Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Lion King Cake

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Hi Guys,
I haven’t been creating or sharing recipes with you guys recently. So I thought I would check in with some cake decorating how to’s. I’ve been learning a lot as I’ve been creating more and more custom cakes for folks. So I’ll share some of my insights in case it’s helpful for someone out there who may be tasked with a similar project.

My task was to create a Lion King themed cake, using buttercream. Most of the Lion King themed cake Pins and Google search results display fondant cakes with hand molded Lion King figurines. So I had to be creative. The sunset part, easy. Orange, yellow buttercreams, mix them together a little bit for a transition between colors. Smooth finish, done. The only trick I’d suggest is this: when you’re running your straight edge around the cake for the smooth finish, gradually pull the straight edge up a little bit. Otherwise you end up with strict bands of color, as opposed to nice gradation that you would see in a sunset.

But what about the tree silhoutte? And the remaining figures? Should I use a crusting buttercream and paint it on using food color? Should I tint some buttercream black and pipe it on? I went with the latter since I opted for a swiss meringue buttercream, which doesn’t develop a crust like an American buttercream would. I pulled up a picture on my phone and tried to imitate the image as best as I could. It wasn’t too bad – apparently trees are quite forgiving.

Hope you enjoy the video below. Please feel free to leave any questions in the comments below.

Chocolate Candy Cupcakes

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After a startling reading on the weight scale towards the end of December, I swore off sugar. Just two years prior I worked so hard to lose my baby weight. Inspired by beach body coaches in my network, I vastly cut down sweets, decreased portion sizes, drank tons more water, swapped quinoa for rice in many of my meals, and began to regularly exercise using Fitnessblender, the only exercise I’ve been able to stick to thanks to the fact that I can choose from workouts of different durations and can do it from the convenience of my home. So I lost the 9 pounds of lingering weight, and 8 pounds on top of that.

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And then I fell off the wagon. Slowly but surely I downward spiraled, picking back up my sweets habits and eating rice and curry without restraint. I kept up with the exercise more or less but it wasn’t enough with my slowing metabolism.

So I decided to stop eating foods with added sugar. It’s just one step, but surely it should help. But of course the universe has to align to make this impossible for me. Shortly after making my resolution, I attended a gingerbread house making playdate where I was SURROUNDED by candy and cake and all kinds of good stuff. Soon after that my daughter’s birthday rolled around and somebody’s gotta do QC and make sure things taste right. Amiright?

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I did a good job holding off on tasting these, but then I needed a cross section for the blog, so guess where the other half went.

Yup.

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This is a really magical combination for the chocolate lover in your life. It’s reminiscent of the creme filled hostess cupcakes, but made even better with quality cocoa in the cupcake and chocolate in the ganache, homemade salted caramel sauce and delicious candy toppings. Remember we eat with our eyes first, and kids moreso than us. So if they see m&ms, they automatically think it’s a superb cupcake.

Enjoy the quick video tutorial below!

This is an adaptation of Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Chocolate cake. Because I used Dutch-process cocoa (which is alkalized, or less acidic than natural cocoa), I upped the amount of baking powder and decreased the amount of baking soda from the original recipe. I also used boiling water instead of hot coffee as many chocolate cake recipes call for, as it made for a way too tender a crumb. Perfect in layer cakes, but for cupcakes, you need something with structure.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup dutch process cocoa (I use Rodelle)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin/cupcake pan with paper liners. You will need 15 in total. My cupcake pan only has room for 12, so I need to make these in 2 batches.
  2. In a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer add the sugar. Place a sifter over the top of the bowl and add flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda. Sift the ingredients into the sugar. Add salt. Stir to combine using the paddle attachment.
  3. In a 4 cup measuring cup or in a medium bowl, measure out the milk and vegetable oil. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well using a fork. With the mixer running on low, slowly drizzle in the wet ingredients into the dry. Stop occasionally to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn the mixer back onto low and slowly drizzle in boiling water. Stop the mixer and scrape down with a spatula to ensure the batter is homogenous.
  4. Using an ice scream scoop, scoop batter into the cupcake liners 2/3 of the way to the top. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  5. After they cool, hollow out the middle using a small circular cookie cutter. I used the smallest one from this set. I filled it with marshmallow creme using a piping bag and wide tip. I drizzled some salted caramel sauce over them. Then frosted them with chocolate ganache and garnished with chocolate candies.

