#yeast-leavened cake

[alexsrandomramblings]

Made a yeast-leavened spice cake from a cookbook that used to belong to my great-grandmother. Yeasted cakes tend to be denser than egg white or chemical leavened cakes, but still really good.

[fireandiceland]

Hetalia characters with dishes typical for their country - part 2 (part 1 here)

Spain: Paella de marisco (seafood paella) -> A surprisingly easy to make dish consisting of saffron infused rice with seafood. Other versions can also be made with meat from livestock (like the paella valenciana with chicken and rabbit) or be made vegetarian. The word "paella" is Valencian/Catalan and translates to "frying pan", the name of the dish originating from how it is traditionally cooked in a wide, shallow pan.

Prussia: Königsberger Klopse (königsberger dumplings) -> Named after the capital of East Prussia, these dumplings are made from minced vail, pork, or beef mixed with onions, eggs, and soaked white bread and cooked in saltwater. Some of the brewing water is then thickened into a sauce using roux, egg yolk and cream. It is traditionally served with boiled or mashed potatoes. Back then in Königsberg itself, the dish was known as Saure Klopse (sour dumplings).

South Italy: Pizza Margherita -> This flatbread made from leavened yeast dough topped with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil leaves. It is said to have earned it's name from appealing greatly to the Italian Queen Margherita when she tried the Neapolitan speciality, though newer reseach suggests that the name Margherita wasn't used until 40-50 years after the alleged incident.

Finland: Mustikkapiirakka (blueberry cake) -> Berries play a very important part in Finnish food culture, especially hand picked forest blueberries which are often turned into pastries and pies. A particularly popular pie is made with the pie crust eased into the tart tin with floured hands (not rolled out), then the blueberries and a custard filling are added and the cake baked until the top becomes golden-brown.

Sweden: Kannelbulle (cinnamon roll) -> Despite other Nordic countries claiming the invention of the sweet roll, very year on 4 October Sweden celebrates "Cinnamon Roll Day". A sheet of dough is covered in butter, sugar, and cinnamon, then rolled up and cut into the characteristic pieces. The are traditionlly baked in muffin wrappers and only dusted with sugar, they are lighter and less sweet than American cinnamon buns with icing.

Denmark: Flødeboller (cream puff) -> The fluffy, foamy inside of this treat is made from beaten egg whites mixed with sugar, dressed on a wafer and covered in chocolate. Often they are topped with coconut flakes, shredded almonds, or colourful sprinkles, making them a popular little "cake" for danish children to have for someone's birthday at school. They were first invented around 1800 in Denmark, but quickly became popular in France and Germany as well.

Norway: Kvæfjordkake (Kvæfjord cake) -> This sponge cake baked with meringue with almonds on top and then layered with vanilla or rum custard (sometimes mixed with whipped cream), is also dubbed the best cake in the world - Verdens beste. The name is based on the region it's inventer originates from. Starting in the 1930s as a variation of the kongekake ("king cake") with less almonds, as they were quite expensive, it is now a popular dessert for special celebrations.

Iceland: Rjómabollur (profiterole) -> A little sweet treat made from choux pastry filled with jam and whipped cream, the top dipped in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles. Traditionally, they are eaten on "Bun Day", the Monday before Ash Wednesday. Kids wake their parent up by smacking them with paper wands and every smack on the parent's bottom before their feet touch the ground translates into one bun which the parent owes to the child.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: Cake Terminology

IN AMERICAN ENGLISH...

Cake - is anything, large or small, filled or unfilled, made from a sweet batter, whether dense or light

IN THE UK...

A cake - what Americans might call a “plain cake”.

It usually refers to a dense baked good such as Madeira cake, similar to what Americans might call a pound cake, or to a fruit-laden Christmas cake (U.S. fruitcake).

A layer cake - referred to as a “sandwich sponge,” “sandwich,” or by the French term gâteau.

IN FRANCE...

Le cake - a loaf-shaped pound cake often enriched with dried or candied fruits.

Lately, the French have begun to apply the term to any loafshaped, flour-based baked goods; one result is le cake salé (salted cake), a dense savory cake.

Delicate layer cakes with rich or soft fillings are also referred to as entremets (desserts).

A layer cake can be a gâteau in France as well as in the United Kingdom, though the same term may also refer to desserts made from pastry doughs, such as:

Almond-filled gâteau des rois - (kings cake or Twelfth Night cake) made from puff pastry

Gâteau Basque - made from a sweet pastry dough

Gâteau Saint Honoré - made from unsweetened pastry dough or puff pastry

Pâte à choux - cream puff pastry

IN GERMAN-SPEAKING COUNTRIES...

Terminology mostly follows classic South German nomenclature.

Plain cakes, those embellished with fresh fruit, or those made from yeast-leavened doughs are referred to as Kuchen.

Layer cakes and some rich cakes made from pastry doughs are called Torten, as in:

Punschtorte, layers of sponge cake moistened with rum punch and filled with apricot jam;

Sachertorte, a rich chocolate cake; and

Linzertorte, a dense, jam-filled cake; halfway between a cake and a pastry.

A Torte is sometimes mistakenly thought to be a cake or cake layer made without flour, probably because the Viennese baking tradition often uses ground nuts either alone or combined with flour or dry breadcrumbs for Tortenboden or cake layers.

IN ITALY...

Italian bakers solve the problem by referring to most cakes, as well as to pies and tarts, as torte.

An Italian torta may be either a layer cake, as in:

torta bignè (a cream-filled layer cake covered with tiny unfilled cream puffs or bignè), or

torta di mandorle (an unfilled, denser cake such as an almond pound cake).

torta rustica - A torta can refer to a savory pie

torta di mele - or a sweet pie

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[drconstellation]

The Altar of Eccles Cakes

(updated 21 Oct 2023, for Grain Offerings example) (updated 21 Nov 2023, for link to First Temptation)

The mysterious plate of Eccles cakes. Are they really to "calm people down?' And why do they just ...disappear? They must be there for a reason?

Yes, they certainly are. They are just the first course of a fascinating meal on offer in S2.

So far, most of the meta around the Eccles cakes has focused on the meaning of their name. Eccles is an old name for church. We could view it as Aziraphale trying to calm Crowley down. They are also known as "squashed fly cakes." The white outside and the black inside could be seen as a metaphor relating to Gabriel. Or it hints at the Roger the Stunt Fly, that contain Gabriel's memories, flying around the book shop, who's purpose we don't find out about until the end. There is even a link to the 1650 Sorry Dance that Aziraphale mentioned, in that were banned by Oliver Cromwell for being pagan! (Did I get that right? I've not kept the post link.)

[Edit: They also represent the First Temptation as Jesus fasts in the wilderness for 40 days before the Entry into Jerusalem at the start of the Passion narratives, where bread was made from stones.]

Take another look at the blocking in this shot. The dark horse statue, representing Crowley - even wearing his sunglasses! - has the placating plate of Eccles cakes placed before it, in supplication. Yeah, it didn't work this time, but it's the thought that counts. What we have here is Aziraphale making an Sin offering to the altar of Crowley, to ask for atonement in advance for what he has done (taking Gabriel in.)

