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SELECTED BLOGS, FROM OUR BLOG
The Big Fat Duck Cookbook, by Heston Blumenthal
Time
for some serious gastronomic reading and shopping. Not for the
faint-hearted foodies, or penny-pinchers. But a great holiday gift: for
that very involved food lover -- or yourself. The Big Fat Duck Cookbook, by Heston Blumenthal, has recently hit the shelves. From Jessica's Biscuit:  "Award-winning chef Heston Blumenthal's eagerly awaited The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
is in. As a cookbook, this is not for the intrepid. The recipes are
difficult, noteworthy for both the stunning photography and the
sub-recipes within. Divided into three parts, History, Recipes,
Science, The Big Fat Duck Cookbook
is a glimpse into the mind of one of the world's leading chefs. As Jay
Rayner wrote in The Guardian: "Blumenthal is big on the flavours of our
childhood, the easiest way to open the door to our memories, and he is
not afraid to investigate the emotional punch of that nostalgia through
his tasting menu." The Big Fat Duck Cookbook is the gift for the professional chef and consummate foodies we know." *** The Big Fat Duck Cookbookby Heston Blumenthal 448 Pages Publisher: Bloomsbury Usa Pub. Date: Oct 28, 2008 Photos: Color Photographs ISBN-10:1596915501 ISBN-13:9781596915503 Published at $250, deals abound, including Jessica's Biscuit and Barnes and Noble online.
The Art and Soul of Baking, by Cindy Mushet  The
high season of baking is approaching: The cooler weather, the abundance
of autumn fruit, the holidays, and the pure joy of the act itself. In time for this season, a new publication has hit the shelves (or in my case the internet bookstore), The Art and Soul of Baking, by Cindy Mushet. From Jessica's Biscuit: " The Art and Soul of Baking
guides readers through the world of baking, where alluring aromas of
chocolate, vanilla, and cinnamon fill the air and tempt the palate.
Culinary authority Sur La Table teams with professional pastry chef and
baking instructor Cindy Mushet to create the ultimate book for bakers.
The Art and Soul of Baking demystifies the friendly science of baking
through delicious recipes and photography sequences that illustrate
proper techniques for carmelizing sugar, or working with croissant
dough. From tantalizing tarts, decadent cakes, and delicious
cookies, to more complex creations like crusty breads and flaky
pastries, to melt-in-your-mouth meringues, and lighter-than-air
souffles, The Art and Soul of Baking
offers the instruction of a private baking class at home. Beautiful
photographs and more than 250 fool-proof recipes, as well as
information on over 100 popular baking ingredients and more than 50
pieces of baking equipment, ensure that Sur La Table's The Art and Soul of Baking is destined to inspire passion in any baker and make the craft of baking not just accessible, but a true passion." The Art and Soul of Baking (HC ) by Cindy Mushet Hardcover 464 Pages Publisher: Andrews Mcmeel Pub. Date: Sep 15, 2008 Color Photographs ISBN-10:0740773348 ISBN-13:9780740773341 Available online from Jessica's Biscuit and Barnes and Noble.
FOOD FIGHTS! a la New York Times  Photo: Martin Klimas for The New York TimesFor those of you who do not read The New York Times, this week's issue of The Magazine, FOOD FIGHTS!, is devoted to all aspects of food: production, consumption, and much more. Not
knowing which of the many good articles to highlight, I recommend
glancing (and reading) the entire issue. Informative and intriguing.
And some recipes as a bonus. Even the political/environmental
consequences: "After cars, the food system uses more fossil fuel
than any other sector of the economy — 19 percent. And while the
experts disagree about the exact amount, the way we feed ourselves
contributes more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere than anything else
we do — as much as 37 percent, according to one study. Whenever farmers
clear land for crops and till the soil, large quantities of carbon are
released into the air. But the 20th-century industrialization of
agriculture has increased the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by the
food system by an order of magnitude; chemical fertilizers (made from
natural gas), pesticides (made from petroleum), farm machinery, modern
food processing and packaging and transportation have together
transformed a system that in 1940 produced 2.3 calories of food energy
for every calorie of fossil-fuel energy it used into one that now takes
10 calories of fossil-fuel energy to produce a single calorie of modern
supermarket food. Put another way, when we eat from the industrial-food
system, we are eating oil and spewing greenhouse gases. This state of
affairs appears all the more absurd when you recall that every calorie
we eat is ultimately the product of photosynthesis — a process based on
making food energy from sunshine. There is hope and possibility in that
simple fact." Go to The New York Times Magazine.
