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Showing posts with label books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label books. Show all posts

24 September 2010

Sesame-Ginger Truffles From Culinary Institute of America

A simple tasty recipe worth of gift giving during the holidays.



From Denny: With the holiday season approaching, how about trying out a few new recipes to give as gifts or delight your guests when entertaining? I'm always up for a new recipe when it comes to chocolate delights! :) This gem of a recipe comes from the folks over at the Culinary Institute of America. Their cookbook is linked to Amazon Books where you can save on the retail price if you decide to purchase it.

I have a veritable library of wonderful cookbooks. Cookbooks are a fun way to get inside the head of a culture if you are exploring ethnic food. Cookbooks from professional organizations like this one are a great way to find out just how much you do know and fill in the blanks with valuable information.

Sesame-Ginger Truffles

From: Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America

Makes: 48 pieces

Skill level: 2


The nontraditional combination of sesame and chocolate is brought to life with the addition of ginger. Fresh ginger gives the best results.


Ingredients:

4 oz (1/2 cup) Heavy cream
1½ oz (2 tbsp) Light corn syrup
1 oz (1/4 cup) Ginger, peeled and grated
1 oz (2 tbsp) Tahini
8 oz (1 1/3 cups) Dark chocolate, pistoles or chopped in ½-inch pieces
1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
1/2 oz (2 tbsp) Chopped crystallized ginger (optional)
12 oz (2 cups) Dark chocolate or dark compound coating, chopped in ½-inch pieces, for dipping
Toasted sesame seeds or finely chopped crystallized ginger, for garnish (optional), as needed

Directions:

1. Line a 9 × 13–inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Combine the cream, corn syrup, and grated ginger in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil.

3. Remove from the heat. Add the tahini and chopped dark chocolate or pistoles to the cream and stir until smooth and homogeneous.

4. Stir in the sesame oil.

5. Strain the ganache through a fine-mesh strainer.

6. Stir the crystallized ginger into the ganache, if desired.

7. Pour the finished ganache into the baking pan to make a thin layer and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more until the ganache is firm.

8. Put the ganache in a mixer bowl and mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment for 30 seconds. Or stir vigorously in a mixing bowl by hand, using a spatula.

9. Allow the ganache to rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

10. Using a #100 scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out balls of ganache and place on the sheet pan at room temperature.

11. When all of the ganache has been scooped, roll each portion by hand into a round ball.

12. Melt and temper the chocolate for dipping using the procedure on page 36. If using compound coating, follow the heating instructions on the package.

13. Dip the ganache centers in the tempered chocolate or compound coating using one of the techniques illustrated on pages 44 and 45.

14. After dipping, but before the chocolate sets fully, garnish with toasted sesame seeds or finely chopped crystallized ginger as desired.


Keys to Success:

• Make sure the ganache has enough time to firm in the refrigerator.
• An hour is a good guideline, but it is okay to leave it longer, even overnight if desired.
• Resting the ganache after mixing allows it to harden slightly, which makes scooping much easier.




Chocolates and Confections at Home with The Culinary Institute of America


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22 October 2009

Busy Day at The Social Poets, Posts on Dan Browns Book The Lost Symbol and Obama



From Denny: There's so much going on with the news coverage about Dan Brown's new book, The Lost Symbol. He sure has tapped into the popularity of conspiracy theories and fast-paced mystery thrillers.

The Today Show both interviewed him and did some short news stories as clues for unraveling the mysteries in the book, great fun! Take a look.

Video: Interviewing Novelist Dan Brown on The Lost Symbol, Life as an Author, Masons

Video: Good Stories and Clues 1 to 4 for The Lost Symbol

Video: Dan Browns New Book The Lost Symbol

Video: The Lost Symbol - Secrets of the National Cathedral, Masons on Dollar Bill, Todays Masonic World Power

Video: Obama Talks About Womens Issues

Photo by lepiaf.geo @ flickr

25 March 2009

Books and Chocolate



Books and Chocolate: "Give me a stash of books and a sack of melt-in-the-mouth chocolate and you can lock me up in a room and throw away the key. That comes pretty near my idea of heaven, never mind that I might resemble something really not divine by the time you let me out of there! But what are a few extra pounds around the waist in the pursuit of knowledge? I'm kidding!

Pursuit of knowledge? I didn't say anywhere that those books had to be edifying works of literature. In fact while I'm making suggestions I may as well add that crime fiction would do very well, and some gooey nut encased dark chocolate. And do add a box of tissues so that I don't ruin the pages of those books with messy fingerprints.

It happened to me today and I could have wept. Engrossed in the misadventures of a harassed young woman trying hard to find a man (well sometimes you need a break from hardened gumshoes blowing smoke rings in your face) I was also working my way through a decadent block of almond-orange chocolate and as I absentmindedly turned the pages I left an ugly smudge on one of them. Horrors! I hadn't licked my fingers completely clean and the evidence was right there on the pristine pages of a brand new book."

By Feline Prophet @ HubPages
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