Royal Icing

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I just started decorating with royal icing after all these years. Why have I been torturing myself all these years with confectioner’s sugar/milk concoctions that thin too easily, and pipe too painfully?!
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Since royal icing is made with egg whites (I use meringue powder so I don’t have to deal with leftover egg yolks), it has a lot of structure from the protein. Pipes wonderfully for borders and outlines and thins easily for flooding.
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I have been a fan of Sana Sodawalla of SugarBase_ for a while now. Her gorgeous marbled cookies, whimsical cakes, and informative videos are something to aspire to. Since I’ve started baking and cake decorating more, I’ve been creating more content tailored to Instagram. I like how the platforms caters to creatives, offering a very visual space to share our content, with lots of real estate for pictures, and just enough for explanatory text.
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I’ve created these cookies after watching her technique on marbling sugar cookies. I got the idea for gold splatter after taking a wonderful mommy and me art class I took with a talented local artist on paper collages.
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I don’t know if I’ve done justice to Sana’s beautiful cookies, but I hope you try your own version at home. My go to recipe for royal frosting below.

Recipe courtesy of Toba Garrett of ICE.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup meringue powder
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 pound confectioner’s sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 tsp lemon juice or extract*

Directions

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a hand held electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine meringue powder and water at low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes.
  2. Reduce the speed to low and start to add the sugar, one cup at a time, until all of the sugar has been added. Turn the mixer off, scrape down the paddle and sides of the bowl and turn mixer back on to a low speed. Add the lemon juice/extract and increase speed to medium high. Beat for 5 to 7 minutes until you reached the desired level of stiffness. Keep well covered until ready to use. Can be piped, or thinned with small of amounts of water at a time to use for flooding. Will keep for 1 day at room temperature, or 3 days, covered in the refrigerator.

*I prefer lemon extract since the lemon flavor is a lot more pronounced.

Cutout Sugar Cookies

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I’ve learned a lot of things the hard way. Like how filling in eyebrows is not for everyone/every situation. Or that low-rise jeans are super impractical for pretty much every situation, especially picking up your backpack from the ground. Or that frosting should not go on a cake you JUST TOOK OUT OF THE OVEN.
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This extends to cut out sugar cookies. So many ill formed, mutilated cookies from the process of transferring from the rolling out surface to the cookie sheet. WHY OH WHY didn’t someone tell me earlier to just roll them out on a parchment paper and then just remove the scraps from around the shapes?! Would’ve saved so much grief.

So even if you have a great cutout sugar cookie recipe. Even if you already knew to chill the dough before rolling it out. if you take away nothing else from this post, I hope this tip will save you some heartache during this holiday cookie baking season. Happy holidays!!

Recipe from Better Homes & Garden 2010 special issue.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup butter at room temperature (that’s 1 1/2 sticks)
  • 1 cup granulated sguar
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

  1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Reduce speed and add the sugar, baking powder and salt. When it’s all combined, turn off the mixer, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and turn the mixer on again, this time to low. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the vanilla. Gradually add the flour, stopping the mixer every once in a while to scrape down the sides.
  2. Once the dough has come together, divide in two, place each half on some plastic wrap on a flat surface. Wrap well with the plastic wrap and flatten into disks. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably 4 hours to let the gluten relax (this makes the cookies tender).
  3. When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Roll out parchment paper to the size of your baking sheet. Lightly flour the surface, your hands, and the rolling pin. Roll out the cookie dough from the center, outwards, not back and forth like bread dough. Roll until the dough is 1/4 in thick. Then using your favorite cutters, cut out shapes about 1 in apart. Use a small offset spatula or butterknife to remove the scraps of dough. Save for next batch.
  4. Bake in preheated oven for 7 to 9 minutes. The bottoms should only be very lightly browned. Let cool on sheet for a few minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Thanksgiving Recipe Roundup

