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The Problem with Caramelizing Onions
Last week, a caramelized-onion loving friend of mine sent off an e-mail with a link to Tom Socca's Slate story on recipe writers misrepresenting the time it takes to properly brown onions. Socca focused on how many recipes say it will take only 10 to 20 minutes to achieve caramelization success, when in truth it takes much, much longer. "Finally, someone speaks truth to power!" my friend wrote in the e-mail, titled simply "Thank You!" "Undercooked onions are a scourge upon humanity." I was reminded of the story again last night when I set out to transform four Vidalia onions into a pot of Mark Bittman's Onion Soup. His recipe calls for browning the onions in half a stick of butter, "stirring occasionally, until very soft and beginning to brown, 30 to 45 minutes." I hadn't really considered the proper length of time to caramelize onions, as recipe times rarely match my own snail's pace in the kitchen. (Baking times I always follow exactly.) For Bittman's soup, it took about 55 minutes for caramelization--a heckuva long time--which is probably why I don't do it too often. A shame, as they're delicious. Do you have any tricks to speed up the caramelization process? (Photo: Romula A Yanes/Gourmet)
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Cooking Fin Fish
Last week at cooking school, we had our fin-fish class where we got an extensive overview of, well, the world of fin fish. Being a big seafood eater, I was thrilled to spend my Saturday learning about these aquatic species. It is said that there are up to 2,000 species of fish, but that we really only eat about 10 to 20 types, which fall under both the freshwater and ocean/saltwater varieties.Freshwater fish live in warmer waters and are therefore leaner, and saltwater dwellers tend to be fattier because they maintain a rigorous lifestyle in order to stay warm. There are also two types of fin fish: round and flat. Flat fish have two eyes on one side, an example being sole and flounder. Fin fish have eyes on each side. What else did we learn? How to buy fish. You don't want your fish to be smelly, you want it to smell like the sea. Skate is one example of fish that actually smells like ammonia, even right after it's been caught. Fish should be shiny, and clean looking, the gills should be red (not grey), and the eyes clear (not cloudy). If you can touch the fish (highly unlikely at a fish store, but just in case) it should be firm, and not mushy. It is said that with a few exceptions (cod and swordfish being examples), most fish should be undercooked! Especially because it will keep cooking even after you've taken it away from any heat. Fish can be sold whole (everything intact), drawn (gutted), dressed (gutted, scaled, head, tail, and fins removed), in steaks (cross-section slices, each containing a section of backbone), fillets (boneless sides of fish), butterflied fillets (both sides of fish still joined, but with bones removed), and lastly, in sticks (cross-section slices of fillets.) You can eat it raw, roasted, grilled, pan seared, steamed, poached, smoked, dried, sauteed. What's your favorite kind of fish? And what's your favorite way to prepare it?
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New Books from Gourmet
We're happy to announce the publication of two new Gourmet cookbooks, Gourmet Italian and Gourmet Weekday, both available in bookstores and in Gourmet Live's Amazon shop. For Gourmet Italian, the editors poured over the hundreds of Italian recipes the magazine published over the years, choosing only the very best. The resulting collection includes Calamari Salad, Three-Cheese Pizza, Lasagna Bolognese, Manicotti, Quick Chicken Ragu, Pasta with Lentils and Kale, and Tiramisu. And in keeping with Gourmet tradition, each recipe comes with cooking times and kitchen tips. Gourmet Weekday tackles that ever-present dilemma of what to make for dinner. Recipes for Black Bean Burgers, Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce, Deviled Chicken Drumsticks, and Chocolate Fallen Soufflé Cake make supper more of a joy and less of a chore. Cooking times are included so you know what you can handle on a given weeknight and menus help you create different meal plans. For more information and to order copies, head to the Gourmet Live Amazon shop.
