Archive for the ‘How To’s’ Category
Tempura Batter 101
In Japan, tempura masters train as apprentices for years before they’re allowed to make the batter, much less dip and fry the freshest ingredients until they’re golden and crisp.
The trick to great tempura is keeping the batter chilled and carbonated, both which create a final dish that’s delicate, crisp, and not doughy.
With your iSi Creative Whip, you’ll make tempura like a master in no time.
Tip: Use fine sea salt which dissolves more quickly. Rice flour (found in Asian supermarkets) produces an even crunchier bite but all-purpose flour works just fine too. Replace part or all the water with vodka which evaporates even faster in the hot oil, producing an even crunchier crust.
Tempura Batter Recipe
Ingredients for a 1 pint Creative Whip:
1 cup cold water or chilled vodka
1 cup all-purose or rice flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation:
Pour water into a large bowl. In another bowl whisk together flour and salt. Sprinkle flour mixture over water then barely whisk the batter. There will be lumps.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve.
Pour the smooth batter into your iSi Creative Whip.
Screw on one iSi soda charger– not the silver cream charger – but a gold soda charger. Shake vigorously about 5 times.
Test your batter. It should look like fizzy, soft whipped cream. Dip lightly floured pieces of seafood, veggies – like the green beans in the photo above – or seasonal wild mushrooms immediately or you can let the batter chill in your fridge until you’re ready to fry.
To serve, preheat oil to 375°F and fry battered pieces until light golden. Sprinkle with salt while still hot and serve immediately with or without a dipping sauce.
Your finished tempura dishes will be light and crisp enough to challenge even a tempura master chef!
1, 2, 3, Ready, Set, Whipped Cream!
No more excuses. You’re just seconds away from light, fluffy whipped cream!
1. Pour in ingredients to fill line as indicated on the outside of the bottle.
2. Screw on one iSi cream charger and shake vigorously 4 to 5 times.
3. Point decorator tip straight down and press lever to dispense.
It’s that fast. It’s that easy.
Best of all, when you make whipped cream yourself you get to control what kind of cream you use (may we suggest a nice local or organic variety) and what kind and how much sweetener to use. Heck, you can even go carb-free and use an artificial sweeterner or be like our European friends and skip the sweetener all together. You can even add flavored extracts or syrups or even a drop of food color for a fun variation on the classic.
Whatever you decide, it’s sure to be delicious and fresh every single time.
Mayo 101
Guide to Perfect Homemade Mayonnaise
Making your own mayonnaise is one of the most magical things you can do in your kitchen. You transform common ingredients into a legendary, luscious sauce – and it is in fact a cold sauce. Homemade mayo transcends store-bought. It’s great on sandwiches as well as with chilled seafood at an elegant dinner party. (more…)
Whipped Cream 101
How to Make Whipped Cream with a Cream Whipper
Welcome to Whipped Cream 101 where you’ll learn the simple steps to make whipped cream in seconds.
Why use a cream whipper? Well, does this sound familiar to you? You’ve got a few friends over for dinner. Ready for dessert, you excuse yourself from the table and head into the kitchen, a helpful friend in tow. You take the bowl, whisk, and cream out of the fridge, where you had to make room so they could chill. While your friend helps tidy, you start whipping. All conversation stops because of the loud, ear-ringing clatter of whisk against bowl. Bits of cream splatter on to your “Dry Clean Only” sweater. Your whisking arm sorely reminds you to get to the gym more often.
With a cream whipper, you made your whipped cream before dinner – maybe even the day before. You and your friend grab dessert, coffee, and whipped cream then re-join the party. Plus, with a cream whipper you make five times more whipped cream than you can by hand! And it’s fun – really fun.
Let’s get started. First the cream. You can use any kind of heavy whipping cream (38% butterfat). I like the heavy whipping cream from Country Dairy at my Whole Foods Market because of its lovely taste and texture. Plus it’s nothing but cream – no thickeners – and from a relatively local family farm in Michigan.
Then add any sweeteners and flavorings. Again, use whatever you want: powdered sugar, Splenda, stevia, honey, agave, maple syrup, or flavored syrups. Just make sure any sweetener is completely dissolved. I usually don’t add any sweetener because I find the taste of cream sweet enough, especially when topping a rich drink or dessert.
Pour heavy cream into bottle, filling only up to the max fill line etched on the outside of the bottle.
Screw one iSi cream charger.
Shake vigorously 3 to 5 times.
Test the consistency. Hold the bottle with the tip pointed straight down and press the lever to dispense.
Whipped cream!
Store the rest of your whipped cream in the refrigerator with the bottle upright or on its side. Remove the decorative tip and wash it by hand, using the little cleaning brush included. Remember to recycle your charger and cream container. Your whipped cream will keep fresh and fluffy up to 10 days in the bottle!