Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking

Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking – easy-to-follow recipes with more than 1,500 photographs
By Caroline Bretherton
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Packed with clear instructions and essential information on ingredients, special equipment, and storage, Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking contains everything you need to bake with confidence.

Every area of baking is covered in Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking, with 350 recipes covering a huge range of sweet and savory classics including quiches, pies, breads, and cookies. Classic recipes such as quiche lorraine and New York cheesecake are demystified and presented in a clear and accessible step-by-step format.

If you want to produce the perfect tart, bake a cake fit for a king, or serve up a souffle that won't sink, Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking will guide you through every single stage with clear, illustrated, step-by-step instructions that have proved so popular with DK's readers.

Who is Caroline Bretherton?

Caroline Bretherton has worked in the food industry for the last 15 years. A love of cooking led her to start her own catering company, which soon led to the establishment of an eatery in the heart of London’s Notting Hill – Manna Café.

Over the years, she has worked consistently in television, presenting a wide range of food programs, and in print media, contributing to, among others, The Times of London as their family food writer. Her first book, The Kitchen Garden Cookbook, has recently been published by Dk Publishing.

She is married with two children (and a large kitchen garden!) and lives in London.

Our Thoughts

If I tell you that my kids got really excited when they saw that book would you believe me? Well the two oldest anyway. All my kids have attended cooking classes at a local grocery store and are involved in many aspects of the cooking in our house. Alexandre and Dominic didn’t wait long to dig into this book and select the recipes they wanted to do…

Even my husband sat down that day and looked into it, pleased to see so many pictures and step-by-step instructions for many recipes. Almost all recipes are accompanied with a picture of the end product. Some of them have the step-by-step pictures helping you to go through the whole recipe without missing anything.

So for our first recipe, we selected the Rosemary Focaccia. Alexandre wanted to do it all by himself without any help…

Here’s the recipe that he did for supper the other day.

Rosemary Focaccia

A good-tempered dough that can be left in the refrigerator to rise overnight. Bring back to room temperature to bake.

Serves 6-8

Preparation about 30-35 minutes Cooking time 15-20 minutes

Rising and proofing time 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients

3 tsp dried yeast
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp salt
leaves from 5-7 rosemary sprigs
1/3 cups extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing
1/4 tsp freshly grounded black pepper
sea salt flakes

Steps

1. Sprinkle the yeast over 4 tablespoons of warm water. Leave for 5 minutes, stirring once.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the salt and make a well in the center.

3. Add chopped rosemary, 4 tablespoons oil, yeast, pepper, and 1 cup of lukewarm water. NOTE: Try to omit the rosemary and black pepper and replace by adding 3-5 sage sprigs, chopped.

4. Gradually draw in the flour and work it into the other ingredients to form a smooth dough.

5. The dough should be soft and sticky. Do no be tempted to add more flour to dry it out.

6. Sprinkle the dough with flour and knead for 5-7 minutes on a floured work surface.

7. When ready, the dough will be very smooth and elastic. Place in an oiled bowl.

8. Cover with a damp kitchen towel. Leave to rise in a warm place for 1-1 1/2 hours, until doubled.

9. Put the dough on a floured work surface and knock out the air.

10. Cover with a dry kitchen towel and let it rest for about 5 minutes. Brush the pan with oil.

11. Transfer the dough to the pan. With your hands, flatten the dough to fill the pan evenly. (okay I will admit this is the part that Alexandre needed some help… So I chipped in for the flattening part.)

12. Cover with a kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 35-45 minutes, until puffed.

13. Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Scatter the reserved rosemary leaves on top.

14. With your fingertips, poke the dough all over to make deep dimples.

15. Pour spoonful of the remaining oil all over the dough and sprinkle with the salt flakes. (do be honest I would leave the salt flakes out… too salty!)

16. Bake on the top shelf for 15-20 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a wire rack.

The bread looked good and it smelled all through the house when my husband came back home that evening. He was impressed that Alexandre did all by himself (with a Broccoli Salad as well).

The rosemary focaccia was a success for almost everyone in the family – my third son didn’t like it as much as the others. But see how yummy it is… And yes Alexandre put a bit too much of salt on the top. We have all decided that the salt is not necessary and from now on won’t be adding it on top of the focaccias we will do in the future.

