Chocolate Decals

Chocolate Decals

Abstract: Decorations are an integral aspect to creating cakes worthy of celebratory events. One example of cake decoration is the chocolate decal which employs melted chocolate to create designs. Once hardened, chocolate decals become simple yet beautiful forms of cake decoration capable of elevating a simple cake to higher standards.

Introduction:
Cakes in and of themselves have the potential to be sweet, delightful desserts. By the addition of decorations, a cake can be elevated beyond a simple dessert into a complex and fantastic confection. Decorations should not only create visual appeal, they should also add complementary textures and flavours. Several types of decorations exist which can be used alone or in conjunction with others.

The simplest form of decoration is the addition of fruits, berries, nuts, or other natural additives such as confectioner's sugar or coconut flesh. These decorations are the best for the at home chef with limited decoration knowledge. As long as the basic flavour profiles of the decorations agree with the cake, such pairings result in impressive, yet easy decorations. For example, strawberries on a pound cake would be successful whereas tomato upon almost any cake would not.

Icings are a perfect pairing for the above decoration category. Their application creates a tasty mortar for fruits and nuts. A basic icing of whipped cream can be created with ease, although they are not ideal for piped decorations. However more complex icings such as buttercream, Swiss meringue or ganache, can also be made which are for suitable for decorations. A Swiss meringue buttercream combines the sinful buttery-ness of a buttercream with the strength of whipped egg whites yielding an icing that is delicious yet more resilient to heat when hand piping. However icings must be handled through piping bags as they are too malleable for molding and prolonged skin contact.

When molding is necessary, fondant is one medium frequently used. Fondant is made mostly of sugar and water with additives to form a dough. The dough can then be rolled out to create a seamless, smooth cover or cut and molded into flowers, or small effigies. The professionalism that fondant lends the final product contributes to it's overwhelming use in wedding cakes and other professional cakes. When compared in the taste arena, fondant is drastically lacking and an be described as "gross" or "blegh." Luckily fondant uses buttercreams as an adherent so the fondant may be stripped away. But if a decoration must be removed, is there truly a point in using it?

This leads to the final category of chocolate and sugar decals. Chocolate and sugar can be melted down and poured, piped, or molded into the desired decorations. Final products can look stunning and professional if done properly and also gives texture to the finished cake. Such confections require experience and patience as the mediums can be highly finicky.

One type of chocolate decoration is the piped decal. Decals involve piping chocolate into designs onto wax paper and allowing them to harden. Multiple colors are easily introduced adding depth and character to the finished decals. The designs can be applied to cakes to create beauty and give the delicious crunch of chocolate when eaten.

The authors believe decals should be in the repertoire of any cake decorator. Chocolate is a flavour complementary to the majority of cakes that will also allow for a textural crunch upon consumption. With practice, incredibly detailed decorations can be made that will cause exclamations of "You made that?!" and "How did you make that?"

Materials and Methods:
Chocolate:
Bakers chocolates and candy melts can be employed. To melt, an appropriate amount of candy is placed in a microwave-safe bowl and heated on high for 10sec intervals. After each interval, the bowl is removed and the contents stirred until a homogenous, smooth, paste has formed.

Piping bags:
Piping bags can be purchased from decoration stores or built. The authors used wax paper to fabricate piping bags although parchment paper would serve well. A piece of wax paper is torn and cut into long triangles. The paper is then rolled into a cone with a fine tip and filled with candy. Once folded or twisted closed, the tip is trimmed to provide the appropriate diameter.

Figure 1: Proper folding of piping bags. A) A piece of parchment or wax paper is cut to form a scalene triangle with a right angle. B) The lower corner of the paper is folded up to create a cone shape. C) The cone is rolled from the remaining paper.

Discussion:
To begin the decal, it was essential to first select an appropriate design. As the authors were hosting a party to view Game of Thrones, sigils from the TV show were used. The authors selected Stark, Targaryen, and Baratheon. Stark was chosen on the basis that both authors are born "northerners" and that it is the most engaging and "awesome" house thus far. Targaryen was chosen because dragons as sigils are viewed as "bad ass." Lastly Baratheon was chosen to introduce the season's newest sigil in a tasty manner.

