The Burn Method

Burning is the nightmare of  any chef, whether at home or at a restaurant. Yet,  overcooking and charring actually can help a dish, giving it a new layer of flavor and texture. It's a method not for the fainthearted but for the more daring cook.

The famed blogger, Tejal, Rao, wrote about the method in today's New York Times Food section. Burning food is long a tradition in Mexican and Caribbean cuisines,along with Southeast Asian. Caramelized sugar helps chefs with a limited arsenal of ingredients. According to cookbook author and cooking teacher, Andrea Nguyen, the Vietnamese use the mix of sugar and water overcooked to a golden russet on a regular basis. Nuoc mau. , as they call it, is made in clay pots over simple stoves.Once made,it's used in marinades and pots of simmering meat. The result is a kind of replacement for the Maillard reaction, the chemical swirl of amino acids and sugars which results in distinct savory notes in browned foods.It's big in West Indian cooking too. Chef Rawlston Williams employs it in many of his, learning it as a child in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.It's a major ingredient in his marinades and braised lamb shanks at his Brooklyn restaurant , Food Sermon. It also plays an important part in black cake, a molasses colored fruitcake.

Mexican cuisine also chars and toasts.. New York's famed Mexican restaurant ,Lalo features it , thanks to its' chef and owner, Geraldo Gonzalez . He uses it in his moles ,starting with toasting almonds,cashews, peanuts and pumpkin seeds to a deep , deep brown. He chars tomatillos too along with citrus because it produces an intense , almost meatlike depth of flavor. He  does avoid charring meats because doing such does pose a health risk. According to Britian's Food Standard's Agency starchy foods such as potatoes and breads should not be cooked at high temperatures. This produces acrylamide which has been found to cause cancer in animals. Our own Food and Drug Administration does not know at what level can this occur. It is safe for anyone to eat burnt, crusts in small amounts which makes it okay to try the accompanying recipe from chef and cookbook author, Jennifer McLagan. It's a burned toast soup, based on a French country dish. It involves over toasting
 sourdough bread, then soaking it in chicken stock.It' blended with steamed milk, vinegar and mustard. for a different take on cream soups.


Any chef, especially home ones should walk on the edge and try charring or burning. Start small and then work up to creating sauces with it.It'll give a different layer of taste and texture to any dish , savory or sweet.

The Stove Or The Microwave

Nothing beats food roasted or baked in the oven. The aroma, The taste The texture. Nothing beats a microwave. The convenience. The ease. The thing is which one is better? It's an interesting debate.

Since I had my new stove installed, I have only used the microwave -which was only bought in October mind you - a handful of times. The toaster oven - once used almost every day - now sits  collecting dust. I';ve forgotten the last time I needed it. The stove, a sleek Frigidaire  unit, is like a new toy, I love the computerized oven and the fact that it dings loudly when preheating. I used to think it was a hassle to bake a meat pie in the oven.It took too much time. There was a chance of burning . However,q1 I was wrong about that. Baking a meat pie  does take anywhere from forty-five minute to an hour, but that gives me enough time to finish up the day's laundry and cleaning chores.Plus the aroma. Nothing beats that aroma, the rich smell of chicken, beef or turkey with gravy. Then there's that crust. Delicate and golden, the perfect foil for the lush inside. Another plus is baking again.Microwave cakes tend to be more like puddings. Anything oven baked has a fine crumb and holds its' shaped well. I am excited , especially since I received a madeleine pan for Christmas. The oven sparked an interest in not only cake baking but cake decorating. I've bought a cake icer which I can't wait to use and all natural food coloring.

I do like my microwave. It's a Haier., the company that manufactures all sorts of appliances from televisions to air conditioners to all sorts of kitchen appliances What is great about their microwaves is that the timing can be fine tuned right down to the second. I didn't have this with my previous one. It was hard to program in the half minutes. This one allows me to exactly time the dishes. Microwaves are also great in saving time, especially when there are gnawing hunger pains. I can have a whole dinner done in five minutes. Microwaves are also great in helping to quickly melt ingredients such as butter and chocolate for cake and cookie recipes.I know I'll need it when I make madeleines which require two sticks of melted butter. It'll also be good when I have to melt chocolate chips for fudge. What is problematic is that microwave dishes tend to go either under or over cooked.  . Sometimes the required cooking time is not enough.which results in meals with ice cold centers or it's too much cooking resulting in a black inedible mess. Also some dishes such as meat pies  along with some leftovers don't taste as good.There's a paleness to them as well as a mushiness. I think any leftover pasta and Chinese food tastes's better reheated in a microwave. along with baked apples and poached pears. The last two are quick and easy desserts that I like to make, especially when i want a hot dessert in a snap.

