Fairs and Demonstrations

            One way to become familiar with new equipment, techniques and ingredients is to watch demonstrations and going to fairs.  Keep in mind your needs and cooking habits.  Try not to be suckered into buying gadgets and equipment you would rarely use.      

 

Attend Fairs

            County fairs often have demonstrations of food, cooking techniques and new equipment.  I love to go to county fairs and especially check out the food competitions.  This is a good way to get ideas.  I have a friend who once judged the lemon meringue pie competition.   It is fine art and we will be discussing evaluating your cooking in the future,

 

            Swap meets often have kitchen gadget demonstrations.  It is fun to watch and often new techniques and short cuts can be learned.  If you are thinking of investing in new equipment is a good idea to check out demonstration in person so you can ask questions.  Follow up with research on online.

 

            Specialized food and wine fairs are seen more often.    In Southern California food fairs are very popular.  We have the Taste of Orange County and the Taste of LA.  I’m sure most metropolitan areas have similar fairs.  These fairs provide a wealth of information, from trend in the food industry, a taste of different types of cuisines, and demonstrations of cooking techniques.

 

            Ethnic fairs are a fun way to learn about different culture and cuisines.  We have local Greek fairs, Korean fairs and Latino fairs.  There are many more I have attended the Irish fair and the Scottish fair.  There is even an annual tamale festival.

 

 

Other Resources

 

            Farmer’s markets sometimes have demonstrations, but more importantly they have farmers that specialize in ingredients.  My first encounter with dragon fruit was at a farmer’s market.  Often producers of honey will have a booth. You will learn a lot about honey by striking up a conversation.

 

            Specialty markets are also good resources of information.  I love to go to the Persian Market.  There were several kinds of feta and I asked questions.  Bulgarian feta is on the higher end of feta cheese.  I learned about masa for tamales at the Mexican grocery.

  

This Week’s Challenge

 

            This week try to find a demonstration or classes and make it a learning experience.  Record what you learned in journal.  Then practice and perfect this technique.

 

Tip for this Week – Scones

 

            British scones are similar to the American biscuits but much, much more.  If you have never tried a scone, you are in for a real treat.  Scones can come in several shapes or cooking methods.  The method usually runs in family rather than regions.  Drop scone are made like drop biscuits.  The dough is dropped by spoonful and baked, like cookie dough.  Scones can be shaped and cut just as American biscuits.  Often the dough in flattened into a circle and cut in wedges.  The wedges can be separated and baked or the circle left together and baked.

Shaped scone are cut like cookies. 
These are round with scalloped edges.

Drop scones made like drop cookies

Cut scones..  One the right a circle cut
into wedges.  One the right a square
cut in diamond shapes.

            Scones can be sweet or savory and are usually served at breakfast or afternoon tea.  They should be served with butter or cream and jams. Honey may be offered as well.  Depending on how fancy the occasion, flavored butters or clotted or Devonshire cream may be served with the scones.  Jams and jellies should enhance the flavors in the scones.  For instance, if lemon blueberry scones are served, blueberry jam, blueberry flavored butter or lemon curd may be offered.  Other options may be peanut butter, Nutella, Marmite or Vegemite.

           

This Week in Punkin’s Kitchen

Basic Scones

Hot buttered plain scones

 

2 C      Flour                                                              

1/3 C   Sugar                                                            

½ t       Salt                                                                

1 T       Baking powder                                            

¼ C     Unsalted butter                                            

½ C     Whipping cream

1          Large egg

1 ½ t    Vanilla

The ingredients

 

1.    Stir together the dry ingredients. 

Flour, sugar, salt and baking powder

 

2.    Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Add the softened butter and cut into
the four mixture.  I used a pastry blender.

Cut he butler until it looks like small bumps. 
Two butter knives can also be used to cut in the butter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.    At this point, add-ons may be added to the scones.  Mix with a fork to coat in flour mixture.

4.    Use a whisk to mix the egg, cream and vanilla together. 

Mix the egg, cream and vanilla.  Blend well.

Add the cream egg mixture to the dry
ingredients and mix to moisten.

 

5.    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead with hands until well combined. 

6.    Form the scone in your preferred method, drop, rolled and cut, or my method to patting the dough into a large round. 



Mix to moisten.

Turn out on a board and knead.
Shape as desired

 

Pat out and form a circle about 1/2 inch
thick.  Do not roll out.  This will press out the
air pockets that make the scone so light.

At the top are drop scones.  At the bottom
 are shaped scones.



7.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.  

  

Bake until lightly browned.

