Breaking the Mold With “Gel”icious Gelatin By Jessica Burchfield
It may be selective memory, but many foodies today most likely have forgotten that a plethora of salads, hors d’oeuvres and desserts can be made with gelatin. Not long ago, this fascinating substance was used routinely to create congealed dishes in a variety of shapes using molds made of pressed tin, copper, and pastel plastic. A few months ago, somewhat reluctantly, I became heir to a vast collection of these treasures. With chagrin, I recalled horror stories shared by friends of how family meal time during their childhood always included congealed sides made from canned fruit, served with a dollop of mayonnaise on the top. Faced with an entire menagerie of molds in shapes including rabbits, cats, fish, trees, hearts and shells, I went searching through the yellowed pages of vintage cookbooks and found my own tasty variations for food that is a little retro and a little jiggly, and doesn’t contain any canned fruit! Did you know that gelatin can be purchased in both powder and sheet form? When using powder, adding water and letting it soften for a few minutes is call “blooming.” After gelatin is bloomed, you should add a warm or hot liquid to completely dissolve the granules before combining it with other ingredients. tallahassee woman • april/may 2016 77