Monday, July 08, 2013

Pandan Coconut Chiffon Cake and my new mixer

 It was so much fun to try out with my present from my sons.  A commercial grade mixer!
I decided to test whipping up 14 eggs whites.  Wow!  it only took 4 minutes.

 Another testing I did was baking the chiffon in Teflon dark angel cake pan vs shiny aluminum angel cake pan.  The winner is!!!
 ****The aluminum angel cake pan.  Even though both cake pans went in the oven at the same time, the Teflon dark angel cake pan's chiffon cake baked way faster than the aluminum cake pan.  Since I do not want to disturb the oven by opening the oven door to lower the temperature to avoid deflation of the chiffon cake, one of them is a bit over done. 
But both tasted just good.

(Teflon dark angel cake pan chiffon cake)

 (Aluminum angel cake pan chiffon cake)
(Need to pound the cake pan a bit more before baking to avoid bubbles.)

Mixing with the commercial grade mixer was great, but I noticed I need a bit more practice to gauge when to stop and making sure all the egg whites are equally whipped.  The volume of the cake compared to the last chiffon cake I made - lost 1 inch in height.

** Some of you requested the copy of my Pandan Chiffon Cake ingredients ratio that has been working out best without adding the baking powder, here it is or you can visit:
http://rockdavinci.blogspot.fi/2013/05/pollys-pandan-coconut-chiffon-cake.html

INGREDIENTS:
7 large egg yolks           *eggs are Kirkland brand (COSTCO's) brown organic Large eggs

60 g Ultrafine sugar or regular granulated sugar

60 ml pandan juice, from 12 pandan leaves - Processed in juice processor and blender

125 ml thick coconut milk, from 1 grated coconut - Processed thru juice processor (View previous blog or video)  http://rockdavinci.blogspot.com/p/recipes-slide-show.html

125 ml vegetable oil

***160 g Home made pastry flour
                         *Shift first, then, weigh it.  *See note at the bottom of this page.

7 large egg whites

1/4 tsp salt

110 g Ultrafine sugar or regular granulated sugar

METHODS:
  In a bowl, whisk egg yolks, 60 g sugar, pandan juice, coconut milk, vegetable oil in a bowl just to incorporate them.   Add flour and mix well, but do not develop gluten.  Set aside.

Preheat oven to 160'C or 325'F for 1 Chiffon.   (350'F for 2 Chiffons in the same gas oven.)

In a separate clean bowl, whip egg whites.
As it starts to foam, add salt.
Add 110 g sugar in slow stream and whip till stiff peak is formed - Medium speed - about 8 minutes.
Fold the egg whites into the egg mixtures in thirds. 
Mix well with whisk then, spatula.
** Mix gently but thoroughly - the mixture should be shiny without any egg whites bits left.

Fill the Angel Food cake mold, tap down the cake pan firmly on a solid surface to release any trapped air bubbles.

Bake for about 50-55 minutes (depending on your oven's BTU) *Check at 45 min for color on the top and slight separation of the cake from the side of the pan and color.  
*Be ware that Teflon coated Angel Food Cake pan would brown lot faster than the aluminum cake pan and takes less time to complete the baking.  

Remove from oven and gently tap the pan again once.    Immediately turn the pan upside-down - use cups or drinking glasses to elevate the pan, if necessary, or invert the cake pan over a baking sheet on cake pan's own footings and let cool completely.
( There will be some shrinkage.)
When completely cooled, set it right side up and use a plastic knife to loosen the cake all around.
Remove cake from the pan, slice and serve.
This cake formula can be used to make various shaped cake and frosted.

HOMEMADE PASTRY FLOUR RATIO:
185 g AP Flour + 90 g Cake Flour   Then measure 160 g and add to the mixture

Vietnamese Cold Noodle Salad

Another one of my favorite Vietnamese dish is the rice vermicelli salad.  Like Japanese cold noodle salad, it is garnished with fresh vegetables.  The testing is on the dry rice vermicelli I purchased. 
   
