Cut-Out Cookies

Cut-out cookies are made from a firm dough that is chilled thoroughly then rolled out into a sheet. Various shapes are cut out of the dough before baking. Many of the rich tart doughs, Pies and Tarts, can be used as cutout cookie dough. Dough for rolled or cut-out cookies freezes well and can be stored well wrapped in the freezer for up to 1 month. This dough should be thawed in the refrigerator overnight before using as directed in the formulas. A light dusting of flour on the work surface and rolling pin helps keep the dough from sticking when making cut-out cookies. A sprinkling of granulated or powdered sugar may also be used with some formulas. When the dough is especially high in fat, rolling on silicone baking mats or between layers of parchment paper or plastic film is advised. For best results, cut-out cookie dough is rolled to a thickness of between ¼ and ⅛ inch.

 

Tamago

Tamago is a sweet Japanese omelet used in making maki, nigiri and Temaki sushi. But you can just serve it as is with wasabi and soy sauce if you like ^_^ I learnt of this recipe from my friend in the Philippines who is a pastry chef and would like to share this with you all as well.

My friend is known as “rubeniv” and you can find him on Dailybooth with this recipe and others that he posts daily.  check out his profile at this link:

http://dailybooth.com/rubeniv

Everything in this blog can be attributed to him!  Thank you for allowing me to share this wonderful recipe with all my viewers

I have done this before but you need quite a bit of practice to get it perfect which until now I have a hard time with. What I need to work on is making sure that I get as little browning as possible. You want it to be as solid yellow as possible.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Sugar
4 Tbsp. (1/4 cup) warm water
6 eggs
oil

You will need:
Non stick pan (I actually normally just make it with a regular round pan but I bought a square pan just so you guys can see what they really use to make it, and they being professionals)
Spatula for flipping or if you are used to using chopstick then use that!
Sushi Mat
Rubber Bands

In a bowl mix sugar and warm water until it dissolves. Add in 6 eggs and mix well. Transfer the Egg mixture in an easy to pour container before you start making your tamago.

Now that you have your egg mixture you are ready to make your tamago.

First add a little bit of oil in your pan and wipe off the excess with a small piece of tissue paper.

Then over medium heat pour a thin layer of egg over the pan and spread it out evenly by tilting the pan up and down. Just as the eggs set you can start folding, an inch over towards you, the eggs with your chopsticks or spatula. Continue folding until you reach the other end of the pan.

Push the egg to the end of the pan farther from you and wipe the pan with the oiled tissue paper then you can add another layer.

Every time you add a layer tilt the pan away from you and lift the cooked egg just so you create another layer of egg under the rolled/cooked one. (e.g. last photo)

Keep doing the same step over and over until you finish all the egg mixture. Make sure that your heat is regulated just so the egg doesn’t brown.

When you are done, flip the tamago over a sushi mat and wrap it around securing it with rubber bands. This will make sure that it firms up and so that it holds the rectangular shape. The tamago will be soft while it is hot and may still have raw eggs ozzing out when you wrap the sushi mat but that is fine. As it cools it will firm up.

Let it cool before wrapping with plastic and placed in the chiller.

When Chilled unwrap the tamago and slice about a centimeter thick for each piece then serve.

 

Dubai Culinary Tour – A Whirlwind Tasting Tour

The Itinerary

9AM –  Breakfast at Boulevard Cafe

11AM – Coffee tasting at Orbis

1:30PM – Cooking Lesson and lunch at Traiteur, Park Hyatt Dubai

4PM – Gingerbread Cocoon body treatment at the Ritz Carlton Spa

7:45PM – Dinner at Reflet Par Pierre Gagnaire

Doesn’t that sound like a whole lot of fun?  Since I am currently in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, I am going to introduce you to some local eats and places to visit that I have encountered on my trip.  This culinary tour is courtesy of What’s On magazine.

Breakfast

Start strong with some protein at Boulevard Cafe in Old Town.  Old Town, in my opinion, is much more beautiful than the New Dubai!  Even though New Dubai has some amazing buildings and sights to see, Old Town truly gives you a feel for what Dubai used to be.  This Parisian-style pavement cafe serves up French fare until midnight but the breakfasts are sublime.  Go for the les oeuf a la mode: two eggs in any style, with herb roasted tomatoes, Provencale potatoes and chunky sourdough toast (Dhs35)

Boulevard Cafe, Burj Boulevard, Old Town, Dubai, 7am to midnight. Tel: (04) 4285923

The Coffee Tour

Orbis Roastery is the place to get your coffee if that is what you need to kick off your day.  They sell caffeine to some of the finest hotels in the UAE, and even the Sheikh Mohammed himself.  You can sniff it out on their Saturday morning tours at 11am, where you’ll go behind the scenes and even make your own custom blend.

FYI, Saturday here in UAE is basically like a Sunday for us in the US.  People don’t work on Saturdays, but they do work Sundays.

Orbis Roastery, Al Lahbab, Hatta Road, Dubai, Tel: (04) 3417789

The Cooking Masterclass

Man is what he eats, according to the proverb.  The beautiful Park Hyatt Dubai hotel offers a way out for those that are kitchen-challenged, with cooking lessons at Traiteur from head chef Franck Detrait.  Franck is everything you’d expect in a head chef; food is his life, he knows the kitchen like the back of his hand, and boasts the type of French accent that would make a fried egg butty sound exotic.

This lesson is in how to make the slightly daunting chilled avocado and green apple soup (delish!) with smoked salmon and sesame seeds, followed by John Dory asparagus.  The lesson couldn’t be easier.  Franck and his team lays everything out and it is a simple case of he does, you do.  (Dhs295)

Traiteur master class, park Hyatt Dubai, Deira Dubai, Tel: (04) 6021804

The Treatment

After all the hard work cooking and slaving away at the stove, treat yourself to a well-deserved little lie down.  In keeping with the foodie theme, head to the spa at Ritz Carlton for the Gingerbread Cocoon treatment.  You’ll be scrubbed before a body masque is applied.  You then shower and are treated to a massage.  All with the delicious scent of ginger.

Gingerbread Cocoon, RitzCarlton, Dubai Marina, Dubai, Tel: (04) 3994000

Dinner

If you’re going to devote a whole day to food then the piece de resistance has to be Reflets Par Pierre Gagnaire.  And if you’re going to eat dinner, eat dinner, don’t be a pansy!  Order the Dhs790 daily tasting menu, sit back and enjoy.  What you eat depends mostly entirely on “the mood of the chef”.  You will not be disappointed though, rest assured!

InterContinental Dubai Festival City, Dubai, 7pm to 1am. Tel: (04) 7011128

And there you have it!  The culinary whirlwind tour of Dubai.  Enjoy!  Please share your stories and pictures if you do any of this!