A good dinner is a feast for the eyes and the palate. However to make that dish happen all five senses need to be employed.It may be sensuous but more than that it's necessary to create the perfect meal.
Julia Moskin wrote about this method in today's New York Times Food section.It's based on ASMR or autonomous sensory meridian response.It is a newly defined sensory state that is a kind of pleasurable shivering or tingling that spreads along the scalp, upper back and shoulders in response to soothing repetitive sounds.Originally it included soft whispering, pages turning, or having one's hair brushed but now it has expanded to food. There are even videos that cater to this such as Silently Cooking and Peaceful Cuisine have no sounds - no how to voiceovers so home chefs can listen to "cooking sounds" like a knife's rasp against chocolate, a whisk whipping egg whites and the glug glug of olive oil being poured. Blind home chefs have been relying on this along with taste and texture.They know the difference between a boil and a hard boil along with the different feels of a rare and well done steaks. The mouth feel of pasta is important because it signifies when it's half cooked or done.Sadly there is nothing to help those with impaired taste and smell problems or anosmia.
How can we sharpen our senses to make for better cooking and baking? Ms Moskin gives a sidebar of tips that can home a home chef's senses. Notice the steady sizzle of frying food in a skillet. Popping or uneven sounds mean's the heat's turned up too high. Practice picking up a teaspoon of salt in your fingertips so you can accurately measure without measuring spoons.Listen to liquids as they cook to differentiate between what simmering , boiling and hard boiling sound like.Also listen to cakes baking as famed Southern chef, Edna Lewis recommends Cakes make little bubbling and ticking sounds when they're in the process of being baked. Cookies need the sense of touch to determine if they're done. Touch their tops. They should feel crispy and crusty - and not soft and dought. Silence means they're completely done.Use the blade of a small sharp knife to gauge when a fish is cooked. Slide it gently into the flesh and then press against your lips.It should feel pleasantly hot like a hot shower - not warm - and not scalding. Touch is very important when it comes to making a salad. Toss greens with your hands to make sure they're fluffy and cool. Any limp leaves should go back to the fridge for refreshing with a damp paper towel.
Cooking should be a sensual experience . To make that happen use all the senses - not just taste and smell. Listen. Touch . It'll make for a much better tasting meal.
Showing posts with label flesh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flesh. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Smoking Hot Eggplant
Eggplant can be a hard sell. Some don't like its' oily flavor after it has been fried. Others are turned off by its' bitter aftertaste. Yet, done right eggplant can be addictive. The flesh can be sweet and creamy .Eating it this way can convert even the most adamant of eggplant haters.
Melissa Clark knows this and explored it in her weekly New York Times Dining column , A Good Appetite yesterday. She has come up with the best recipe for eggplant a creamy dip.Instead of making it part of the main meal she turns it into an appetizer, right in time for fall get togethers and even tail gating parties.This is not baba ghanoush, she claims, this is different because it doesn;t have the usual tahini added..,She combinesthe eggplant instead with a mellow Greek yogurt and olive oil, then spices it with garlic and spikes it with freshly squeezed lemon juice.She recommends adding more olive oil to the dip as well as crunchy pomegranate seeds and mint for color and flavor.
The secret is how to cook it. Ms. Clark chars the eggplant until the skin blackens and as she puts it, the flesh collapses in on itself.Use a wood or charcoal fire as opposed to a gas grill or gas oven, Doing such won;t sear it. The skin will turn to ash and the steady long time over the fire helps to slow cook the flesh.This process also allows the meat to absorb the smokey flavor of the skin, giving it a nice rich flavor. Then it's just peeling off the skin and pureeing the flesh until it's smooth. You can use the grill to make homemade pita, chips as Ms CLark did. These are the perfect mate to the dip.
Even the most averse eggplant hater will love this smokey dip. It's rich and creamy without being overpowering.It's a good introduction to eggplant and especially its' earthy ,sweet taste.
