"THE FOODIES' COMPANION" BOOK REVIEW  FROM: THE MONMOUTH JOURNAL

The Foodie’s Companion

By MaryAnn Miano

If you are a foodie, you will relate to Ian Alan Holder, a local author and blogger who loves all things food-related: the preparing of food, the cooking of food, the trivia and history of food. Mr. Holder came to the food industry at the age of 65, after a long career as a professor of microbiology, when he graduated from the Culinary Arts Department at Cincinnati State College. Living in Red Bank after retirement, he worked in a professional kitchen to gain experience and then was offered a job at Mumford’s Culinary Center on Saturdays, where he has been honing his skills for over a decade.

This schedule allowed Mr. Holder to begin researching everything about food that piqued his fancy. The outcome is two books: The Foodies’ Companion and The Foodies’ Companion II.  These two books are excellent for beginning cooks as well as for the seasoned chef. The tips, tricks, and food history create a nice balance of an interesting read to make anyone a better cook.

Mr. Holder cleverly separated his books into three sections:  Cooking Tips and Tables, Food History, and Fun Food Facts. In section one, he teaches you about cooking techniques and preparation. Learn how to brine, how to convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, when to use different oils for the best-tasting dishes, how to preserve fresh herbs, how to freeze a variety of foods, how to test your oven temperature, how to sear, roast, and grill using charts and tables.

The Food History section lists many foods in alphabetical order, with a brief summary of how those foods came to be (are California Rolls really a Japanese food?)

The Food Facts section will give you lots of tidbits you thought you knew (or never thought about before) pertaining to food.  (Do you know why fish is often served with lemon? Since the Middle Ages, it was believed that the acid in a slice of lemon would dissolve any accidentally swallowed fish bones!)

The Foodies’ Companion II continues along the same theme, with an added Chapter 4 of “Things I Like.” He offers some favorite recipes, such as the one featured here. So, foodies everywhere, read these two wonderful and charming books for advice, for ideas, and just for fun! These books can be found on www.amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com. 

 

 GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

As the holiday season approaches, the following "Foodies' Companion" books may be good gifts or stocking "stuffers" for the Foodie or just the food lover on you list.

THE FOODIES' COMPANION: Cooking tips and Tables, Food History and Fun Food Facts.

THE FOODIES' COMPANION II; Cooking Tips, Food History, Food Trivia and Recipes.

THINGS I LIKE:  THE FOODIES' COMPANION COOKBOOK.

Available on Amazon and other fine booksellers.

My new book  "THE FOODIES' COMPANION FOOD HISTORIES; Histories of 120 Foods, Drinks and Other Items of Culinary Interest" was just sent to the publisher and might not be out in time for this years holiday gift giving. But for you FOODIES out there who follow my blog, it might be a good read anyhow.  

Holiday Greetings to you all!!!

COOKING TIP: Cold Storage of Cheese

I wanted to write a "Cooking Tip” blog post giving information to my readers about how long you can store opened packages of cheese in the refrigerator. When I started to research this topic, I found the following information. 

There are 900 - 1000 varieties of cheese produced around the world with the largest producing regions being Europe (56.7%), United States (30.1%), Asia (6.4%), Africa (4%), and Oceania (2%). The top 16 cheese consuming countries listed in the World Atlas are Denmark, Iceland, Finland, France, Cyprus, Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, Israel, and the US. The 2019 Ranker Community, who surveyed thousands of cheese lovers, ranked their cheese preferences from 1 to 138. The Top 10 were sharp Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gouda, Parmesan Reggiano, Feta, Swiss, Provolone, Monterey Jack, Brie, and mild Cheddar. I, who really likes cheese, had eaten or had at least recognized the names of maybe 30 of the next 11-138 listings but had never even heard of the rest.

Because of what I have written above, comprehensive coverage of how to present storage times in the refrigerator for all cheeses available in the world or even only those in the Ranker Community list would almost require me to write an Encyclopedia.

Therefore, with that as Prelude, the following storage information relates to how long one can store in the refrigerator, at least to me. only some of the most popular and familiar cheeses,

For all the following storage time recommendations, the assumption is that the cheeses have been wrapped appropriately after being removed from their original wrapper and kept properly stored in the refrigerator; preferably in the drawer closest to the bottom of the refrigerator which is most consistent in temperature and humidity. Various signs of spoilage are mold, dryness, changes in texture, or“ off” or “yeasty” smell.