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Hugh's Ramen Haunts
I have been spending much time in the wonderful city of New York these days and I like to eat, but at 152 pounds, with a snacker's sensibility from years in kitchens, I don't often like to sit down to a massive, multicourse meal. So a bowl of noodles is pretty fine with me. Ramen and Pho are beautiful things. Back home I go to Umaido a lot and get the Spicy Miso with Pork Belly. For a Korean-owned noodle joint doing Japanese ramen in Suwanee, Georgia, it rules. The place is simple and kind, but the broths are killer, while the noodles are fresh and have that slightly alkaline spring in their step. The eggs are always perfect, and the pork is really tender. But it's hot. Really hot. For my kids, I get the Tonkatsu and that is a little more tempered to their liking. They pack to go really well with everything separate, so I can travel the 45 minutes home with a perfect reheatable meal. In Manhattan, I have been going a lot to Totto Ramen which is an event in itself. Totto has a lot of rules. First you read the rules "before signing." Then you have to sign a sheet of paper with your name and the number of people in your party. Then you have to wait on the sidewalk on 52nd Street with people milling around. Do not sit down on the steps, it's strictly verboten. There are other rules too, posted up in very rag-tag fashion around the stoop. Those stairs lead into punk rock ramen land. Waiting outside for my spot at the bar for lunch, a guy walked by and blurted out, "I don't know why people wait so long to eat at this place. ..." Such negative energy will never make you happy. My colleagues in noodles were a motley group of all shapes and sizes, many solo diners and definitely no parties larger than 4 people. It's a tiny spot with two tables of four and a bunch of bar seats. That's it. Finally my name was called, more accurately in pronunciation than it ever has been at Starbucks (At Starbucks, "Hugh" often becomes "Q" written on the paper cup, like the Star Trek: The Next Generation character). I got water and the Spicy Ramen. Totally wonderful . The pork is the best butaned pork belly ever. The cooks are happy and gregarious and it's a kickass meal for $9. You should go. Just make sure you follow the rules. I also love Ippudo NY too. To the Google, people! It's wonderful but is a little less punk rock, a little longer wait, but not so many delightful rules to absorb. All the pictures are from Totto Ramen. HUGH'S RAMEN HAUNTS Umaido 2790 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd. #140 Suwanee, GA 30024 678-318-8568 Ippudo NY 65 Fourth Ave. New York, NY 10003 212-388-0088 Totto Ramen 366 W. 52nd St. New York, NY 10019 212-582-0052
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Your Daily Lunch Report From a 9-Year-Old
That's it: I'm utterly convinced every food review written by anyone from now on should include a hair count. Thank a precocious 9-year-old girl in Scotland who calls herself Veg. (Her explanation: "My dad says I should call myself Veritas Ex Gusto, truth from tasting in Latin but who knows Latin? You can call me Veg.") She's already made herself into the newest, hottest foodie celebrity in the U.K. with her reports (six of them so far, sort of) on the state of the school lunch in her cafeteria, via her a blog, called NeverSeconds. The BBC has interviewed her, and Jamie Oliver has expressed his admiration. I never, ever use the word "adorable," but that's the only word to use here. Veg rates her meals by several measures, including how many mouthfuls she took (she usually forgets to count or runs out of ink), "food-o-meter," and, of course how many hairs she found in it (so far, she's only discovered two, one of which was under the one of the cucumbers above). One of the constant themes in her reportage, as both her readers and she herself will point out, is that there aren't many veggies, and sometimes not much to eat, period. For example, on one pizza day (their school pizza looks just like they did in the U.S. when I was growing up, by the way), she was portioned out a single potato croquette: "I'd have enjoyed more than 1 croquet," she wrote. "I'm a growing kid and I need to concentrate all afternoon and I cant do it on 1 croquette. Do any of you think you could?" Anyway, take a spin to Veg's blog and take a gander for yourself. Fun-o-meter: 9/10 Price: Free Pieces of hair: 0
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Taking My Medicine and Loving It
Historically, there has always been one restaurant that leads the way and influences thousands of other establishments, only to be replaced several years later by another. For many years, it was New York that was the culinary arbiter. Then California led the way, with Chez Panisse, Michael's, Spago, Slanted Door, and French Laundry all blazing trails and setting the tone. Chicago has helped swing the dial one way or another. But in the last five years or so, our major culinary influences have come from abroad. Ferran Adria's El Bulli set the world on fire with its molecular gastronomy, dozens of courses, and prescribed reservation system. For the last two years its been Rene Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen, with its emphasis on foraged ingredients, and just-from-the-forest presentation. This style is now evident everywhere from Acme in New York to Red Medicine in Los Angeles. Chef Jordan Kahn, who is under 30 and has already worked at Per Se, French Laundry, Alinea, and Michael Mina, is definitely inspired by Noma, creating delicious, inventive, beautiful works of art that are an ode to nature, such as this legume, roots, walnuts, Spanish ham and Vietnamese herb dish (as pictured above) or the amberjack fish with red seaweed, buttermilk, lotus root and tapioca, all served in a goldfishlike bowl. What do you think will be the next big restaurant trend and who will be leading it?