Once chosen, images of the sigils were searched on the world wide web and adjusted to the correct size by zooming in or out (Ctl+ or Ctl-). Paper was then placed over the computer monitor. This strategy converts a computer into a light box which is ideal for tracing images. While free-styling decal application is acceptable, tracing creates the most professional results.

If the image is achiral, which is to say symmetrical, the next step is unneccessary. However if the image is chiral, the following step is important in image continuity. Using a blank internet browser page as a white light box, the image was traced from one side of paper to the other. The correct side (that which was traced from the first tracing) was marked with an x to ensure the proper side was used. The decoration apparatus was assembled which consisted of a pan, or cutting board, the tracing taped down (correct side up), and wax paper taped on top. The apparatus must be flat, but also be able to be moved into a 4-8°C environment at need.

One colour at a time, the authors melted both dark chocolate (Baker's), and candy melts (Wilton). Candy melts consist of white chocolate with colouring and additives which make them melt uniformly and set as if tempered making them ideal. First, dark chocolate was used to pipe the outline of all three decals and fill in any portion that was darkly coloured. The piping tip was kept fine for the Targaryen sigil due to the intricacy but enlarged for the other sigils to speed up the process. The coloured candy melts were then melted one at a time and used to fill in any coloured panels. The authors only had access to red and white candy melts, so additional colours were created with Wilton icing colours. Between colours, the decal apparatus was placed in the fridge to allow for the chocolate to set. The finished decal was allowed to set at 4°C for 10min.

Figure 2: Creating chocolate decals. A) The desired image is shown along with the tracing created. B) The reverse tracing is marked by a small x on the paper to differentiate the correct side from the original tracing. C) Correct assembly of the decal apparatus consists of a cookie sheet, followed by the tracing, and a final covering of wax paper. D) Tracing with chocolate is shown partially completed. E) The decal with completed dark chocolate is shown. Areas inside the decal to be filled with red candy melts.

Once chilled, the decal was flipped over and the wax paper was gently peeled off to reveal the final design. The decal was set in the middle of the cake, which was iced with cream cheese frosting. Shredded coconut was used to decorate the sides and as a decorative border.

Figure 3: Finished decals. The completed decals are displayed on yellow cakes iced with cream cheese frosting. Coconut creates a border and adorns the sides of the cakes. The decals of Barathean (R'hllor) (A), Stark (B), and Targaryen (C) act as central decoration elements.

All three decals were very close replicas to the source material. The Targaryen decal was simplified because the original decal was highly detailed but the simplification did not detract from the final appearance. The Baratheon decal suffered from being chilled too long. By the time the orange colour was applied, the cooling had caused the chocolate to set and lift from the wax paper. Consequently the chocolate border was less defined and the orange colour leaked underneath.

Overall, the use of Baker's chocolate with candy melts was successful but the two substances were not 100% compatible. Further decals would be better made from only candy melts or only Baker's chocolate to avoid differences in temper and hardening. Colouring the candy melts was also an aspect in which improvements could be made. The icing colours used are water based and therefore an oil-based colour would have distributed more evenly into the melted candies. 

The chocolate decals were well received by party goers. The authors found the decals to be delightful visuals and enjoyed the texture, especially when chilled. The finished decals brought a chorus of "You made those??" Which the authors enjoyed immensely. After considering the reward for minimal decorating effort, this technique proved to be well worth mastering.

Acknowledgements: The authors thank Louella Braganza for her generous contribution of candy melts. The authors also thank George R.R. Martin for the source material and HBO for artistic interpretation of the source material.

Carrot Cake

Carrot Cake: The icing inversion effect

Abstract: Cupcake dogma states that icing must rest above the cake portion of a cupcake in such a proportion to be pleasing to the pallet. By challenging the placement of icing, a muffin-cupcake hybrid can be produced. The inversion of icing allows for ease of transportation of a muffin, while keeping the decadence of frosting.

