DAN’S INSTITUTE OF FOODOLOGY, Vol. 2 9/08/14 Hi, there, Thanks for stopping by again. I got a little wordy last week, and I thought I might bored you. I’ll make it shorter today. It’s good to see you. Well, I can’t see you, but… SANDWICH ENGINEERING PRINCIPLE The biggest problem? Bread gets soggy from the ingredients that contain water – tomatoes, lettuce, cukes, etc. Butter, mayo, guacamole, peanut butter – solid fats, that is -- applied all over the bread, keeps out the water. Try it with and without a shmear of fat and check after an hour. Both the veggies and the bread will be intact. NB: Add salt only before eating; salt leeches water (which creates crispiness in the veg) and it goes somewhere else. A VEXING FOOD PACKAGING PROBLEM SOLVED ONCE AND FOR ALL Peanut butter! Love it, right? But, with many premium brands, the oil separates out (heck, so far, fat and oil is the theme of this column). What to do? Stir it in the jar….? It takes too much effort and does not do the whole job. Pour off the oil and discard? Heaven forbid! Here’s what: With a soup spoon, scoop it all into a large mixing bowl. Take a large fork and slowly mix it all up. Really well. With a soup spoon, scoop it back into the jar and close, or use. Wash the jar if oily. Then, keep it in the fridge or on the window sill in the winter. If you shelve it in the kitchen, it will re-separate after a while. Parents: This is great food prep for aardvarks, and yes, they will likely finger scoop the mixing bowl afterwards. Your call on that one. PRESSURE COOKERY So, you (James Palmer, that is, and maybe you, also) want to know if you should buy, and use, a pressure cooker. In a nutshell, since the water heats in a closed chamber, the boiling point is increased…the food is being heated beyond 212F, which can be a good thing. So, yes, you should get one. But, why trust my word? Since, according to John Dewey, the best learning is practical, ask friends to invite you over when they plan to use theirs. Watch, and try it yourself. Cooking dried beans, making really rich stocks, any wet cooking, boiling water faster, for say, pasta, fast steaming without much water…these are only some of the uses of the pressure cooker. I use mine every week. It’s a cliché, but I would not be without one. Know ye that they are safe. For history and science, read here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pressure_cooking. If you go this route, get Lorna Sass’s “Pressure Perfect” and read every word of the section introductions, several times. GREAT YOUTUBE FOOD VIDEOS Curtis Stone demonstrating how to prepare salmon filets with crisp skin. Golden. Any video by Chef John on his “Food Wishes” channel. Not only is he a brilliant chef, but he is a voice talent, as well. Being a singer and educator myself, this is my kind of brilliant chef! Hey, thanks for coming over. Sorry I don’t have anything to offer you today. I finished today’s batch of Eggplant Thing all by myself. I was hungry. If you come by again, maybe bring something from YOUR kitchen. Chow! P.S. Who needs Godiva, Hershey’s, Valrhona, Lindt, Almond Joy, Twinkies, David Greenberg pastries, Scottish shortbread cookies, chocolate croissants, almond croissants, Halva, coconut cream pie, gelato, Trader Joes various chocolates, baklava, etc., when….when…. we have local summer cantaloupe, I ask you?... Anyone? Let the comments commence. Dan
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 13:58:19 +0000
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