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Disaster planning can take many forms. It may involve the contracting the services of a certified disaster recovery planner (CDRP) or bringing a certified disaster recovery planner on staff. This requires a commitment from management to support the development of a disaster plan and the scheduling of tests for the plan to veify that it meets the goals establsihed when the disaster planning process was begun. few small to medium sized businesses are willing a or able to commit the resources to such an undertaking.
Disaster Planning or Business Continuity by an organization may also be a regulatory requirement. This is often the case in the financial industry.
But the truth is that some plan is better than no plan at all. The old joke is that as the firemen are rolling up their hoses, it may be too late to put together a business continuity plan.
If your company develops a disaster recovery plan using a professional CDRP, we can help by participating in that plan as a go to resource when the disaster occurs. Quick response can limit the extent of a damage or disaster event , which translates into quicker recovery and a more rapid return to normal operations.
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Population Growth and Environmental Issues
September 17th, 2009
The contemporary world is being largely affected by the increasing population, particularly in some of the third world countries. This indeed has become an imperative matter of concern. The present global rate of the human population has peaked since 1963, which has a stupendous rise in the use of certain fixed resources like food and most importantly water. The demand for these resources have increase by two-third times since then, which presently indicates a figure of approximately 6.6 billion (the population count), and the figure is expected to rise even further by the year 2050. 9 billion is what the experts are expecting.
Environmentalists claim that most of the current problem that humans are experiencing in terms of climatic changes to rabid resource extraction is all caused due to human population growth.
Population growth has contributed to some of the major environmental problems that we are experiencing today. The Population Connection revealed that with the growth of population since 1950, 80% of the rainforests have been cleared, more than 10,000 wildlife and plant species have been lost, greenhouse gas emission has increased potentially by 400% and more than half of the surface land of the Earth has been used for commercial purpose, which still continues.
With such a remarkable increase in these various factors, it is now expected that the population of the world is likely to be exposed to scarcity of water in the future. Scarcity of water or water stress will further intensify the difficulties in meeting the water consumption levels, thus wreaking devastating effects on the ecosystem.
The Interconnection
An interconnection between every living organism, starting from the germs to sharks and whales to humans and their interdependency is obvious. All these living organisms share a food chain, which is dependent on the healthy habits for survival. With the population growth, every living organism is likely to have lesser resources for survival. This actually implies how the human actions and the alarming growth of people are adversely affecting the environment.
Earth has a "carrying capacity", which refers to the human populace that the earth can substantially support. Certain factors like the overall resource being used and the distribution of resources can affect the capacity. Exceeding the Capacity of the Earth would definitely call for environmental hazards. Although science has been struggling to provide some solution to the condition, results haven't been published yet. Nonetheless, when every other resource fails, we will have to rely on science as the last resort to overcome a great disaster.
With the increasing population, the demand for every other resource for survival is increasing significantly. But do we have ample resources to support life? That's the biggest question.
It is a fact that we are using and sometimes abusing most of the resources we have, or better say we had. Deforestation for human living space, wildlife poaching for human benefit, industrialization to support human needs etc are just a few of the habits that we have adapted in the recent past without realizing how it would affect the Earth and affect us in the long run.
Earth could have been a better place than it is today if we humans were just a bit more concerned about ourselves. Though we apparently seem to be that way, but unknowingly or ignorantly we fail to keep up our efforts. It is all because of the population and the necessity to make both ends meet, that we humans are adapting anything that comes handy and that brings us two square meals, and in doing so we are actually destroying the earth and the environment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Cookbook of the Month 2013 AD HOC AT HOME: Lifesavers, Breads, Crackers and Cheese, Dessert
- greedygirl Mar 31, 2013 05:29 PM
Welcome to Thomas Keller month.
Please post your full-length reviews of recipes for "lifesavers", breads, crackers and cheese and desserts in AD HOC AT HOME here. Please mention the name of the recipe you are reviewing and the page number, if possible, as well as any modifications you made to the recipe.
This thread is for the following chapters:
Lifesavers, p234
Breads, Crackers and Cheese, p268
Desserts, p292
A reminder that the verbatim copying of recipes to the boards is a violation of the copyright of the original author. Posts with copied recipes will be removed.
I can't wait to see your reviews - happy cooking!
Herbed toasted walnuts -- p 238
This is one of the quickest and most straightforward recipes in this book! Take 3 cups of raw walnut halves and toast them on a tray in a 350F oven. Meanwhile melt an ounce of unsalted butter along with 3/4tsp each of finely chopped parsley, oregano, rosemary and thyme. Once the walnuts are nicely toasted, toss them with the butter and herbs and some salt, and allow to cool slightly then serve warm.
The nuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week and TK recommends reheating them in a warm oven before serving.
The walnuts are rich, crunchy and very flavourful. I put them out in a bowl on the table and invited the geeklings to help themselves during lunch, and sprinkled a generous amount onto a simple salad of baby spinach leaves drizzled with olive oil & lemon juice. The lemon & herbed walnut combo was especially nice.
We've still got loads left so I expect that I'll be snacking on these all week.
re: geekmom
This is one of two or three recipes I've made from AHaH preciously and they were a hit to the people I served them to. I thought they were fine, but, really, how amazing does one expect toasted walnuts to be anyway? I didn't really like the texture the butter imparts if you serve them later and do NOT reheat them... So eat them all right away or do as he suggests and reheat.
Chocolate brownies
I don't have the book, so used this recipe from the interweb:
The net is full of blogs eulogising these brownies as the best thing EVER! So I was excited to make them for a homecoming dinner for my parents, who've been out of the country since November, the lucky things.
Were they good - yes. The best brownies I've ever had...probably not. I made as written, including the frankly eyewatering three-quarters of a pound of butter. He uses a technique I've never come across before, which is to melt half the butter, which is then added to cubes of cold butter, which almost melt but not completely. The butter is added to eggs beaten with sugar, cocoa, plain flour and salt. Chocolate chips are stirred in at the end.
I used the called-for silicone pan, which is supposed to prevent the edges from catching and becoming dry. I have to say this didn't work for me. The recipe says to bake for 40-45 minutes. My oven normally runs fast, so I tested after 40 minutes and the brownies were still way too gooey in the middle. After 45 minutes - still too gooey. Another 5 minutes - fine in the middle, but the edges were overdone! Aaagh! However, at this point I was also distracted by the arrival of said parents. so that may have been the issue.
Anyway, eaten still warm as dessert, with a little creme fraiche, these were rich, dense, intensely chocolatey and pretty good. Some bloggers note that the chocolate chips give a slight crunch - mine had completely melted into the brownies.
The search for brownie nirvana continues....
re: greedygirl
Darn it, too bad this one wasn't worth the insane amount of butter! I had this recipe on the list and was thinking of fulfilling my apparently insatiable chocolate craving with it later today. I shall carry on with my secret gorging of The Offspring's easter baskets instead (wouldn't want to burden them with all that candy) ....
Thanks for taking one for the team!
re: Allegra_K
To be honest, I hadn't noticed how much butter was in them until I took a pack out of the fridge - and realised that I'd need half of another pack as well! I can practically feel my arteries hardening...
You should definitely make them though - but watch them like a hawk towards the end.
re: Allegra_K
I've just had another small piece of brownie, and think I may have been too hasty! These are actually excellent brownies. And now they're cold, I can detect the chocolate chips.
Of the twelve I baked on Wednesday, only four remained today (I only had one, which means my parents ate seven in less than two days!). We've just polished off the rest at work, and my colleagues raved about them. One said she'd had much worse from a bakery! They are very rich though - a half of a piece is plenty.
re: Allegra_K
I ADORE these brownies and definitely think they're worth the 3 sticks of butter, although I am planning to cut back by maybe 4T. next time I make them, just to see how it affects the finished product. I don't think I've made another brownie recipe since I found these. Make them - you won't be sorry!
re: greedygirl
I have made the brownies at least a half dozen times. I make them in a metal pan with no problems. I was lured into making them bc I'd never seen that method of the melted and cubes of butter mixed. I love them and most others have as well but my sister and my husband do not like them at all, think they are too chocolately. I don't bother trying to understand 'too chocolately'!!!
re: greedygirl
Made these brownies yesterday. I messed up and creamed the butter and sugar together (instead of eggs and sugar) because I wasn't paying attention. I added the eggs as soon as I realized what I did and then just added the dry ingredients in 3 parts instead of alternating dry and butter.
These brownies are amazing and that is coming from someone who doesn't particularly like chocolate, desserts, or sweets. My husband has already had like 4 of them. My coworkers are going to die when I bring them in tomorrow.
Easy to make and absolutely delicious! Moist, fudgy, yum. I'll definitely be making them again.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream - p 320
1/2 oz of mint leaves are infused in a combination of milk and cream. This liquid is strained and whisked with 2/3 cup of granulated sugar over medium heat. Meanwhile, 2/3 cup of sugar is whisked separately with 10 egg yolks (!!) and the hot milk is slowly whisked into this mixture. This rich concoction is heated slowly until it thickens, strained again, then cooled completely before being churned. 3 oz of 55% chocolate, cut into small chips, is added to the ice cream just at the end.
