetop griddle). Place each muffin, cornmeal side down, on the griddle surface, and let it cook for 8 minutes. You should get some 'griddle-spring 9;---the yeast will perk up at the increased temperature and rise a little extra for you. After 8 minutes, flip each one over and let it cook for 7 additional minutes.
These times are actually identical if you're in the oven. Simply put the cookie sheet in (at 425F) and let bake for 8 minutes, remove the tray, flip'em all over, and let back for 7 more minutes.
Pull them off the heat source and slap'em on a plate! Slice one in half and marvel at the air pockets. less
Your muffins should have risen, and hopefully they haven't stuck to the waxed paper. If you're cooking on a griddle, let it come up to 325F (or medium flame on a stovetop griddle). Place each muffin, cornmeal side down, on the griddle ... more
Your muffins should have risen, and hopefully they haven't stuck to the waxed paper. If you're cooking on a griddle, let it come up to 325F (or medium flame on a stovetop griddle). Place each muffin, cornmeal side down, on the griddle surface, and let it cook for 8 minutes. You should get some 'griddle-spring 9;---the yeast will perk up at the increased temperature and rise a little extra for you. After 8 minutes, flip each one over and let it cook for 7 additional minutes.
These times are actually identical if you're in the oven. Simply put the cookie sheet in (at 425F) and let bake for 8 minutes, remove the tray, flip'em all over, and let back for 7 more minutes.
Pull them off the heat source and slap'em on a plate! Slice one in half and marvel at the air pockets. less
10/17/2011
Quote:
Me too. They're so tasty... honey butter English muffins are the best after-school snack ever. Almost makes me miss being in school...
Originally posted by
Starkiller87
Nommy. I love English Muffins. I used to make English Muffin pizzas as a kid. haha.
10/17/2011
Finally, head back to your soup, and add the cream. You can pour a bit of soup into the cream cup and mix it in to let the cream come to temperature before you dump it all in.
I'd like to add one word about cream---look on the back of your cream carton. You want to buy cream with only one ingredient---cream. Lots of companies have been adding carrageenan over the last few years, or a few binders. "To make it smoother," they say, or "to keep it from curdling in hot liquids." I think this is nuts, real cream is perfectly smooth, and a good cook knows how to keep cream from curdling. Don't let anyone sell you fake cream.
Trivia: Sweet corn's extra sweetness is the result of a naturally occurring recessive gene which agronomists and horticulturalists were able to focus. Still, as the corn kernels mature, sugar is converted to starch, so it's important that sweet corn be processed quickly before the sugar becomes starchy, and the corn switches from being a "vegetable" to a "grain."
10/17/2011
Great! You've got a soup and some freshly-baked English muffins. Enjoy your meal!
With all the leftover English muffins, let them cool off completely (otherwise steam will condense in the bag) and put them in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. You can pull one out every morning and toast it to be served with butter and honey, as an English muffin pizza, with a tomato slice and salt, or just about anything your heart desires.
Trivia: The first sweet corn to be tasted by Europeans was given to them by the Iroquois. This was documented in 1779.
The images for these recipes are hosted at link
10/17/2011
Everybody caught up still? I'll wait to hear some 'yes ma'am's before diving into the prizes
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia I've plied you with over the last half hour... and while you're trying to scour your memory for a bunch of facts about sweet corn, let's play the "Guess the lesser-known kitchen implement" game!
I'll show you, one by one, several pictures I've taken of an unsung kitchen hero. You can guess what I'm showing you, and the first one with a correct guest will win a $25 gift card generously donated by Edenfantasys.com (our lovely hosts!).
Is everyone ready?
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia I've plied you with over the last half hour... and while you're trying to scour your memory for a bunch of facts about sweet corn, let's play the "Guess the lesser-known kitchen implement" game!
I'll show you, one by one, several pictures I've taken of an unsung kitchen hero. You can guess what I'm showing you, and the first one with a correct guest will win a $25 gift card generously donated by Edenfantasys.com (our lovely hosts!).
Is everyone ready?
10/17/2011
Looks yummy.
10/17/2011
Quote:
how different will the muffins be if I substitute the whole wheat flour with all purpose?
Originally posted by
Antipova
Great! You've got a soup and some freshly-baked English muffins. Enjoy your meal!
With all the leftover English muffins, let them cool off completely (otherwise steam will condense in the bag) and put them in a Ziplock bag ... more
Great! You've got a soup and some freshly-baked English muffins. Enjoy your meal!
With all the leftover English muffins, let them cool off completely (otherwise steam will condense in the bag) and put them in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. You can pull one out every morning and toast it to be served with butter and honey, as an English muffin pizza, with a tomato slice and salt, or just about anything your heart desires.
Trivia: The first sweet corn to be tasted by Europeans was given to them by the Iroquois. This was documented in 1779.
The images for these recipes are hosted at link less
Great! You've got a soup and some freshly-baked English muffins. Enjoy your meal!
With all the leftover English muffins, let them cool off completely (otherwise steam will condense in the bag) and put them in a Ziplock bag ... more
Great! You've got a soup and some freshly-baked English muffins. Enjoy your meal!
With all the leftover English muffins, let them cool off completely (otherwise steam will condense in the bag) and put them in a Ziplock bag in the freezer. You can pull one out every morning and toast it to be served with butter and honey, as an English muffin pizza, with a tomato slice and salt, or just about anything your heart desires.
Trivia: The first sweet corn to be tasted by Europeans was given to them by the Iroquois. This was documented in 1779.
The images for these recipes are hosted at link less
10/17/2011
Quote:
Yes ma'am!!
Originally posted by
Antipova
Everybody caught up still? I'll wait to hear some 'yes ma'am's before diving into the prizes
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia ... more
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia ... more
Everybody caught up still? I'll wait to hear some 'yes ma'am's before diving into the prizes
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia I've plied you with over the last half hour... and while you're trying to scour your memory for a bunch of facts about sweet corn, let's play the "Guess the lesser-known kitchen implement" game!
I'll show you, one by one, several pictures I've taken of an unsung kitchen hero. You can guess what I'm showing you, and the first one with a correct guest will win a $25 gift card generously donated by Edenfantasys.com (our lovely hosts!).
Is everyone ready?
less
All right! It's time for the gift card portion of the meeting. I hope you all remember the wonderful trivia I've plied you with over the last half hour... and while you're trying to scour your memory for a bunch of facts about sweet corn, let's play the "Guess the lesser-known kitchen implement" game!
I'll show you, one by one, several pictures I've taken of an unsung kitchen hero. You can guess what I'm showing you, and the first one with a correct guest will win a $25 gift card generously donated by Edenfantasys.com (our lovely hosts!).
Is everyone ready?
less
10/17/2011
Quote:
That will work just fine---I've tried it with all different ratios. I just add a little bit of wheat flour for flavor, but if you want pure white English muffins, it will work just as well. They'll still be nice and puffy.
Originally posted by
macho99
how different will the muffins be if I substitute the whole wheat flour with all purpose?
10/17/2011
All right, here's our first 'lesser known kitchen implement' picture!
10/17/2011
Quote:
And I don't expect you to get it from this alone
Originally posted by
Antipova
All right, here's our first 'lesser known kitchen implement' picture!
10/17/2011
Quote:
Right now it looks like a self healing mat to cut on.
Originally posted by
Antipova
All right, here's our first 'lesser known kitchen implement' picture!
10/17/2011
10/17/2011
Quote:
Or a strainer.
Originally posted by
Starkiller87
Right now it looks like a self healing mat to cut on.
10/17/2011
Quote:
Now it looks like a pasta roller.
Originally posted by
Antipova
10/17/2011