    CHEESE                                             STORAGE TIME/WEEKS

AMERICAN*                                                 almost forever

CREAM CHEESE                                                  2- 4

BLUE                                                                      2 - 3

BRIE                                                                       2 - 3

CHEDDAR                                                              6 - 8

FETA (in brine)                                                        3 - 4

GOUDA                                                                   4 - 9

GRUYERE                                                              6 - 8

MONTEREY JACK                                                  3 - 4

MOZZARELLA (fresh)                                             7 - 10 (days)

MOZZARELLA (loaf)                                                3 – 4

MUENSTER                                                             2 - 3

PROVOLONE                                                           2 - 3

PARMESAN                                                          up to 12

SWISS (slices)                                                          3 - 4

*American is a “processed” cheese where other ingredients are added to alter texture and flavor. These added agents significantly increase the refrigerator storage time of this product.

FREEZING: Many cheeses can successfully be frozen, e.g. Camembert, Cheddar, Edam, Mozzarella, Muenster, Parmesan, Port Salut, Provolone, Romano, Brie, etc. will all retain flavor with a freezing time of six months or less but might become crumbly when thawed.**  Semi-soft cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie which ripen over time, should be frozen when the degree of ripeness you prefer is reached. Soft cheeses: Cream, Cottage and Ricotta, can be frozen but, because of their moisture content may separate or become grainy.

**To thaw, place package in refrigerator for 24 - 48 hours and use cheese in cooking or to eat within in 3 -4 days.

 

FOOD HISTORY: SPAM

Everyone has heard about but, really, what is Spam? Spam is canned precooked lunchmeat containing pork shoulder with ham added, developed by the Hormel Co. In 1891, George Hormel formed a retail meat market and pork business in Austen, Minnesota. Over the years, Hormel always tried to improve his production and develop new products. In 1916, they started selling dry sausages, a product that became popular, especially with ethnic communities. Later, in 1921, after many years of research and development, Hormel introduced “Hormel Flavor – Sealed Ham”. The world’s first canned ham. When hams were cut the company was left with thousands of pounds of pork shoulder. What to do with this surplus? Jay Hormel, the son of founder Charles, came up with the idea of using the pork shoulders for a new, spiced meat type product. Since “spiced ham” was not a particularly inspiring name for the new product, a naming contest was held. The contest was won by Kenneth Daigneau, a brother of one of Hormel’s executives, who using a blending of the words, “spice” and “ham”, came up with the word “SPAM” for the name of the new product, He was given $100 as a prize for the name. Spam was launched in 1937. Although housewives of the1930’s liked the idea of unrefrigerated and shelf-stable meat, Spam did not become global, until World War II when the US purchased a variety of canned meats for the troops. Spam was the preferred brand and was served to both American and allied soldiers overseas – about one million pounds. It became a staple in England and Asian – Pacific countries where rationing was in effect and where there was the presence of American troops who ate it. The fact that it could be kept on the shelf for several weeks and survive tropical heat made it a menu staple. In Hawaii, it became a main source of protein when deep- sea fishing was restricted because. that industry was run mainly by Japanese – Americans, whose patriotism was questioned. After the war, the love of Spam remained and is one of Hawaii’s “national” dishes even being included in sushi. Since Spam was introduced in 1937, more than eight billion cans have been sold by Hormel and is available in 44 countries. SPAM ON YOUR PLATE IS MUCH BETTER THAN SPAM IN YOUR EMAIL!!!

 

 

 

FOOD TRIVIA: FISH AND CHIPS

 The importance of fish and chips to the overall wellbeing of the British is demonstrated by the fact that this dish helped both their troops and civilian populations get through two World Wars. In WWI, Prime Minister Lloyd George made sure that the dish was not put on the ration list unlike bread, sugar, and meat. This served as a great morale booster. Again, in WWII, the government had to maintain a steady supply of fish and potatoes. Even though the price of fish increased, the government still maintained a supply. On the battlefield, as well, fish and chips played a role. To separate friends from foe, the challenge code word was “fish”; response with the reply “chips”, told you it was a friend. Initially, when fish and chips were first eaten by the British, it was wrapped in a cone made of newspapers. This survived until the late 1980’s, when it was ruled. unsafe for food to be in contact with newspaper ink unless there was a grease-proof paper in between. Originally, any kind of fish could be fried and used for fish and sold as “fish and chips” dishes. Now, government regulations apply to fish and chip venues which now, must specify the name the type of fish used, Haddock and Chips, Cod, and Chips, etc. So, while merely "fish and chips" cannot be sold anymore, the British tradition of deep-fried fish served with deep fried potatoes is alive and well and continues not only the United Kingdom but in other countries. as well.  Fish and chips are variously “sauced “in different countries: Australians use Tartar sauce, England prefers malt vinegar, Scotland likes Brown Sauce, mayonnaise in Belgium while in Denmark, Remoulade sauce is used.