I plan to make this into ice cream sandwiches with the chocolate shortbread on p. 330, but we all had to test to make sure that it was okay before that. ;-) Ooooh my goodness. This is SO yummy! It's not your average mint chocolate chip ice cream, that's for sure, with that rich custard and the fresh mint flavour is so much nicer than mint extract. I will check back in later about the ice cream sandwiches!
re: geekmom
I'm so glad you posted this - I have passed this recipe by without really thinking about it. Didn't even really think about what it would be like with real mint.
re: moreace01
Thanks for your review, geekmom. I am intrigued by the ice cream recipes, but intimidated by the 10 egg yolks! Glad to hear it was really good. Might be a fun project with the kids when I'm on vacation later in the month.
re: moreace01
Yes, the real mint really bowls you over when you taste it. Quite a few people have tried this ice cream so far and everyone has remarked on how lovely that fresh mint flavour is (except for one guy who thought it was "kind of weird", but I noticed he didn't have any trouble polishing it off!) Definitely a keeper.
re: geekmom
My mint should start poking out some shoots soon.Can't wait!
re: smtucker
Mine is coming in wonderfully already. I'm so excited that spring is here!
re: geekmom
And I have yet to see a single edge of garden box from the white ocean in my backyard. Sob!
That's it-I'm moving.
re: geekmom
I made this over the course of two days. Day 1 was making the custard and day 2 was churning and freezing it. I really wanted to love it, but the fresh mint flavor was.... unexpected? overpowering? I love fresh mint in mojitos (hence why I grow it in my yard) but I couldn't really handle the strong mint flavor of this ice cream. Maybe I just ate too much of the fake green stuff growing up but I just couldn't eat this ice cream.
I froze it because I couldn't bear the idea of throwing it away right then and there but it will probably be chucked over the course of this weekend. I didn't even pass it off to my sister (who loves MCC) or coworker (who loves any ice cream). I had that little confidence in its flavor.
re: Njchicaa
Interesting! Sorry to hear that you weren't wowed by the fresh mint flavour. It's definitely NOT subtle, and I did have one friend come over and try it the week after I made it and say that he thought the mintiness was "strange" but none of us disliked it. I am trying to figure out some way you could salvage this but I have a feeling no matter what you add to the ice cream you won't be able to dilute the fresh mint taste enough. :-( Bummer.
Pineapple upside-down cake - p 310
I don't have a lot to report here other than it was really great! And for Keller, an actually pretty straightforward, easy recipe.
I have a gas oven that heats unevenly (despite an enormous baking stone that permanently resides on the bottom rack) - the cooking time was a little off for me (cake needed to bake longer than recipe stated), but I expect that and I think its more my wonky oven than anything.
I used vanilla extract instead of vanilla paste. It does make quite a bit of the 'pan schmear'. Now...what to do with the leftovers (other than eating with a spoon).
Anyway, I highly recommend this one.
re: moreace01
Thanks for your review moreace01. I am eyeing this upside down cake recipe and glad to here it is recommended! One question. Did you use a silicone cake pan? He specifically calls for one, but I don't have one. Was wondering if it would be impossible to get out of a regular cake pan or something?
re: moreace01
I made this one a couple of months ago at the request of a coworker. It was easy enough to make but, like moreace01, I needed to bake it longer than the 35-40 minutes stated in the recipe.
Everyone went crazy for it and they really liked the use of fresh pineapple instead of canned. I tried a piece and thought it was okay.... but I'm not a big dessert person. Unless it is coconut cake, creme brulee, or cheesecake, I usually skip sweets at the end of a meal. I am in no rush to make this again.
Chocolate Shortbread Cookies - p 330
I can't find a recipe online, so here's a summary: Mix 3/4c sugar, 1.5c + 2tbsp AP flour, 3/4c + 1 tbsp alkalized cocoa powder, 1.5tsp kosher salt and 1/2tsp baking soda in your stand mixer bowl using the paddle. Add 3/4" cubes of unsalted butter, at room temperature, one at a time. (A total of 15 tbsp of butter is added). Eventually, the mixture will start looking like wet sand and then will start to cling together, at which point you put it on a board, bring it together into a block about 5x7" and refrigerate that, wrapped in plastic wrap, for around an hour. At that point you break the block of dough in half and roll each half out between parchment paper until it's about 1/4" thick. You can cut this with a knife or a cookie cutter. Slide the parchment paper with the cut cookie dough into the fridge to cool for long enough so that the dough has firmed up again; now you can safely remove the cookies onto yet another piece of parchment and then bake for 10-12m at 350F.
These were nice and made a decent ice cream sandwich with the fabulous mint chocolate chip ice cream from this chapter, which is why I made them. However, don't be fooled by the chilling and rolling of the dough, like I was, into thinking these are like sugar cookies. The baking soda in the dough means these cookies rise slightly during baking, and fizz up and become kind of blurred around the edges - so my carefully cut and pressed Millenium Falcons and Death Stars became long shapeless blobs and round shapeless blobs with none of the nifty details from our awesome Star Wars cookie cutters left visible on their bubbly surfaces.
The baking soda in combination with the salt also made for a rather distinctly salty cookie, which none of us thought was particularly "right" but didn't by any means make them inedible. So all in all, probably not a recipe I'd make again, although we were all happy to eat them.
Also, can I just take this opportunity to rant about the measurements used in the baking recipes in this book? Seriously, I do completely understand that many people in North America prefer and are more comfortable using cups and tablespoons rather than weighed amounts in their recipes. And for the most part I am fine with cooking and baking that way - have been doing so for years. But considering that TK has a reputation for exacting standards and that these cookbooks are known for producing excellent results if you follow the instructions closely, would it really have been so hard for them to give both the cups/spoons measurements and the weights? When I see an amount like "1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons" I *know* that has been adapted from a recipe that is based on weight, so why NOT give us that in ounces and grams too? And may I just add that in Canada, for the most part, our butter only comes in big solid 454g blocks, not in four neat sticks with the tablespoons all marked out on the paper, and it is a ludicrous pain in the rear end to measure out 15 tablespoons??? GAH!! OK, rant over. :-)
re: geekmom
I completely agree - am used to weights and far prefer it, especially when baking. Our butter comes in 250g blocks, so sticks and tablespoons completely irrelevant.
re: geekmom
YES to the butter rant!
and Yes! to the Star Wars cookie cutters, only too bad they didn't work out...
You've really been going hardcore with the baking section, I'm so impressed. I have yet to attempt a recipe.
re: Allegra_K
I think it's because I'm avoiding the daunting Bouchon Bakery so I'm spending all this energy baking from AHAH. I *will* try that macaron recipe again but it was probably not the smartest place to start. Next I'll do the oatmeal cookies... those shouldn't be too hard, right?
re: geekmom
I think to myself 'oh, this __ recipe shouldn't be too hard' for the seemingly "easy" ones, and pretty much give up as soon as I read the instructions. In Bouchon Bakery, I really and desperately wish to make the eclairs--but!-- just how much sleuthing do I need to do to find neutral glaze and high-quality chocolate? How much am I willing to spend for those ingredients?
There is one recipe in Bakery in the bread section that doesn't call for a 12+ hour ferment time...and it requires 1/2 hour of 'low speed' mixing. I don't own a stand mixer....
I *want* to make these recipes, it just isn't working out for me.
re: geekmom
This is really a serious flaw, especially in the baking section.
But not only there: Somewhere, maybe in one of the nominating or voting threads, there was a justified complaint about bad results with the TK brine for chicken -- his measurements for salt are in tablespoons, which means you have to take into account the salt he's using (Diamond Crystal kosher). Because I use regular sea salt, I've gotten used to just cutting most salt amounts in recipes in half. But for something like a brine, it's seriously negligent not to include the salt amount in weight because the volumes of different salts vary so much.
The editors and designers of this book made so many poor decisions that their work cries out for a mock 'award' (like a cookbook version of the P-U-litzers).
re: ellabee
The chicken brine has a weight for the salt for exactly the reason you sited: different brands of salt have different weight to volume ratios.
The brine calls for 2 cups of Diamond Kosher / 10 oz.
re: smtucker
So it does; thanks for correcting that, smtucker. Strike one item in the list of the editors' sins, then.
The chicken brine p.339 instructions even explicitly tell you to go by the weight if using another salt -- so the aggrieved poster just failed to read past the list of ingredients.
Basic pie crust - p 338 (This is from the "basics" chapter which comes after these other ones, so I'm reviewing it here).
OK, I know there are a gazillion and one recipes out there to make a pie crust, but not all of them work for me and THIS one is geekmom-approved. It came together easily, rolled out without cracking or crumbling, was perfectly willing to be moved onto a tray to cool or into a pie plate, and baked up golden, flaky and crisp for my chicken pot pie. WIN!!
pork brine, page 339
This was the first thing I made after purchasing this book and I haven't looked back. This brine just makes pork, non-heritage especially, taste better.
Honey, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, parsley, garlic, pepper corns, salt and water are brought to a boil. Boil for one minute, while stirring. Cool completely before using. This is a fairly expensive brine when you don't have the items growing in the garden. I often cheat and reduce the amount of aromatics for this reason.