Once you frame it in that reference, you realize its not the only altar offering made during S2. It also adds a bit more depth to some of the other scenes, where they have all been mentioned already in some way, but it certainly helps to explain the Eccles cakes!

Firstly, we need to mention the main types of altar offering that are made:

Burnt offerings - for general atonement of sins and for expression of devotion to God. It could be a bull, a ram, goat, or a bird in the form of a dove or pigeon. Such as this magnificent example in the Job minisode.

Aziraphale certainly devoted himself to the sin of gluttony on that occasion. (hang on, that didn't come out the right way, did it...?) But he was still devoted to God, despite his nocturnal conversation with Crowley while they waited out the storm in the cellar.

Grain offerings - a voluntary expression of devotion to God. This was grain prepared in different way, but always seasoned, unsweetened and unleavened. Recall at Gomorrah Lot offered to prepare the visiting angels unleavened bread as part of a meal.

Originally when I wrote this post I didn't think I had any Grain offering examples, but a few days later as I was writing my post on The Ineffable Ducks I realized where the missing S2 Grain offering was - in S2E1, when Crowley yells at the Azerbaijani spies in St James Park. The ducks are usually offered bread, which is leavened with yeast, so technically not quite correct, but when you review all the instances of feeding the ducks crumbs or bread crumbs it certainly fits. Unless you are Crowley, and you'd rather have the current state of quiet "frozen peas" between Heaven and Hell. See my Ineffable Ducks post for an elaboration.

Peace offering - This could be cattle, sheep or goat without defect, but the main purpose to was consecrate a meal between two or more parties before God and share that meal in a fellowship of peace and commitment to each other's future prosperity.

You know where we see one of these? At the eldritch ball!

I did see a nice meta about the vol-au-vents recently, mainly about their name, but I don't seem to have saved it, and can't find it again. They are usually filled with chicken (a bird) and the eldritch ball is ostensibly the shopkeepers monthly meeting, after all, where they are there to talk about their mutual prosperity in the future. Just so happens its also an opportunity for Aziraphale to talk to Crowley about their future...oh, and Nina and Maggie's, as well, of course!

Sin offering - atonement or unintentional sin. It would have the elements of a Burnt offering, as well as a Peace offering, but not be shared. These are what the plate of Eccles cakes are, so they were never meant to be eaten. They were an olive branch to Crowley regarding Gabriel, but he turned it down. So they softly and suddenly vanish away, never to be met with again.*

There is one more altar offering that needs to mentioned, another Sin offering. The one Crowley consumed in Elspeth's place in The Resurrectionists minisode in 1832 Edinburgh - the laudanum.

It pretty clear to most observers that Crowley did a good and "kind deed" for Elspeth here, which angered Hell in the process and then he was dragged forcibly downstairs to be duly punished for it. There is a post here from atlas-hope that suggests this is a parallel of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, drinking the cup of God's wrath to absolve Christians of their sins. They point out the laudanum is even poured into a goblet. Crumbs, that's a hefty bit of spiritual lifting, dear demon. What were you thinking, Anthony J. Crowley? It might cast that conversation you had with the carpenter back on the mountain in a new light, or least make us look back twice at it. (Plenty of time for contemplation before S3 arrives...)

Remember, a Sin offering has elements of both a Burnt offering and a Peace offering: a giant Crowley gets Elspeth to promise to devote the rest of her life to being "properly good, not just pretendy good" and the money Aziraphale is forced to donate to her ensures her future prosperity. Sounds like a win-win situation there, Elspeth!

[*OK, if you don't get the ref, its from the Hunting of the Snark. The Snark represents happiness, a most elusive thing to find, and more often than not its a fruitless search, and you find the terrible Boojum instead. During the third verse the Baker recounts the lecture his uncle gives him about how to hunt the Snark, and to be aware of his fate if he is unlucky enough to encounter a Boojum. It kind of fits in with S2, I feel.]

[livebloggingmydescentintomadness]

i was just reading a fic where someone said they needed to set aside their pasta dough "to rise", and that made my eye twitch badly enough that i would like to give you all a quick lesson about dough for all your writing needs.

without getting into fussy details, there are four basic types of dough/batter. yeasted doughs, quick breads, laminated/pastry doughs, and unleavened doughs.

the only one of those that ever needs to rise is yeasted dough.

yeasted doughs are, as the name suggests, leavened with yeast. yeast is a microorganism that, when activated in water, feeds on sugars to produce gas. that gas, when trapped in dough, creates bubbles. most breads are yeasted, as are things like bagels, rolls, pizza crust, soft pretzels, english muffins, etc. yeasted doughs are also typically made by kneading, a process that develops the sticky gluten in wheat and makes the dough strong enough to hold onto itself and gives a pleasantly chewy result. (sourdough is also yeasted, but it's made by capturing wild yeast from the air rather than using prepackaged yeast.)

quick breads are leavened with baking soda and/or baking powder. these agents do not need rise time, as the chemical reaction happens when they are introduced to water/acid and heat. muffins, pancakes, cake, and sweet breads like banana, pumpkin, and zucchini are quick breads, and not only are they not kneaded, they shouldn't be overworked. overworking activates the gluten in the wheat, which isn't desired in these soft, tender breads. cookies and brownies would go under this umbrella as well.

laminated/pastry dough is leavened by thin layers of cold butter reaching a quick boiling point and releasing a steam that separates the layers of dough. this effect can be most clearly seen in something like a croissant, though croissants are also yeasted. pie crusts, most biscuits (the american kind), scones, and many other types of pastries are made this way. any time a recipes instructs you to "cut" butter into flour, this is what you're doing. phyllo, the type of dough used to make baklava, uses a similar process where oil or melted butter is brushed between paper-thin sheets of dough.

unleavened dough is exactly that, unleavened. there is nothing in this dough that makes it rise. pasta, many crackers, some flatbreads like tortillas - they don't rise at all. you do, on the other hand, typically have to let it rest for at least fifteen minutes, as the mixing of the dough creates elastic gluten strands that will resist attempts to roll it out.

special mention: whipped egg whites. when eggs are whipped into stiff peaks, they become filled with air, and some recipes use whipped egg whites folded carefully into batter as a leavener. angel food cake, for example, is leavened with nothing but egg whites. many cake recipes use this technique, as it creates a very light and delicate result.

SO. please take this knowledge and incorporate it in your writing as you will. thank you. <3

ps: things that are gluten free never require kneading, as there is no gluten to develop. gluten free baking is an alchemy which i do not pretend to understand.

