Sure, when you think European Bakery & café you think pastries, breads, cakes, desserts, maybe coffee! But you know, we also serve a wide range of sandwiches too! Made using a wide number of deli cut meats and high quality imported and domestic cheeses. In that vein, this time on the blog we are looking at meats, specifically salami!

Salami is an entirely uncooked meat! However, that doesn’t mean it is raw. Salami is in fact cured. The name salami itself coming from the Italian word salame. It is singular and plural, meaning cured meats of Italian, though any European can count, style. In Italian, it translates to ‘all kinds of salted.’

Traditionally, salami is made from pork or beef, though many other types of meat are used. If the food is being made in a halal or kosher fashion, then beef is used rather than pork. Other typical ingredients include minced fat, salt (of course!) garlic, spices, herbs, vinegar, and wine. Mixing the meat, it is then left to ferment for about a day before being stuffed into casing and hung to cure. Some recipes may call for heating the salami up to increase the rate of fermentation and drying but this is not the norm.

Super-Fast Salami Facts

• Salami has a long shelf life, due to its low water activity and the preservatives in it.
• Northern and Central Europe prefer a smoked salami.
• Over 400 volatile compounds have been identified in various dry-fermented sausages. (Volatile doesn’t mean bad!)
• There are over 20 varieties of salami!
• Chorizo and pepperoni are both types of salami!
• Salami can keep at room temperature for up to 40 days after it’s been cut!

Alright, that’ll do it for us this time on the European Bakery blog! If all that salami talk has got you salivating, we know just the place to grab a bite.

 

 

So, you’ve spent hours practicing your skills in the kitchen, whipping up delights for your friends and family on birthdays, or perhaps you’ve just always thought working in a kitchen would be the best. Whatever the reason, and there are many, you might want to become a pastry chef here is a basic guideline on where to get started.

What Does a Pastry Chef Do?

Pastry chefs are responsible for the creation of pastries in bakeries. Seems simple enough? Not quite. This means early mornings of intense focus, staying sharp in the wee hours of the day to ensure recipes are manipulated accurately, that dough rises correctly, etc. Other responsibilities include menu planning and ingredient sourcing, consistency in technique and flexibility in scheduling for special occasions.

1. Get Formal Training

Getting formal training, either as a diploma, degree, or certificate is by no means a requirement of becoming a pastry chef but it can certainly help build a strong foundation. In addition to learning the proper techniques and skills, students also will learn food science and baking chemistry, all in an environment that’s conducive to learning.

2. Get Experience

Regardless of whether you went through the formal training or not, you’ll need experience. If you attend a school then look for internship opportunities that can get you in a kitchen gaining real-world experience. If you didn’t go through a standard program then look for an apprentice program as an alternate to standard college or vocational school. Experience is the number one quality needed in this field, as practice really does make perfect when it comes to pastries.

3. Get Certified

By no means necessary in the field, many chefs do just fine without it, getting certified is a verifiable method of skill and knowledge, opening a wide range of employment opportunities.

There are many paths to becoming a pastry chef, working in your own kitchen. Not every author in the world went to school for it, just so many chefs come out of working their way up the ranks in the kitchen, while others attend prestigious schools for the culinary arts. This has just been one possible path.

Welcome back! Here at the European Bakery, we are all about delivering to you the tastiest morsels. On our menu alone we have over 60 kinds of pastries and cakes, and it occurred that maybe anyone looking over it might be overwhelming! So this time on the blog we thought we would give you the low down on just what some of these options are.

Napoleon

The Napoleon, or mille-feuille, has been around since at least the 16th century, though the ingredients have changed from jams and marmalades to cream the compositions is traditionally the same. Three layers of puff pastry and two layers of crème pâtissière. On top is sprinkled powdered sugar or glazed with icing.

Dobosh Torte

A Hungarian sponge cake invented by Jozsef Dobos. Dobos made the cake in 1885 at the National General Exhibition of Budapest. The sponge cake is five layers of sponge cake layered with chocolate buttercream and topped with caramel.

