A Weekend of Baking Part II

One of the greatest culinary discoveries for me when I recently moved to the Midwest was Red Velvet Cake. Before this, Red Velvet cake was only something referred to passingly in perhaps a film or novel and not part of our standard baking and cake eating repertoire. But, oh the glorious day when my wife and I sat in the small local "Europa Cafe" and each experienced our first Red Velvet cupcake. Rich red in color, moist without the slightest heavy or soggy note, slightly tangy with just a hint of chocolate in the mouth - all brought together by a tangy, rich cream cheese frosting. Truly a unique culinary - visual - textural - flavorful - experience. Since that day, I have wanted to make red velvet cake for my self. After much exploring and searching, I decided to give one of Paul Dean's Red Velvet Cake recipes a try. And, I am thrilled to say, with some small adjustment (recommended by her recipe reviews) this is the "money" recipe. My 8 year old daughter and I continued our weekend of baking with this our first ever batch of Red Velvet cupcakes. We had a great time together, the cupcakes were truly amazing and personally I think tomorrow morning will be the perfect opportunity to make our second batch - I can't wait.

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Red Velvet Cupcakes

Adapted from Paula Dean (Yield 24 cupcakes)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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For the Cream cheese frosting:
1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12 cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Frosting recipe makes a good deal of frosting and could easily be halved.

A Weekend of Baking

The Baking Spirits were out in full force this past weekend and in total possession of my mind and energies. And they seemed to have worked their magic on my 8 year old daughter as well - prying her away from the television and prompting her to assist me with not one, but two sessions of weekend baking. Together we made one of my all-time favorites - Scones. In the past Lemon-Poppy Seed Scones were the "go to" treat for snacks and tea time, but when I saw the large, gorgeous blueberries in the market, I couldn't resist buying them, photographing them, and then changing up my standard recipe to make Lemon-Blueberry Scones. Perhaps the best part of this baking time was watching my daughter dive in and pretty much make this batch of scones on her own. Although she has been baking with me since she was a toddler, it was great to see her really take charge and see the end result so nicely done. Oh... if only we had doubled the batch, there might still be some left.

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Lemon Blueberry Scones

3 cups all purpose flour, divided

1/3 cup sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

zest of two lemons

juice of 1 lemon.

1 pint blueberries

6 oz chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup chilled buttermilk (or heavy cream)

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Preheat oven to 400

Toss blueberries with 1/4 cup flour in a small bowl, set aside. Sift together remaining flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Add lemon zest and cold butter. Rub butter into flour mixture with fingers until the texture of coarse cornmeal. (Enjoy the great aroma of lemon and butter - my favorite part.) Add blueberries and any left over flour and lightly toss. Using a fork, gently toss flour/blueberry mixture while slowly adding, first the lemon juice and then the buttermilk or cream. Mix just until dough comes together. Hand-scoop 18 tennis ball sized scones and place on parchment lined baking sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to fully cool on a rack then drizzle on a generous amount of lemon glaze (recipe follows).

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Lemon Glaze

Juice of 1 lemon

2-3 cups confectioner's sugar

Juice 1 lemon into a small bowl. gently whisk in confectioner's sugar in 1/2 cup additions until thick, yet pourable consistency. Using a large spoon, drizzle cool scones with glaze. Allow to set for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy.

Inspiration in Estate Sale Tart Tins

While I love the daily interaction between my self, my family and the food I create for them, I truly appreciate those moments when friends gather, the wine flows and food is central to the evening - this past weekend was just such a time. Friends and colleagues, Jeff and Marji invited us over for a fantastic meal in their new home. Jeff made some of the best homemade pizzas I have ever tasted - whole cloves of roasted garlic, sweet potato, caramelized onions were just a few of the surprise ingredients on these thick savory pies. Inspired by my estate sale find (three large French made fluted tart tins for $2) I volunteered to bring dessert. I made two fresh fruit tarts with homemade Pate Sucree shells sealed with a thin layer of bittersweet chocolate, pastry cream, raspberries, Strawberries and blueberries. While not the quickest dessert to throw together, the payoff comes not only from the taste, but even more from the visual impact of presenting these beautiful tarts. Really a great evening, with the only down side of having to limit my wine consumption due to the long drive back into the city. A small price to pay.

