W
e just love bright, colorful food, just like we like shiny objects, so it’s no wonder that artificially colored juices, candy, and sauces look so appealing to us! Sadly, the real, natural food looks bland and unappetizing, but that is the fact of life, so, let’s learn something about the stuff we eat.
O
ne egg a day keeps the doctor away! Yeah, yeah, I know, it’s the apple, not an egg, but try explaining that that to my grandmother! Every morning, she would cook one soft boiled egg for me and then she would serve it mixed with the crust of freshly baked white bread. Aaah, grandma!
W
e have all experienced a cake disaster, I believe. You know, when it just doesn’t turn out as you planned it would. It didn’t rise well, maybe it is dense, hard or/and dry? Well, one of the most probable reasons for that could be the improper use of leavening agent, whether you used a natural one like yeast, or chemical leavening agents, such as baking soda or baking powder.
T
here are currently approximately 1.3 to 1.5 billion cows grazing, sleeping, and chewing their cud at any given time on planet Earth. There are an estimated 300 million cattle in India where the cow is a sacred animal.
D
o you like gummy bears? I love all gummy stuff, except the sour ones. I know it is not the healthiest food in the world, but I really enjoy its chewy texture, various colors, and different flavors. I don’t eat them every day, of course, but every once in a while, I wonder out to the candy section of the supermarket and treat myself with a bag of cola bottles, jelly beans or gummy bears.
W
hile I was in Paris studying pâtisserie, I ate two baguettes a day! Yes, you’ve red it well, TWO. I absolutely love great baguette, and in Paris you can find one in any neighborhood boulangerie, especially if in the name of the place it proudly says “MOF boulanger” (I will tell you all about MOF some other time). In Paris, 85% of bread sales are baguettes. French bakers sell about 10 to 12 billion of the long breads per year!
F
at. Now, that is one depressing word, right? The first thing that comes to mind is obesity, followed by cholesterol, cardiovascular diseases… Brrrrr! But let’s not think about that now, happy thoughts, please! A slice of warm, crunchy baguette, with a layer of melting butter on top, crispy slices of bacon, French breakfast full of buttery croissants and brioches, foie gras, duck confit, French buttercream, beurre noisette, oh I’m so hungry now… So, in order to master the art of baking, what do you need to know about fats?
C
an you imagine that I really like my coffee black and with no sugar whatsoever? I just love that taste of deep, warm bitterness spreading through my mouth. And with that indulging sip of afternoon coffee, there is nothing better than a bite of something sweet!
