Custard

Want to reduce your portion size? Try eating food that smells good. A study published Wednesday by the new journal Flavour has found that people took smaller bites of vanilla custard when it was accompanied by a more intense aroma. "Smaller bite sizes are known to elicit weaker food sensations, lower flavor release and more satiation," writes lead auhor René de Wijk of the Netherlands' Top Institute Food and Nutrition. Smaller bites, then, could help make people more satisfied with their meal - and want to eat less.

Dear SOS: We had dinner one night at Brunos Trattoria on Birch Street in downtown Brea. Although most of what we had was actually quite good, we fell in love at first bite with the budino al caramello (caramel pudding/chocolate ganache/whipped cream). Yes, it was so good that we would definitely be willing to go there just for that! Is there any way you could get that recipe? Prabha Atluri Walnut Dear Prabha: Creamy caramel custard and rich chocolate ganache are beautifully layered in this dessert, then topped with a dollop of whipped sour cream and a sprinkling of chopped toasted hazelnuts.

Dear SOS: A friend of mine and I were extremely lucky to go to Susan Feniger's Street during a soft launch day. The one thing that stands out from that day of culinary exploration was the Kaya toast, a simply toasted piece of white bread topped with the most delectable coconut egg jam/cream we have ever tasted. I was lucky enough to stumble upon a recipe on the Internet for it, but both the source and measurements sound dubious. Please help!

In our latest Master Class, Thomas Keller celebrates a simple yet elegant custard tart : "So often when people plan Valentine's Day dinners, they want to finish with a big, elaborate dessert. I prefer to go in a different direction. To me, nothing expresses love better than a simple dish that is taken to a new level because you've taken extra care in its making. "A perfect example is the very simple custard tart called Pomme d'Amour that is made by Knead Patisserie in San Francisco.

Crème caramel Total time: 1½ hours, plus cooling and chilling times Servings: 8 Note: Adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon. This recipe calls for 8 (7- to 8-ounce) crème caramel cups or ramekins. Caramel 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 3 tablespoons water 1. Arrange 8 (7- to 8-ounce) crème caramel cups or ramekins in a baking pan lined with a piece of parchment paper and set near the stove.

Whisk some egg yolks with a little sugar until they take on a bright, velvety sheen, then drizzle in a little wine. Place the bowl over gently simmering water and keep beating, and in just minutes you have a light and airy custard, faintly sweet and enticingly smooth, rich with the almost smoky aroma of Marsala. That's it ? the simple wonder of zabaglione. A traditional Italian dessert, zabaglione is as elegant to serve as it is simple to make. Quickly prepared, it makes a perfect dessert, whether you're serving a formal dinner for company, or following a meal of leftovers on a busy weeknight.

  Fresh berry tart Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, please share it with us: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish. Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus chilling and cooling times Servings: 8 to 10 Note: The dimensions given for the tart are just a suggestion; feel free to make the tart in whatever shape you desire. Tart base 1 recipe Quick Puff Pastry 1 egg, beaten 1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

  Dear SOS: I just got home from our neighborhood restaurant, Cayenne Cafe , on Beverly Boulevard. We go there a lot, as it is close by, the food is always good and the staff is very friendly. We never usually get dessert. However, it was our friend's birthday, so we decided to splurge. We ordered two, first their carrot cake, which was very good, with cream cheese frosting and a caramel sauce. My husband doesn't like tiramisu because it is made with coffee, and he doesn't like cold coffee.

  German chocolate cake as pudding Total time: 25 minutes, plus chilling time Servings: 6 8 ounces Baker's German's or semisweet chocolate, broken into squares or coarsely chopped 2/3 cup whole milk 2/3 cup heavy cream 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature 1 teaspoon vanilla Pinch of kosher salt Scant 1/2 cup custard for German chocolate cake (see recipe) 1. In a large metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring often.

In our latest Master Class, Thomas Keller celebrates a simple yet elegant custard tart : "So often when people plan Valentine's Day dinners, they want to finish with a big, elaborate dessert. I prefer to go in a different direction. To me, nothing expresses love better than a simple dish that is taken to a new level because you've taken extra care in its making. "A perfect example is the very simple custard tart called Pomme d'Amour that is made by Knead Patisserie in San Francisco.

