DON'T
TOSS OUT THE MARINADE!
When it comes to pork or chicken, the majority of recipes will advise
you to throw out excess marinade once you've removed the meat from it
to slap it on the grill. But here is a handy trick for turning the
marinade into its own little outdoor reduction sauce. While the meat
is grilling, place the marinade pan right on the grill and let its
contents simmer away. This will work best on the upper rack of a gas
grill, but charcoal grills that are large enough can accommodate it as
well. When the meat has finished cooking, arrange it on a serving
platter and drizzle the sauce right over it. It's an intensified boost
of flavor.
MAKING
A ROUX
Many cooks shy away from making a roux, which is essential not only to
the majority of Cajun dishes but also to French sauces and even your
basic white sauce. With the right equipment and attention, you can
become adept in no time at making a roux.
Melt butter in a small, heavy pan over low heat. (For most recipes,
three tablespoons of butter and three tablespoons of flour are the
right amount.) When the butter is melted, whisk in an equal amount of
flour, continuing to whisk until the mixture is smooth. Allow the
mixture to bubble slowly, whisking constantly so that it does not
burn. Keep heat very low throughout the cooking process. Cook for
about 2 to 3 minutes, or until it is pale golden in appearance. At
this point, it will have lost some of its raw flour taste.
Some roux are cooked longer than this typical white roux. The longer
you cook it, the more flavor it has. Slightly darker, blond roux is
darker and thinner in texture than a white roux, while brown roux is
more pungent and nutty in flavor. A blond roux cooks for approximately
6 minutes. Brown roux, which has much less thickening power than white
roux, is used primarily to thicken classic brown sauces and gravies.
BRAISING
Braised meats are juicy, flavorful, and tender. Braising, also known
as stewing, is a moist-heat, slow-cooking technique that is used to
make the most of tougher cuts of meat, such as chuck, round, shank,
shoulder, and flank. Meats are sometimes but not always seared before
braising to help seal in moisture and flavor and to deepen color. With
a pot roast, for instance, you first brown the meat on all sides, over
fairly high heat, and then add a bit of water or broth and allow it to
stew in its own juices for two-and-a-half to three
hours. This is how to make it flake-apart tender.
SEARING
Searing is a cooking method that uses high heat to capture the natural
juices and flavor of a cut of meat or fish. It can be used on its own
or in combination with other cooking methods, such as roasting or
braising. Keep heat medium-high to high throughout the searing
process. It's a smoky process, so don't be alarmed by a smoking pan or
the setting off of a sensitive smoke alarm. If you turn down the heat,
you will hamper the searing process.
Heat a small amount of oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan. Pat dry and
season whatever cut of meat you are using, such as a chuck roast. When
the oil is just beginning to smoke, add the meat to the pan. Once the
meat has been set down, it is very important not to move it until it
has developed a rich brown crust. Lift the meat with tongs and turn it
onto another side once it has been suitably seared on the first side,
and continue creating crusts. Crusts should be created even on the
edges, which may have to be seared by holding the cut of meat upright
with the tongs. When the meat is properly seared, it will be
completely crusted and brown on all surfaces and rare on the inside.
BLANCHING
No, not the character from "A Streetcar Named Desire," but the
thing
you do to vegetables that makes them easy to peel. Here's what you do:
Drop the cut and cleaned vegetables, such as green beans, into a large
amount of rapidly boiling water. As soon as the vegetables
begin to brighten in color, remove them from the boiling water with a
strainer, slotted spoon, or tongs. Depending on the vegetables being
blanched, cooking time can take from less than a minute to up to 3
minutes. To stop the cooking process, plunge vegetables into a large
bowl of ice water until they are cooled. Blanching can be done ahead
of time if you are going to use the vegetables for cooking. Or crisp
blanched vegetables can be either chilled or served immediately.
CHICKEN
STOCK
Sure, most of the time you rely on the canned stuff, but the genuine
article is actually quite simple to make and well worth the effort in
flavor.
In a large pot, cover 4 pounds of washed, raw chicken bones or parts
with cold water--enough to cover them by 5 inches. Necks and backs are
the most flavorful bones of the chicken, so they are ideal, but you
can also make a wonderful chicken stock with a whole, cut-up, raw
chicken. Bring water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, skim the
fat and scum that have risen to the top with a ladle or spoon. Add 1
pound of a combination of chopped carrots, onions, and celery, and the
herbs of your choice. Cook chicken stock for about three hours--long
enough for the full flavor to come to the fore. It is important to
make sure that the bones stay covered during the entire cooking
process, so add more water if needed. Strain the stock through a sieve
or a colander before using, refrigerating, or freezing.
SMOOTHING OUT YOUR GUACAMOLE
Want to try a nice, creamy-smooth variation of your favorite guacamole
recipe? As the last ingredient, after the others have been blended
together, whir or whisk in 1/4 cup of plain lowfat yogurt. It will add
both tang and velvety smoothness. This texture works especially well
as a topping for burritos, enchiladas, etc.
SOAP FOR THE KITCHEN
French chefs have known for centuries that large bars of unscented
kitchen soap (savon) work better to clean dishes, pots and pans, your
countertop, and your hands. Unlike bathroom soaps, they do not leave
any sort of film, and though they contain no perfume, they leave your
hands smelling wonderfully fresh. These soaps are now available in the
United States in gourmet and specialty shops. They come in huge
cream-colored blocks, and one of these inexpensive bars lasts nearly a
year. Say good-bye to plastic-bottled dishwashing liquids.
GET THAT SMOKED FISH SMELL OFF YOUR MITTS NOW!
The only drawback to smoked salmon or any other kind of fish (besides
making you thirsty) is the pungent smell it leaves on your hands. This
is especially unappetizing when you are the party host who has dealt
with the fish and must now go meet and greet the guests. Get rid of
that powerful odor by cutting a lemon in half and squeezing one half
over the left hand and the other over the right. Rub your hands
together for a few seconds, then rinse with soap and water. Repeat if
necessary. It really works!
PRE-MARINATE YOUR PORK ROAST FOR EXTRA TENDERNESS
Before you dip into a recipe for marinating a pork roast, this
pre-marinade will work to make it butter-tender. Place 1/2 cup sugar,
1/4 cup salt, and 1/4 cup peppercorns along with 6 cups of cold water
in a glass bowl. Stir it, then coat the meat with it. Let it marinate
overnight in the refrigerator. The next day you're ready for your real
marinade, which the pork is now much more able to absorb.
KEEPING GRILLED MEATS MOIST AND TENDER
If you have a non-rotisserie-type gas grill, here is the next best
thing. (It may even be better.) Set the heat to high. Place whatever
meat you are roasting on the top rack and a cake pan of water on the
bottom rack of the grill. This will keep the meat from becoming
parched, and it also prevents those flame-ups that happen when the fat
hits the coals. You can do the same thing when charcoal-grilling
anything requiring the lid on.
TWIRLING PASTA
Many a host has been heard to say that he or she will not serve pasta
at a dinner party because it is too hard to eat and too messy. Not so!
Take a tip from the Italians. Use a fork and a soup-size spoon at the
same time. In the hand you normally eat with, hold the spoon. With the
other hand, use the fork to spear several strands of pasta. Now twirl
the fork against the spoon, and presto! You've got the noodles under
control.
WHIPPING UP A PIZZA IN NO TIME FLAT
Next time you need something quick for dinner but are weary of
ordering pizza from the pizzeria, try this departure from the old
cheese and tomato sauce reliable: Take a large herbed focaccia and
spread the following on top: some halved grapes, small hunks of
stilton cheese, and a handful of walnuts. Brush it with olive oil and
put it in the oven at 400, and 10 minutes later you will have come up
with a new addiction for yourself.
CHOPPING HERBS
Don't be timid about dealing with fresh herbs because you think they
are a nuisance to chop. Fresh herbs are so much more flavorful than
dried, and in most parts of the United States they are now available
year-round. Here is the easiest way to snip herbs. (Let's use a basic
one like Italian parsley as an example.) Take several sprigs of the
parsley, fold them in half, and holding them tightly in one hand, use
a pair of kitchen shears in the other to snip them into very small
snippets. You'll be amazed at how much better this works than chasing
after them on the counter with a paring knife.