In the end which is better. The stove is good for most cooking. It's the one home chefs should rely o all the time. As for the microwave , use it when there's no time or ingredients have to be melted. They should be copacetic with each other, helping to create excellent meals , desserts and treats.


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Winter Storm Basics

January usually brings a whole host of weather problems. There's either blizzards, Nor'easters or just bone-numbing frigid cold. That means stocking up and staying in. What to get? basics? Fun stuff? Or a mix of both? A balanced mix is the answer.

Many home chefs freak out when they hear blizzard. They rush to the store and get the necessary, bread milk and eggs. This is great , These are the staples that you'll need, whether on their own or used as ingredients. Yet, you'll need more protein than just eggs/What you can do is buy a roast a day or two before a predicted monster snowstorm. Make it along with hearty sides such as mashed potatoes and broccoli au gratin. These leftovers will keep the family happy and fed until you can dig out. Also, a cold roast can be sliced into sandwiches for a couple of days afterward. Also, have cold cuts ready if there's a blackout  - which does happen during a heavy windstorm. Canned goods are a must. There's a lot you can do with canned veggies turning them into main dishes or sides. Try not to get fresh breads which either get moldy quick .  If the bread gets stale, don;t fret.They can be repurposed into breadcrumbs, stuffing or bread pudding A snow day in is also a good time to bake homemade loaves and rolls. You can also get those canisters of biscuits,  and breadsticks too. They're a nice side with a bowl of homemade soup. Save the cinnamon buns for a breakfast or brunch with the family.

Fun stuff can also be bought too. A snowy or blustery day inside can mean a fun baking or even candy making day. A day off can be spent making homemade pizzas. Be sure to have a can or two  of pizza sauce and mozzarella,,whether balls or shredded for topping. The kids will get a kick out of  baking cupcakes or cookies. Have confectioners sugar, butter,and food coloring handy to make colorful icings, along with sprinkles and  icing gels for writing., Buy a few tubes of slice and bake cookies  for   a nice, fresh from the oven batch. Candy making is a great way to keep tweens occupied during a day in. . Keep the pantry stocked with a bag of unshelled peanuts, granulated sugar and corn syrup to make peanut brittle and condensed milk and chocolate chips for making microwave fudge Flavored honeys are great in hot teas and for sore throats.  They can also be used to make tasty lollipops.Another must is having hot cocoa,the perfect warm up for after shoveling. Stock up on the premade mixes or tins of Drostes. Cut back on sodas but definitely have a pantry full of juices, especially orange. It's not only refreshing but gives the  family an extra boost of Vitamin C.

The pantry and fridge should be well stocked during a winter storm. Keep it balanced with nutritious and fun foods. It's a nice blend for a few days inside.

The Political Power Of A Cookbook

One hundred years ago women across the United States and the United Kingdom marched for their freedom and rights. Now, one hundred years later we are forced to do the same, thanks to the new administration down in Washington D.C. .We should take a page from those earlier feminists. They  turned to cooking to get their message across and wrote cookbooks that emphasized women's rights.

Many would think that would be counterproductive to their cause. After all, cooking, especially back then, tied a woman tightly to the kitchen. However many books  - and there were many - offered advice about what to do about pointed barbs and innuendos aimed at these heroes. Most of the male population,  starting as early as the 1880[s harassed these brave feminists, claiming they were " kitchen hating harridans who couldn't cook" and let their children starve when they were busy protesting.The message that these books conveyed was that "good cooking and sure voting went hand in hand.". Even famous women, such as Louisa May Alcott, contributed to it, albeit not a recipe but a wry description of the statute of, Minerva, goddess of wisdom. Her shield had a "Woman's Right " slogan on it  while her helmet sported a tiny  mortar and pestle - a sly nod to the compatibility of cooking and voting. Another famed write , and male feminist, Jack London, contributed two of his recipes, roasted duck and  celery stuffed with a mix of Roquefort cheese, butter and sherry.

