Nutmeg

Chinese: 肉豆蔻末; Malay: Buah Pala; French: noix muscade;
German: Muskatnuss

A Short Description:
A nutmeg fruit has a hard skin and is covered with a red flower called mace. Both the fruit and mace are dried. Mace is less fragrant than the nutmeg fruit. They are sold and used whole or in powdered form. Used as a flavouring in food.

History: In the sixth century, nutmegs were brought by Arab merchants to Constantinople. In 1796, The British East India Company brought the nutmeg tree to Penang, Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and most notably Grenada.

Culinary uses: of the nutmeg include both sweet and savoury dishes. Grated nutmeg is added to beef, mutton, pork, lamb, curries dishes, pasta and soups. Used also extensively in desserts and cocktails-- pies, puddings, custards, cookies and spice cakes. It combines well with many cheeses, and is included in soufflés and cheese sauces. It adds a spicy flavour to vegetable dishes such as cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, beans onions, broccoli and mashed potatoes.
Once it is ground, nutmeg soon loses the oils which give its flavour and taste, so grating fresh nutmeg is recommended to achieve the full benefit of the fresh oils. A nutmeg grater should be a part of basic equipment in every kitchen, but if you don't have one, use the finest blade on a larger hand-held manual grater. The difference between fresh nutmeg and ground is like night and day.

Storage: Both whole fresh nutmegs, as well as ground nutmeg and mace should be kept in a tightly-sealed jar or container in a cool, dark place.
One whole nutmeg grated equals 2 to 3 teaspoons of ground nutmeg.

Nutmeg may be toxic:
Nutmeg contains a substance called myristicin, a narcotic with very unpleasant toxic side effects if taken in large quantities. Ingestion of small amounts of nutmeg is harmless to the body, however the consumption of one to three whole nutmegs (in excess of one teaspoon ground) can cause wild hallucinations, nausea, vomiting, and/or circulatory collapse within one to six hours after consumption. Very large doses can be fatal. Although nutmeg is said to counteract stomach distress from gas, do not try any home remedies without first consulting your physician. It is also an astringent and stimulant, as well as a purported aphrodisiac.

Sources:
home cooking
theepicentre

P/S: To OrdinaryGarry, this post/answer can help you to solve your question. :-)

French Toast

Ingredients:
5 beaten Eggs+60g Cream/Milk+ a pinch of Salt & Cinnamonpowder/Nutmegpowder--> 1) Whisk together.
6 Thick-sliced bread/Toast--> 2) Place the slices bread in a flat pan/plate. Pour in the egg mixture all over the bread, soak bread in egg mixture, turning them over(let the bread absorb as much liquid as possible).
3) Preheated pan, lightly buttered, cook French toast until golden brown, turn on the other side to cook(add more butter in the pan if needed). When it is not runny in the middle, it means Done.
Or bake the Toast in preheated oven for 30 mins., at 200°C. Turn over the slices Toast every 10 mins, until golden brown.

Served warm, with powdered sugar/maple syrup/honey.

Water bath? (Wasserbad/au bain marie)

If i translated this french words in English, it's called=water bath?/ bath-mary? (German=Wasserbad/French=au bain marie).

Au bain marie is like Double Boiler, a bain-marie is a method of cooking without using direct heat. It usually consists of two saucepans that fit together. The bottom sauce pan is filled with water and the top one with the mixture (custard, chocolate, etc.). Make sure the bottom of the bowl or pan doesn't come in contact with the water below. The saucepans can be made from stainless steel, aluminum, and glass.

Melt the chocolate over a hot water bath until it reaches a temperature between 88°F and 90°F (31° to 34°C). Melt white and milk chocolate to a temperature approximately 2°F less, depending on the amount of milk fat they contain. The ideal temperature of the workshop should be approximately 68°F (20°C).

Alternate Methods to melt Chocolate:
1) In a double boiler: Explanation see above.
2) Microwave Method: Place one ounce of more of finely chopped chocolate or chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50 percent) checking every 10 - 15 seconds. When it is about 85 % done, take it out and stir and the rest of the chocolate will melt.
3) In an oven: Place chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl and place it in an very low heat preheated oven. Chocolate will mealt in about an hour.

