NOUGATsss

Nougat Variations

Spanish turrón follows the traditional recipes with toasted almonds, sugar, honey, and egg whites. Torrone from Italy includes these same basic ingredients as well as vanilla or citrus flavoring, and is often sandwiched between two very thin sheets of rice paper.[4] In the Venetian town of Cologna Veneta is produced mandorlato, always based on honey, sugar, egg whites and almonds (mandorle in Italian) but with a different taste and harder to bite than torrone. Australian nougat is produced by a similar method to French and Italian nougat but usually has 50% almonds, it can contain Macadamia nuts, apricots, or other texture modifiers. The nougat is commonly produced in two varieties: soft and crunchy. During candy making, this is done by heating a sugar solution to different temperatures before folding in egg whites and honey. "Wiener (Viennese) Nougat", or, in German, "Schmelz-Schokolade" (molten chocolate) is a variant which contains only sugar, cocoa butter, almonds, and cocoa mass, and has a mellow consistency. In Germany, gianduja is traditionally called nougat. Persian nougat, known as Gaz, is a variety that has been produced in Isfahan, Iran and Boldaji, Iran for many centuries by various manufacturers including Boldaji Asli Gaz (Tahmasebi), Ashrafi Gaz, Kermani Gaz, Shirin Gaz, Sekkeh Gaz and others. Gaz can also contain the sugary extract of the root of Tamarix. A special kind of Gaz is referred to as Nogha (نوقا) in Persian derived from the word Nougat and made mainly in the Turkish regions of Iran. Nogha is almost exclusively made with walnuts instead of pistachios and almonds which are usual for other types of Gaz. The making of Nogha is very much the same as any other Gaz. The difference is that Nogha is usually spread between two very thin layers of wafers and cut into 10x5x5cm sections which are larger than ordinary Gaz cubes. There are three types of African nougat, or nougati, ranging from the white kurtzati to the black baxtiti, and mainly containing fruits rather than nuts. The higher fruit-to-nut ratio can be most prominent in the brown simchati nougat variety. Roman nougat includes cherries and nuts. Recent modifications in the United States has nougat being made with butter, melted marshmallow, white chocolate, powdered milk, and peanuts, almonds, or pistachios.

Nougat~~~~

Nougat (US pronunciation: /ˈnuːɡɪt/ NOOG-get or UK pronunciation: /ˈnʌɡɪt/ NUG-get; French pronunciation: ​[nu.ga]) is a variety of similar traditional confectioneries made with sugar and/or honey, roasted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and recently macadamia nuts are common), whipped egg whites, and sometimes chopped candied fruit. The consistency of nougat can range from soft and chewy to hard and crunchy depending on its composition, and it is used in a variety of candy bars and chocolates. The word nougat comes from Occitan pan nogat (pronounced [ˈpa nuˈɣat]), from nux gatum, which means nutbread. There are three basic kinds of nougat: The first, and most common, is white nougat (which appeared in Cremona, Italy in the early 15th century and later in Montélimar, France, in the 18th century) which is made with beaten egg whites and honey. The second is brown nougat (referred to as "mandorlato" in Italy and nougatine in French) which is made without egg whites and has a firmer, often crunchy texture. The third is the Viennese or German nougat which is essentially a chocolate and nut (usually hazelnut) praline.

Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Ingredients 500g butternut pumpkin, peeled, chopped 2 cups self-raising flour, sifted 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 teaspoons dried oregano 75g butter, melted 1/2 cup reduced-fat milk 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary sprigs Butter, to serve (optional) Step 1 Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 9cm-deep, 9cm x 19cm (base) loaf pan. Line base and 2 long ends with baking paper. Step 2 Cook pumpkin in a saucepan of boiling, salted water for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender. Drain. Transfer to a large bowl. Using a fork, mash until smooth. Cool for 5 minutes. Step 3 Add flour, fennel seeds, oregano, butter, milk and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Using a spatula, level top. Sprinkle over rosemary. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in centre comes out clean (cover with foil if over-browning during cooking). Stand in pan for 5 minutes. Lift out onto a wire rack to cool. Serve with butter, if using.