CUTTING AN AVOCADO SHOULD NOT BE THE PITS
Many people don't like to work with fruits that have pits in the
center. If you don't know this trick, you can end up with a big fat
mangled mess on your kitchen counter. When cutting a soft-fleshed
fruit such as an avocado or mango, always leave the skin on. Slice the
fruit in half, pry the seed out of the center of the half it is in,
and then remove the skin. It will peel away easily from the flesh of
the fruit. Then slice, chop, or do whatever it is you are going to do
with the fruit.
SALTING POTATOES
Whether or not you are soaking potatoes in water, salting them before
cooking perfects their texture. It removes a lot of their starch and
built-in moisture. If you are making potato pancakes, for instance,
you should salt the shredded potatoes and leave them in a colander to
drain for 15-20 minutes. If you are making french fries, you should
add salt to the ice water they soak in before you drain and dry them
for frying. Adding salt before cooking also helps give the potatoes a
natural saltiness so that you don't have to overdo it when they are
done. Sea salt works best and is much better for you than ordinary
table salt.
SKIMMING FAT THE EASY WAY
Many soups and stews end up with a layer of fat from the oil or butter
used to make them. If you try to skim this off when the soup is still
hot, you can end up standing, frustrated, at the stove for a half
hour. Instead, make your soup or stew a day ahead (which gives it a
chance to become more flavorful, anyway), store it in the
refrigerator, and when you take it out, the oil layer will have
hardened nicely on top. All you have to do is pick it away and toss it
out. It takes a total of 5 seconds.
HANDLING HOT PEPPERS
Whenever you work with a recipe involving jalapeno or any other
peppers (especially the hellfire habenero!), be sure to wear gloves.
Surgical gloves work best because they are very thin and allow great
freedom of movement. They come in boxes of 100. Before chopping,
remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and clean any surfaces the
peppers have touched with a vinegar solution. If you do accidentally
come in contact with seeds and stems, rinse your hands in vinegar as
well. And never touch your eyes after handling them!
STORING BREAD
Bread stored in a paper bag instead of a plastic one, especially in
high-humidity areas, will stay crisper on the outside and softer on
the inside because the paper allows the bread to breathe.
NASTURTIUMS ARE NOT THE ONLY EDIBLE FLOWERS
Many vegetable plants flower before they grow into actual vegetables,
and their blooms have a lovely, delicate flavor suggestive of the
vegetable-to-be. The zucchini flower is especially tasty and
versatile. Try tossing it into an omelet or frittata the way you would
ordinarily toss in parsley. It gives a nice striped appearance and a
new zing of flavor.
SELTZER WATER WILL KEEP YOUR BATTER LIGHT
This is a great trick. Using chilled seltzer water in a batter for
fried foods will keep the batter from clinging to whatever you are
frying. Instead, you come out with a crisp, almost paper-thin shell.
It works especially well for vegetable and shrimp tempura.
SAVING TIME ON TIME-CONSUMING RECIPES
Many recipes don't let you know that you can make a large portion of
them ahead of time and avoid wearing yourself out before your dinner
party. Crepe recipes, for instance, always look like a lot of trouble.
But a crepe recipe is essentially the same thing as a pancake recipe,
and the batter can be made up a day ahead of time, then refrigerated.
The same is true for nearly all recipes involving batters.
KEEPING YOUR CAKE FROM STICKING WITHOUT FLOUR
The foolproof way to make a bundt cake is to use a heavy,
Teflon-coated pan. Grease the pan lightly (in every crevice) and place
it in the freezer for 12 minutes. Remove it immediately before you are
ready to pour your batter. After the cake comes out of the oven, let
it cool completely; then, it will slide right out.
PRECISION CARVING
When a recipe calls for sliced chicken breasts (or any other meat that
is sliced while it's raw), put the meat in the freezer for 10-15
minutes before slicing it. The knife will sail right through it. Of
course, it's also important to always use a well-sharpened, heavy
knife.
KEEPING A CREAM SAUCE FROM SEPARATING
This method works even better than the continual motion of a wire
whisk: Shake the pan in a back and forth motion, and add just a tiny
bit more cream at the very end. This will keep your sauce from having
an oily texture.
THE PERFECTION POINT OF PASTA
To test pasta for doneness, near the end of the cooking time cut a
strand in half. If it's done, you will see only a speck of white in
the center, less than one-fourth the diameter of the strand.
BUTTER AT THE BEST CONSISTENCY
If you keep your butter at room temperature in a butter dish or crock,
it will spread better and be at its most flavorful. In addition, you
will use less of it because it will spread thinner on your bread,
toast, or pancakes.
ACHIEVING THE PERFECT GOLDEN PIECRUST
Chefs call this an egg wash: Combine one egg white and one teaspoon of
milk in a cup or small bowl. Brush the mixture on piecrusts or baking
cookies in the last ten minutes of baking time for the perfectly
colored crust.
KEEP YOUR STEW SUCCULENT AND MOIST
Everyone likes to avoid fat, but if you cut all fat from your stew
meats (whether beef, lamb, or pork), you will lose not only flavor but
moisture. Ask your butcher for true stew meat--nicely marbled but not
laden with fat.
DON'T TREAT CHOWDER LIKE BEAN SOUP
Many soups need to simmer for hours to reach their full flavor
bouquet. But a clam or oyster chowder gets to be too strong if it is
not taken off the heat soon after the mollusks are added. Three
minutes is the ideal time for heating it through.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ROMANO AND PARMESAN CHEESES
Cooks tend to use Romano and Parmesan cheeses interchangeably. It's
all right to substitute one for the other, but they do have distinctly
different tastes, mainly because the former is made from ewe's milk
and the latter from cow's. There are approximately 25 different kinds
of Romano Percorino, but what they all have in common is that they are
salty, buttery, well aged, and hard enough to be ideal for grating.
Most Italian cookbooks call for Romano far more often than they do for
Parmesan.
A LITTLE BREAD PUDDING TRICK
Lots of times in restaurants the server will describe in glowing terms
the contents of the daily bread pudding dessert. But guess what? The
secret to the bread pudding lies in the choice of bread. The worse the
bread, the better. The staler, the better. Not moldy bread, mind you,
but really cheap white bread makes for great bread pudding. Because of
its sponginess, it absorbs all the milk and sugar and spices better
than an otherwise desirable crusty French bread.
A SWEET POTATO IS NOT A YAM
A sweet potato has skin ranging in color from white to pink to
reddish-brown with a light-yellow flesh inside. A yam comes in many
more varieties, but the most commonly found in the United States has
copper-colored skin and bright-orange flesh inside. Sweet potatoes
have a natural spiciness to them, so you should avoid using them in
creamy or gratin-type dishes, as the flavors will compete with one
another. Yams, on the other hand, work well all sorts of ways: mashed,
sauteed, fried, roasted, in soups and stews and sauces. (With each
kind of potato, medium-sized ones will have the best flavor.)
CHOOSING BELL PEPPERS
A green bell pepper is the immature red, yellow, orange, or purple
pepper-to-be. The ripe ones are sweeter, but all ripe ones taste
virtually the same, as long as they are fresh. Look for firm-fleshed
peppers that feel thick. Their skin should be brightly colored. Avoid
those with no shine. If the skin is wrinkled, the peppers have lost
moisture, and soft spots mean decay inside.
BABY LETTUCE AT ITS BEST
Although many markets across the nation now carry wonderful baby
lettuce mixes, not all store managers have learned how to treat them.
Avoid those mixtures that have a built-in sprinkler system going at
them all day long, for this produces nothing more than soggy mush. It
will turn the baby endive to slime. Instead, look for lettuce that is
out in the open air and that has not been out of the ground for very
long. Eat it as soon as possible after purchasing.
PIRI
PIRI
Every cuisine has its hot sauce, and the West Indian version is called
piri piri. Here's how you make it. Take two red chili peppers, and
combine them with 1 cup olive oil, the zest of one lemon, and one bay
leaf in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Leave it in a warm spot for
two or three weeks. The longer you keep the piri piri, the hotter it
will get, so bear that in mind. A few drops will enhance almost all
Caribbean dishes, especially fish dishes.
SPICE
BLENDS--PART 2 OF 4: PIRIPIRI
While Ethiopia has Berbere, Mozambique has Piripiri. The two words are
equally fun to say--especially in succession--but the spice mixtures
are quite different from each other. The lemon, garlic, and parsley in
this recipe make it more a sauce of the moment. It's used in many of
the country's fish and chicken dishes, and it can be used as marinade,
basting sauce, or a sauce for the table.