[miminmimikyu]

thinking about @plant-taxonomy-showdown's angiosperm cake poll and im contemplating how possible it is to bake a cake using ~~only~~ ingredients obtained from monocots (OR eudicots, but i've got that one figured out i think). i'm currently stumped by how you get air into that sucker without chemical leavening agents (aquafaba comes from eudicots so that's out).

so the solution would be like

bake something that's supposed to be dense, like ginger cake or banana bread. but the thought of making any of these without cinnamon is making me sad

stretch the definition of cake. maybe a pie is possible…?

reaaaaaaaaaaally stretch the definition of monocot-derived ingredient. like. what if i make ginger beer and use its CO2. that definitely can work (i've used cola as a leavening agent before). but then i'm relying on epidermally associated yeasts to make me the CO2, that feels like cheating.

but in theory, someone could run into a maize field at dusk, tie plastic bags around some (thousands) of plants, harvest the air before dawn, extract the CO2, pressurize it enough to blast it into water and then give me that carbonated water to use. does that count. plants make CO2 in the Kreb’s cycle so does it matter that the ginger beer's CO2 comes from a yeast digesting the ginger's glucose and not from the ginger burning its glucose how do you (imaginary arbiter of monocot cake law) know a yeast did it and not me breaking into a field at night with 10000 plastic bags i'm getting off track now.

[lynaferns]

Homemade Yogurt Sponge-Cake SPA/ENG

@cannibal-in-a-can requested the recipe for this so here it is. (I was already planning on sharing it but I got excited that someone asked for it :] )

Additionally to what's in the recipe, there are elements that you can change (you could do this with almost any baking recipe), for example: you can use candied fruits instead of chocolate chips, or use brown sugar instead of the common sugar. You can put a little bit more of sugar than what the recipe indicates if you prefer it more sweet or on the contrary put a bit less.

The important elements of this cake (and most cakes) are the yogurt, eggs, yeast, flour, oil and carrot. You can add extracts, if you are celiac you perfectly can change the wheat flour with cornflour or rice flour (the rice one's a little better but with corn also taste good).

Text only version under the cut

ESPAÑOL/SPANISH

Bizcocho de Yogurt

Ingredientes:

Yogurt (limón/ natural) - 1 (usar recipiente para medir ingredientes)

Huevos - 3

Impulsor (levadura) - 15g

Harina - 3 medidas

Azúcar - 1 medida

Aceite de girasol - 1 medida

Ralladura de zanahoria - 2 medidas (o solo échale una zanahoria)

Pepitas de chocolate (opcional) - 1 medida

Elaboración:

Batir los huevos con el azúcar.

Añadir el yogurt y mezclar.

Añadir el aceite y mezclar.

Añadir la harina tamizada con el impulsor y mezclar bien.

Añadir la ralladura (y las pepitas) y mezclar.

Engrasar y enharinar el molde, verter la mezcla en el molde.

Precalentar el horno 180º C (360º F) hornear 30-40 mins.

Nota adicional:

Puedes usar yogurt griego, pero recomendaría añadir 1-2 cucharaditas de limón o extracto de vainilla.

-

INGLÉS/ENGLISH

Yogurt Sponge-Cake

Ingredients:

Yogurt (lemon/natural) - 1 (use the recipient to measure the ingredients)

Eggs - 3

Yeast (leaven) - 15g

Flour - 3 measures

Sugar - 1 measure

Sunflower oil - 1 measure

Grated carrot - 2 measure (or just one carrot)

Chocolate chips (optional) - 1 measure

Elaboration:

Beat the eggs with the sugar.

Add the yogurt and mix.

Add the oil and mix.

Add the flour sifted together with the yeast and mix well.

Add the grated carrot (and chocolate chips) and mix.

Grease and flour the mold, pour the mixture into the mold.

Preheat the oven 180º C (360º F) bake 30-40 mins.

Additional note:

You can use greek yogurt but I would recommend adding 1-2 teaspoons of lemon or vanilla extract.

[pixelfoodie]

Brussels waffle is one of the two Belgian waffle varieties, a delicious cake enjoying the status of Belgium's national dessert. The waffle is made from a thin, yeasted batter that is baked in a specially-designed appliance, giving the waffle an unusual, checkered pattern. The thin, runny batter helps in creating defined edges and a perfectly rectangular shape of the cake. However, the most important addition is the leavening agent, in this case, yeast, providing airiness and lightness. Although the waffle is light on the inside, it is crunchy and crispy on the outside, with an appealing golden-brown color. This traditional Belgian dessert is usually sold at bakeries and numerous food stands across Belgium. It is almost always eaten by hand and is rarely served in restaurants. Traditionally, it is served plain or dusted with powdered sugar. However, modern Brussels waffles are often topped with ingredients such as chocolate, whipped cream, caramel, or sliced fruits. src.: https://www.tasteatlas.com/brussels-waffles photo ref.: https://bakingwithbutter.com/belgian-waffles/

[mariacallous]

Is there anything better than curling up with a warm slice of banana bread topped with a slab of butter? Turns out, yes! My desire to combine some of my favorite American classics with Jewish confections led to the creation of banana bread babka. 

The exact origins of banana bread are unknown, but it is believed to have gained in popularity during The Great Depression as a way to decrease food waste from tossing overripe bananas, though some would argue it was developed to sell more baking soda. This might explain why it became the quintessential at-home treat at the start of the COVID pandemic, when people were limiting their visits to the grocery store and spending lots of time indoors. While I baked my fair share of loaves during the pandemic, as the world began to open up, I wanted to elevate banana bread. The fluffy texture of the babka dough and ribbons of cinnamon-spiked brown sugar running through this banana bread babka are a definite upgrade, but still honor the original recipe.  

While babka is more time-consuming and complex than banana bread, the two have a lot in common. They’re both cakes with a long history that have risen to fame in the U.S. in the past decade, and they both use yeast as a leavening agent. This dough needs to rise for at least eight hours; you can also make it the day before and leave it to rise overnight.

Notes:

This recipe yields 2 loaves baked in 9×5 size loaf pans.

Store in the freezer for up to a month. To thaw your frozen loaf, allow it to defrost on its own by letting it sit out on the counter overnight.

[clove-pinks]

A friend and I have a question about Georgian seed-cakes, and, having followed your quest for an authentic period seed-cake, I thought I would apply to you for assistance! All of the period seed-cake recipes we have seen seem to be light sponges, but we encountered a reference in The Lyon in Mourning to a piece of seed-cake being sent from Edinburgh to Rome around the 1760s/1770s, as a gift for Charles Edward Stuart from a Jacobite Supporter.

"Ay !" said he [Charles Edward Stuart], "a piece of cake from Scotland, and from Edinburgh too !" Then rising from his seat and opening a drawer, "Here," said he, "you see me deposite it, and no teeth shall go upon it but my own!"

Do you have any knowledge of a historical seed-cake recipe that might travel so well as that?

Thank you for the interesting question! I have only traveled briefly with seed cakes, so I don't have a specific recipe that I can recommend for that purpose. One of my cookbooks explores the historical background of seed cake, the excellent Setting a Fine Table: Historic Desserts and Drinks from the Officers' Kitchens at Fort York by Elizabeth Baird and Bridget Wranich.

Baird and Wranich adapt a recipe from 1755, "A Seed Cake, Very Rich" written by Elizabeth Cleland in A New and Easy Method of Cookery. They explain, "Early seed cakes were raised by the addition of yeast. Initially, eggs were added to enrich the cake and, as recipes evolved, they eventually replaced yeast as the leavening. In the 18th century, it was popular to serve seed cakes at harvest time." And they contrast its dense, moist fine crumb against airy commercial pound cakes of the present day.

