Génoise for a Change

Last night while we were all sleeping soundly, the temperature in Ottawa dropped from unbearably hot and humid to strangely cool and dry so like any dedicated baker, I rose at the crack of dawn, pulled on a sweater and headed to the kitchen to fire up the oven.

I was rooting through my pantry and being in a contemplative mood that early in the morning, I started thinking about how basic baking ingredients can vary widely from country to country and subsequently effect the texture and taste of the final product,  flour and sugar from France being two examples.  Flour in France is grown from different varieties of wheat, milled and graded by grind, not type of wheat and generally makes a cake with a lighter crumb.  Granulated sugar is produced mainly from sugar beets, not sugar cane like in North America and performs differently in certain recipes, especially those which require high temperatures.  It also has a bit of a funky smell in raw form.  

Over the years it has taken a lot of trial and error to adapt my favourite English recipes to foreign ingredients but in some cases, the recipes are not only changed but improved.  On a recent trip to Japan I brought back some bright white, soft wheat flour and used it to make a Matcha Chiffon Cake that was so tender and light it was like eating a cloud.

Because of its simplicity, I sometimes bake génoise to discover these differences...

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. Fifteen Girls go to School.

Thanks to hungry bargain hunters who flocked to the Glebe for the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale, this year's bake table was a smash success despite the grey, humid weather that put the whole event in peril.  Luckily the rain never came.

 

Breakfast on a Stick

When the dust settled, $1,500 worth of carrot cake, cookies, caramels and fudge were consumed, old friendships were renewed and new ones were made.  By 1:00, nothing much was left, aside from some crumbs that the squirrels eagerly snapped up after we folded up the tables and retreated inside to count up all the coins.

Old favourites like "breakfast on a stick" Rice Krispie treats, carrot cake, ginger snaps, brownies, lemon loaf and banana cake were all scooped up.  New this year were lemon Madelines, bittersweet chocolate hazelnut fudge and the fun but ever practical sugar cookie necklace that you could wear proudly and then eat when hunger hit.

Early in the day, customers eagerly bought all of the jars of marmalade that I made myself from our fruit trees in France, many of whom had enjoyed it in the past.

All in all it was a great day and well worth all the pleasurable work considering that 10 girls will be rescued and sent to school thanks to Olga and NYF's Indentured Daughters Programme.

Thanks go to my sister Patty, the charming Sophia and her fabulous mom who all generously pitched in to make the day a success.  

I can hardly wait until next year!

Sugar Cookie Necklaces.  

Mixing it up

When I get back to my old neighbourhood in Ottawa, I can't resist popping in to one of my favourite kitchen shops to see what's new, wander around, and get a bit of inspiration for dinners and baking to come.

Well, what's new was Kitchen Aid's glass mixing bowl!  I bought one the minute I saw it.  How can it be that I didn't I know about it before now?  I guess I've been spending too much time travelling because after a visit to Kitchen Aid's website I learned that it's been available since March 2010.  Imagine, an entire year without this glass mixing bowl.

To quote Julia Child, "I think this mixing machine is absolutely marvelous."    She was talking about her new K5A Kitchen Aid stand mixer and I agree!

I bought my first Kitchen Aid in 1990 and It's been reliably whirring away, taking on anything I throw at it.  It's my favourite workhorse in the kitchen and I use it for everything.  Over the years I've bought most of the attachments and do-dads, the last one being the ice cream maker.  I love making my own pasta so the pasta roller is the the first one I bought and it's still the one I use most.  Don't  tell anyone but in a pinch I've used the linguine cutter to shred documents and it did this extraordinarily well!

Many moons ago,  for mere pocket change, I bought my perfect Sunbeam mixer at a garage sale and it sits on my kitchen counter next to my Kitchen Aid.   It's not as robust as the Kitchen Aid but it's totally reliable, quite beautiful and it's handy when a smaller mixing bowl is the best tool for the job.  I also find the sound it makes while it's mixing oddly comforting.  Most importantly, with two beaters to lick instead of the Kitchen Aid's one, it's quite popular when I bring it to my baking class at the local Seniors' Residence. 

One of John Morra's Beautiful Mixers

In New York a while back, I happened upon an interesting exhibit by the still life artist, John Morra who immortalizes and elevates the modest mix master in his beautiful still life paintings.   I was mesmerized.

One day, if I save enough I think I'll have him paint mine.