Pastry Cream
adapted from Bo Friberg's The Professional Pastry Chef
1 Pint whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2Tbs cornstarch
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 oz unsalted butter

Bring milk to boil in heavy sauce pan. Meanwhile whisk cornstarch, sugar and salt together in a bowl. Add eggs one at a time whisking until smooth. Temper the egg mixture with 1/3 of the hot milk, whisking rapidly. Pour tempered mixture into remaining hot milk. Place mixture over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil and thickens. Continue to cook for 10-20 seconds longer then add vanilla extract and butter continuing to stir until completely incorporated. Pour custard into bowl and cover with parchment paper. When cool, store in the refrigerator. Yields 1.5 lbs or enough for 2 nine inch tart shells ( I have even stretched this for 2 eleven inch shells.)

FOODIE PROJECT CARAMELS

Over the past two months I have been busy with three priority areas in my life, 1) spending quality time with my wife and kids; 2) teaching the most engaging and informative classes possible at UMKC ; and 3) I have been making caramels, LOTS OF CARAMELS. It has always been my vision that the FOODIE PROJECT would be a multi-layered endeavor filled with collections of images, stories, memories, recipes as well as gatherings, tastings, workshops, “foodie” gear, and yes – food. The caramels are an extension of this vision and a continuation of a legacy passed on to me by my maternal grandmother (See the “Tribute” post). There is something wonderful in the hands-on, focused, highly creative crafting of these soft, rich and soul satisfying treats. Each small batch is an experiment, an exploration of flavor and texture possibilities. Rosemary, Pasilla Chile, Sea Salt, Black Currant, Macha Green Tea, Ginger-Peach and Cappuccino, are some of the current flavors. While the Rosemary, Pasilla Chile and Sea Salt seem to be the most popular, my personal favorite is what I might call “The Highlander” (in homage to my Scottish heritage) – a thick layer of traditional Cream Caramel on top of a rich thick slab of Scottish Shortbread – definitely my favorite. In addition to the great learning experience of crafting these caramels, it has also been a learning opportunity seeking out sources of local, organic, high quality ingredients. While I am not ready to “quit the day job”, I would like to make these treats available to friends and family for a limited time. Please contact me for additional information at lwdphoto@hotmail.com.


For the past several years there has been a continual inner battle between the part of me that for some reason must create visual art and the part of me that must create great food. This is a constant balancing act - sometimes leaning to the art side only to be countered by a sharp lean to the food side and back and forth. The FOODIE PROJECT allows me the forum to express both sides of this inner struggle and share with you the explorations on each side of the tightrope. The caramels are a definite lean to the food side - careful - I might just fall this time.

Just Like Dad ! (?)

I saw these a while ago while traveling. They were in the candy section of a gift shop in - of all places - Ogden, Utah. I had no idea that candy cigarettes were still on the market. Beyond being continually fascinated by candy I was really drawn to these mostly due to the packaging. Now let me just say, I have been known to have a cigar on occasion, so this is not a anti smoking rant - but - the visual image is so powerful I thought it deserved mention. The bright, vivid red packs of candy cigarettes jump out from amongst the chaos of other candy. A small boy literally looks up to his dad whose gleaming smile clinches a smoking cigarette while the gold label exclaims "Just Like Dad!" If it weren't just so problematic, it would be pretty humorous and just a touch "retro hip." But really it is just a little frightening.

