Category: food

January 21, 2021

Bagel History & More

Bagels and pretzels are boiled prior to baking to create a chewy crust and slightly dense interior. Boiling also sets the crust. Bagels are typically boiled for 30-60 seconds on each side. The longer the boil, the thicker and chewier crust. I boil mine for 1-minute each side. But, I have also boiled them longer at times. Boiling also sets...

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January 21, 2021

Egg Bagels

After a conversation over the holidays with my brother Dean about egg bagels. I knew I would have to try to make some. I probably have not had one in 20 years. It most likely was Lender’s. I do not think they carry them in the grocery’s in New Orleans. I do not recall seeing them on campus at Einsteins....

Categories bagels/food Comments: 2

January 18, 2021

Lentil Soup

People close to me know I have 2 best friends, Siri and Shazam. Yesterdays’ search was about the difference between locust and grasshoppers. I saw a Travel or Discovery channel about catastrophic events. But, I leave that for another day or never. I should also credit Google for facilitating the searches and making them earlier by aggregating all the data...

Categories soup Comment: 1

December 28, 2020

Does flour and cold ferment make a difference for pizza?

I think the 00 is best but the Peter Pan AP flour from SamsClub is pretty darn good. Videos on the web discuss the differences between 00, bread and regular flour. I do not know what is true for certain. But, it seems like I need more water for bread versus 00 flour. How to Calculate Pizza Dough Hydration  You...

Categories food/Pizza Comments: 0

December 27, 2020

My Pizza Journey

I have been obsessing over which pizza oven to buy. I finally got the Ooni Fyra to make 12″ New Haven style apizza. Yes, that is not a typo. Below is a rare photo of me wearing shoes. I use my Zojirushi BB-PAC20BA Home Bakery Virtuoso breadmaker’s homemade cycle to make the dough. I do not know where I found the...

Categories bread/food/Pizza Comments: 0

December 27, 2020

What I Learned about Popovers this Year

REST THE BATTER Resting your batter is the single most important step you can take to improving Yorkshire pudding and popovers. Not only do they come out taller, but they also come out much tastier, with a more complex, toasty flavor. Non-rested-batter puddings taste positively flat (literally and figuratively) next to rested-batter puddings. USE WHOLE EGGS The more yolks you...

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December 27, 2020

Pfeffernüsse Cookies & Blue Willow & Blue Onion

I discovered the best, authentic, Pfeffernüsse cookie recipe including making your own spice blend. I will therefore link to and list the recipes at the end. One difference is that I only use powdered sugar and not a glaze. I tend tho think of Lebkuchen as glazed. Pfeffernusse is a variant of German Lebkuchen, or gingerbread. Pferffernusse cookies differ from regular German gingerbread is that...

Categories cookies/cookies/dessert/family/family recipes Comments: 0

December 27, 2020

Bavarian Apple-Raspberry Tart

DESCRIPTION Apple Tart Recipe with a buttery crust that is made from scratch, raspberry jam layer, creamy almond filling. Topped with cinnamon apple slices and sliced almonds and dusting of confectioner’s sugar. INGREDIENTS Crust½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature¼ cup granulated sugar½ tsp. pure vanilla extract1 cup all-purpose flour Raspberry Layer¼ cup raspberry jam Filling Layer1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room...

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September 30, 2020

Pizza A Love Story

It’s finally available for purchase!!! Dean Falcone is my brother and the brilliant composer of the soundtrack for the movie. I love the song in the trailer. The baseline is infectious — in a good way. Yes, I hail from the South — Southern CT. I remember when I lived in VA and went into a restaurant. I think it...

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August 16, 2020

Plum Torte

This plum torte is the most requested recipe from The New York Times since it appeared on October 24, 2010. Adapted from Amanda Hesser’s  The Essential New York Times Cookbook published by W. W. Norton, 2010. Amanda Hesser said that this recipe made its first appearance decades ago in Elegant But Easy, a cookbook by The New York Times journalist Marion Burros. I retrieved it from...

Categories dessert/food/fruit/plums Comments: 0