So often when people plan Valentine's Day dinners, they want to finish with a big, elaborate dessert. I prefer to go in a different direction. To me, nothing expresses love better than a simple dish that is taken to a new level because you've taken extra care in its making. A perfect example is the very simple custard tart called Pomme d'Amour that is made by Knead Patisserie in San Francisco. Technically, I suppose this should be called a croustade d'oeuf, since it's nothing more than a custard baked in a crust, but I like Knead's version enough to call it by its name.

White sapote trees may have been trendy 50 years ago, but these days they are empty-lot plants, the kind of urban flora most often seen sprouting from scattered seed in some neglected patch of Southern California. It's a wonder the tree ever fell out of favor when the taste of fruit from white sapote cultivars can be exquisite: like a creamy custard, with hints of peach, pear, lemon, banana, caramel and vanilla. It's wonderful raw, scooped out from the rind with a spoon, and excellent in drinks.

Want to reduce your portion size? Try eating food that smells good. A study published Wednesday by the new journal Flavour has found that people took smaller bites of vanilla custard when it was accompanied by a more intense aroma. "Smaller bite sizes are known to elicit weaker food sensations, lower flavor release and more satiation," writes lead auhor René de Wijk of the Netherlands' Top Institute Food and Nutrition. Smaller bites, then, could help make people more satisfied with their meal - and want to eat less.

Crème caramel Total time: 1½ hours, plus cooling and chilling times Servings: 8 Note: Adapted from Thomas Keller's Bouchon. This recipe calls for 8 (7- to 8-ounce) crème caramel cups or ramekins. Caramel 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoons light corn syrup 3 tablespoons water 1. Arrange 8 (7- to 8-ounce) crème caramel cups or ramekins in a baking pan lined with a piece of parchment paper and set near the stove.

  Dear SOS: I just got home from our neighborhood restaurant, Cayenne Cafe , on Beverly Boulevard. We go there a lot, as it is close by, the food is always good and the staff is very friendly. We never usually get dessert. However, it was our friend's birthday, so we decided to splurge. We ordered two, first their carrot cake, which was very good, with cream cheese frosting and a caramel sauce. My husband doesn't like tiramisu because it is made with coffee, and he doesn't like cold coffee.

  Fresh berry tart Our recipes, your kitchen: If you try any of the L.A. Times Test Kitchen recipes from this week's Food section, please share it with us: Click here to upload pictures of the finished dish. Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus chilling and cooling times Servings: 8 to 10 Note: The dimensions given for the tart are just a suggestion; feel free to make the tart in whatever shape you desire. Tart base 1 recipe Quick Puff Pastry 1 egg, beaten 1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

So often when people plan Valentine's Day dinners, they want to finish with a big, elaborate dessert. I prefer to go in a different direction. To me, nothing expresses love better than a simple dish that is taken to a new level because you've taken extra care in its making. A perfect example is the very simple custard tart called Pomme d'Amour that is made by Knead Patisserie in San Francisco. Technically, I suppose this should be called a croustade d'oeuf, since it's nothing more than a custard baked in a crust, but I like Knead's version enough to call it by its name.

Question: When making such things as pecan rolls or sticky buns, most of the brown sugar and nuts usually stick to the pan when inverted instead of staying on the pastries. Any suggestions? Answer: Using non-stick pans or being certain to thoroughly grease regular pans should solve this problem. Q: About three years ago I bought a great peeler at a cooking equipment store in Santa Monica.

Whisk some egg yolks with a little sugar until they take on a bright, velvety sheen, then drizzle in a little wine. Place the bowl over gently simmering water and keep beating, and in just minutes you have a light and airy custard, faintly sweet and enticingly smooth, rich with the almost smoky aroma of Marsala. That's it ? the simple wonder of zabaglione. A traditional Italian dessert, zabaglione is as elegant to serve as it is simple to make. Quickly prepared, it makes a perfect dessert, whether you're serving a formal dinner for company, or following a meal of leftovers on a busy weeknight.

It's summer in Las Vegas, so, of course, it's like living in a blast furnace. The desert will do that. So we recommend you do this: Cool down with a big ice cream cone or a dish of frozen deliciousness. If your taste buds are acute enough, one concoction can be yours for free. Another, however, will set you back a grand. Here's a guide to the big chill in Sin City. Atomic #7 Southern Nevada's newest ice cream parlor is unique because the customer chooses every ingredient.