What were the other recipes? They reflected the tastes of the times for sure. There is a recipe for terrapin or turtle soup that's somewhat brutal in  its' description.The creature was boiled until the feet could be easily pulled off. The recipe's contributor was the famous Anna Ella Carroll, a Maryland political writer who freed her slaves when Abraham Lincoln was elected. She also served as his adviser during the Civil War, scoring one of the first important positions for women in the White House. Cora Scott Pond, a militant  prohibitionist  and realtor gave her Irish stew recipe. She was also famous for nixing wearing a corset at the age of sixteen.Chicago gynecologist and obstetrician, Alice Bunker Stockham, the fifth woman to become a licensed doctor in the United States offered up her recipe for Coraline cake., a cake filled with boiled cream and infused with  strawberry or raspberry juice. A veal sausage recipe was contributed by Julia A. Kellogg ,a devout feminist and student of Henry James Senior, The two fell out  because , even though James was a universal feminist, but he said that women wouldn;t avail themselves to voting when it was granted. This incensed Kellog and the  two parted ways. There were also snarky recipes, outright jabs at the men who suppressed them.

We are just beginning the second Suffragette Movement. Can we use the power of our cooking and baking blogs to make a point? By all foods sweet and savory, yes. We can band together, providing  nourishment for the spirit and the body.

Michelle Obama's Great Legacy

First Ladies are not known for their rebelliousness. They have to be genteel and not rabble rousers. Yet our former First Lady , Michelle Obama rebelled - making our kids more diligent about what they ate. She gave us a generation of kids who will be healthier and wiser in food choices..

Her Let's Move program started out with parents protesting themselves about the interference of a First Lady. From all corners of the country they yelled and made snide remarks. Unfortunately, as they did this, their kids became fatter and lazier, junior candidates for diabetes, obesity, heart disease and high blood pressure. Folks acquiesced when they saw she was right, and only was emphasizing what their pediatricians had already told them. It was also what Alice Waters' credo
was too. Not only were parents starting to change their kids' diets but schools were too. Gone were those mystery meat lunches and sweet extras such as cookies and cake slices.Fresh veggies and fruit became the fuel that young minds needed. Sodas were also frowned upon with kids now reaching for bottles of spring water.Mrs Obama even applied these principles to her own girls. Malia and Sasha. The White House chef created tasty and low cal dishes for all the Obamas and may have even started the food craze of riced cauliflower. The girls definitely benefited , with them reaching for apples when other kids reach for chips.

Mrs. Obama even carried it one step further by turning  part of the White House lawn into a veggie garden. She invited school kids to help her plant and water, infusing them with her enthusiasm,. It also led her to have the first White House apiary where honey was produced. This was a great message too - to use natural sweeteners instead of refined sugar. The site is still up.It's still vital and important. It shows how schools can start their own gardens, teaching kids how to eat healthier along with learning about sustainability.There is also a section that features nutritional  meals from such sites as Good Housekeeping, Food Network , Delish, and Cooking Light. Parents can visit these and pick out fun recipes that are packed chock full of tasty recipes.Mrs. Obama also made those kids burn off those calories by starting the Let's Move movement. She emphasized the importance of families playing together , from taking jogs to a game of baseball. She also emphasized the importance of towns and cities have adequate and enticing play areas to get kids moving.

It's doubtful that the current First lady will continue on with this. Yet there are those who can and will continue Michelle Obama's legacy of good eating. It will not die, but continue on, helping our kids grow healthy and strong.

When Restaurants Give Back

Any eatery is a vital part of any community. It not only provides good food and happy memories but jobs, commerce for local suppliers  and even food for soup kitchens. Many are a vital key to a town's and chef's success.

