Next Issue:
Septermber 9, 2010
"'Cajun Country"
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Bridal Registry
| Samantha L. Davis & Jeff Hoesing Sept. 4, 2010 Rachael Cox &
Nicholaus Ohde Oct. 2, 2010 Bethany Crane &
Evan Bassler May 28, 2011 Access our Registry
on our website!
www.cooksemporiumltd.com |
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Fruits at their Finest!
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Fruits,
with their natural sweetness, are always an appropriate finish to a
meal or the ideal answer to a sweet craving. Add a bit of pastry to the
fruit, and the moment becomes even better! Classic fruit desserts such
as cobblers, crumbles, and crisps, are effortless preparations meant to
be assembled quickly without any fussiness. The results are simple and
simply divine.
IN THIS ISSUE,
we acquaint you with some of our favorite traditional fruit desserts.
You'll be prepared to visit the market in search of the season's best
harvest of fruits and to begin baking. Baking dishes have never been
more colorful or versatile; we'll advise you regarding some of our best
recommendations, and why they rank high on our list. We conclude with
three classic recipes that provide a sweet finish to any summer
occasion. |
Saturday Morning Demonstrations
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WELCOME! Our Saturday morning cooking demonstrations resume on Saturday, September 11th. Cooking demos begin promptly at 10:00am each Saturday. Class fee of $5. Pre-registration is not needed. Please note that seating is on a first-come basis. We suggest early arrival for best seating.
Click here for our full Fall Cooking demonstration schedule.
Saturday, September 11 - Demo at 10:00am
Coney Island Sauce with Margaret
Welder.
This is my recipe for the "Coney Dog" sauce. Keep it in a crock pot so it would work nicely for game days. A change from grilled burgers.
Saturday, September 18 - Demo at 10:00am
Dinner and Drinks: Cooking and pairing Dishes with Beer with Jeff Irvin of Olde Main Restaurant.
Join Jeff "Puff" Irvin, Head Brewer, and Chef Aaron Vetter of Olde Main Restaurant & Brewing Co. as they prepare Chicken Tortellini and Meatball Sliders this day.
Saturday, September 25 - Demo at 10:00am
Fall Family Meal with Karen
Davis.
Just in time for your fall gatherings, Karen brings us an easy family menu that starts with a refreshing Peach Iced Tea and features Warm 'n Cheesy Ham Sandwiches. She'll round out the meal with S'more Sandwich Cookies.
Saturday, October 2 - Demo at 10:00am
Homemade Pasta & Ravioli with Marg
Junkhan.
There are as many variations of ravioli as there are cooks in Italy. Two different fillings - a cheese filling and a chicken filling - will be featured today.
Saturday, October 9 - Demo at 10:00am
Lentil Salad and Vegetable Gratin with Beatriz
Spalding.
The fall vegetable gratin will include vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant from the farmer's market. Gratins can make a whole meal when accompanied by some cheese, crusty bread and wine!
Saturday, October 16 - Demo at 10:00am
BBQ at its Best with Jason &
Jenny Berg, Owners, Smokin' Caboose BBQ and Catering of Ames.
Nothing brings out flavor like grilling.
If you missed our first outdoor grilling demo you're not going to want to
miss this one. Big taste and easy-to-make recipes you can do right at
home, or take to a tailgate. Meanwhile, visit them at www.smokincaboose.com
Tuesday October 19th - Knife Skills Clinic - 6:00 pm - Learn basic knife skills, as well as the
different blade shapes and their uses while Clarke Stone, Wusthof®
 representative, prepares something for you to sample. Each participant
will receive a FREE Wusthof® paring knife. Pre-registration and
pre-payment required. Please contact us to reserve your space as soon as
possible. Space is limited. Cost is $40.00
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Le Creuset Special!
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Fantastic Finales - Classic Fruit Desserts
| Generations
of cooks before us have been combining summer's fruit bounty with their
culinary imaginations; we've been left with a rich legacy of wonderful
fruit desserts. The names of the different concoctions are intriguing
and entertaining all by themselves! Make a few of these fruit and pastry
combinations and you'll discover distinct personality traits in each --
all worthy of a repeat performance.
