Ten Years of Culinary Excellence
Ten Years of Culinary Excellence
A Dutch shopkeeper figures out how to squeeze the fat out of chocolate. His son makes cocoa powder better, his grandson turns it into a global brand, and an English chocolatier puts the fat right back in to invent the chocolate bar. From cocoa powder to white chocolate, discover the inventions, accidents, and science that changed chocolate forever.
Chocolate begins with a strange tropical fruit, a pile of fermenting seeds, and a farmer who knows when to leave things alone. Follow cacao from the rainforest to the chocolate maker’s grinder, discovering the science, the people, and the decisions that turn bitter seeds into one of the world’s favorite foods.
Discover how chemists learned to imitate fruit, why banana candy doesn’t taste quite like bananas, and how to add flavors to chocolate without ruining it. From Victorian pineapple sweets to Circus Peanuts and bubble gum, this lesson explores the strange history and science of candy flavoring.
The French Cruller is a masterclass in physical leavening, utilizing the rapid transition of water to steam to create its signature airy, “honeycombed” interior. This technical deep-dive explores the hybrid history and precise culinary science required to transform traditional pâte à choux into a perfectly glazed, fried masterpiece.
The Science of Chocolate chip cookies explored – with the “why” and “how” to make your own recipe version just the way you like.
Fudge History Fudge is an American invention: most stories claim that the first batch of fudge resulted from an accident when a cook made a bungled batch of caramels. One of the first documentations of…
To understand why your sugar-based candy, fudge, or icing isn’t coming out the way you expected, you have to understand how to control the crystallization of sugar. This post does that (with yummy science).
Scones – the amazing Scottish, English, and Irish teatime treat – are now an American breakfast staple. Americans enjoy their scones much sweeter than overseas (and without the clotted cream and jam) and the recipes are slightly different as a result. This post explains the how and what of making excellent American-style scones.
Choux has the reputation for being difficult, but it’s surprisingly simple. Master this easy recipe and you can make many pastries most bakers are scared to try. Pipe logs and fill with pastry cream for eclairs, pipe dollops and sandwich with whipped cream or ice cream for cream puffs and profiteroles, mix it with cheese and herbs for savory gougères, deep fry it for churros, French cruller donuts, choux beignets… you can do a lot.
Recipes: Chocolate Mousse; Chocolate Souffle; Chocolate Garnishes; Sachertorte; Double Chocolate Torte with Mousse and Raspberries; Chocolate Lava Cake,