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Cream Puffs

Cream puff dough, called "choux paste," has only four basic ingredients: water, butter, flour and eggs. Like all simple recipes, the trick is to get the preparation right. The water and butter should be cooked together fast, on moderately high heat, so that the butter melts quickly, before the water evaporates. It helps to cut the butter into pieces. The water is needed during baking � the oven heat changes it to steam that makes the pastries puff.The next step is to add the flour and salt all at once and stir the ingredients until a cohesive mass forms and comes away from the sides of the pan. A sturdy wooden spoon is a big help because the dough will be stiff.Some recipes suggest adding the eggs at this point, but it is better to wait a few minutes. Adding eggs to hot dough can cook them slightly and the dough won`t rise well. Wait two to three minutes to let the paste cool down a bit. Then add the eggs quickly, one at a time. It might seem time-consuming, but it actually is easier to incorporate each egg than to mix them in all at once.You can store the dough for a couple of hours. Rub the surface with butter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. It is best to use the dough immediately, though; the pastries come out bigger, puffier and crispier.You can make cream puffs in various sizes. Most typical are 3 inches when baked. One recipe of dough will yield about 12 to 15 pastries. As an alternative, you can form the pastry into tubes (for eclairs), or ovals (to make whimsical swans), or very small mounds of dough (that bake into profiteroles).To puff properly, the dough needs immediate heat � preheat your oven.Once they`re baked, cream puffs sometimes deflate and soften because of uncooked dough inside. To prevent sogginess, pierce the baked puffs, then place them in the turned-off oven to dry out. Some small amount of moist, uncooked dough still might remain. It`s important to slice the puffs when they`re still warm and remove these portions.After cream puffs cool, you can fill them with whipped cream, custard or ice cream. Because these fillings are moist and can soften the pastry, do not fill the puffs until you are ready to serve. You can be creative with the fillings by tucking in a few fresh raspberries or blueberries; sliced, sugared strawberries; or perhaps a bit of chopped, crystallized ginger, some crushed toasted almonds or shaved chocolate. Frostings are not needed. A sprinkle of confectioners` sugar is glamorous enough.Changing the dough to make Gougeres is a cinch: simply add the grated cheese and herbs after you mix in the eggs. Gougeres usually are made profiterole-size. They are delightful served hot (you can reheat frozen ones in a 400-degree oven for a few minutes), but you can split them and stuff them with savory fillings such as shrimp salad or curried egg salad. These are wonderful for cocktail hors d`oeuvre.Paris-Brest is no more than a large, continuous ring of choux pastry. The mounds bake together to form a ring cake. The top is brushed with some beaten egg to give it a shiny finish, and sprinkled with sliced almonds for extra flavor and crunchiness. When fully baked, the top of the cake is sliced off to open the inside for filling. Paris-Brest, like regular cream puffs, may be filled with pastry cream, whipped cream or ice cream, with or without the addition of fresh fruit.

Chimichangas
ChimichangasSee instructions for folding under "." Place completed burritos in a deep fryer heated to 350?F and fry them until golden brown. Hold the burrito down with long handled tongs so that it does not open up. (Upload by user)

Enchiladas
EnchiladasSee instructions under "." (Upload by user)

Coconut
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Cooking on a seasoned plank
Cooking on a Seasoned PlankSoak a 1 inch thick hardwood plank in cold water overnight. Weigh it down, so every surface soaks. Dry it well and rub with oil. Place in a 350 degree F oven for an hour. Once seasoned, follow as directed in recipe. A trough around the edge will catch meat juices; other (Upload by user)

How to select and prepare shrimp
ShrimpNever overcook shrimp. An easy way thing to remember when cooking shrimp is to use the "C O Method". When boiled or steamed, shrimp are cooked when they curl to form the letter "C". Shrimp are overcooked when they curl to form the letter "O". Over cook (Upload by user)

Milk
Milk, ScaldedPlace milk in a heavy bottom pan over low heat. Stir occasionally until milk is just hot with steam and small bubbles appear around the edges. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and use as directed in recipes. (Upload by user)

Eggs, boiled
Eggs, BoiledPut eggs into a pot (avoid aluminum as it will darken) and cover with cold water. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the pot to a boil over high or medium high heat, then lower the heat and simmer. Depending on the size of the eggs, they will need to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes for sof (Upload by user)

Cherimoya
CherimoyaSeed and pur?e to use in sauces, salad dressings and sorbets. They are at their peak in December, but are available through the early spring and sporadically throughout the summer. (Upload by user)

Spinach
SpinachRemove the stems of the spinach by hand before cooking. Steam the freshly washed and stemmed spinach by placing the spinach with its clinging water droplets in a large pot or wok. Cover and cook, stirring often. The water on the leaves is usually enough to steam cook the spinach. (Upload by user)

Marzipan roses
Marzipan RosesMarzipan (available at local grocery or gourmet market     make sure marzipan is pliable before you buy it)Gel paste food coloring (color desired for roses)Green gel paste food coloring (for petals)Plastic glovesTint the marzipan to de (Upload by user)
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Pizza, grilled
Pizza (Grilled)To grill pizza, turn your grill into an outdoor oven. First, build a fire for indirect heat cooking: For a circular charcoal grill, carefully push the hot coals to the perimeter of the fire bed; for square or rectangular charcoal grills, push the hot coals into half of the (Upload by user)
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Chihuahua cheese
Chihuahua CheeseMozzarella or Monterey jack may be substituted for this cheese. (Upload by user)
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Chile paste
Chile PasteFry chiles in a little canola oil until they just begin to darken and become fragrant. Or you can toast the chiles by placing them in a 275 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes or until they become fragrant; but do not allow them to scorch.After frying or toasting the chil (Upload by user)
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Chile powder
Chile PowderRoast whole dried chiles in an ungreased, very hot cast iron skillet, shaking the pan from time to time to avoid any scorching. This only takes a little under a minute. Remove the chiles from the pan, let them cool enough to be handled, and break them apart. Discard the stems (Upload by user)
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Chiles
ChilesTo roast and peel chiles, cut a small slit in the chile close to the stem end so that the steam can escape. Put chiles on a baking sheet and put directly under the broiler or on a screen on the top of the stove. They can also be plunged into hot canola oil to loosen the skins. (Upload by user)
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Chili powder
Chili PowderChili powder is NOT chile powder. Chili powder is a blend of ground chiles along with other spices. A good commercial brand is "Gebhardt�." (Upload by user)
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