more about bulgur (wheat)

.....forgot to add a link to my last posting.

to see the (comparative) differences in sizes and colours — and types— of bulgur wheat, look here.

demystifying semolina

i've been asked several times what semolina is and if the person asking has purchased the right product for some of the recipes posted to my blog. instead of explaining it each time, i am posting the answer here. this is the very 'short course' on semolina. here is the longer course on flour & wheat.

read and understand! :))

* * * * * * * * *

the first things you need to know are:

there are 3 types of wheat:

1 - hard wheat

*hard kernels -- high gluten -- used mostly for bread flour

2 - soft wheat

*soft kernels -- low gluten -- used mostly for pastry flour and "semolina"

3 - durum wheat

*very hard kernels -- very high gluten -- used mostly for pasta & couscous & "semolina"

each has a winter type and a spring type harvest.

without getting into all the minutiae, suffice it to say each wheat is a type of its own (with many varieties) giving different types of flours and wheat products. a variety of parts of the wheat kernel are used for the various flours and products made from it.

eg. whole wheat (meal) flour includes the bran coating; all purpose doesn't.

if you noticed, both soft wheat and durum wheat produce the much used product called semolina. this is where much of the confusion arises. the truth is..... it is confusing! more than once, i have seen it described in terrible terms in cookbooks. either the explanation was vague or just plain wrong. this coming from cookbook authors! hopefully, after reading this you won't be confused.

so, what is semolina anyway?! the easiest way to visualize/understand it is to first realize what it is and where it comes from. semolina is, in botanical terms, the endosperm. this means it is basically what eggwhite is to an egg (yolk). it is the albumin — starch portion — of the wheat grain. when processed, it is very small and granular.

there are 2 types of semolina depending upon which type of wheat is used:

[I] HARD WHEAT [Yellow] SEMOLINA (type: high gluten, high protein)

*comes from durum wheat ergo called 'durum semolina'
*can be bought in 2 types: granular + flour

-GRANULAR type is mostly used to make couscous along with durum flour.

-FLOUR type is mostly used for noodles, breads and baking (often called "pasta flour")

*is always YELLOW

-you should consider this type as the "bread flour type" of semolina as it is commonly used in making PASTA, COUSCOUS, (a type of pasta) & BREADS and BAKING due to its gluten percentage/ratio.

* * * * * * * * *

[II] SOFT WHEAT [White] SEMOLINA (type: high carb, low protein & low gluten)

*comes from different varieties of soft wheat
*can be bought in 2 types: granular + flour

-GRANULAR type is called:

solet in hebrew or smeed(i) in arabic;

in english it is also known under names such as cream of wheat, farina or wheatlets.

in hindi and other similar languages it is called either sooji or rava/rawa.

-FLOUR type is called:

firkha in arabic or farine de semoule in french.

be careful because there are different grinds, depending on the company/mill which is producing it: often you will see wheatlets #1 or 2 or 3. decide which is most appropriate for your recipe.

note that for nammoura cakes, the granular type is typically used. for baking cakes and certain breads, the flour type is used. in indian cooking, the granular type is used for a variety of recipes depending on geography.

*both kinds are always an 'OFF-WHITE' or WHITISH colour.

(this is how to tell the difference between hard wheat and soft wheat kinds -- as a general rule).

-you should consider this type as the "pastry flour type" of semolina as it is commonly used in making BAKED GOODS. it is used differently (sometimes) in indian cooking however.

NOW GO MAKE SOMETHING! :)

kitchen essentials — warming your flour

often, in bread or yeasted-pastry making, home bakers run into problems for the successful proving of their doughs. many factors can be at play such as the ambient (room) temperature, the season itself, the status of the yeast and so on.

one way to give your breads a head start is to actually warm the flour beforehand. this is especially helpful in colder climates or during late autumn and the wintertime. you don't need very cold times to use this method, however — it can be used whenever you feel it would be beneficial. as yeast is a heat loving organism, this little trick provides an already comfortable climate in which it can multiply easily and happily, leaving you will a nicely risen final dough, provided you maintain that nice environment!

preheating your flour

ingredients:

flour(s)
extras such as salt, sugar

*never yeast

method:

place your dry mixed ingredients in a microwaveable bowl and heat it for 30 seconds (for high powered microwaves) or longer depending on your microwave.

