Cake Ingredients

CAKE FLOUR
Contains 2 gluten forming protein, glutenin and gliadin. Cake flour has more acid (lower pH) than other flour, due the bleaching by chlorination. The greater acidity lowest the temperature at which the proteins coagulate and this makes a sweeter flavor and tender crumb. This also contributes to the cake structure and able to hold large amounts of fat and sugar without collapsing.
According to Rose Levy Beranbaun in her book “The Cake Bible” self-rising cannot be used interchangeably with the cake flour because it contains approximately 1½ teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt per cup of flour.

→It is possible to substitute equal weights of bleached all purpose flour for cake flour by adding a small percentage of cornstarch. But the result will not be the same because the flour is coarser and the PH higher. Self-rising cake flour cannot be used  interchangeably with the cake flour because it contains approximately 1½ teaspoon baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt per cup of flour. This will coarsen and weaken the texture of cakes requiring only 1¼ teaspoon or less baking powder per cup.

→Cake flour is not good to make breads.

EGGS
Provides structure and supply some liquid to the cakes. The egg yolks contains natural emulsifying agents. Cakes prepared with egg whites are softer than the ones with the whole egg because the yolk become firmer after baking. In layers cake one egg could be replaced by two yolks or 1½ whites. By using just yolks, the flavor and color will be better, but the structure will be a little weaker, in this case the baking powder need to be decreased by ¼ teaspoon for every 3 yolks used.

BUTTER
Butter, margarine and spreads are water in oil emulsions. The butter contains milkfat lecithin, which is a natural emulsifier. Margarine and spread contain lecithin and monoglycerides added to help in the emulsion preparation.

→In bread making fat lubricates the dough and provides flavor.

→In cakes the function of the fat is different and more complex. For example in the creaming method when the fat is beaten with the sugar the water in oil emulsion changes to an oil in water emulsion. Is this process air is incorporate into the batter and increases its volume. In the muffins method the wet ingredients are mix in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another bowl. The fat has no aeration function but it will help to retain gases during baking.

BAKING SODA
When baking soda (pure sodium bicarbonate) is mix with an acidic ingredient, such as honey, molasses, chocolate, buttermilk, yogurt, sugar, citrus juice, creates a chemical reaction releasing carbon dioxide and cause baked good to rise. Excluding this product in a recipe will cause baked goods not cook properly or to fall flat and if using too much will result a soapy taste.
When using the baking soda, make sure to sift or whisk with the other dry ingredients

BAKING POWDER
Already contains the acid component that reacts with the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and the drying agent (starch). Is not necessary to have acidic ingredients, such as cream of tartar (sodium aluminum sulfate). Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lightening the texture of baked products. Every teaspoon of baking powder contains ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
When using the baking soda, make sure to sift or whisk with the other dry ingredients.

SUGAR
The sugar provides volume, texture (keeping baked products moist and soft), flavor, tenderness (by absorbing the water and prevent gluten development) , color, and act as a preservative. The purpose of creaming sugar with butter is to incorporates air into the batter.

→ The weight of the sugar in cakes mixtures could not exceed the weight of the flour, because the cake will collapse.

SALT
The salt  boost the flavor of all ingredients. The dough will be more elastic and the texture will be much better.

Pork tenderloin roulade / Roulade de cerdo

1 lb (one) pork tender loin

1 lb (one) lomito de cerdo

½ red onions, julienne

½ cebolla morada en julienne

½ green bell pepper, julienne

½ pimentón verde en julienne

1 carrot, grated

1 zanahoria rallada

4 oz mushroom, slices

4 oz champiñones en rodajas

4 oz Swiss cheese, bátonnet

4 oz queso Suizo en bátonnet

6 turkey or pork bacon slices, small cubes

6 tiras de tocineta de pavo o cerdo en pequeños cubos

Salt and pepper to taste

Sal y pimienta al gusto

2 tbs olive oil

2 cucharadas de aceite de oliva

White wine to deglaze (optional)

Vino blanco para desglazar (opcional)

Zest and juice of one orange

Ralladura y jugo de una naranja

3 or 4 tbs honey

3 o 4 cucharadas de miel

1. Slip the tip of a knife under the silver skin and start slicing back and forth with the sharp edge of the knife.

Deslizar la punta de un cuchillo debajo de la piel plateada y comience a rebanar hacia adelante y hacia atrás con el borde afilado del cuchillo.