Mix together the following:
4 hot red peppers, crushed, or 2 heaping tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of two lemons
2 large cloves of garlic, crushed
8 sprigs of parsley, chopped
1 cup butter, melted
ASPARAGUS'S HIDDEN SECRET
Asparagus not only contains no fat or cholesterol and comes loaded
with vitamins A, B, and C--not to mention potassium, iron, and
calcium--it also is nature's own diuretic, and a much better one for
you than, say, coffee or meta-amphetamines.
WHAT TO DRINK WITH AN ARTICHOKE
Artichokes contain a chemical called cynarin that affects the taste
buds by enhancing sweet flavors. The majority of white wines on their
own are quite fruity--accompanying an artichoke, they are going to
taste like a fruit salad. So when you choose a white wine to serve
with an artichoke, make sure it is something extra-dry, like the
Italian Frascati or a Spanish white Rioja.
CHOOSING AN ARTICHOKE
Spring is the ideal time to buy and eat artichokes, but good ones are
now available in grocery stores year-round. Select artichokes whose
inner leaves are wrapped tightly around the choke and the heart. If
the artichoke is all spread out, feels light in your palm, and has any
yellow leaves, it will not be worth your while.
GOOD SIDE EFFECTS OF SPICY FOODS
Foods prepared with chili peppers and other "warm" (particularly
Indian) spices increase salivation, prepare the stomach for receiving
food, foster intestinal action, and help to create a sense of
fullness--which not only works well for chronic overeaters but likely
served an evolutionary advantage in countries where food was scarce.
STORING VEGETABLE OILS
All vegetable oils should be stored in a cool, dark cabinet to protect
them from light, heat, and air. When exposed to air, fatty acids
become rancid, which means they combine with oxygen to form
hydroperoxides, natural substances that taste bad, smell bad, and even
destroy the oh-so-good-for-you vitamin E in the oil.
CHOOSING A PEAR
Pears are one of the only fruits that ripen better off the tree rather
than on. The best-tasting pears are those that are picked immature and
allowed to ripen in storage or even on the grocer's shelf. Choose
brightly colored pears; avoid cut, shriveled, or bruised pears, as
they are likely to be bruised inside.
MAKING HUMMUS SMOOTH AND KEEPING IT THAT WAY
Homemade hummus (the Middle Eastern chickpea paste) often ends up too
thick and dry. Here's how to remedy that: While it is still in the
blender or food processor, add 3 tablespoons of warm water.
Refrigeration usually dries it out as well, and the way to solve that
is to add 2 or 3 more tablespoons of warm water. This has the added
benefit of bringing the hummus closer to room temperature, which is
the ideal place for most foods, anyway.
CHOOSING A COCONUT
Canned coconut milk works nicely enough for most recipes, but there is
nothing like the taste of the milk fresh from the nut. Here is how to
choose one. Look for a coconut that is heavy for its size. You should
be able to hear the liquid sloshing around when you shake it; if you
don't, the coconut has dried out. More about coconuts in our next tip.
MAKING THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE, PART 2 OF 2
Here's another coffee tip that all of the best-known brewers and
roasters insist on. To make the perfect cup of coffee, like the ones
you buy in the best coffee bars, always use 2 tablespoons of ground
coffee per each 6 ounces of water. Bottoms up!
MAKING THE PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE, PART 1 OF 2
If you make your coffee with tap water, let the water run for awhile
to add oxygen. This will give your coffee a much fuller-bodied flavor.
NUTRITIOUS BREAD CRUMBS
In many recipes that call for bread crumbs (such as meatloaf or salmon
cakes), try substituting a non-sweet cereal like cornflakes or Rice
Chex. Simply place a cup (or however much is called for in the recipe)
into the food processor, give it a whir, and dump it into your mix.
Not only will it be more flavorful than using bread crumbs, but much
better for you.
HOW NOT TO OVERFRY GARLIC
A lot of recipes calling for sauteed onion and garlic give the simple
instruction, "Saute the onion and garlic," as if the two should be
thrown into the pan together. They should, but never at the same time.
While it takes onions about 8 minutes to arrive at the desired
golden-brown state, it takes garlic less than a minute. The garlic
should not be tossed in until the end of onion-browning. Overcooked
garlic takes on a bitter, almost rancid taste. Perfectly cooked
garlic, on the other hand, is one of the great delights of the
gastronomic world.
DON'T OVERCOOK THE CORN
It's very easy to overcook corn on the cob by leaving it in the pan
too long. Here is the ideal way to do it. Fill a very large pan with
water and bring it to a roaring boil (which of course will happen much
faster with the lid on). Throw in a teaspoon of sea salt, then the
corn cobs--6-8 should fit comfortably in the pan. Bring it back to the
boil, place the lid on, turn the burner off, and after 5 minutes, dump
it all out into a colander. Your corn will then be both crispy and
tender.
STOP BLOWING OFF STEAM!
Have you ever gotten a little miffed at your cappuccino machine when
it clogs up or simply refuses to steam the milk? Sometimes it seems
that even when you clean the little buggers religiously, they just
want to go on the blink. Well, here's something that never goes on the
blink because YOU control it and not some unseen internal mechanism:
the stovetop cappuccino creamer. Just make some extra-strong coffee
and steam your milk. Presto! You've got cappuccino. Nissan makes one,
and others have been appearing on the market as well. Check out your
local cooking wares store. They're a heck of a lot cheaper than a
cappuccino machine.
TONGS-R-US
If you were to ask any professional chef or food-line worker what his
or her most invaluable kitchen tool is, the answer would undoubtedly
be: tongs. We mean the real item, with the serrated edges. For $6 or
$8 (depending on the size), you can buy a pair just about anywhere
that sells kitchen products. In fact, buy two sizes because you will
find yourself reaching for them whenever you have to deal with meat on
the grill or in the oven; fish; vegetables; hot pans; or even when
moving food from cooking surface to plate. Toss out those old hot dog
grabbers and flimsy spatulas, and invest in a pair of real metal
tongs. (They're even great for breaking up bad behavior--try snapping
them a couple of times at misbehaving dogs or toddlers. Works like a
charm!)
CHEESE STRAWS FROM HEAVEN
Have you ever bought a box of cheese straws from the grocery, brought
it home dying for that homemade taste you get in Italian restaurants,
only to bite into it and taste... stale plastic? Here is an easy
solution to that little problem. Go to the grocery and buy a package
of frozen puff pastry along with a little container (you'll need only
1/2 cup) of grated Parmesan cheese. Defrost the puff pastry and
preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle half the Parmesan cheese out
on a work surface, lay the unfolded pastry on top of it, then sprinkle
the rest of the cheese on top of that. Roll out the dough with a
rolling pin, pressing the cheese into it, to a thickness of about 1/8
inch. Cut the pastry into long 1/2-inch wide strips, give each strip
several twists, then lay them 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake
until golden, about ten minutes. Allow to cool slightly but serve
still warm. Makes about 24 straws.
THE WONDERS OF CLAY POT COOKING
Terra cotta: right out of the earth. There is no simpler or
better-for-you method of cooking than the clay pot. Step into any
cooking store from Williams-Sonoma on down or up, and you will find a
large selection of clay pots for everything from baking bread to
paella. There is even an item known as the Chinese Sand Pot. Clay's
ability to retain moisture makes it ideal for long-cooked stews, rice
dishes, and beans. If you roast a chicken in one, you will never have
to give basting a thought. Simply soak the clay pot in water for 15
minutes. Place the chicken (coated with Kosher or sea salt) inside,
cover it, and bake it at 400 degrees for an hour. Best of all, these
pots are sinfully inexpensive.
TRACKING DOWN HARD-TO-FIND COOKBOOKS
There's nothing more frustrating than reading a food article that
refers you to an out-of-print cookbook the author swears is "the
greatest cookbook ever written." But in many cases, the solution is
just a keystroke away. For hard-to-find or even out-of-print
cookbooks, try these two sources on the Web:
http://www.jessicas.com
and
http://www.mxbf.com
HERBS ARE NOT JUST GOOD TO EAT
Because you often have to buy herbs in quantities too large to use at
once, they can easily go to waste. But try this with your extras: Use
them in bouquets. Their dark green or gray/silver leaves look grand
with flowers, particularly with the wide variety of field flowers now
available in farmers' markets across the land. They also make rooms
smell wonderful.
