Three random cooking/food tips:
Make your own soda
I avoid corn syrup. It scares me. That means Coke and the like are off the table. Instead I roll my own juice sodas (e.g. Apricot, Peach, etc.)
It’s a technique I picked up from my dad. It’s a simple combo of club soda and fruit juice nectar, which has a higher fruit content than typical juice. (Fyi, nektar is Latin Greek for “drink of the gods.”)
It’s simple: Put some ice in a glass. Fill it about 1/3 full with fruit nectar. I’m a big fan of Bionaturae organic nectars which I get from Fresh Direct. Top it off with club soda (I buy it by the case so there’s always some on hand).
Now you’ve got yourself one delicious, healthy, and cheap beverage. Call it the “soda of the gods.”
Always order the D-Roll
If a restaurant has an item that contains the name of the restaurant in it, order that.
For example, there’s a sushi place near me called Sushi D. It has a huge menu and the first time I went there, I wasn’t sure what to order. Then I saw the D-Roll on the menu. I thought: If they’re willing to name it after the restaurant, it must be good. And it was awesome. Last week at a place called Cafe Fresca, I ordered the Pizza Fresca. Also delicious.
If a restaurant puts its name on a dish, it’s probably a good sign that they’re proud of it. Reminds me of a piece of advice Edward Tufte gives: People should put their name on things — it shows your audience that you care about the content and take responsibility for it.
If that’s not an option, another ordering technique I like: Pick two items on the menu that sound appetizing and let the server decide between those options. They know what’s best on the menu (and, perhaps more importantly, what’s definitely not a good idea).
Or just go all in and order Omakase-style (i.e. the customer lets the chef prepare whatever the chef wants).
Use fresh garlic
Use fresh garlic. Not garlic powder, not a jar of minced garlic, not cloves that are peeled already. Use the stuff you have to peel. Put it under your knife and pound it. (Anytime you’re pounding something in the kitchen, it’s a good sign.)
What I’ve learned over the years: Every time someone comments on how good something smells in my kitchen, it’s because I’m making something with garlic.
Here’s what chef/author Anthony Bourdain says about garlic in “How to Cook Like the Pros” (which has lots of good tips):
Treat your garlic with respect. Sliver it for pasta, like you saw in Goodfellas, don’t burn it. Smash it, with the flat of your knife blade if you like, but don’t put it through a press. I don’t know what that junk is that squeezes out the end of those things, but it ain’t garlic…Avoid at all costs that vile spew you see rotting in oil in screwtop jars. Too lazy to peel fresh? You don’t deserve to eat garlic.
Anyone else have a food tip to share?
Related: Professional Chefs Reveal Their Shortcuts [Slate]
mgroves
on 06 Feb 08I know that the Food channel probably shows an hour a day (in aggregate) of various cooks taking fresh garlic and smashing it for cooking.
matt
on 06 Feb 08I somewhat disagree on “use fresh garlic”. While I always use fresh garlic I believe there are times when a garlic press is appropriate…especially for sauces. When you use a press you will break more cell walls (and waste more garlic, true) as well as will extract more oil / liquid. This can be more appropriate for sauces or something that will mellow some of the results from the enzymatic action (soy is another good match). Also, one must remember to pull the small center from the garlic prior to pressing (as the taste is obviously different.
I’ll usually chop it or sliver it. Another good alternative is a microplane (if you want to bust a lot of the cell walls similar to a press but don’t want a “single-purpose tool”).
Jan
on 06 Feb 08Try to grow at least a basic set of herbs yourself. They make all the difference.
Anonymous Coward
on 06 Feb 08Let the sommelier pick your wine. Seriously, he/she knows way more than you do, don’t fool yourself.
Buy whole spices from a spice shop, not the preground McCormick cardboard. And don’t use chili powder, rehydrate dried chiles instead.
Don’t rush something that shouldn’t be rushed, e.g. browning meat for a braise or caramelizing onions. If you do it will end up bland and/or burnt.
A lot of stuff tastes better after a day or two in the fridge, especially soups.