Country Seeded Loaf Recipe

Ingredients Olive oil, to grease 1 x quantity bread dough (see related recipe) 1 tbs linseeds 1 tbs poppy seeds 1 tbs pumpkin kernels (pepitas) 2 tbs sesame seeds Milk, to brush Step 1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Brush an 8cm-deep, 11 x 21cm (base measurement) loaf pan with olive oil to lightly grease. Step 2 Use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out the dough to a 30cm square. Sprinkle with linseeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin kernels and 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds. Fold the dough in half to enclose the seeds and knead until well combined. Shape into a 20cm-long loaf. Place in the prepared pan. Cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm, draught-free place to prove for 30 minutes or until the dough has almost doubled in size. Step 3 Brush the top of the loaf with milk and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve at room temperature.

Olive Bread Recipe~~

Ingredients 2 1/4 cups bread and pizza plain flour 2 teaspoons instant dried yeast 2 teaspoons caster sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 cup warm water 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved 2 teaspoons milk Step 1 Sift 2 cups flour into a large bowl. Stir in yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre. Add water. Mix well to form a soft dough. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 10 minutes, gradually adding remaining flour, or until smooth and elastic. Step 2 Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap. Set aside in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Preheat oven to 190°C/170°C fan-forced. Grease a large baking tray. Step 3 Place olives on a plate. Pat dry with paper towel to absorb any liquid. Using your fist, punch dough down. Turn out onto a floured surface. Add onions and olives. Knead until combined. Shape dough into a 20cm round. Place on prepared tray. Brush with milk. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown and hollow when tapped on top. Stand on tray for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack too cool. Serve.

Sourdough-the special type of bread

Sourdough is a type of bread produced by a long fermentation of dough using naturally occurring yeasts and lactobacilli. In comparison with breads made with cultivated yeast, it usually has a mildly sour taste because of the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli. Sourdough breads are made with a sourdough starter (which differs from starters made with baker's yeast). The starter cultivates yeast and

lactobacilli in a mixture of flour and water, making use of the microorganisms already present on flour; it does not need any added yeast. A starter may be maintained indefinitely by regular additions of flour and water. Some bakers have starters several generations old, which are said to have a special taste or texture. It is possible to obtain existing starter cultures to begin a new one. At one time, all yeast-leavened breads were sourdoughs. The leavening process was not understood until the 19th century, when yeast was first identified. Since then, strains of Saccaromyces cerevisiae have been bred for their reliability and speed of leavening and sold as "baker's yeast". Baker's yeast was adopted for the simpicity and flexibility it introduced to bread making, obviating the lengthy cultivation of a sourdough starter. While sourdough breads survived in some parts of Europe, throughout most of the U.S., they were replaced by baker's yeast. Recently there has been a revival of sourdough bread in artisan bakeries. There are other ways of sourdough baking and culture maintenance. A more traditional one is the process that was followed by peasant families throughout Europe in past centuries. The family (usually the woman was in charge of breadmaking) would bake on a fixed schedule, perhaps once a week. The starter was saved from the previous week's dough. The starter was mixed with the new ingredients, the dough was left to rise, and then a piece of it was saved (to be the starter for next week's bread). The rest was formed into loaves that were marked with the family sign (this is where today's decorative slashing of bread loaves originates from) and taken to the communal oven to bake. These communal ovens over time evolved into what are known today as bakeries, when certain people specialized in bread baking, and with time enhanced the process so far as to be able to mass produce cheap bread for everyone in the world.

Different Types of BREADS

Bread is the staple food in Europe, European-derived cultures such as the Americas, and the Middle East and North Africa, as opposed to East Asia whose staple is rice. Bread is usually made from a wheat-flour dough that is cultured with yeast, allowed to rise, and finally baked in an oven. Owing to its high levels of gluten (which give the dough sponginess and elasticity), common wheat (also known as bread wheat) is the most common grain used for the preparation of bread.

