COOKING TIP: Fried Herbs

Fried herbs make nice garnishes that "shatter"in your mouth when you eat them. Put whole leaves of tender herbs, such as, parsley, basil, sage, etc., in hot oil until they start to darken.remove and drain on paper towels where they will become crisp.The herb flavored oil can be used  in making salad dressings or any other way where a herb flavored oil may enhance the flavor of a dish.

 

FOOD TRIVIA: Origin of Food Names

 

Food Name               Language of Origin             Meaning in Original  Language

 

tapioca                               Brazilian                            "to squeeze out the dregs"

 

vermicelli                           Italian                                         "little worms"

 

phyllo                                 Greek                                               leaf

 

porcini                                Italian                                        "little pigs"

 

avocado                              Aztec                                            testicle

                                         (abucatl)

 

lasagna                            ancient Greek                             "chamber pot"

                                             (lasanon)

                                       adapted by Romans                 "large cooking- pot"

                                            (lasanum)

 

succotash                        Narraganset Indian         "boiled whole kernels of corn"

                                          (msickquatash)

 

 

FOOD HISTORY: Mincemeat

 In spite of its name, contemporary mincemeat, usually made into pies, is just a brandy infused mixture of minced dried fruit and, perhaps, some beef suet (fat) but no meat. It is very popular in Great Britain and is usually served at Christmas time. However, it was originally created as a way to preserve meat. In the Middle ages, meat pies with dried fruit were very popular in England but the lack of refrigeration made them very perishable. Salting and smoking were the only means available to preserve meat in those times  but these techniques produced flavors too strong or too salty for meats made into pies. Then, Crusaders,returning from the Holy Land brought certain spices back with them - cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg.  It was found that when  these spices were added to meat mixtures used as pie fillings (initially,  probably added to mask any "off" flavors of not quite fresh meat), they exerted a preservative effect on the meat. Therefore, people began to add them to the meat/fruit fillings for their pies to make their protein supply last longer. Because of the religious connotations of these spices - gifts from the Magi given to baby Jesus - and Britain being a Catholic country at that time, the British Catholic Church hierarchy began to sanction mincemeat pies to be eaten at Christmas time. It became a British Christmas tradition. The Catholic King Henry V was even served mincemeat pies at his Coronation in April 1413.  Later, however, the religion of Britain became Protestant and during the very severe Puritan reign of Oliver Cromwell,(1653-1658) attempt's were made to banish Christmas itself as a holiday and certain food traditions that went with it  were banned, including preparation of and the eating of mincemeat pie.  Eating of  mincemeat  pies and the monarcy were restored in 1660 when Charles II ascended to the British throne. Later, when  English settlers brought their traditional food preferences to the New World, the Puritan idea that anything "gluttonous" and 'wasteful" was irreligious was brought, as well. Therefore, it took  some time before the eating of mincemeat pie began to catch on. However, as Puritanism declined, the popularity of mincemeat pie boomed in the American home. With the introduction of more modern methods preserving meat, the addition of fresh meat to pies so it could be eaten quickly before spoiling or to be mixed with spices in the pies to extend its life became irrelevant. Thus, in the 1700's, recipes for mincemeat pies using only fruit and suet but no meat, started to appear. These pies were preserved using only brandy.Today mincemeat pies are available made with the traditional spiced meat, suet and fruits, pies made using only suet and fruit and pies made using only fruit; all with or without brandy added. These pies are now eaten anytime during the year but still are most popular during Christmas.

COOKING TIP: Using East Indian Spice Blends

EAST INDIAN FLAVORING

Indian cooking is about BOLD flavors achieved by using a variety of spices, all used together. Curry and Garum Masala are two ofthe most popular blends. 

While each Indian Chef or housewives may have their own recipes for these spice mixtures depending on their palates, the region of India in which they live or a variety of other factors, I present a recipe for one of each of these blends below, which may be modified in any way that your taste directs. 

GARUM MASALA, known as Indian “sweet “ spice because it contains cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices which Western cooks think of as “sweet”, as well as savory spices e.g., cumin and coriander. Because some of these ingredients turn “bitter” after prolonged cooking, Garum Masala is added at the end of cooking time or even when the food is taken off the burner.

RECIPE

5 parts whole coriander seeds

4 parts whole cumin seeds

2 parts, each, black peppercorns and cardamom pods

1 part, each, whole cloves and nutmeg (freshly grated or powdered)

Except for the nutmeg, toast all whole spices in a skillet under medium – low heat until fragrant and a few start to darken. Remove from heat, cool, and grind using a spice grinder or coffee grinder, used exclusively for grinding spices. 

Add nutmeg and store in an air tight container.

CURRY POWDER, like Garum Masala, contains both whole and powdered spices, but it has a yellowish - orange color due to the use of turmeric in the blend. Curry is added during the early stages of cooking to prevent bitterness. It frequently is added to the oil used for sauteing aromatics, such as onion and garlic, at the beginning of the cooking process and is cooked for a few minutes, to ‘bloom’ the flavors, before the next ingredients are added.