2. Cut the pork tenderloin across lengthwise, horizontal (not all the way through) so it can be open like a book (butterfly). Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the meat and pound it with a mallet until it is about ½” thick. Roll up. Wrap with plastic film and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Cortar el lomito en forma de mariposa, haciendo un corte a lo largo sin llegar a cortarlo del todo. Cubrir la carne con film plástico y golpear suavemente con un mazo de cocina hasta que quedo un grozor más o menos de 1 cm. Envolver con film de cocina y refrigerar mientras se prepara el resto de los ingrediente.

3. Place the bacon in a pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown. Turn occasionally while cooking. Remove from the pan and set a side. In the same pan with a little bit of olive oil, saute all the vegetables for about five minutes.

Colocar la tocineta de pavo en un sartén y cocinar hasta que este dorado, remover ocasionalmente mientras se cocina. Retirar la tocineta del sartén y apartar. En el mismo sartén con un poco de aceite de oliva, saltear los vegetales por aproximadamente 5 minutos. Retirar del sartén y dejar enfriar.

4. Remove the pounded meat from the plastic wrap, place on a flat surface, extend the bacon on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables and cheese on top. Gently roll up pork and tie it with butcher twine.

Retirar el film de plástico de la carne, salpimentar, colocar la tocineta, extender los vegetales y el queso. Suavemente enrrollar el lomito y amarrar con hilo de carnicero.

5. Heat a saute pan over medium-hight. Add the olive oil. Place the tenderloin in the pan and brown it on all sides for about 5 minutes. Transfer the meat to a baking pan. Deglaze the pan with water or white wine and pour the liquid over the pork roulade. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Calentar el sartén a fuego medio-alto. Agregar el aceite de oliva. Colocar el lomito y dorar por todos los lados por aproximadamente 5 minutos. Una vez dorado transferir la carne a una bandeja para hornear. Desglazar el sartén con agua o vino blanco y verter el líquido sobre la carne. Hornear a 350° F por 30 minutos.

Orange sauce

Salsa de naranjas

- In a small sauce on medium heat add the orange juice, orange zest and the honey. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring until thick (nape).

En un sarter a fuego medio colocar el jugo, la ralladura y la miel. Cocinar por aproximadamente 2 minutos, removiendo hasta espezar (nape)

Tips for pastry I / Consejos en repostería I

1. El cremor tártaro evita que las claras se sobrebatan y conservar mejor la estructura del merengue.
-The cream of tartar prevents the whites from overbeating and preserving the structure of the meringue better.

2. Es importante tamizar el cacao en polvo cuando se mezcla con el merengue para mejor resultado puesto que la grasa del chocolate no se lleva bien con el merengue.
-It is important to sift the cocoa powder when mixed wiyh the merengui for best results since the chocolate fat does not bear well with the merengui.

3. To taste for doneness, insert a toothpick as close to the center as possible. It should come out clean 
-Para probar la cocción, inserte un palillo de dientes lo más cerca posible del centro. Debe salir limpio. 

4. Génoise and biscuit must be unmolded as soon as they are baked to prevent steam from softening the cake and collapsing it.
-Génoise y biscochos deben ser desmoldados tan pronto como se hornean para evitar que el vapor ablande el pastel y colapse.

5. Sponge cakes that are usually baked in ungreased two pieces tube pans, such as chiffon, sponge, and angel food, need to cool up side down in the pan to prevent collapsing.
-Las tortas esponjosas que usaualmente son horneadas en moldes de tubo sin engrasar, tales como chiffon o angel food, se debe enfriar con el molde boca abajo para que no colapse.