Sources: www.foodmanual.com, www.wheat-free.org, www.baking911.com

Mousse au Chocolat(Chocolate mousse)

Ingredients:
Dark couverture+ Milk--> 1) Combine together and melted couverture in water bath/double boiler(Wasserbad/au bain marie). Explanation see above.
Egg yolks+ Vanilla sugar+ sugar--> 2) Step 1+ Step2, mix well.
Whipped Cream--> 3) Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.
Egg whites--> 4) Beating with a pinch of salt into soft peaks, gently stir into mousse(carefully folding edd whites into the chocolate mixture will ensure a fluffy mousse.)
5) Pour the mousse into a cool bowl/glasses, set it in refrigerator for at least half day. Or Line a loaf tin pan with plastic wrap. Spoon the mousse into the pan, set it in refrigerator. Turn the mousse out on a plate, decorate and serve.

To serve, make a small dumpling, using two spoons. Garnish with additional whipped cream with fruit, if desired.

White chocolate mousse is made by using 150g white couverture.

*You can make this ahead and put them un the refrigerator ,then spoon everything together when serving.

The use of Chocolate for...

Chocolate Bra
Massage with Chocolate

Chocolate Facial

Different types of Chocolates

Baking Chocolate: Unless the chocolate is from a specialty purveyor who specifies that it's for "baking and eating," this type is used for baking items such as brownies, cakes and cookies. Although baking chocolate has an intense flavor, it also may have a lower cocoa-butter content and a less smooth texture than other chocolates, so save it strictly for recipes where it will be combined with other ingredients.

Cocoa Powder: If cocoa powder is treated with an alkali to smooth the flavor, it is called "Dutch process" cocoa. Many cooks prefer Dutch process cocoa for all cooking purposes, including baking, frostings and icings, sauces and chocolate beverages. You also can use cocoa powder in place of baking chocolate by melting one tablespoon unsalted butter with three tablespoons of cocoa for each ounce of baking chocolate required. If you only have nonalkalized cocoa, Nick Malgieri recommends adding a tiny pinch of baking soda to help smooth the flavor.

Couverture Chocolate: This is among the highest quality chocolate. It's the best chocolate to use for candies, such as truffles and dipped chocolates, as well as for molded and shaped chocolates. The high fat content makes an easy job of melting and tempering. This chocolate can be used for any purpose, including eating, but the higher price makes it an extravagant choice for general baking.

Compound Chocolate: Sometimes used instead of expensive couvertures, this contains hard vegetable fat in addition to or instead of cocoa butter. It can be a good choice for coating when making candy in hot weather, but taste before buying. Some look fine but taste like wax.

Eating Chocolate: Anything sold to be enjoyed as a bar. These usually are not suitable for cooking. Some eating chocolates, however--especially imported Swiss or Belgian products--have very high cocoa butter content, making them suitable for use as couverture chocolate.
In general, the darker the chocolate, the more chocolate liquor--from 100% in unsweetened chocolate to 10% for milk chocolate. The darkest suitable chocolate will provide the most chocolate flavor. To be labeled "chocolate," the only fat a product may contain is cocoa butter. Inferior products with labels such as "chocolate candy" may contain other vegetable fats instead.

White Chocolate: Because it doesn't contain any part of the cocoa bean except the fat, white chocolate is not actually chocolate! But white chocolate lovers swear by it for eating and cooking. If you're going to use white chocolate, you should be sure to use a type where the only fat in it is cocoa butter. Labeling rules for chocolate don't apply to white chocolate, so you can wind up with something that is sugar and hard vegetable fat with a little artificial chocolate flavoring if you're not careful.
–--www.foodnetwork.com

Strawberry-草莓的季节

Strawberry Storage: Strawberries should be eaten as soon as possible. Wash berries in cold water only when you area ready to use them. Do not allow berries to soak. If you must store strawberries, place them on several layers of paper towels in a tightly-covered container, in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. They may also be frozen whole or in pieces. Strawberries that are frozen retain more nutritional value and flavor than any other method of preservation.To freeze, in cold water and hull, sprinkle with sugar, and toss gently with your hands. Place in freezer containers or freezer bags. Use within 1 year.