Tomato - Fruit or Vegetable?
"Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad." uknown.
What do you realy know about tomatoes?
From Wikipedia:
“Botanically speaking a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant, i.e. a fruit. However, from a culinary perspective the tomato is typically served as a meal, or part of a main course of a meal, meaning that it would be considered a vegetable (a culinary term which has no botanical meaning). This argument has led to actual legal implications in the United States. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws which imposed a duty on vegetables but not on fruits caused the tomato’s status to become a matter of legal importance.
The U.S. Supreme Court settled this controversy in 1893, declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, along with cucumbers, squashes, beans, and peas, using the popular definition which classifies vegetables by use, that they are generally served with dinner and not dessert. The case is known as Nix v. Hedden.
The tomato is now grown world-wide for its edible fruits, with thousands of cultivars having been selected with varying fruit types, and for optimum growth in differing growing conditions. Cultivated tomatoes vary in size from ‘cherry tomatoes’, about the same 1-2 cm size as the wild tomato, up to ‘beefsteak’ tomatoes 10 cm or more in diameter. The most widely grown commercial tomatoes tend to be in the 5-6 cm diameter range. Most cultivars produce red fruit, but a number of cultivars with yellow or orange fruit are also available. Tomatoes grown for canning are often elongated, 7-9 cm long and 4-5 cm diameter; these are known as ‘plum tomatoes’.
Most tomatoes today are picked before fully ripe. They are bred to continue ripening, but the enzyme that ripens tomatoes stops working when it reaches temperatures below 12.5 °C. Once an unripe tomato drops below that temperature, it will not continue to ripen. Once fully ripe, tomatoes can be stored in the refrigerator, but are best eaten at room temperature.”
You don’t have to can tomatoes in order to preserve them. If you grow tomatoes or purchase really great tomatoes somewhere and want to keep some for future use, the easiest way is to simply freeze them! Be sure the tomato is fully ripe, and quarter or chop the amount you wish to freeze. If chopped, fill an air tight container, seal tightly, and freeze. Or quarter the fruit and place in an air tight plastic bag, in quantities you may need. Then either defrost, or take directly from the freezer, and add to your soup, casserole or recipe. There are no additives, salt, and the taste is garden-fresh! 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes equals 3 cups chopped and drained fresh tomatoes.
NEVER REFRIGERATE FRESH TOMATOES! Don't buy refrigerated tomatoes: Cold temperatures make the flesh of a tomato pulpy and destroys the flavor.
Tomatoes are now eaten freely throughout the world. Today, their consumption is believed to benefit the heart. Lycopene, one of nature's most powerful antioxidants, is present in tomatoes and has been found to be beneficial in preventing prostate cancer, among other things. For more nutrition information on tomatoes go to - Health Benefits of Sweet Tomato.
To ripen, place green or unripened tomatoes in a brown paper bag and place in a dark spot for three or four days, depending on the degree of greenness. Do not put tomatoes in the sun to ripen - this softens them.
BASIC TOMATO SOUP
1 quart tomatoes, raw or canned
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pint water
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
Simply simmer all ingredients together for 20 to 30 minutes.
This recipe alone, or with chicken, beef, or vegetable broth, can be used a base for other soups or dishes.
You probably are familiar with Spanish tapas and tapas bars. How about the Japanese version, an isakaya? Huh? Here's a little edification from Wikipedia: "An izakaya (居酒屋, izakaya?) is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. The food is usually more substantial than that offered in other types of drinking establishments in Japan such as bars or snack bars." Read more at: Gourmet & Ethnic Foods, Recipes, Cookbooks, Trivia
 AP Photo: Chef Franco Amati stuffs cannoli shells at the Ferrara Bakery in New York's Little Italy...