Tiramisu

Now, this is a dessert you’ve likely heard of. Tiramisu means ‘pick me up, ’ and this coffee flavored custard will do just that. It is made up of ladyfingers (sponge biscuits shaped like a finger, roughly) dipped into coffee, layered (man isn’t everything!) with a mix of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone and cocoa flavoring. This is the youngest cake mentioned; it’s invention is traced back to the 1960s.

All of these cakes and dozens of more varieties of the pastries can be found in our bakery. From Day and Night pastries (layers of vanilla and chocolate) or diplomat crème (a variation on the classic French crème pâtissière) or red velvet cake we covered back in February, we have hundreds of possible combinations to sate your sweet-too4th, and our expert pastry chefs can tell you all about he available flavors. Until next time!

Welcome back to the European Bakery & Café blog, where we deliver fresh content straight from the oven of our minds… Ok, that metaphor got away from us a little bit, we’ll admit. Well, this time we wanted to give a low down on something that is very much a part of our world now, and that’s celiac disease. No doubt you’ve heard from friends or family about their struggles with gluten and that their diets have needed to change to accommodate that. The rate is about 1 in every 100 – 170 people on average experience this. Much more also experience a non-celiac related gluten sensitivity.

Celiac disease is a reaction to gluten, causing various gastrointestinal problems such as malabsorption, loss of appetite, abdominal distention, amongst a litany of others. Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, barley and rye and others of that family. Essentially, a person’s body is ‘allergic’ in a sense to those proteins, and as little as that found in a tiny 1/8 inch breadcrumb can be enough to cause their body to experience an attack as expressed by those various symptoms.

Gluten-free diets are currently the only known treatment for those with this ailment. By avoiding exposure to gluten, their bodies are able to recover from those autoimmune attacks and associated diseases and then return to their base levels. However, this relief only lasts as long as this diet remains, as any small amount can trigger those symptoms immediately.

Unfortunately for many, our bakery is just about littered with glutens as our pastries and products utilize those traditional methods of baking. This blog post isn’t for those with celiac, though, as they clearly know what it is, but rather the folks who wonder just what their friends and family are suffering from while we all munch down on delicious muffins, croissants, etc. We’re lucky not to have to experience similar distress. Hopefully this very brief overview of what exactly celiac disease and the necessity of a gluten free diet. It’s not some silly fad unfortunately. Folks would much rather be eating yummy cupcakes, to be sure.

Previously on the blog, we’ve talked about the Mighty Arabica Bean and how it makes up almost 60% of the world’s coffee production, but we neglected to go too deep into the history of that most magnificent of crops.

First, the history of the name itself. The English word, coffee, came to fruition in 1582 using the Dutch koffie, which in turn borrowed from the Turkish kahve, from the Arabic qahwah. This Arabic word originally meant a type of wine that meant ‘to lack hunger,’ drawing on coffee’s appetite suppressing properties.

The bean and drink itself followed a circuitous path through history. The oldest credible accounts of the beverage appear in the 15^th century in Yemen monasteries. That is not to say it was when it was first used of course, as the earliest mention is from the 10^th century. The bean was traded from Ethiopia to Yemen where the Sufis would cultivate and be used in religious practices. With the religion, coffee drinking migrated through much of Arabia and northern Africa, finding a home. As such it became fairly entwined with Arabian thought, the preparation of coffee was written about increasingly and through those texts came to Europe in the 16^th century.

While coffee drinking was frowned upon by various religious leaders for some reasons (it seemed to be an intoxicant, it was a drink used by other religions, etc.) over time all came to accept it as an enjoyable beverage possessed of many beneficial properties. England saw it pop up thanks to their trading companies, France due to a traveler of the East, Germany through the seaports.

Fun fact: In ~1730 Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a piece featuring the then new fad of coffee drinking. A young woman argues with her father stating:

“Oh! How sweet coffee does taste,
Better than a thousand kisses,
Milder than muscat wine.
Coffee, coffee, I’ve got to have it,
And if someone wants to perk me up, *
Oh, just give me a cup of coffee!)

And so, through Arabia and northern Africa, from Yemen to Asia, From England to the New World coffee has spread across the globe as one of the central drinks of man. Don’t believe us? Currently coffee is the second-most traded commodity in the entire world, second to crude oil. Now let’s get a cup.

