Gastroanthropology

Sachertorte - Vienna, Part 1

The Sachertorte was invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 and has since become one of the pastry world's classic chocolate cakes. It's essentially a chocolate cake where the layers and sides are covered with a thin coating of apricot jam. The cake is then covered in a rich dark chocolate fondant icing and adorned with a Sacher chocolate. It is always served with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.

The original Sachertorte is only available through Hotel Sacher in Vienna and Salzburg. 

To be totally honest the cake was a bit dry and I found that others feel the same way - it may actually be the reason that whipped cream is always served along side. However, eating the cake at the Hotel Sacher was a wonderful experience, maybe a bit touristy, but totally worth it. Mr. Gastroanthropologist got the Topfenstrudel, a cheese curd strudel. It was like a light airy cheesecake, baked in strudel. 

There is no shortage of sweets in Austria...and I had been dreaming about eating Apfelstrudel in Vienna, like Mozart's wife, since the trip was planned. Available at nearly any restaurant and every bakery... these are from Oberlaa.

It was clear the strudel wouldn't make the trip back to London so I went to the square with Stephansdom or St. Stephan's Cathedral.

In the square is Manner confections, where Knusprige Waffeln or crispy wafers, to enjoy once I left Vienna. They are also called Neopolitan Wafers as the Austrians originally got their hazelnuts from Naples, Italy, when they began making these in the late 1890s. Today, they sell all different flavors and are known to be Arnold Schwarzenegger's favorite treat. 

Schnitzel and other savory Viennese food coming in Vienna - Part 2 in a few days time. 

Molten Chocolate Cake

A biting chill has returned to London today...maybe it never left, but today feels extra cold to me. Hot chocolate is not doing it so I'm going to have to take it one step further. Molten Chocolate Cake. It's actually perfect timing with Valentine's coming up. This cake is all chocolate. A touch of sweet, gooey and warm. The first time I served this at the restaurant when I was working the guest asked to see me. We don't usually go out into the dining room, but he begged so I went out. He told me it was like hot, liquid emotion. The guest actually creeped me out a bit, but he described it just right. If passion was a food, it would be this cake.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

• 115 g unsalted butter
• 115 g dark chocolate (around 70% cocoa) 
• 2 whole eggs 
• 2 egg yolks 
• 50 g sugar 
• 1 tsp strong espresso, cooled (optional) 
• 8 g all-purpose flour  
• pinch of salt 

METHOD

Coarsely chop chocolate and combine with butter in a heatproof bowl. Place over (not touching) barely simmering water in a pot and leave to melt. Meanwhile, beat eggs and egg yolks until frothy. Slowly add sugar, continue to beat until eggs turn a bit pale and are very frothy. Once butter and chocolate is melted stir to combine. Slowly add to egg + sugar mixture while mixing as not to "scramble" the eggs. Add cooled espresso. Once combined fold in flour and salt. Chill the mixture for about two hours. Meanwhile, butter (heavily) and sugar molds.

I used ring molds that are 50mm (about 2 inches) in diameter and this recipe will make four. This also allows for a few small spoonfuls of taste testing of the cake batter. Its basically a dark chocolate mousse and takes an enormous amount of will power to stop from eating all the batter raw. The molds can be found at restaurant supply stores or often at your local hardware store. Butter the parchment as well to prevent any sticking. Fill the molds nearly all the way to the top and bake. 

Bake for about 10 minutes at 350F/ 180C. They will "souffle" up a bit. When they come out of the oven, run a sharp knife around the inside and free the cake. 

Serve immediately.

Eat immediately.

I had the molten cake with a little blueberry sauce I made some time ago. I just cooked a few handfuls of blueberries with a sprinkle of vanilla sugar, splash of water, and squeeze of lemon. A little whipped creme fraiche or mascarpone would be lovely as well.

Mudslide Crackles

SNOW DAY in London!

We burned the midnight oil watching the Superbowl and listening to British sportscasters "explain" football to us as snow fell outside. I fell asleep at half-time and I was certain the snow would be melted by morning. It wasn't. All the buses in London were suspended and huge portions of the Tube lines were closed as well, due to "adverse" weather conditions. As most of the Tube is underground I wasn't sure why they couldn't manage...we have been hearing for days that arctic conditions were approaching. A few inches of snow and London comes to a grinding halt. 

I walked most of the way to where I do some volunteer work Monday mornings only to find that I was the only one there. Seems like everyone was taking advantage of the Snow Day. About an hour later I found my classes for the evening were also canceled so I made my way back home.

Oh, what to do on a Snow Day... bake, of course!

In honor of the snow I made Mudslide Crackles. They are little cookies of chocolate explosion, double dusted with "snow" made of powdered sugar.

MUDSLIDE CRACKLES

• 16 oz semisweet chocolate 
• 2 oz unsalted butter 
• 4 eggs, room temperature 
• 10 oz sugar 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2 oz all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 tsp baking powder 
• 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips 
• powdered sugar for heavy dusting 

METHOD

Melt chocolate and butter over a double broiler. Meanwhile, ribbon sugar and eggs until its thick and pale. Add salt and vanilla. Mix in. Fold the chocolate/butter mixture into the sugar/egg mixture. Gently fold in sifted flour and baking powder. When just combined, fold in chocolate chips. The dough will be loose. Cover directly with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. 

Put about 1/2 cup powdered sugar in a small bowl. Spoon out dough and roll into a ball. Heavily dip one side in powdered sugar. Put on a lined sheet pan, spray or butter the parchment or use a silpat. 

Bake about 7 minutes at 350F/ 180C. As soon as they come out of the oven sprinkle with more powdered sugar, this time using a small sifter. 

I make small, 2-bite cookies, and this batch made about 48, if you like yours bigger, bake a bit longer. I tend to under-bake these as I love them chewy. These would also be great with a little peppermint extract.   