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Each day, nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking; of these, nearly 2,000 will become regular smokers. That is almost 800,000 annually. (American Lung Association)

TIME TO BAKE

Bloody Mary Mornings

Let’s face it, when it comes to the celebration of food, Thanksgiving is the greatest of holidays. As much as I love the turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pumpkin pie and family gatherings, Thanksgiving will always elicit memories of something quite different – a tall spicy Bloody Mary, a close group of friends and a time of rebellion and growth. The first annual “Bloody Mary Morning” was the outcome of natural undergraduate youth, angst, friendship and a love of food. Each of us in this close knit collection of friends came from very conservative families. To each of us, Thanksgiving represented the love-hate dichotomy of great food and dysfunctional family drama; the comfort of home, and the deep desire to leave it. And, to top it off, to our young, rebellious minds it seemed unthinkable that we would each sit down in our respective homes to a great feast served without a drop of wine. It was simply too much to bear. The solution was both immature and genius – we resolved get together early on Thanksgiving morning and get drunk so that we could cope with our families (and their lack of alcohol) all day long. There in that moment of collaborative youthful rebellion came the beginnings of something great – the beginnings of what would be an annual tradition that evolved from youth to maturity, from a drink to an all out celebration of food and friends.

Each Thanksgiving this small collection of friends met in my apartment to share a drink and to share in each others company. While this core group always remained in tact, each year the circle of friends widened and the menu evolved into an elaborate culinary gathering. Perhaps it was this growth that caused the gatherings ultimate demise. The loss of intimacy and purpose, not to mention the all night cooking/baking episodes, moved this event far beyond the bounds of intent and practicality. While the “Bloody Mary Mornings” are now years in the past, it is through those events that many of the most important elements in my life have evolved. Through this group of friends and the “Bloody Mary Mornings” I have gained the absolute closest friends of my life; I met the woman who would become my best friend, wife and mother of my two children; and my interest in and understanding of great food was kindled and ignited. Although it seems counter intuitive – through this youthful notion of getting together to have a drink – I grew, I matured, I evolved into the person I am today. And so, even though most of us are miles away from each other on this Thanksgiving, I raise a glass and say “Cheers” and “thank you” to Jeff, Tom J, Tiffany, Tom B and of course Kristi.

What's Cooking?

It is nearly impossible to articulate the range and depth of emotions, expectations, desires and fears that can accompany something so essential and universal as creating and serving food to those we care about. We plan, we shop, we prepare, we pour ourselves into the foods creation, we present… and we hope. The process and the food I place on the table is more than a meal, more than a recipe or dish. When shared with my children, it is a learning/teaching opportunity. When shared with my wife it is the continuation of a long held common passion and connection. And when shared with close friends it is an opportunity to say thank you, congratulations, we’ve missed you, it is great to see you again. Planning, preparing, serving, sharing and enjoying great food is always an opportunity to bond with others and to impart a touch of ourselves to others.

In Laura Esquivel’s novel Like Water for Chocolate, the main character Tita nourishes and cares for her family through her food. But she also literally, physically pours herself into the foods creation. Her emotions, passions, tears and even her blood infuses her food, imparting that day’s fervor, sorrow or joy to all who eat of her food. This ability to infuse elements of oneself into our food is, I believe, something to be desired, but also something that must be carefully watched. As I prepare and serve my food I try to infuse my passion for food and my respect for those that farm, produce, sell, serve and make it all possible, into the cooking and dining experience with family and friends. I like to believe that my joy of creating, my love of culinary exploration and my gratitude are infused within my food, and like Tita’s emotions, are experienced by those that I feed. However, if I believe this to be true, then I must be constantly on guard that I do not infuse my cooking with negative influences, petty frustrations, anger, worries, jealousy and exhaustion.

The old cliché “What’s Cooking?” has been much on my mind lately. Not the “what’s happening?” or even the “what’s physically on the range top bubbling away?”, but rather a deeper question – “What IS Cooking?” What is this act, this gesture, this physical, mental and perhaps spiritual endeavor of preparing, serving and sharing food? What is cooking? – It is an honor, a privilege, a gift, a nourishing, enriching, educational, altruistic, loving, exciting, and yes sometimes exhausting opportunity to communicate with others through the language of food. Sure, I cook because I like the process and I love the food, but on a deeper level I create food for those I care about because they are good, kind people and my food is a way that I can give back to them. What’s cooking? – it is for me, like Tita, “like water for chocolate” – that one element that brings everything together, transcending the commonplace, resulting in something glorious to be experienced and savored.