Melissa Clark knows this and explored it in her weekly New York Times Dining column , A Good Appetite yesterday. She has come up with the best recipe for eggplant a creamy dip.Instead of making it part of the main meal she turns it into an appetizer, right in time for fall get togethers and even tail gating parties.This is not baba ghanoush, she claims, this is different because it doesn;t have the usual tahini added..,She combinesthe eggplant instead with a mellow Greek yogurt and olive oil, then spices it with garlic and spikes it with freshly squeezed lemon juice.She recommends adding more olive oil to the dip as well as crunchy pomegranate seeds and mint for color and flavor.
The secret is how to cook it. Ms. Clark chars the eggplant until the skin blackens and as she puts it, the flesh collapses in on itself.Use a wood or charcoal fire as opposed to a gas grill or gas oven, Doing such won;t sear it. The skin will turn to ash and the steady long time over the fire helps to slow cook the flesh.This process also allows the meat to absorb the smokey flavor of the skin, giving it a nice rich flavor. Then it's just peeling off the skin and pureeing the flesh until it's smooth. You can use the grill to make homemade pita, chips as Ms CLark did. These are the perfect mate to the dip.
Even the most averse eggplant hater will love this smokey dip. It's rich and creamy without being overpowering.It's a good introduction to eggplant and especially its' earthy ,sweet taste.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Peaches Are Keen
There's nothing like a fresh peach on a hot June day.Whether it's the warm fuzziness of its' skin or the sweet juice dripping down your chin, this fruit is the best of the summer harvest. Not only that but its on e of the most versatile fruits. After all you can't just throw strawberries on a grill or make a cobbler out of watermelon. The peach is amazing and can be turned into a variety of dishes or just eaten cold from the fridge.
Even though the Latin name for the peach is prunus persica. which means Persian plum (roughly) the peach was first cultivated in ancient China at least 3,000 years ago. Wild peaches called "Maotao and "Yieto , descendants of these first fruits. Peaches were then grown in Russia and Persia thanks to Chinese traders dropping the pits along their trade routes. Alexander The Great loved peaches so much he brought them back to his native Greece. From Greece they spread throughout Europe and the Spanish then brought them to America during the Age of Exploration. Native American tribes also fell in love with the peach and are credited with cultivating it throughout the US. Thomas Jefferson also grew them at his Monticello plantation and commercial peach farms sprung up along the East Coast in the late 19th Century. Its' name is derived from persicum which the English of the Middle Ages shortened to peche and then peach.
As with any fruit, peaches are just downright good for you. They are an excellent source of potassium and Vitamins A and C. However peach pits, if eaten in large quantities ,can be toxic . They contain hydrocyanic acid or cyanide. There are a hundred varieties if the fruit however they 're usually classified by how stubbornly their flesh clings to the pit or stone. The categories are clingstone, freestone or semi-freestone. Clingstones have more color and are generally the sweetest type. Freestones have paler in flesh but they're bigger and firmer. The semi freestone is a new hybrid variety and falls somewhere between the two.
Use your peaches in a variety of ways.My Midwestern great granny Roberts used to make peach cobbler for my Dad and my aunt, This is a great marriage of buttery biscuit dough with the flavorful flesh.Another neat dish is halving fresh peaches, brushing them with olive oil and then grilling outdoors. You can immediately serve them with vanilla ice cream for a really sweet treat. My favorite peach recipe is from Piedmont my beloved great aunt Manya Albertina (manya is Piedmontese word for aunt) . She would crush the peach pits (not really deadly if eaten in small amounts)along with crushed up amaretto cookies and almonds and mix with Marsala wine . This mixture was then put into a pitted peach half and baked for 20 minutes until the flesh was tender. It was served plain but sometimes we added Cool whip to really gild the lily.
Peaches are a wonderful summertime fruit that can be eaten fresh or prepared in a delicious dessert. Take advantage of this sweet classic that both the ancients adored ad we love today.
