food | After 1220

Sandwich #2 (The America) Part I: Brioche Hamburger Buns

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Averi

My favorite burger chain in New York is Bareburger. I like how they’re environmentally friendly — and also serve fantastic burgers. One particular menu item, the “Big Blue Bacon” burger, is the stuff of dreams. It’s spread with a bacon marmalade, which changed my culinary worldview.

When I got back to the States from Korea, I tried to make my own version of the Big Blue Bacon, bacon marmalade and all. Thus, I present #2 in the Sandwich series, The America, a burger on a brioche bun with bacon marmalade. Original recipe for the brioche found here.

Brioche Hamburger Buns:

Prep: about 5 hours, 30 minutes (1.5 hours active); Yield: about 20 buns

You’ll need:
– 360 g eggs
– 80 g sugar
– 1150 g milk
– 15 g yeast
– 700 g flour
– 200 g butter (cold)
– 20 g salt

1. Mix eggs, milk, sugar, and yeast in stand mixer with dough hook until well combined.

2. Add dry ingredients to mixer little by little. Mix on low. Once cohesive, add butter and mix on medium for about 25 mins or until dough pulls cleanly from sides of bowl.

3. Grease container with oil. Add dough to container. Cover and refrigerate for two hours.

4. Prep baking sheet with parchment paper and rings misted with oil. (Buy rings or make them with foil.)

5. Divide dough into 80 g peices using kitchen scissors.

6. Roll portions into buns.

7. Let buns rise in rings, covered on baking sheet for two hours.

8. Glaze buns with egg wash, (50 g egg and 50 g milk whisked together).

9. Bake at 347º F for three minutes with pan of hot water (pre-boiled) below buns. Remove pan and continue baking for 7-10 minutes or until golden.

10. Cool buns in rings and store.

Hawaii

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Averi

I spent the weekend on the lovely island of O’ahu with this song stuck in my head the whole time:

Hawaii was amazing. I’ve been to islands in the Caribbean before and was expecting Hawaii to be something like that, but it far exceeded my expectations. Like, I’m honestly considering moving there someday.

We — my family and I — stayed at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Waikiki. The rooms were nice, the amenities were great, and the staff was super island friendly.

my bro’s chocolate chip pancakes from the Tropics Bar and Grill.

bananas foster French toast from the Tropics Bar and Grill.

Our first full day in Hawaii, we summited the famous Diamond Head State Monument. The weather was perfect for hiking — as the weather in Hawaii is most every day, so the park had its fair share of visitors, but it wasn’t overcrowded. The hike was a steady incline, nothing like the towering staircases of Korea, but many people still struggled. Even athletic types broke a bit of a sweat. Though, the view from the top was certainly worth the journey and we got to see bunkers used during WWII.

show your entry ticket and receive a free certificate for reaching the top.

On our second full day, after being tipped by a friend who frequents Hawaii, we visited the famous Waiola Shave Ice stand. I’m not a huge shave ice person, but this was delicious. Definitely the best I’ve ever had. Let me recommend the “POG” flavor.

After the treat, we drove over to Kualoa Ranch for a horseback ride. #Paradise. I love horses and for years have wanted to work a summer at a ranch so that I could learn to ride, but that may just remain a fantasy… The ranch was huge. While there, we also took a movie tour to see all the locations on the property that have been featured in films. Cool cool. Really beautiful vistas out there. You feel so small next to the mountains and the ocean.

For the last day, I took a surfing lesson with my sister and chilled in the ocean. So, in a word, Hawaii was awesome. For sure somewhere I’d like to spend lots of time in the future. I won’t be traveling much in the next few months, maybe years, so this was a great final trip to end the season of adventures far from home. Now on to some in my own city, New York, New York. Couldn’t be happier to be back.