NYC keeps the cannoli but drops the trans fats
Well, now you may not feel as guilty if you eat six cannoli in New York City...but, seriously, and finally, a small step towards healthier eating.
They said it couldn't be done:
"Chefs who relied on trans fats to make their pie crusts flaky, their crackers crispy and their muffins moist have worked overtime finding substitute ingredients. They have burned through hundreds of gallons of oil, shortening and margarine trying to retool old recipes without damaging flavor, texture or color.
Yet, with the deadline looming, it appears that few, if any foods, are getting whacked."
Read the entire article HERE.
Nine noteworthy foods
There have been many lists appearing recently touting the 'best' foods to eat for health and nutrition. The same foods appear on many of the lists -- with minor variations. A very nice, concise article in the Tennessean (Nashville) -- reprinted from 'Woman's Day', is as good as any:
"If you were stuck on a deserted island, what foods would you want with you? At first you might think about your favorite snacks, but ultimately you'd need nutrient-packed foods to keep you healthy for the long haul. To figure out what would make the cut, Woman's Day magazine analyzed dozens of foods. Points were awarded for the amount of key nutrients that each food contains, and any that had trans fats or high amounts of saturated fat or sodium were crossed off the list."
The foods included are almonds, avocados, broccoli, eggs, kale, quinoa, raspberries, sweet potatoes, plain non-fat yogurt.
Go to Tennessean to read the article.
Asafetida; Red lentils with asafetida recipe
I came across asafetida while searching for new recipes for red lentils. Ah, an herb I had never heard of or seen in stores. I'll try the recipe below when I find it. As for what asafetida is, a synopsis from Wikipedia:
"Asafoetida (Ferula assafoetida), alternative spelling asafetida, pronounced /æsəˈfɛtɪdə/ (also known as devil's dung, stinking gum, asant, food of the gods, Hing (Gujarati, Hindi), Ingua (Telugu), Hilteet, and giant fennel) is a species of Ferula native to Iran. It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 2 m tall, with stout, hollow, somewhat succulent stems 5-8 cm diameter at the base of the plant. The leaves are 30–40 cm long, tripinnate or even more finely divided, with a stout basal sheath clasping the stem. The flowers are yellow, produced in large compound umbels.
Asafoetida has a foul smell when raw, but in cooked dishes, it delivers a smooth flavor, reminiscent of leeks...
...This spice is used as a digestive aid, in food as a condiment and in pickles. Its odor is so strong that it must be stored in airtight containers; otherwise the aroma, which is nauseating in quantities, will contaminate other spices stored nearby. However, its odour and flavor become much milder and more pleasant upon heating in oil or ghee, acquiring a taste and aroma reminiscent of sautéed onion and garlic. In India, it is used especially by the merchant caste of the Hindus and by adherents of Jainism, who do not eat onions or garlic. It is used in most vegetarian and lentil dishes to both add flavor and aroma and reduce flatulence. It is mainly grown in Iran and Afghanistan. The Indian companies Laljee Godhoo, Laxmi Hing (R M Kanani & Co - Gujarat) are the world's largest producers of compounded asafoetida."
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Red Lentils with Asafetida
INGREDIENTS
2 cups red lentils
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground asafetida
1 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 or 5 dried red hot chilies
DIRECTIONS
Rinse the, then drain and place in a heavy saucepan.
Add 6 cups water and the turmeric. Stir and bring to a simmer (do not boil). Cover loosely, lower the heat and allow to simmer gently 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the salt and mix. Leave covered over very low heat.
Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the asafetida. Then add the cumin seeds, allowing them to sizzle for a few seconds. Add the red chilies. As soon as they turn dark red (should be a few seconds), pour the frying pan's oil and spices into the lentil pan. Cover immediately to trap the aromas, then serve.
Servings: 7 to 9.
 
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