I found a cookbook from the specific historical era you mention, The Compleat Housewife, Or, Accomplished Gentlewoman's Companion by Eliza Smith, published 1773. There are at least five different recipes for seed cake in this book, all over the place: "A good Seed Cake," "Another Seed Cake," "A rich Seed Cake, called the Nun's Cake." (I've never heard of Nun's Cake). The first one I found seemed pretty different from the recipe I use, although it does have the very metal verbiage "blood-warm."

Some of her alternate recipes are closer to what I make, using brandy for depth of flavour and just whipped eggs for leavening.

Every seed cake recipe I have made, including the not-very-historical one in The Fort George Bill of Fare that uses baking powder, produces a very dense, rich, butter-heavy cake. I imagine that if you tightly wrapped it it would travel well and stay moist, and the addition of more alcohol is also a possibility (some of Eliza Smith's recipes call for sack i.e. fortified wine).

Both Cleland and Smith specify using the hands to work the butter into a cream, and Baird and Wranich note that their museum staff and historical interpreters do this for visitors at Fort York. (I find an electric mixer much faster and easier).

[jajaaaaaaabuidab]

A JOURNEY TO THE CITY OF THE GOLDEN SUNRISE "BORONGAN EASTERN SAMAR"

BORONGAN EASTERN SAMAR

Life isn’t all high-end travel in Europe,  and expensive travel in other parts of the world.  This  travel blog is  one of the my favourite   blog travel platforms  inspiration for beginners like me as the very purpose of which  is to promote and introduce the beauty and excitement once you reached Borongan City, or known as the “City of the Golden Sunrise”. Aside from being the hometown of my mother, I came to appreciate the place, its because of its unique geographical features and pre-his panic attributes of the natives. 

By way of introduction, the name Borongan was taken from the local word "borong", which in the Waray-Waray language means "fog". The mountainous terrains surrounding Borongan is covered by a heavy veil of fog which can usually be seen during the cold and rainy seasons and in the early hours of the morning. Because of this characteristic, the pre-Hispanic natives called it Borongan.  

Borongan  perhaps is also known for its golden sunrises, so its nickname "City of the Golden Sunrise", also helped by the sunlight being reflected by the Pacific waters and this is the secret why the Boronganon is known  for its industry, courage and perseverance making the place the past emerging city in the East.  As to its present status, Its cityhood   was settled by the Supreme Court of the Philippines when it decided with finality on April 12, 2007, the constitutionality of its city charter, Republic Act 9394, which conferred upon and elevated the status of the municipality of Borongan into a component city of the province of Eastern Samar

Culinary Journey in the City of Golden Sunrise

One thing that I loved the place is  the unique but simple culinary journey to Samar, where rich flavors and unique dishes await. From the island’s world-renowned seafood delicacies to its vibrant array of food, Borongan E.Samar offers a diverse and tantalizing array of culinary experiences. Whether you’re savoring the freshest catch of the day or indulging in local specialties like  Salukara, Binagol Tarucog and Lechon Baduya nga Pasayan, each dish encapsulates the region’s rich cultural heritage and traditional cooking methods

SALUKARA ( WARAY WARAY PANCAKE)

It is made with galapong (or glutinous rice flour), coconut milk, sugar, and water, the same ingredients to make the cake called bibingka. Traditionally tubâ (palm wine) is used as the leavening agent, giving the pancakes a slightly sour aftertaste, though standard baker's yeast can be substituted

BAKINTOL

Moron or Bakintol is another variety of smoother suman, best described as "rice cake" in English. It is made up of glutinous rice, cocoa, sugar, coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves and steamed

TARUKOG

Tarukog is a type of marine mollusk with a dark green hairy body. They live attached to rocks and they graze on algae. The valve shells and innards are removed through boiling in water

LOBSTER

Lobsters have compound eyes on movable stalks, two pairs of long antennae, and several pairs of swimming legs (swimmerets) on the elongated abdomen. A flipperlike muscular tail is used for swimming; flexure of the tail and abdomen propel the animal backward. This is being peddled by the natives early in the morning around the vicinity

MINURON

This is one of the delicacy in Borongan where the same is being sold at the back stage of the Luis Capito Cultural Center facing the hundred year old Acasia tree located at the middle of the street in Borongan town plaza

EVENTS AND FIESTIVITIES IN BORONGAN CITY

PADUL-ONG FESTIVAL

Padul-ong Festival is a religious festival in Borongan City in the province of Eastern Samar, Philippines held every September 8th. A weeks-long festival, it is conducted in honor of Nuestra Señora dela Natividad, the patroness of the city. It also coincides with Borongan City Native Pig Lechon Festival

KURATSA DANCE

 is a widely performed traditional courtship dance in leyte and samar, the dance is performed during annual fiestas and family gatherings like birthday and weddings In kuratsa, dancers imitate the courtship of a rooster and a hen, they throwing of money during the dance of kuratsa as a symbol of abundance and prosperity

HILANGAGAN BEACH

Hilangagan Beach is a secluded nook located behind a mountain in Brgy. Punta Maria, Borongan City, Eastern Samar. The beach is characterized by its natural swimming pools, formed by pebbles, tiny sea shells, and dead corals, which are locally referred to as 'hilangag' or 'lungag'.

[truthdawn]

Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made foods, having been of significance since the dawn of agriculture, and plays an essential role in both religious rituals and secular culture.

Bread may be leavened by naturally occurring microbes (e.g. sourdough), chemicals (e.g. baking soda), industrially produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration, which creates the gas bubbles that fluff up bread. In many countries, commercial bread often contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, nutrition, and ease of production.

Etymology

The Old English word for bread was hlaf (hlaifs in Gothic: modern English loaf), which appears to be the oldest Teutonic name.[1] Old High German hleib[2] and modern German Laib derive from this Proto-Germanic word, which was borrowed into some Slavic (Czech: chléb, Polish: bochen chleba, Russian: khleb) and Finnic (Finnish: leipä, Estonian: leib) languages as well. The Middle and Modern English word bread appears in Germanic languages, such as West Frisian: brea, Dutch: brood, German: Brot, Swedish: bröd, and Norwegian and Danish: brød; it may be related to brew or perhaps to break, originally meaning "broken piece", "morsel".[3][better source needed]

History

Main article: History of bread

Bread is one of the oldest prepared foods. Evidence from 30,000 years ago in Europe and Australia revealed starch residue on rocks used for pounding plants.[4][5] 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. The oldest evidence of bread-making has been found in a 14,500-year-old Natufian site in Jordan's northeastern desert.[6][7] 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 on the surface of cereal grains, so any dough left to rest leavens naturally.[8]Woman baking bread (c. 2200 BC); Louvre

An early leavened bread was baked as early as 6000 BC in southern Mesopotamia, cradle of the Sumerian civilization, who may have passed on the knowledge to the Egyptians around 3000 BC. The Egyptians refined the process and started adding yeast to the flour. The Sumerians were already using ash to supplement the dough as it was baked.[9]

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, called barm, to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples" such as barm cake. 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, as Pliny also reported.[10][11]

The ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans all considered the degree of refinement in the bakery arts as a sign of civilization.[9]

The Chorleywood bread process was developed in 1961; it uses 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 grain with a lower protein content, 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. However, there has been some criticism of the effect on nutritional value.[12][13][14]

Types

Main article: List of breads

Brown bread (left) and whole grain bread

Dark sprouted bread

Ruisreikäleipä, a flat rye flour loaf with a hole

Bread is the staple food of the Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, Europe, and in European-derived cultures such as those in the Americas, Australia, and Southern Africa. This is in contrast to parts of South and East Asia, where rice or noodles are the staple. Bread is usually made from a wheat-flour dough that is cultured with yeast, allowed to rise, and baked in an oven. Carbon dioxide and ethanol vapors produced during yeast fermentation result in bread's air pockets.[15] Owing to its high levels of gluten (which give the dough sponginess and elasticity), common or bread wheat is the most common grain used for the preparation of bread, which makes the largest single contribution to the world's food supply of any food.[16]Sangak, an Iranian flatbreadStrucia — a type of European sweet bread

Bread is also made from the flour of other wheat species (including spelt, emmer, einkorn and kamut).[17] Non-wheat cereals including rye, barley, maize (corn), oats, sorghum, millet and rice have been used to make bread, but, with the exception of rye, usually in combination with wheat flour as they have less gluten.[18]

Gluten-free breads are made using flours from a variety of ingredients such as almonds, rice, sorghum, corn, legumes such as beans, and tubers such as cassava. Since these foods lack gluten, dough made from them may not hold its shape as the loaves rise, and their crumb may be dense with little aeration. Additives such as xanthan gum, guar gum, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), corn starch, or eggs are used to compensate for the lack of gluten.[19][20][21][22]

Properties

Physical-chemical composition

In wheat, phenolic compounds are mainly found in hulls in the form of insoluble bound ferulic acid, where it is relevant to wheat resistance to fungal diseases.[23]

Rye bread contains phenolic acids and ferulic acid dehydrodimers.[24]

Three natural phenolic glucosides, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, p-coumaric acid glucoside and ferulic acid glucoside, can be found in commercial breads containing flaxseed.[25]Small home made bread with pumpkin and sunflower seeds

Glutenin and gliadin are functional proteins found in wheat bread that contribute to the structure of bread. Glutenin forms interconnected gluten networks within bread through interchain disulfide bonds.[26] Gliadin binds weakly to the gluten network established by glutenin via intrachain disulfide bonds.[26] Structurally, bread can be defined as an elastic-plastic foam (same as styrofoam). The glutenin protein contributes to its elastic nature, as it is able to regain its initial shape after deformation. The gliadin protein contributes to its plastic nature, because it demonstrates non-reversible structural change after a certain amount of applied force. Because air pockets within this gluten network result from carbon dioxide production during leavening, bread can be defined as a foam, or a gas-in-solid solution.[27]

Acrylamide, like in other starchy foods that have been heated higher than 120 °C (248 °F), has been found in recent years to occur in bread. Acrylamide is neurotoxic, has adverse effects on male reproduction and developmental toxicity and is carcinogenic. A study has found that more than 99 percent of the acrylamide in bread is found in the crust.[28]

A study by the University of Hohenheim found that industrially produced bread typically has a high proportion of FODMAP carbohydrates due to a short rising time (often only one hour). The high proportion of FODMAP carbohydrates in such bread then causes flatulence. This is particularly problematic in intestinal diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome. While in traditional bread making the dough rises for several hours, industrial breads rise for a much shorter time, usually only one hour. However, a sufficiently long rising time is important to break down the indigestible FODMAP carbohydrates. Some flours (for example, spelt, emmer and einkorn) contain fewer FODMAPs, but the difference between grain types is relatively small (between 1 and 2 percent by weight). Instead, 90% of the FODMAPs that cause discomfort can be broken down during a rising time of 4 hours. In the study, whole-grain yeast doughs were examined after different rising times; the highest level of FODMAPs was present after one hour in each case and decreased thereafter. The study thus shows that it is essentially the baking technique and not the type of grain that determines whether a bread is well tolerated or not. A better tolerance of bread made from original cereals can therefore not be explained by the original cereal itself, but rather by the fact that traditional, artisanal baking techniques are generally used when baking original cereals, which include a long dough process. The study also showed that a long rising time also breaks down undesirable phytates more effectively, flavors develop better, and the finished bread contains more biologically accessible trace elements.[29][30]

Culinary uses

Bread pudding

Bread can be served at many temperatures; once baked, it can subsequently be toasted. It is most commonly eaten with the hands, either by itself or as a carrier for other foods. Bread can be spread with butter, dipped into liquids such as gravy, olive oil, or soup;[31] it can be topped with various sweet and savory spreads, or used to make sandwiches containing meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments.[32]

Bread is used as an ingredient in other culinary preparations, such as the use of breadcrumbs to provide crunchy crusts or thicken sauces; toasted cubes of bread, called croutons, are used as a salad topping; seasoned bread is used as stuffing inside roasted turkey; sweet or savoury bread puddings are made with bread and various liquids; egg and milk-soaked bread is fried as French toast; and bread is used as a binding agent in sausages, meatballs and other ground meat products.[33]

Nutritional significance

Bread is a good source of carbohydrates and micronutrients such as magnesium, iron, selenium, and B vitamins. Whole grain bread is a good source of dietary fiber and all breads are a common source of protein in the diet, though not a rich one.[34][35]

Crust

Crust of a cut bread made of whole-grainrye with crust crack (half right at the top)

Bread crust is formed from surface dough during the cooking process. It is hardened and browned through the Maillard reaction using the sugars and amino acids due to the intense heat at the bread surface. The crust of most breads is harder, and more complexly and intensely flavored, than the rest. Old wives' tales suggest that eating the bread crust makes a person's hair curlier.[36] Additionally, the crust is rumored to be healthier than the remainder of the bread. Some studies have shown that this is true as the crust has more dietary fiber and antioxidants such as pronyl-lysine.[37]

Preparation

Steps in bread making, here for an unleavened Chilean tortilla

Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed (e.g., mantou), fried (e.g., puri), or baked on an unoiled frying pan (e.g., tortillas). It may be leavened or unleavened (e.g. matzo). Salt, fat and leavening agents such as yeast and baking soda are common ingredients, though bread may contain other ingredients, such as milk, egg, sugar, spice, fruit (such as raisins), vegetables (such as onion), nuts (such as walnut) or seeds (such as poppy).[38]

Methods of processing dough into bread include the straight dough process, the sourdough process, the Chorleywood bread process and the sponge and dough process.Baking bread in East Timor

Formulation

Professional bread recipes are stated using the baker's percentage notation. The amount of flour is denoted to be 100%, and the other ingredients are expressed as a percentage of that amount by weight. Measurement by weight is more accurate and consistent than measurement by volume, particularly for dry ingredients. The proportion of water to flour is the most important measurement in a bread recipe, as it affects texture and crumb the most. Hard wheat flours absorb about 62% water, while softer wheat flours absorb about 56%.[39] Common table breads made from these doughs result in a finely textured, light bread. Most artisan bread formulas contain anywhere from 60 to 75% water. In yeast breads, the higher water percentages result in more CO2 bubbles and a coarser bread crumb.

