Latest news with #BakedAlaska
Irish Examiner
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Michelle Darmody: How to make the classic Baked Alaska — and mistakes to avoid
The most fun dessert from the '80s repertoire was a Baked Alaska. It is fussier to make than your average dessert, but when done well has a great novelty and wow factor. It gained a naff association with large banquet dining of questionable quality, but it holds its own when made with good ingredients. The hot and cold elements are not only fun, but they also work together on many levels of taste and texture. I think the sponge and ice cream are key, a nice homemade sponge with good soakage and quality ice cream elevates the dessert. Baked Alaska was first concocted by a chef in New York in 1876, when the United States acquired the territory of Alaska, and I guess the snowy peaks of meringue have visual symbolism which echoed the ice-topped mountains of that region. The chef was originally French and most likely used Omelette á la Norvégienne, a similar French delicacy as inspiration. As mentioned, it can be a little fiddly to make, so there are a few tips to ease the path, and many aspects can be created ahead of time and assembled before service. Raspberry and vanilla are the combination of flavours used here but there are plenty of options to experiment with. Baked Alaska recipe by:Michelle Darmody Raspberry and vanilla are the combination of flavours used here but there are plenty of options to experiment with. Servings 8 Preparation Time 60 mins Cooking Time 10 mins Total Time 1 hours 10 mins Course Dessert Ingredients for the sponge: 3 eggs, lightly whisked 90g caster sugar 90g self raising flour, sieved for the fruit compote: 250g raspberries 2 tsp honey for the meringue: 3 egg whites 170g caster sugar 1 tsp white malt vinegar 450g vanilla ice cream Method Preheat your oven to 180°C/gas mark 4 and line an 8-inch round tin with parchment. Whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy and a trail is left from the whisk. Sieve the flour into the bowl and fold it in. Scoop the mixture into the prepared tin. Place in the centre of your oven and bake for about ten minutes or until it springs back when touched in the centre. Remove from the tin when it is cool enough to handle and set it aside on a wire rack to cool completely. To make the compote stew the raspberries gently for three minutes and then stir in the honey. Set aside to cool. Place the sponge on a large plate or serving tray and coat in the compote. Allow it to soak in as you make the meringue. To make the meringue, beat the egg whites until completely stiff and beat in the caster sugar and vinegar. When you are ready to serve your Baked Alaska, place the ice cream on top of the sponge. Heat your oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Cover the ice cream and sponge completely with the meringue. Swirl it around. Put the whole thing into the oven and bake for about 5 minutes until the tips of the meringue are golden. Serve straight away. Baker's Tips When whisking your egg whites for the meringue, ensure all of your equipment is clean and free from oil and grease, which will inhibit the egg whites rising. Also, it is best to ensure no yolk has gotten into the egg white. It helps to break and separate the eggs one at a time to make sure that you do not get yolk in the whites. When ready, the meringue mixture should be smooth and thick, and form peaks easily. You can add a layer of raspberry jam to the sponge as well as the compote if you wish. The assembly stage should be quick and smooth, so it is good to have the ice cream ready. Pre-cut ice cream to fit the size of the sponge and then put it back into the freezer until you need it. Another way to ensure it covers and sits well on the sponge is to line the sponge tin the day before, soften the ice cream and spread into the tin. Place the tin into the freezer. When the ice cream has firmed up, remove from the tin, leaving the disc of ice cream ready for easy assembly. One of the keys to the success of this dessert is keeping the ice cream as cold as possible. The ice cream is protected from melting by the insulating properties of the little bubbles of trapped air in the meringue. Ensure the meringue covers the other ingredients completely. If they are not fully covered, heat will get into the centre and melt the ice cream. When scorching the meringue, basically turn up your oven as high as it will go. Most ovens stop at 220°C but yours may go a little higher. Remove all trays and wire racks from your oven ahead of time. You can use a kitchen blow torch instead if you have one. Using either method you should have a golden-tipped, crispy outer layer. Three delicious variations Chocolate and cherry Add 15g of cocoa powder to 75g self-raising flour for the sponge. I often use pre-made maraschino cherries that I source in my local Italian shop. If you do not have access to these, you can stew frozen or fresh cherries to make a compote, add little sugar as you are stewing. Coffee Soak the sponge in a combination of coffee liqueur and strong espresso. This dessert is not for the faint-hearted. It is a caffeine and alcohol kick. You can use coffee ice cream as well for more intensity. Raspberry and chocolate In place of the sponge, cut a slab of chocolate brownie then top it with a layer of raspberry jam and then a block of raspberry ice cream. Swirl the meringue on top and continue to bake as per the recipe.
