at solstice time I tend to be off with my frequent-flier
friends, most likely in Alaska.
Where you can undoubtedly find similar meals.
And, even in some of the outer outposts, as
fancy as one could possibly want.
another park on the bank of the Yellowknife River.
I wonder how the skeeters are; are they big
enough to spatchcock and barbecue?
Despite the jokes they are not huge, just numerous. This year was
especially bad due to record breaking frequent rainfall all month and
so lots of puddles and standing water, which is why we stayed in
town this year.
When our van broke down on the road to Teller a
few years ago, they were pretty big as well as
numerous. The ladies, safely closed in the cabin,
swore they heard the creatures slamming into the
windows trying to get some variety into their diets.
Of course all the guys were outside trying to be
mechanical (and failing, of course).
(fiddling mostly), dancers (jigging mostly) and drumming.
Which al got moved indoors as well due to the continuous rain all
that week. The events were held inside the unused curling arena,
twin pad hockey arena and the field house (indoor soccer field).
Useful at times to have all-season facilities, but
certainly not the same vibe. We've had to play
outdoor holiday concerts in alternate venues, and
it's better than nothing, but just.
Which can be kind of fun.
Not my style of entertainment all but I go along with it to be
sociable.
It's less painful no doubt than some of the
stuff I've had to attend for the same reason.
Those gatherings are always dry.)
Oh; scratch that one off the list.
One can always pre-game.
One can, or, safer, post-game.
Title: Embury's Old Fashioned
12 parts American whiskey
1 part simple syrup
2 ds Angostura bitters
Certainly an old-fashioned Old-fashioned.
Perfect P˙te a Choux (aka Cream Puffs)
Categories: celebrity, breads, ingredient, old-fashioned
Yield: 72 (1 1/4 to 1 1/2") appetizer-size puffs
1 c water
1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 ts table salt or as needed
1 c all-purpose flour, sifted
4 lg eggs
h - Egg Wash
1 lg egg yolk
3 Tb whole milk
Puffs can be made a few days ahead of filling, but
they do tend to soften - even the usually crisp outer
shell, and even if contained only after completely
cool. However, the good news is: puffs can quickly be
restored to their original crispy-ish consistency, as
I prefer them, by placing them for a few min in a 400F
oven. Just be sure to cool the puffs completely before
filling.
Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the
oven to 400F. Generously butter two 15 x 10" cookie
sheets and then rinse them under cold water (or
alternatively, line the cookie sheets with parchment
paper or silicone mats, and rinse those surfaces).
Shake off any excess water, so only scattered droplets
remain on the cookie sheet surface. Rinsing will keep
the puff bottoms from scorching in the oven; plus,
some say the added steam put off by the evaporating
water leads to puffier puffs.
Combine 1 c water with the butter pieces and salt in a
3-qt) nonreactive (stainless steel or enamel-coated)
saucepan. Place over medium to medium-high heat and
slowly bring to a rolling boil.
Remove from the heat and quickly add the flour all at
once, stirring well to keep the mixture lump-free.
Adding the flour all at once at the rolling boil
allows the flour to absorb more water, which, in
turn, means you˙ll be able to incorporate more eggs
later. Eggs act as the primary leavening agent in
this recipe, so more eggs and less water result in
puffier puffs at the end of the day.
Return the pan to medium heat and dry the paste by
stirring and smearing it along the bottom of the
pan with your spoon or spatula (again, drying removes
excess moisture, which will ultimately lead to higher-
rising puffs). The drying process may take as long as
7 to 10 min, so be patient and stir regularly to keep
the paste from scorching. When dried to the proper
degree, the paste should cling together in a thick
mass and have a slight sheen from melted butter on
the surface.
Remove the pan from the heat, cool the mixture slightly,
and then beat in the eggs, one at a time. (Note - As a
general rule, I like to first break the eggs into a
separate bowl and remove the chalazae, the white
scraggly tissue that anchors the yolks in the eggs.
If not removed or broken up with whisking, these pieces
can become tough and rubbery upon baking. The easiest
way to remove them is to scoop them out with one of
the broken egg shells.) Stir vigorously to avoid cooking
the eggs upon contact with the hot paste. Cooked eggs
will lead not only to gritty puffs, but also to ones
that are undesirably flat. To keep the mixture thick
and easy to handle, only incorporate the next egg after
the previous one has been uniformly absorbed by the paste.
Turn your batter into a pastry bag fitted with a coupler
(or 1/2" round tip) and pipe 1" mounds, about 2' apart,
on the prepared cookie sheet(s). Alternatively, use a
spoon to portion the paste, though a word of warning -
this is a messy approach that invariably leads to puffs
that are less consistently sized.
For the egg wash, whisk together the egg yolk and milk.
Brush a small amount on top of each puff, taking care to
smooth out any peaks in the dough and to avoid dripping
onto the pan. Drips will cook onto the dough and pan,
and may prevent the puffs from rising.
Bake 20 to 25 min for small appetizer puffs. 5 min more
for larger puffs. Pierce the sides of each puff with a
small skewer in the last 5 to 10 min of baking to dry
the puff interiors as thoroughly as possible. This way,
there will be less soft, fleshy dough to remove from the
insides when the puffs are done. If the puffs seem to be
getting too brown, you can always drop the temperature to
350 to 375F to dry even longer.
Let the puffs cool completely on racks. Split with a
sharp knife and remove any soft dough from the inside
before filling.
Julia Usher, adapted from Madeleine Kamman, The Making of a Cook
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