Dough recipes commonly call for 500 grams (about 1.1 pounds) of flour, which yields a single loaf of bread or two baguettes.

Calcium propionate is commonly added by commercial bakeries to retard the growth of molds.[citation needed]

Flour

Main article: Flour

Flour is grain ground into a powder. Flour provides the primary structure, starch and protein to the final baked bread. The protein content of the flour is the best indicator of the quality of the bread dough and the finished bread. While bread can be made from all-purpose wheat flour, a specialty bread flour, containing more protein (12–14%), is recommended for high-quality bread. If one uses a flour with a lower protein content (9–11%) to produce bread, a shorter mixing time is required to develop gluten strength properly. An extended mixing time leads to oxidization of the dough, which gives the finished product a whiter crumb, instead of the cream color preferred by most artisan bakers.[40]

Wheat flour, in addition to its starch, contains three water-soluble protein groups (albumin, globulin, and proteoses) and two water-insoluble protein groups (glutenin and gliadin). When flour is mixed with water, the water-soluble proteins dissolve, leaving the glutenin and gliadin to form the structure of the resulting bread. When relatively dry dough is worked by kneading, or wet dough is allowed to rise for a long time (see no-knead bread), the glutenin forms strands of long, thin, chainlike molecules, while the shorter gliadin forms bridges between the strands of glutenin. The resulting networks of strands produced by these two proteins are known as gluten. Gluten development improves if the dough is allowed to autolyse.[41]

Liquids

Water, or some other liquid, is used to form the flour into a paste or dough. The weight or ratio of liquid required varies between recipes, but a ratio of three parts liquid to five parts flour is common for yeast breads.[42] Recipes that use steam as the primary leavening method may have a liquid content in excess of one part liquid to one part flour. Instead of water, recipes may use liquids such as milk or other dairy products (including buttermilk or yogurt), fruit juice, or eggs. These contribute additional sweeteners, fats, or leavening components, as well as water.[43]

Fats or shortenings

Fats, such as butter, vegetable oils, lard, or that contained in eggs, affect the development of gluten in breads by coating and lubricating the individual strands of protein. They also help to hold the structure together. If too much fat is included in a bread dough, the lubrication effect causes the protein structures to divide. A fat content of approximately 3% by weight is the concentration that produces the greatest leavening action.[44] In addition to their effects on leavening, fats also serve to tenderize breads and preserve freshness.

Bread improvers

Main article: Bread improver

Bread improvers and dough conditioners are often used in producing commercial breads to reduce the time needed for rising and to improve texture and volume and to give antistaling effects. The substances used may be oxidising agents to strengthen the dough or reducing agents to develop gluten and reduce mixing time, emulsifiers to strengthen the dough or to provide other properties such as making slicing easier, or enzymes to increase gas production.[45]

Salt

Salt (sodium chloride) is very often added to enhance flavor and restrict yeast activity. It also affects the crumb and the overall texture by stabilizing and strengthening[46] the gluten. Some artisan bakers forego early addition of salt to the dough, whether wholemeal or refined, and wait until after a 20-minute rest to allow the dough to autolyse.[47]

Mixtures of salts are sometimes employed, such as employing potassium chloride to reduce the sodium level, and monosodium glutamate to give flavor (umami).

Leavening

See also: Unleavened breadA dough trough, located in Aberdour Castle, once used for leavening bread

Leavening is the process of adding gas to a dough before or during baking to produce a lighter, more easily chewed bread. Most bread eaten in the West is leavened.[48]

Chemicals

A simple technique for leavening bread is the use of gas-producing chemicals. There are two common methods. The first is to use baking powder or a self-raising flour that includes baking powder. The second is to include an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk and add baking soda; the reaction of the acid with the soda produces gas.[48] Chemically leavened breads are called quick breads and soda breads. This method is commonly used to make muffins, pancakes, American-style biscuits, and quick breads such as banana bread.

Yeast

Main article: Baker's yeastCompressed fresh yeast

Many breads are leavened by yeast. The yeast most commonly used for leavening bread is Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the same species used for brewing alcoholic beverages. This yeast ferments some of the sugars producing carbon dioxide. Commercial bakers often leaven their dough with commercially produced baker's yeast. Baker's yeast has the advantage of producing uniform, quick, and reliable results, because it is obtained from a pure culture.[48] Many artisan bakers produce their own yeast with a growth culture. If kept in the right conditions, it provides leavening for many years.[49]

The baker's yeast and sourdough methods follow the same pattern. Water is mixed with flour, salt and the leavening agent. Other additions (spices, herbs, fats, seeds, fruit, etc.) are not needed to bake bread, but are often used. The mixed dough is then allowed to rise one or more times (a longer rising time results in more flavor, so bakers often "punch down" the dough and let it rise again), loaves are formed, and (after an optional final rising time) the bread is baked in an oven.[48]

Many breads are made from a "straight dough", which means that all of the ingredients are combined in one step, and the dough is baked after the rising time;[48] others are made from a "pre-ferment" in which the leavening agent is combined with some of the flour and water a day or so ahead of baking and allowed to ferment overnight. On the day of baking, the rest of the ingredients are added, and the process continues as with straight dough. This produces a more flavorful bread with better texture. Many bakers see the starter method as a compromise between the reliable results of baker's yeast and the flavor and complexity of a longer fermentation. It also allows the baker to use only a minimal amount of baker's yeast, which was scarce and expensive when it first became available. Most yeasted pre-ferments fall into one of three categories: "poolish" or "pouliche", a loose-textured mixture composed of roughly equal amounts of flour and water (by weight); "biga", a stiff mixture with a higher proportion of flour; and "pâte fermentée", which is a portion of dough reserved from a previous batch.[50][51]

Before first rising

After first rising

After proofing, ready to bake

Sourdough

Main article: SourdoughSourdough loaves

Sourdough is a type of bread produced by a long fermentation of dough using naturally occurring yeasts and lactobacilli. It usually has a mildly sour taste because of the lactic acid produced during anaerobic fermentation by the lactobacilli. Longer fermented sourdoughs can also contain acetic acid, the main non-water component of vinegar.[52][53][54]

Sourdough breads are made with a sourdough starter. 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 many generations old, which are said to have a special taste or texture.[52] At one time, all yeast-leavened breads were sourdoughs. Recently there has been a revival of sourdough bread in artisan bakeries.[55]

Traditionally, peasant families throughout Europe baked 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.[48]

Steam

The rapid expansion of steam produced during baking leavens the bread, which is as simple as it is unpredictable. Steam-leavening is unpredictable since the steam is not produced until the bread is baked. Steam leavening happens regardless of the raising agents (baking soda, yeast, baking powder, sour dough, beaten egg white) included in the mix. The leavening agent either contains air bubbles or generates carbon dioxide. The heat vaporises the water from the inner surface of the bubbles within the dough. The steam expands and makes the bread rise. This is the main factor in the rising of bread once it has been put in the oven.[56] CO2 generation, on its own, is too small to account for the rise. Heat kills bacteria or yeast at an early stage, so the CO2 generation is stopped.

