The Cheese Board Read Online Free PDF

GRATER
    Of the many types of cheesegraters, the most essential one is the four-sided box grater with different sizes and shapes of rasps. It is also nice to have a handheld grater that can be used at the table for grating cheese over salads, soups, and pasta.
    DOUBLE BOILER
    This special two-part pot is used formelting chocolate slowly over hot water. To melt chocolate in a double boiler, add 3 inches of water to the bottom pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. (One can improvise a double boiler by putting a stainless steel or glass bowl on top of a saucepan. The bowl should fit into the pan snugly and not drop too far down into the pan.) Turn the heat down to low. Add the chopped chocolate to the top compartment and warm until the chocolate is just melted, stirring itoccasionally and taking care not to overheat it. Do not place a lid on top of the melting chocolate or splash water into it as this will cause it to bloom —white splotches form on the chocolate, and although these don’t mar the flavor, they affect the look of the finished product.
    MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS
    Over the years we have become more conscious of the importance of consistency, and we now use a scale and standard measuring equipment. The home baker should have on hand both liquid and dry measuring cups, as well as a set of good-quality measuring spoons. Liquid measuring cups are spouted, graduated cups that come in 1-, 2-, and 4-cup sizes; it is useful to have more than one size. Dry measuring cups are nested in ⅛- to 1-cup sizes.
    MIXER
    At the Cheese Board, we make our doughs in an industrial spiral mixer with a hydraulic lift that dumps the dough into waiting twenty-gallon buckets. We also have a 140-quart Hobart mixer that is more versatile. We use this mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, to make our scones, muffins, and cheese spreads; we use the dough hook attachment to knead smaller batches of bread. A home KitchenAid stand mixer is a miniature replica of the Hobart. Though all of our recipes can be made by hand, a KitchenAid mixer is a worthwhile investment for serious bakers.
    MIXINGBOWLS
    Bowls of various sizes are essential. (Though, as one bachelor recipe tester found, the cavity of a wok works just fine in a pinch.) At a minimum, have small, medium, and large bowls.
    PANS
    Have available at least three 12 by 16 by 1-inch-high baking sheets; two heavy-gauge loaf pans (we use 8½ by 4½-inch pans, a little smaller than some loaf pans; the recipes will work fine in larger pans but the loaves will be flatter and wider); and muffin tins (enough for one dozen muffins). While all the recipes have specific pan preparation directions, note that if your pans are nonstick or well seasoned, you can often omit this step. Most of these items are easily available at a well-stocked kitchen supply store, or to mail order see the Source List .
    PARCHMENT PAPER ANDSILICONE BAKING MATS
    We like to use parchment-lined baking sheets for baking pastries. First of all, parchment paper makes cleanup so much easier because sugar often will burn on an unlined pan, which means soaking and scrubbing. Second, this molten sugar can glue the pastry to an unlined pan, making it hard to remove the pastry in one piece. Investing in a silicone baking mat—which can be used and reused forever—saves on sheets and sheets of parchment paper.
    PASTRY BRUSH
    It is important to use a sturdy, high-quality 2-inch-wide pastry brush. We use natural-bristle brushes because they give a smoother application onto the surface of the bread. Have two brushes on hand, one for sweets and the other for use with garlic and herb oils.
    PASTRY CUTTER
    This old-fashioned tool is extremely handy for cutting butter into flour. If you don’t have one, use two dinner knives.
    PLASTIC WRAP
    Cover your bowl of rising dough with plastic wrap (or a damp kitchen towel) to create a warm, humid environment.
    PROOFINGBASKETS
    We proof sourdough breads such as City and Suburban Breads in