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Better Bakers
| Today's
Le Creuset stoneware bakers not only offer a beautiful variety of
color, they have a sturdy composition that makes them endlessly
versatile in today's modern kitchen.  Like
Le Creuset's classic enameled cast iron and enameled steel products, Le
Creuset stoneware is meant to last and become a classic heirloom in
your home.
Practicality -
Baking in stoneware provides even, steady heat to the food. Unlike
metal pans where the bottom and edges burn before the center is done,
stoneware absorbs and distributes heat more slowly at first and retains
heat longer after baking. The quality glaze of Le Creuset stoneware
provides a naturally non-stick surface.
Versatility- Le Creuset bakers feature All-in-One versatility. Bake, slice, serve,
and store all in one dish. Reheat your dish in the oven or microwave
the next day. The specially formulated stoneware is tempered to
perfection that allows it to perform at high temperatures, up to 500°F,
and store at 0°F freezing temperatures. The bakers move easily between
the refrigerator, freezer, oven, table, microwave, broiler, and finally
dishwasher.
Durability -
Le Creuset's bakers are further distinguished in quality by their
durability assessed in several ways. The firing and glazing processes
create an "even" piece of stoneware. This means that Le Creuset bakers
are resistant to chipping and scratching. The hard glaze refuses to
stain, or absorb odors or flavors. Together, these characteristics
provide a safer cooking scenario and easy clean-up routines.
Style-- A distinctive feature of all Le Creuset products are the bold,
beautiful colors of their glazes and enamels. Choose from several sizes
of bakers in the same hue, or mix-and-match your bakers across a variety
of colors. The classic glazes and smooth stylings of Le Creuset bakers
provide a graceful, ready-for-the-table presentation. Each baking dish
is styled with handles that are easy to grasp even with thick hot pads
or mitts; this allows for greater confidence when transferring a
finished dish from a hot oven.
Le Creuset,
as a company, has a rich and colorful history. Begun in 1925, Le Creuset
started with their classic enamel-on-cast-iron French oven - a classic
still today.  This
quintessential pan was the result of an expert in iron casting and
another expert in enameling meeting and combining their talents. The
company flourished and became the standard in culinary tools. During
WWII, the factory in Northern France was co-opted by the German
Wehrmacht for the making of grenades. After the war, it was back to
business and a renewed flourishing of their enameled cast iron products.
Le Creuset also produces quality stoneware products, and
enamel-on-steel products. The first color, an orange known as "Flame,"
is still a classic. Other distinctive Le Creuset colors include Kiwi,
Caribbean, Cherry, Black Onyx, Cobalt, Dijon, White, Dune, and two new
colors, Lilac and Cassis.
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Smart Cobbler & Crisp Making Tips
| Tip #1:
 When transferring a frozen, filled baking dish to the oven, begin with a
cold oven and allow the dish to heat as the oven preheats. Lengthen
baking time to accommodate defrosting. Check the center of the fruit
dessert or casserole for doneness with an instant read thermometer.
Tip #2:
For crumb toppings calling for oats, choose regular oats.
"Quick-cooking" oats may absorb the fruit juices too quickly creating a
mushy crumble instead of a crispy crumble.
Tip #3:
Check your collection of hot pads and oven mitts for holes or thin
spots. Ensure kitchen safety with potholders that protect but are not
too thick or clumsy. New fabrics and styles are available that provide
insulation yet allow for greatest dexterity when handling hot items.
Tip #4:
At the risk of stating the obvious, a scoop of a rich vanilla ice cream
is the perfect accompaniment to a fruit cobbler or crisp. The warm
cobbler with the cold ice cream is a great sensation along with the
complementary flavors.
 Tip #5:
Choose a baker for your cobbler or crisp that matches the volume of
your recipe. Fruits will release their juices and bubble up during
baking. Allow enough space at the top to avoid an oven spill.
