The last 48 hours have been rough. I fell victim to the infamous 24 hour flu and was sick in bed. I had just enough energy to sleep, sip water, take Tylenol, and pray that my fever would break. Thankfully, after 30 hours of slumber, I emerged from my feverish haze as good as new, perhaps a bit peckish. Okay, make that famished. I barely ate anything but my appetite has not yet return. I hope I’ll be back to 100% soon so I can resume my active and food-friendly lifestyle.
In the mean time, I’ll share with you a couple of dishes I tested last week for upcoming publication of America’s Test Kitchen. A couple of years ago, I signed up to be a recipe tester for Cook’s Illustrated magazine. Recipes would arrive at my inbox occasionally and I would provide feedback after testing. Sometimes I would see an incarnation of the recipe appearing on newsstand a few months later. Sometimes not. But it’s all in good fun. I try to follow the recipe as close as possible and that means no ingredient substitution or using my usual technique.
Being a recipe tester is not always easy. The dish of Vegetarian Bean Enchiladas is a good example of when I can provide feedback promptly. First, it is vegetarian and not too heavy on simple carbohydrates. Unlike most enchiladas recipe, its judicious use of cheese and lack of greasy ingredients mean it already easily fit in my eating style. There are only a few non-pantry items for me to track down including guajillo chile, corn tortillas, and Monterey Jack cheese. The only change I made was to make three small casseroles instead of a large one. I absolutely enjoy the umami-boosting soy sauce and dried shiitake mushroom in the mole sauce. They may not be typical in enchiladas but they certainly are staples in my kitchen. Although this was my first attempt at making enchiladas, I felt at ease with the recipe and very happy with the result.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the gluten free coffee cake recipe was one that I sat on for months. I was really excited when I first received the recipe but my heart sank as soon as I read the list of ingredients. Xanthan gum I could easily find despite a bit pricy. But King Arthur Gluten Free All Purpose Flour is not available in Canada. I tried to locate it during several trips to the US but unfortunately my small town excursions proved to be useless. I finally bought a box after a recent trip to Chicago.
Why the insistence on a specific flour blend? Well, not all gluten free flour blends are created equal. If you look at the ingredients closely, you’ll notice that each brand has its own unique mix of flours. Bob’s Red Mill is widely available in Canada and I used it with much success previously for making banana bread. However, it is a bit heavy and has an unmistakable beany taste. Definitely not something I want for coffee cake.
See that delicate crumb of the coffee cake? I couldn’t believe my eyes nor my taste buds when I tried this coffee cake. It rose to great height and tasted exactly as a coffee cake should with subtle hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, and buttery pecans. There was absolutely no strange aftertaste. Even though I could not send my feedback in a timely fashion, searching for the specified ingredient was totally worth it.
Do you go to great lengths to follow a recipe exactly as written?