I wrote up so many drafts of my post election reflections but couldn’t get myself to publish any of them. I’ve just been obsessively consuming news and commentary from my Facebook feed, calling my local representatives for the first time, trying out this thing called civic engagement after getting over all the stages of grief. So many of my peers and associates are disillusioned with our country men. Could not perceive so many would vote for someone with such horrible character. Fearful of the spike in hate crimes. Frustrated that a majority vote in the Popular Vote is not enough to win office.

My father in law put it succinctly this weekend: leaders reflect the societal health of a nation. Until we address the economic, xenophobic, racist and sexist challenges embedded in our culture, we have little hope for a more inclusive, progressive government.

Despite our losses, we have a holiday coming up. And while contemplating the origins is depressing, the opportunity to gather with loved ones is something I cherish. Here’s a roundup of the dishes I plan to include in the spread on Thursday. It’s always a combination of Bengali and American dishes so that there’s a little something for everyone:

Butternut Squash Soup

I adapt this recipe by adding a cup of half and half, and some crumbled sage leaves fried in extra virgin olive oil.

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate

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Mashed Potatoes Two Ways

One with chili and mustard, the other with butter and half and half
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Khichuri or Rice and Mung Bean Pilaf

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Cornbread

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Photo courtesy of Sally’s Baking Addiction

Kale Caesar

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Cranberry Relish

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Swiss Chard and Mushroom Strata or Bread Pudding

An adaptation of the NY Times recipe for Kale & Mushroom Bread Pudding
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Two Organic Roasted Turkeys

One with citrus and herbs, one with spices. I will try a dry brine this year and roast at a lower temperature (350) for 2-2 1/2 hours or as long as necessary

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Cranberry Apple Cake

Ina Garten's Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake for Easy Desserts as seen on Food Network's Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten’s Easy Cranberry and Apple Cake for Easy Desserts as seen on Food Network’s Barefoot Contessa.

Sweet Potato Bars

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Photo courtesy of Ethan Calabrese.

Pumpkin Pie – also courtesy of my sweet sister in law

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American Buttercream vs. Swiss Meringue Buttercream

American Buttercream: butter, powdered sugar, milk, flavoring
Swiss Meringue Buttercream: egg whites, granulated sugar, butter, flavoring
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When I first start baking and cake decorating seriously, there were so many, “I’d never do that.”

  • I’d never compromise on taste. That means no swiss meringue buttercream. No fondant.
  • I’d never waste time on tacky fondant figurines (somewhat holds – I’ll make figurines but only tasteful ones).
  • I’d never make a bad cake (I once made a chocolate cake and forgot to add the sugar).

But I’ve come around on a lot of things. Example: expanding my frosting repertoire to include Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Hailed for being the King of Stability and frowned upon by many for lack of taste. It is not as sweet as the American Buttercream (AB) we are used to, and gets most of its structure from whipped egg whites rather than beaten butter/sugar, so that it’s airy rather than creamy. But man, it is a cake decorator’s dream. Just look at the picture above: the AB is so much more porous. Honestly, when I first thought up the idea for this post, I thought the difference would be much more pronounced. But I guess after frosting and smoothing dozens of cakes, I got the hang of it with both types!