No matter if you eat it in a cupcake form or as a traditional cake, one thing is certain: everyone loves a great red velvet recipe. But did you know that red velvet is not technically its own kind of flavor? Rather, it is actually a variation of chocolate cake. Much like how Devil’s food cake is just another variation of chocolate cake.

Originating out of the United States, red velvet cake is traditionally eaten during the times where the color red is most popular, which are Christmas and Valentine’s Day. But let us be honest – red velvet is great any day of the year.

The original red velvet cake recipe was actually created by the chefs at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, and was known as the Waldorf-Astoria Cake before it was coined with the name “red velvet.” However, many people attribute the birth place of red velvet to the southern states in America, Louisiana in particular. This belief stuck around because one of the more popular frosting options for red velvet cake is a roux icing (ermine icing), which is a French-style butter frosting.

But despite the back and forth arguments of where red velvet came from, the company that made red velvet popular in America was Adams Extract, which was based in Texas during this time. They achieved this through selling red food coloring made from beets and other color extracts that came with free and tear-able recipe cards.

The timing couldn’t be more perfect for red velvet to gain traction in America during the Great Depression. Because the red food coloring was made from beets, it kept the actual cake part of red velvet moist, which meant that people and families could enjoy red velvet cake over extended periods of time and ultimately save money.

Be sure to stop in and try our red velvet products!

When it comes to making the perfect sandwich, choosing the right type of bread is crucial to how the sandwich will taste. While there are hundreds of different types of bread to choose from, one of the lesser popular sandwich breads is pumpernickel. However, most people tend to stick to the breads they “know,” rather than taking a chance on their taste buds. Next time you’re looking to either buy or make a sandwich, here is why you should consider pumpernickel bread, as well as where it came from.

In terms of looks, pumpernickel is a distinct, dark brown shade. It’s similar to rye bread, and is sometimes part of what is called “Marble Rye.” In effect, pumpernickel tastes a lot like rye bread, but is much more dense in weight and sweet in taste.

The origin of pumpernickel is credited to Germany in the 1450’s, where it was first mentioned in print. Unlike more current forms of the bread, traditional German pumpernickel bread is much darker than the kinds we see in the store, with its deep brown, almost black color.

Unlike other popular breads, pumpernickel has been present throughout history and folklore. One of the more popular folktales about how pumpernickel got its name derives all the way from Napoleon Bonaparte. According to the tale, it was said that Napoleon didn’t find the bread suitable for himself, as it was popular and affordable amongst peasants, and gave it to his horse, named Nickel. Supposedly, Nickel took a liking to the bread, where he called it “pumpernickel” from then on. This would be a wonderful story if it were the truth about the origin of the name, but etymology experts have disproven this time and time again.

Aside of tasting delicious, pumpernickel is quite healthy. The bread has been recognized of having a low glycemic load, meaning that it has a lower carbohydrate count than many other popular sandwich breads.

Mark your calendars, because December 4^th is National Cookie Day! And we are just as excited as you are about this day to honor one of the world’s most beloved treats. But where did cookies actually come from? After all, there are more than 100 different types of cookies out there in the world, so which one was the cookie that started it all?

Just like their taste, the history of the cookie is rich and exciting. Originating in Persia during the 7^th century, cookies only became a reality when it was discovered that sugar could be added to different foods to enhance their flavor, as well as serve as a main ingredient to many dishes. The Persians created the first cookies by adding sugar to their pre-existing bread recipes, which were then baked in a clay oven over dry firewood.

As time went by and globalization started to sweep across the world, cookies made their way to Europe during the 14^th century throughout the Spanish inquisition. They quickly became popular because of their convenient, small size, which made them perfect to pack while traveling.

What happened in Europe revolutionized the baking industry at the time. Not only were cookies eaten by the upper echelon of European society including the king and everyone in the royal family, but they were available for everyone to eat, like peasants and farmers. No matter how much money you had, anyone could afford a cookie.

It was said that the most popular cookie during these years was the Jumble cookie. Consisting of water, nuts, and sweetener, the Jumble cookie was relatively harder than the cookies that we enjoy today.