Introduction:
The addition of fruit or sweet vegetables into cake batters is a very old form of providing a sweet flavour in desserts. During Medieval times, carrots or beets, both rich in sugar, would be used as natural sweeteners during a time when sugar was regarded as a rare commodity. Once sugar was readily available to the average consumer, cakes utilizing carrot were less common until they made a resurgence during WWII. The rationing of food such as tinned carrots forced the home chef to become more creative resulting in the rise in popularity of the humble carrot cake.

Today, carrot cakes can be readily identified based on decoration. The cake, iced in white, is decorated with piped carrots which are ridden by small baby carrot jockeys. These baby jockies tend to sport mohawks and ride in the nude. Such decoration are often considered "tacky" and "weird" by the general population and are part of a decoration movement know as Cake Wrecks. Cake Wrecks refer to a decorated cake, professionally made and paid for, which is unquestionably poorly decorated.

Figure 1: Carrot cake decoration. Typical "Wrecky" decorations of carrot cake are demonstrated. Nude babies with styled mohawks (A) ride carrot steeds (B) on a bed of cream cheese frosting (C).

The traditional icing used to both ice and create the frosted carrot steeds of the baby jockies is a cream cheese frosting. Cream cheese itself is a mild, unripened cheese with a tangy flavour and high fat content. Although seeming to be a simple cheese, the production of cream cheese must be highly regulated to ensure a uniform product. In the milk used to begin the process, negatively charged proteins surround fat molecules creating small inclusions, or micelles, which are hydrophillic. When the bacteria responsible for fermentation are added, the pH begins to drop and the proteins shift from negatively charged to a neutral charge. With a shift in charge, the fat micelles also become hydrophobic, causing coagulation. If the process is not halted here, the charge of the proteins shift to positive and the coagulated mixture returns to a liquid state.

Normally, a carrot cake will benefit from the tangy cream cheese icing which is artfully used to cover the cake. Inside, the cake crumb is slightly denser than other cakes with a coarser crumb, and slightly colored by the carrot. However transportation of a whole cake or cupcake as a lunch product from the home can be difficult. The icing design is likely to be compromised during travel, and become smeared onto the carrying container, ultimately resulting in a loss of icing and a shift in the icing to cake ratio. Without the icing, a carrot cake lacks the luxury and resembles a bread, such as banana bread, rather than a true dessert.

By inverting the icing and placing it inside the cake, the issue of transportability and storage of carrot cake is resolved, while maintaining the ability to enjoy cream cheese frosting as well. With icing internalized, there is also no possibility of a Wreck-y carrot jocky being employed. In addition, the authors added a crumble to the surface which adds both texture and the psychological need for a cake to be topped by sweet embellishments.

Materials and Methods
Batter
A dry mix of ingredients is combined which is compromised of 2 1/4 cups flour, 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, and 3/4 tsp salt. Separately, the wet ingredients are also combined by mixing 2 large eggs, 3/4 cups water, and 1/3 cup oil. Wet and dry ingredients are whisked together until just combined. Now the final ingredients of 1 cup grated carrot and 1 cup rolled oats are folded in.

Icing
A brick of cream cheese is briefly melted in a microwave for approximately 40sec to loosen the texture. 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or paste are stirred in to sweeten and flavour the icing.

Crumble
To form a crumble, 2 tbsp butter or margerine are melted and mixed with 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, a dash of cinnamon, and enough flour to create a crumbly mixture. Additional oats, sugar, or spices may be added to taste.

Discussion:
To form the cupcakes, batter was scooped into cupcake liners to fill them halfway. At this point, the icing is inverted by added a large dollop on top of the batter. Cupcake liners were then filled to the 3/4 full mark with additional batter which covered all icing. Crumble was applied to the top. The cupcakes were baked in a 400°F oven for 20min.