NEVER INCLUDE THE YEAST IN YOUR DRY INGREDIENTS!

the idea is to warm the flour — not to make it piping hot, a condition which could potentially kill the yeast when it is added.

after the flour and other dry ingredients are warmed, either add your instant yeast directly, or if using fresh yeast or active dry, dissolved/proved as part of the liquid ingredients in your recipe.

remember your liquids should be warm also or at least at room temperature as adding cold wet ingredients will nix the whole concept bring everything back to a lower than desirable temperature.

kitchen essentials — dry & fresh yeast equivalencies

up until sometime in the 1930s in north america, yeast was only was available in its fresh state and sold commercially in small blocks or "cakes". while this was the standard, it was however somewhat inconvenient as few people had freezers, especially as we know them today, for prolonged storage; fresh yeast had (and still has) a short shelf life.

the innovative fleischmann brothers came up with the brilliant idea that yeast could be preserved in a dry state for much much longer storage than in its fresh state and over the next several decades, it became the standard. fresh yeast is virtually unavailable these days to the average consumer and difficult to find even in large cities.

in europe and other parts of the globe, this is another story. fresh yeast is still available in many a country and is the standard. when my parents first arrived in north america, they had no clue how to use the dried stuff and looked at it a bit suspiciously. to this day, they still opt for the fresh stuff.

luckily, i am able to procure my own stashes of fresh yeast. i measure it out and freeze it for those times i need it for baking. for a long time, i was always confused about using it in recipes which called for dry yeast (and vice versa). in fact, it became annoying having to sit there and scratch my head figuring it out each time.

so to make things more convenient, i ended up asking around and calculating and came up with the following information on the equivalent amounts for dry and fresh yeast.

WEIGHT BY GRAM OF FRESH YEAST

1/4 oz fresh = 7.09 g
1/2 oz fresh = 14.18 g [1/2 oz when packed, ~ 17 - 19 g = 1 pkg dry yeast]
3/4 oz fresh = 21.26 g
1.0 oz fresh = 28.50 g


DRY AND FRESH YEAST CONVERSIONS

1 pkg dry yeast (standard in N.A.) = 2 1/4 tsp active dry = 0.6 oz fresh yeast [considered 1/2 oz cake]= ~ 17 g - 19 g fresh yeast.

* * * * *

i always use the following easy way to convert recipes:

1 packed tbsp fresh yeast = 2 tsp quick acting ("rapid rise") dry yeast = 2 1/4 tsp active dry (regular) yeast

2 oz cake = 3 pkgs yeast (eg. fleischmann's type)

* * * * *

the standard multiplier for calculating fresh yeast to dry is:

(to multiply) fresh amount "X" 0.4 eg. 1.5 oz fresh X 0.4 = 0.6 oz dry

* * * * *

what is fresh yeast? basically it's just yeast cells mixed with a starch, giving it its particular texture (somewhat rubbery and plasticine-like).


while there is only one kind of fresh baking yeast, there are several formulations for the dry variety:

regular type ["active dry"]: usually very small balls of yeast; this type of yeast is the standard and often recipes using it require two risings (to increase yeast colonization/amounts - yeast tends to grow exponentionally). must be proved before adding to a recipe with water or liquid at a specific temperature (warm).

active dry is basically fresh yeast which as been dried at a certain temperature; it's outer yeast cells are dead and form a protective shell around its inner live cells (approx. 30%). this is why it must be soaked first in warm water.

quick acting type ["rapid rise"]: different strain of yeast from active dry. granulation of yeast is smaller. contains ascorbic acid to increase loaf volume. this type can be mixed directly into the flour (recommended) or proved beforehand. a little less of it is required as it has a stronger formulation than the active dry. it only requires one rising period in most cases.

this type is dried at a different temperature and more live yeast cells are available making fermentation work faster.

