Strawberry shortcake

GENOISE

I used to love to watch Josephine Araldo make genoise at the restaurant. She was my teacher and mentor, certified at the Cordon Bleu in the 1920's as a Chef patissiere as well as Chef de Cuisine, a singular achievement.

She would beat the eggs and sugar for her cake in a large bowl over hot water to get them to swell. Then fold in the flour carefully. It would bake light and flavorful. When I asked her about beating the eggs in the Kitchenaid, she explained that the movement of the whip in the machine made a small uniform bubble. When she beat the eggs and sugar by hand she had long irregular bubbles.

When each was baked, the results were different. The hand beaten one, with larger bubbles, rose to a lighter, less dense, texture she described as 'plus agreable.' She made me understand that the agreeability, the final effect, is sought, attainable, and within the control of the cook. These were good lessons - look, aim high, keep control, be disciplined, go for your best.

Whenever I bake I remind myself through the ritual or preparing the ingredients that baking is like dance. You cross the stage, leap in the air. You can't be hallfway through a jump, say you forgot something, and go back. I see baking as one continuous act, like a dancer's leap. Have everything ready, the mis en place involves the pans buttered and papered; the oven at temperature; ingredients in place before you proceed.

The genoise is a type of cake know as biscuit - 'cuit' or cooked, 'bis' times, two times. So the cakes in this category are twice cooked. The first cooking happens when you beat eggs and sugar making the eggs swell to two and a half times their original volume. After flour is folded in the second cooking takes place when the cake is put in the oven.

The flour is twice sifted. You look at the nature of the ingredients you're working with and try to understand what they need to do in order to work. The eggs in this instance are fat. They must accept a dry ingredient, flour, and it is not easy. Properly done you will lose 30% of the volume of the eggs you've beaten so carefully. Since the egg is the only active agent, the leavening, you need to be mindful of how much of it gets lost. It will make a difference in how high the cake climbs.

The flour is twice sifted, then added a third at a time because it's easier for the egg to accept a smaller amount. Once the egg has accepted some flour, it can easily accept more.

The folding technique has to be accomplished with the greatest efficiency or we lose additional volume with each stroke. Look in the bowl and figure out what has to happen. The bowl is sloped; the flour sinks and works its way to the center. That's where you work to fold; not at the edges.

Folding is a gentle technique where the weight of one ingredient falling on top of another allows them to mix. Before we worked with spatulas, we worked with our hands. See the movement. Your hand cuts into the egg at the center of the bowl. You go to the bottom, scoop and lift from the bottom and as your hand leaves the surface of the eggs, you turn it and let the volume of eggs in your hand fall on top of the surface of the eggs in the bowl. Dip, scoop, lift, turn. Move your hand so you empty the contents of your hand back over the center. You will see there is actually a fold as the weight of what has been lifted is set on top. The weight of the folds creates the action of mixing.

Now, in modern times, instead of that hand, we slip a spatula into the bowl. The action remains the same. Cut in the center, descend to the bottom, lift the mass, turn your wrist so that the volume scooped onto the spatula falls on top of the beaten eggs in the bowl. Turn the bowl each time one third so you don't work the same spot. Be efficient. When the first addition of flour has almost been incorporated, dust the surface with the second third of the flour. Continue to work in the same manner. Then add the final third of the flour. Fold until after 4-5 turns you don't see any loose flour in the batter. Stop. Don't over fold.

The batter goes into a sheet pan and is put on the rack set in the middle of the 350o oven. It will bake in 20 to 25 minutes. You know it's done when you touch your finger to the top of the batter, press lightly, then remove your finger. If the mark of your finger stays, it does so because the cake is uncooked, and wet in the center. When the cake is cooked through, it is dry, and springy. When you touch the top, then pull your finger away, the cake springs back. The cake should have a golden color. When it is done it also starts to pull away from the sides of the pan; it shrinks.

Remove the cake from the oven. Slip a knife along the side edges. Lift the paper at one corner, and holding the pan with one hand, slide the paper with the other. Invert the cake onto a second piece of parchment on the counter. Peel the paper used to line the cake pan. Spread a layer of jam (black currant, raspberry, or apricot) and roll the cake, wrapping it in the bottom piece of parchment. Set the cake on a rack and let it cool.

For the cake:

6 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup flour, sifted two times

butter for the pan

Butter baking sheet, line with parchment

Ribbon eggs and sugar

Fold in 1/3 of the flour

Fold in remaining 2/3rds

Bake at 350oF 18 minutes.

Remove from pan, peel paper, and cool on a rack till ready to use.

For the berries

1 pint of ripe berries, strawberries or raspberries or

3 or 4 slices ripe peaches

sprinkle with sugar to taste, and let sit for 15 minutes.

1 cup red wine is added 5 minutes before serving.

To assemble

Place a one-inch slice of cake in a flat soup bowl. Top with fruit in red wine.