6. Refrigerated or frozen cakes must be stored airtight to prevent drying out or absorbing odors. Wrap them first in plastic wrap, then in heavy-duty foil.
-Tortas refrigeradas o congeladas se almacenarán envueltas con film de cocina , después con papel de aluminio para evitar que se sequen  o absorban los olores. 

7. For unfrosted cake, remove from the freezer and thaw without unwrapping 
-Para descongelar la torta, retirar del congelador y descongelar sin desenvolver

8.En invierno o cuando hay mucha humedad es recomendable añadir una cucharada rasa de fécula de maíz a la azúcar en la elaboración de merengue.
-In winter or when there is high humidity is recommended to add a level tablespoon of cornstarch to the sugar in the preparation of meringue.

9. Los pasteles y tortas elaboradas con gelatina ,NO se deben congelar, ya que la gelatina pierde completamente su consistencia y textura
-Cakes made with gelatin, should NOT be frozen, as the gelatine completely loses its consistency and texture.

10. Los merengues No se deben congelar, ya que se humedecen, pierden su textura y se vuelven densos y pegostosos.
-Meringues Do not freeze, as they get wet, lose their texture and become dense and sticky.

11. Los profiteroles y la pasta o masa Choux se pueden congelar sin ningún problema, solo que deben estar sin rellenar. 
-The profiteroles and the Choux paste or dough can be frozen without any problem, only they must be unfilled.


Basic Cakes Proportions (grams) / Proporciones Básicas para pasteles (gramos)
Type/Tipo  =  Flour/Harina   +   Eggs/Huevos   +   Fat/Grasa   +   Sugar/Azúcar

Génoise / Genovesa = 100 + 150-200 + 20-40 + 100
Pound cake = 100  +  100  +  100  + 100  +  100
Butter Cake / Pastel mantequilla = 100 + 40 + 45 + 100
Biscuit / Biscocho = 100 + 150-220 + 0 + 100
Angel cake / Torta Angel = 100 + 350 whites - 350 claras + 0 + 260
Chiffon = 100  +  200  +  50  + 135
Sponge cake / Torta esponjosa = 100 + 225 +  0  + 155

Salsa a la Huancaina

El 26 de Marzo invité a mi gran amiga peruana, Rosita Mazzotti a cocinar y preparar algunos de los platillos banderas del Perú. Fue una experiencia única poder compartir la cocina con una auténtica representante peruna.
Rosita preparo el cebiche con lenguado (flounder) y las papas a la huancaina. Por mi parte prepare los anticuchos y la salsa de ají rocoto.
En la preparación del cebiche, corte en pescado en cubos pequeños (alguien me dijo que los trozos deberían ser más grandes). Tengo varias recetas de cebiche pero para mis amigos peruanos eso no es cebiche.Hay muchas recetas del cebiche y varias formas de hacerlo, diría que es como las recetas de las hallacas venezolanas que cada región o familia en particular tiene la suya. Como dirían por allá “la mejor hallaca es la que cocina mi mamá”, se podría decir lo mismo con el cebiche y la salsa a la huancaina.
Los ingredientes que utilizó Rosita para las papas a la huancaina fueron: ají amarillo, queso crema, queso fresco, ricotta, ajo, sal, cebolla roja, galletas de soda y pimienta. Los ingredientes del cebiche: lenguado, jugo de lima, ajo, cebolla morada (roja), sal, pimienta, ají dulce rojo, kion (jengibre). Los anticuchos: corazón de ternera, aji panca en pasta, aceite de oliva, sal, ajo, comino y pimienta.

Salsa Huancaina (Rosita)
10 aji amarillos
260 g queso fresco
250 g riotta
4 oz queso crema
2 dientes de ajo
¼ cebolla roja
1½ lata leche evaporada
¼ taza aceite vegetal (opcional)
Galletas de soda
Sal y pimienta al gusto

1. Colocar los ajíes en una ollita. Cubrir con agua y lo llevamos al fuega hasta que rompa el hervor, dejar por unos segundos, retirar del fuego y botar el agua. Repetir este proceso 3 o 4 dependiendo las veces que se necesarias para quitar el picor o simplemente hasta que la piel se separe.Retirar la piel y reservar.