WHY YOU SHOULD USE FRESH GROUND PEPPER
Pepper, like many other spices, loses its vitality soon after it is
ground. This means that you can pretty much count on the pepper sold
in cans in supermarkets being, for all intents and purposes, dead. For
everyday use, buy whole peppercorns, store them in a dark cupboard,
and use a handful at a time in your peppermill. For special occasions,
try the different varieties (sold in specialty shops) of white, green,
or pink peppers. These are often sold premixed. You might also
consider flavoring your red or white wine vinegar with a small handful
of peppercorns--simply drop them into the bottle of vinegar, and let
the marriage begin!
GIVE YOUR PASTA ENOUGH WATER
Always use plenty of water when cooking pasta. If you don't, your
pasta will become gummy and pasty and take too long to cook. The best
ratio is 6 quarts per 1 pound of pasta. Dried pasta takes longer to
cook than fresh, and thicker noodles take longer than thin ones.
Pasta should not be overcooked or undercooked. It should be al dente,
as the Italians say, meaning just right to the teeth. The best way to
check it, therefore, is to bite into it.
JAZZ UP SOUPS AND SALADS WITH OVEN-BAKED CROUTONS
An old rule of the kitchen is that the simplest garnish is the best.
You just cannot beat a crisp crouton made from top-quality French or
Italian bread. Cut a brioche or baguette into 1/2-inch cubes and
spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle them lightly with olive oil and
brown for approximately 10 minutes in a 400-degree oven. Turn them
halfway through the browning. Let them cool slightly and use them
liberally in salads (especially Caesar salads) and soups.
ADDING FRUIT TO YOUR SPARKLING WINE
Next time you pass the bubbly to your guests before dinner, try this:
Plunge a whole strawberry into each glass. It will sink to the bottom,
soak up the champagne, and take on a wonderful flavor. As an
alternative, try dropping in small melon balls or green grapes. Every
little bit of nourishment helps during the slinging back of cocktails.
OVEREXTENDING THE COCKTAIL HOUR CAN RUIN YOUR DINNER
If you want your dinner guests (not to mention yourself) to appreciate
all your hard work, never let the downing of cocktails to go on longer
than an hour before the food is served. Despite the old myth about
liquor whetting the appetite, after a certain point, as we all know,
it dulls everything, including the palate. Not only will guests become
bored and/or obnoxious, but when the food finally is brought out, the
truly boozed-up will ignore it. Wine or champagne make much more
manageable pre-dinner drinks than hard liquor. Serve appetizers and
don't forget to stock up on sparkling and plain mineral water, which
will allow folks to pace themselves.
DON'T BURN THOSE KEBAB SKEWERS
Don't shy away from making shish kebabs in all their infinite variety
and beauty because you're timid about dealing with skewers. Here is
the foolproof way of handling wooden skewers. Soak them for a half
hour in lukewarm water. (This keeps them from drying out and becoming
fodder for the fire.) Drain them and immediately use them to spear the
meat or vegetables you are going to grill. Marinate the filled skewers
for a half hour before grilling. You'll find the whole experience
infinitely easier to handle.
STOP
BURNING THINGS TO A CRISP IN YOUR TOO-THIN WOK
You know the story. The recipe says, "On highest flame, stir-fry the
vegetables." But when you do, everything in the vicinity gets
splattered, the onions start burning, and the smoke alarm goes off.
The reason? Your wok's too thin. Many of us have the same woks we
started out with in college days--perhaps even purchased at the local
dime store or Goodwill. Give it the boot, and invest in a carbon steel
wok. Its principle of heat transfer is similar to that of an enameled
cast-iron pan: It cooks food quickly and efficiently. It's also much
more pleasing to look at than the old beat-up variety (even if you
remain fond of the latter for sentimental reasons).
AUTOMATIC RICE COOKER/STEAMER
When you're eating rice in a Japanese or Thai restaurant, do you ever
say to yourself, "How come I can't get rice to come out like
this?"
Chances are, it's because you boil your rice at home instead of
steaming it. And who can blame you? That's precisely what all the
package directions tell you to do. But the trade secret is that all of
the best-tasting rice is steamed. The easiest and most foolproof way
to accomplish that is with a rice cooker. It sits on the countertop
and looks something like a crock-pot. The interior is made of anodized
aluminum, marked with measurement lines so that you never mess up. And
then the rice stays warm and fluffy without drying out. There is more
than one kind available, but Rival makes a great one for $49.95.
ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES
In the non-summer months, the ideal vegetables for oven roasting are
root vegetables, particularly potatoes, turnips, carrots, and onions
(and you might also throw in some parsnips). You don't even have to
peel them first, but they do roast more uniformly if you parboil them.
Do that for about 15-20 minutes, then drain and cool them. Chop them
into large chunks, toss them in some olive oil, salt and pepper, and
roast them at 400 degrees for about a half hour or until they begin to
turn slightly crispy and golden brown on the outside. They're the
ideal accompaniment to roasts of any sort.
DON'T LET OVERRIPE BANANAS GO TO WASTE: FREEZE THEM
In recipes calling for banana pulp, such as those for banana bread,
muffins, or pancake, the easiest way to use the banana is this: Pull
it out of the freezer. That's right. Take it from the freezer to the
blender. When you see that bananas are heading toward rotting, even if
you're not planning to use them immediately, simply place them in the
freezer, and it will keep them fresh indefinitely. When you take a
banana out to use it in a recipe, you don't even need to let it thaw
first. The blades of the blender or processor will take care of that
for you. Frozen bananas also work wonderfully well in shakes and
smoothies.
WHIP THE MAYO
Remember Miracle Whip? Of course you do, because it's still around.
And still tasting awful, like sugar and air. That's because it IS
largely sugar and air. But the reason all those grandmas and aunts
(and perhaps granddads and uncles) used to crave it was for its
texture. (It couldn't have been the taste. It just could not.) Miracle
Whip is smooth. But guess what? You can make any mayonnaise smooth by
whipping it with a fork or wire whisk before you add it to a salad or
other recipe. Making your own with eggs and olive oil is, naturally,
the most flavorful route to take, but even if you use a store-bought
"real mayonnaise," lighten the load by whippin' it.
DON'T LET YOUR BABY LETTUCE ROT
The bane of a supermarket shopper's existence is those confounded
sprinkling systems they've got going in the produce section. Not only
have they been suspected of spreading such infelicitous contagion as
Legionnaire's disease, they also leave delicate vegetables drenched
and soggy. The most traumatized victim is baby lettuce (or mesclun
mix). You bag it up, sopping wet, in plastic, and by the time you put
it in your refrigerator, it has already begun to turn color and lose
any semblance of crispness. The solution? The moment you arrive home,
tear off two sections of paper towel, and surround the lettuce with
the toweling. It will absorb the moisture and keep the lettuce crisp
in your crisper.
CHERRY TOMATOES RULE
You know how every year you hear at least 200 people say, "They just
don't grow tomatoes like they used to?" Well, this of course is true
because, as with thousands of other products, they're mass-produced.
In the summertime, you can find real-life farmers at farmer's markets
all over town and country, but after that, a beefsteak tomato is
pretty much a tasteless, mealy experience. However, the same is not at
all true for miniature tomatoes. Many produce markets all over the
country carry delicious, bursting-with-flavor cherry, grape, and pear
tomatoes year-round. While they are ideal for salads, they can also be
substituted in any recipe calling for cooked tomatoes. If you're not
going to use them for sauteing, etc., then canned plum tomatoes are
preferable to tasteless larger ones.
BRING OUT THE BEST IN YOUR LOBSTER
If you're the kind of cook who's not squeamish about dropping live
lobsters into the pot, then the next time you do, try this. Before you
start to boil the water, squeeze the juice of one whole lemon into the
pot. If you're going to use the lobster in some kind of Chinese salad,
you can make it even zestier by adding, along with the lemon, a little
rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and sugar. This way, the
lobster itself will already be infused with Asian-type flavors.
HOECAKES
Southerners know hoecakes from way back. They were also called ashcake
because the cornmeal mixture was baked right in the coals of the open
fire. Here's a way to get the best of the colliding worlds of wheat
and cornmeal. The next time you make a pancake batter, substitute
cornmeal for half of the flour mixture. If the recipe calls for a cup
and a half of flour, use 3/4 cup flour and 3/4 cup cornmeal. The
result is lovely--a little like an old-fashioned johnny cake and a
little like a mush patty. Worlds collide!