Wales Online
20-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
New development announced for luxury hotel Holm House complex
New development announced for luxury hotel Holm House complex The boutique hotel in Penarth has hosted celebrities like Harry Styles, David Hasselhof and Daniel Craig and now there is a new development The Holm House was first built in the 1920s, becoming apart of the fabric of Penarth's community (Image: Mirrorpix ) An historic Welsh building is set for a new lease of life this summer, as the team behind one of Cardiff's most in-demand restaurants announces plans to open at the landmark site. Located on Marine Parade, with sweeping views over the Bristol Channel, Holm House will become the second venue for Silures - recently named Cardiff's most booked restaurant of 2024, by The Fork. This venture is being launched by Cardiff company A&M Hospitality Group, which was founded by Andrei Maxim and Daf Andrews. Their backgrounds include leading roles at some of London's most prestigious venues including the Savoy Grill, Galvin Bar & Grill and The Coral Room. They have a popular restaurant in Roath, Cardiff, and they say this new venture will bring its signature blend of European cooking, cocktails and warm hospitality to the scenic coastal town. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here Silures was named last year as Cardiff's most booked restaurant (Image: A&M Hospitality Group ) Built in the 1920s as a private residence, Holm House became a boutique hotel in 2004. Known for its spa, sea-facing rooms and elegant gardens, the property welcomed stars like Harry Styles, Daniel Craig and Tyson Fury. Silures will be opening its second venue at Holm House (Image: Holm House ) Article continues below However, like many in the hospitality sector, the business struggled post-pandemic and closed in March 2024, citing rising costs and changing market conditions. The building is cherished locally and has been listed as a "country treasure" in Penarth's conservation area appraisal. Explaining why they have decided to open a new restaurant there, Daf Andrews said: "Penarth felt like the natural next step - a vibrant town with a strong sense of community and an appetite for quality hospitality. "Holm House is a beautiful building, and the rooms, spa and garden offer something truly special. The private dining space and outdoor areas give us more flexibility to host everything from intimate dinners to events and celebrations, while staying true to the Silures experience." The Penarth site will include a 50-seat main restaurant, a bar area with space for 25, a private dining room for 22 and garden terrace that can seat up to 50 or host up to 100 standing guests. Silures is known for it's eclectic European menu (Image: A&M Hospitality Group ) They say the menu is set to boast popular dishes such as XL jumbo king prawns with chilli and mango salsa, miso-glazed cauliflower with romesco and pistachio, a specialised wagyu burger and their Baked Alaska with white rum - prepared tableside. There will be weekly specials with a weekday set menu, which is served Wednesday to Saturday, 12 to 3pm and 5pm to 6pm. The new venue hopes to bring the warm hospitality and great food, which it's Roath restaurant has become famed for (Image: A&M Hospitality Group ) Silures Penarth opens July 11, and bookings are already being taken. Article continues below
Forbes
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
What's In A Name? When It Comes To The New York Strip Steak The Political Connotations Matter
A 16 oz. New York Strip steak at Duke's Chophouse in Rivers Casino. (Photo by John Carl ... More D'Annibale/Albany Times Union via Getty Images) It would seem to be one of the more mundane facts of history, but food names have long carried political implications. Italians insist they created the first breaded meat cutlet under the name costoletta alla milanese, but the Austrians say their cooks created it under the name Wiener Schnitzel. Baked Alaska is called Omelette norvégienne in France; during World War I, out of anti-German sentiment, American cooks changed sauerkraut to 'liberty cabbage'; in World War II, the soup vichyssoise (created at New York's Ritz-Carlton) was re-named 'crème Gauloise' as a rebuke to the Nazi-allied Vichy government in France. And in 2003 the U.S. House of Representatives changed the named 'French fries' to 'freedom fries' in its cafeteria because France opposed the Iraq war. Wiener Schnitzel (Viennese Schnitzel) and Wine served in a tradtional open air restaurant in ... More Unterloiben in the Wachau. (Photo by: Martin Zwick/REDA/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Then last month Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proposed on X that the 'New York strip' steak be re-named 'Texas strip,' because 'Liberal New York shouldn't get the credit for our hard-working ranchers.' Noting that New York has more dairy cows and Texas more beef steers, 'Just because a New York restaurant named Texas beef a New York Strip in the 19th century doesn't mean we need to keep doing that,' and said the Texas Senate 'will file a concurrent resolution to officially change the name of the New York Strip to the 'Texas Strip' in the Lone Star State,' asking