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Left: American Buttercream Right: Swiss Meringue Buttercream

To make Swiss Meringue Buttercream, you start with heating egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until the sugar dissolves. You then remove it from the heat and whip it in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment until the mixture cools to room temperature and has the consistency of a soft-peak meringue. You then add the butter, a little bit at a time, until it looks like a curdled slosh. Keep beating until it congeals (see picture). The result is a super smooth buttercream that spreads like a dream. And because it has the protein from the egg whites as a base, it won’t just melt in a warm room like butter would. As long as it’s done right. And boy have I done it wrong:

  • I once overheated the sugar/egg white mixture to the point that after 45 minutes of beating it in my KitchenAid it was not cooling it down. During that time my meringue doubled in volume, only to deflate. I still went ahead and added the butter. When after another 45 minutes it wasn’t coming together, I stuck an ice pack to the side of the bowl. It worked – somewhat. The buttercream came together, but it didn’t have the structural characteristics of a proper SMB. The rosettes that I piped with it melted on the way to the venue. It was 100 degrees. My fridge broke that week. A lot of things went wrong that week. =(
  • Another time I added the butter too soon and it wouldn’t come together no matter what I tried.
  • Another time the butter I added was too soft.

You name it, I messed it up in that way.

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To correct for the less than desired sweetness, I like to add a syrup of some sort at the very end:

  • For caramel SMB: about half a cup of homemade caramel sauce
  • For strawberry SMB: about one cup strawberry syrup or to taste
  • For vanilla SMB: 2-4 tbsp corn syrup (to taste) and 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • For chocolate SMB: 1 lb semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly

This is the base recipe (from Smitten Kitchen):

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 26 tbsp unsalted butter, softened to room temp

Directions

  1. In a small saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to simmer over medium low heat. In the bowl of your stand mixer*, combine egg whites with sugar. Whisk until combined. Place over the sauce pan and stir until sugar dissolves (you can feel it with your fingers – mixture should feel smooth).
  2. Remove from heat and fit into stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for a few minutes, until mixture cools to room temperature AND doubles in volume. Then add the butter, 1 tbsp at a time. Allow the mixture to run at medium/high speed past the curdling point to the congealing stage. Once it comes together and resembles billowy clouds (your mixer will start to make a different sound), add flavoring. Continue to beat until all the flavoring is incorporated.

*You can make this with a hand-held mixer. Just be prepared for your arm to get tired from holding it up for 10-15 minutes =)

Ramadan Round Up

Ramadan is halfway over, but there’s still time to make some of my favorite recipes for this time of year! Going clockwise from the top left:

Citrus Quinoa Salad with Dates, Almonds and Mint – we consume a lot of dates during Ramadan. This recipe uses up any extra dates you may have in a salad you can feel good about eating at the end of a long fast!

Meyer Lemon Strawberry Lemonade – I know sugar is the devil. I know. But you have to try this lemonade. It is light years beyond any bottled strawberry lemonade you can find. Recipe adapted from Pioneer Woman.

Basil Smoothie – a surprising staple in many homes I’ve introduced this smoothie to. Basil, yogurt, sugar and ice makes for an unexpectedly refreshing drink.

Tandoori Chicken – an easy, make ahead dish. When you’re fasting, you’re low on energy. So the less time you have to spend on your feet in the kitchen, the better. These chicken legs get a quick marinade of yogurt and spices. Then about 45 minutes before eating, pop them in a hot oven. That is all.

Mint Limeade – aka virgin mojitos. The refreshing flavors of lime and mint make this the perfect compliment to your break-fast meal.

Haleem – a protein packed Ramadan must. It’s one stop, one pot iftar. Stewed meat, grains and lentils combine to make the most filling, comforting dish possible. Can probably make this in your slow cooker as well.

Fruit Chaat – refreshing and easy. Simply combine your favorite fruits – try to ensure varying textures and levels of sweetness. Try apples, grapes, kiwis. Or pineapple, cantelope, raspberries. Or mango, blueberry, nectarine. Leave the yogurt/chaat masala dressing on the side, or mixed in, for a variation of your favorite fruit salad.

Banana Date Nut Bread – another healthy way to use up dates. The potassium from the bananas and dates combined with the fiber from the whole wheat make this bread great to have on hand when you’re short on time for your pre-dawn meal. Can bump up the fiber content with flax seeds, chia seeds, etc.