I have used this brine for tenderloin, loin roasts, and pork chops and it just hasn't failed me. I generally have an ice bath nearby so that I can cool the brine down more quickly. Due to the cooling period, you do have to plan ahead, making the brine in the morning to use that day.
re: smtucker
I found this Pork Brine recipe at Leite's Culinaria... Sound right?
re: smtucker
Many thanks for the added information, SMT. I've added the recipe to my Pepperplate account so now I can insert the weights.
re: smtucker
Thank you very much for flagging this. I'm a huge bacon and ham fan but not so much pork - I find it to taste too, well, piggy. The brine sounds like an intriguing way to bring some flavour to the meat.
re: smtucker
Oh, that brine is good! The pork tenderloin has become a regular in our house.
This is a must try for anyone considering an Ad Hoc recipe.
re: smtucker
Pork brine, page 339.
Completely agree with smtucker's review of this brine. We don't usually heat a brine, but I'm now a convert. Even after it cooled, it was so aromatic, and I think it really imparted the flavors to the pork. I used it for the Fig-Stuffed Pork Loin, reported here:
Because the oven was full, we cooked the roast in the grill, and even though the brine was rinsed off, I think it helped make a delicious outer crust to the meat.
Made a cup of the yellow curry powder, page 336, which is used in quite a few recipes in Ad Hoc at Home. [Reposting here from Poultry-Meat-Fish because the recipe is in the Basics section.]
It was based on Keller's recipe, but adapted in light of several web recipes for Madras curry powder, and based on my own judgment. I toasted the whole spices until some of the mustard seeds popped, then ground them with a mortar and pestle (with several siftings and re-grindings), then combined the freshly ground with the already ground spices.
Whole: 4 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 3 tsp mustard seeds, 4 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp anise seeds, 2 tsp black peppercorns, three whole cloves.
Ground: 3 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp fenugreek, 2 tsp ginger, 2 tsp coriander, 1 tsp cumin, 3 tsp cinnamon, 1.5 tsp cardamom, 1 tsp paprika, 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, .5 tsp allspice, 1 tsp Maldon or other flake sea salt.
Lesson learned: Don't make up spice blends first thing in the morning, or the aromas from the up-close toasting and grinding overwhelm your olfactory system and throw off your taste and smell for the rest of the day. If you do the job in the evening, then take a shower, by morning your senses will have had a chance to recover without inconveniencing you.
Would someone kindly double-check the coconut cake recipe in the book and tell me whether this version http://caramelisedblog.wordpress.com/... is correct? If not, what changes were made on the blog?
I'm visiting my parents in Toronto, didn't bring the book (too darn heavy!) and have a sudden hankering to bake, possibly related to the freezing cold temperatures and ice pellets falling from the sky.
Thanks in advance :-)
re: geekmom
There are some differences there -- the one below appears to be a faithful restatement of the recipe and directions:
Good luck -- I'm mostly a lurker here, but love your posts!
Desserts - Chocolate Chip Cookies p 326
Breads, Crackers, Cheese - Buttermilk Biscuits p 276
This is my first time posting so hopefully I've posted in the right place. So inspiring reading everyone's takes on the recipes in AHAH...
I made the Chocolate Chip cookies first, which were very good. I really REALLY love cookies, especially chocolate chip, so was looking forward to what Keller described as "arguably the best cookie ever". The instructions were a bit finicky for me, i.e. beating half the butter first then beating the other half when the sugars are added, using a strainer to shake out any chocolate "dust" from the chopped chocolate (I skipped this step which supposedly leads to a "cleaner" looking cookie). Keller also uses two types of chocolate – 55% & 70-72%. Apart from including the chocolate dust, I stuck to the instructions and measurements.
These cookies are very tasty. You add 1 tsp of kosher salt of which the taste/texture really comes through in the final cookies, even for what seems like a small amount. While the salt taste was surprising it was not unpleasant. The cookies were dense and chewy and stayed moist even a few days later when stored in an airtight container. And I love that Keller gives directions for refrigerating or freezing the dough if you want to make ahead (or just don't want 30 cookies in the kitchen at one time). One other surprise for these cookies was that I didn't really like them hot out of the oven - a first for me. I found them much better once they cooled.
I also made the Buttermilk Biscuits, mainly because I had all the ingredients on hand. You mix cake & pastry flour, AP flour, 1TBSP + 1 TSP kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda, half lb of butter, and 1.5 cups of buttermilk. I made some subs here, in both the ingredients and the method. I used all AP flour as I was out of Cake & Pastry. I also used a pastry cutter instead of the food processer method that Keller describes, but I had a bit of trouble with it and ended up just rubbing the butter into the flour with my fingers. When I added the buttermilk, the dough seemed really shaggy and wouldn't come together at all, so I added some additional buttermilk, maybe an extra quarter to half cup.
Despite my modifications, these biscuits were great, if not a bit salty (my husband didn't find them salty, so it might just be my taste). I had rerolled the dough several times to use it all up and even the biscuits cut out of the final roll turned out flaky and delicious. We ate some out of the oven, and rewarmed several for egg sandwiches a couple of days later and they were still yummy. I'd like to try this recipe with some grated cheddar, maybe it was the salt, but every time I ate one I thought they would be even better baked with cheese (like most things!). If baking again, I would probably reduce the salt, or maybe weigh the salt instead. Can't say what they tasted like at room temp, as I ate them fresh or toasted.
A couple good recipes that came together pretty quickly and easily.
re: Nevita
Welcome aboard Nevita! Thanks for these two great write-ups. I made the chocolate shortbread and I also noticed they were distinctly salty. I'm not really sure how I felt about it - like you said it wasn't unpleasant, but... I dunno.
I hope if you try the biscuit recipe with the modifications you'll post here about your results. :-)
re: geekmom
On another AHAH report thread it was written that Keller uses Diamond Kosher salt and not Morton's. That's significant because Diamond is less salty than Morton's because of the way it's produced. Perhaps that's the reason some of these recipes have been too salty...
re: geekmom
Thanks for the warm welcome, geekmom! I think I'm just used to not tasting the salt in baked goods, rather than it playing a leading role. Not necessarily bad, just very pronounced. Also, being the baker and knowing how much salt was in the cookies and biscuits probably stuck in my mind as well...or it could be just that we share the same unsophisticated palate! :)
re: Nevita
Just a footnote about this recipe. I had frozen a few of the buttermilk biscuits since it didn't seem like a good idea for two of us to eat a dozen in one weekend. I pulled them out the other night to try them with strawberry shortcake "recipe" on page 2, as suggested in the recipe's preamble. Essentially you toss sliced strawberries with a couple pinches of sugar, and layer them with the biscuits and heavy cream whipped with a bit of sugar and vanilla.
The biscuits to use for the dessert were WAY too salty! Three of us had the dessert and all of us thought it was really salty. Maybe Diamond Kosher would have improved the biscuits. On the up side, the freezing didn't seem to affect the biscuits really which I was happy about.
re: Nevita
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS, p. 276
I have had only a few successes making biscuits over the years, but I was trying to come up with an "American" dessert for a small dinner party for a visiting Frenchwoman, and as TK's biscuits looked so good and strawberries are at their peak here, I settled on--you guessed it--strawberry shortcake.
I followed the AHAH biscuit recipe to a tee--both cake and AP flours, Diamond Crystal salt, etc. (and didn't find them salty at all). Because I have a tendency to overwork dough, I was obsessed with not doing so, so I probably under-processed it in my FP. I had much difficulty getting it to come together (I probably should have followed Nevita's lead and added more buttermilk) so I finally dumped it all onto a granite slab and patted away, probably overworking the dough. (This makes a lot, btw. After cutting out 15 2-inch rounds, I still had almost half the dough left, so I wrapped it carefully and froze it, hoping it will be ok for another use.)
These were not "light and fluffy." Rather they were crusty and separated easily into layers. But my husband pronounced them the best he'd ever had, and I have to say they were darned good, in the shortcake dessert(spread with lemon curd before being ladled with berries and whipped cream) and lightly warmed the next morning, with butter and kumquat marmalade. (Tomorrow they will be made into little sandwiches with sliced pork tenderloin and chive mayonnaise for a picnic.)
Nevita and I think alike as my first thought was how good these would be with some cheese added to the dough. I'll do that next time.
Did these come out as TK intended? Probably not. But we loved them nonetheless.
re: nomadchowwoman
Glad your biscuits turned out so well, nomadchowwoman! I will definitely try the diamond crystal salt next time...Funny that you had so much leftover dough. I got 12-14 biscuits out of mine - maybe another reason I found them salty!
re: Nevita
Well, I realized as I was looking at that recipe again today that I used smaller biscuit cutters than the recipe directed. But it is still strange how many biscuits I got: when I defrosted the leftovers, I got another 12 biscuits. I wonder if I worked/stretched the dough too much/too thin?
re: nomadchowwoman
I wondered if I overworked the dough as well, but the biscuits seemed to come out fine. And they looked very similar to those in your photo. A Keller mystery!
re: Nevita
Chocolate Chip Cookies, p. 326
My husband is always up for chocolate chip cookies (well, so am I; I just can't eat them with the abandon he can), so I thought I'd give the AHAH recipe a whirl, with a few tweaks.
