New EbonyJet.com Post

If you want to read in detail my adventures in Pastry camp, please go to EbonyJet.com. I would love comments too!
And stay tuned for a Book Giveaway and review coming up this weekend.
iq5zn6gfu8

Chocolate Banana Cinnamon Infused Jam and How I Spent my Summer Vacation

I must say this week has been so inspiring and recharging. Rather than take off for Europe or just chill at home doing nothing, I decided to finally to get off my ample derriere and take a continuing education class at French Pastry School. These courses are not cheap mind you and I never really thought it was possible for me to do this.But it is education and where there is a will there is a way.I will take another course in late August as well ,dedicated to Event /Wedding cakes. French Pastry attracts tout le monde as both professors and students. Don't be surprised if you find yourself sitting next to a student whose family owns a bakery chain in South America or a housewife from Brazil. One student I heard flew in from Singapore for a weekend event at the school with Spanish Chefs Oriol Balaguer and Paco Torreblanca.French Pastry School is first class and we students get spoiled a lot. It would be so hard to condense what I learned a few posts. I plan to write more extensively for EbonyJet.com . In the meanwhile I will start saving my dollars for some more classes. Here is a lineup of future course offerings. I would highly recommend this to anyone. Well worth the experience and money.
My instructor Chef John Kraus was amazing. Its a gift to teach and connect with the students. He told us if a student isn't getting it, its reflective of the teacher and how hard they tried to work with the student.Not only was his teaching method excellent but he was a great raconteur of stories about work, travel. food history, and his travels as he honed his craft. A fascinating man who has worked with the best of them.He got his first break with Marco Pierre White. Chef Kraus also believes in sharing recipes and info rather than withholding.You can read a recipe but its up to you as a chef to to put your stamp on it. And that's whats makes your dish different from mine essentially.
Here is a jam I fell in love with. Of course my home version could use some work, but the ones we turned out in class was excellent. The key is using really ripe bananas that are black. Let them sit out for a few days in a covered container at room temp sliced before you start to make the jam. They will start to liquefy and get really going. I experimented at home and added a cinnamon stick and Banana Rum from our trip to the Bahamas. You can really play around with this. I wish we saw Banana Jams more in the US. It really is treat that can go on so many things.




Chocolate Banana Cinnamon Infused Jam
*adapted from French Pastry School by Coco Cooks
makes 6 half pint jars
1 1/2-2 lbs/ 800 grams bananas very ripe( black)
1 cup fresh orange juice/200 grams
1/2 cup dark chocolate/100 grams
3 1/2 - 4 cups sugar /700 grams
1 vanilla bean or 1/2 tsp extract
1 cinnamon stick
2 tbsp rum
In a heavy bottomed sauce pan combine sliced bananas, orange juice,sugar , vanilla( pod split open and scraped), and cinnamon stick. Cook until translucent(make it either lumpy or more refined). Add chocolate( break it up a bit and melt a bit in microwave).Remove from heat and cover and let rest overnight.
The following day bring to a boil. Jam should hit 65 Brix or for us home cooks until it forms like a raindrop on car rather than tar. Place in sterilized jars/lids, seal and turn over. Let rest and cool overnight.
Process according to your canner instructions.
* In class we learned you can process in a dishwasher. Just run it through the first wash cycle( not the complete one). Its an effective method method that has enough heat to seal the jams .

How to Cook Skate Wing Two Ways...Tea Smoked and Parmesan Crusted

I fell in love with Skate wing about 7 years ago. While shopping at Fox and Obel, the fish monger showed me this fan shaped wing and told me how to cook it for a dinner I was giving.A simple coat of flour and fry it up in lots of butter. I wowed my guests with the exception of one bitchy comment , who said I cook with to much butter and should watch it. Like I always cooked like that. She was the type of person who ordered plain poached salmon wherever she went. Not a daring food adventurer at all. I digress...