 Would this rice vermicelli really work?  that is the question.
 Cook shreddred chicken in your favorite chili flavored sauce.  Set aside.
In the same pot,  Add lots of green onions and chili and garlic.  Stir fry to bring out the flavor and aroma.  Mix in the chicken.  Combine.  Turn off the heat and set aside.
 Steam the hydrated rice vermicelli in the Steamer basket.
 Cool with luke warm water.  Strain.  Serve.
I found out that as soon as the rice touched the cold water, it turned plastic like texture.  Unpleasant.

 Serve with Nouc Cham and drizzle with some plum sauce.

Result:  I do not like this brand of rice vermicelli.  Keep on looking.   I've seen some in the frozen section.  Maybe those will work out better?

Fried Sesame Balls























Grilled Chicken Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

I tried to make the grilled marinated chicken fresh spring rolls, and it turned out quite tasty. 
Marinade sliced 1 large chicken breasts in the following after mixing 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/8 cup water, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 1Tbsp brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp chopped ginger.   Taste and adjust ingredients, then, add sliced chicken breast.  Marinate covered for 20 minutes in refrigerator.
 If you have a stove top grill, brush the grill with olive oil, grill the chicken.


 Prepare the rolls:  Dip the rice sheet in water for 3 seconds in warm water and transfer to a flat surface.  Place leafy lettuce, mint leaves, Thai basil leaves, grilled chicken, pickled carrot shreds (thinly julienned carrots in sushi vinegar for 30 min); roll it up.
Serve with Nouc Cham or spicy peanuts chili sauce or Harissa mixed with rice vinegar.

Viet-Namese Fried Spring Rolls - Gia Gio

 I spent most of the month of June, relaxing and enjoying the free Saturday.  Trying to recuperate from the end of school, and testing in my kitchen.  Visited quite a few restaurants.  Gia Gio (jia-yo') is one of my favorite food.  While living in S. Viet-Nam, my family patronize this shop in Cholon at least once a month.  Crab Gia Gio is their specialties.  It's nothing like this skinny looking fried 'egg rolls' that are presented here in the Asian restaurants.  It's pretty sad that improvisation of ingredients has changed its original form.  Some says, "as long as it's edible, and taste good, what does it matter?"   Well, it matters a lot because it's just not the same.  But after a few testing, my conclusion is that the effort in making it is a lot of fun.  The experience brought many flavor memories.  One of this day, I would like to visit Viet-Nam again.   Who knows, may be the restaurant is still there in Cholon.
The rice paper sheet to make the Gia Gio are make from tapioca and rice.  You will find several brands in the Asian market; however, I don't think they are quite the same as the one we had back in Viet-Name.  They are too thin.  I finally found one that says for Gia Gio instead of fresh spring rolls rice sheet. The turn out is much better, of course, but it didn't turn out the way I remembered.  But it was close and far better than the ones I tried over a year ago that when fried, the rice sheet seems like fried 'plastic'.
This is a testing, so, please don't follow, but the Ingredients are cooked crab shredded with  fingers.  Carrots thinly julienned, some black mushrooms thinly julienned, rice vermicelli << I think that's the problem.  It's a wrong type.  Salt and pepper.
Dip the rice sheet into water 3 seconds and place it on a flat surface.  Place the filling and start rolling into the cigar shape.  Set aside.
 Heat vegetable oil - medium low.  Fry gently till the rice sheet wrap is golden. 





Serve with Nouc Cham and fresh leaf lettuce
To make dipping sauce:  I don't like to put lime juice in mine, so, it's Japanese Rice Vinegar - 1/4 C; 1 tsp nouc mum - fish sauce, thinly julienned carrots, shakes of chili flakes; add teaspoon of sugar to taste.  Add more sugar until the right sweetness is obtained.  Add some salt to taste.

To eat:  wrap the Gia Gio with leaf lettuce and dip in nouc cham.   Enjoy!

Tip: The challenge to wrap the fillings snugly, and add the correct rice vermicelli type.