Tea Redefined

Tea is one of those ordinary must haves that no one thinks about and is used daily. However there much more to it than just a morning drink or a soother after a hard day, There are different types and different ways to brew this bunch of exotic leaves.It's more than just a  cup, it's a work of nature's art. meant to be sipped , not guzzled.

Newcomer Susan Chira wrote about this ancient and fascinating drink in yesterday's New York Times Food section, For years the beverage took a back seat to coffee, especially since the growth of Starbucks. That's all changing thanks to the same company buying Tea-vana, a throwback to the tea emporiums of the 19th Century. Tea sales have reached 11 billion last years and sales will most likely increase/ thanks to more and more restaurants featuring  the drink.    Teas vary and with them taste as well.Just as with grapes for wine and champagne where teas leaves are grown influence how they'll taste. Everything   from  elevation to soil quality , origin to age are important on how the final product will taste. There are even comparisons of the leafhoppers in oolong leaves have comparisons to botrytis,the fungus that is attached to Bordeaux wines. Even the prices are hitting the same stratosphere as the wines, An aged pu-erth is a whopping $45,000 for one cake of compressed tea leaves.New Yorkers can experience less expensive but still delicious leaves at such hangouts as Fang. This tea house, run by a Taiwanese family has more than seventy teas to try and at a more reasonable price range of five to ten dollars.

Tea lovers can try gourmet teas at home. There is a how to with the article, on how to brew a proper pot.It starts with the water. If the water is too hot it can burn the leaves and ruin the flavor. The temp for white tea should be 180 degrees while green tea should be brewed with water that's been heated to between 175 and 180 degrees.The same heat should be applied to the Japanese match a tea.Oolong tea requires more heat, from 175 to 200 degrees because of the way it's prepared.They're partially oxidized and deliberately bruised to release oils and flavor, then heated to set the taste. They range from the green teas to more heavily roasted kinds. Black tea is the hardiest, and has to be brewed to a near boiling 200 degrees.This is because they're completely oxidized. This is done by taking oxidized leaves and allowing them to wilt, then are rolled. This exposes the oils to the air. if you're lucky to have the unusual puer-eh tea them cook it to a rolling boil of 212 degrees.Also avoid putting tea in balls or infusers since they're too small to allow the leaves to expand and release their full flavor.  For iced tea go the cold infusion way,Take one tablespoon of loose tea, put in a pitcher of cold water and  let   it steep overnight in the fridge.

Tea isn't just that cup that's sipped after a hard day or as a thirst quencher on a hot day. It's a complex beverage that's as layered as a fine wine. Try  an oolong or white or the puer-eh and discover this.

Let's Talk Turkey

The big day is only a few days away. Novice home chefs are probably becoming antsy. Even the experienced cook is getting antsy. The fear? The turkey itself. Roasting any meat and expecting it to come ut perfect is always nerve wracking. Your best way of dealing with it is know the bird, inside and out.

Surprisingly turkey is one of the easiest meats to cook.Before you do any of that, you have the choice of natural, basted or self basting,Kosher or heritage, The first has no artificial ingredients or preservatives.It tastes like it is supposed to taste, wild fowl.Unfortuntely most wild birds from turkey to pheasant have a very dry texture. If you biy this, baste often and liberally with butter.If you want more flavor, then buy the basted or self basting.It;s when the turkey is injected with a brothy solution to add moisture and taste to the meat.  Also these don't need to be home brined, making prep time easier.The downside of a self basting bird is that it is shot through with additives and artificial flavors. Kosher turkey is hand salted, rinsed and double inspected under rabbinical supervision. They are well seasoned and hand prepared. Be careful with these though. They are hand plucked and there may be a few feathers left on the turkey. One of the best kind though is the heritage turkey. They have a richer deeper flavor than the average fowl along with having much more dark meat. These are rare and  the more upscale markets sell them. Choose the best kind for your wants. Remember that it's one pound of meat for one person. A table of ten then demands a ten pound bird.

Prepping the turkey takes some labor. The first thing to do is remove the giblets, basically the bird's stomach; liver and heart.These usually come in a plastic bag and can be saved for the gravy.  For a golden brown crispy skin you can either rub oil, butter or margarine on the entire bird. Next season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper on every part , including the cavity. Some chefs recommend trimming the wings tip because they can burn. Also they need to be tucked behind the turkey's neck to keep  the entire bird stable in the roasting pan.. The roasting pan should have a rack in it.This prevents the bird from getting a soggy bottom . Most chefs prefer a V rack because this circulates air around it. As for dressing , some people like their bird stuffed.Most , like myself , prefer it cooked outside the bird. Both  dishes get crisper this way.Also  you may be setting yourself and your guests up with a nasty case of salmonella if you cook the stuffing in the bird.

The key to a good Thanksgiving meal starts with a good bird.Choose one that fits your needs and roasting skills..This insures a tasty dish that everyone will love.