Get something you’ve never tried before every time you go to the grocery store. The old standbys tend to be pretty boring.
Marinating has no penetrating effect on taste, texture or juiciness. You are just as well off brushing the marinade on during cooking as letting it sit for 12 hours. Exceptions: brining and any treatment that affects protein structure (acids, enzymes).
Justin
on 06 Feb 08Here are a few tips that I’ve always found quickly beneficial to cooking:
Always use alcohol in tomato sauces
Certain flavors in foods are heat-soluble (like the browning that happens in meat via the Maillard reaction), some are water-soluble, and some are alcohol-soluble. Tomatoes contain concentrated flavors that are alcohol-soluable, and if you don’t cook your marinaras with some alcohol (wine, vodka, whatever fits your flavor profile) you’ll never get as complex a taste as you could.
Always keep cornstarch around
There are plenty of ways to thicken sauces (rouxs, starch from things like pasta/potatoes, reduction), but in a pinch nothing beats a cornstarch slurry. Simply take cornstarch and dissolve it into cold liquid (an important step since adding cornstarch directly to hot liquid can cause it to lump) and add it to any sauce to thicken and smoothen it out.
Don’t be afraid to mix cooking methods
If you want the secret to a perfect steak without a grill, get a piece of dense metal (cast iron is preferable) to a screamingly hot temperature, brush on some oil, drop it presentation side down in the pan and do not move for 4 minutes. Repeat on the other side, and then stick it into a warm oven to finish. This gives you the greatest control over creating a perfect crust on the meat while still maintaining the ability to cook the meat to your desired doneness. I’m always surprised at the number of people that don’t sear and finish in the oven.
Don’t skimp on the salt
Salt doesn’t just make things taste “salty,” but also it acts as a flavor enhancer for nearly anything you apply heat too. On the whole, people way underseason their food when it comes to salt—and it can make steaks taste meater, vegetables taste more vibrant, and sauces taste deeper.
Marinading is nice, but don’t forget about brines
Brining really is the secret to restaurant meats. Brining involves a mixture of salt and water (and often sugar) that pulls moisture out of the meat through osmotic difference before returning it in excess along with whatever other flavors you bring to the party. This saturates the meat cells with moisture and flavor and not only reduces your cook time but creates a very tasty meat with minimal effort.
Next time you make a chicken breast (about 1 lbs), bring 1qt of water to a boil with 0.5c salt and 0.5c sugar. After everything is fully-dissolved add some seasoning to the mixture (cloves of garlic, sprigs of rosemary, fresh basil, peppercorns) and soak the chicken in this mixture for at least 30 minutes (ideal is around 1 hour). Just cooking this by itself will result in a moist, tasty breast that you swore was straight from your favorite restaurant.
Know your damage control
Really the only thing that separates the bad cooks from good cooks is knowing what to do if something goes wrong, so here are some common fixes for your dishes:
Too salty/Too Sweet/Too Acidic – These three flavors really need to be in balance unless your dish specifically calls for an abundance of one (like a sweet glaze), but if you find your dish too much of one of the three add some of the other two. You can also just up the other ingredients in the recipe to dillute the offending taste, but often a simple pinch of sugar or dash of lemon juice is all it takes.
Broken cream sauce – If you make a sauce that involves cream and it breaks under high heat (the oil separates from the cream) fret not, all you need to do is take a small amount of cream, heat it until it reduces by half, and then rapidly whisk the concentrated cream back it—the sauce should tighten right up.
Missing ingredients – Really the best thing you can do here is understand what each ingredient brings to the table. Is the acidity there to cut the richness of the dish? Are the nuts there for texture? Is the ocre there to thicken? Once you have an idea of an ingredient’s purpose you can substitute at will. If you’re baking, however, substitutions can be much more dangerous so make sure you know exactly what you’re doing least you ruin a perfectly good cake.
Burnt sauce – If your sauce burns immediately place it in a sink of cold water to stop the cooking, and transfer the top third to a new pot without stirring. If the sauce still tastes burnt there’s nothing you can do, but often this works if you catch it quick enough.