breadmaker type: this is formulated for use in bread-making machines. different strain of yeast from active dry. granulation is small. contains ascorbic acid to increase loaf volume.

instant yeast [european type]: this is like quick acting (rapid rise) yeast. it can be added directly to one's dry ingredients (recommended) and proves upon adding liquids. it is manufactured by companies like SAF and FERMIPAN. it is considered a very good baking yeast with a high percentage of live cells available. it can be proved before using also (though not necessary at all times) and is amenable to proving with either warm liquids or cool ones. the temperature of the liquid will affect the rate of proving.

both instant type and rapid rise are said to work better when mixed with the dry ingredients as opposed to the traditional active dry proving method. this dry-mixing technique works better due to the type of yeast strains of rapid rise and instant. both can still be successfully proved with liquid first however, with the same efficacy.

kitchen essentials — peeling a peach properly

when it is peach (prunus persica) season, i buy many. in canada, most come from british columbia and ontario. i particularly like this fruit and make many different things from it, everything from pies and cobblers to jams and chutneys.

very few recipes actually use peaches with their skins on, so the following method is a great way for preparing the fruit in no time at all. it also feels a little less messy, in the end. it is particularly useful as there is little to no loss of the fruit itself compared to the conventional way of doing it with a peeler. it can be done quickly and in large quantities.

note that there are two varieties of peaches: clingstone and freestone. try to get the freestone type as it makes removing the flesh of the fruit all that much easier.

how to peel a peach easily

what you need:

ice water
boiling water
peaches
paring knife

lemon juice, opt.

method:

prepare a bowl of ice water and keep nearby while following the next step.

bring to boil a pot of water, leaving space to accommodate for displacement once the peaches are added.

add your peaches in batches and boil EXACTLY one minute. this is long enough for the peach skin to detach but not cook the fruit. there will be "scum" that comes off the peaches as they briefly cook. don't worry about it and don't waste time getting rid of it; it does nothing to affect the outcome.

immediately remove the peaches and place them in the ice water. leave them for at least a minute.

remove from the ice water and with your finger or a small knife make a little rip in the skin.

pull the skin off the peach gently. sometimes, depending of the type of peach, the skin may be a little harder to get off and cling a little to the flesh. it should, however, come off fairly easily.

to prepare your peaches, cut them into the needed sizes over a bowl to catch any juices from the fruit. be careful as they're slippery!

use as called for in your recipe.

note that sliced peaches, with time, will oxidize and discolour so you may want to add a touch of lemon juice to the cut fruit if not using immediately. after the final ice bath, if you are not using them right away, keep the skins on to prevent browning and remove the skin when needed.

the fruit can also be frozen at this point for later use.

kitchen essentials — tamarind paste

tamarind is one of those essential ingredients that is found in many different cuisines, from the west indies all the way across to the far east and is used as a souring agent in a variety of dishes, as well as in candies and drinks. it is something i use often and have grown up with. for some, however, this is a new and unexplored ingredient.

the fruit of the tamarind tree grows in pods which look like large over-sized and somewhat flattened peas in a pod. the skin of the pod is a very dark brown and within each pod is the fruit itself, brown and sticky. see my post here for more information about it.

the sticky fruit inside the pod is either compressed into blocks, with or without seeds, or made into a very thick syrup which is sold as the concentrated form. generally, it's best to buy the blocks without the seeds as it makes it easier to process in your kitchen. the concentrated form, while not usually my first choice, is much simpler to use. one just adds it to whatever one is cooking. most people prefer the taste of the block form of tamarind though.

often, making the paste is considered very labour intensive which is why some people like the concentrate. i usually make a lot and freeze it in containers until i need it. it will last for months frozen. so, to make the paste, the only the you need to do is soak the block and strain it carefully. not so hard to do ;) you just have to remember not to make it in a metal bowl — it chemically reacts with it while it soaks, therefore use either glass or plastic.



tamarind paste

making this in larger batches and freezing it for later use in small containers is a time saver. of course, if you don't use it regularly, you're better off just making the called for amount following the instructions below at the time of making your recipe.