The ensuing cupcakes were not without merrit, although room for improvement was evident. To begin, the addition of oats caused the batter to be slightly too dry. The authors originally added oats because of the textural improvement they often lend to cookies and crumbles. In future attempts, oats would be left out of the batter. The crumble added a delicate crunch to the cupcakes and helped psychologically categorize the cupcakes into cupcakes rather than muffins. The use of vanilla paste aided in the icing's visual appeal with the speckled effect lent from vanilla seeds (See Figure 2B). Most importantly, the inverted icing allowed for ease of storage at 8°C and eliminated the time consuming step of frosting and decorating the cupcakes. From another view point, this also meant that the visual attraction of frosting was not available although in the authors opinion it was an acceptable loss.

The authors attempted the baking process in two ways. The first was to bake the muffins in a standard cupcake liner placed in a muffin tin. The second was to bake the cupcakes in silicone robot molds. The robo-molds were slightly larger and square in shape. Most notable in the differences, apart from cooking times, were the air expansion in the icing inversion. In paper liners, there was an influx of air from the baking reaction that became trapped in the icing inversion. The air pocket created a small cavernous space within the icing (See Figure 2B). In the robo-molds, the influx of air was dissipated by an unknown reaction (Data not shown). The absence of an icing cavern allowed for a more dense, moist cupcake. The silicone in the robo-molds also allowed for clean and easy release from the molds whereas the paper liners in the muffin tin could be difficult to remove.

Figure 2: Cupcake assembly and baked results. (A) Assembly of the icing inversion is shown. Progression is demonstrated from left to right in ascending order. First a layer of batter is topped with a dollop of icing. This layer is then covered, before a sprinkling of crumble is applied. (B) The final cupcake using paper liner is dissected. Arrows indicate vanilla bean seeds. The build up of air is indicated by the icing cavern. (C) Robo-molds are shown before filling. (D) The final cupcakes using robo-molds are shown.

Overall, with the removal of oats, the authors believe icing inversion in carrot cupcakes is a feasible replacement for carrot cake that can be consumed on the go. The dense crumb combines nicely with the sweetened cream cheese icing and contrasts well with the crisp crumble. The resulting cupcake may be described as "yummy" or "really quite tasty."

Acknowledgements:
The authors thank KingArthurFlour.com for the base recipe upon which this recipe was based. By extension we thank Pinterest for providing the link to the cupcake inspiration at King Arthur Flour. We also thank Amelia Walker for her generous contribution of robo-molds.

Meyer Lemon Pie

Meyer lemon pie: the subtractive addition by omission of meringue

Abstract: A lemon pie was made similar to a lemon meringue pie but with marked differences. Meyer lemons were used as a lemon flavourant while the meringue was removed completely. This resulted in a superior lemon pie product.

Introduction
The flavour of lemon has been enjoyed in dessert applications far back into medieval times. The tart acidity and bright flavour of the lemon makes it ideal for refreshing the palate after heavy meals. While many strains of lemon exist, it is the Eureka strain which is most often found in grocery stores. However, the popularity of the Meyer lemon has been on the rise in recent history due to it being featured by popular cooks, notably among them, Martha Stewart.

The Meyer lemon differs from the Eureka lemon in not only taste but appearance as well. The Meyer lemon is slightly smaller, notably rounder, and has a more rich yellow color tinged with orange. This is because the Meyer lemon is a hybrid of lemon and mandarin. This cross also yields a more deeply colored juice which is sweeter and therefore more pleasant to many palates. Although this variety is grown in the United States, crops were briefly abolished in the 1940's after it was discovered that the strain of Meyer lemons being grown were symptomless carriers of a citrus virus which wrecked havoc among other citrus producers.

While the flavour of the Meyer lemon is delicious in flavoured sodas and drinks, a thickener is necessary to make it suitable in pies. In a gelatinous form, the most commonly used thickeners are egg yolks which create a sabayon, and starches which create a curd. While both thickeners are good carriers of flavour, egg yolks are temperamental to work with and require careful tempering when using hot liquids. In contrast, starches are much less fussy although they do require supervision during the cooking process. The best known household starch thickener is corn starch, which is relatively new to the cooking scene. Until the mid 1800's, corn starch was used exclusively in industry and starching of clothing and linens. This starch unravels and collides together upon the application of heat, to form a gelatinous mesh. The base of cornstarch and water is a blank canvas onto which both savory or sweet flavourants can be applied to form gravy, stews, or pies.