WHY HOMEMADE BISCUITS SO OFTEN FAIL
There's an old southern saying: "You have to have a good heart and a
light hand" to make a proper biscuit. This cannot be emphasized
enough: Do not knead biscuit dough the way you knead bread dough.
Also, don't stir it too long or overhandle the dough as you cut it.
Biscuit dough may in fact be the ONLY food that southerners don't
overwork!
DROP COOKIES
Drop cookies, as you probably know, are much easier to make than
rolled and cut cookies. All you have to do is mix up the batter and
drop it by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. But there are a couple of
pointers to keep in mind. A sheet of cookies will bake more evenly if
they're all about the same size. Cookie sheets should be cool when you
drop the dough onto them, or the cookies will instantly start to
spread, causing them to turn out flat. If you don't have several
cookie sheets, then rinse them with cold water between batches.
MARGARINE MESSES UP BAKING
Remember those old margarine commercials from the 1970s? "Only Mother
Nature knows for sure!" What a crock of non-butter. Anyone with a
tastebud on her tongue instantly knows the difference between the
imposter and the real thing. And the way consumers were truly led
astray was by the myth that margarine is much lower in fat content
than butter. Not true, unless you're using one of the plastic-like
"diet margarines" with a high water content. Never substitute one
of
these in a baking recipe, or you'll be one sorry cookie. The real
question is why use margarine at all for baking? To get any kind of
decent outcome, you have to use the margarine solid sticks, with a fat
content of at least 80 percent. Why not go the extra 20 percent and
get the genuine taste. Then cut back by eating two cookies instead of
four. In the Taste vs. Volume showdown, taste wins every time!
CREAM OF TARTAR: WHAT IS IT?
Recently in a grocery store, a guy wandering down the spice aisle in
something of a daze asked me if I knew whether cream of tartar is
related to tartar sauce. Huh? It was a little scary to think about
what he might be planning to do in the kitchen. (That's sort of like
asking if macaroons are related to macaroni.) Tartar sauce, the zesty
condiment for fish and seafood, was a French invention--like Steak
Tartare, the vegetarian's nightmare. Both were named for a region, as
"in the manner of the Tartare." But cream of tartar is a
by-product of
grape juice--actually, of winemaking. It's a fine white powder
(actually a chemical called potassium acid tartrate) added to egg
whites while you're beating them to help stabilize them and making for
better leavening. Cream of tartar, too, may have originated in France,
but it shows up earlier in Middle English.
BAKING POWDER MUST BE FRESH
Unlike baking soda (which has single action), baking powder is double
acting--it contains both baking soda and an acid ingredient (usually
sodium aluminum sulfate). When you mix it with liquid, baking powder
immediately begins to release carbon dioxide bubbles, more of which
are released while your batter is baking in the oven. Fresh baking
powder is a must--to test for freshness, stir one-half teaspoon into a
cup of warm water, and if it doesn't fizz up instantly, throw it out.
Store new baking powder in a tightly closed container, and never keep
it for longer than a year.
PASTRY CLOTH
Dusting your work surface, dough, and/or rolling pin with a lot of
extra flour can end up making your pastry crust tough and too chewy.
Instead, try a pastry cloth (a sheet of cotton canvas) for your
rolling pin. (In some stores, they are called "rolling pin
sleeves.")
They require only a light dusting of flour, and some even come with
measured rounds marked on them to help you roll dough to just the
right size.
FOOD AND WINE: REDUCTION SAUCES
Here's how to do the simplest kind of wine cookery you could imagine:
When you've finished sauteing or pan-grilling a steak or chop, put it
on a warm plate and set it aside for a moment. Pour off all the fat,
then put your skillet back on the fire. Turn up the heat to high, and
pour in about 1/2 cup of leftover wine. Stir it, scraping the bottom
to incorporate all those good crunchy bits, and continue cooking and
stirring until the liquid thickens to a tasty sauce. Pour it over the
meat, and serve.
WOODEN
BREADBOXES ARE BEST
Your grandmother knew what she was doing, storing bread in a wooden
breadbox. Hardwood keeps bread fresh longer.
STOP
FIGHTING WITH YOUR CAN OPENER
Ever have the feeling that your can opener is not very loyal either to
you or the can? I'm talking about the hand-held ones; electric ones
are even worse! Here's one that will be your faithful partner, maybe
forever. It's made by Henckels--those famous knife people from
Solingen, Germany. It's called the Henckels Gear-Driven Can Opener,
and it has black, textured handles (longer than on other brands) that
make it easier to hold. It also comes with a built-in bottle opener
that actually works.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CARDAMOM
First of all, there's an argument about the actual name of this Indian
spice. Some recipes spell it with an "m" at the end, and others
with
an "n." But however it's spelled, they're all referring to the
same
spice--an aromatic member of the ginger family, used not just in
desserts and teas, but to flavor all sorts of spicy curry-type dishes.
In some areas of the world, it's even used medicinally! But it
certainly does not taste like medicine. The subtlest and best flavor
comes from the cardamom pod--little green pistachio-like shapes that
contain inside them the cardamom seed. The shelled seeds are most
often sold in bottles in grocery stores, but they begin to lose flavor
the moment they leave the pods. Don't be shy about using the pods and
just leaving them whole in whatever dish you are preparing--they even
add color, and it certainly won't hurt your diners to bite into one.
There is also Black Cardamom from Africa, which has a richer, much
smokier flavor but not much subtlety. Use these pods only in dishes
that can stand up to them (such as doro wat).
MEASURING CUP SECRET
Here's a little something chefs (if they measure at all) have always
kept under their hats. For measuring liquid, use a clear or glass
measuring cup that is carefully marked by ounces, spoons, milliliters,
and so forth, because this allows you to be exact. For measuring dry
ingredients, use metal cups because they are much easier to level off
with a knife. Every kitchen needs both kinds.
THE WILTED LETTUCE SALAD, UPDATED
Many a mid-century Midwesterner grew up on the wilted lettuce salad,
made either with bibb lettuce or overgrown endive. Here is an updated,
tastier version of that salad, made with Belgian endive, adapted from
Gourmet magazine. It serves 2 people as a meal in itself:
4-5 bacon slices, fried and drained
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
4 endives, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
2 ounces Stilton cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Whisk together oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add
last three ingredients and toss to coat. Crumble bacon over salad and
serve.
TAKE
THE GRIND OUT OF ZESTING LEMON RIND
How many times have you cheated in a dessert calling for the
"zest" of
lemon or orange peel? You think, Oh, what the heck? How important can
zest be? And then you either just squeeze in a little juice or forego
it altogether. Well, actually, zest is rather important in things like
lemon cake or the world's many chocolate-orange dessert recipes. The
good news is you can use the Microplane grater, which features
razor-sharp edges that let you remove the zest of lemon, orange, and
grapefruit effortlessly. The Microplane graters come in different
sizes for grating other foods, such as cheese and fresh ginger.
Microplane graters are now available for less than $10 at most gourmet
or specialty food shops, or you can order from
http://www.microplane.com
MAKING THE PERFECT CHILI--PART 5 OF 5: MASA HARINA, THE
THICKENER
Masa harina is the flour ground from corn that's used to make
tortillas. It is much finer than cornmeal and has a stronger, fuller
taste. It is the ingredient most often used in true Mexican dishes
that provides the final wallop of flavor. You can now find it in most
American grocery stores. Not only does it make your chili taste like
the real thing, it also lends it the perfect smooth texture. Even if
you have made a mistake in estimating your liquid content, you can
correct it with masa harina. Start with a tablespoon. When the chili
mixture begins to bubble, it will thicken. At this point, you can
decide whether you need more masa harina.
MAKING THE PERFECT CHILI--PART 4 OF 5: THE LIQUIDS
The following liquid combination brings into balance all of the
flavors from your spice mixture.
3 Roma tomatoes (along with their juice), finely chopped
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 can of beef broth
1 bottle of ale
Adjust seasonings to taste. Add water if necessary.
MAKING THE PERFECT CHILI--PART 3 OF 5: THE SPICE MIXTURE
You may have an old family chili recipe that calls for 2 tablespoons
of chili powder as its main spice ingredient. Or you may be prone to
prepackaged mixes available in grocery stores. If you've found
something you love, you're probably not inclined to change your tune.
