Author: Caterina Borg, Good Food Gourmet
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Demystifying Dacquoise and Japonais
The first time I learned about this lovely soft and crunchy base that can be used as a cake layer was in culinary school. I was taught that dacquoise (pronounced dak-waz) incorporated almond flour and the other similar version called japonais (pronounced zha-po-nay) used hazelnut flour…but it’s a little more complicated than that. The term…
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Rock ‘n’ Roulade
The roulade is another one of those baked items that is so very versatile, and everyone should have a great recipe to use that comes together quickly and easily…and this is one of those recipes. A roulade is what is called a good ol’ jelly roll here in the USA and even though in most…
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St. Honore Cream Puff Cake
There are so many really great French inspired desserts that don’t get nearly enough attention in the USA, and one of these examples is the St. Honore cream cake. The cake is named after St. Honore (Honoratus) who just happens to be the French patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs. This classic dessert that…
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Peach Melba Sauce
I’m glad to say that I wear the title of fruit fanatic with great pride….I’ve always loved fruit. Having spent my first few years in Brazil, our family doctor encouraged my parents to feed us as much fruit (especially papaya) as they could. My parents didn’t know then just how good for you papayas were,…
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Cannoli Cream Cake
I’m one of those people who just thinks of eating a cannoli and simply falls into a coma of dessert ecstasy…you know what I mean, that crispy, fried exterior shell filled with a ricotta custard cream lightly scented with a little oranges zest and trimmed with shards of dark chocolate at both ends…just heaven. It…
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Red, White And Blue Kettle Corn for Your July Fourth!
Kettle corn is a guilty pleasure that I was introduced to here in the USA. It was brought here by Dutche settlers in Pennsylvania in the 18th century and was a treat sold at fairs and other festive occasions. Traditionally the corn, oil, sugar and salt are cooked together in a cast iron kettle which…
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Safeway BBQ Battle, 2012, Washington DC
I’m a huge fan of BBQ, and since finding out about the Safeway BBQ Battle last year from my friend Donna, I enjoyed it so much that hope to make it a summer event to enjoy every year. Yesterday, we attended the first of a 2-day BBQ Battle that brings competitors from around the country…
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Éclair Cream Cake
In my daily research for new food and desserts recipes, I always come across interesting things that I can’t wait to try. One such thing was called an éclair cream cake which involved some graham crackers cookies placed in the bottom of a deep dish pan and then topped with a vanilla pudding mix, then…
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Caramelized Crepe Napoleons
As a Pastry Chef, I’m always trying to come up with new ways of serving and presenting new or traditional desserts. When I had to come up with a few new ways to serve up some beautiful Summer berries, I knew I wanted to do a layered dessert. I didn’t want to use the traditional…
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The Pavlova Meringue Cake: Serving Up A Slice of History
Meringue-type desserts are one of those things that are not often seen in the USA. I’m not talking about the occasional meringue topped pies that we are all familiar with…I’m talking about desserts such as the French dacquoise (pronounced da-kwa) and japonais (pronounced zha-po-nay) commonly used in European pastry shops. If you are not familiar…