WEEK TWO OF SCMG SUNDAY
Pictures + an update on rules
So this week's challenge, as I announced last week, was dark chocolate soup with cinnamon-pound cake croutons and ice cream. And it went... okay. Surprisingly. See, this was one of those recipes that has that certain note saying something along the lines of this: "Stir and do this and this.... BUT IMMEDIATELY TRANSFER RIGHT AFTER THIS HAPPENS OR IT WILL F-ING BURN.
Ahem. Yes, this is obviously an overexaggeration; but these kind of recipes always put me so on edge that I usually just opt to make some culinary-affectionate cookies- the ones that will always love you no matter how much you stir its dough or drop in a forgotten ingredient (for me, it's usually eggs) later than you should have.
However, a deal's a deal and, quite frankly, the soup looked delicious in the picture. As it happens, it did indeed turn out fantastically good with a rich, creamy texture (look at me, trying to be a food-snob judge from Iron Chef, haha), but I had my scares. The first came when I had just created the "caramel" of the recipe, when it's supposed to be boiling and turning into a different color (yes, this was the moment I was talking about above) and I have to then transfer and quickly stir in half-in-half. Just I was pouring in the half-in-half, it hissed, and the liquid caramel shot up and made this souffle... thing that I couldn't stir. I thought I had actually screwed up the recipe, and kind of stood there in shock wondering what I should do. Luckily, the caramel melted and broke apart in the pot when I heated it, so that returned me from panic-mode to normalcy. Then I had a little bit of impatience when the chocolate was melting, as the soup didn't look oh-so-pretty and "SCMG" as it was in the picture- part of this was due to my suspicion that I used normal expresso powder as opposed to instant. Anyways, the soup was pretty darn yummy, just really rich- a true chocolate-holic's dream :)
The pound cake I made the day before for the croutons. A very good recipe, but took a little longer than the book said it would. The author said I could have just bought one, but that would go against one of my new rules below....
The cinnamon-croutons before I put them in the oven. They would have been great without the soup, too.
Aaand the soup itself. Yes, it's blurry, and trust me, I'm beating myself up over it. Hopefully next week, I'll be able to photo shop my pictures to make them as appeasing as they really are :D
Family Rating: 4
So, I know I should put this in the original post- and I will someday...- but I have added some new rules. They are as follows:
1. Anything that Jill O'Connor suggests I could make myself, I will make myself. Especially if she includes the recipe in her book. For example, for the pound cake croutons above, she said I could buy a store-bought pound cake or make my own, then proceeded to tell me her "favorite recipe". Needless to say, I followed the rule. The only exceptions to this rule will be if it requires something I don't have that is way too expensive. Take the flours she suggests- she says that almond flour can be made myself using a food processor, but neither I nor my family are willing to buy such a hefty investment. So, for the sugars and flours, I will stick to store-bought unless I can find another way...
2. I will mostly go in the order the pages go, but I am allowed to go ahead for a recipe/make more than one in one day- if it's for a special occasion. You see, my family hosts Easter every year-and, since it's Sunday- I will be making this these couple of recipes (meant to be together) for appetizers, and make this one dessert for my aunt's traditional "Coffee Club" we have... That's all I'm going to say for now ;) Also, there's the matter of the very last recipe of the book. I'm thinking of having a little party with a couple of friends once this is done, and the last recipe, it's... Well, it looks mouth-water-worthy, of course, but it's more of a snack. And I figure: If I'm gonna actually do this, I wanna go out with a bang. So, I will personally save a dessert from the book that I'll keep secret from everybody until I make it xP
3. Some of the recipes can be eaten on say, Monday instead of Sunday if the recipe calls for it This is because some of the recipes call to be left overnight; one in particular says that the sauce has to wait two weeks to fully "ripen" in flavor. This also goes for baking the day before or so as well. Basically, the point is this: when it's not both, there will be either baking or eating on Sunday, but there will always be pictures :)
4. The last I can think of... I am allowed to skip a few Sundays if it's absolutely necessary. I've signed up for a Japanese exchange program in the summer (fingers crossed, hopefully I get in!), and right after that, I'll be going to Hawaii for my grandparents' fiftieth anniversary ( :] ), thus missing from home a few Sundays. Of course, I'll be committed to this every time humanely possible, but I believe I'm entitled to have a life too xD
That's all.... Next week: Churros with "Outrageously Thick Spanish Hot Chocolate"
Bye! <3
So this week's challenge, as I announced last week, was dark chocolate soup with cinnamon-pound cake croutons and ice cream. And it went... okay. Surprisingly. See, this was one of those recipes that has that certain note saying something along the lines of this: "Stir and do this and this.... BUT IMMEDIATELY TRANSFER RIGHT AFTER THIS HAPPENS OR IT WILL F-ING BURN.