But if you'd like to concoct something truer in taste to a true
Mexican chili--the kind you might find in the Yucatan Peninsula rather
than on the Tex-Mex border--try this spice mixture:
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 square bitter chocolate
1 tablespoon sugar
salt
pepper
These measurements are for a pot of chili using 1 pound of meat and
serving 4-6 people. Multiply them accordingly if you are increasing
the volume of the recipe.
MAKING
THE PERFECT CHILI--PART 2 OF 5: SAUTEING THE
ONIONS
Too many recipes (especially the ones you buy in premixed packages in
stores) tell you to throw everything together at once in the pot. This
is not a good idea. As we've already seen, first the meat has to brown
properly. But so do the onions. Don't brown the onions with the meat.
You can achieve optimal onion flavor by sauteing them after you have
removed all of the meat from the pan. This way you will be using not
only the original oil you started with but whatever fat has been
rendered from the meat. One large Spanish onion, sliced, should do the
trick. When the onions have reached a slightly reddish golden-brown
color, you are ready for the next step. Now is the time to pour off
the excess fat.
MAKING THE PERFECT CHILI--PART 1 OF 5: BROWN YOUR MEAT IN
BATCHES
If you are using ground beef, know that it's not going to get truly
brown unless it has a little fat in it. Whether you are using ground
beef to make the standard Tex-Mex chili, sirloin tips to make Texas
chili, or something else (such as chicken or pork), it's imperative
that you brown the meat in batches so that it fries and sizzles rather
than steams. Frying enhances flavor; steaming dulls it. Begin by using
a heavy cast-iron pot. Place just enough oil in it to cover the
bottom. When you add the meat, make sure that you can still see
patches of the bottom of the pan. Remove the first batch when it is
crackling golden brown, drain it, add the next batch, and continue.
ROLLING OUT PASTRY ON MARBLE
Don't lose your marbles trying to achieve light and fluffy pastry
dough that does not stick when you roll it out. Use an actual marble
pastry board. You may already have a marble cutting board in your
house that you use for cheeses or that you just leave on your
countertop. If so, put it to work doing double duty. The little rubber
"feet" on it keep it in place so that it can stand up to the
pressure
of a rolling pin (and not scratch your countertop in the bargain), and
the cool, shiny surface turns out lighter dough because you use less
flour. A stainless steel rolling pin doesn't hurt, either.
BREAK UP CHOCOLATE WITH A CHOCOLATE BREAKING FORK
We've all had to deal with them--those recipes that call for a fourth
of a square of unsweetened chocolate. You stand at your chopping board
sawing away at the square only to have it all crumble up, and you're
not even sure how much you've got. Someone in Denmark has come up with
a solution: the Chocolate Fork, a six-tined metal fork with a wooden
handle. Each tine is probably heavy enough on its own to break up a
square, but when you get the power of all six of them together, you
are ready to do some serious busting up of chocolate, whether you are
getting it ready for melting, shredding, or simply eating.
UNSTICK EVEN THE CRUMBLIEST MUFFINS AND MINI-LOAVES
Made in Germany, aluminum pans with a matte silver finish and a black
nonstick interior will never, under any circumstances, require you to
pry out the baked goods. Perhaps even better, they eliminate the need
for soaking and scrubbing afterwards. The foolproof method is to use,
in small quantity, whatever shortening you are using to lubricate the
molds. Place the pan in the freezer for 5 minutes before pouring in
the batter. At the end of baking time, let the muffins or mini-loaves
cool for about 8 minutes, then remove them so that they do not steam
on the bottom and become overcooked. Dip the pans in the soapsuds,
rinse, and you are through with your chore.
REHEATING PASTA
The best way to reheat cold pasta stored in the refrigerator is also
the simplest way. There is no need to recook it and especially no need
to microwave it. The only way to avoid altering its flavor or texture
is this: Place it in a colander, run it for one minute under the
hottest tap water, let it drain completely, then serve with reheated
sauce. And remember that pasta, like rice, does not fare well after
more than three days in the refrigerator.
THE CEDAR PLANK METHOD OF COOKING FISH
As natives of the North Country know, the most natural way to grill
fish is on a cedar plank over an open fire. The essence of cedar is
imparted to the fish, giving it an incomparable flavor. Not many of
us, however, have the opportunity for cooking over an open fire. The
next best thing is a genuine cedar plank, treated so that you can use
it in the oven. It comes with its own caddy so that you can carry it
directly from the oven to the table. Look for the Original Chinook
Cedar Baking Plank, and make your fish-cooking time both quicker and
tastier.
THE SALT CELLAR
It's not just wine that needs to be stored in a cellar in order to be
served perfectly. If you are a serious cook, then you probably use
Kosher or sea salt rather than iodized table salt in the kitchen.
These large-grain salts, of course, will not work in shakers, because
no shaker holes are large enough to allow their passage. You have to
store them in ceramic bowls, but what kind of ceramic bowls? Take a
tip from French and Italian chefs, who store their salt in glazed
porcelain cellars, with a kind of a hooded tunnel-like opening that
protects the salt from the elements of the kitchen, like gnats, fruit
flies, and spattering grease or water. You can keep it right next to
the stove, where you will need it most often, and it will be perfectly
safe.
A KITCHEN SCALE MAKES KITCHEN LIFE EASIER
More often than not, a recipe will tell you to use, instead of "a cup
of tomatoes" or "two diced potatoes," a "pound" or
"3/4 pound" of
whatever vegetable. You're probably left wondering, how the heck much
is a pound? European cooks for decades, if not centuries, have relied
on kitchen scales as a necessary foundation for cooking. The best
scales are unobtrusive, blending right in with the decor of your
kitchen. The Salter scale, which looks rather like an old-fashioned
barometer, is one of these. It's petite, comes in a blonde wood
casing, and has a chrome dial and stainless steel tray. At only 8 and
1/2 inches tall, it is shorter than your coffeepot and will fit nicely
on the countertop next to it. Now you can measure ingredients with
precision.
THE SECRET TO CERAMIC BAKING
Whether you are baking something in a glazed or unglazed pan, it is
always best with ceramic to start the dish in a cold oven. Place your
assembled casserole, pie, etc., in the center of an oven that has not
yet been turned on. Turn the oven on to the appropriate temperature,
and allow 5-10 minutes extra baking time in addition to what the
recipe calls for. Many ceramic dishes will crack in temperatures above
375 degrees, so be careful.
GET A LOT MORE MILEAGE OUT OF TOMATO PASTE IN A TUBE
How many times have you opened a can of tomato paste only to use a
tablespoon or two for the recipe you are working with? You dutifully
wrap the can in foil or plastic, stick it in the fridge, only to find
it a few weeks later... no longer looking like tomato paste. What a
waste. Yet exactly the same substance comes in a tube just like
toothpaste, which allows you to use the amount you need and then store
the rest. Tomato paste in a tube will keep in the refrigerator for
months after you open it, and each time you use it, it will taste just
as fresh as the first time.
TRY
GRITS INSTEAD OF CORNMEAL
Recipes for foods that are pan-fried, such as trout, salmon patties,
or bean cakes, often call for cornmeal as a coating. For an extra bit
of crunchiness and flavor, try substituting uncooked grits, which are
also made from cornmeal. Just use the same amount of grits that you
would if you were using cornmeal. See if anyone notices the tasty
difference!
THINNING
YOUR CHILLED SOUP
If you've ever made your own soup and stored the leftovers in the
refrigerator, you know it thickens as it sits. But be careful when you
reheat it. On the one hand, you don't want it to scorch from being too
thick. On the other hand, you don't want to overestimate how thick it
is. Let it begin to warm up before you add water. When it is just
starting to get warm, you will be better able to judge its
consistency.
SUN-DRY
YOUR OWN TOMATOES OVERNIGHT!
As most folks know, sun-dried tomatoes are not cheap. Not only that,
but if you try to sun-dry them yourself, they could mold away or be
stolen by raccoons and other varmints before they get through drying.
But you can make your own while you sleep. Just before bedtime, halve
all of the tomatoes in a container of cherry tomatoes. In a large
bowl, drizzle them with olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and
pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 175
degrees. When you get up in the morning, there they will be: intensely
flavored little beauties. If you want to keep them dry, you can store
them in a plastic bag. If you want oiled tomatoes, store them in a jar
covered with olive oil. They will keep indefinitely in the
refrigerator.