Bread is also made from the flour of other wheat species (including durum, spelt and emmer), rye, barley, maize (corn), and oats, usually, but not always, in combination with wheat flour. Spelt bread (Dinkelbrot) continues to be widely consumed in Germany, and emmer bread was a staple food in ancient Egypt. Canadian bread is known for its heartier consistency due to high protein levels in Canadian flour.

White bread is made from flour containing only the central core of the grain (endosperm). Brown bread is made with endosperm and 10% bran. It can also refer to white bread with added colouring (often caramel colouring) to make it brown; this is commonly labeled in America as wheat bread (as opposed to whole-wheat bread).[9] Wholemeal bread contains the whole of the wheat grain (endosperm, bran, and germ). It is also referred to as "whole-grain" or "whole-wheat bread", especially in North America. Wheat germ bread has added wheat germ for flavoring. Whole-grain bread can refer to the same as wholemeal bread, or to white bread with added whole grains to increase its fibre content, as in "60% whole-grain bread". Roti is a whole-wheat-based bread eaten in South Asia. Chapatti is a larger variant of roti. Naan is a leavened equivalent to these. Granary bread is made from flaked wheat grains and white or brown flour. The standard malting process is modified to maximise the maltose or sugar content but minimise residual alpha amylase content. Other flavour components are imparted from partial fermentation due to the particular malting process used and to Maillard reactions on flaking and toasting. Rye bread is made with flour from rye grain of varying levels. It is higher in fiber than many common types of bread and is often darker in color and stronger in flavor. It is popular in Scandinavia, Germany, Finland, the Baltic States, and Russia. Unleavened bread or matzo, used for the Jewish feast of Passover, does not include yeast, so it does not rise. Sourdough bread is made with a starter. Flatbread is often simple, made with flour, water, and salt, and then formed into flattened dough; most are unleavened, made without yeast or sourdough culture, though some are made with yeast. Hempbread Hemp seeds do not mill into flour because of their high oil content (~30%). Hemp flour is the by-product after pressing the oil and milling the residue. Hemp flour doesn't rise, and is best mixed with other flours. A 3:1 ratio produces a hearty, heavy, nutritious loaf high in protein and essential fatty acids. Crisp bread is a flat and dry type of bread or cracker, containing mostly rye flour. Quick breadsMain article: Quick bread The term quick bread usually refers to a bread chemically leavened, usually with both baking powder and baking soda, and a balance of acidic ingredients and alkaline ingredients. Examples include pancakes and waffles, muffins and carrot cake, Boston brown bread, and zucchini and banana bread.

Breadssssssss

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. Evidence from 30,000 years ago in Europe revealed starch residue on rocks used for pounding plants.[2] It is possible that during this time, starch extract from the roots of plants, such as cattails and ferns, was spread on a flat rock, placed over a fire and cooked into a primitive form of flatbread. Around 10,000 BC, with the dawn of the Neolithic age and the spread of agriculture, grains became the mainstay of making bread. Yeast spores are ubiquitous, including the surface of cereal grains, so any dough left to rest will become naturally leavened.[3] There were multiple sources of leavening available for early bread. Airborne yeasts could be harnessed by leaving uncooked dough exposed to air for some time before cooking. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples." Parts of the ancient world that drank wine instead of beer used a paste composed of grape juice and flour that was allowed to begin fermenting, or wheat bran steeped in wine, as a source for yeast. The most common source of leavening was to retain a piece of dough from the previous day to use as a form of sourdough starter.[4] A major advance happened in 1961 with the development of the Chorleywood bread process, which used the intense mechanical working of dough to dramatically reduce the fermentation period and the time taken to produce a loaf. The process, whose high-energy mixing allows for the use of lower protein grain, is now widely used around the world in large factories. As a result, bread can be produced very quickly and at low costs to the manufacturer and the consumer. Recently, domestic bread machines that automate the process of making bread have become popular.