Lumpy gravy or sauces – Always keep a whisk or sieve on-hand for these situations.
Smoking oil – Oil has a smoke point where it releases acrid fumes that can ruin food. If you find yourself needing to cook with a fat that has a low smoke point (like butter), consider adding a high-smoke point fat (like peanut oil) to the mix to keep the fat from burning.
Tough or fatty meats – Should you find your meat to be too tough or fatty try cutting it into thin strips along the bias. This delivers the fibers of the meat to your tongue at an angle that feels less chewy, and it also cuts down on the amount of fat you get at one time.
classicist
on 06 Feb 08Just a small detail…nectar (or nektar) is not Latin. It’s Greek.
Rule of thumb…if the original spelling uses a k where we now use a c, it’s probably Greek instead of Latin. There’s no k in Latin.
FredS
on 06 Feb 08A good Italian meatball is made with ground veal, pork and ground beef. Make a big batch and freeze the ones you don’t fry up. Get em brown and let them cook through in your sauce.
Anonymous Coward
on 06 Feb 08I prefer to use more eggs and just beef in meatballs and bake them instead of fry them. They turn out nice and moist with the “practically hamburger” treatment most people give them on the pan.
FredS
on 06 Feb 08I omitted ingredients. Definitely eggs, bread crumbs, etc. But I’ll disagree on the oven.
Kevin
on 06 Feb 08Soy sauce is for lightly dipping the fish side of your nigiri in. It is not for drowning your sushi till it is noticeably heavier and falling apart.
Erik Peterson
on 06 Feb 08Re: Garlic
Fresh garlic should always be used while cooking, but I love using the jarred stuff on toast. It is much sweeter than fresh, and tastes really great in certain situations. Goes well with pasta, meat, or any other heavy main dish.
Also try roasting the whole head of garlic. Wrap it in tin foil with some olive oil, give it a roast in the oven until it is soft. Spread that on some bread, or (if you’re adventurous) eat it straight up. Definitely delicious.
Justin
on 06 Feb 08Really the only “authentic” Italian meatball is polpette, but I’d be lying if I didn’t absolutely love Italian-American meatballs. I agree that a lot of people use too few eggs in meatballs (it contributes a lot to the texture), and cheese as well (romano is what I prefer). As to the cooking method so long as you don’t overcook it it doesn’t really matter, although you definitely won’t find many Italian grannies slaving over a pot of meatballs in floating red sauce. :P
Mr Oz
on 06 Feb 08Very quick homemade sauce for spaghetti.
A real recipy from Italy, 4 servings:
Heat 1 gallon water for spaghetti. Chop half garlic clove (fresh!), put in a pan with 3 tbs oil, when lightbrown turn heat high and add a teaspoon of origano, let it go for 1/2 mins, smell it (goooood), then add a can of pelati tomatoes, agitate, crush the tomatoes, cook it for 10 mins, meanwhile grate a cup of Parmesan cheese then to the spaghetti pot: the water should be boiling, add 2 tbsp salt, cook 13 ounces of spaghetti (taste them after 5 mins, the core must be firm), put spaghetti in the colander then back in the pot, add sauce to spaghetti, add parmesan. Done.
A note, the spaghetti sauce is called “sugo” (pron: soogoh), so you just made “spaghetti al sugo” (pron: spagettee hal soogoh).
Buon Appetito
Mr Oz
on 06 Feb 08Btw, “nectar”, with a “c” is Latin. Meaning is the same as nektar: it comes form “nex” (dead) + “teros” (protector). It was a del.icio.us drink served by Jupiter.
And, as an italian, i love Italian/American-meatballs, specially the Al Pacino’s style…
belmontmedina
on 06 Feb 08use whole milk products- cheese, yogurt, milk, whatever. It makes a huge texture difference. I don’t know about you but my mom didn’t make mac and cheese with skim milk
Ryan
on 06 Feb 08@Justin: Combine your two of your tips, a good amount of kosher salt and searing of the steak on hot cast iron for a great steak.
andy
on 06 Feb 08If you like roll your own sodas, roll your own beer for a little taste of heaven. There’s nothing like enjoying a beer with your friends that you have made yourself.