Aloo Chop (Fried Mashed Potato Balls) – not the healthiest thing on the list, but a comfort food must for many of us South Asians. Mashed potato balls stuffed with bits of hard boiled egg, breaded and fried. Yum!

My Go-To Suhoor (Sehri)

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When you were a kid did you have curry for suhoor?

Let me take a few steps back here. Ramadan Kareem everyone! The blessed time of year when Muslims around the world abstain from food & drink (yes, even water) from dawn til dusk. Not just a physical fast, Muslims (healthy, adult) are to abstain from sex, violence and cursing. Particularly trying for those at northern latitudes where the days are long (16+ hours for us in NY), we need to make the most of our pre-dawn and fast-breaking meals. That means nutritious food that will keep our bodies busy breaking down complex carbs and proteins. Just as important: staying hydrated!

So if you’re South Asian, you probably had white rice along with veggies and some hearty curries for your pre-dawn meal (suhoor/sehri). And they probably left you feeling awesome, especially after your post-fajr nap.

Not. They always left me feeling queasy and hungry after a few hours. Don’t get me wrong, hunger pangs are going to strike regardless. It wouldn’t be a fast without the experience of hunger – to humble us, to remind us of our blessings, to connect us to those less fortunate, and to remind us constantly that we are doing it for the sake of God. But in eating whole foods, super foods, foods that are full of complex carbs and hunger abating protein, we can put our best food forward while going about our day to day jobs in non-Muslim countries. Otherwise, it can be challenging, functioning on reduced and disjointed sleep (late night prayers + a meal in the middle of the night) with a lower blood sugar throughout the day making your mental processing faculties a bit foggy.

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So here I present my go-to spread for suhoor: overnight oats with fruit and nuts, two hard boiled eggs, toast with peanut butter, banana and chia seeds, coconut water, and water. I may not have all of these items every day, depending on how much time I have on my hands, but the overnight oats and hard boiled eggs are a must. I prepare the oats around the same time that I’m making iftar so it has a good 8 hours to soak in the fridge. When you read the recipe below, you might be turned off to the fact that it’s made with water instead of milk. But if you’ve ever struggled with downing oatmeal because the gummy texture turned you off, you must try it with water. Of course you are free to make it with almond, soy, rice, hemp or coconut milk instead.

Recently, I’ve been topping it with the raspberry compote from my Eton Mess. I don’t want to say it’s divine or anything in case that’s sacrilege – but it’s really really really good.

Combine the complex carbs from the oats with the protein and good fats from the eggs – you are good to go. The potassium from the coconut water and bananas (or dates!) well keep you running. The chia seeds provide a nutritional boost as well given they’re packed with Omega-3s, fiber, and protein. Sometimes I just munch on them as is. They have a wonderful crunchy/chewy texture.

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Here are my tips for hard boiling eggs:

  • Bring a generous amount of water to boil.
  • THEN add the eggs.
  • Set the timer for 8 minutes eggsactly (had to).
  • When the timer is up, drain the water. Let cool. Don’t peel them ahead of time as they’ll dry out.
  • Just before eating, crack them on a surface and roll around. You’ll find these eggs are the easiest to peel.

And here’s my go to recipe for overnight oats (from Quaker):

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup water (or enough to cover the oats)
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp fresh fruit or fruit compote
  • 1 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
  • 2 tbsp yogurt (optional)

Directions

  1. In a mason jar, or recycled jam jar, combine oats, water and salt. Close the lid and give it a shake. Let it sit in the fridge overnight (6-8 hours).
  2. To serve, top with fruit, nuts and yogurt, if using. Enjoy immediately. And be generous with the fruit! One of the perks of summertime fasts are the glorious fruits available, particularly at your local farmers market.

