Pie and Pastry Bible (179 page)

The one minor advantage cassava offers over cornstarch is that it is not as affected by acid. However, once cornstarch is cooked, acid will not affect it either, which is why when you are making a lemon meringue pie, the lemon juice is added after the cornstarch has thickened the filling.

AMOUNT OF THICKENER
If you are using more sugar in a pie filling than the recipe calls for, more thickener will be needed because sugar contains moisture and when cooked, it will contribute more syrup.

The same amount of thickener is needed for a pie that is baked freshly made versus one that has been frozen because the fruit contains the same amount of liquid, which is released during heating.

If making a pie to eat shortly after baking
(i.e., time does not allow for the recommended cooling period), I replace half the cornstarch with 1
times its volume of cassava, in order to make the filling firm enough to slice well. (For example, replace 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cassava.)

If making a pie to eat the following day,
however, I will use a little less cornstarch, as it will continue to thicken over a 24-hour period. (If the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon, for example, I use 2½ teaspoons.) Also, for a lattice or open-faced pie, I use a little less cornstarch than for a two-crust pie, because more liquid can evaporate.

The average amount of cornstarch for 4 ounces of fruit is 1 to 2 teaspoons; the average amount for 1 cup of fruit is 1½ to 2½ teaspoons (see charts on page 77). Should you want to experiment with tapioca or cassava, they are equal to cornstarch by weight but not by volume:
1 tablespoon of cornstarch or fine tapioca = 4 teaspoons of cassava; 1 tablespoon of cassava = 2 teaspoons plus a scant ½ teaspoon of cornstarch or fine tapioca.

THICKENER FOR A TOPPING GLAZE FOR FRESH FRUIT PIES OR TARTS
Cornstarch, cassava, and arrowroot all produce clear glazes, but cassava is the most transparent. A cornstarch glaze is slightly cloudy and an arrowroot glaze is slightly yellow.

Cassava is my favorite choice for a glaze not only because of its clarity but also because it sets as soon as it is cool, with no flow, but does not form a rigid jell, thus remaining softer. (Cornstarch takes about 2 hours to set.) Another important advantage to cassava is that it is the starch that is the least affected by acidity of the fruit and holds up the longest. A cassava glaze remains soft and shiny on most fruit for 8 hours at room temperature and 4 days in the refrigerator, whereas a cornstarch glaze holds up for only 2 days in the refrigerator and then becomes dull and cracked. An arrowroot glaze holds up for only 1 day. A cornstarch glaze on pineapple, which has high acidity, will last for about 2 hours before thinning, whereas a cassava glaze on pineapple will still be fine the next day. I have also tried a cassava glaze on two of the most watery sliced fruits, which usually will not hold a glaze at all—fresh strawberries and fresh figs—and it was perfect. None of the glazes, however, works on fresh mango, probably because of an enzyme similar to one contained in papaya that keeps gelatin from thickening.

SHELF LIFE
If stored in an airtight, moisture-proof container, cornstarch has an indefinite shelf life. Manufacturers of tapioca or cassava give it at least a 2-year shelf life, but I have found that 10-year-old cassava lost only a little of its thickening power. Arrowroot has a more limited shelf life. After about 2 years, it will lose its thickening power to a significant extent.

VANILLA
Vanilla beans vary enormously in quality. The best beans come from Tahiti, Madagascar, and Mexico. The Tahitian beans are larger than the others and all three types are about twice the size and more highly perfumed with a floral quality than other vanilla beans. This makes it difficult to give equivalencies for distilled vanilla (extract), which also varies enormously in concentration (referred to commercially as “folds”). A general rule of thumb is:
A 2-inch piece of bean = 1 teaspoon of extract.
The Tahitian beans are so aromatic, I use only half a bean in a recipe specifying one bean.

Sometimes you will notice a white substance coating the vanilla beans. This is usually not mold, but rather flavorful vanillin crystals, which migrate to the surface. To determine which it is, simply touch your finger to the bean. If it is mold,
it will not disappear, but if it is vanillin crystals, they will vanish after a few seconds.

Vanilla accentuates other flavors. The bean adds a subtle depth of flavor and unique sweet quality. The extract, though easier to use, lacks the sweet roundness and if used in excess will even impart a bitter edge.

My favorite vanilla extract is produced by Méro and comes from Grasse, the perfume region of France. It is available from La Cuisine (page 676). I like to transfer the vanilla to a plastic squeeze bottle dispenser with a pointed tip and add a Tahitian vanilla bean. This is a great use for used vanilla beans, which still have lots of flavor even after the seeds have been removed. Be sure to rinse the bean if it has been used to flavor another liquid and dry it in a low oven or with the heat of the oven’s pilot light.

The recipes in this book that call for vanilla extract refer to the regular pure vanilla extract, not the concentrated variety, for purposes of standardization. When I use Méro or a concentrated vanilla extract, I use a little less than one half the amount specified in these recipes.

