Sue asks… Is there a difference between whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour? I want to make your chocolate brownies but my whole wheat flour doesn’t say “pastry flour” And when we went to the store, I saw nothing that said pastry flour??
My Response:
Whole wheat PASTRY flour is more finely ground than whole wheat flour and produces lighter, softer baked items like cookies and brownies. It also has less gluten than whole wheat flour (gluten is needed when baking with yeast). I only use whole wheat flour when baking bread. For all other uses, like cookies, cakes, pancakes, muffins, etc. I use whole wheat PASTRY flour. My grocery store carries it but if yours doesn’t, you will likely find it at a health food store or online.
UPDATE (July 14, 2014): I made my strawberry cake yesterday (for someone’s birthday) and thought it would be helpful to show how it looks the second day. It tastes just as good the second day but the strawberries start to show a little through the frosting. I took a few snapshots:
Here it is below right after I made it (sorry, I didn’t clean off the plate!):
Here it is the following morning (today) after being refrigerated overnight:
And here’s a closeup of the strawberries, which have turned a little darker and even more juice has soaked into the cake, but again, still tastes great:
(Original posting from May 12, 2013): Good news! You don’t need a co-signer to buy strawberries – they are in season and affordable! I bought a 2 lb. box today for $4.99 and made my scrumpdeliumptous Fresh Strawberry Cake. How does it taste? It’s like the angels came down from the clouds with a gift from the heavens! One bite and it simply melts in your mouth… it’s that good.
It’s actually a fairly easy recipe – a white cake (as healthy as I can make it, but it does have butter) filled with macerated strawberries so the juices soak into the cake, and the whole thing is covered head to toe with whipped cream. It’s definitely a special occasion dessert recipe but it is a show stopper and they will beg you to make it again. Somebody already asked me to make another one. Oh… right… that was me. Click here for the recipe. (And let me know if you make it!) – Jenny Jones
There’s nothing like the smell of garlic cooking on the stove. I can almost smell it just looking at this picture. As promised, I am sharing a very simple recipe for Spaghetti with Olive Oil and Garlic, the perfect side dish for just about anything. How fast is it? You’ll be waiting for your spaghetti to boil! It’s a simple recipe where you heat the olive oil and garlic for about five minutes, until the garlic is golden and fragrant, and then stir it into the spaghetti. Done.
It’s the kind of thing a fancy restaurant would call “Aglio e Olio” and charge you $18 for but you can make it at home for about $1.50. And the taste is out of this world! By the way, it’s doesn’t have to be spaghetti – any pasta shape you have on hand will work… penne, linguini, angel hair, etc.. There’s only one problem: You’ll be tempted to have a giant bowl of this for dinner. That’s what I did. Click here for the recipe. – Jenny Jones
Chris asks… I noticed in your what’s cooking today section that you eat salads almost every day but you never mention the dressing. Do you have any good salad dressing recipes you can share? I’m trying to get my family to eat more salads. thank you.
My Response…
You’re right, I do eat salads every day and the dressings are always olive based and only vary by the type of vinegar I use (or sometimes lemon). I never make creamy dressings because it’s more important to eat healthy fats and olive oil is the most heart-healthy of them all, and it also does wonders for the skin. So I see salads as the best opportunity to get a daily dose of extra virgin olive oil. My combinations are always olive oil plus: (pick one) balsamic vinegar, pomegranate vinegar, white balsamic, pomegranate molasses, cherry vinegar, fresh lemon or lime juice. I’m always looking for new flavors of vinegar and I always add a little salt and freshly ground pepper. – Jenny Jones
Rich dark chocolate chunks + fragrant roasted almonds + some whole wheat flour = the most delicious and healthy biscotti you’ve ever had. With dark chocolate for your heart, almonds for glowing skin, and some added fiber, there are many reasons to make this homemade biscotti. So I made this video to show it’s not that hard to make and once you make your own, you’ll never want the packaged kind again. I make this healthy recipe all the time because sometimes I just want something a little sweet with tea or milk that I can enjoy with no guilt, but it does make a great dessert, too. And this recipe makes about two dozen so they last a long time… and they keep for a long time. Here’s a thought… wouldn’t a dozen homemade double chocolate almond biscotti wrapped in tissue and tied with a beautiful ribbon make the perfect Mother’s Day gift? She’ll never have to know you made more… 😉
Studies have offered evidence that clams, which bear a resemblance to testicles, are actually good for the male sex organs. Research from the Netherlands has suggested that supplementing your diet with folic acid and zinc—both of which are abundant in clams ––can have a significant effect on improving semen quality in men. Clams are high in many other minerals including phosphorus, potassium, copper, magnesium, selenium, and they are especially high in iron. Minerals are important for preserving bone mass, immune system function, and tissue maintenance & repair. So now you know the health benefits of clams… but how do they know that clams are happy?