Tip #6:
For a presentation variation, use individual ramekins or au gratin
dishes to bake your fruit dessert. Take care not to overfill and serve
on a charger while still warm.
Tip #7:
Le Creuset's enameled cast iron French ovens will also turn out perfect
cobblers and crisps. They have the added advantage of being useful on
the stovetop for making slumps and grunts.
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Q & A's
|  Q: Do I need to peel the fruits used in my desserts?
A: This
is a matter of personal preference and the quality of the fruit being
used. Tough skins will soften during baking. Most stone fruits, for
example, nectarines, plums, and apricots, will not require peeling. You
may wish to peel apples based on their variety, age, and your desired
results.
Q: The fruit dish was delicious, now what's the best way to clean the baker?
 A: The
sugar in fruit can caramelize along the edges during baking potentially
challenging clean up. Simply fill the baker with water and allow to
soak for a while until any residue is softened. Unless glazed all over,
including the bottom, it's advisable not to fully immerse bakers in
water; just fill the inside when soaking.
Q: My baked fruit dessert was very runny and juicy when finished. How can I get it to "set-up" better?
A: Fruits
vary in their water content and in their pectin content. Pectin is a
natural plant component that when released from the fruit causes the
juices to gel. Common fruits high in pectin include apples, plums,
currants, and citrus fruits, Low pectin fruits include apricots,
blueberries, cherries, peaches, strawberries. For low pectin fruits, add
a tablespoon of cornstarch to every 2-3 cups of prepared fruit.
Q: What is crazing?
A: Crazing,
in the context of ceramics, appears as a fine spider web of cracks on
the baking dish. Crazing represents cracks in the glaze and is
undesirable in several ways. Cracks in the glaze may hold food and not
clean well leading to an unsanitary condition. Crazing is often a
precursor to cracking of the entire piece of pottery. Choose quality
ceramics that resist crazing.
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Cookbook Review
| Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More
by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, copyright © 2009. Published by
Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Photo credit: Sara
Remington © 2009. Available from http://www.tenspeed.com
A Gourmet Magazine Cook Book Club Selection
James Beard award-winning chef, Cory Schreiber, and
Portland's Baker & Spice, Julie Richardson
 This
charming book showcases a year's worth of fruit deserts in every way
imaginable. Organized by season, the authors walk us from the orchard
and berry patches, to the oven, and on to the table. Whether a crisp or a
crumble, or a cobbler or slump, the recipes highlight fruits at their
seasonal best. Each recipe begins with an opening context that puts the
dessert into perspective while highlighting the accompanying pastry
technique. We are schooled toward success in achieving the right crumb
or batter consistency for each pastry type. The close-up photography is
sumptuous and mouth-watering. We were reminded of fruit desserts from
our grandmother's table and simultaneously treated to the latest trends
in fruit and pastry desserts. Overall, a delightful addition to our
summer!
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Three Classic Fruit Desserts
| Nectarine, Boysenberry and Almond Crisp
View & Print
The
toasted almonds dancing on the top of this crisp were our favorite part
of this summer dessert. The deep purple of the berries dominated the
color of the crisp, but the dual flavors of the nectarines and berries
paired beautifully in flavor and taste. The author recommends baking
this crisp in a shallow baker to improve evaporation of these two very
juicy fruits.
 Apricot Raspberry Cobbler
View & Print
Part
cake and part biscuit, the cobbler batter pushes its way up through a
generous heaping of apricots and raspberries. The result is a luscious
collage of cake and fruit in every spoonful. The fruit juices released
during baking form a perfect sauce for the cobbler. A scoop of vanilla
ice cream would fit nicely on top of this dessert.
 Double-Crusted Pluot Crisp
View & Print
If
you can't get enough of the crispy topping on your fruit dessert, this
recipe is for you. There's a double dose of streusel, one on the bottom,
and one on the top, that vies for center stage in this crisp. While
pluots, (a plum and apricot cross), are featured in this version, nearly
any stone fruit or combination of fruits would be absolutely perfect
with this crust.
Reprinted with permission from Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More
by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson, copyright © 2009. Published by
Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
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