         

Apricot Walnut Scones with Mock Devonshire Cream

 

Apricot Walnut Scone served with
Mock Devonshire Cream

2 C      Flour                                                              

1/3 C   Sugar                                                            

½ t       Salt                                                                

1 T       Baking powder                                            

¼ C     Unsalted butter                                            

½ C     Whipping cream

1          Large egg

1 ½ t    Vanilla

½ C     Chopped walnuts

½ C     Chopped dried apricots

 

Chopped dried apricots and walnuts
added to the basic scone recipe above.
Add to the dry ingredients at step 3.
 

1.    Stir together the dry ingredients. 



The dry ingredients well blended.

 

2.    Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

3.    Use a fork to stir in the nuts and apricots. 

Add the apricots and walnuts and stir to coat
them in the flour.

 

4.    Use a whisk to mix the egg, cream and vanilla together. 

Blend and them knead.

 

5.    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead with hands until well combined. 

Knead and shape into the desired shape.
I shaped these in a square and
cut into diamond shapes

Shaped into a square and cut
into diamonds.

 

6.    Form the scone in your preferred method, drop, rolled and cut, or my method to patting the dough into a large round. 

7.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.  

8.    Serve warm with Mock Devonshire Cream.

 

Served with Mock Devonshire Cream

 

Mock Devonshire Cream

 

Light cheesy, slightly sweet cream

1 3oz Package cream cheese

¼ C     Sour cream

2 ½ T  Powder sugar

¼ C     Whipping cream

 

The ingredients

1.    In a small mixing bowl and using a mixer, whipped the cream cheese and sour cream together until soft and smooth. 

Blend the cream cheese and add the cream.
Whip until light and fluffy.

 

2.    Beat in the sugar and cream. 

3.    Cover and refrigerate one hour before use.

 

Cranberry Orange Scones

 

Cranberry Orange Scone with Orange Glaze

2 C      Flour                                                              

1/3 C   Sugar                                                            

½ t       Salt                                                                

1 T       Baking powder                                            

¼ C     Unsalted butter                                            

½ C     Whipping cream

1          Large egg

1 ½ t    Vanilla

½ C     Dried cranberries

1 T       Grated orange peel

            Orange glaze

 

Craisins and orange peel added to
the dry ingredients

1.    Stir together the dry ingredients. 

2.    Cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

3.    Add the dried cranberries to the scones.  Mix with a fork to coat in flour mixture.

Dry ingredients blended

4.    Use a whisk to mix the egg, cream, vanilla, and orange peel together. 

5.    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and knead with hands until well combined. 

Kneaded and shaped into a round.

6.    Form the scone in your preferred method, drop, rolled and cut, or my method to patting the dough into a large round. 

The round is cut into wedges.

7.    Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden.  

Baked to a golden brown and
topped with orange glaze.

8.    Remove from the oven and cool while the orange glaze is made.

 

Orange Glaze

The ingredients

 

1 C      Powder sugar

2 T       Butter softened

1 t        Orange peel, grated

2 T       Cream or milk

2 T       Orange juice

            Pinch of salt

            Drop orange food coloring (optional)

 

1.    Place the powder sugar and salt in a small mixing bowl. 




Orange juice added

Powder sugar, salt and orange peel.












 

2.    Place the butter, cream and orange juice in a small bowl and heat in a microwave to melt the butter for 15 seconds.

3.    Add the butter mixture to the powder sugar and stir to make a thin glaze.  Add more orange juice to thin the glaze if necessary. 

Blend well.  Orange coloring can be added. 
I opted to leave it out.

 

4.    Drizzle the glaze over the warm scones.  Serve at once.

 

Flavored butters are easy to make

 

¼ C     Butter

1 T       flavoring of choice.

 

Soften the butter to room temperature.  Choose your flavoring.  Sweet flavorings can be honey, jams or jellies, grated peels from various citrus fruits, or puree of fruit.  Savory flavorings can be mince garlic, herbs and grated parmesan cheese, spices, seasoning sauces.

 

1.    Mix the butter and flavoring and blend thoroughly. 

2.    The flavored butter can be shaped and refrigerated.  Place the butter on clear plastic and made a roll. It can be cut into patties at serving time.

3.    It can also be left in a decorative dish and refrigerated.  The refrigerating helps the blend the flavor with the butter.

4.    At serving, the butter may be allowed to come to room temperature.  The patties can be sliced and place on a serving plate.

 

Softened salt-free butter mixed
with raspberry honey.

 

Softened salt-free butter with
orange marmalade

 

Happy Cooking!