February Newsletter 2004

Hi,

Since we are fast coming up on Valentine's Day I thought it appropriate to pass along some cake and ice cream recipes, favorites at any time in my house. You will find them toward the end of the Newsletter: Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Frosting, Angel Food Cake with Raspberry Coulis and Vanilla Bean Ice Cream.

My buzz this month is that I am about to get a price increase, about 10 to 15%, from France as provided by the current high value of the Euro against the dollar. It hasn't taken effect just yet nor have I increased my prices. I anticipate the increase will go into effect before the end of February.

I pass this along to those of you who are collecting Bourgeat and other goods listed on my site as you may wish to take advantage of the current price structure. This is not intended as a press for sales rather as a benefit to you, my loyal customers. One small caveat...delivery may be, I say may be, a bit slow as my supplier is only just now recovering from having been literally sold out over the holidays. But...I will guarantee delivery and at current prices for orders placed before the end of February.

If I may help you with your gift-giving at any time just let me know. I will gift wrap for the occasion, gratis. Just sign on at www.mychefsfavorites.com. place your orders and email or call me with any special requirements. You have to keep in mind that this is a very personal business to me.

Please feel free to call me at my toll-free number, 800-577-7310 at any time with any question or special needs or email me at laiva@swbell.net Just click on the blue links. Further, if my newsletter is an imposition or you simply do not wish to receive it then click on the laiva@swbell.net link and tell me to remove your email address from my PC. Just say remove...I will understand fully with all the spam and nonsense we all get every day. Thank you most kindly.

Sincerely,
Don Shipman,
MyChefsFavorites.com

FEBRUARY RECIPE OFFERINGS:

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE - Makes one three layer cake

13 Oz. (2-3/4 cups) All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons Baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 pound (1 cup) Unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
17-1/2 ounces (2-1/2 cups) Granulated sugar
4 large Whole eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons Pure vanilla extract
1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with two (2) cups boiling water, cooled to room temperature
3 Tablespoons Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting cake pans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
1. Sift flower, baking soda and baking powder together, set aside.
2. In an electric mixer or large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and mix until light in color, about five (5) minutes.
3. At low speed, add one-quarte (1/4) of the flour mixture followed by on-thir (1/3) of the cocoa mixture. Repeat until all ingredients are well-combined.
4. Divide batter evenly between three nine-inch, round and buttered, cocoa dusted cake pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back when touched and the sides begin to shrink away from the pan. Remove from oven and cool for ten (10) minutes. Unmold onto cooling racks and cool completely.
5. With a cake knife, trim the top of each layer. Place one layer on a cardboard cake round and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Add the second and third layer, frosting each. Using an offset spatula, frost the top and sides of the cake generously.

CHOCOLATE FROSTING

1 Pound Semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup Half and half
8 ounces (1/2 cup) Unsalted butter, cut into cubes
10 ounces (2-1/2 cups) Confectioner's sugar

1. In the top of a double boiler (Bain Marie), melt chocolate with the half and half and cool for about ten to fifteen minutes. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer.

2. On low speed, add butter one cube at a time until fully used. When mixture is smooth increase speed and mix until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Add powdered sugar one-half cup at a time. Continue to mix at high speed until doubled in volume or about five to seven minutes. See directions above to frost the cake.

Make it ahead: Refrigerate for two days or freez for up to one month.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE - Serves 12

Cake:
7-1/2 Oz. Cake flour (For body.)
14 Oz. (2 cups) Superfine sugar, divided (For sweetness.)
14 large Egg whites
2 Teaspoons Cream of tartar (Omit if whisking egg whites in a copper bowl). A copper bowl will stabilize egg whites
1/2 Teaspoon Fine sea salt
2 Teaspoons Pure vanilla extract

Raspberry Coulis:
1 Pint Raspberries, fresh or unsweetened frozen
2 Tablespoons Raspberry sauce or syrup
2 Oz. (about 1/4 cup) Superfine sugar, or to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Combine thje flour and 5-1/2 oz. (3/4 cup) of sugar and sift five (5) tiomes, set aside.
2. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartat and salt until foamy. Gradually add remaining (unsifted) sugar to the egg white mixture and whisk until soft, glossy peaks form. Fold in the sifted flour (like folding a souffle) mixture in two stages and then fold in the vanilla.
3. Transfer to an ungreased ten-inch removable bottom tube pan and bake in the pre-heated 400 degree F. oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. and bake an additional 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. and bake until golden and springy, about ten minutes more. Invert the pan and allow to cool complerely while upside down.
4. Run a knife between the pan and the cake and unmold onto a decorative platter.
5. Combine strawberries, raspberry sauce or syrup and sugar in a blender or food processor and puree. Strain through a coarse strainer to remove seeds. Spoon over slices of the cake.

Make it Ahead: Wrap in plastic and leave at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

Variation: Substitute one (12 ounce) bag of sweetened frozen strawberries for the fresh or frozen unsweetened raspberries and decrease sugar to 2 tablespoons.

VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM - Makes one quart.

1 Vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scrape out the seeds
4 Oz. (about 1/2 cup) Granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups Heavy whipping cream
1 cup Whole milk
6 large Egg yolks, lightly beaten

1. Scrape seeds from the vanilla vean and place in the bowl of a food processor. Process bean seeds and sugar until well blended. Place sugar mixture in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, then add cream and milk and slowlyu bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for two (2) minutes, then add scraped vanilla bean to the cream mixture. Remove pan from the heat, cover and steep for twenty (20) minutes. Remove vanilla bean and strain.

2. Slowly ladle some of the warm cream mixture into the beaten eggs, whisking constantly. Return the pan to medium heat and whisk the tempered egg mixture back into the cream mixture. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, abbout three to four minutes. Mixture should coat the back or a spoon (temperature of 165 degrees). Strain and cool quickly in an ice water bath and refigerate for at least two hours but preferably overnight. Freeze in an ice cream maker following the manufacturer's instructions. Store in a covered container in the freezer.

Make it light: Substitute whole milk for the cream and three whole eggs for the egg yolks.

Make it ahead: Best made no more than eight hours in advance.

Variations: One or the other but likely not all at onc time - Add 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 cup frozen pureed berries, 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract or 1/2 cup chocolate ships.