Our next recipe planned is the Quiche Lorraine which is a French classic of eggs and bacon. My husband is looking forward to have this after he comes back from a day at a contract…

This book is an absolute gem to try out new recipes or to have your child explore cooking for the whole family. As an homeschooler, I am proud of him to take the initiative and decide to do a meal for us. After all, isn’t this part of Home Ec? My son will definitively be a good prospect for a young lady in the future. She will be blessed to have him cook and help around the house!

The Illustrated Step-by-Step Baking is available at your favourite bookstore.

Disclaimer: I received the product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Almond Fresh

Almond Fresh
From Earth’s Own Food Company

About the product

Since the first century BC, when travelers on the silk road brought them from Asia to the Mediterranean, almonds have been prized as one of nature’s most nutritious foods. They quickly became a staple of the Mediterranean diet and almond groves flourished throughout the region.

When early Spanish settlers arrived in California in the mid-1700’s, they brought with them their cherished almond trees. Within 100 years, thriving almond groves had spread through much of California’s great Central Valley.

Today this Mediterranean staple is a suggested part of a healthy diet and is increasingly renowned as a nutrient dense whole food with rich taste and versatility.

Almond Fresh is high in calcium and also fortified with vitamins. See the benefits of Almond fresh by yourself!

• Low in calories and one serve provides 45% of your daily recommended dose of vitamin D, 25% of Riboflavin, and 50% of B12

• Dairy-free and does not contain lactose or casein

• Fortified with calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D and contains naturally occurring vitamin E, riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc

• Almond Fresh Vanilla and Original have about half the calories per serving of 2% milk and is comparable in fat.

• The Unsweetened flavour contains only 30 calories per serving- that's less than half of the calories found in skim milk

• Almond Fresh products are wheat and gluten free

• Certified kosher

• The brand is owned by Earth's Own

Find out more at http://www.almond-fresh.com/.

About Earth’s Own Food

Earth’s Own Food Company is a pioneering healthy food & beverage company dedicated to nutritional innovation and sustainability in order to actively improve people’s lives and wellbeing. With a product line-up that includes leading non-dairy beverage brands So Good, So Nice, Almond Fresh and ryza, Earth’s Own Food Company is devoted to developing great tasting wholesome products that are good for their consumers, their families, the community and the planet.

http://www.earthsown.com/

My Thoughts

Did you know that almonds have many benefits for your health? No wonder I prefer this kind of nut… Almonds are low in fat and cholesterol free. They are an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D as well as a source of vitamin E. And the best of all, almonds are also known to be a source of antioxidants which protects cells from oxidation by removing free radicals which contribute to aging.

I love almonds – either plain in a thai recipe, salty or robbed with chocolate (my favorite!).

So when I got offered the opportunity to review the Almond fresh beverage, I was curious. Can this really taste as good as milk?

So when I got my vouchers, I drove to the store and checked out the Almond fresh products. Imagine my delight when I saw that they had a DARK CHOCOLATE product. Should I mentioned that it found its way in my cart? LOL They also have an unsweetened version, the original version, and the vanilla version. From past experience with non-dairy products, my family and I tend to prefer the kind that is flavoured.

Just like a chocolate covered almond, Almond Fresh Chocolate brings together the delectable taste of milk chocolate and the powerful benefits of nutrient dense, real California almonds. This new & delicious flavour is a nutritious option for families looking for healthy beverage alternatives.

Once at home, I didn’t wait more and decided to pour myself of glass of freshness. The taste was amazing and I just couldn’t have enough of it. The night at supper time, the rest of the family tasted it. The container was empty by the time supper ended. The kids kept asking for more. Even my husband tasted it and thought it was not bad (considering he doesn’t like chocolate I think it is pretty good!). He mentioned that he would like to try the vanilla flavour next time which I bought the next time I went to the store.

You can also find some recipes to make with Almond fresh directly from their website. We love Thai and while I was writing this post I realized that they had a recipe for Thai Chicken Curry. I will definitively try it next time I purchase Almond fresh. The container we have in our fridge right now is the Vanilla flavor which I guess I could use to do Pain Doré (french toast)…

But to give you an idea of the recipes included in the website, I thought you might like to see one.

