” And that’s what we want, especially in uncertain times. Times of war. Uncertainty. Depression. We want to open the refrigerator in the morning and see an impossible dream, a reassurance of reality, an old friend. We want to believe you could stick a straw into an orange, and it would taste like this.”

Sabrina, 1954

A woman happily in love, she burns the souffle. A woman unhappily in love, she forgets to turn on the oven.

I used to, and still very much do, believe that Sabrina is one of the most delightful movies of all time. With its subtle humor and occasional bouts of slapstick comedy, wistful romance, love uttered through stolen glances, and dreamy monologues, Sabrina used to leave me sighing all over the place.

Even as a little one, I used to love it when directors intertwined food with love throughout the movie, because it was a depiction of a universal truth: that there really is no better way to say I love you than a freshly made plate of someone’s favorite food. Maybe that’s why I liked Sabrina so much; the souffle was a recurring motif, as it became the physical manifestation of emotions, and Linus even had a full-functioning kitchen in his office! What a man.

Reminiscing on this movie on this sleepy Thursday has inspired me to take on the formidable souffle. So for the next couple of days, I will be researching the best techniques to making the perfect souffle as I await the arrival of my new shiny copper mixing bowl and wire whisk. And in the end, the hope is that the souffle will not be burnt, and the oven will be on. Because, really. Is it too much to ask to be happily in love and to have the perfect souffle?

Let’s find out!

Technique 1: Whisking egg whites

Perfectly whipped egg whites are the keys to the best souffles. The quality of the egg whites are determined by three key factors: (1) the purity of the egg whites, (2) the utensils utilized, and (3) the technique.

(1) Purity of egg whites.

Egg whites whip into a foam because the mechanical action denatures the proteins in the egg whites. These denatured proteins coagulate and stiffen the foam, stabilizing the air bubbles. Fat interferes in this process and decreases the final volume. For the best results, make sure to bring the egg whites to room temperature before whipping. And if you’re not afraid to be a little rebellious, use thin, older egg whites – they whip up more easily.

(2) The utensils

Copper bowls aren’t just pretty to hang in your kitchen, but are very useful for whipping egg whites. They say that copper ions migrate from the copper bowl into the egg whites that form a complex with conalbumin – a protein in the eggs. This complex is more stable than just the conalbumin, so the egg whites are less likely to denature afterwords. Also, you can be more certain that copper bowls (rather than plastic) don’t have an residues of fats left over on them, because fats don’t cling to copper as they do to plastic.

(3) The technique

Preparation – prepare the utensils by rubbing some vinegar, lemon, or salt on them. Dry with a clean towel. Take a towel, roll up the corners, and arrange in a circle on the table. Place the bowl in the middle of the circle to stabilize it.

Cracking the eggs – If you crack the egg whites directly into the bowl, make sure no traces of yolk get in. Colder eggs are easier to separate. Run a clean thumb along the inner lining of the egg shell to get the last bit of egg white into the bowl. You can save the yolks for a yolk-heavy dish, such as hollandaise sauce. Way to be resourceful in this economic downturn!

Whisking – first, you want to whisk such that you break up the proteins slightly. Do so by whisking in any direction. Your movement should not be too hard or too high. Use very small strokes and keep the whisk in contact with the whites at all times. Once everything takes on the look of huge grayish foam, start increasing the breadth and power of your whisking. While whisking, make sure that you do not stop at any time. Be ready for a full-on arm workout! Beat the eggs to the required consistency (soft or hard peaks). The eggs should take on a brilliant white color with a consistency similar to whipped cream.

Use immediately after.

If folding the egg whites into a thicker batter, spread the egg whites in a layer on top of the batter, and fold it in. Gently slip a flat wooden spatula into the middle of the bowl, and draw the spatula out to the edge of the bowl. Trying to grab as much batter as possible, spoon the bottom up to the very top. Rotate the bowl in the direction opposite to the one in which you are stirring, and keep folding gently until incorporated. If adding the egg whites to a lighter mix, put the lighter mix over the egg whites and do the same folding motion.

And there you have it: the perfect way to make delightful and delicate souffles, chiffon cakes, meringues, pavlovas, and more!

I’ll let you know how my venture goes!

Walnut M&M Cookies

There are a couple of things in the world that immediately conjure feelings of warmth and comfort: the smell of dinner on mom’s hands at the end of the day, dad’s echoing laughter and singing, the thought of gracie’s half run/skip, d’s big bear hugs, the smell of em’s house after school, and … cookies! Most of these things are hard to replicate over here on the east coast, so whenever a wave of homesickness comes over me, I make do with what I can and whip out my trusty mixing bowl to bake chocolate chip cookies. Luckily enough, this recipe is easy and I only have to wait moments until the apartment is filled with the scent of freshly baked cookies.

D and I have been on the hunt for the “best” chocolate chip cookie recipe, and this one is our favorite by far. It has the perfect balance of sweetness and saltiness, and the texture is ideal: crisp on the outer edges, and chewy on the inside until everything just melts on your tongue. If you want to get that cracked top that you see on a lot of cookies at bakeries, just add a pinch of cream of tartar.