This was explored in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Kim Severson interviewed Vivian Howard, who not only is a chef and restaurant owner but also the quiet star of the PBS show "A Chef's Life." This is a reality show and a sedate one that's been on for five seasons. Her restaurant Chef & the Farmer. has helped the area , once prosperous with tobacco production and shirt manufacturing. Thanks to the show that Chef Howard and her husband, Ben Knight have brought tourists to the small town of Kinston, North Carolina. a small town located in the Carolinas coastal plain.It hasn't' always been like that. She had wanted to leave the area, heading for boarding school at age fourteen and then heading to North Carolina State. and ultimately to Manhattan. It was only when she became a chef and asked back to the area by a brother-in-law who wanted a restaurant  in the building he owned. Vivian and her husband brought prosperity back to a town that had been badly hit by Hurricane Floyd. Factories closed. It was hard for locals to find any kind of work.

They were able to bring life to a destroyed town. Chef Knight not only has the restaurant but also  an oyster bar and burger joint. There are plans for a bakery. Kinston, itself, has undergone a renaissance of sorts thanks to them and the show's popularity. A local investor has opened up a boutique hotel along with the well regarded Mother Earth Taproom and Brewery. Chef Howard sources from local farmers and butchers, The woman who taught her how to properly bake biscuits has turned this talent into a lucrative baking class. Local restauranteurs, no matter where they are should take heed of this, A restaurant can bring much prosperity to a town, especially in blighted areas. Those who are thinking of opening up an eatery should take into account their effect on the local community. Hire the neighborhood kids and seniors. Look to local farms for produce. Ask about local recipes or better yet go to church socials or community center parties.to see what they 're eating.Another important factor is don;t make too snobby and cater to one class. That'll mean a sure ending to both restaurant and chef's reputation.

Chef Howard knows that a restaurant feeds both the locals and the local economy. Hers should a model for future chefs looking to open their own eateries. Her inspiration  should be a fuel for these future restauranteurs.

A Few Simple Tweaks

Vegetables are good . They are  chock full of nutrition and low in calories, yet many people avoid them. They complain that the flavor is too bland or they're not prepared in an appetizing way. The solution? Add a few tweaks here and there.

That's basically what Dave Tanis did and wrote about in today's New York Times Food section. His A City Kitchen Column is devoted to making those tough to swallow veggies zesty and fun.Think dirt candy. He targets cauliflower and broccoli, Cauliflower is a versatile veggie. The hot trend right now is ricing it, which makes it exciting to eat.It's also delicious as a soup and heavenly  breaded and fried. Mr. Tanis has many suggestions,  a few of the celebrating Sicily' love of it. The Sicilians bake it  under a topping of soft sheep's milk cheese and olives.Mr. Tanis perks it up with a dash of anchovy, garlic and hot pepper. Mozzarella and pecorino cheese  stands in for the original choice. He also subs in romanesco broccoli, a bright chartreuse spiky kind of cauliflower, but the recipe can be used for any kind of cauliflower. He also gives a pan roasted recipe that has the florets roasted with such herbs as parsley and rosemary, zested up with garlic and red pepper flakes. It's easy to create and would be great accompanying any roast. Mr. Tanis suggest serving it  with a lemon wedge.

Broccoli also gets some spiking up too.It is good on it's own or with a squirt of lemon or melted butter or margarine.As he states, the fresher it is, the better the taste.He also recommends getting the organic kind, right now coming in from California.Look for the smaller and multi-stemmed ones. The
way the stalks are cut can also influence the taste. Don't chop large,puffy florets. These will end up overcooked. Aim for longer, thinner spears. Mr. Tanis usually butter steams  which is essentially simmering them in a butter water bath. This will yield firm but tender stalks. .It is a great way to cook them because the broccoli soaks up all that savory cooking liquid in just five minutes.It can be jazzed up even more with a hearty sprinkling of toasted bread crumbs that have been spiked with red pepper
flakes. . It's topped off with shaved Parmesan cheese. Mr Tanis suggests interchanging these recipes between the broccoli, cauliflower and its' fancier cousin the romanesco broccoli.

Cauliflower and broccoli are good on their own but sometimes need some spiking up. Try them these ways, jazzed up with bread crumbs or oven roasted for a new spin. This will liven up the ordinary, turning them into something extraordinary.