Desserts Quotes of the Day~~

God gave the angels wings, and he gave humans chocolate. ~Author Unknown

All I really need is love, but a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt! ~Charles Schulz

At no other time has Nature concentrated such a wealth of valuable nourishment into such a small space as in the cocoa bean. ~Alexander von Humboldt

As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate. ~Sandra Boynton

You can say this for ready-mixes - the next generation isn't going to have any trouble making pies exactly like mother used to make. ~Earl Wilson

WAFER~~

In gastronomy, a wafer (also spelled waffer) is a crisp, often sweet, very thin, flat, and dry biscuit,often used to decorate ice cream. Wafers can also be made into cookies with cream flavoring sandwiched between them. They frequently have a waffle surface pattern but may also be patterned with insignia of the food's manufacturer or may be patternless. Many chocolate bars, such as Kit Kat and Coffee Crisp, have wafers in them.

Communion wafer The word also refers to the special small round, often starchy flatbreads made for Western Rite celebrations of the Eucharist, including Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and some of the more liturgical Protestant churches. The word "host" is used to describe the larger wafer used by the clergy, while the term "communion wafer" refers to the smaller pieces used to distribute Holy Communion to the people. These holy wafers often have an image of a cross or the crucified Christ imprinted on them. Spa wafers Special "spa wafers" (Czech: lázeňské oplatky, Slovak: kúpeľné oplátky) are produced in the spa towns of the Czech Republic (e.g. Karlovy Vary, Mariánské Lázně, etc.) and the Slovak Republic (e.g. Piešťany, etc.). Christmas wafer Christmas wafers, whose patterns often depict religious scenes, are an Eastern European Roman Catholic Christmas tradition celebrated in Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian and Italian families during Wigilia (Christmas Eve Vigil). Oblea A variation of a wafer; it is considered a part of the traditional cuisine in Colombia, El Salvador, Venezuela and México where it is known as an oblea. Usually eaten as a dessert with two pieces filled with arequipe, dulce de leche (milk caramel) and/or sweetened condensed milk in the middle. In some places they might contain cheese, fruits, chantilly cream, among others. They are usually very popular as they are very inexpensive. In Argentina the term oblea is used to refer to a wafer. Freska Freska is an Egyptian wafer sold only on beaches in the summertime. It is made from two thin circular wafers filled with a thin layer of honey syrup.

Pizza Types~~`

ItalianNeapolitanNeapolitan pizza (pizza napoletana): Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are typically made with tomatoes and Mozzarella cheese. They can be made with ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius, and mozzarella di bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European protected designation of origin).[6]

According to the rules proposed by the Associazione Vera Pizza Napoletana,[7] the genuine Neapolitan pizza dough consists of wheat flour (type 0 or 00, or a mixture of both), natural Neapolitan yeast or brewer's yeast, salt and water. For proper results, strong flour with high protein content (as used for bread-making rather than cakes) must be used. The dough must be kneaded by hand or with a low-speed mixer. After the rising process, the dough must be formed by hand without the help of a rolling pin or other machine, and may be no more than 3 millimetres (0.12 in) thick. The pizza must be baked for 60–90 seconds in a 485 °C (905 °F) stone oven with an oak-wood fire.[8] When cooked, it should be crispy, tender and fragrant. There are three official variants: pizza marinara, which is made with tomato, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil, pizza Margherita, made with tomato, sliced mozzarella, basil and extra-virgin olive oil, and pizza Margherita extra made with tomato, mozzarella from Campania in fillets, basil and extra virgin olive oil. The pizza napoletana is a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (Specialità Tradizionale Garantita, STG) product in Europe.[9][10] Lazio This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2012) Lazio style: Pizza in Lazio (Rome), as well as in many other parts of Italy, is available in two different styles. Take-away shops sell pizza rustica or pizza al taglio. This pizza is cooked in long, rectangular baking pans and relatively thick (1–2 cm). The pizza is often cooked in an electric oven. It is usually cut with scissors or a knife and sold by weight. In pizzerias, pizza is served in a dish in its traditional round shape. It has a thin, crisp base quite different from the thicker and softer Neapolitan style base. It is usually cooked in a wood-fired oven, giving the pizza its unique flavor and texture. In Rome, a pizza napoletana is topped with tomato, mozzarella, anchovies and oil (thus, what in Naples is called pizza romana, in Rome is called pizza napoletana). Other types of Lazio-style pizza include: Pizza romana: tomato, mozzarella, anchovies, oregano, oil Pizza viennese: tomato, mozzarella, German sausage, oregano, oil Pizza capricciosa: mozzarella, tomato, mushrooms, artichokes, cooked ham, olives, oil Pizza quattro formaggi ("four cheese pizza"): tomatoes, and the cheeses mozzarella, stracchino, fontina, and gorgonzola. Sometimes ricotta is swapped for one of the last three. Pizza bianca In Rome, the term pizza bianca refers to a type of bread topped with olive oil, salt and, occasionally, rosemary sprigs. It is also a Roman style to add figs to the pizza, the result being known as pizza e fichi Pizza alla casalinga ("Grandma pizza") consists of a thin layer of dough is stretched into an oiled, square "Sicilian" pan, topped sparingly with shredded mozzarella, crushed uncooked canned tomatoes, chopped garlic and olive oil, and baked until the top bubbles and the bottom is crisp.[11] Italian and European lawIn Italy, there is a bill before Parliament to safeguard the traditional Italian pizza,[12] specifying permissible ingredients and methods of processing[13] (e.g., excluding frozen pizzas). Only pizzas which followed these guidelines could be called "traditional Italian pizzas" in Italy. On 9 December 2009, the European Union, upon Italian request, granted Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) safeguard to traditional Neapolitan pizza, in particular to "Margherita" and "Marinara".[14] The European Union enacted a protected designation of origin system in the 1990s.