Here is the recipe in case you want to conjure up a little bit of home at your place, too!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tspns vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour (this time around, I used 2 cups flour + 1 cup rice flour, which gave the cookie a nice texture. Make sure to cut down on the sugar if you do use this substitution!)
1 tspn baking soda
2 tspns hot water
1/2 tspn salt
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Beat butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until creamy
3. Add eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated
4. Stir in vanilla
5. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter with salt
6. Add flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Mix until just incorporated
7. Drop by medium spoonfuls onto parchment paper
8. Bake for about 9-10 minutes in the preheated oven

It’s no wonder they call these the Shirley Temple of all cupcakes – so sweet and delectable, they’re endearing to the max!

I like big humps and I cannot lie
You other bakers can’t deny
That when a maddy comes out with a moist springy crust
And a round hump in your face
You get … happy!

Lemon Glazed Madeleine

Lemon Cream Cupcakes

Some recipes call for yogurt, while others specify sour cream. So what’s the difference? I asked myself that, too!

The Showdown

In this showdown, sour cream and yogurt will be compared based on three different metrics: (1)final taste of the baked good, (2)moisture of the baked good, and (3)nutrition facts.*

In this case, the baked good was the Lemon Cream Cupcake. Two batches of the cupcake were made using yogurt or sour cream, while all other components of the recipe were held constant. The products were given a rating on a 5 point scale, with 5 being excellent.** You can apply your own weights to the metrics depending on your priorities, but for the purposes of this showdown, I will use an equal weighting system.

Background

Sour Cream and Yogurt differ significantly in their make ups. Both are fermented with lactic acid. But the base of sour cream is, well, cream, while the base of yogurt is any sort of milk.*

(1) Final taste of the baked good

Sour Cream Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 4/5
Yogurt Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 4/5

The final baked goods did not exhibit any significant difference in terms of their taste. This is not surprising given that the recipe called for a heavy dose of lemon zest that could have masked any appreciable differences in taste that could have resulted from the addition of sour cream or yogurt in the baked good.

(2) Moisture of the baked good

Sour Cream Lemon Cream Cupcake – 4/5
Yogurt Lemon Cream Cupcake – 3/5

The Sour Cream Lemon Cream Cupcakes were noticeably moister than the Yogurt Lemon Cream Cupcakes. This could be as a result of the higher fat content of sour cream relative to yogurt. The difference in moisture level was particularly more noticeable the day after.

(3) Nutrition Facts
Sour Cream Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 2/5 (478 calories/cup, saturated fat – 205% DV in one cup)
Yogurt Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 4/5 (137 calories/cup, saturated fat – 1% DV in one cup)

Yogurt appears to prevail in the nutrition facts category. It is not only lower in calories and saturated fat, but richer in nutrients.

Results
Sour Cream Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 10/15
Yogurt Lemon Cream Cupcakes – 11/15

Ultimately, in this very non-scientific and non-rigorous test, yogurt prevails over sour cream. The internal and external validity of this study is threatened by a number of factors. But, ultimately, this study can be useful in demonstrating that the differences between yogurt and sour cream in baked goods are negligible. So just use whichever one is on hand, and if you are worried about moisture when using yogurt, just add in some extra oils/fats. And don’t worry about remembering the minute differences between yogurt and sour cream.

Here is how I see it: Yogurt is like the really nice guy sitting next to you with the great smile, clean-shaven face, and solid principles with whom you’ll share some good laughs, while Sour Cream is like the guy roaring past you in his Harley with a great smile, slightly messy hair, and lax principles with whom you’ll have outrageously exciting times.

I leave the choice up to you!

*Note: Nutrition facts given for plain yogurt, skim milk
**Note: Tasting was unfortunately not blind, so results may be biased.

Jo Jo Taipei
103 Brighton Ave
Allston, MA 02134
(617) 254-8889
www.jojotaipeiboston.com

Fried Steamed Buns

(The stuff dreams are made of)

D and I trekked out to Jo Jo today to celebrate our 4th V-day together, and it was such a treat! Jo Jo is a cute little space in Allston with a smiling staff and really great dishes.

This time around, D and I shared fried steamed buns and stinky tofu to start. The fried steamed buns were nothing short of amazing; imagine a burst of sweet condensed milk and rich peanut powder hitting your tongue as you bite through a perfectly crisped, flaky outside and into the steaming, moist, and tender center of the bun. As for the stinky tofu, it was, well, stinky. It apparently is not as stinky as the true Chinese like, but it was stinky enough for me!

We followed with Beef and Vegetable with Noodles sauteed in Sa-Cha Sauce, Flounder Fillet, and Kung Pao Chicken, and rounded it all out with their Mango Sa-Sa Bin. I could tell you how amazing the flounder was (perfectly seasoned in a spicy sauce with sweet undertones), and how the Mango Sa-Sa Bin (shaved ice with mango ice cream, mangos, and condensed milk) was so good that we couldn’t help but dig in despite it being a cold winter night. But I will not bore you with the details. I will simply give you this promise: we’ll be back at Jo Jo soon to test out even more of their dishes, and I’ll be sure to let you know about the best ones.

For the time being, swing by Jo Jo and snag an order of their fried steamed buns. I know I will!