Ahem. Yes, this is obviously an overexaggeration; but these kind of recipes always put me so on edge that I usually just opt to make some culinary-affectionate cookies- the ones that will always love you no matter how much you stir its dough or drop in a forgotten ingredient (for me, it's usually eggs) later than you should have.
However, a deal's a deal and, quite frankly, the soup looked delicious in the picture. As it happens, it did indeed turn out fantastically good with a rich, creamy texture (look at me, trying to be a food-snob judge from Iron Chef, haha), but I had my scares. The first came when I had just created the "caramel" of the recipe, when it's supposed to be boiling and turning into a different color (yes, this was the moment I was talking about above) and I have to then transfer and quickly stir in half-in-half. Just I was pouring in the half-in-half, it hissed, and the liquid caramel shot up and made this souffle... thing that I couldn't stir. I thought I had actually screwed up the recipe, and kind of stood there in shock wondering what I should do. Luckily, the caramel melted and broke apart in the pot when I heated it, so that returned me from panic-mode to normalcy. Then I had a little bit of impatience when the chocolate was melting, as the soup didn't look oh-so-pretty and "SCMG" as it was in the picture- part of this was due to my suspicion that I used normal expresso powder as opposed to instant. Anyways, the soup was pretty darn yummy, just really rich- a true chocolate-holic's dream :)
The pound cake I made the day before for the croutons. A very good recipe, but took a little longer than the book said it would. The author said I could have just bought one, but that would go against one of my new rules below....
The cinnamon-croutons before I put them in the oven. They would have been great without the soup, too.
Aaand the soup itself. Yes, it's blurry, and trust me, I'm beating myself up over it. Hopefully next week, I'll be able to photo shop my pictures to make them as appeasing as they really are :D
Family Rating: 4
So, I know I should put this in the original post- and I will someday...- but I have added some new rules. They are as follows:
1. Anything that Jill O'Connor suggests I could make myself, I will make myself. Especially if she includes the recipe in her book. For example, for the pound cake croutons above, she said I could buy a store-bought pound cake or make my own, then proceeded to tell me her "favorite recipe". Needless to say, I followed the rule. The only exceptions to this rule will be if it requires something I don't have that is way too expensive. Take the flours she suggests- she says that almond flour can be made myself using a food processor, but neither I nor my family are willing to buy such a hefty investment. So, for the sugars and flours, I will stick to store-bought unless I can find another way...
2. I will mostly go in the order the pages go, but I am allowed to go ahead for a recipe/make more than one in one day- if it's for a special occasion. You see, my family hosts Easter every year-and, since it's Sunday- I will be making this these couple of recipes (meant to be together) for appetizers, and make this one dessert for my aunt's traditional "Coffee Club" we have... That's all I'm going to say for now ;) Also, there's the matter of the very last recipe of the book. I'm thinking of having a little party with a couple of friends once this is done, and the last recipe, it's... Well, it looks mouth-water-worthy, of course, but it's more of a snack. And I figure: If I'm gonna actually do this, I wanna go out with a bang. So, I will personally save a dessert from the book that I'll keep secret from everybody until I make it xP
3. Some of the recipes can be eaten on say, Monday instead of Sunday if the recipe calls for it This is because some of the recipes call to be left overnight; one in particular says that the sauce has to wait two weeks to fully "ripen" in flavor. This also goes for baking the day before or so as well. Basically, the point is this: when it's not both, there will be either baking or eating on Sunday, but there will always be pictures :)
4. The last I can think of... I am allowed to skip a few Sundays if it's absolutely necessary. I've signed up for a Japanese exchange program in the summer (fingers crossed, hopefully I get in!), and right after that, I'll be going to Hawaii for my grandparents' fiftieth anniversary ( :] ), thus missing from home a few Sundays. Of course, I'll be committed to this every time humanely possible, but I believe I'm entitled to have a life too xD
That's all.... Next week: Churros with "Outrageously Thick Spanish Hot Chocolate"
Bye! <3