Albertina Ghio-Canova's Stuffed Peaches.
4 Freestone peaches (big peaches are preferred for this dish although you can use clingstones)
Peach pits crushed,
10 amaretto cookies finely crushed.
1/3rd of a cup of crushed almonds.
4 teaspoons more or less of Marsala wine or peach schnappes.
Halve and pit four peaches.
Crack open peach pit and remove meat. Crush or finely mince (if you're still leery about this then use only one peach meat) Add the amaretto cookie crumbs and almonds. Mix in the sweet wine or schanppes to moisten the mixture. Using a teaspoon put the mixture into the peaches' hollows and then bake for twenty minutes. You can tell when the dessert is done when a toothpick is inserted into the flesh and stands up. If it falls over take the peaches out right away because they've been over baked.The peach flesh should be tender but firm.
Serve warm or chilled plain or with Cool Whip.
Even though the Latin name for the peach is prunus persica. which means Persian plum (roughly) the peach was first cultivated in ancient China at least 3,000 years ago. Wild peaches called "Maotao and "Yieto , descendants of these first fruits. Peaches were then grown in Russia and Persia thanks to Chinese traders dropping the pits along their trade routes. Alexander The Great loved peaches so much he brought them back to his native Greece. From Greece they spread throughout Europe and the Spanish then brought them to America during the Age of Exploration. Native American tribes also fell in love with the peach and are credited with cultivating it throughout the US. Thomas Jefferson also grew them at his Monticello plantation and commercial peach farms sprung up along the East Coast in the late 19th Century. Its' name is derived from persicum which the English of the Middle Ages shortened to peche and then peach.
As with any fruit, peaches are just downright good for you. They are an excellent source of potassium and Vitamins A and C. However peach pits, if eaten in large quantities ,can be toxic . They contain hydrocyanic acid or cyanide. There are a hundred varieties if the fruit however they 're usually classified by how stubbornly their flesh clings to the pit or stone. The categories are clingstone, freestone or semi-freestone. Clingstones have more color and are generally the sweetest type. Freestones have paler in flesh but they're bigger and firmer. The semi freestone is a new hybrid variety and falls somewhere between the two.
Use your peaches in a variety of ways.My Midwestern great granny Roberts used to make peach cobbler for my Dad and my aunt, This is a great marriage of buttery biscuit dough with the flavorful flesh.Another neat dish is halving fresh peaches, brushing them with olive oil and then grilling outdoors. You can immediately serve them with vanilla ice cream for a really sweet treat. My favorite peach recipe is from Piedmont my beloved great aunt Manya Albertina (manya is Piedmontese word for aunt) . She would crush the peach pits (not really deadly if eaten in small amounts)along with crushed up amaretto cookies and almonds and mix with Marsala wine . This mixture was then put into a pitted peach half and baked for 20 minutes until the flesh was tender. It was served plain but sometimes we added Cool whip to really gild the lily.
Peaches are a wonderful summertime fruit that can be eaten fresh or prepared in a delicious dessert. Take advantage of this sweet classic that both the ancients adored ad we love today.
Albertina Ghio-Canova's Stuffed Peaches.
4 Freestone peaches (big peaches are preferred for this dish although you can use clingstones)
Peach pits crushed,
10 amaretto cookies finely crushed.
1/3rd of a cup of crushed almonds.
4 teaspoons more or less of Marsala wine or peach schnappes.
Halve and pit four peaches.
Crack open peach pit and remove meat. Crush or finely mince (if you're still leery about this then use only one peach meat) Add the amaretto cookie crumbs and almonds. Mix in the sweet wine or schanppes to moisten the mixture. Using a teaspoon put the mixture into the peaches' hollows and then bake for twenty minutes. You can tell when the dessert is done when a toothpick is inserted into the flesh and stands up. If it falls over take the peaches out right away because they've been over baked.The peach flesh should be tender but firm.
Serve warm or chilled plain or with Cool Whip.
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