Italian Red

"Wine is bottled Poetry."

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)

Comfort Food

I have been thinking about comfort food a lot lately. Not roast chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy or any traditionally defined comfort food. Rather, I have been thinking about what comfort food really means and the power of food to provide not only nutritional sustenance, but true comfort. We hold fast to the foods of our childhood, foods that represent stability and familiarity and the foods which have defined us culturally, regionally and personally. We crave these foods in moments joyous and desperate; centered and chaotic. Comfort food grounds us, reassures us and fills us with a sense of well being.

The power and complexity of comfort food was brought clearly into light this past year as my wife, young children and I relocated across country. For perhaps the first time in our lives all the things which comfort food represents were absent. We were ungrounded, fractured, and in a state of disequilibrium with no friends or family and faced with new challenges and fears. What struck me then and has stayed with me, was how absolutely critical comfort food became in that period of crisis. And more surprising was the food that made us whole again. In this moment of extreme transition we began searching, scouring our new neighborhood and city for food. With a refrigerator yet to be purchased, we searched for restaurants - not for the best restaurants with the most acclaimed chefs, but for welcoming, comfortable places with food that soothed our minds and bodies. Far from the traditional staples of comfort food, my children found refuge in steaming bowls of succulent Udon noodles from the Rainbow Korean restaurant. My wife found grounding in the scorching hot pot of Bibimbap from Choga. And I have found many evenings of contentment enjoying a hot plate of crisp fish and chips and a pint or two of wonderful beer at the local 75th Street brewery. Our fast food fix was centered around the delicious Bacon Cheddar Burger at Culvers our grocery needs were met by the beautiful Cosentino’s Market in Brookside and the Brookside Farmer’s Market and our dessert cravings were taken care of by the great pastry chefs at Andres and Dolce bakery. What each of these places and food items represents is not just good food and friendly people, but islands of peace, fulfillment and yes, comfort in what was a turbulent sea of change and instability. Our family is now settled in our new city, healthy and happy and we have discovered many of the great culinary treasures to be found here. Yet, we still return to the small, welcoming restaurants, friendly faces, and soul soothing food that first made us feel at home and then made us whole.

Each of us has our own "Comfort Food," share your ideas of comfort food in the comment section. Please use anonymous if you are not a member. Thank you!

Kansas City Chocolate Festival

The past three month in Kansas City have been packed with numerous outings and festival that in one way or another center around food. Included in this foodie frenzy is the Scottish festival, Irish festival, Plaza Arts Festival, Waldocrawldo Pub Crawl, Greek festival and Renaissance Festival. This past weekend (Oct. 11) was yet another foodie fest, the 4th Annual Kansas City Chocolate festival. This one day gathering of chocolate lovers included the likes of Christopher Elbow and his stunning chocolates, Three Women and an Oven, the Sweet Guy and numerous other local and national chocolate related companies. Perhaps it is because last year’s Chocolate Festival was one of the first things we did after moving to Kansas City, but my memories of the event far exceeded the realities of the day. While it is difficult to call anything that includes the likes of Christopher Elbow bad, this year’s festival was a disappointment on nearly every level. I am not usually a complainer and tend to celebrate even the smallest efforts, but the event left me continually wondering, “what happened?” What happened to the large selection of vendors, to last year’s beautiful and elaborate entries in the chocolate design contest? What happened to the advertised children’s activities and chocolate/cooking demonstrations? While I could see where some of these were supposed to be, none took place during our visit. Although our children were content with the marshmallow and pretzel run through the chocolate fountain, my wife and I were left disappointed and wondering what the $8 entry fee was for.