It’s so much fun going to ethnic food shops and there’s an Italian deli in Burbank where I found this beautiful organic artisan linguini from Puglia, Italy. It’s colored with beetroot, turmeric, spinach, and paprika.
The dough is hand-crafted, extruded through bronze dyes and then air dried. I couldn’t bring myself to cover up this beautiful pasta with a red sauce so I decided to use a simple olive oil & garlic mix so you could still see the stunning design and colors, not to mention what an awesome and healthy topping this is for any pasta. It’s a simple recipe which I’ll be posting next week. Oh… I almost forgot… the contest:
GUESS HOW LONG IT WOULD MEASURE IF YOU PLACED THESE NOODLES END TO END (DRY, BEFORE COOKING). The package contained 8.8 ounces and the noodles were almost an inch wide before cooking.
~ Whoever comes closest, whether over or under, wins my cookbook. ~ The winner will be posted Tuesday. Good luck!
** Be sure to subscribe to keep up with all my contests **
Hey Jenny, I’m fascinated over the fact you haven’t been sick in decades. Besides eating the right foods..I was wondering if you think using items like hand sanitizers/Clorox wipes are necessary? Also do you take any special precautions if someone around you is ill to avoid catching it? Thanks!
My Response: I can’t remember the last time I had a cold – maybe 25 or 30 years ago, and I’ve never missed a day of work in my life. So yes, I really never get sick. I don’t use any sanitizers or take any special routine precautions. I don’t run from sick people as I know some people do and I sometimes wonder if exposing myself to a variety of germs is what keeps my immune system so strong. However, if I’m around someone who is sick, I probably wouldn’t shake their hand or share a glass but that’s about it. I also believe that a positive attitude helps a lot. If I ever feel like something is coming on, I simply deny it. I decide that I don’t have the time or desire to be sick and I don’t get sick. Some people feel a cold coming on and simply accept they’ll be sick and they are. I hope I’m making sense. But there’s more…
Many years ago my back went out and I was lying on the couch in severe pain on an ice pack. I could barely walk and couldn’t even stand up straight. The phone rang and it was Hollywood Squares asking if I could fill in for someone at the last minute. I jumped off the couch, put my clothing together and headed for studio. We taped five shows that day which involved climbing up and down into the squares and the whole time, my back pain was gone. I couldn’t have taped these shows with a bad back so it had to go away… and it did. Ever since then, I’ve been convinced that it’s possible to deny some illnesses and pain.
Besides eating fairly well (I still have pizza or a gelato once in a while) it may be what I do NOT eat: No fast food at all, no soft drinks at all, no diet drinks at all, and no store-bought cookies or sweets – I make all my own. And I drink a lot of green tea. I hope I didn’t preach here too much but I appreciate your asking and hope this gives you something to think about. Take care.
Debbie asks… Hi lately my cupcakes have become wrinkled and flat once out of the oven can you to me what might cause this please.
My Response…
Baking is such an exact science that almost any small change in a recipe can cause it to fail. Here are a few possible explanations:
Your baking powder or baking soda is expired.
Your ingredients are not room temperature.
Batter was over-mixed.
Oven door was opened during baking.
Batter was too liquid.
Improper measuring.
Oven was not preheated long enough.
Oven temperature is not accurate.
Make sure you follow your recipe exactly, right down to the size of the eggs (usually large) and use fresh ingredients. I hope this helps. Does anyone else have cupcake advice for Debbie?