Cake Design at ICE

IMG_8052I took a class in trends in cake decorating today. The chef instructor was kind of mean. Not like my fourth grade teacher, Ms Steiner kind of mean. No, Ms. Steiner made a point of making everyone in our class cry at some point in time. I succumbed one day when she called me stupid for messing some grammar up. This from a lady who took in a stray cat (whom she named Junior), invited him to sleep with her on her bed, and proceeded to give her rabies. No, our Chef Instructor was just a bit eccentric. I think Gordon Ramsey has set the bar pretty high for kitchen totalitarianism. I think most people go into a culinary course half expecting their instructor to fall closer to the Gordon Ramsey part of the eccentric teacher spectrum (Julia Childs being on the far end). IMG_5179It was time well spent! I’ve seen all the tutorials online for rosettes, ribbons, ombre, etc. but not very many opportunities to practice them hands on. I have to practice the ombre as the gradient wasn’t quite what I wanted. But ombre cakes just have such a spectacular wow factor. Definitely worth the time to get it right! IMG_5183 Now might be a good time to mention the new section of my page: Custom Cakes! After supplying friends and family with custom cakes over the past year and I half, I want to open it up to anyone in the NYC metro area who is looking for delicious, beautiful cakes custom designed for their event!IMG_5192I still love cooking and food and will continue that portion of the blog. But unless I start a full on catering company, I need hone in a little bit! So let me make your next event even more special by sharing one of my custom creations with you! Shoot me an e-mail at kitchen3n@gmail.com or use the form in the link.

5 Things I’ve Learned About Baking Chocolate Chip Cookies

IMG_4839I’ve been baking chocolate chip cookies since I was 10 years old. It was my first culinary endeavor. What does that mean for you? That means I’ve messed them up every which way so here I am to share with you some of my learnings.IMG_48291. Make sure your leaveners are still potent. For years I thought baking powder was just a more potent form of baking soda, just because the first batch of chocolate chip cookies I made came out flat as disks (and I blamed it on the baking soda! Rightfully so, just for the wrong reasons). If your baking soda and/or baking powder has been in your pantry for more than 6 months, toss them. If you’re baking cookies just for yourself or your family, you could take the risk if you fill guilty about tossing them. But if you’re planning to serve them to company or take as a hostess gift, do not take the chance! Use fresh leavener! IMG_48302. Use a cookie scoop! Gone are the days of using two teaspoons to artfully mold the perfect cookie mound. Using a cookie scoop is the only way to ensure each cookie is uniformly sized and shaped. I know it sucks to buy additional kitchen gadgets, but if you love cookies as much as I do, or when you realize how great it is to have frozen cookie dough stocked in your freezer to bake off when the occasion arises, you’ll be glad you have one in your arsenal!IMG_48313. Use parchment paper or silicon baking mat. This might be old news for many of you, but I just cringe thinking of the days I greased cookie sheets and had to deal with the aftermath of scrubbing encrusted cookie dough off of them. They slide off parchment so easily that I’ve never looked back. I always keep my pantry stocked with parchment paper, chocolate chips, and butter so I can make these if I need a last minute hostess gift (or for a sudden attack of PMS).  IMG_48324. Refrigerate your cookie dough. There’s an unmistakeable difference in texture when you bake off cookies that have had time to chill. The flavors blend, the dough rests, and the center attains a heavenly chewiness that’s consistent among the best cookie recipes. Bake times will vary depending on the temperature the recipe dictates and the size of the cookie scoop you use. I like to bake mine until the tops have the slightest blush. It may look underdone, but it will continue cooking once out of the oven and resting on the baking sheet. Be mindful not to remove it from the baking sheet right away, as it will mostly likely bend and break while in the process of transferring. IMG_48345. There is no single greatest chocolate chip cookie recipe. Your palette changes as you get older. Different recipes highlight different characteristics of a marvelous chocolate chip cookie: the nuttiness, the chewiness, the contrasting flavors. Lately I’ve been using Leit’s Consummate Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I like the combination of cake flour and bread flour to give it the ultimate texture – chewy while delicate. For years before switching over, I’ve used Alton Brown’s The Chewy recipe with great results. However, chocolate chip cookie recipes, like shampoo, should be switched periodically.