Chocolate is one of life’s truly great pleasures; it boosts the spirit, warms the soul, tastes great and is good for you. Chocolate is rich in history, folklore and mystery, it has been used religious practices, for currency, for savory dishes and the best desserts. Chocolate impacts all the senses, from its rich color, to its cool touch; from the sound of its “snap,” to that lush, warm, soul stirring taste. With all of chocolate’s greatness combined with America’s newly educated palette and passionate interest in chocolate, and with this city’s talented chocolatiers, The Kansas City Chocolate Festival has the potential to be a truly significant event in the foodies culinary calendar. Well, there is always next year – I hope.

The American Royal Barbeque Championship

One of the great joys of being a foodie is exploring the traditions and foods of new regions and cultures. On moving to Kansas City all I knew of the region was its reputation for and near obsession with great barbeque. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that this obsession reached the extent of the American Royal Barbeque Championship. This past weekend I had the opportunity to step behind the scenes of the world’s largest barbeque competition and experience true Kansas City Barbeque at its finest.

The American Royal, known as the “World Series of Barbeque” features over 500 teams competing throughout four days for top honors in categories such as “Brisket,” “Chicken,” “Ribs,” “Sides,” and “Deserts”. Teams and individual competitors set up camp in a vast community of smoking pits and eating parties, filling the huge parking areas of the Kemper Arena in west Kansas City. Motor homes, trailers and tents surround the pit allowing teams to keep 24 hour cooking schedules. Each cut of meat is seasoned in highly guarded, top secret blends, placed on the heat at according to a carefully crafted schedule. Temperature and color are monitored closely throughout the lengthy cooking process and then the meat is pulled from the heat at precisely the right temperature and time. This precision barbeque timing leaves just enough time for a team member to rush the entry to the drop off tables for judging. Each entry must arrive at the drop off tables at a preset time and the chaos of the “drop off” is often as exciting to watch as the cooking itself. Tucked away behind a screen of curtains, teams of six judges each conducted blind tastings of each category, awarding 15 places in each of the four categories as well as Second, Third and Fourth Runners Up, Reserve Grand Champion and Grand Champion who receives $12,500 and an automatic invitation to next year’s event.

As a foodie it was deeply gratifying to spend time learning about and experiencing the rich barbeque culture of this region. The small glimpses I had both in front of and behind the scenes deepened my knowledge and appreciation of mid-western and southern cuisine. The chefs and cooks I met were gracious and kind, their barbeque was absolutely delicious and long after I had returned home I could still smell the rich smoke filled air of the American Royal.

The Baking Season is Upon Us!

I Love Autumn

Fall has long been my favorite season. Cooler days, a crispness in the air, the rich colors of changing leaves all speak to me of the coming season of great cooking and baking. More so than any other season, Autumn fires my passion for baking and I have already been leafing through the stacks of cookbooks building up a mental list of breads and pastries to try. On this Autumnal Equinox I wish you all great baking and a season filled with warmth and joy.

The Joys of Late Summer

Eating With Our Eyes

Long before I became obsessed with visually documenting the world of food, I was a young adult who desperately needed to learn how to cook. In my early culinary education I gravitated to the cookbooks and food magazines with the most elegant illustrations and the most beautiful photography. Undoubtedly, this was fueled by my needs as an artist and visual learner, but these images and illustrations touched me much deeper than mere learning aids. There was, and still remains, something magical, almost intoxicating in food images. I would sit for hours with these books visually consuming each image, rereading the recipe, all the while constructing the dish in my head to look just as delicious as it did on the printed page. These images inspired me to create, urged me to try my hand at the recipe and pushed me to be a better, more thoughtful cook. The images clearly spoke to me in a deep subconscious way. While it could be said that all visual images tap into our subconscious memories and associations; food imagery triggers not only our memories, but also sparks and engages associations with tastes, olfactory and tactile sensations. And perhaps even more deeply rooted is the primal connection between seeing and understanding food and our very survival.