CARMELIZING
AN ONION
Contrary to popular assumption, carmelized onions are not cooked in
sugar. Their sweetness comes about naturally by their long-term,
slow-frying in a combination of oil and butter. You don't want to use
only butter because it burns too easily. But a blend of about 2
tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter per 4 cups of
thinly sliced onion works nicely. Brown them slowly and steadily in
the melted shortening over medium heat for about a half hour. Toward
the end, add a generous pinch of salt, which actually enhances the
sweetness. They should be a beautiful reddish brown. (If you want them
extra-sweet, you can add a tablespoon of brown sugar with the salt,
but they really will be quite sweet on their own.)
TASTIEST
BBQ SAUCE, EAST OR WEST
In the food world there are a lot of very, very complicated barbecue
sauces, ranging from dry rubs to marinades. A little secret the
Chinese have always known is: Keep it simple. Rely on hoisin sauce.
Try this mixture if you're cooking for two (for four or more, double
or triple it): 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce, 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2
tablespoons peanut oil, 4 minced cloves of garlic. You can use it
either as a marinade or to brush on during grilling.
SQUID
AND OCTOPUS: WHAT'S THE DIFF?
Both squid (calamari) and octopus are members of the cephalopod
family, a class of mollusks. They are carnivorous, which means they
bite. So look out, if ever you run into a live one. The main
difference is that squid are long and slender with all of their eight
legs at one end, while octopus are more floaty and amorphous looking,
with their eight legs spread all around their bodies. Both are lean,
muscular animals, high in protein and low in fat, and they are
considered "complete" foods because they provide all of the
essential
amino acids. Either one is much easier to work with if purchased
already cleaned.
RAISINS
AND CURRANTS: WHAT'S THE DIFF?
First of all, check out the spelling, folks. A "current" is either
"what's happenin'" or a swirling movement in a body of water. A
"currant," on the other hand, can be had either fresh or dried.
Fresh,
they come black, red, or white, and the black ones (used to make creme
de cassis, for instance) are the most valuable. You don't see them
very often in the U.S. The dried ones, however, you see all the
time--right next to the raisins in the dried fruits section of the
grocery. But guess what: They're not dried currants--they're actually
dried, dark-skinned black Corinth grapes. Raisins, though, are dried
Muscat grapes or dried Thompson grapes or even dried Sultana grapes.
What's the taste difference? (It's kind of like asking what's the
difference between a bottle of Merlot and a bottle of Syrah.) Raisins
are a tiny bit sweeter and grainier than currants. Make sure you know
what your recipe is asking for.
BEANS
AND RICE: THE PERFECT MARRIAGE
Not for nothing did Louis Armstrong sign his autographs, "Red Beans
and Ricely Yours." Here is why beans and rice throughout the world are
served together. Beans by themselves are an incomplete protein. They
need either an iron-rich food (meat, for instance) or grains to make
them "complete." Beans and rice contain complementary amino acids;
what the former lacks, the latter has, and vice versa. So, whether
you're eating them in a stew served over rice or mixed up together in
a bean cake or patty, you're doing the right thing by joining them.
COOLING
A CAKE
Anyone who has ever baked a cake knows that the trickiest (some would
even say scariest) part of the whole process is removing the cake from
the pan. The only easy way to remove the finished cake and cool it--no
matter what kind of pan you use--is this: Allow the cake to rest for
25 minutes in the pan. Use a regular knife (not a sharp knife) around
its edges before turning it upside down onto a cooling rack. Let it
cool for at least another half hour before frosting it. This will
allow it to firm up and cool from every direction. (If you leave it in
the pan for longer than this, the cake will begin to steam, and the
sides will become too moist, making it difficult to spread the icing.)
MORE
ABOUT CHEESE: HOW TO SERVE IT
This is, hands down, the most important fact to know about cheese:
Serve it at room temperature. If you're having a party and plan to
serve cheese as one of the appetizers, take it out of the refrigerator
at least 45 minutes before the guests arrive. Not only will it be more
sliceable and spreadable, it will also be ten times more flavorful.
Refrigeration retards the cheese's ripeness. This is particularly true
for goat cheese, which you should remove from the cold at least two
hours before serving it.
TOP
YOUR CHEESECAKE WITH FRESH FRUIT
A lot of people want to eat their cheesecake plain. This is primarily
because too many fruit toppings in cheesecake recipes overdo the sweet
stuff. They're too sugary and jelled, and the fruit ends up too far
away from its original state. This is a shame, for fruit and cheese
are natural complements to each other. But here's a way to remedy the
situation. When your cheesecake is completely chilled and you remove
it from the refrigerator to serve it, simply top it with a pint of
fresh blueberries or raspberries--or even a combination of the two. It
will look beautiful and taste divine.
CHILLING STEAMED ASPARAGUS
This actually applies to any vegetable a recipe requires you to steam
and then chill. The trick is to get the vegetable to exactly the right
stage of crispy tenderness, which means you have to rely on your eye.
Crispy tenderness is usually synchronized with full color. When
carrots are bright orange, they are perfect. When asparagus or
broccoli is bright green, it is ready to leave the heat. But then you
have to stop the cooking immediately, and the way to do this is to
drain the vegetables (gently) in a colander and right away run cold
water over them. Keep the cold water going until there is no heat
whatsoever left in the vegetables. Next allow all the water to drain
from them (so that they don't get soggy), and finally they are ready
for the refrigerator.
A SHORTCUT FOR PASTA DISHES WITH SPINACH
If you like to use spinach instead of meat in lasagna or ziti recipes,
here's a simple shortcut. Many recipes instruct you either to drain a
frozen package of spinach or to steam or saute fresh spinach before
assembling the casserole. But that's not necessary. Instead, place a
bunch of fresh adult or baby spinach in your colander before you are
ready to drain the pasta. Then drain the pasta right on top of the
spinach, and the water from the pan will "cook" your spinach as
much
as it needs to be cooked. Immediately rinse both pasta and spinach in
cold running water. Now you're ready to assemble.
MEATLOAF
FILLER THAT TASTES FULLER
You know how when you buy a meatloaf mixture pre-made at the grocery,
it sometimes tastes a little sawdusty? Or you order it in a
bistro-type place and wonder if the waiter mistook what you said for
"rice loaf"? Well, say good-bye to all that, and try this. Whether
you
use ground beef as your meat base or some mixture of ground beef with
veal, pork, or lamb, add the following: 1 grated carrot, 3 tablespoons
grated onion, 1 egg, a large splash of whole milk, a few tablespoons
of ketchup, and approximately 1 cup of finely ground Cheerios. Yes,
Cheerios! They not only enhance the texture of your loaf, they also
add a heap of extra nutrition. (If you want the loaf even fuller, you
can also soak a slice or two of French bread in the milk before adding
it.) Mix it all thoroughly, and chill it for a half hour before
forming it into a loaf.
GETTING
EXTRA IRON OUT OF YOUR IRON
Iron skillet, that is. In the previous tip, we ended by forming a
meatloaf into a loaf shape. Now, the way to give your wonder loaf an
extra hit of nutrition is to bake it in a well-seasoned cast-iron
skillet--not cast iron coated with enamel, but the genuine, black
article. Yes, the iron skillet contains the mineral that wards off
anemia. If you don't have one handed down by your family, now is the
time to get your own skillet going. Follow directions on the tag for
initial seasoning. But be sure never to let it soak in water or remain
wet for any length of time. Upon drying, you should immediately coat
the skillet with oil that you wipe out with a paper towel. Then leave
it coated until the next time you use it. This is how it becomes
seasoned. Once you start using it, you'll want to use it for nearly
everything you bake that will fit in it, except tomato-based products,
which will turn more acidic when in contact with iron or aluminum.
MAKING SURE YOUR DOUGH WILL RISE
Dissolve one package of dry yeast into 1/4 cup of water that is
slightly cool to the touch, about 85 degrees F. Yeast is killed at
temps of more than 105 degrees, so while cool water may slow proofing
time, it will avoid killing the yeast. Add one teaspoon of sugar, to
feed the yeast. Yeast is a fungus that feeds on sugars and gluten in
flour. It in turn multiplies and produces carbon dioxide as a
by-product. Carbon dioxide bubbles cause dough to rise. Stir to
dissolve yeast and sugar. It will take about ten minutes until the
yeast begins to bubble or foam. If it does not foam, it is not alive
and should not be used. Combine the entire proofed mixture with the
liquid ingredients in your dough recipe. Remember that rich
ingredients such as butter, oil, honey, and even salt slow the rising
action of the yeast, so be sure to allow for enough rising time when
baking with these ingredients.