2. Licuar todos los ingredientes en un procesador de alimentos o licuadora

→ La cantidad de galletas depende de la consistencia que se quiera obtener (6 a 8 galletas aproximadamente)
→ En mi caso no utilice aceite

Salsa de ají rocoto

3 aji rocoto

1 cucharada crema agria

1 tablespoon sour cream

Chorro aceite de oliva

Splash olive oil

Sal y pimienta al gusto

Salt and pepper to taste

60 g queso fresco

60 g fresco cheese

1. Cortar el aji rocoto, retirar las semillas y venas. Colocar en una olla mediana y le agregamos agua que los cubra. Cocinar hasta que rompa hervor. Retirar del fuego, drenar. Dejar enfriar a temperatura ambiente.

- Cut the aji rocoto, remove the seeds and veins. Place in a medium saucepan and add water to cover. Cook until it boils. Remove from heat, drain. Allow to cool to room temperature.

2. Licuar con el resto de los ingredientes.

- Blend with the rest of the ingredients

Crema de Camarones

1½ lb shrimp peeled and deveined (cooked)

1½ lb camarones limpios (cosidos)

1 stalk celery chopped

1 tallo de celery picado

½ onion, chopped

½ cebolla picada

2 stalks green onion, chopped

2 tallos de cebollín picado

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 dientes de ajo picados

2 tbs olive oil (butter)

2 cucharadas de aceite o mantequilla

2 cup heavy cream

2 tasas de crema de leche

2 cup fish stock (shrimp)

2 tasas de caldo de pescado (fumet) o de camarón

2 tbs tomate paste

2 cucharadas de pure de tomates

Splash Bourbon or whiskey (brandy)

Chorro de Bourbon o whiskey

2 tbs paprika

2 cucharadas de paprika (pimiento dulce en polvo)

2 tbs cornstarch

2 cucharadas de maicena

3 anchovies filet

3 filetes de anchoa

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Sal y pimiento al gusto

Cayenne pepper (optional)

Pimienta cayena (opcional)

Splash Worcestershire

Chorro de Worcestershire (salsa inglesa)

1. Dilute the cornstarch with the fish broth. Set aside.

Diluir la maicena con el clado de pescado.Apartar.

2. Cut the shrimps into pieces.  Set aside.

Cortar los camarones en pedazos pequeños. Apartar.

3. In sauce pan with oil over medium heat, saute the vegetables until soft. Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the fish stock, heavy cream, Worcestershire, cayenne pepper, paprika. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the shrimps and mix well.

En una olla con aceite a fuego medio, saltear los vegetales hasta que esten suaves. Agregar la pasta de tomates. Cocinar por 3 minutos. Agregar el caldo de pescado, crema de leche, pimienta cayena y paprika. Cocinar a fuego medio por 15 minutos. Agregar los camarones y mezclar bien

4.Transfer the soup to a blender and blend until smooth.

Transferir la sopa a una licuadora y licuar hasta que este suave.

Pain Perdu (French Toast)

5 bread slices (Challah, Brioche, White bread)

5 egg yolks

1 cup milk or heavy cream

1 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla extract

Splash orange liqueur (optional)

2 tbs honey

1 tbs orange zest

Pinch salt

Powdered sugar to dust (optional)

1 cup sliced almond

Syrup

½ pound strawberries

2 tbs sugar

Splash orange liqueur

1. Wash the strawberries. Cut into slices and place then into a bowl. Add the liqueur and sugar. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serve.

2. In a bowl mix egg yolks, milk, sugar, vanilla, liqueur, honey, salt and orange zest. Whisk well. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the bread slices. Soak the bread for 5 minutes. Make sure to turn the slices over. Dip one side of the bread with almonds.

3. Heat the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Saute the slices, almond side down first. Cook until they are golden brown, about 2 -3 minute per side.

4. Serve with syrup and garnish with powdered sugar on top (optional).