ingredients:

dried tamarind block
hot water

for a small batch:

i use a ratio of 1/2 lb (250 g) tamarind to 2.5 c water

and a large batch:

1 lb (500 g) tamarind to 5 c hot water

method:

take your piece of tamarind and place it in your container.

add your hot water and cover the bowl or container and let it sit for at least 2 hours. you can leave it overnight, too.

once it has soaked, take your hand and squish it to break it up or use a wooden spoon.

press the tamarind through a fine sieve over and over again extracting as much liquid as you can.

make sure to keep pressing as much as possible. check the bottom of the sieve and scrape off and add the concentrated paste to the bowl your extracting into.

once it has been extracted, mix it all together and either use in your recipe or freeze for later.

easy as could be!

kitchen essentials — is your eggplant a boy or a girl?

okay, so you're probably wondering what in the world i'm talking about ..... and asking yourself why you would even need to know the sex of your eggplant?!

apparently, you can tell whether your aubergine is male or female from the marking on its bottom. the female will have a round brown one, and the male, a small line instead. this is relevant in terms of cooking because the male fruit, or vegetable as we generally call it, contains fewer seeds than the female, making it the better choice for many dishes. of course, the older the eggplant is (harvested), the more developed and tougher any seeds it does have will be. i'm not sure if this works with all types of eggplant, though.

example of a male eggplant:

note the straight line across the center

almost no seeds inside [this time, at least! i've been duped in the past but it often works — of course, someone may turn around and comment that this is total BS but it's still fun to believe it's true. and hey, here's the proof before your very eyes.... and this was a fairly large eggplant] :

very few seeds ....

.... of things to come

one of my favourite vegetables is mushrooms. i especially like portobello ones, the overgrown agaricus bisporus, and their smaller version, the portobellini.


why are mushrooms so damned expensive? well, as the former site link says .....

Portobellini, a form of the white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus, is grown on compost made of straw, either alone or with an added natural fertilizer. Supplemented with nitrogen in the form of various agricultural wastes such as cottonseed, the compost undergoes physical and chemical changes as organic matter is consumed and heat is released. A considerable amount of straw is needed to create the heat for reactions to occur resulting in the growth of mushrooms. A fairly technical growing process, specific requirements must be met in order to pasteurize and condition the compost that includes specially designed rooms with controlled temperature, humidity and fresh air. Portobellini, portobello, open cap and brown cap mushrooms are all, in fact, the same species, Agaricus bisporus, but different strains and growing times allow the mushroom's distinguishing and differing variations.

so what am i making? details to be added soon ......

one crappy cup of coffee

i guess it's time to reveal the answer concerning monday's entry entitled, you tell me ...

most of you who answered, thought it was a raccoon of some sort. a good guess since the critter in my post is somewhat of a look alike. much like the raccoon, it also loves to forage for food and steal.

so why did i include it in a blog about food?

well, the creature in question does indeed have something to do with food. while some people actually eat this little guy {gulp}, he is has quite the reputation. this animal is the vehicle for producing the world's most expensive coffee [up to 300 USD per lb] — something i'm no sure so i'd be tempted to try, and not for financial reasons, however. read on....

the animal in question is a kind of mongoose common to southeast asia, vietnam especially, and indonesia, and goes by the name of kopi luwak (luak) or palm civet cat. be sure to look at this site, too [where i got the original picture for monday's post]!

the luak has an incredible appetite for coffee beans and forages for only the best. once he's done eating, he naturally dispenses the end product — a musky scented coffee bean which is then further processed to produce the world's most expensive addictive bean.

epidemiologically speaking, this mammal was thought to have had something to do with the outbreak of SARS several years back. the not-so-far-away city of toronto was especially hit hard with it and people were, rightfully so, running scared. i still remember people walking around town with surgical masks on their faces, they were so afraid to contract this.

back to coffee....

now, if you want to see something ....ummm.... incredibly interesting, you can look at the two following sites. this one is a bit about the animal itself responsible for the coffee "manufacturing" and this is an example of the coffee in it's natural preprocessed state. cool, huh? doesn't it make you wanna run out and buy some? LOL. i actually feel tempted to order this, fancy box & paperweight included.