 

 COOKING TIP: Pasta                                      

For your information: Fresh pasta is No better than dried pasta. Each is used with different sauces. Fresh pasta is best served with creamy, butter- based sauces which allows the texture of the pasta to shine and be the star of the dish. Dried pasta is more versatile using a wider variety of saucing to be used depending on the shape of the pasta. See table below.

Never add oil to the water in which you are cooking pasta. Adding it does not prevent sticking. However, it coats the pasta not allowing sauce to cling to it and just wastes the oil. Pasta does not have to be cooked in huge volumes of water. Enough water to cover the amount of pasta you are cooking by an inch or two is enough. This plus a few stirs during cooking time will prevent sticking. Do, however, add salt (Kosher, not iodized) in the ratio; 1 tsp of Morton or ½ tbsp Diamond per quart of water. The salted water is absorbed by the pasta and flavors it while cooking.

Do not break long pasta into strands. There are numerous short pasta shapes to use if your dish calls for short pasta. Each pasta shape is made for a specific type of saucing. Use the appropriate sauce for the type you are using.

Never overcook pasta. Nobody likes mushy pasta.  Prepare each to its al dente (Italian - to the tooth) consistency; it should have a little “resistance” to your teeth when you bite into it. Cook according to the directions on the box. Taste frequently while cooking.  When it is cooked about two or three minutes from   the recommended cooking time or from the time your tasting tells you the texture is almost at the point you would like it to be, drain the pasta and put it into the sauce to finish cooking. This will allow the sauce to be absorbed into the pasta in the last phase of cooking. Further, the addition of a few tablespoons of the starchy pasta cooking water to the sauce will help bind the sauce to the pasta.

RMEMBER, sauce judiciously, NEVER overpower the pasta with sauce. The pasta should be the star of the dish, not the sauce. Use just enough to fully coat all the pasta without leaving a pool of sauce under it on the plate.

 SOME PASTA SHAPES AND RECOMMENDED SAUCES

    PASTA                                                                           SAUCE

Long and Thin                                                        olive oil, herbs and spices, tomato,                                                              

Capellini, Vermicelli, Angel Hair

Long and Flat                                                           cheese or cream based     

Fettuccine, Linguini, Pappardelle

Tubular                                                 robust tomato, frequently with minced meat                                        

Penne, Cappelletti, Ziti

Large and Flat                             baked in sauce with meat, cheese. and/or vegetables             

 Lasagna      

Pasta with filling               olive oil or butter sauces, thin soups, broth, light tomato       