Chocolate Budino

This year I've missed the winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco...its a yearly event with suppliers showcasing everything you've ever seen in food, and always something you've never seen before. But with the powers of blogging I've been able to experience the Fancy Food Show right here, holed up in my apartment flat in London.

One of my favorites at the Fancy Food Show has always been the chocolates and after reading this wonderful post by Lick My Spoon, I'm so bummed I didn't get to go this year. If I did go I would have loved to taste the olive oil truffle and the chocolate covered salt caramels. 

Since I am thousands of miles away from these treats, I'll have to make my own! I have a paper on the Social Sustainability of Organic Farming in California due in a few days time so I don't really have time to make truffles and salted caramels so I'll have to get those flavors an easier, faster way.

Then, I remembered I had book marked a Chocolate Budino Tartlet with Sea Salt and Olive Oil from the A16 Cookbook! Budino is Italian for pudding. Pudding sounds too trivial for this - its thick, creamy, and absolutely divine, so I must call it Budino. The original is a multi-step recipe and for ease and my impatience, I've made some serious shortcuts. It's not in tartlet form and served straight from the ramekin its baked in. The recipe below makes 8 servings. I didn't need that many so I cut the recipe in half.

CHOCOLATE BUDINO WITH SEA SALT AND OLIVE OIL (from A16 Food + Wine)

• 7 oz bittersweet chocolate (60-70% cacao)
• 1 1/2 oz milk chocolate (30-40% cacao)
• 1/2 c whole milk 
• 6 egg yolks 
• 1/3 c sugar 
• 2 c heavy cream 
• sea salt (grey) and olive oil for garnish  

METHOD

Coarsely chop the chocolates and combine in a heatproof bowl, place over (not touching) barely simmering water in a pot, and leave to melt. Meanwhile, warm milk in a small pot over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar, and then gradually whisk in the warm milk.

When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Strain the egg yolk mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the melted chocolate, and stir until combined. 

In a small pot, heat 1 cup of the cream over medium heat just until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and slowly stir the warm cream into the chocolate mixture. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. 

Pour the filling into 8 ramekins (must be able to hold at least 3/4 cup of liquid). Put in a deep baking pan and fill with hot water to come 2/3 up the side of the ramekins. A16 suggests wrapping each with foil, I omitted this step and covered my baking dish with a sheet pan instead. 

Bake at 300F/ 150C for about 40 minutes or until the edges appear to be set and the middle slightly loose. Remove carefully from pan and cool in fridge till ready to serve. Serve with a sprinkle of sea salt and a drizzle of your best olive oil.

Tips - Strain! Strain! Strain! - To get a super smooth custard/pudding strain your egg mixture and even the entire mixture at the end before you fill your ramekins. 

Mix the eggs + sugar just before adding the warmed milk... sugar tends to "cook" egg yolks.

If sea salt + olive oil is not your thing, this budino is delicious plain or with a little mascarpone. 

Pour the filling into a liquid measuring cup so its easy to fill the ramekins with no mess!

I Struck Gold! (Chocolate Chip Cookies)

A few years ago a friend of mine conducted an unscientific study on Americans and cookies. He determined, after much research, that 100% of American like cookies. He scoured the San Francisco Bay Area asking any person who would talk to him if they liked cookies. Everyone had at least one cookie they liked. We did come across one person who hated all cookies, but upon further questioning found out this person was actually from another country. So the theory has yet to be disproven - 100% of Americans like at least one cookie.

The chocolate chip cookie is really the ultimate cookie, taking advantage of all the things the cookie has to offer. Crunchy, but chewy. Sweet, but salty. Simple, but complex.

I have at least ten chocolate chip cookie dough recipes that I love, but I am always on the search for an even better one. A few years ago, a friend and former colleague came rushing into the kitchen of the restaurant we both worked in claiming that she had struck gold! She had done it - she found the world's best chocolate chip cookie dough. The best part of my job was recipe testing so I jumped at the chance and tested the recipe. Rather than embarrass her by posting the recipe let's just say the girl struck fool's gold. And so continued my quest for the world's best chocolate chip cookie dough.

THEN, I found Jacques Torres, and this time we have really struck gold. This cookie dough recipe, made famous by the New York Times (click on the link - its a fun article and gives more background on the history of the chocolate chip cookie!) and hundreds of blog posts is really that good. With all the press you might be wondering why I took so long to try it out. Well you are supposed to let it rest for 24-36 hours after making the dough - I can't do that...I'm a make it and bake it person when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. He also uses two different flours and specifically calls for coarse sea salt. After reading all the hype I decided a few days ago that I would test the recipe. I would divide the dough into thirds, one third to bake off right away (to test whether letting it rest would make a difference, of course), one third to bake after 24 hours, and one third to freeze for a later date. They were great baked immediately (chilled for 1 hour), but better with the 24 hour waiting period.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE DOUGH - JACQUES TORRES

• 2 c minus 2 Tbs (8 1/2 oz) cake flour
• 1 2/3 c (8 1/2 oz) bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 c) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 c (10 oz) light brown sugar
• 1 c + 2 Tbs (8 oz) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate chips
• extra sea salt

METHOD

Sift drys. Paddle butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Add drys until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Wrap and refrigerate for 24-36 hours. Form into balls and sprinkle a little sea salt over top and bake at 350 Fahrenheit/ 180 Celsius. Bake for about 12 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. If you would like more detailed instructions click here.

A few changes I made to the recipe - first, I used a combination of milk and dark chocolate because that's what I had. Second, I added 3/4 c of chopped walnuts because I like walnuts in my chocolate chip cookies. My cookies were smaller than what is called for in the original recipe so my baking time is also reduced.