restaurants and grocery stores to do the same. Full of Texas gumption, Patrick went on to say that 'We want this to catch on across the country and around the globe. In a world filled with serious issues that we address every day at the Texas Capitol, this simple resolution will help better market Texas beef.' As of now, the bill, Resolution 26, has been referred to Water, Agriculture & Rural Affairs, which seems unlikely to fast-track it. This is from the state that passed a law that requires all vehicles have working windshield wipers but does not require that vehicles have windshields. HOUSTON, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 5: Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (Staff Photographer/Houston Chronicle ... More via Getty Images) The beef cut in question has long been called simply a 'strip steak,' which is a boneless, marbled, tender cut from the short loin. The USDA has a long list under its Standards of Identity of beef cuts, ranging from primal brisket to prime loin to primal shank to primal sirloin. Primal short loin is cut from the hindquarter between the pinbone of the primal sirloin and the small end of the rib. A porterhouse includes the top loin, the tenderloin and the tail and retaining the 'T-bone'; the tenderloin is also called 'filet mignon,' 'tournedos' and 'chateaubriand,' while the 'club steak' has no tenderloin or flank attached and is often called the 'Delmonico steak.' (More below.) The 'strip steak' or 'strip roast' contains the top loin muscle and bones, called in some parts of the country 'New York strip,' in others 'Kansas City strip,' and 'shell' in others. Got all that? QUEMADO, TEXAS - JUNE 13: Farmer Jose Esquivel surveys his field of cattle on June 13, 2023 in ... More Quemado, Texas. Ranchers and farmers have begun culling their cattle herds due to drought and high costs in the region, threatening a potentially steep climb in prices for the country's supply of beef. (Photo by) None of which Patrick seems to have taken into account. His claim that Texas raises a lot of beef cattle––4 million cows and heifers––ignores that they account for only 14.6% of all beef cows in the U.S. Even so, most of those cows are slaughtered outside of Texas: Nebraska slaughters more than 20% , along with South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Colorado. A 'cut' refers to the part of the slaughtered cow and has nothing to do with where it was raised. Delmonico's, opened in 1831, is the oldest restaurant in the U.S. and still thriving in downtown New ... More York. The Delmonico steak has a distinct history, dating back to Delmonico's restaurant in downtown New York in 1831, where it still stands. 'Del's' was a Gilded Age influencer whose multi-page menus were copied by competitors, which included the Delmonico steak, Delmonico's potatoes gratin, lobster Newberg, Manhattan clam chowder and Baked Alaska. In those heady days of Diamond Jim Brady and Jay Gould, Delmonico's would roast a 150-pound baron of beef for huge parties, and they still have roast prime rib on the menu with Yorkshire pudding. For its steaks they use only USDA Prime beef fattened on grains like corn to give them more marbling and richer flavor. Since the kitchen gets its beef from various sources, there's no rationale for changing its eponymous name. According to the current head captain, Branko Vinski, 'A Delmonico steak is cut from the short loin, between the sirloin and the ribs, which is the most tender and flavorful cut.' According to the restaurant's history, Dining at Delmonico's contains the recipe for making its famous signature steak. 'We use a boneless 20 ounce prime ribeye steak that has been aged for at least six weeks. It is finished with what we call 'meat butter,' a herbaceous compound butter.' A 'Kansas City Steak' usually refers to a short loin with the bone. The current fad in steakhouses is the ostentatious 'Tomahawk,' which is a ribeye with a six- to eight-inch long bone handle, for which you pay in weight, despite all its meat being trimmed from it. It would seem that Lt.-Gov. Patrick has his work cut out for him, not least at a time when there would seem to be more important legislation to consider in the state. 'In a world filled with serious issues that we address every day at the Texas Capitol,' he wrote on X, 'this simple resolution will help better market Texas beef. That's good for the Texas cattle industry. The Cattle Associations sure liked the idea.' Of course, no one else anywhere––not least the other beef producing states––could care less about this kind of silliness. Perhaps Patrick would have more luck changing the name 'London broil' to 'Texas broil,' even though the name has as much to do with London as Canadian bacon does with Canada.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Did You Forget About These Old School Desserts?
Cherries jubilee and Baked Alaska are forgotten desserts from a bygone era. Cherries jubilee is a flaming dish that was created for Queen Victoria back in 1897. A Baked Alaska is ice cream on the inside with a warm, flame-licked exterior. These old-fashioned desserts feature the sweet treat going up in flames. Inside Edition's Ann Mercogliano and chef Caroline Schiff decided to try to make some of these desserts.