Lemon meringue pie is a commonly known pie throughout North America. Although the lemon filling is generally accepted as "fantastic," the meringue is divisive among consumers, including the authors. Therefore the authors set out to create a meringue-less lemon curd pie to celebrate the lemon flavour while eschewing the egg-y sweet meringue fluff. By combining the subtly sweeter flavour of the Meyer lemon with the thickening power of corn starch, the authors were able to create a pie so delectably scrumptious that the cloying meringue was completely unnecessary.

Materials and Methods
Crust
For the creation of a pie crust, 1 1/2c. flour is mixed with 1/4 tsp salt. Then 2/3c. fat (half shortening, half butter) is cut into the crust using a pastry cutter. To bring the dough together, 1 egg and 1 tbsp of Meyer lemon juice are whisked together and quickly incorporated into the dough until a ball forms. The dough is then incubated at 4°C for a minimum of 1h or longer.

Blind baking
Once rolled and applied to a pie pan, the crust is blast chilled in a freezer for 10min to set. It is then blind baked at 400°F for 10min, then an additional 15min at 375°F. In order to properly blind bake, the crust is first covered in foil, and the center is weighted down with pie weights (beans, rice, or pie weights sold in stores). To avoid the crust forming bubbles, small holes are punched into the bottom of the crust with a fork. The crust is cooked for an additional 10min at 375°F without the foil and weights to dry the crust before it is allowed to fully cool.

Figure 1: Blind baking pie crusts. (A) The apparatus of blind baking is displayed diagrammatically. Crust is laid in the pie platter, with tin foil layered on top. The tin foil is then weighted down with pie weights (dry rice). (B) The proper timeline of blind baking is illustrated. Above are incubation times, while below are corresponding incubation temperatures. BB stand for blind baked, meaning the blind bake apparatus should be applied during the indicated incubation periods.

Lemon curd
To form the curd, 1 1/4c. sugar is whisked together with 1 1/2c. H2O, 5 egg yolks, 5 tbsp cornstarch, and 1/16 tsp salt. The slurry is heated over medium heat while constant whisking is applied until it thickens to a custard-like consistency (approximately 10min). The base is then strained to remove any corn starch or egg clumps. To finish, 1 tbsp Meyer lemon zest, 2 tbsp unsalted butter, and 1/2c. Meyer lemon juice is stirred in.

Discussion
Crust construction was well done, resulting in a crisp golden yellow crust that was ready for consumption once filled. The curd was added immediately following its completion and allowed to cool for several hours at 4°C. However one slight change was made to the curd before it's completion; an extra 1/2c. Meyer lemon juice was added to enhance the lemon flavour and remove some of the pure sweetness of the sugar.

Once sufficiently cooled, the pie was sampled by the authors. The curd had a markedly tart acidic flavour which the authors found "delightful" and "succulent". The crust had a flaky consistency which contrasted well with the custard-like filling. In addition the ratio of curd to crust was harmonious in achieving textural contrast in the mouth. However there was an aspect that could have been improved upon. The final consistency of the curd was looser than what is normally seen due to the addition of extra lemon juice. In future recreations, the authors would likely employ only 1c. sugar in the curd with the recommended 1/2c. lemon juice. Alternatively, arrowroot could also be used in place of corn starch at a ratio of 1:1. Arrowroot will keep it's gelling capacity at lower pH's whereas cornstarch looses some potency in such situations.

In comparison of the final product with it's companion, the lemon meringue pie, the authors believe there is no contest in the superior product. The omission of meringue allows for the enhanced sampling of lemon without the textural oddity that is whipped egg whites. The Meyer lemon flavour also added a more complex note with hints of orange flavour that a Eureka lemon lacks. In conclusion, the authors found that the subtraction of meringue in a lemon meringue pie is actually an addition of flavour and enjoyment.

Figure 2: Meringue-less Meyer lemon pie. (A) Meyer lemons, bought at a local grocery store. (B) Complete Meyer lemon pie. The curd becomes fully set, held in by a golden flaky crust.