Years went by and skate wing barely bliped on my radar. Then one afternoon I had a hankering for a mackerel. Certain Someone had just come back from a weekend in the Pacific Northwest and I had the most incredible pan seared mackerel at Palace Kitchen . Unfortunately not a piece of fresh mackerel was to be found, but I did go back to Fox and Obel and saw the Skate Wing o display. I purchased two wings to cook up.I made this last month and cant seem to find a my notes. However looking at the pictures I can give you these quick recipes.

Parmesan Crusted Skate Wing Mediterranean Style

I didn't want to fry this up in tons of butter but wanted flavor. A simple dusting of Parmesan cheese and rice flour did the trick with a topping of diced heirloom tomatoes , minced, onion, balsamic, and capers.

1 part Parmesan Cheese

1 part Rice Flour

Skate Wing

Olive Oil to coat pan and fry

1Tomato

1/4 small minced onion

2 tbsp balsamic

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp capers

oregano

Dredge your skate wings in the parm/ rice flour mixture. Heat pan with olive oil. Add skate wings and brown on each side a few minutes until golden and crisp. Remove form pan.

In a glass bowl add your chopped tomato, onion, Balsamic vinegar, olive oil,capers, and oregano.Toss and serve atop skate wing.

Tea Smoked Skate Wings

I borrowed this technique from a book I reviewed a while back , 50 Great Appetizers by Pamela Sheldon Johns. Rather than use her chicken wings, I figured Skate wings would be amazing smoked with tea.

Aromatics for smoker

1/4 cup uncooked rice

1/4 cup brown sugar

Peel of 1 orange

1/4 cup black tea leaves

a few star anise pods

Sauce

1/4 cup Ponzu soy sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1- 2 cloves minced garlic to taste

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/8 tsp chili oil

Line a wok type pan with heavy aluminum foil. Leave several inches of foil as a excess collar. Line foil with rice, sugar, orange peel, tea, and star anise. Take a rack or bamboo steamer that fits within wok, and place atop the wok and tea mixture with foil collar on the outside of steamer. Brush steamer or rack with oil and place skate wings. I chopped mine up into manageable pieces.. Place cover on steamer and seal the gap between wok and steamer with the foil.Foil should seal in the whole side of steamer .

Turn on heat to midway and start smoking for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and remove. Let the wok stand for another 15 minutes undisturbed. Carefully open the steamer and remove fish.

In a glass bowl mix all ingredients for dipping sauce and serve with Skate wing.

The Real Housewives Cocktail Contest Roundup

I'm finally getting a chance to post the roundup for the Real Housewives Cocktail contest. I'm on vacation right now and attending Pastry Camp( all Chocolate ) at the French Pastry School Chicago. Can I just say I am am having the best time and this course is changing my life. Literally! Stay tuned for some Glamh-a-rous pastries coming.

So back to the purpose of this post. Unfortunately I didn't get many entries. But they were all stellar! I did try to get prizes for the actual housewives and husbands to no avail. But I did find this great prize to give away to whomever wins the poll,The Williams and Sonoma Bar and Wine Guides. A great set of books for any bar.

Judy from No Fear Entertaining gave us this fabu CelloRita. A sinful yet refreshing concoction go Limoncello and Tequila inspired by the Barneys from Orange County.

Chris from Mele Cotte was obviously inspired by the local flavor of peaches and those sassy Atlanta wives with Sheree’s Sassy Southern Stance.

Michelle from Big Black Dogs gave us the Red Patent Leather Swinger inspired by the most flamboyant honorary 'housewife', Simon. Need I say more?


And finally my cocktail The Countess' Cherry Lime Gin Rickey. I will post mine in the polls, but naturally am not eligible for a prize.

On Twitter I got a great recipe from a non Food blogger, Nadiart inspired by the not one of Bravos Housewives, but a a more Desperate one Bree. Perfection in a glass. Rose Lemon Drop Martini in under 140 characters. She then advises how to garnish:

" it looks pretty garnished w/ rose petal, slice lemon & pinksugar rimmer - if I had the ingredients I'd make one and send u a photo"

So here are some great cocktails for the weekend. Enjoy and go vote for one on the left sidebar.