Almond Fresh Thai Almond Chicken Curry

Almond Fresh’s sweet creamy taste complements the flavors of Thai cooking beautifully. (Makes 4 servings)

1 cup Almond Fresh Original
1 tbsp fish sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp Thai curry paste, green or red
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips
1 large red or orange pepper, sliced into strips
1 1/2 cups pineapple chunks, about 1/4 of a fresh pineapple
1 cup green beans
1/2 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp salt

1. In a small bowl, whisk together Almond Fresh, fish sauce, cornstarch curry paste until smooth.
2. Heat oil in large fry-pan. Add chicken strips and stir fry until no longer pink. Add pepper strips, pineapple and green beans. Continue to stir fry until peppers are soft.
3. Add Almond Fresh mixture to chicken and stir continuously until mixture thickens.
4. Stir in coriander, cherry tomatoes, lime juice and salt to taste.
5. Serve with white or brown steamed rice.

I strongly encourage you to expand your taste buds and the ones of your family by purchase a different kind of drink full of calcium. Almond Fresh would be a great choice next time you go to the grocery store!

The Almond Fresh products are available at your favourite grocery store. Don’t forget to let your taste buds explore new flavours every once in a while!

Disclaimer: I received vouchers to get the product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.

Preserve It!

Preserve It!
Published at DK Canada

About the book

Covering pickling, jam-making, freezing, bottling, canning, brewing, smoking, salting, drying, curing, sausage-making, and cheese-making, Preserve It! demystifies the processes and shows you how you can, with traditional techniques, preserve fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and dairy without expensive equipment or training. From garden to table, every detail along the way is explained with clear, step-by-step instructions, guiding gardeners and cooks of all levels through the satisfying crafts of bottling jams, syrups, and chutneys, or even making sausage, cheese, butter, cider, and wine.

My Thoughts

Who doesn’t like preserves?

Well I like some and dislike some. But since last year, we have taken the habit of making our own diced tomatoes and salsa coming the Fall season.

This year the tomatoes were later than last year. But recently we embarked on a three day adventure with our kids. They chopped tomatoes, I did the onions (someone has to do it!), the little one was giving tomatoes/onions to the designed people and hubby dealt with the boiling part of the job.

We stuck with tomatoes this year. But my husband did look into the Preserve It! book to get information about how to can tomatoes. I honestly think that this was a first for him as he took his time to go through the whole book. Many recipes are mouthwatering and are interesting to do. One of these days I would love to try out new sweet jams.

There are quite a few pictures in the book that will make you want to try the recipes. However, not all recipes have pictures which I find sad. I like to see what it would look like before I attempt a new recipe.

The book is quite explicit as it will introduce you to the world of canning by presenting you the science of preserving, the natural preservatives, the equipment, the food safety tips, how to flavor your products, the natural storage ideas (which are fabulous if you have the space to do so…) and so much more. If I had a garden with veggies to store for the winter, I would definitively use some of their ideas. I particularly loved the tips on storing root crops in boxes. Ingenious and yet simple.

We went through four and a half bushels of tomatoes (field and roma). The result is numerous jars of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and salsa! I will be honest and tell you I stopped counting at 140 jars. But I think we bought two or three more boxes in the end.

The experience of canning your own salsa is fun to do. I have heard of some people doing it all by themselves but I believe that the kids can be involved at various stages. My kids have participated to so many cooking classes that helping out in the kitchen it a given for them. Besides, being homeschoolers it is the best way we can do home economic every once in a while. *grin*

As for me – yes I cut some onions. Yes I cried. But I also too an idea from my oldest son when he cut onions once to do a meal… Yes I wore some swimming googles…!

Preserve It! is packed with interesting recipes to turn some produces in yummy sweet or pickled creations.

Preserve It! is available at your favourite bookstore.

Disclaimer: I received the product for review purposes. I was not monetarily compensated for this review. Please note that the review was not influenced by the Sponsor in any way. All opinions expressed here are only my own.