Ravioli, Tortellini, Cappelletti                    

FOOD HISTORY: Fois Gras

 *Fattening geese and ducks had a dual purpose, Fois Gras, as a gourmet delicacy and the production of fat for the preserving of food - making confit (cooking the meat in and then leaving it covered by the fat.). This  preserved the meat for several months, insuring a meat supply before many other methods of preservation were available. Fois Gras, the livers of geese and ducks caused by artificially overfeeding them to fatten the livers is a delicacy enjoyed by gourmets around the world. The word literally translated from the French means, "fat liver". The origin of Fois Gras is over 4500 years old. When ancient Egyptians hunted and then domesticated geese, they observed that they had a natural tendency to eat more than usual before they took on the stresses of long migration flights. ((Subsequently, it has been PROVEN that the weight of migrating birds increases by half at this time and that geese and ducks "fill up" before migrating flights and in times of potential bad weather.) In addition, they found that when these fatter birds were killed to be eaten during these periods, their meat became much more desirable and their livers, which now contained  much more fat, had a  richer, silkier and more delicious taste. To insure that they could have supplies of this fatter geese and duck meat and especially their much more fatty livers during the birds non-migratory modes, they developed an artificial method, called gavage, to reproduce this natural phenomenon. Gavage (forcing the birds to eat more food than normal) produced a fatter bird with a fattier liver. At least 20 tombs from the  Ancient Egyptian Empire (2815 - 2400 BCE) depict scenes of artificially fattening geese. Over the years, figs, millet, sesame, vegetables and maize have been used for this purpose. From Egypt, the practice spread to Greece and then to Rome where cooking had evolved from a task performed by slaves to an art form. It was the Romans that found that fig fed birds livers had an enhanced taste; even to the point that these livers were given their own name;, "Iecur Figtatum" (fig stuffed liver"). Fois Gras became  popular throughout the whole sphere of Roman influence. Jews living in in the Middle Eastern regions of the Roman Empire, because of dietary restrictions prohibiting the use of lard in cooking or using butter to cook with meat, used poultry fat for cooking. Therefore, these Jews were particular to the Roman way of producing ducks and geese with fatter meat and livers. Thus, when the Roman Empire fell,  they continued making Fois Gras and it became a staple food of Jewish aristocratic society in Palestine. When these Jews migrated to Germany and France in the 11th century they carried the knowledge for making Fois Gras with them. While by  the 1500's  Fois Gras had made its appearance on tables in the Courts of the French Kings  - the birds were now being force-fed corn brought back by Columbus from the Americas rather than figs - it wasn't until  17th century  France that this delicacy was much more  popularized by  French Court  Chefs.  In 1788, the Governor of Alsace traded a Pate de Fois Gras to French King  Louis XVI for a parcel of land in Picardy. The king loved the dish so much that he began to introduce Pate de Strasbourg  (the capital city of Alsace)  to the Courts of the rest of Europe. This is how Fois Gras became associated with French gastronomy. Fois Gras production became a thriving business in France and is still today, making France the country most associated with this luxurious food.

COOKING TIPS: "Making the Cut" Part 1; Meat

The way meat is cut or handled may affect the ease of preparation, taste, texture, or visual appeal. The following are tips on how to cut some foods to achieve the best of the things mentioned above. They require knives that are always maintained to be very sharp. Sharp knives are much safer than dull ones since they require less pressure to cut.

MEATS

In general, any meat should be cut, “across the grain”. This shortens the fibers making the meat more tender to chew.

COOKED meat should ALWAYS be rested for 10 or more minutes, depending on the size of the meat. WHY? When the meat is heated all the cells contract, squeezing their liquid out and away from the heat toward the center of the meat. If it were to be sliced as soon as the cooking time is up, all the juices pooled in the middle would run out and be lost to the meat. Resting for several minutes allows the “pooled juices" to redistribute throughout the meat making each slice juicier.

This is especially true for chicken and other poultry, which already contain less moisture prior to cooking.

To cut thin slices from a larger piece of raw meat, for scallops, very thin slices for stir fry, etc., place meat in the freezer for some time to "rest" (stiffen the fibers) before cooking, As said above for “resting” meat, how much time in the freezer will vary depending on the size of the meat. DO NOT FREEZE THE MEAT. The meat should be firm, but NOT FROZEN. Never try to cut frozen meat!!

 Fry and taste a piece of your meatloaf or meatball mixture before you cook them. This way, you can correct the seasonings, if necessary.

When making hamburgers, use your thumb to make a depression in the middle of them, so they don't "bubble up" upon cooking

FOOD TRIVIA: About Wine

The California wine industry was started by a Hungarian immigrant, Count Agaston Haraszthy de Maksa, who planted Tokay, Zinfandel, and Shiraz varieties from his native land.

Pinot, a variety of red and white wine grapes used for making the red Pinot Noir and white Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris wines were named Pinot because the grapes grow in tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches; Pinot means pine cone in French.

 

The country that produces the most wine is Italy.

The name used in England for the red wine from the Bordeaux region of France is Claret.

 

COOKING TIP: VEGETABLES

Cooking Cauliflower in water that has a bit of milk added to it will keep the Cauliflower bright white.

When you must seed big, round tomatoes, cut them across the equator rather than lengthwise and scoop out seeds with your finger or the handle of a small spoon.

 Whole canned tomatoes have more "meat" and flavor than chopped but can be messy to chop. Use kitchen shears to cut them, quickly and cleanly, right in the can.