Today food images are more important to me than ever. I still obsessively collect beautiful cook books and food magazines. I have become friends with many dedicated people in the food industry who care deeply for the visual as well as the tastes of their foods. I continue to cook nearly every day with presentation in mind and for special occasions we often seek out beautifully designed restaurants. Out of all of this has grown the great pleasure of personally visually documenting this fascinating world of food. As a foodie and an artist I am continually fascinated with the colors, textures, presentations, personalities, faces, designs, utensils, machinery, places, and packaging of the food world. For the past several years I have had the unique opportunity to explore, to go behind the scenes, to meet amazing artisans and to share the visual experience with others. The artistic achievements I hold most dear are the times when I manage to capture an image which honors these artisans and celebrates the beauty and vitality of the food. Every photograph, drawing, print, or foodie project that I create is for me a celebration – a gesture that binds me closer to the joy of experiencing, cooking and eating great food. Just as the beautiful food nourishes my body, these images and projects nourish my soul.

Each post will include more of my “Foodie” imagery and more can be found at www.flickr.com/photos/lanceduffin In the spirit of such greats as NPR’s Story Core, The Kitchen Sisters, and The Splendid Table, I would like to invite you to join the conversation and become part of the Foodie Project community. In response to “Eating with our eyes” please share your favorite food image by emailing me at lwdphoto@hotmail.com and I will select some to share on the Foodie Project.

Tribute

Following is an excerpt from an essay which originally accompanied my "FOODIEslc" art exhibit.

My grandmother hand-dipped chocolates her entire working life. As children our lives were filled with weekly supplies of unbelievably delicious candies and we gloried in each and every holiday in anticipation of the chocolates that she would give us. Each Easter we were spared the horror of those cheap, hollow, waxy chocolate rabbits and were instead treated to extra large solid Easter rabbits in luscious milk chocolate. Other holidays were celebrated with delicacies like hand-crafted caramels, white chocolate mint bark, long slender boxes of thin mints - my personal favorite - the box divided perfectly in half with both dark and milk chocolate each with that characteristic bright green center and a smell beyond description. Throughout the years we received countless boxes of my grandmother’s hand-dipped chocolates each treasure emblazoned with her signature markings on the top, a secret code that each of us had fully mastered to decipher which dark treat held our favorite filling.

I remember the few times that I visited her in the store where she worked, pouring the molten chocolate, moving it with her hands on the huge marble surface, rolling a brightly colored ball of sweet filling in the dark chocolate, then deftly moving the shinny piece to a tray and skillfully letting the liquid chocolate drip from the end of her finger creating the mark that designated that jewel as a cherry, rum, raspberry, mint or orange cream.

As a child and as a young adult, I had no idea of the rich opportunity that was before me while she was alive. Even during the year I spent as a professional pastry chef, I still was not fully aware of the rich knowledge that I had failed to tap. It is not a matter of not getting to know my grandmother, because I did know her well. Rather, mine is a deep lament that I never stopped, took in the experience, asked questions, asked to try my hand that this creative and delicious life that she lived. I long to have the opportunity to tell my grandmother how her seemingly simple act of hand-dipping chocolates has inspired and moved me. And, I long for that missed moment to speak to her on a deeper level and allow both of us to reap the benefits of celebrating the gift of food and creativity that she gave me.

Please join me and add to the foodie project by leaving me your personal "foodie tribute" in the comment section.

Welcome to the Food Project

The Foodie Project is a blog addition to what has been an all consuming, multi-media exploration of the world of food. Beginning with my deep love and respect for the people, places, products, trends and traditions of food and growing into art exhibits, essays, articles and merchandise this exploration and celebration has been one of my greatest pleasures. Eating, cooking, shopping, learning, making new friends, creating communities of like minded foodies and celebrating my discoveries through art are but a few of the rich treats to be found in each day as a foodie. The Foodie Project is not intended as a daily diary or collection of recipes. Rather, the Foodie Project is an assemblage of explorations, celebrations, thoughts, sounds, stories and images based in the glorious world of food.