RECIPE

6 parts, each, dried chili peppers, fennel seed and coriander seed

2 parts cumin seed

Dry toast the spices in a pan on medium heat until some of the seeds start to pop, about three minutes. Remove and cool.

Grind the blend in a coffee/ spice grinder with:

2 parts white peppercorns

2 parts mace

1 part ground turmeric

Store in an air tight container and use within one week.

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 [AH1]

 COOKING TIP: Rice

You need a certain number of no-brainer dishes in your life: recipes you can make with your eyes nearly closed. Rice fits the bill!

Fried rice—that's the one for me. It's quick, plays right into my fridge cleanout tendencies and besides, I always have rice around. Come to think of it, my go-to dish could easily be any number of rice dishes: risotto, Spanish rice, red beans and rice, rice pudding etc. Rice is dependable that way.

But one rice does not fit all. There are hundreds of thousands of different strains of rice, according to the USA Rice Council, which keeps tabs on such things. Thanks to Katie Maher, the council's Director of Domestic Promotion, who whittled it down for me—by color, size, shape of grain, and starch content.

Rice is a whole grain, all bran, germ, and endosperm. Remove the outer hull, the bran, and the germ, and you're left with a white kernel—white rice.

White rice is often enriched with vitamins to make up for what’s lost in processing.

Brown rice and other colored rice retain their bran (but not the inedible hull) and, thus, their nutrients. Black rice, also called Chinese Forbidden rice, gets its color from its black bran. Red rice has reddish brown bran. All the whole-grain rice’s taste chewier and nuttier than white rice.

Rice is most often categorized by size: long, medium, and short grain.

Long-grain rice is three to four times as long as it is wide. Basmati and Jasmine rice are in this category.

Medium grain has shorter kernels, two to three times as long as they are wide. Arborio and Carnaroli rice for risotto, Bomba for paella, and Calrose sushi rice are all medium grain.

Short-grain rice is squat, almost round. It’s used interchangeably with medium grain for sushi and dishes like risotto and rice pudding.

Two starches in rice—amylose and amylopectin—determine its texture when cooked.

Short- and medium-grain rice are higher in amylopectin, the so-called "sticky starch," so they cook up moist and clingy.

Long-grain rice has more amylose. That’s why its kernels stay fluffy and separate

Glutinous rice, also known as sweet rice, contains only amylopectin, which explains its super-stickiness. It's usually sold in Asian markets and used in many Asian desserts.

Wild rice really isn't rice. It's an aquatic grass native to the Great Lakes region, now largely cultivated in Minnesota and California. Like brown rice and other whole-grain rice, it's very nutrient-dense.

Instant rice. Also called quick-cooking or pre-cooked rice, this is fully cooked and dehydrated rice. It needs only a quick reheat.

Parboiled rice is rice that's been soaked and steamed before the outer hull is removed, in the process absorbing nutrients that would otherwise be lost. Parboiling also partially cooks the starch in the rice so the kernels stay fluffy but firm.

Rice is appealingly cheap and goes a long way. If you’re buying from the bulk bin or by the giant bagful, make room to store it properly.

Once opened, transfer it to a well-sealed container. Rice is a dry good and needs to stay that way: dry, cool, and away from aromatic foods like onions (it’ll pick up those aromas).

Brown rice will go rancid because of the oil content in the bran; it’s best to keep it in the fridge, similarly sealed.

While brown rice has a shelf life of about six months, white rice’s is “almost indefinite,” Maher said.

Freshly cooked rice has a shelf life, too. Use it within two hours or refrigerate. It’ll keep for three to five days—optimal fried-rice time, if you ask me.

 

FOOD TRIVIA: Drinking from Chinese Tea Cups

There are many points of etiquette associated with drinking tea in China. Some of them are:

The youngest person at the table always pours the tea for everybody from the eldest person down to the younger people.

When pouring tea, your left hand should cover the lid and your right hand deliver the tea.The person pouring tea has their cup filled last.

Tea is poured only in cups, never in glasses, and the cup is not picked up to have the tea poured into it.When tea is poured and the pot is put down, it is impolite to have have the spout pointed at anybody. Further, the handle should be facing the pourer to imply that they will always be pouring.  

 To acknowledge the person who has poured your tea, a knock on the table using the index and middle fingers is used which represents your appreciation by this symbolic imitation of a kneeling position.

FOOD TRIVIA: Can an Apple Taste like an Orange?

Obviously, apples and oranges are different but try this experiment. Slice an apple and an orange in half. Take a bite of the apple and chew while holding the sliced orange under your nose and sniff repeatedly. The apple will taste like like an orange. Why you ask! Because smell receptors in your nose work along side the taste receptors (taste buds) in your mouth to help interpret taste. Thus, a strong smell can affect the flavor of food.