Welcome 2018
Hello!… and welcome to my new blog and website! I have a passion for cooking and creating my own recipes. It all began when I started tweeking existing recipes to personalize them to my own taste. You know, add a pinch more of this… substitute that for something else. I then moved on to wanting to make something completely my own creation. There was just one problem.
I needed a reference library of cooking information. Oh…I have lots of cookbooks. LOTS. …and I have a good memory of other recipes. But what I needed was a convenient way to compare and contrast… ingredients, techniques, proportions, economies, etc.
A good example is there are many washes for baked goods. Shiney washes… duller washes… various shades of brown washes. So many choices… and which ingredients do what? So, I started comparing washes and I charted the outcome. Ooooh… now I had a tool to help me choose what ingredients to use!
For me charts and grids are a fantastic way to organize and understand information. The creation of a chart makes me think about ingredients and proportions. With this blog I hope my charts will help other cooks with their inspired creations. My plan is to provide a recipe and offer a specific chart that complements that recipe.
So let’s ENgage in CHARTs together!
Today’s Recipe is: Apple and Berry Rustic Tart
It’s January and wintertime… and they are even forecasting snow in Florida right now! What I think of as dessert when it is cold outside are baked fruit desserts. One of the homiest desserts I can think of is a rustic tart. Rustic meaning it’s prepared free hand on a baking sheet and not perfect and proper in a removable bottom tart pan. Almost any time of the year, marvelous fresh fruit is available… and for me a delicious combination in winter is apples or pears with berries.
Another wonderful thing about this fruit combination is you have flavoring options. You can go with no spice, a single spice, or even more than one spice. Try cinnamon, corriander, cardamom, nutmeg, or even curry powder.
You can also use fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or oregano. AND, I always add a little citrus juice and/or zest. I’m a big fan of lemon. It really brightens the flavor of both sweet and savory dishes.
Think about it… two fruits, some sweetener (I used sugar), and a spice or herb and you have an incredible personalized treat!
A little egg wash around the edge of the tart brings a nice golden color to the pastry. Hmmm? But, which one to use? Water? Cream? Egg? What part of the egg? Whole? White? Yolk? Let me help you decide with a chart I composed comparing washes.