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Cheese Layers in the Wedding Cake
This weekend we're going to a wedding upstate, and I can honestly say I'm looking forward to the food. Five long years ago Slate had me write a mean piece on why that festive fare is so often so dreary, but I'm guessing the great American kitchen revolution has had an impact even on the meal that generally proves you can't please everyone. I have always found the cake reflects the couple's own tastes more than any other element of the wedding beyond the music, which makes it likeliest to rise above the occasion. And that reminded me of this magazine I brought home from the Fancy Food Show last summer, and its feature on an over-the-top "cake," one made entirely of wheels of cheese. Slice it up. I'll take it. I thought it was unique, but the Google yields dozens of images of others. And that's a reflection of the great American cheese revolution. We've come a long way from the Brie served at my going-away "party" at the New York Times in 1983, when I went off to restaurant school and learned genoise should be soaked in liqueur to keep it from turning to wedding cake. (Cheese Connoisseur, BTW, is quite a readable magazine, not to mention great for vicarious nibbling. It's carried by lots of supermarkets, but you can subscribe.)
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Going the Whole Hog
Brooks Miller and Anna Santini have been working on farms and learning about sustainable agriculture for 10 years. The couple now own North Mountain Pastures, 84 acres outside of Newport, Pennsylvania, where they raise chickens, pigs, turkeys, cows, goats, and sheep. Their heritage breed pigs, including Tamworth, Berkshire, Yorkshire, and English Black, roam and forage in lush pastures and also enjoy acorns and other nuts from the farm's trees as well as local organic grains. All this adds up to delicious artisanal pork. Brooks and Anna butcher 50 pigs a year and cure the meat. They are planning to open a small sausage and salume shop on their farm, and are building a traditional earth-banked aging room, too. Brooks took time from his busy day to talk about their farming philosophy and how they teach their children the joys and responsibility of raising livestock. Brooks, do you and Anna come from farming families? Neither of us comes from a farming family. I grew up working on a landscaping farm since age 12, but didn't grow food until after college. Anna's grandfather was a farmer, first generation from Italy, and she grew up with stories of the farm from her uncles and grandfather. Anna's family is very food-oriented, and she grew up eating wild game and grass-fed meats, and so has always known good food. My mom is a big gardener, and also helped inspire me. We came to farming from different angles, as Anna valued her grandfather's stories, food, and farm background. I chose farming as more of a change in my personal politics: an attempt to be more responsible of the energy I was consuming. Read on... Is that a legacy you want to pass down to your own children? We would love for our children to grow food. We feel like it is right work, exhausting, but rewarding. Mostly we hope to instill in them the values of good food, good work, and good company. Is it tough explaining to your children that the cute pigs they grow fond of will be someone's dinner? Our 4-year-old understands where everything is going. When we have to butcher dairy animals (more like pets), it makes for a difficult day, but it's usually difficult for everyone. He understands that the meat animals are for meat, and is comfortable around poultry slaughter. You've just raised funding to build an earth-banked aging room. Can you explain what that is and why it's important to your farm? An earth-banked aging room is basically a cave. It is important to have an environment in which we can age our meats. It needs to have controlled humidity and be about ground temperature (50-55F). Earth-banked means the structure will be buried in earth, normalizing the temperature. We researched cheese-cave designs, as the conditions are similar. Are there still other small farms in your area? Most Pennsylvania farms are small, comparatively speaking. However, most are using methods of farming we would not use. We do have several inspirational...