Eventually, cookies made their way to America in the 17^th century via the Dutch in New Amsterdam. Even after their arrival, many cookies still resembled the Jumble cookie, and stayed that way, with a few variations, for the next few hundred years.

But when someone thinks about cookies, we can guess that the first thing that pops into their minds are chocolate chip cookies. It’s hard to believe that they have only been around for 80 or so years. No matter what history books or articles you read, the invention of the chocolate chip cookie is always credited to Ruth Graves Wakefield who worked for the Toll House Inn during the 1930s. In fact, chocolate chip cookies became such a widespread success that they were named the official “state cookie” of Massachusetts in 1997.

Here at European Bakery, we craft each cookie we make carefully, and each batch is made using an old family recipe that has been passed down over the years.

Come stop by European Bakery to eat our wide array of home-made cookies today!

Taking any wedding to new heights can be as easy as choosing the right bakery when planning for the all-important wedding cake. While there are many choices throughout Phoenix and the Glendale area of Arizona when it comes to bakeries that specialize in wedding cakes, one bakery in particular has consistently outpaced the competition when it comes to affordable quality in terms of delicious and attractive wedding cakes.

Mouthwatering Sandwiches Along With Gourmet Pastries

European Bakery and Café has provided countless high quality wedding cakes for wedding planners over the years. European bakery and Café also offers a wide range of other unique bakery specialties such as artisan breads and mouthwatering sandwiches along with gourmet pastries. New customers and longtime existing customers have come to rely upon and depend upon the European Bakery and Café for high quality baked goods in Glendale. From beautiful multi layer wedding cakes to simple yet attractive wedding cakes, wedding planners have come to expect quality from this trusted Phoenix bakery.

Graduations To Anniversary Celebrations

In addition to wedding cakes, European Bakery and Café also offers a wide variety of birthday cakes that are custom tailored to meet the exacting specifications of those planning a special and memorable birthday party. This combined with cakes for virtually any occasion can serve to enhance any event, gathering or party in a way that would otherwise not be possible. From graduations to anniversary celebrations and corporate gatherings, working with an experienced and dedicated team of professional bakers can ensure that any event is a complete and total success.

Using Only The Highest Quality Ingredients

European Bakery and Café has earned a reputation for quality one customer and one client at a time. Regardless of the size of the event or wedding party, this is a bakery that simply gets it right when it comes to reliable and dependable bakery related services. Using only the highest quality ingredients and integrating unique and creative art into every cake insures total customer satisfaction on a daily basis. A wedding is perhaps one of the most important events in a couple’s life and that is why it is so essential to get the wedding cake aspect right from start to finish. Contact European Bakery and Café today to learn more about Glendale Arizona wedding cakes and baked goods.

In case you couldn’t tell just by walking into out shop and taking in the delicious smells, we here at the European Bakery & Café have a passion for baking. We think about baking when we wake up in the morning, we spend all day baking, and we go to bed with dreams of chocolate mousse dancing through our heads. In short(ening) we love baking, and we love sharing our passion with you. Today, we are going to talk about a few of the many types of baking pans we use in our daily work, and talk about exactly what we use them for!

Baking Dish: For most at-home bakers, the baking dish is their go-to piece of baking wear. Baking dishing come in a wide variety of sizes with the most common being 9 x 13 x 2. Square 8 x 8 pans are also very popular. Baking dishes feature a raised rim which makes them perfect for things such as brownies, cobblers, corn breads, and cakes. Baking dishes can be made from a variety of materials ranging from aluminum and glass to ceramic. Each material has its own positives and negatives.

Baking Sheet: Baking sheets are the broad, flat cousin of the ubiquitous baking dish. Unlike baking dishes. They are typically used to baking items that are free-standing such as cookies or biscuits. Also available is a baking sheet alternative called a baking pan that has a small raised ¾ inch rim. This type of pan is ideal for baking something with a runny batter.

Bread Pan: Yumyum, who doesn’t love bread? Some people may be in a battle against carbs, but we love them almost as much as life itself. And what better vessel for carbs than bread? And an essential for making bread is a bread pan. We use bread pans frequently. And joyously