Kitchen Myths Busted

 Everyone has grown up with at least one kitchen myth. These could be old wives tales,family lore or just lies that somehow become truth. There are certain stories and suggestions that do have a base in science and truth .It's just hard to discern what's good to follow and what's not.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this in todays' New York Times Wednesday Food section.Everyone has grown up with  all sorts of kitchen mysths. Some are grounded in reality like the old chestnut "Only eat seafood in miths that have an "r" in the." This comes out from when their was a lack of refrigeration and seafood could only keep during the colder months.Then there's the one that  has against washing mushrooms. This is a restaurant based myth that's actually a truth . Just rinse them off only when you ready to use them. There's also tbrown eggs that are healthier than white. An egg is an egg.The color has to do with the ehn's feather color , not if the brown eggs have more protein. She also explores the myth of not using soap on a cast iron pan. This comes from over a c entury ago when most household soaps contained lye which could erode the top layers.Some tales include wetting the pans. then scrubbing them burying in sand. You can just wash it with warm water.If there are stuck pieces like bacon or steak then add a few drops of dish detergent to clean it.

Other myths include that old chestnut pasta water should be salty as the ocean.Here Ms. Moskin tried out this , using salinity levels from one to the Pacific Ocean and Mediterenean Sea. She prefers a saltiness that's similar to chicken both. Anything too powerful, and the pasta loses its' flavor.What about washing rice until it runs clear before cooking.Years ago , rice did have to be washed to remove everything from chaff and dust to vermin! She also experimneted with this and it turns out washing the rice does nothing to it. Besides most rice is bought clean anyways. Then there's the fairy tale of having your ingredients prepared and your're cooking oil heated befiore starting to cook.Is this true?No. you can start the oil cooking and add the ingredients at the same time.I always do this and everything tastes just fine. I think it's adds to a dish, give such -proteins as mushroom, tofu and meat extra flavor.What about browning meat at the start of the cooking process  to seal in the juices. This is a falsity too. Brown only steaks and roasts. Stew meat doesn't;t need to be browned It can be cooked with other ingredients .The same applies to meats cooked for soups too. 

Myths abound everywhere. They're especially prevalent in the kitchen, Yet there's a lot of truth in these sayings. It does pay to experiment

The Surprisingly Easy Baguette

Mention baguettes to home bakers and they flinch. Most think it's a compliicated loaf to create but it really isn't. It has a scant number of ingredients and is not bad to whip up. Once created then it becomes a must bake on any list.

You Tube personalityand regular contributor Claire saffitz  wrote about this delicious bread in today's New York Times food section.french bread is well suited for home baking because they're made with commercial yeast instead of a sourdough starter. This means that there's no task of maintaining a starter and then feeding it as it advances before you can start. The entire ingredient list is simple, It's just flour water, yeast and salt. However the flour quality is important. She recommends the  King Arthur brand which has a ten to twelve protein level (check th elabel for this) King arthir has 11.7Other pluses is that it's widely available and has a bit of barley. This enhances fermentation and flavor. The protein rich flour also facilitates gluten development to trap gas and create those various sized holes. You don't want too many interior holes because they can cause the baguette's shape to misshapen. Apart from the flour  you do need a baking stone and a four by twenty inch wooden baking peel and a thirteen by twenty inch wooden board for sliding them into the oven. You can get these onlien ro have your local plywood store custom cut them for you.

After you have all the equipment start planning your time line. The dough has to rest overnight in the fridge which will improve its' flavor and quality of the crust. doing this gives you some flexibiluty in baking it the next day. Start by making the poolish a type of preferment much like a sourdough starter but made with store bought yeast the morning of the first day. Let it ferment. Then mix the dough in the evening pop in the fridge the next morning and bake. Ms. Saffiz' recipes will yield three loaves. If this is too mch , then refrigerate the dough and bake later. Keep in mind that french bread dough can be sticky and a little soft. This can make for tricky kneading. Ms. Saffitz recommneds using minimal flour and a light touch during shaping. The first  dozen or so baugettes that you'll make may not be bakery perfect but they'll still have that great taste and deliciously chewy texture not to mention that crackly crust. They'll be gone in an instant being sliced and slathered with butter or being turned into yummy sandwiches.

A tasty baguette is easy to create. It's just four ingredients mixed together and baked into a loaf of deicliousness. Try it for a flavorful bite.