Zitronenkuchen(Lemon cake)

Preparation:
Sift the flour & baking powder. Greased the cake form.

125g Butter+125g Sugar--> 1) Cream together until light & fluffy.
125g Whole eggs (at room temperature)--> 2) Add the beaten eggs into the butter cream, Beat well.
1 lemon zest+125g white flour+5g baking flour+ a pinch of salt--> 3)Fold in the dry ingredients by hand. Divide the batter into cake form.
Bake at 180°C, approx. 1hr. until golden brown. Test with a wooden long toothpick inserted in the center, when it comes out clean, remove from the oven. Allow the cake to rest in the cake form until cool. Pricks the whole cake to make tiny holes with wooden toothpick.

Lemon Syrup: (optioanl)
1ml Lemon juice+50g Powder sugar--> mix it well (can mix with water to thin down), spread the syrup on the cake surface, over and over, until the cake has soaked with syrup.

Lemon Glaze: (optional)
sifted powdered sugar+ small amount of lemon juice--> stir until smooth, dripped onto the cake with a thin layer. Use immediately, before dry out.

Pfannkuchen/Crêpe (Pancakes)

2 Eggs+ 280ml Milk/Water+ Orangezest/Lemonzest(optional)+ a pinch of Salt (add some sugar if you want sweet taste)--> 1) Whisk together.
160g sifted Flour--> 2) Add in, whisk together with mixer or hand, until a smooth batter.

3) Heat a pan/the best with non-stick pan (not overheated) brush lightly with clarified butter/oil. Pour in a little batter, swirl to coat the bottom of the pan evenly (got to be faster). When light brown on one side, you can see bubbles appear, toss or turn and light brown on the other side. Remove from pan,can be folded around filling into halves, quarters or roll it. Served warm.


Pancakes variations:
Served with castor sugar/ syrup/honey+ lemon juice or sugar+ liqueur (like Grand Manier, Fruity liqueur)
Served with stewed fruit sauce/jam/compote/chocolate sauce/
Served with savoury fillings/mincemeat/vegetables
And more other variations.

*Pancake batter could be covered and rest in refrigerator for at least 1hr. before cooking, tasted better.
*Cooked pancakes may be wrapped in plastic foil and refrigerated for 2-3 days/frozen for few weeks.

Vanilla-Apple Soufflé

Preparation:
Butter few pudding moulds, dust with castor sugar. Preheat the oven at 200°C

150ml Milk+ 1 Vanilla pod+ a pinch Salt--> 1) Bring to boil.

60g Butter
75g White flour--> 2) Melt butter in another pot, add flour, mix it well, cool down.

3) Step1+ Step2--> Hot Milk pour into the flour mixture, with slow heat, stir with a wooden paddle until the mixture is thick, smooth and no longer clings to the sides of the pot. Cool down slightly. Then add...

80g Egg yolks--> 4) Gradually blend in egg yolks with hand-mixer, one by one. Then ...
50g grated Hazelnut+ 25g brown raisins+ 80g small cubed Apple--> 5)Add into batter.

100g Egg whites (at room temperature) + 65g Sugar--> 6) Whip together into soft peaks. Carefully fold into batter. ...

7) Fill in prepared mould no more than 3/4 high. Bake in the Oven at 190°C, approx. 30-40 mins. The finished soufflé should be puffy with a lightly browned top, the edges appear dry. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, served immediately, before it collapses.

黄梨酥(Pineapple Tarts)

Fruit tarts

Der Lobster(Lobster)

Before cooked

After...Poor little thing...

Hausmachernudeln (Home-made Noodles)

1) Spinatnudeln(Spinach noodle) ; Petersilienudeln(Parsley noodle) ; Randennudeln(Beetroot noodle) ;
2) Steinpilz(Bolete noodle) ; Safrannudeln(Saffron noodle) ; Sesamenudeln(Sesamenoodle) .