 Celery should NOT be stored in the refrigerator in the plastic bag in which it came. The plastic bag traps ethylene gas given off by the celery which accelerates deterioration. Celery should be wrapped in aluminum foil before it is placed into the refrigerator. This will allow the ethylene gas to escape and extend the shelf life of the celery.

To get longer life out of spinach, stem, wash, remove wilted leaves and dry thoroughly using a salad spinner or paper towels. Place in plastic bag and lay a couple of wet, wrung out paper towels over the spinach. Seal bag, squeezing out as much air as possible and refrigerating for up to two weeks.

 To prepare thin strips of cabbage for Cole slaw without using a sharp knife, cut the head into quarters. Using a Y shaped vegetable peeler, "Peel" the flat surfaces of each cabbage quarter to create thin slices. When the quarter gets too small for using the peeler, finish the "peeling" using a knife.

FRUIT

The easiest way to peel a Kiwi fruit is to cut it in half and use a spoon to scoop out the ripe fruit.

 Similarly, with an avocado, cut in half all around the large seed. Using the sharp edge of a kitchen or Chefs  knife, strike the pit, gently, but with hard enough to cut a small way into it and twist. The pit should come out whole. You can then use a spoon to separate the flesh from the skin.

 Use a melon baller to scoop out the cores of halved apples and pears. IT S EASY!

 

COOKING TIP: Using Your Ice Cube Tray

Water from your tap becomes cloudy when frozen. Boiled water, allowed to cool slightly, put into ice cube trays will give crystal clear cubes.

 Puree garlic and ginger with water, freeze and add to soups, stews, stir-fries or mashed potatoes.

 Place cut pieces of fruit, Strawberries, Blueberries, etc. into an ice cube tray, fill the tray with water, and freeze. Use to make fruit cocktail or add to drinks to keep them cold, add some fruit flavor and give a colorful accent to the drink.

OR

                                                            
Puree berries, sweeten to taste, place in ice cube trays, and freeze. Put in drinks to add color to the drink AND a continuing, sweet berry flavor as the cubes melt.

Freeze bacon fat drippings. Warm to melt a cube and add to salad dressings, soups, toss with greens, use to fry eggs, or use in any other cooking task in which you want to add bacon flavor. The same applies to chicken, duck, or goose fat.

Freeze left-over coffee and add to warm milk to make iced coffee. Same with tea; add to cold tea for iced tea without diluting the tea flavor by using water ice cubes.

Never throw away leftover sauces, small amounts of ketchup or mustard remaining in their containers Freeze them in small amounts. Add tho any dish where you think their addition will improve the flavor of what you are cooking.

FOOD HISTORY: Dinner Once Was Breakfast

In the Neolithic Era (8000 - 6000 BC), which was a great period of innovation, humans began to use querns  (grinding stones) to turn grains into a porridge-like food. Roman soldier 's  soon began consuming it to “break the fast” between the evening meal and the first meal of the next day.  The Latin word for that early morning meal was “disiunare” from the Latin root “dis” meaning reversal, and “iunare” meaning fast: together, "breakfast".  This word was later shortened to “disnare” or “disnar” and, even later, in old French, to “diner,” which meant, at that time, the first large meal of the day.  Eventually, in medieval England, this word that originated in Latin evolved into the English word "dinner". In England during that time, food writers emphasized that two meals a day should suffice and eating more frequently was considered “beastly.” People were expected to have a sizeable meal in the morning (dinner) and then have a smaller meal in the evening. Eventually, however, intermediate smaller meals became customary, and the larger meal was eaten much later in the day. Thus, the word "dinner", originally meaning "reversing the fast", is now used to indicate the last largest meal of the day while the word "breakfast" has come to be known as the first meal of the day.

 

COOKING TIP: Alternate Uses for a Melon Baller.

1) Use melon baller to remove the choke from artichokes.

2) Portion out mini appetizer sized drop biscuits. 

3) Scrape seeds from cucumbers, zucchini, jalapeno peppers, etc.
of other firm, juicy fruits and vegetables.

4) Core halved fruits, e.g., apples, pears. etc.

5) Hollow out vegetables for stuffing; tomatoes, squash, cucumber, baby potatoes, etc.

6) Use to make mini ice cream scoops.

7) Remove eyes from fresh pineapple.

8) Scoop out tops of cup cakes to make a hole for stuffing.

9) Make balls from melon and other fruit,. freeze and add to summer drinks to cool them down, add  flavor and color.

10) Portion  mini cookies.