I followed TK's method: cut 1/2 lb butter into small pieces, beat half of it in the stand mixer before adding the other half plus 1 c dark brown and 3/4 c granulated sugar and beating until "light and creamy," then 2 eggs, one at a time. The flour mix (2 1/3 c + 1 AP with 3/4 tsp baking soda & 1 tsp. kosher salt) is added to the bowl and mixed on low speed until the dough forms. You then fold in 5 oz (you read that correctly: suddenly, you *do* need a scale--which might have been handy for that flour measurement!) ea of 55% and 70-72% chocolate pieces. The closest thing I had to 55% were 60% Ghirardelli chocolate chips so I used 5 oz of those and another 5 oz, chopped up from a bar of Green & Black (70%) and part of a Whole Foods Organic (70%) . I did NOT sift the chocolate for a "cleaner" look: when the dirt is chocolate dust, I'll take a dirty cookie anytime.
The other change I made was adding 1 c of toasted chopped pecans, knowing my husband's fondness for nuts. (OK, knock it off with the knowing looks, please!) I'm happy to report that these did not seem to detract from the cookies in any way, but I guess we'll never know.
Verdict: excellent. The remaining dough is in the fridge, wiating to be baked later and and delivered as a hostess gift (and from temptation!) tonight.
Whether they were worth the fuss--that is, any better than those made from the recipe (from Essential NYT) that I've been using--I'm not sure. Is it really necessary to cut the butter into small pieces and add it in two batches? I can't say I noticed any discernible difference. I also had never used dark brown sugar in CC cookies before, but I couldn't taste any difference there either. I also baked the first batch at 375F before realizing the recipe called for 350; I switched to that for the second sheet of cookies and cooked those a minute longer. No difference there either.
No complaints though. My husband loved them, but lately he's been pronouncing eveything the "best ever." I realized he's not to be trusted: a few nights ago he devoured with equal relish and enthusiasm the Girl Scout cookies he found stashed in the pantry.
re: nomadchowwoman
Your final paragraph is a killer.
re: nomadchowwoman
Hah! Great review. The finished product looks and sounds amazing, though perhaps not much more amazing than, say, a box of Samoas, depending on your point of view. ;-)
Soffritto pg. 263
This one takes time, serious time. 6 hours start to finish for me. Its basically slowly caramelized onions and tomatoes cooked slowly in a lot of olive oil with a little garlic and salt added at the end. The results are a bit funny, kinda tastes like greasy onions, but wow drained of the oil and added to a sauce they really deliver flavor.
One note, I weighed my onions, 2 medium sized were just right for a half batch. But then I forgot to weigh my 3 tomatoes, and after grating three smallish plum tomatoes I had way more pulp than I was supposed to. No idea why. Anyway, I went with the liquid measure, 1/2 cup for a half recipe, which was about half of what the 3 grated tomatoes produced in puree. It seemed to work fine.
re: qianning
My soffritto is cooking now - however, I am not quite sure how to tell when it's done! I let the onions cook for 2.5 hours, at which point they were golden, but not darker than a golden raisin by any stretch of the imagination. I was impatient, though, so I added the tomatoes anyway (I used canned, which I seeded and pureed in the food processor) and the mixture has now been cooking for about 2 hours. The oil is clear, but aside from that, I haven't seen any changes. I'll probably let them go another hour and then drain...
Mayonnaise, pg. 333
Interesting, add the acid (lemon juice) after the oil, and no mustard either. Will this work? Well, not for me.
I ended up with a mayonnaise that had the consistency of buttermilk. It tasted OK, and as I was making it ( a 1/4 batch, btw) to use in his Buttermilk Dressing, the lackluster results/texture weren't the end of the world, but I wouldn't use this technique again.
Chicken Stock, p.339
This was just a simple yet flavourful stock that involved certain methods I had never employed before.
After rinsing the bones, backs & necks (with optional chx feet), bring to a slow simmer with the pot half off the burner. This is supposed to create a natural current that makes for easier skimming, though I found not much skimming to be had anyway.
After simmering a bit, add 8 cups of ice cubes, which is to get the fat to solidify and make it simple to remove..but it didn't work, even though I dumped all my ice in at once. They just melted on contact. After all that time I took making those cubes! I proceeded to add the rest of the items: leeks, onions, carrots & bay. I dealt with the fat later.
Can someone please explain to me why the green tops of the leeks are never used? I don't often work with leeks..but this seems incredibly wasteful if they are just going to be discarded after flavouring a stock anyway. So, rebel that I am, I used the green tops as well, heh heh.
I also skipped the cooling-in-the-ice-bath part, and instead strained the liquid and set it out in the porch to cool overnight, skimming the fat off in the morning. And I don't really care if my stock is cloudy, so I kept the remaining liquid full of "impurities" at the bottom of the pot.
I also made a sort of 'second pressing' with the leftover meat & veggies, a weaker broth that is still mighty tasty.
Maybe not Keller-approved, but the idea's there.
re: Allegra_K
re: Allegra_K
re: biondanonima
This is great info, thank you! It really does seem like such a waste otherwise.
PS-I love your bacon equality avatar...
re: biondanonima
Wow! That is great to know! I hate throwing them away - good to know I don't have to!
re: Allegra_K
Chicken Brine, pg. 339
Is there another thread on this? Thought so but can't seem to find it.
Anyhoo, this was my second time making this brine. The first time was a couple years ago for a batch of his fried chicken, we liked it but weren't bowled over. This time though was for the pan roasted chicken, and wow. The brining really did the trick for both flavor and texture. I made just a 1/5 batch (enough for 2 lbs), and now that I've got the calculations made and know that it fits perfectly in my 5qt casserole, I'll be making and using this brine again. In fact I'm already thinking garlic chicken pre-brined in this would be awfully nice....
re: qianning
There is a chicken brine review in the desserts thread since the basic section comes after that. I need to try his brine for chicken.... so far, I have only used his pork brine and it is stellar.
Never mind, we are already ON that thread. :-)
Coconut cake - p 309
I used the recipe which mebby helpfully tracked down for me here: http://tomatoesonthevine-velva.blogsp...
For this cake, you reduce 500ml of coconut milk, and my can was only 400ml, so I added 100ml of coconut-flavoured almond milk which happened to be in my dad's fridge. The reduction took an unbelievably long time - at least an hour. I don't know if this would be quicker with a coconut milk that has a lower water content, as mine was already 40% water to begin with before I added the extra liquid. At any rate, it was a very weird experience because if you don't whisk it very frequently while it simmers, the coconut milk bubbles up every few minutes at random like boiling lava with a noise that made us think the cat was being violently ill the first few times we heard it.
Anyway, that process, as weird and long as it was, is essential and totally worth it because it gives the cake an incredible, intense coconut flavour which really bowled us over. The cake had a light and fluffy texture, too, which makes it worth the trouble of separating six eggs and whisking the whites up before folding in to the butter/sugar/flour mixture.
The cake was an unqualified success with everyone who tried it. My brother, in his usual eloquent way, described it as "@#$!* awesome!" 'nuff said. ;-)
One thing which seemed off for me was the quantity of toasted coconut to sprinkle on top of the cake. I had LOADS left over after a generous sprinkling. I baked the cake in a 9x13" sheet cake pan; perhaps if you are making a double-layered round cake and intend to present it on a cake stand you might need the full two cups, but otherwise if you're like me and serve the cake straight out of the pan, you can cut the toasted coconut by at least half.
One other comment - the unfamiliar oven I was using apparently runs hot, and my first attempt at toasting coconut to sprinkle on top was a disaster which had to be thrown out even though I set the timer for the minimum time listed in the recipe (6min). So unless you're absolutely sure about your oven temp I would encourage you to keep your oven slightly cooler or check every few minutes from the start so you don't end up wasting two cups of coconut flakes.
re: geekmom
I love this review geekmom; you're constantly cracking me up!
Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce, pg. 333 - Basics
I assume this is the thread for the "Basics" chapter as well? If not, someone can move my post, but if so, here goes!
This recipe caught my eye both due to the technique (oven-reducing the sauce, etc.) and the ingredients. The recipe is made entirely in a 350 degree oven. You combine equal parts chopped onion, leek and fennel with some garlic and canola oil (I used olive) and roast for an hour or so. Add some red wine vinegar and brown sugar and roast another 20 mins. Add canned San Marzano tomatoes (drained, seeded, half pureed and half rough chopped), salt and pepper to taste and a sachet (bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns and garlic) and cook for another 1.5 hours or more, until the sauce is very thick.
I made just a couple of small changes - I felt like the amount of sugar called for was too much, so I used about 2/3 the amount. Even that was generous - I would use even less next time, possibly none at all - the fennel and leeks add plenty of sweetness IMO. I also forgot to seed my tomatoes, but I don't think that did any damage. I used a fairly light hand with the salt because I wasn't sure how much the sauce would reduce, but I ended up adding quite a bit at the finish to help balance the sweetness. I'll probably add another splash of vinegar as well.
