Modernist Cuisine Defined

A new set of cookbooks has come out and they ar e not your mother's Fannie Farmer or Betty Crocker ones. It doesn't even come into the same catagory as Chef Escoffier's.It's Modernist Cooking, which breaks cooking down to exact science . The methods used are for science but not for cooking.It's wild .wacky and informative.

It was the main subject of yesterday's New York Times Dining section. The piece , written by Michael Ruhlman, is about a huge compendium of recipes (1,500 in all) and has the mark of modernist cuisine chefs, the American Grant Achatz, Britain's Heston Blumenthal and Spain's famed Ferran Adria who created foamed food. This is not for the average foodie who occassionally likes to experiment in his or her kitchen. This is for the serious restaurant chef and food geek who is interested in the scientific side of cooking. It's also for those who like to experiment with new cooking techniques.

I don't know if I would recommend these volumes . It does sound like a great however it's geared for the professional. The appliances needed range from a simple pressue cooker for cooking chicken to a rotary evaporator which costs a grand. The books themselves go for $625 .There are five books in all , with them dealing with an overview of food history the chemical processes of cooking, along with the science of cooking meats and vegetables and , adding thickeners and foams. The fifth voulme has all the recipes and again they are elaborate and require not so ordinary appliances.

Is this series worth it? Yes, if you are a very serious foodie, wanting to reconstruct Mr. Ferran's foams. I would rather see professional chefs buy this and experiment in their kitchens. It would add to their restaurants. Just remember , however, some of the world's best dishes are cooked simply in a plain oven or over a burner.

Ash Wednesday Time For Changes

Today is Ash Wednesday in the Christian calendar. it;s a time when most give up their favorite foods or even necessities like butter and milk. It;s a season of fasting however it's may also be a time to look change dietary ways.

Most people usually give up some food that they love for Lent. Some even go vegan which is a good idea. This is the time to explore other options, such as soy and quorn. Once you've given up faves like bacon or burgers you can look into the soy alternatives which taste the same and are good for you. (let's face it we all will crave the foods we give up.)These are great subs if you;re completely dying for bacon and eggs or just a nice grilled cheese burger. If you're giving up dairy and butter, then then are also soy made alternatives. Not only is there soy milk , but also almond and rice. As for butter there is pure coconut oil to cook with and the old standard margarine.

For those of you who have given up sweets, think about the alternative - fresh fruit. This is the time to become reacquainted with bananas , apples and oranges. Instead of craving a Hershey's kiss , think about a nice , juicy, iron rich grape. If you feel like ice cream,. then then eat a fruit yogurt which has plenty of calcium but little calories. You'll also feel better too because you're eating fiber and protein as opposed to allergy inducing glutens. Forbidding yourself that piece of cake never felt so good - or so right. too

Lent should be the time of fasting and repentance but it can also be a time of rediscovery. Giving up the bad means eating healthy. You may just change over to this lifestyle year round.

It's Mardi Gras Time!

Today is Shrove Tuesday or as it's known in New Orleans Mardi Gras. It's also Carnevale in the rest of the world. It's also the last "fun" day before Lent. You can go as wild as you want with yummy foods or stay traditional with the Shrove Tuesday pancakes.



Mardi Gras cooks have elevated this day to a high art. The most famous is the Kign cake a brioche like bread cake that is decorated with the official Mardi Gras colors of purple green and yellow. A plastic or china baby representing the Christ Child is added to the cake after it's been cooled and decorated. Bakers have also added a dried bean orgold coin.Finding any of these means good luck, but the luck is really in the butter sweet taste of the cake itself. Other favorites include a shrimp gumbo. the f med red beans ad rice(what New Orleans dish wouldn't be complete without it) and anything with made with crawfish.


Carnevale food is also just as good and as tempting . There are the Fasnacht doughnuts , yummy home made jelly doughnuts from Germany. The fillings can be raspberry red current or apricot. Italy has it's own variety of fritters , from the saffron laced Sardenian ones to cenci , powder sugar strips of fried pastry. there are also meaty pizzas made with sausage and pancetta. of course the English have Shrove Tuesday pancakes. These are made more like the French crepes, light and crispy with just lemon and sugar as opposed to th e thick doughy American pancakes

Whatever you call it, be it Shrive Tuesday , Mardi Gras, Fasnacht or Carnevale, it's a time for good eating before the fasting. Enjoy all the treats and sweets while you can. Then you can repent !

America - The World's Food Capitol

i was surprised to hear about direct from China kids who know about Oreos. that quitessential American cookie. They even dip them in milk - again surprising yet stores all over Asia sell these chocolate treats. American food is everywhere and has been for a long time . It seems not only do other countries want our stars and our fashions, they also want our food.

Britain has long been an outpost for American foods. Look at any Brit TV show and there's always some American stuff on the table. I know they;re big on Kellogg's and Mars bars (in fact they even fry them over there). south America is also big on some Yankee foods. Our sodas like Coke and Pepsi have taken over the globe, much like the British Empire did two centuries ago. Go anywhere in the world, from Rome to Munich, from Qatar to Chile and there' our brand of American colas. In fact, sometimes. it's the safest thing to drink.