Cooking Methods and Ingredients for Pizza

CookingIn restaurants, pizza can be baked in an oven with stone bricks above the heat source, an electric deck oven, a conveyor belt oven or, in the case of more expensive restaurants, a wood- or coal-fired brick oven. On deck ovens, the pizza can be slid into the oven on a long paddle, called a peel, and baked directly on the hot bricks or baked on a screen (a round metal grate, typically aluminum). Whe

n made at home, it can be baked on a pizza stone in a regular oven to reproduce the effect of a brick oven. Another option is grilled pizza, in which the crust is baked directly on a barbecue grill. Greek pizza, like Chicago-style pizza, is baked in a pan rather than directly on the bricks of the pizza oven. CrustThe bottom of the pizza, called the "crust", may vary widely according to style—thin as in a typical hand-tossed pizza or Roman pizza, or thick as in a typical pan pizza or Chicago-style pizza. It is traditionally plain, but may also be seasoned with garlic or herbs, or stuffed with cheese. CheeseMain article: Pizza cheese The most popular cheeses to use on pizza are mozzarella, provolone, cheddar and parmesan. Romano and Ricotta are often used as toppings and processed cheese manufactured specifically for pizza is used in mass-produced environments. Processed pizza cheese is manufactured to produce preferable qualities like browning, melting, stretchiness and fat and moisture content. Many studies and experiments have analyzed the impact of vegetable oil, manufacturing and culture processes, denatured whey proteins and other changes to creating the ideal and economical pizza cheese. In 1997 it was estimated that annual production of pizza cheese was 2 billion pounds in the US and 200 million pounds in Europe. ToppingsA myriad of toppings are used on pizzas, including, but not limited to: Anchovies Bacon Ground beef Mushrooms Olives Onions Pepperoni Peppers Sausage Seafood Sun-dried tomato Tomatoes Vegetables

What is Pizza??^^

Pizza (i/ˈpiːtsə/, Italian pronunciation: [ˈpittsa]) is an oven-baked, flat, round bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings. Pizza was originally invented in Naples, Italy, and the dish has since become popular in many parts of the world.[1] An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria". Many varieties of pizza exist worldwide, alon

g with several dish variants based upon pizza. In 2009, upon Italy's request, Neapolitan pizza was safeguarded in the European Union as a Traditional Specialty Guaranteed dish. Some mass produced pizzas by food chains have been criticized as having an unhealthy balance of ingredients. Some studies have linked consumption of the antioxidant lycopene, which exists in tomato products that are often used on pizza, as having a beneficial health effect.

Dessertssssss