Despite the sweetness, I like this sauce quite a bit - it has a nice texture and the flavors of fennel and onion really come through. I'm not sure I would choose to eat it straight over pasta, but I'm planning to use some of it as a sauce for roasted salmon, and I think it would be good with meatballs as well. The oven-reducing technique was easy (perfect for a day when you're at home but don't want to be tied to the kitchen) and I can imagine adapting other sauce recipes to this technique.
re: biondanonima
Sorry yes, people have been posting basics here. I don't have the book, and went with the contents page from Amazon. I don't recall seeing a Basics section on there, but I must have missed it.
re: biondanonima
Pecan-Walnut Bars, Desserts, P306
These were delicious! Make a crust of powdered sugar, ground almonds, AP flour, butter, vanilla and an egg. Refrigerate the crust which is later rolled out onto a quarter sheet pan, then chilled again. While the dough is in the fridge, make the filling – pecans, walnuts, eggs, molasses, vanilla, salt, brown sugar, corn syrup & melted butter (this mixture stands for 30 mins). Bake the crust for 30 mins, then pour in the filling and bake the whole thing for another 15 minutes. Cool to room temp, then freeze the pan until solid. Take the bars (not quite in bar form yet) out of the pan, trim off the edges, then cut into bars. Serve cold or at room temp (though Keller mentions eating them warm out of the oven in the preamble).
This is a great recipe if you're trying to use up eggs – 7 in total! I made a few modifications that didn't seem to harm the bars – I ran out of AP flour and subbed about a ¼ cup whole wheat; I just whisked the almond flour and flour together rather than running them through the food processor to combine (seemed unnecessary); and I used a 9x13 baking dish rather than the quarter sheet pan asked for. Also worth mentioning that I had to bake the filling for much longer than Keller's 15 mins, more than double that in fact, for it to set. I also cut the bars much smaller than the 8 pieces that Keller suggests. They're probably each a 1/3 of that and that's plenty rich for me.
Nice that the bars could be made in steps in case you didn't want to spend an afternoon in the kitchen. That being said, I found the method lengthy with all of the dough chilling, then freezing the finished bars. If I made these again, I'd just press the dough into the pan. I thought that the bars were similar in taste to a really good pecan pie, which wouldn't require all the effort. That being said, they received rave reviews. I've just kept a stash in the freezer, and I'm surprised I prefer them frozen to warmed. The texture of the frozen bars is lovely, kind of toothy. And the super-sticky edge pieces (from trimming) are the best! I'm glad I didn't skip that step, though Keller probably intends that they be discarded. :)
Chive Oil, p. 265
It's not that this recipe was really calling out to me--my experience is that flavored oil is usually more trouble than it's worth: I use a bit and end up throwing it out long after I've forgotten I it. But I have a wild abundance of chives in my little garden so I went ahead with this recipe.
I took a few liberties. I halved the recipe for aforementioned reason. And since I don't own a Vita-Mix, I used my stick blender (which worked just fine here). Isn't it ironic that the AHAH editors didn't want readers to feel they needed a kitchen scale to use this book, yet several recipes call for a Vita-Mix?
TK's method of running hot water over the chives and then drying them seems to really help with the pureeing. Since I was using only 1/2 c ea of chives and oil (I used grapeseed), I put all the chives in(to a tall, pint-sized measuring cup) initially, with just enough oil to cover and whirred away for a full two minutes. I then added the remaining oil and whirred for another 2 1/2 minutes. That really seemed to do it.
The puree went into a jar, was refrigerated for 24 hours, then poured through cheesecloth. The picture below is of the puree, but my photography couldn't capture the emerald clarity of the finished oil. Beautiful.
And delicious! I mixed it with mayo to serve with crabcakes and drizzled some of it over grilled shrimp. Tonight we'll be drizzling it over a farro risotto.
I'm really glad I made this and will soon be making more. Suddenly I can think of all kinds of things to do with it. If you've got lots of chives and a stick blender, I recommend it highly.
re: nomadchowwoman
"Isn't it ironic that the AHAH editors didn't want readers to feel they needed a kitchen scale to use this book, yet several recipes call for a Vita-Mix?"
So true. Everyone I know who has a Vitamix talks about how awesome it is, so I'm sure if I had one I would love it, but I'm happy to hear from you that this is worth the trouble and that my stick blender will do the job :-)
re: geekmom
Believe me I have eyed them lasciviously myself (and have no doubt I'd love one and give it a good home too!), but since I haven't yet succumbed, I'm immediately put off by recipes requiring one. So, yes, I was surprised by how nicely the puree turned out.
re: nomadchowwoman
Ha, your scale/VitaMix comment brings to mind my reaction upon reading a muffin recipe from Bouchon Bakery, with instructions to use a stand mixer - with the whisk attachment, on low speed, mixing no more than 2 or 3 minutes at a time. In other words, you might as well just do it with a bowl and a whisk and your hand like every other oil-based pumpkin muffin recipe I've made.
re: nomadchowwoman
That chive oil sounds amazing and I have loads of chives just popping their heads up in the garden! Do you literally just puree the chives and oil together?
re: greedygirl
First, he has you cut the chives into 1/2 inch lengths and then run hot water over them (to soften and "remove any chlorophyll taste") in a sieve and then dry them as well as you can.
He has you do the pureeing in a couple of steps (1/2 c chives just covered w/oil, then 1/4 c covered w/oil, then remaining chives and remaining oil), blending for 2 minutes after ea. addition. Since I was using only 1/2 c ea., I did the first puree with oil to cover and then added the remaining oil. (I was concerned that my blender wouldn't be fully immersed if I halved the recipe in the first step and proceeded as it was written.) The long blending times were necessary, and in my opinion, the key to success. I've tried making herb oils many times and never could get a really smooth puree--but I'd never blended for that long, and I'd never softened with hot water--or blanched, as a lot of recipes call for--and that also seemed to make a difference.
But ultimately, yes, it is just a puree of the chives and oil, which is then filtered through cheesecloth. Really very easy.
re: nomadchowwoman
"Isn't it ironic that the AHAH editors didn't want readers to feel they needed a kitchen scale to use this book, yet several recipes call for a Vita-Mix?"
You know, it's funny. In the book's intro Keller describes a good kitchen scale as one of the "big four" countertop appliances everyone should have (the others being that Vitaxmix, a stand mixer and a food processer). He says that they use volume measurements in the book in most cases because so few people have a scale. I'd suggest to his editors that if this book goes to another edition they include both; the people seeking out his recipes probably overlap nicely with the people taking his advice about countertop appliances.
Vegetable Stock -p.341
What's to say about vegetable stock that hasn't been said before? Well, this was an exceptionally delicious, rich golden stock packed full of flavour, which is saying something since it contained minimal ingredients.
Carrots, leeks (again I used the whole allium) , onion, and fennel are pulsed to finely chop in a food processor. Ever since a certain member of the family has started putting the dishes away, I haven't been able to locate many items....the food processor blade being one of them! So I chopped by kind-of finely by hand in a sort of lazy, careless manner (one less dish to dirty!). This is softened w/oil, and in goes parsley, thyme, and bay (and water, of course!) and all is simmered for three-quarters an hour, then cooled quickly in an ice bath--tho I just left on the counter.
I was going to omit the fennel because I strongly dislike this vegetable (there. I said it.) but it really added a lovely roundness to the stock that I would have missed. There was no hint of anise at all.
I used this for a grilled vegetable paella (from Planet Barbecue) and it made for a very delicious and robust base for something so simple.
re: Allegra_K
How similar is this recipe I found, Allegra?
Romesco Sauce -p.333
Hey look, I found another 'easy' Keller recipe! I had to do a few substitutions in this rendition of the delicious Spanish sauce, but it turned out to be a good version.
Start by soaking ñora peppers to soften. I doubt I'll ever be able to find these ones in my town, so I used some pasillas instead. Meanwhile, roast red pepper, onion, garlic, and tomatoes until charred. I used a few tinned tomatoes and did my best to blister them under the broiler. Bread and slivered almonds are toasted in oil, and the lot is pureed until smooth. Finish with sherry vinegar,salt, and piment d'esplette (pimenton for me).
This keeps for up to two weeks, and the flavour certainly gets better after sitting overnight. I used this to go with grilled green onions and asparagus in a cava and tapa-filled evening (whilst longing for a porrón!) and it was very good, albeit a little too tangy. I think I prefer a nuttier, less tomato-y sauce, but I have yet to encounter a romesco I don't like. It was swell.
And thus concludes my adventures in Ad Hoc at Home.
Cheesecake p.313
You combine a cup of graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons of sugar, and 5 tablespoons of melted butter, press it into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan, and bake in a 325 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
When the crust is cooked and cooled, you beat 1 pound of room temperature cream cheese, 8 ounces of mascarpone, and a cup of sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle for a couple of minutes until it is smooth and light.
In another bowl you lightly beat 4 eggs + 2 yolks, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and then add 1 teaspoon lemon juice. You then slowly add the egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture, add 1/4 cup +2 tablespoons heavy cream and the grated zest of a lemon, and mix until combined.
You pour the mixture into the springform pan (which has been wrapped in foil) and put the pan in a water bath. Then you bake for an hour or until the cheesecake is set and a light golden brown. Let cool in the water bath until water is room temp and then refrigerate for several hours or up to 2 days.
This was my first ever attempt at making a cheesecake and the actual process and directions were easy enough. Either my oven temperature is way off or the amount of time in the recipe is way wrong because it took closer to an hour and a half for the cake to set in the middle.