Another of my favorite vanillas is Nielsen-Massey vanilla, which is carried by many specialty stores and can be ordered directly from Nielsen-Massey (page 677). Recently, Nielsen-Massey introduced an excellent Tahitian vanilla extract. They also carry magnificent Tahitian vanilla beans, but these must be purchased in large quantities. Neilsen-Massey recommends storing extract and beans at room temperature, away from direct heat. They say that refrigeration is fine for extract, but since the flavoring material precipitates out when chilled, it must be shaken before use. They caution against refrigerating the beans, because they can mold, though I find that if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they keep perfectly for several years.

VEAL AND CHICKEN STOCK
Glace and demi-glace, the super-concentrated veal and chicken stocks made without salt or preservatives, are available from Master Chef More than Gourmet in small containers. They need no refrigeration until opened and then will keep for over a year. They are available in gourmet grocery stores such as Balducci’s (page 676) and can be mail-ordered directly from Master Chef (page 677).

YEAST
I prefer using fresh yeast to dry. I like its lively reaction and forthright, earthy smell. But if the yeast isn’t fresh, the final baked product will have a slightly sour taste. The best way to determine freshness is by smell, as the color may not have changed even when the yeast is slightly past its prime. Fresh yeast freezes indefinitely, at 0°F. or below (above 0°F., not all activity will be arrested), but certain precautions must be taken in defrosting. Yeast is a live organism and must be “awakened” gradually from the frozen state. To defrost, place it in a refrigerator for a minimum of 48 hours. Since a few yeast cells will have been destroyed in the process, use one quarter more than the amount specified in the recipe.

It’s fine to use dry yeast (see Substitutions, page 655), but the quick- or rapid-rise yeasts need a different procedure. For one thing, they cannot be proofed. In
the 10 minutes of proofing time, they will have thoroughly exhausted all their energy and leavening power. Dry yeast requires warm water (about 110°F.) to activate it by enabling it to absorb water and swell. Cold water will kill it. Most strains of yeast, whether fresh or dry, die at 125°F., though some can live at temperatures up to 150°F.

My favorite dry yeast is SAF-Instant (not to be confused with rapid). It is called instant because, unlike other dry yeasts, it does not require warm water to wake it up; in fact, it can be added to the dry ingredients without proofing. It should be stored in the freezer, where it will keep for about 1 year, but it should be proofed once in a while just to make sure that it is still active. (You can simply add a pinch of it to warm water, and within 5 minutes it should start to bubble.) To substitute for regular dry yeast, see Substitutions (page 655). SAF-Instant is available at specialty food stores and from the King Arthur catalogue (page 676).

WEIGHTS

The weight for all ingredients in the recipes in this book is given in both the metric and avoirdupois system. The grams mostly have been rounded off to the nearest whole number without decimal points (except for leavening and other ingredients that need to be more precise and should be measured rather than weighed, unless using commercial-quality scales), the ounces to the nearest quarter ounce. Either system works, but do not expect the mathematics to correlate exactly.

There is no doubt about it: Weighing is faster, easier, and more accurate than measuring. Most bakers, including myself, prefer the metric system for its precision in small quantities. There isn’t any adjustment necessary if you have a metric scale and the recipes give metric amounts! If you do not have a scale with a digital readout, round off the grams to the nearest convenient number. The amount will still be quite accurate, as, after all, one gram is only about one twenty-eighth of an ounce.

The way I have presented the solid volume measures is the way in which I would measure them. Instead of writing 6 tablespoons sugar, for example, I express it as ¼ cup ó 2 tablespoons, because that is the more convenient approach. Also, the fewer measures used, the less room for error.

For those who measure instead of weigh, the
dip and sweep method
of measuring means dipping the measuring cup into the bin containing the ingredient and sweeping off the excess with a long flat spatula or knife. Flour should be stirred lightly before measuring.

Lightly spooned
refers to spooning the ingredient into the cup and then sweeping off the excess with a long flat spatula or blade. This method yields less of the ingredient than the dip and sweep method.

Dry ingredients should be measured in a cup designed for solids. Liquid ingredients, including honey and other syrups, should be measured in a liquid measure with a spout. There is a difference in volume between liquid and solid measuring cups.

SUBSTITUTIONS: APPROXIMATE EQUIVALENCIES AND SUBSTITUTIONS

Making one thing into another is never 100 percent, but in a pinch it’s nice to know how to come close to the original.

Most substitution charts indicate how to sour milk with vinegar to replace buttermilk. While the acidity level seems the same, the sour flavor is nowhere near the rich, full tanginess of buttermilk. Substituting an item such as granulated sugar and molasses for brown sugar is closer to the original because that is often the way it is done in the industry, though I prefer the unrefined brown sugar that has the original molasses in it (see page 646).

It is not possible to give a substitution for molasses, however, because in order to have enough molasses from sugar, too much sugar would need to be added.

Exchanging one type of semisweet or bittersweet chocolate for another will work but will often yield surprisingly different flavor and texture results. Even if the percentages of cocoa solids, cocoa butter, and sugar are the same, the type of bean and degree of roasting is responsible for significant variations. The best way to determine which semisweet or bittersweet chocolate to use is to taste the different types.

These yeast equivalencies are approximate and work well. If you have a scale accurate for small amounts, you may want the more precise conversion: