| Hi Curtis,
I Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much I have
enjoyed you show and recipes! I am 16 and live in Otis, Maine.(a.k.a. No wheres Ville) I
have been interested in becoming a chef myself since I was 5 or 6 years old. And I try my
hardest to watch your show regularly. I do allot of the cooking for my family and make
most of the meals we eat. I have been using allot of your recipes and trying to get my
family to eat better. My Father is a REAL meat freak, He just loves meat so I was
skeptical about taking meat away from him but I tried substituting Mushrooms(the mushroom
burgers) and Tofu. He didn't really even notice! WOW thanks for all the great inspiration.
Keep up the GREAT work and giving us great recipes to use. And one more thing, I Think it
is great what you are doing for all the people that can't read. I hope one day you can
come up here to Maine because I would love to meet you.
Thanks Again,
Brandon Miller
Otis, Maine
Click Here for Curtis's
response
MEILYN G. & LUIS C.
3/1/00
Question:
About two years ago I met you in Plantation Fl. you brougt my little 7 year old boy up on
stage ever since then all he will talk about is Curtis this and Curtis that. He will watch
your show every time it comes on.I told him about your life and how you learned to read at
a late age and how important you think school is. Well the main reason I'm writing you is
to tell you he is now in the gifted program at school and I have you to thank because of
you he now loves school.Thank you so much and please never stop what you are doing. You
are my son's role model and I couldn't ask for a better person for him to pick. I just
want you to know that god had a plan for you and your doing a great job.
god bless you,
Meilyn G.
&
Luis C
Q: I
would like to see a rerun of Yeast Breads with Amy Scherber on Pick Of The Day. I
made the "Crusty
Italian" with a sponge starter and it fell when I
tried to put it into the oven. What did I do wrong?I watch your show every day and
enjoy it very much. You are a lovely man.
Thank You,
Barbara L.
A: Dear Barbara,
The Curtis Aikens Show forwarded your e-mail question to me about the Crusty Italian Bread. You say that the loaf
fell when you placed it into the oven. There may be a number of reasons why this
happened. Here are some of them:
1. The dough was rising too long on the second rise (and maybe was too warm).
A solution would be to keep the dough at around 75 degrees, and to bake it when it looks
like it is not quite fully risen and still looks
elastic.
2. The flour you used wasn't strong enough. You may want to try "bread
flour" which is higher in gluten and helps to keep the shape of the dough when the
dough is wet. It makes a more elastic loaf.
3. The dough was not kneaded enough so it did not become elastic enough to hold its
shape when you put it into the oven. With a stronger flour, and/or a little more
kneading, you may have a more elastic loaf that will hold well until it goes into the
oven.
4. Remember that this is a delicate dough so you need to handle it gently when
flipping it over and placing it into the oven.
Good luck with your baking!!
Crusty
Italian Bread Recipe
Soon we will have a website too:
www.amysbread.com
Thank you for your inquiry,
Amy Scherber
Q: I watch your
show alot and I love it. I am 18 years old and want to become a vegatarean, but I
don't know what is involed with becoming one (staing heathy, eating right exi.). If you
could tell me some of the things you did or some things you know of I would be vary
geartful. thank you, Theresa
A: Theresa,
There are many reasons to become vegetarian--the most common being an increased attention
to health, and an awareness of humane treatment of animals. I've been meat-free for nearly
20 years, and I've never felt better!
I learned that the best approach to vegetarianism is to
pay close attention to finding alternative sources of protein. Many of these sources
are highlighted on Pick Of The Day--the most common are beans, tofu, nuts, (+ eggs and
dairy products, for non-vegans). In order to create a complete protein, it is
advisable to, at least 3 times each week, eat a meal composed of legumes, corn and
squash.
It's always good to consult a doctor or nutritionist when making serious changes in your
diet. Perhaps you have a friend who is also considering vegetarianism. This
would make your dietary shift a more easy and enjoyable process. You can share
information, and encourage one another as you develop new habits. Good luck!
Q: I watch your show
everyday and I love it. Could you please tell me how to make patty shoe, the cream
puff pastry, for cream puffs. Thanks you so much and keep up the great work on the
show.
~Cindy Adams
A: Dear Cindy:
My friend Michel Nischan was kind enough to help me with the answer to your question and I
have included it below.
______________
Hello Cindy,
I am Michel Nischan, Executive Chef of Heartbeat New York and a good friend of Curtis.
In fact, I am a frequent guest on his show. Curtis is on vacation and asked
if I could answer your question. Following is the recipe for Pate au Choux:
8 oz. water
4 oz. butter
5 oz. sifted cake flour
8 oz. whole eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bring water, salt, and butter to a boil. Add the flour to the boiling
liquid all at once - do not stir in gradually. Beat vigorously with a
stiff whisk until the mixture forms a paste. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook an
additional three minutes to dry the mixture slightly. Transfer the paste to the bowl of an
electric mixer with a paddle attachment. Beat at a medium speed and add the eggs2 at
a time, scraping between additions. Transfer the pate au choux to a pastry bag and
pipe small potions onto parchment paper. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes.
Reduce the heat to 200 degrees and continue to bake for 20 minutes or until the centers
are slightly, but not completely dry. Most importantly, ENJOY!
Michel
Q: I watched your show
today and you were cooking okra. I have never tasted it and was wondering what it
tastes like. Is it sweet like a fruit or more like a vegetable or is it spicy like a
pepper?
A: Thanks for watching Pick of
the Day.
Okra is a vegetable that has its own unique flavor. The texture can be
somewhat silky while others describe that texture as slimy. Those of us from the South
enjoy okra. It is hard to describe the flavor in words as you can imagine. I suggest you
give it a try and let me know if you can describe the taste to me!
Cooking suggestion: Slice 1/2 lb. okra and cook it with 1 diced onion, 1 tomato, 1
teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer for
25-30 minutes.
Enjoy and let me know what you think of okra!
Q: I watched your show
today and you were cooking okra. I have never tasted it and was wondering what it
tastes like. Is it sweet like a fruit or more like a vegetable or is it spicy like a
pepper?
A: Thanks for watching Pick of
the Day.
Okra is a vegetable that has its own unique flavor. The texture can be
somewhat silky while others describe that texture as slimy. Those of us from the South
enjoy okra. It is hard to describe the flavor in words as you can imagine. I suggest you
give it a try and let me know if you can describe the taste to me!
Cooking suggestion: Slice 1/2 lb. okra and cook it with 1 diced onion, 1 tomato, 1
teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 1/4 cup of water. Simmer for
25-30 minutes.
Q: I'm preparing a family meal and my brother is a vegetarian, is
there a main dish can I prepare that the whole family will enjoy?
A: For a great dish that your whole family will enjoy try
"Potatoes Like Lasagna." A warm hearty full flavored dish that both
vegetarians and non-vegetarians can love!
Potatoes Like Lasagna
Recipe
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