The cake was much thinner than I had anticipated but my springform pan might be bigger than 9 inches. (I'm honestly not sure) It also was my first time at making cheesecake so I may have over or under-mixed it. In any case, a slightly flat cheesecake (as compared to a towering NY cheesecake) wouldn't bother me as long as it tasted good.
The one thing I had a real problem with was the amount of lemon zest in the cake. This was described just as a plain cheesecake but the flavor was more lemony than the lemon cheesecake that my mother makes (and I adore). It was too much even for a lemon cheesecake. If I were going to make this recipe again, I'd use the lemon juice but omit the zest.
The cheesecake isn't bad but the flavor is a bit much for me. I normally can't resist cheesecake in my fridge but this one will probably go bad before it is entirely eaten. I will be trying a different recipe next time.


text:
Breach & Midland's collaborative release "101" & "Somewhere" are out now on my label Naked Naked. Go check the music HERE.
Check a brand new mix from Breach over at FACT.... listen and download HERE !
Breach "You Won't Find Love Again" is out NOW! If you want it, go and get it HERE!
Very excited to be launching my label this Wednesday at Vibe Bar on Brick lane. Got an amazing lineup of guest DJs, all under wraps for now, but come along and check it out, plus, its FREE!
Check the new single from BrEaCh forthcoming on Ben's new label Naked Naked.... set for big things this summer 'You Won't Find Love Again' drops 23rd July.Check it out HERE!
Well after I played the Dirtybird party as BrEaCh I then rolled it out and had to get up at 3am to pack my bags and get on a flight to Munich.
I bumped into Artwork at the airport and he would become my roll out partner for the week. And there is no one more fun to roll with than art.
Played a wicked party with Ben UFO and Art and Caze Nove at an Austrian log cabin and then played in the igloo (brrrrrrrrrrrr) and also at Tayo's fresh to death party. Good vibes.
It was so much fun partying with Skream, Jackmaster, Callum, Sean, Uncle Wilf, Oneman and all the crew who made it such an eventful week.
I went Snowboarding with Charlie from Soul CLap (who is a bit handy on a pair of skis!) and also Tayo, Fake blood, Rob Hives and Midland. Also the sauna at the Strass was amazing too, nothing better than getting naked with your dj friends after a hard day on the slopes.
SO many funny moments, too many to mention, but the creation of Austrian filter house has to be the stand out and also my allergic reaction to some fondue maybe.
Cannot wait to go back next year. Me and Art will be doing an Austrian filter house set at a secret location. Watch this space.
Well what can i say. It was mental.
Gig's were amazing, dirtybird party was off the chain. Phife dog doing a tribe set in the middle of the party was the highlight. Partying with all the crew. Stayed at the Setai which is possibly one of the nicest hotels i've ever stayed in. More parties, then more parties. Then a few more parties and afterparties and after afterparties.
Got a tan.
Was all in all AMAZING>>>
THEN it was off to Jakarta for a gig in a car park with about 3000 people. So much travelling within two weeks and my jet lag was killin me. I could only sleep for about two hours at a time which was sending me a bit mad!
After the gig we went on a road trip to Bandung where i met some amazing clothes designer's and djs. Indonesia is a wonderful place and I can't wait to go back there.
So excited for Miami this year... as you can see I have shows for days and days!
Tuesday 20 March: Jazzanova & Bugz In The Attic @ SoBe
Thursday 22 March: Dirtybird @ Villa 221 (BrEaCh set)
Friday 23 March: Ben Westbeech & Friends @ The Setai
Saturday 24 March: Om Records @ Villa 221
Sunday 25 March: The Electric Pickle Closing Party
I hope to see you there!
B x
It was a 6 hour flight to San Francisco and I was out cold... I woke up and went to get my bag AND this time it didn't show up! bag curse on this little tour was on me. But I went straight to my Agent in America Andrew Kelseys house and was told we were going to see Dave Chappelle do a stand up show!!!!!! I WAS LIKE WHAT THE FUCK!!!! I love Dave and this was too much! Anyways we went down to Yoshi and it was amazing. CLaude Vonstrok and Aundy were down there, Christian Martin too and the db/Liason crew. What a crew they are too! super nice people to see an amazing show with..
I spent the rest of the week at Justin Martin's house making beats and hanging with him and Patty and sleeping in Worthy's bed (Thank you sir!) while he was away.. Ended up eating buurgers for breakfast with Justin in toronado (amazing bar btw) then decided to get a new tattoo saying Music is the answer! 30 mins later I was in a tattoo spot gettin it DONE!
After that I played at a new spot called Monarch and did a surprise b2b set with Christian Martin. We rolled it OUT! and it was so much fun..
Then I played at SOM on the friday as Breach and the gig was BUMPIN... Everyone came down to support and then I went to sleep a tired but fulfilled man.
SF treated me so well, I can't wait to return and make more music, eat more burgers, and maybe get more tats!
Oh and check the mix i made while I was out there... Quite a deep one but I'm going deep at the mo.... head to the mixes section across the page to download it>>>>
B x
SO America was so much fun...
I landed in Atlanta and went pretty much straight to the party at Sound room. It is run by my friend Karl and is THE spot in Atlanta for food and music. We got in and ate some of the best food i've had ll year. It's a kind of AMerican Tapas spot, not unlike SPuntino's in soho, and was totally on point. Every dishes flavour jumped out at you and I would definitely recommend to anyone out there or if you are visiting! It was also real good to see my friends Caroline and Alva who looked after me! Any way the gig went amazing and it was great to see a good London contingent inside including the man like Daz - I kue!
So rolled it out and then flew onto Miami the next day where I was picked up by Imba (who run's the spot to play at in Miami) called the Electric pickle. We went for some sushi then went to the hotel... and then........
I opened my bag to see 5 packets of Ritz crackers, a belt and some pretty funky looking tshirts... I'd picked up the wrong bag and had only just noticed! the poor guy (I think his name was Fernando) must of been screwing! All those ritz crackers! lol.... ANyway went back to the airport and thank lord they had my bag!
After that panic we went for some tapas, this time a little more spanish orientated, which was delish and then went to pickle... WHat an amazing club! the vibe was warm and soundsystem serious and it was good to see my homie Inxec and his girl in there and Louis the biggest G in Miami! . After some minor problems with the mic we were away and i must of played for about 4 hours, which then turned into a b2b set with the owner, i forget his name now! maybe Chris, anywaywe went SLOW and it was so much fun. So that one done and onto SF! To be continued in Part 2 next week... B X
I started 2012 playing one of the best show's as BrEaCh i've ever played at 4.30 in the morning for Beat Redemption/Trix at Netil House in Hackney, I came on after Pariah and he was amazing to watch and hear. I dropped a lot of new BrEaCh material and the crowd was mental!
I am making lots of new BrEaCh tunes and also making a start on the songs for my third Ben Westbeech album. Busy times ahead!
I am also really looking forward to the upcoming show's and my trip to America next week. I will be finishing the tracks I started with Justin Martin and it will be great to see the Dirtybird family in their own territory! Justin has promised me the BEST burritos so watch this space for pics and updates!
Have a great start to the year everyone..
Last thursday I played at redlight radio in Amsterdam. It was DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPE.
The way all the people can see inside and where it's situated is so mad, it also get's streamed live on the web and you can here my mix HERE
I then went on to play an unannounced gig at Chicago Social club which was amazing. Such a good vibe in there although way too hot! I ended up playing for about three hours and it was so much fun. Shout to everyone who came down.
This week i am in Lithuania. I have never been there so am pretty excited! I play with the live band.
Oh and at the moment I am working on lot's of new BrEaCh material for next year...
Exciting times!
Wow what a gig to have played in the London Eye. Red bull took over the London eye and over 30 dj's and musicians took part in it.
My pod had an amazing bunch of people in it and we had a right little rave up. I played some tunes off my album and lot's of new BrEaCh exclusives. It went out live and thanks to everyone who listened in. Click HERE to listen to the set.
This week i play at the rex club in Paris with Zed Bias.
Looking forward to seeing you there...
These little babies have just come up for sale. Original Mickey mouse vans circa 1987.
Even though I have made a move away from trainers and am more of a Clarks man these days, I still have alot of love for vans, and these babies are just amazing.
This week I play in a pod on the London eye. If any of you are coming I look forward to seeing you there!
So last weeks gigs were AMAZING!
I played at Untitled in Antwerp which was a kind of dubstep night but upstairs was me, boddika, koreless and oneman. Everybody played dope sets and it was great to be part of an amazing night.
Then it was on to Leeds where i was playing at Monocult. The Faversham was rammed out and me, Move d, pearson sound and Joy O had a blinder. The crowd was so warm and happy and buzzing. Check the picture from the night...
As you can see everyone was on one!
Amazing vibes
This week I play as breach at the Thekla Bristol on Saturday for 51 27...
So after 5 years my second album is out now! Its been a true journey to get here; highs and lows and all in-between...
It features collaborations with producers i was genuinely excited to work with including Henrik Schwarz, Georg Levin, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Redlight, Chocolate Puma and many more. Its a piece of work i'm extremely happy with on all levels; music and art! Why not treat yourself or a loved one to a copy HERE ?!