Croquets

Croquets: The incorporation of both ham and potatoes by frying

Abstract: Due to the recent completion of my Masters degree, and the giant ham in my fridge, I have opted to explain via scientific paper format how to properly combine ham and potatoes with hot oil to make dinner.

Introduction: The cooking of dinner often combines the classic flavour of potatoes with a meat such as ham. Applications involving both ham and potatoes are frequently successful in developing flavour which can be classified as "yummy." One simple way to increase yummy-ness is by the addition of hot oil for cooking. However how to combine these ingredients is often debated in the scientific community. Many believe that the ham should be kept in large pieces or slices while this manuscript posits that finely minced ham can also be used to create deliciousness in the form of a croquet.

The ham itself is a major contributor of flavour to the dish. Ham can be purchased in such varieties as Maple, Smoked, or Black Forest to name a few. Each will subtly alter the final flavour of a croquet dish and must be chosen to suit the pallet. Be sure to note that the ham flavour will permeate the oil used for cooking so if maple ham is used, subsequent food items cooked in the same oil will develop maple flavour qualities. But what of the origins of ham? The word ham is a derivation of the old English word hom meaning the bend of the knee. Although North Americans associate ham with a specific cut of pork, the word itself indicates a cut of meat from the thigh or hind leg of an animal. Deli hams bought in a standard grocery store are cured pieces of pork, ready for ingestion which have been flavoured by a variety of methods from wet cures to smoking.

A major component in binding the ham within the context of a croquet is the potatoes. Although close to 4000 varieties of potato exist, selecting a potato, like ham, is done according to personal preference. The authors commonly use red skinned potatoes in culinary applications. The starchy tuber is a domesticated crop seen throughout international cuisine. It's origins can be genetically traced to a crop originally cultivated in what is now Southern Peru approximately 7,000-10,000 years ago. However, this genetic purity does not come without a cost which became apparent in the Great Irish Famine caused by a late blight which wiped out the majority of potato crops.

In order to hold the ham-tastic-ness, now consisting of both ham and potatoes, a shell is created using Panko break crumbs. The bread crumbs form a crispy contrast to the soft filling of deliciousness. Panko was chosen in order to maximize the textural contrast from shell to filling. Regular bread crumbs, being created from stale bread, are small and boulder shaped leading to easier compaction. On the other hand, Panko is irregular and jagged in shape leading to less compaction and increased surface area to oil frying creating a more crisp surface overall.

In this manuscript, the authors combined ham with potatoes. Once combined the mixture was fried with it's shell of Panko bread crumbs which lead to a dinner full of yummy-ness and deliciousness.

Materials and Methods:
Mashed potatoes: Potatoes were peeled and chopped into medium size pieces and boiled until fork tender. Note that any green potato flesh was discarded as this is an indicator of high Solanine content which is toxic. Once tender, they were processed using a ricer, although a masher would work equally well, into a smooth potato mash. No additional salt, butter, or cream was added as the ham contributes enough salt.

Ham: One large piece of ham (cured) was cut into small cubes. Cubes were then processed into a crumbly mixture which can be formed into a loose ball by hand. Processing done using a Cuisinart food processor generously lent by Sarah Lawrie et al.

Discussion:
In order to create a successful filling, ham and mashed potatoes (as described in Materials and Methods) were combined by hand mixing in a large bowl. A smoked variety of ham was used. Ham to potato ratio may vary according to taste. For one large ham, 8 red potatoes were used. The mixture is then bound by the addition of eggs. The exact number will vary with total volume of the reaction. For the given reaction, 3 eggs were necessary to fully bind the mixture into moldable balls. Spices were added at this point. The authors included smoked paprika and cracked black pepper. Amounts are variable according to taste. Balls were formed to the approximate size of baseballs (2-3 inch diameter) and set aside.

Meanwhile, breading stations where assembled. This was constituted by one bowl of Panko bread crumbs and one bowl containing eggs and a splash of water beaten with a fork. Breading was done by immersing one ball of ham-potato reaction into the egg solution. Once all sides were covered, the ball was removed and rolled in the Panko bread crumbs. Excess bread crumbs were shaken off and the ball was set aside for frying.