Bacteria

Salt-rising bread does not use yeast. Instead, it is leavened by Clostridium perfringens, one of the most common sources of food-borne illness.[57][58]

Aeration

Aerated bread is leavened by carbon dioxide being forced into dough under pressure. From the mid-19th to mid-20th centuries, bread made this way was somewhat popular in the United Kingdom, made by the Aerated Bread Company and sold in its high-street tearooms. The company was founded in 1862, and ceased independent operations in 1955.[59]

The Pressure-Vacuum mixer was later developed by the Flour Milling and Baking Research Association for the Chorleywood bread process. It manipulates the gas bubble size and optionally the composition of gases in the dough via the gas applied to the headspace.[60]

Cultural Significance

A Ukrainian woman in national dress welcoming with bread and salt

Main article: Bread in culture

Bread has a significance beyond mere nutrition in many cultures because of its history and contemporary importance. Bread is also significant in Christianity as one of the elements (alongside wine) of the Eucharist,[61] and in other religions including Paganism.[62]

In many cultures, bread is a metaphor for basic necessities and living conditions in general. For example, a "bread-winner" is a household's main economic contributor and has little to do with actual bread-provision. This is also seen in the phrase "putting bread on the table". The Roman poet Juvenal satirized superficial politicians and the public as caring only for "panem et circenses" (bread and circuses).[63] In Russia in 1917, the Bolsheviks promised "peace, land, and bread."[64][65] The term "breadbasket" denotes an agriculturally productive region. In parts of Northern, Central, Southern and Eastern Europe bread and salt is offered as a welcome to guests.[66] In India, life's basic necessities are often referred to as "roti, kapra aur makan" (bread, cloth, and house).[67]

Words for bread, including "dough" and "bread" itself, are used in English-speaking countries as synonyms for money.[1] A remarkable or revolutionary innovation may be called the best thing since "sliced bread".[68] The expression "to break bread with someone" means "to share a meal with someone".[69] The English word "lord" comes from the Anglo-Saxon hlāfweard, meaning "bread keeper."[70]

Bread is sometimes referred to as "the staff of life", although this term can refer to other staple foods in different cultures: the Oxford English Dictionary defines it as "bread (or similar staple food)".[71][72] This is sometimes thought to be a biblical reference, but the nearest wording is in Leviticus 26 "when I have broken the staff of your bread".[73] The term has been adopted in the names of bakery firms.[74]

See also

Food portal

Bark bread – Scandinavian bread used as famine food

Bread bowl – Round loaf of bread which has had a large portion of the middle cut out to create an edible bowl

Bread clip – Closure device for plastic bags

Bread dildo – Dildo prepared using bread, allegedly made in the Greco-Roman era around 2,000 years ago

Breading – Residue of dried bread

Bread machine – Type of home appliance for baking bread

Bread pan – Kitchen utensil

Crouton – Rebaked breads

List of breads

List of bread dishes – Dishes using bread as a main ingredient, listed by category

List of toast dishes

Quick bread – Bread leavened with agents other than yeast

Sliced bread – Loaf of bread that has been sliced with a machine

Slow Bread – Type of bread made using very little yeast

Sop – Piece of bread or toast that is drenched in liquid and then eaten.

Stuffing – Edible mixture filling a food's cavity

White bread – Type of bread made from white wheat flour

oh fuck yes bread

[askyves]

Prince Kloss, I have an issue with baking. When I cook bread it's not as bad (still a little flat), but when I try something with more sugar in it like cake, it doesn't seem to rise at all. Any advice?

Hmmm, that can be a tricky problem. It depends on what kind of cake you are making and what kind of leavener it uses.

If you are making a chiffon cake, for example, your leavening agent will likely be whipped egg whites. In that case, you simply need to whip them longer until they are firmer. Use a steel or copper bowl and make sure it is spotless. Spotless!

To make sure it is completely clear of fat, you can clean it with some vinegar beforehand. Don't hold the bowl against your body while you are whipping, the heat from your body can deflate the egg whites. If your problem is stamina, it can be helpful to have an assistant to help you in the kitchen. I used to be pathetically unable to properly whip egg whites, so I would often have Jin help me by taking over when I was too tired. It was only fair, considering he usually devoured nearly half of whatever I made!

Now, a more popular kind of cake these days would be the kind with baking soda. It's a quite newfangled contraption in Rhodolite, but I've found it exceedingly enjoyable to work with.

Even so, it's functions remain somewhat of a mystery to me. All I can say is to make sure your soda isn't expired. You should replace it every 30 days to make sure it is fresh.

The same goes with yeast! You need to test it to make sure it is active. Most recipes call for letting it sit in warm water for some time before adding it to your mixture. If there is no froth or bubbles on top, that means your yeast is dead! You will have to go find some more.

It is also quite easy to accidentally kill yeast. Make sure your water is pure and that it is not too hot, it should feel lukewarm to the touch.

I hope this helps answer your question. Feel free to send me some of the recipes you are trying to make, and perhaps I can help you pinpoint the problem more accurately.

Best of luck.

-Yves Kloss

[literaryvein-reblogs]

food-related words

to add to your next poem/story

Affogato - an Italian dessert of vanilla ice cream over which espresso has been poured.

Andouille - a highly spiced smoked pork sausage.

Applejack - brandy distilled from hard cider; also: an alcoholic beverage traditionally made by freezing hard cider and siphoning off the concentrated liquor.

Applesauce - a relish or dessert made of apples stewed to a pulp and sweetened; (slang): bunkum, nonsense.

Cheese-eater - informer, stool pigeon, rat. The earliest uses of cheese-eater referred literally to an eater of cheese.

Cheeseball - inferior in quality; cheap, cheesy.

Dragée - a sugar-coated nut; a small silver-colored ball used as a decoration (as on a cake).

Fastnacht - a doughnut made of yeast-leavened dough and traditionally eaten on Shrove Tuesday.

Frumenty - a dish of wheat boiled in milk and usually sweetened and spiced.

Junket - a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet.

Kaffeeklatsch - an informal social gathering for coffee and conversation.

Mincemeat - minced meat; a finely chopped mixture (as of raisins, apples, and spices) sometimes with meat that is often used as pie filling; a state of destruction or annihilation—used in the phrase "make mincemeat of".

Muffuletta - a sandwich made with round Italian bread and filled usually with cold cuts, cheese, and olive salad. You can spell it with two u's, as above, or with two a's: muffaletta.

Nipcheese - miser.

Nonpareil - a flat round candy made of chocolate covered with white sugar sprinkles.

Oleogustus - A proposed basic taste sensation triggered by fatty acids.

Pandowdy - a deep-dish spiced apple dessert sweetened with sugar, molasses, or maple syrup and covered with a rich crust.

Roly-poly - a sweet dough spread with a filling, rolled, and baked or steamed.

Speakeasy - a place where alcoholic beverages are illegally sold.

Syllabub - milk or cream that is curdled with an acid beverage (such as wine or cider) and often sweetened and served as a drink or topping or thickened with gelatin and served as a dessert.