Oh and it you like actual tangible things.... the CD version looks tasty indeed! You can get in decent record shops or online via the postman HERE!
After what seems like forever my new album is finally about to drop.... you can get your copy of There's More To Life Than This on September 12th.
With collaborations from across the board including Henrik Schwarz, Georg Levin, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Redlight, Chocolate Puma and many more its a collection of work i'm very proud of and i think you might like it! Why not pre-order your copy HERE ?!
Oh and it you like actual tangible things.... the CD version looks naughty!
This used to be a euphemistic reference for a condom, when a man was having a shave and shape up in the barbers, the barber used to say "something for the weekend sir?".
Well now I have written a song and made a video about the weekend. Watch it HERE
It is the second single off my second album entitled "There's more to life than this" which is out soon!
Pre order HERE
I just put this mix together for you. It's nice and deep and encapsulates everything i love about house music right now.
You can download it just across the page in the mixes section....
1. Candy feat Matt Tolfrey - Lee Curtis
2. Seduction (jimpster remix) - Vincenzo and talking props
3. Popes city (soulful mix) - The Pimp
4. Wilderness (Genius Of Time Remix) - Trickski
5. October Beach (original mix) - Dario Damerini
6. Dirty Haze - Roman rauch
7. i'm lonely [original mix - hollis p. monroe
8. Burning (Fanatix Powerhouse Edit) -MK
9. Everything - Pommer and bark remix
10. Something for the weekend (Lee foss and Robert James remix) - Ben Westbeech
11. Deep In The Three - Thyladomid & Adriatique
12. Entrance Song (SLG Remix) - Eats Everything
13. Hawaiian Air - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs Remix-Friendly Fires
14. Want you in my soul - Lovebirds feat. Stee Downes Want you in my soul
Enjoy and share it with anyone who you think might like it!
SO the live band is up and running after a really amazing first show in a loft in Dalston see pics HERE
Video soon to come so you can see for yourselves!
We also played Applesap festival in Amsterdam which was amazing too and I did a Breach set for the Colours guys which went oooooof.
My next single is out August 30th with remixes from Lee Foss & Robert James, The Revenge, Gerry Read, Roska, Breach and Joey Negro. We shot the video a few weeks ago too and it is looking HOT!
It will be ready to go live soon.
I am also doing a house mix next week. Got so many amazing tunes to put on there from the past few months. Really excited about mixing it.
The band is back and we back with a bang. It's so nice to be playing again and it has taken a few long rehearsals to get back on it. The line up is a bit different, Yuval Gabay on Drums and Gus Pirelli on samples are still in and we have two new player's in the form of Sam Shawari and Joel Ison on keys. We are playing all the new material off the new album and some old tunes too. Also a couple of cover's which we are having a lot of fun playing!
Please come and see us play for the first time in years at this lovely venue in SHoreditch. Here's the flyer. RSVP for guestlist as soon as possible to avoid dissapointment!
Here is my cover of Aloe Blaccs "I Need A Dollar", click HERE to watch. But cause I'm English I changed the dollar to a fiver. See what I did there. Oh and I changed the other lyrics too. I hope you enjoy it. I recorded it in my front room on my laptop. No posh mics. Just me and my MacBook.
Album is signed off and ready to go. We will be announcing my first live band show VERY soon so keep your ears and eyes peeled. Or just click though here to my follow me on TWITTER and FACEBOOK
Hope you're all good!
So rehearsals are over and we are ready to get back on the road! It has been a tough week and I am tired but happy that we got everything down. The band now consists of Yuval Gabay on drums, Gus Pirelli on Samples, Sam Shawari on bass and Joel on Keys.
Thanks to Redbull music studios for the space...
Can't wait to play live again and perform the new album.
Also just recieved the mastered album and it's sounding amazing. So ready for it to come out!
See you at a gig soon...
have just moved into a new studio in the Truman brewery and am really excited about it. I now have a vocal booth and lot's of new equipment to play with! Already made a few new tunes in there and it's pumping.
These past few weeks gigs have been amazing too. I have played in Berlin, Wurzburg, Cardiff, Catania, SOuthport SOul weekender and St Andrews. Probably the most eclectic set of gigs ever! ANd so much flying and train journeys it was ridiculous. Thanks to everyone that came and supported me and who partied with me.
Right. My album has just been signed off so look out for release VERY soon. Thank god. It;s been tttttttttoooooooooooooo llllllllloooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnggggggggggggggg
I play as BREACH on Saturday in Glasgow so if your up there come check me. I've got a box full of new BREACH tunes ready to roll
What a festival, what an experience! Last Friday I flew to the wonderful island of Martinique which is in the Caribbean. I arrived to a warm welcome and met Sasha and Orin (gina) from Jahcoozi who would become my buddies for the remainder of the holiday. As soon as we got there we instantly jumped in the sea and took in all the beauty of the island which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been.
I played on the Saturday night to an amazing crowd of Islanders and mostly French tourists. The sound system was amazing and was such an honour to play in such a setting. Gabby and David did a stellar job of organising such a dope festival so far away from home! BUT THEN DISASTER STRUCK!
It rained so hard late Saturday night that the stage collapsed and so the festival could not go on on the Sunday. Such a shame but everyone dealt with it really well. I am missing Martinique and everyone from the festival already but have so much to do here music wise it's good to be backackack.
This weekend I'm playing in Berlin at Icon on Friday, then Studio in Wuerzburg on Saturday and Buffalo bar in Cardiff on Sunday. A busy weekend so if your in any of those places be sure to come say hi.
Bye for now and enjoy the sunshine!
YO! It's been a mad week again. My album is being held up a little due to some business taking longer than it should be, but it will be out in July or August and I am real excited about it!
My XLR8R mix has been getting love from all over and if you haven't heard it you can download it from this site now... look left and down a bit in the mixes section! It's got a lot of music that means a lot to me, and I hope you all enjoy it. I listen to a lot of peoples podcasts when I'm travelling or just doing the washing up! My favourite recent one has been the RA Caribou podcast, which is DOPE check it HERE.
Also the Wolf and Lamb vs DJ Kicks is real good too, and features a track I made with them. Go get that for yourself from HERE.
I just got back from Cologne and played at an amazing venue called GLORIA. It was a big theatre venue with an amazing soundsystem. I played with Zed Bias who has some amazing music and is a bit of a ledge if you ask me! I did my solo live show which went down amazers.
Speak soon you lovely sexy people?
The Westbeech alter ego Breach stepped into London's infamous Boiler Room a week or so back to unleash all manner of mischief on the assemble masses... UK bass music at its best! This is a much watch/listen: CLICK TO WATCH HERE
I'm not going to lie the past few weeks have been a bit of a nightmare for me time wise. Literally haven't had time to think!
I've mixed the entire album and we are now listening to it as much as possible to get a tracklist together that works for everyone. I can't wait for it to come out now! We have a late addition to the album though which is amazing and a tune which I almost forgot about which I made with Redlight a couple of years ago called "Sugar". It's dope and I'm glad we can fit it on the album.
I played as BREACH last night at the boiler room which was amazing, and I am going to be making some more BREACH tunes this year so listen out for some new bits coming soon.
Anyways gotta run. Got to A - B some mixes of the Henrik Schwartz tune!
Wow. What a week. Mixing the album was a big job and that left me with only two days to prepare the show at life on Thursday. But what a show it was! Amazing to have so many people down for it to support me and have such a good reaction to lot's of new music. Eddie kid was dope on keys and me and my APC went in on the new songs. It was nerve racking playing all new music with none of the classics to fall back on but gave me a great sense of fulfilment to finally play some tunes from the new album.
I want to thank everyone for coming down and supporting and Will Cooper-Mitchell for the killer photos he took.
The album will be finished this week and mastered next week too. Excited!
Ben x
Wow it's been four years since I've released any solo material as Ben Westbeech. Feels good to be back!
I am still finishing the record off, today is the last day of mixing and shits sounding dope. Although I would say that wouldn't I! So yeah Falling is out so go check it. Deetron has done an amazing job, my personal favourite of the mixes and I've followed him for such a long time it is a dream come true for me to have him remix one of my tunes! Newcomers Dark Sky are getting a lot of heat around there mix too aswell as The 2 Bears!
The Jam Factory mix will be up here real soon for download too so watch this space.....
So the album is finished! Am now at Toni Economides in Wood Green mixing all the tracks so that they sound good together on the record. Making it cohesive. The problem with working with a lot of different producers on one album, is that it all sounds very different until you get to this point. So there is still a bit of work to do but we are nearly there!
I am also working on my solo live show. There is a secret gig happening on the 3rd of March which I will announce on my twitter on the day. I will be previewing the album and hopefully meeting some of you down there! i can't wait to play a lot of the tunes for the first time !
Falling is out on the 1st of March and with mixes from Deetron, The 2 Bears and Dark Sky. The original produced by Lovebirds and is getting a lot of love from many listeners and radio djs worldwide! Be sure to check it out.
Hope your good!