The Food Of Love

If music is the food of love then what is food itself? Is it just sustenance or the surest way to a man's heart? and what about chocolate?Is a good box of it better than any diamond? Actually all those answers are a resounding YES! Food ,its flavors, textures and even our memories of it play an important part of romance. Certain foods have been considered aphrodisiacs for millennia.Oysters have always been considered the food of love. Casanova, that great Italian lover of the 1700's started his day with fifty of them ( surprisingly he never got hives or seafood poisoning from them)It turns out those little bivalves contain rare amino acids that trigger sex hormones.You could eat them raw however a better choice is oysters Rockafellar ,a steamed and baked dish that combines oysters,spinach and bacon.If that doesn't get you charged up, then try other foods such as bananas and asparagus, both deemed the food of love.The phyto chemicals in them help churn out the hormones,needed for romance Then there's chocolate.It's crammed full of phenyletthylamine ,another natural chemical which brings about a feeling of well being and happiness.Nothing beats a box of luscious cremes or caramels. However the way to anyone's heart is through his or her stomach.Happiness is when the one you love cooks your favorite meal.Sometimes a big pot of spaghetti with home made sauce is more of a turn on than lobster tails and steak.Even hamburgers ,homemade with fresh ground meat , is the perfect Valentine's Day meal.Better yet, a meal of comfort food could reel in that special someone. It may sound trite and vastly old fashioned , but if a girl can cook like her beloved's mother ,then she has him ,hook,line and sinker.Nothing says love like a home made meat loaf ,complete with homemade mashed potatoes and brown gravy.Another dish ,sure to win him or her over is baked Mac and cheese.Nothing beats a hoe made one covered with crispy breadcrumbs and layered with bacon.Also learning to cook the dishes of your beloved's ancestry is a big plus.If you can,try to get family recipes from moms, grannies and siblings. There is such a thing as the food of love.It could be something that has "aphrodisiac " properties or a beloved dish from childhood. Whatever it is,if it brings on feelings of romance, then eat it.

Every Part Of The Plant

Is it proper to eat trash? Yes if it it's the refuse that came off common fruits and vegetables. Surprisingly enough what most of us toss from our produce can be used in a variety of recipes.Much can be made from roots and leaves along with pits and peelings.Don't throw anything out. Not after reading this.

Utilizing entire stalks and roots was the main article in today's New York Times Dining section regular, Julia Moskin.In it she explores the idea of "nose to tail"vegetable cooking. This process has long been used with meats ;cooking every part of an animal's body. Now chefs are looking at the discarded parts of corn, broccoli and some fruits to make delicious dishes. It just comes with one caveat. Sometimes the pieces such as the kernel inside certain pits contain what's is known as cyanogens, compounds that are part of the highly lethal cyanide. Before cooking ,it's wise to read up on what's OK to eat and not eat.

The yield is remarkable. Broccoli stalks can be made into a delicious salad once cooked. Cauliflower leaves can be cooked into a tender cabbage like dish and it has almost the same taste except with the cauliflower undertones. Fruit pits are crushed and used as flavorings in puddings and ice creams. Discarded celery stalks are used to make a pungent celery salt while other roots and leaves can create entirely new dishes. Using entire veggies and fruits are nothing new. There are century old recipes for pickled green tomatoes and watermelon rinds. After all early American cooks used everything thanks to bumper crops and a need to satisfy hungry families.

Don' tthrow away anything from your produce. Those stalks and leaves can create some tasty and new dishes. Save anything and everything before you throw them out.If not you may be missing out on a valuable ingredient,

Summer Sides

By now everyone has probably had about a good twenty or thirty cookouts depending upon where they live. As always , it's the ribs, burgers, and dogs that are the stars. What about the sides? The salads and other dishes are the ones that hold up a barbecue or picnic. it's not all about the meat. People would get bored wit h that. remember it's always the sides that hold up a summer party.

What should summer sides be? Anything from corn on the cob to salads. If you want to stick with something plain and simple then think solo acts. There's nothing like serving just simple corn ears or baked potatoes. If you want to jazz them up a bit then drizzle herbed olive oil on the corn or serve it with ramekins of simple lightly salted butter. Baked potatoes should go simple too. (after all they're the perfect accompaniment to grilled steak). Think an herbed or plain butter and maybe a small dollop of chilled sour cream. Asparagus is also another good "lone" side. You can have it in a salad with vinaigrette dressing or grilled with some olive oil and lemon.

If you insist on something a bit more substantial then think salads. You can have a festive macaroni salad next to a regular one. Or serve both a zippy cole slaw and a tomato salad. Of course the best is a potato salad which can go with everything from steaks to burgers. Potato salads can vary . Make the traditional German kind with mayo and celery or try the Sicilian version that involves small red potatoes and olive oil. What is great about any salad is that you can make it well before the dinner or party which leaves you plenty of prep time for the main course.

Remember a summer barbecue or party isn't the same without the sides. There are so many of them to choose from. Each can compliment the mains . After all burgers and dogs can't stand on their own. They need a good side alongside them!

The Amazing Potato Part 2

Yesterday I wrote about mashed and French fried potatoes in the vast array of tater dishes. There are so many of them that it deserves two days worth of writing. Today it's time for th e more "upscale dishes" such as scallopped or gratinee potatoes as well as soups. The first adds class and , flavor and character as a side to any roast while the second make a wonderful, elegant lunch or dinner staple.

Scalloped potatoes are an easy to fix dish but they add a very classy touch to any roast beef or pork dinner. The dish is also called gratinee or dauphinais because it originated in the Dauphin region of southwestern France . Using a mandolin, slice russet potatoes wafer thin and layer in a buttered casserole dish. Spread milk or cream on each layer and bake for forty minutes in a 325 degree oven. They can be baked alongside a roast.Variations can include a mix of grated Gruyere and breadcrumbs on the top or even breadcrumbs between the potato layers.

Potatoes also make wonderful soup especially vichyssoise. This is a simple yet classic potato soup not from France surprisingly, but from New York City. The man who invented it . Louis Diat named it after his hometown of Vichy France. It is a cold soup or potage glacee and made with leeks and pureed potatoes . For heartier fare during this cold weather stick with hot soup such as baked potato soup. This is popular even in diners. It's a simple soup full of pureed and chunks of the tuber. Usually there is bacon. cheddar cheese bits and chives added to to give it a "Loaded potato taste"

Making potatoes into scalloped or soup dishes is easy. Both are great ways of exploring the different sides of this versatile tuber.Try them to bring out the best tastes and textures of the potatoes.