Monthly Archives: May 2011

Crazy for Custard

A spoonful of maple custard will make any day better.

I know some people who turn up their nose at custard, thinking it suitable only for teething kids or seniors with denture issues.

They must be mad.

I don’t know about you, but a creamy, silky, custard is what I call one of life’s little pleasures. The moment your spoon breaks the top and scoops up some of that smooth, eggy goodness, you know you’re in for a happy mouthful.

The other good thing about custards is that they make for a fine way to use up extra egg yolks left over from baking an egg white-laden angel food cake.

In fact, that’s what prompted me to make these lovely “Maple Custards” from the classic cookbook, “Chez Panisse Desserts” (Random House). It’s by Lindsey Remolif Shere, who was the opening pastry chef at Berkeley’s Chez Panisse, before she left to open the absolutely wonderful Downtown Bakery and Creamery in Healdsburg in 1987. If you’re ever in the area, you must visit it.

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New Whole Grain Pasta and A Food Gal Giveaway

New 100% Whole Grain Pasta. (Image courtesy of Golden Grain)

We all know we should be including more whole grains in our diet for added fiber and nutrients.

Golden Grain just made that easier to do with the launch of its new 100% Whole Grain Pasta. This is one case where you won’t need a science degree to figure out the ingredients list on the back of each box, either. There’s just one ingredient: durum whole wheat flour.

The Whole Grain Pasta comes in four varieties: angel hair, spaghetti, penne and elbow macaroni.

Contest: One lucky Food Gal reader not only will win four boxes of the 100% Whole Grain Pasta (one of each type), but also a Cuisinart Chef’s Classic stainless steel four-piece, 12-quart pasta/steamer set.

Win samples of the new Whole Grain Pasta, plus this nifty pasta/steamer cooking set.

Entries for the contest, open only to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST June 4. Winner will be announced June 6.

How to win?

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The Fifth Taste — In A Tube

The taste of "savory'' in a tube.

You’ve no doubt had the experience of trying something so irresistible that you wished it could be bottled and sold?

Laura Santtini, a British cook, has done essentially that with her #5 Umami Paste by capturing the delectable “fifth taste” and putting it into a tube.

As you know, sweet, salty, sour and bitter comprise the four basic tastes we experience on our palate. But more than a century ago, the Japanese discovered what they hail as the fifth taste, otherwise known as umami. It’s often described as “savory” tasting and reflected in ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, anchovies, mushrooms, cured pork, aged beef and miso soup.

Santtini’s #5 Umami Paste created a sensation last year when it was released in the United Kingdom. This year, it’s finally available on our shores at Dean & DeLuca, where a 2.46-ounce tube is $6 or at ChefCentral for $5.99. For the best deal, Fresh & Easy stores (with locations in the South Bay), are featuring it at the special price of $3.49 until July 6. I recently had a chance to try a sample.

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Celebrating Strawberries

A simple way to show off spring strawberries.

I like my berries naked.

Truly, when they are juicy and perfectly ripe, I don’t need them draped in any adornment. I don’t even need a bowl. I just plop them in my mouth au naturale with pure abandon.

But sometimes, I do get tempted to dress them up just a bit for company.

“Strawberry Galette with Basil Whipped Cream” has the perfect look for me. It’s more the understated Calvin Klein of strawberry desserts, rather than the Versace version with over-the-top embellishments.

It’s from the new “Martha Stewart’s Pies & Tarts” (Clarkson Potter), of which I recently received a review copy. The cookbook, from the editors of Martha Stewart Living, contains 150 recipes for fruit-filled goodies, from old-fashioned favorites to more modern fare.

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Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti Visits the South Bay & More

Meet Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti. (Photo courtesy of the chef)

Meet Pastry Chef Emily Luchetti in Campbell

Emily Luchetti, award-winning pastry chef of Farallon and Waterbar in San Francisco, will host a pastry demo and a book-signing at 6 p.m. May 26 at the International Culinary Center of  California in Campbell.

The center is operated by the French Culinary Institute in New York, of which Luchetti recently became a dean.

Luchetti will be signing copies of her new cookbook, “The Fearless Baker” (Little, Brown and Company), at this free event. Attendees also will get a chance to find out more information about the center’s Classic Pastry Arts class, which begins June 2.

RSVP to the event by calling (415) 781-5700.

Waterbar offers four-legged friends complimentary treats.(Photo courtesy of the restaurant)

Free Doggie Treats Courtesy of Emily Luchetti

Speaking of Emily Luchetti, she’s now providing complimentary treats to pooches who are hanging out on the Waterbar patio in San Francisco with their two-legged owners.

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