American fast food is just as popular. there's Pizza Hut and of course Mc Donalds,. in every big city on the planet. What kid hasn't demanded a sandwich and fries from Mickey D's .They love this American classic. the same goes for KFC, Pizza Hut and Burger King. There;'s even a Chili;s in Paris - Paris - gourmet heaven . can you imagine? I've even seen that famed New York bakery The Magnolia has a branch in Dubai. it's that popular thanks to reruns of "Sex And The City" being shown there.

America has long ago taken over the world. That's obvious in the international love of our movie stars, our films, our cars and our lifestyle. It should be no wonder that our food is also loved too.

Agave-Trend Or More?

Everyone's raving about the benefits of agave. Celebrities can't live without it. It's creeping into regular folks diet s, too. This low calorie sweetener could be a trend ,.it could also become mainstream and here to stay thanks to all its' positive claims.

What is agave exactly?It's part of the succulent family, sort of similar to aloe vera. It;s gown mostly in Mexico and in the American Southwest. The sugar comes from a rush of sap at the base and this is called agave nectar or agave syrup. The section is called pina and resembles a pineapples. Pinas can grow between 50 and150 pounds.The agave plant has long been used to make tequila however it;s only in recent years that the nectar is now prized.Agave nectar tastes like a milder form of honey.

Agave is the new love of dieters. It's low in calories and makes the perfect sugar substitute However research has found that it doe shave it;s detractors. According to some research it can cause everything from diabetes to liver problems to even heart attacks. It's not the guaranteed health food some may think it is. The plus is that you may not gain weight if you add it to your cooking or baking. if you are curious there are sites that offer free samples(however you do have to pay for shipping and handling)


Is agave here to stay? Probably - however it will lose its' popularity when the next greatest thing comes along.Use it now see what you think. As with all foods, it works best in moderation

Gadget Crazy(And A Contest Too)

Are you addicted to anything that's going to make your cooking process simpler? Do you get more excited than a foodie in a gourmet shop at those infomercials? Do you have your credit card out , waiting to buy? Then you may be addicted to gadgets.Yes, those interesting items that supposedly whip, blend chop, fry, dice, whatever - that makes our prep time easier and much more fun,

Don't be ashamed. I'm the biggest gadget buyer out there. I recently had to buy a rotostirrer (actually I bought two for the price of one) I couldn't resist the commercial or the price ($19.99 without shipping.This little gadget which looks like a cross between an alien space craft and a whisk promised me a hands free stirring . That sounded intriguing and I knew I had to get it. After all it would be perfect for when I make gravy. it would stir for me while I did other things in the kitchen. I have to admit it works I've tried it for stirring thick soups and it did okay. I do have to watch that it doesn't scrape the enamel and that i always have fresh batteries in it)

The roto stirrer is the latest line for my gadgets. One of my favorites though is the Vidalia Chop Wizard which is used for chopping what else Vidalia onions. I've used it for the onion when I've made guacamole however fresh onion can be too strong for me. I've used the chopper more for hard boiled eggs for making egg salad. I have to admit it's the perfect machine for that. I get evenly cut hard boiled eggs all the time. It doesn't mash them which produces a chewier, more textured egg salad.

Gadgets are one of my favorite addictions. There are so many out there that I'd love to buy and probably will. I have to admit they do make kitchen work fun.

Here's a question for all you foodies: what's your favorite gadget. Write in to Foodie Pantry and you may win a prize!

Coconut Oil Redeemed

Once upon a time coconut nut oil was rendered bad for you. It was high int transfat and caused clotted arteries and heart attacks. it was considered a monster . Now it's been redeemed Pure coconut oil is making a comeback amongst chefs and bakers, Suddenly it's the number one oil, even outdoing olive and canola oils in sales.

it was investigated in yesterday;s new York Times Dining section by regular writer , Melissa Clark. She even baked and cooked with it,being impressed by the way it works with other ingredients and the coconut flavor it lends to anything. Best of all it is good for you, being chock full of lauric acid. This compound increases HDL levels or high density lipoproteins. It has anti viral and anti bacterial properties as well as anti microbial properties. Translated it means it could help in alleviating everything from the HIV virus to simple acne.

How does it taste? Well like coconut but with nutty vanilla taste added as well. The oil now being used as a butter substitute for icing on cupcakes as well as in baking pie crusts. It's also good for sauteing vegetables giving them a slightly sweet, aftertaste. Cook it with bittersweet chocolate to form one of those hard Magic Shells that you can pour over ice cream. Coconut oil is sold in health food stores but also at any Fresh Fields store too.

Coconut oil is not a villain anymore. Buy the pure variety and experiment with it. The oil can go into any dish from dinner to dessert . Another good thing - it tastes like a yummy blend of coconut and vanilla.