SO this weeks been a hard one. I have a mouth ulcer the size of a grape, pressure is mounting to finish the record and it's pissing down. Been trying to write the last song for the album and it's been emotional. Think I've locked it off though and going to record with Dave Spoon tomorrow in Portsmouth. Looking forward to seeing him and playing darts in the studio. Gonna take my own set of arrows down this time as I think he gives me the dodgy ones when I go down. I'll update you on who wins darts next time.
Anyway go HERE to check out the making of the Falling video. It was pretty painful falling all the time and is the most full on video I've ever recorded. Was amazing to do what we did on such a budget though and I want to say thank you to everyone who was involved and helped out in Bristol on that cold day in December.
I must get on with my day as i got interviews to do and have to finish writing lyrics so I say good bye and good day...
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Wood. Seriously.
Why a Wood Bicycle Frame?
The short answer: Wood, nature's carbon fiber, has unique engineering properties that deliver superior ride quality and durability compared to man-made materials, and...it's sustainable. When the right wood is combined with an array of advanced technologies, it becomes a high performance material that will forever change your understanding of 'wood'.
Yes, But Haven't Wooden Bicycles Always Been Just Art or Novelties
Fair question. In the past, the superior properties promised by wood weren't delivered for several reasons:
1. Past adhesives could not reliably bond metals to wood, finishes couldn't block sun damage or moisture, nor were they nearly as durable. Reliable waterproof bonds relied on glues which were difficult to use. All these issues are resolved with modern materials.
2. The lack of computer controlled woodworking machinery made the complex joinery we use simply impossible.
3. Until now it was not practical to produce a hollow frame, so in the past wooden bikes had solid, heavy frames. This instantly relegated them to art or novelty, as it would a frame of solid rather than tubular aluminum. But now, with computer-controlled machining, we have produced a hollow (monocoque) wood frame, and wood has finally delivered on its promise:
- Wood absorbs vibration better than steel, aluminum or carbon, producing a uniquely smooth ride.
- The fatigue life of wood exceeds steel or aluminum, and approaches carbon
- Wood is not susceptible to crack propagation from dents like the metals, nor is it notch-sensitive or damage-concealing like carbon.
- The Renovo wood frame has much greater impact resistance than butted metal or carbon bike frames.
- Wood is as stiff pound for pound as the metals, even as it's better at absorbing road vibration.
- And last but not least, wood is sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable, and has a tiny carbon footprint, while the primary production of steel, aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber are incredibly polluting and unfriendly to our environment.
Monocoque is French for 'single shell'. It's a structural design approach where primary loads are carried by the skin or outer shell of a structure, rather than an internal framework. It was developed by Roland Aircraft in Germany in 1916 for the fuselage of their all-wood aircraft. Where the skin is strong enough to carry the structural loads, monocoque is the lightest method of construction.
Perhaps the best example of an all-wood, monocoque structure is the most successful fighter/bomber of WWII, the 400mph De Havilland Mosquito. Over 7500 were built and it saw service from Europe to the tropics from 1940 until 1963. Its monocoque fuselage was built in separate halves then bonded together down the centerline. Monocoque design is the standard for molded carbon bicycles and has been used in most high performance aircraft since WWII, as well as many current production and race cars.
Frame Longevity
As you read the following, consider the repeated and substantial stress endured by wooden diving boards. Many modern boards still have wooden cores.
Frame life is determined by the fatigue resistance of the particular frame material, that is; its ability to absorb cyclic loads, the amount of material to absorb those loads, and finally, the actual loads the frame sees; racing, abuse, accidents, etc. Wood is one of the most fatigue resistant materials on earth, simply because it used to be a tree. Trees have a structural makeup that resists constant bending and twisting from the wind for their entire life, which for some windblown trees such as the bristlecone pine, is nearly 5000 years. As a result, wood has a remarkable fatigue life that exceeds steel and aluminum and rivals carbon, so we can design our frames with adequate margins to assure a long life against normal loads, and still have a light-weight frame.
An authoritive source on wood fatigue is ANC-18, the 1951 Army, Navy joint publication titled, 'The Design of Wood Aircraft Structures', wherein they simply state 'wood is less sensitive to rapidly repeated loads than are the more crystalline structural materials (metals), resulting in a higher endurance limit in proportion to the ultimate strength."
Echoing ANC-18 are the products and testing done by the Gougeon Brothers who manufactured (among other things), 100' long wind turbine blades of epoxy bonded wood which withstood 400 million fatigue cycles over a 30 year life span, and epoxy-bonded wooden boats. They also developed the West Epoxy system and wrote the book on epoxy-bonded wooden boat construction. It is their construction technique and structural testing for Lloyds of London that made possible the beautiful 154' wooden sailing yacht, Scheherazade pictured here.
Like the Mosquito airplane pictured above, the Renovo frames are made in two halves, bonded down the centerline. The Mosquito relied on adhesive plus 30,000 screws to fasten the fuselage halves together; if they'd had epoxy, they could have eliminated the screws. Our adhesives are moisture proof and withstand the high temperatures a bike might experience left in a black van in summer in Death Valley. To ensure consistent and good bond quality, we follow industry standard practice: meticulous surface preparation, good process control and good training—pretty much the same set of criteria to ensure good bonds on carbon bikes or good welds on metal bikes. All bonding is done in a climate-controlled room and the frames are oven cured to achieve the highest possible bond strength.
The Right Wood
The appearance of each bike is unique simply because grain, color and figure vary, even within the same board. Our wood selection process for each and every bike is painstakingly conducted by obsessive people. We spend ridiculous amounts of time at four different specialty lumber yards searching for and choosing the perfect lumber to achieve stunning, and much more time back at the shop deciding how to cut and match the 8 to 24 pieces of wood that make up a frame. But I confess, we all love going to the lumber yard, it's an exciting treasure hunt every time. Way better than just ordering another Reynolds tubing set...
Because bicycles endure sunshine (UV), rain, bike rack and transportation rash, as well as the occasional fall, we utilize a sophisticated proprietary coating to protect our frames from normal wear and tear as well as moisture. It's expensive, but it's the toughest, most durable finish that can be applied, period.
Heat, Cold and Moisture are Not Problems
Wood, in a properly designed structure, properly sealed and bonded, is unaffected by hot, wet or cold outdoor environments; modern wooden boats live in the water, wooden aircraft and wooden propellers fly through it.
- Moisture content. Wood seeks moisture equilibrium with its environment, so its content varies by season, ranging from about 8% to 14%, which has no structural or cosmetic consequence to the frame. The finish on the outside and sealer on the inside control the change, but can't prevent it.
- Dimensional change. Moisture causes expansion/contraction of the wood across the grain, but only in proportion to its thickness, so for the majority of the Renovo frame, the change is only a few thousandths of an inch over a 6 month period, a non-issue. There is negligible dimensional change lengthwise with the grain.
- Heat/cold effects. Wood gains strength as it gets colder, and loses strength with heat, but the Renovo frame is designed so that in the temperature range of human activity, heat/cold has no material effect.
- Warping, Cracks. These problems most often occur in wood from improper drying before machining, or for example, in the case of the twisted studs in the walls, using non-kiln dried wood. Look at fine quality furniture hundreds of years old, you won't find cracks. All wood used in the Renovo is kiln-dried before we buy it, but we check and adjust the moisture content to make sure it's in the correct range if necessary.
We use metal sleeves in the head tube, upper seat tube and bottom bracket. The headtube and bottom bracket contain bearing races under load which some woods handle just fine, but others don't. So, to avoid a mix of woods which complicates joinery and compromises appearance, we use metal inserts. The seat tube has an insert simply because it's problematic to use a seat post clamp over wood.
Before proceeding with the wooden frame concept, we made and tested wooden tubes of various species, wall thicknesses, shapes and sizes, with the goal of at least equaling the torsional stiffness, out-of-plane-bending, and weight of an Easton aluminum mountain bike down tube. We surpassed that goal, and achieved even better results against a road type steel down tube. (Had these tests been unsuccessful, we'd be doing something other than bikes now.)
We test every stick of wood that enters our shop for stiffness, moisture content and other factors that affect the quality of our frames. This accumulated database enables us to forecast ride quality and stiffness for the riding style and weight of the owner. We also test each frame we produce for stiffness, which gives feedback on our predicted stiffness and also serves as a quality check on the bonding and joinery. In addition, we proof load each head tube by loading it with 150 lbs on a steel bar at the front axle point directed towards the bottom bracket. This again is a quality check of bonding and joinery.
Wood has much greater impact resistance than carbon or butted metal tubing. Moreover, dents or scratches don't propagate into cracks which are terminal frame damage with other materials, and unlike carbon, wood doesn't conceal damage. We have tested the impact resistance of our wooden top tubes against both steel and aluminum butted top tubes. A 4" diameter steel tube dropped from 12" severely dents the metal tubes, but bounces off the wood, leaving just a small mark. Our polyurethane coating has ultra violet (UV) absorbers to prevent the wood from fading in sunlight, so it will retain the wood's natural beauty for many years.
No more is required than any other painted bike, perhaps less. A scratch through the paint and epoxy could be a cosmetic problem if left unsealed, much like a steel frame—if the scratch got wet enough, often enough, the finish around the scratch would eventually blister. A quick fix is clear nail polish, although a properly done repair is simple and unlikely to require a pro.


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