Figure 1: Assembly of croquets. (A) Main ingredients for culinary assembling of croquets are displayed. From left to right: mashed potatoes, Panko, finely diced cured ham, eggs. (B) The potato-ham-egg reactions are rolled into balls, size bar indicated 2.5 inches. (C) Breading stations for croquet assembly. Panko and egg wash in bowls are next to four rows of ham reactions. The upper two rows have been processed through the breading stations while the lower two have not.

In a pot, oil was heated to medium-high heat. By using a vegetable oil, a neutral flavour was maintained while making use of the high smoke point to avoid burning. Acceptable heat was determined by dropping a flake of Panko into the oil and checking for formation of bubbles. 4-5 coated ham-potato reactions were added to the oil at a time and cooked until all sides were golden brown. Balls were then removed onto a cooling rack lined with paper towel for excess oil drainage.

Figure 2: Cooking of croquets. (A) Ham reactions coated in Panko are lowered into heated oil for cooking. (B) Finished croquets, being drained of excess oil.

The final result was a smooth ham-potato filling inside a crisp layer of bread crumbs. The authors feel that dinner was both yummy and delicious.

French Sushi

Hi guys!

Remember that time I started a blog, then failed to update it for...oh say, a year or so? As it turns out I have been Mastering (aha ahaha ahahaha I'm so funny) a whole lot of science since I posted last. I'm now nearing the end of my Masters and am successfully wasting time writing a thesis among many other time wasting things I find essential like watching Chuck, and desperately looking for news on The Hobbit production. Turns out I also have a penchant for, what I will call on this public access blog, choreography-based fitness and acrobatics so much so that when I'm not in the lab I am at the studio teaching students to fling themselves wildly around the studio equipment. Which means that when I am home between my two jobs, I am putting in time with the man who is my fiance-but-will-soon-cross-into-husband. So here I am, attempting to update my blog in a bid to not make it look so sad.

When I told my fella what I would blog about he said "Does that even count as a recipe?" To which I reply yes. Yes it does. No, this recipe doesn't call for long periods of simmering or careful addition of ingredients in just the right order but it's easy to make and terribly tasty so I say who cares!

Due to Andrew's rampant seafood allergy and my rampant seafood dislike, sushi is not really an option. But it's so terribly trendy looking, and you know what's like seaweed paper? Crepes. And you know what's like fish? Ham. It's a bit of a stretch but just hang in there with me, ok?


What you need
Crepes (from Canadian Living)
1 1/3c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 1/2c. milk
1/4c. melted butter

Filling
deli ham
mozzarella
asparagus

Putting it all together
Make the crepe batter by mixing the flour and salt in one bowl and 2 tbsp of the butter with the milk and eggs in a second bowl. Combine the two and strain (if you feel fancy) then let sit in the fridge for 1h. This way you get rid of a lot of the bubbles you just mixed in and you end up with a heavy, delicious batter.

Get yourself a crepe pan or any large-ish pan with a flat bottom and non-stick coating set to medium heat. Brush the pan with the exrta butter and pour in just enough batter to coat the bottom of the pan thinly. Let it cook until the edges are golden brown and the middle is set. Flip the crepe and cook on the other side for about 30sec. I hear some people don't even cook the other side, but I just do...for funsies. The crepes can be made ahead and refrigerated until ready for assembly.

In a pot of boiling water, cook the asparagus for about 4-6min depending on how crunchy you like them to be. Once cooked, immediately put them in ice water to cool so they keep their color and texture. This is called blanching. Also grate some cheese. I used mozza but really with so many cheeses to choose from, just go nuts!

To assemble, lay out a crepe and layer in 2-3 slices of ham. Sprinkle with cheese and add 3-4 stalks of asparagus. Roll up the crepe and sprinkle with extra cheese. Then pop it in an oven (at lets say 350F but who really cares?) until the cheese on top is melted and the crepe is crispy.

Then feel free to slice and pretend you're eating the best french sushi of your life!