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Julia Child's Chocolate Mousse
The countdown to what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday continues this week with Mousseline au Chocolat, or better known as Chocolate Mousse. Her recipe comes from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 1 (Knopf). The one thing I learned by making the recipe? I need more practice beating egg whites. This was my first time using a Julia Child recipe; it was also my first time making mousse. I thought my unfamiliarity with her recipe writing style slowed me down; it's written in paragraph form which meant I had to re-read each "step" several times over. But that said, her descriptive language--"thick, pale yellow," "dissolving ribbons," "foamy and too hot for your finger"--was helpful for this novice. But what about the final product? Well, I didn't taste it right away but when I did, I was surprised by the fact that it tasted like... mousse! Its airy texture was still there a day later, and I have to say, I was impressed with my first effort. As for the orange liqueur that Julia says to add, neither my husband nor I could really taste the orange flavor I was expecting. For the inaugural recipe, check out Sara's post on Julia Child's Rolled Omelette. (Photo: Chocolate Mousse after refrigeration by Esther Sung)
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What Does Gluten-Free Mean?
Let's talk about this phrase: gluten-free. It shouldn't be hard to define, right? What's gluten? Well, it's the elastic protein that is in wheat, barley, rye, triticale, spelt, farro, and kamut. (Plus semolina, durum, and freekeh.) Ah, but even that's confusing. Some people refer to the compound series of proteins in cereals or grains as "gluten." Sometimes people will use the phrase "corn gluten," which scares those with celiac. (This article clears up that misconception.) Technically, the proteins in wheat, and all its related forms, that cause damage in someone suffering from celiac is gliadin and glutenin. But you're not seeing food packages with the phrase "gliadin and glutenin free." Quite awhile ago, the medical community and the food industry decided on the phrase "gluten-free" to refer to food without any of those potentially damaging proteins. So, if something is gluten-free, it's missing any trace of those grains, right? That's what a celiac needs to remain healthy--no trace of gluten. Well, that's what it should mean. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been debating the meaning of the phrase "gluten-free" for more than five years. They still haven't made a decision. The agency introduced a proposal on this in 2007, opened up the proposal for comments again in 2011, and still remains silent on a clear definition. Can a food be called gluten-free if it contains less than 20 parts per million of gluten but more than zero? Some say yes. Some say no. Meanwhile, this means there is no regulation of the phrase "gluten-free" on food packages. That scares some of us. A decision, whatever it is, might prevent some in the food industry from trying to cause confusion for a profit. Let's take the case of Domino's. You might have heard this--Domino's Pizza came out with a "gluten-free pizza." This month, it debuted a crust made from rice flour and potato starch in all of its 5,000 stores. Gluten-free pizza for everyone! Not really. Domino's has stated that they do not have a protocol for avoiding cross-contamination in their 5,000 kitchens. The gluten crusts and gluten-free crusts are being rolled out in the same space. Domino's claims it cannot make the attempt to have separate tomato sauce and toppings for gluten and gluten-free pizzas. In other words, the gluten-free pizza is not really gluten-free. Here's the deal. A large number of consumers and bloggers have been incensed by this. Dr. Jean Layton does a good job of expressing that rage and confusion in her blog. I share her feelings. However, it's the language itself that truly bothers me. I'm not likely to eat a Domino's pizza. I live on a rural island off Seattle. We don't have a Domino's or any chain pizza places. I'm more likely to eat in a small place like Delancey that takes care to avoid cross-contamination than in a chain pizza place. We make our own pizza at home. (That's a photo of it up top.) But I know that a lot...
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