here is a direct source for this coffee, too where you can also see the civet eating his coffee berries.

this is the famous trung nguyen version from vietnam.

extra facts about the civet and what else it produces.

how's that for a cup of crappy coffee?

would you drink this?

snakebeans

winter has finally arrived as we know it. this morning was proof-positive.

maybe because it has been so mild for so long, it seems as though today's frigid weather was actually aberrant, when indeed i know it was not. the wind made it bitingly cold, in fact insufferably cold. i was counting my steps as i approached my home after deciding to go out for a walk.

after running several errands, my walk landed me at my local fruit and vegetable store where i picked up my one of my favourite vegetables — the snake bean, aptly name for its appearance. an asian vegetable, somewhat related to the green bean, it is also called the yardlong bean or the asparagus bean in english.


there are a quite a few different kinds of this snakey green creature, too. i've only seen my local grocer's sort, as shown in my picture.

this bean can be prepared in a variety of ways. i haven't decided what i want to do with them yet though some of these sound like options. knowing myself, i'll probably rely on one of my standard preparations for it. details to come in a few days.

sounded good, were:

• brian young's stir-fried longbeans [vegetarian]
• salad of haloumi cheese, snakebeans & oven roasted tomatoes [dairy]
• beef & snakebeans with vermicelli noodles [meat]

here is a step-by-step from about.com for chinese green beans. looked good also :)

so, what was it?

the "mystery item" from my post on thursday is the resin of the african acacia senegal tree, known as gum arabic [gum hashab]. looks like pammie of pammie on the go, pretty much got it right! she had better, after all that world travelling! thanks to those who took a shot at giving a guess :))


the acacia is a tree which has many different sub-species, a good number of them living in australia where they are called wattles. the tree i am talking about for this post, however, is a variety native to africa often seen on the savannahs which has a long history. its sticky resin [shown below], is exuded from the trunk and branches of the tree, and collected by workers who are trained to gather it. gum arabic has been used historically as a binding agent for many things and is present in many of the edible items we buy, too.

this product of the acacia can be bought at middle eastern markets and shops and is usually sold in small amounts. note that it is not the same as mastic which looks much the same but is a resin from a different tree [shrub, actually] grown in greece and other mediterranean countries. gum arabic is normally used in a variety of dessert items, such as the recipe i needed it for. the resin acts to emulsify, thicken and flavour some of our foods and drinks. it is in more things than you can imagine. look for it next time in the listing of the ingredients of some of the things you eat. this said, in the resinous form it still remains a specialty item and is not readily available on the shelf at your local supermarket. to be used, it needs to be very finely crushed and pulverized, sifted and then dissolved in a liquid and cooked.

to learn more about this amazing resin, read the fascinating article about its history, production and use, both ancient and modern.

and on a related topic ....

this just came to mind a propos to my brigadeiros post:

while jimmies are "safe", did you know that those silver dragees used to decorate cookies and confections are very controversial?

this subject may be a little old {by a few years} but it is still interesting nonetheless. i have been eating these things since i was a kid and i NEVER suffered any ill effects, as have none of my friends or anyone else i know, for that matter.

to hear about this controversy, listen to this npr broadcast, entitled toxic cookie decorations. fun & informative.

you can also read about the controversy a bit as it relates to their use in indian sweets.

apparently you can still find them at sur la table. i will continue to buy mine and use them.

if you ever wondered what exactly is in a dragee, according to sprinkle king it consists of:

Sugar	75.6742%
Corn Starch	24.1001%
Gelatin	0.1454%
Silver	0.0803%

So...if you ate a 25 g package (which has hundreds of individual dragées), you'd ingest about 20 mg of silver. The amount of silver in a bunch of cookies would be more in the range of tenths of mgs.

info taken from here

gelatin?? not in the ones i ate.

my RIP should only read:

died as a result of eating silver dragees.
what a way to go.

don't forget to set your clocks back this weekend
after 2 am saturday night!!

yay, an extra hour of silver dragee eating!