THE CAFETIERE
You've probably seen them on programs from the BBC or in French or
German films--those coffee pots that look like they have a plunger in
them? Well, they do have a plunger, sort of. A plunger with a filter
underneath it. Here's how they work. You put two tablespoons of ground
coffee into the bottom of the glass cafetiere for every six ounces of
water you're using. Pour in the boiling water. Place the lid on, but
leave the plunger up for three minutes. Then press the plunger-filter
to the bottom. Voila! European coffee. The cafetiere, despite its
French name, was actually invented in Germany. This method of steeping
the coffee, rather than brewing, percolating, or dripping it, gives
the final product a richer, stronger flavor. Bodum is the most popular
brand on this side of the Atlantic, and they're available (in various
sizes) in many coffee bars as well as gourmet shops and catalogs.
ROASTED ARTICHOKE HEARTS
Nothing brings out the full flavor of artichokes like roasting them on
the grill. It's a match made in food heaven. And it's so simple to do.
It doesn't even matter if you're using frozen, canned, or fresh--the
roasting will enhance the taste of even the dullest choke. Just
marinate the artichoke hearts in one-fourth cup of your favorite
vinaigrette for an hour or more, then toss them onto the grill until
they get just slightly charred on all sides. Remove them and chill
them. They're especially good when combined with grilled portabello
mushrooms and red onions.
SIMPLIFYING BREAD PUDDING
The majority of bread pudding recipes call for a separate whiskey
sauce to be poured over the pudding at the end of baking time. While
the sweet wonder of such a sauce cannot be beat, you may want to try
this handy alternative, which makes your house smell even cozier
during the lengthy baking time of bread pudding: Mix a half cup of
bourbon right into the bread pudding recipe before baking--along with
the bread, milk, cream, sugar, butter, eggs, and whatever else you use
in your favorite recipe.
SELECTING SAKE
Along with the rage for Japanese food made at home come questions
about which sake to buy. A trip to the liquor store can be downright
overwhelming. Some sakes are meant to be served hot, others at room
temperature, and still others cold. The most important fact to know is
that the terms "Ginjo" and "Dai-ginjo" on the label mean
"superior"
and "superior premium." These indicate the highest grades of both
pure
rice (from which all sake is derived) and fortified sake.
"Futsu-shu" is the lowest grade sake and is used in Japan most
often
as cooking wine. "Honjozo-shu" is a slightly better grade and is
stronger and fuller; it can be served hot or cold. "Junmai-shu" is
made from koji rice, yeast and water, and is usually served at room
temp. "Kijo-shu" is sweeter and is generally served as an
aperitif.
And "Nigori," which is cloudy or "impure" and
effervescent, is
slightly sweet and therefore served at the end of a meal.
BRINING YOUR CHICKEN BEFORE FRYING IT
As most of us know, there are almost as many recipes for fried chicken
as there are chickens themselves. Some cooks use buttermilk, while
others insist the chicken should not have any sort of "wet" batter
to
fry properly. But the one fact nearly all southern cooks agree on in
dishin' up their specialty is that the chicken should be "brined"
before it meets the iron skillet. Here's how to do it:
Pour 4 cups of cold water into a large bowl. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 3/4
cup kosher salt. Stir to dissolve. Place pieces of a whole chicken,
cut up, in brine, then set aside in a cool place to soak for two
hours. Drain, rinse, then pat dry with paper towels. This process
keeps the chicken moist and tender on the inside throughout the frying
process.
MELTED
LEEKS
Yes, you read that right: melted leeks. Specifically, Molly O'Neill's
recipe for Melted Leeks with White Wine Braise:
8 large leeks
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced
Preheat the oven to 350. Cut off and discard the tough green tops of
the leeks. Slice the leeks in half lengthwise and rinse well to remove
grit. Cut the leeks on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices, transfer
them to a 13- by 9-inch baking dish, and toss them with the salt and
pepper. Drizzle with the wine, dot with the butter, and cover the dish
tightly with foil.
Place the leeks in the oven and bake until they are very soft, about
70 minutes. They are good enough to eat on their own, but you will
probably want to use them in the Frittata recipe in our next tip.
SPICE BLENDS--PART 3 OF 4: SOUTH AFRICAN HOT CURRY POWDER
This spice blend is specifically meant to be used as a dry rub for
grilled fish. The turmeric lends the fish a nice golden color. Mix
together:
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/8 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp turmeric
SPICE
BLENDS--PART 1 OF 4: BERBERE
In all of the world's hot regions where spices grow readily and in
abundance, the indigenous people have concocted their own spice
blends. Many of them, for the sake of convenience among westerners,
have come to be called "curry," but there are literally hundreds
of
different curry blends. Spice blends, however, go beyond even the
parameters of curry. Africa, in particular, has some lovely names for
its mixtures, and even better is the taste they impart to stews and
soups. In Ethiopia, the main pepper seasoning is called "Berbere,"
but
as you will see by the list of ingredients, the spiciness does not
come from the pepper alone! You're also bound to love the way the
roasting of the seeds makes your house smell.
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tbsp salt
1-1/4 cups (yes, cups!) cayenne pepper
1/2 cup paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
In a heavy saucepan, toast the first eight spices for 5 minutes. Add
the remaining spices and continue stirring for about 12 minutes. Cool
and store it in a tightly covered glass jar. This will keep in your
refrigerator for up to 6 months.
BALSAMIC
VINEGAR--THE REAL THING
Balsamic vinegar gets its name from the wood barrels in which it is
aged. The real thing, the "tradizionale" vinegar, is aged in a
succession of wood barrels over 25 years and must be approved by a
panel of master tasters. It is made from unfermented grapes. As Lynn
Rosetta Casper, of "The Splendid Table," explains it, "More a
liqueur
or sauce than a vinegar, true artisan-made balsamic can contain no
wine vinegar and is made only in the provinces of Modena and Reggio in
Northern Italy. Families treat it as treasure. Use it by the drop
(it's so rich you won't need more), on cooked dishes such as grilled
salmon, roasted meats and poultry, polenta, pasta, risotto, fruit, and
don't miss it on vanilla ice cream." One reason it's treated as a
treasure is that it costs nearly $200 per bottle! The more affordable
balsamic vinegar, now widely available in grocery stores, is made with
wine vinegar and varies in bitterness depending on what has been added
to it. Casper recommends adding a large pinch of brown sugar to it for
whatever recipe you're using it in.
SWEET
GRILLED VEGETABLES
By now, most of us know that grilling vegetables right along with the
meat (or instead of meat!) is an easy, no-mess way to a complete
outdoor meal. Some cooks throw everything but the kitchen sink onto
the grill and call it a day. But if you want a sweet and simple
accompaniment to some grilled pork or chicken, try this. Parboil a few
new potatoes, carrots, and baby onions. Quarter the carrots and
potatoes, then place them into a large bowl with the onions. In a
small jar, mix together about four tablespoons of olive oil with the
juice of one lemon and a tablespoon of brown sugar. Toss the
vegetables in the oil mixture. Sprinkle it all with sea salt and
freshly ground black pepper. Grill for about 15 minutes or until
nicely browned. The little bit of sweetness will have everyone asking,
"Where did you buy these vegetables?"
NO-BOIL
LASAGNA NOODLES
A few years ago, no-boil lasagna noodles revolutionized the world of
home cooks craving this dish. Many cooks seem to find the boiling and
draining of the noodles the most annoying part of making it. While
purists still insist that noodles be boiled before the layering and
baking commence, there are a couple of ways to make the no-boil
variety more like the genuine article. The first is to soak the
noodles for a few minutes before using them. This lessens the chance
that the noodles will dry out during the baking process. The other
(and more important) method is to increase the liquid in whatever
recipe you are using. One way to do this is to decrease the cooking
time of your tomato sauce. Another is to add a bit of water and wine
at the end of making the sauce. If you are using no-boil noodles in a
traditional lasagna recipe, you should have approximately one-fourth
cup more liquid in the sauce portion of it.