If any of these words make their way into your next poem/story, please tag me, or leave a link in the replies. I would love to read them!

More: Word Lists

[tearsinthemist]

While doing my search for my last post I came across this. It's about substitutes for eggs in cooking. It's new to me.

Egg replacements in cooking

Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. Try replacing each egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce.Mar 30, 2021

Can applesauce be used as a binder?

Applesauce can serve as a great binding agent due to its high fiber. It also provides good moisture, smooth texture and acts as a thickening agent in gluten free baking. Substitute 1/3 cup of applesauce for each egg in your recipes.

Can I use applesauce instead of eggs in pancakes?

Another egg substitute for pancakes? Applesauce. Fruit purees are a well-known substitute for eggs and for oil in recipes since they add moisture and a bit of binding. Use ¼ cup applesauce to replace 1 egg in pancakes.Oct 13, 2020

16 egg substitutes

Some common egg substitutes include:

1. Mashed banana

Mashed banana can act as a binding agent when baking or making pancake batter. Replace each egg with 1/2 of a ripe banana.

2. Applesauce

Applesauce can also act as a binding agent. Try replacing each egg with 1/4 cup of applesauce.

3. Fruit puree

Fruit puree will help bind a recipe in a similar way to applesauce.

1/4 cup will replace 1 egg. It is worth noting that using fruit to replace eggs can change the flavor of a recipe or dish.

4. Avocado

1/4 cup of pureed avocado per egg can act as a binding agent in a recipe. It can also add moistness and richness.

5. Gelatin

To make gelatin for use in a recipe, mix 1 cup of boiling water with 2 tsp. of unflavored gelatin.

While it is an effective binding agent, this option is not suitable for people who follow a vegan diet.

6. Xanthan gum

Xanthan gum is a white powder that comes from the exoskeleton of bacteria.

Add 1 tsp. per recipe to bind and add texture to egg-free cakes and cookies, as well as milk-free ice cream.

7. Vegetable oil and baking powder

This substitute works when people need eggs as a leaving agent.

Mix between 1 and 1.5 tbsp. of water with 1 tsp. of baking powder per egg.

8. Margarine

Margarine works as a substitute for an egg glaze.

Instead of brushing a beaten egg onto recipes before baking, use melted margarine.

9. Flaxseeds

Use flaxseeds as an egg replacement for binding and adding texture. They work best in recipes like bran muffins and oatmeal cookies.

Whisk 1 tbsp. of ground flaxseed with 3 tbsp. of water, then leave the mixture to sit for around 20 minutes. It will change texture and look a little like egg whites.

Just like some eggs, flaxseeds are high in omega-3 fatty acids.

They also have a similar fat and protein profile to eggs. However, they can add a grainy or nutty flavor to the finished product.

10. Chia seeds

Chia seeds act in the same way as flaxseeds in a recipe. They can help bind ingredients and are best used in recipes such as breads and wholemeal cookies.

Mix 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water, then leave to sit for around 20 minutes. It will become thick and egg-white like.

The mixture will have a darker color than eggs, and this can make the final product darker, too.

11. Seeds and baking powder

Chia and flaxseeds are another alternate leavening agent. Mix 1 tbsp. of the seeds with 3 tbsp. of water and leave to sit.

Once the texture has changed to a more gel-like consistency, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder per egg mentioned in the recipe.

12. Powdered egg replacements

Lots of companies make and sell powdered egg replacements. People can use these to bind, leaven or add texture or richness to the recipe.

Examples include Egg Replacer, The Vegg and The VeganEgg.

Each product has a slightly different offering. Some even include some egg. Therefore, it is important to always read the label and the ingredients list to make sure it is suitable.

13. Chickpea flour

Make egg-free omelets and pancakes by using 2-3 tablespoons of chickpea flour mixed with an equal amount of water instead of one egg.

Nutritional yeast flakes can add depth of flavor to the recipe.

14. Firm tofu

Replace hard-boiled eggs in salads and sandwiches with extra firm tofu. This type of tofu has a similar texture and protein content to eggs.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics suggests using 2 oz. of chopped, extra firm tofu to replace one hard-boiled egg.

15. White beans

White beans can also act as a hard-boiled egg replacement.

Like tofu, they have a similar texture and protein content. Try adding white beans to salads and sandwiches.

16. Scrambled tofu

Scrambled tofu is a great alternative to scrambled eggs.

Adding turmeric will create a yellow color similar to egg, and nutritional yeast flakes will add flavor.

Some people even add kala namak, or Himalayan black salt, due to its sulfurous, egg-like flavor.

Aim for 2 oz. of silken or firm tofu per one egg.

Summary

People use eggs in cooking in many ways. Eggs are extremely versatile and bring different benefits to different recipes.

However, not everyone can eat eggs or wants to eat them. Some people are allergic, while others follow a vegan diet, for example.

Luckily, lots of egg substitutes exist. To pick the right one, people should think about what role eggs play in their recipe, such as binding, leavening, or adding flavor and texture.

When using egg replacement products, people should always read the label first. Sometimes, they contain eggs or other allergens.

[weirdnessxmagnet]

Honey Cakes and Wine

Antonia could have offered the finest cakes, made with the softest most refined flour, beaten to perfection in her stand-mixer and leavened with the best modern raising agents. She would offer these things later, but technical perfection was not the purpose of this first offering.

Intention. Attention. Creation as an act of worship.

The work.

The time.

Wholemeal flour ground via hand-mill. Coarsely chopped nuts and dates. A little milk, plenty of honey, and hand-beaten eggs. Leavened with a sourdough yeast she'd been working on almost as long as the structure itself. A recipe as ancient as her oldest memories, from a time when these offerings might be made at a household shrine, with a drink offering poured out to The Queen of Heaven.

Before the statues were toppled, and the name Asherah struck from the record.

(The wine was bought, because there was no way to age a red well in under a year without some kind of cheating, and if she had to cheat that would defeat the purpose regardless, but the cake could carry tradition in every crumb.)

In the new garden stood what might have been called an eccentric gazebo by someone who didn't know better. White marble pillars wound with vines, topped by a pediment depicting gilded snakes and stars. The entrance steps were flanked by a pair of marble lionesses detailed in gold, the inner boundary of the structure lined by a narrow pool dotted with water lilies.

(The goddess was going to force her to move past her unfair prejudice towards the flower...)

The canopy was a myrtle tree, full grown despite its newness and all bloomed with red flowers despite the season, roots reaching down beneath the temple itself. The trunk's base was ringed in two feet of marble, decorated with carvings of lionesses, serpents, fruit and trees. It could perhaps serve as a bench for those sheltering inside.

Or perhaps an alter.

"Lady Asherah, Queen of Heaven, turn your eyes upon this house that I have built for you and dedicate to you alone. Hear the prayers that are offered to you, and accept the gifts here left for you. As a burned forest may rise again, let your name rise and power rise once more."

The cakes were laid on a cloth upon the alter. The wine was poured not into any traditional vessel, but into a mug. A mug stamped with the words;

I love how we don't have to say out loud that I'm your favourite Daughter-in-Law.