Patrick Henry
on 06 Feb 08“I avoid corn syrup. It scares me.”
Makes about as much sense as being afraid of the dark.
whitneymcn
on 06 Feb 08Totally agree on the soda front, but I’ll toss out one enhancement: as long as you’re making your own soda, carbonate your own water. I’m a serious seltzer consumer, and one day I looked at how many of those 1 liter bottles I was putting into the recycling bin every week…I believe it was a crapload and a half per week.
It actually comes out cheaper in the long run to carbonate your own (how long depending on how much you drink), and you’re using reusable bottles so there’s an environmental benefit, as well.
Edgardo
on 06 Feb 08When in doubt…deep fry it!
John A Davis
on 06 Feb 08errrr, I meant Justin:
What is your BMI?
mkb
on 06 Feb 08Patrick Henry: yeah, the real reason is it tastes like crap.
My secrets: Buy a smoker, put meat in it, and DON’T TOUCH THE MEAT
ML
on 06 Feb 08Patrick, some of the problems associated with high fructose corn syrup are listed here.
Dani Nordin
on 06 Feb 08Now we’re talking my language! Agreed on all your tips, plus, I’ll add my own:
- Take the time to really get to know your ingredients – especially your spice cabinet. A well-stocked spice cabinet and pantry is the key to eating very well.
- Buy really good food. This might sound obvious, but especially with vegetables (I’m not much of a meat eater, but veggies are my life) it’s amazing how often people will settle for whatever crap they find in the store.
- Iceberg lettuce is not a food. Period.
- Instead of eating crap Lean Cuisine for lunch, make it a point to make enough leftovers to take for work tomorrow – and find recipes that are as good if not better the next day.
- re: the above tip – pretty much any pasta dish, but especially pasta with red sauce, is NEVER as good or better the next day.
Tom G
on 06 Feb 08Try making your own wine. Best way to learn is to get a kit and start from there. Its a blast and not very hard.
Stephen
on 07 Feb 08Stop putting cream in your carbonara.
Avi Flax
on 07 Feb 08Totally agree with whitneymcn; if you’re making your own soda, carbonate it yourself – saves money, time, effort, and energy – and in turn hurts the environment much less. I recently bought a soda maker from Soda Club, and it works great. As an added bonus, you control how carbonated the water is, so you can make it just-a-touch or super-strong.
I wrote more about this here
Pete Mauro
on 07 Feb 08@FredS – You inspired me to cook a batch of meatballs – it will give me an excuse to break out my kitchen aid meat grinder attachment.
This reminds me of a story. I lived with an Italian for a few months who loved to cook. One day he came home and said he was gonna make meatballs. I said, “Great, spaghetti and meatballs!”. He scoffed, “What is it with you Americans with the Meatballs on the Spaghetti? First you have the meat course and then you have the pasta course!”
My tips:
- If you like to cook, cook extra an use a vacuum sealer to freeze the food. Most dishes can be reheated by tossing the bag into a pot of water that you bring to a boil.
- Make fresh pasta! It’s way easier than you would ever beleive if you have a cuisinart with the dough blade and a hand crank pasta maker ($25). I am talking like 5 minutes to make the dough, 15 minutes to make the pasta and one minute to cook it.
Mark
on 07 Feb 08Nutella Mocha
Three shots very hot espresso
One heaping teaspoon of Nutella
half cup of low fat milk
Make fresh espresso. Stir in Nutella, smashing it against the sides of the cup to ensure it is mostly melted and dissolved into the coffee.
Pour mixture into cup containing warm milk.
Yumm.
Nic
on 07 Feb 08Next time you’re on a road trip, trying cooking your own food on the way…
Here’s a book, a story, and some instructions
(I don’t see any advise or recommendations for cooking with an R8 tho :-)
Justin
on 07 Feb 08@John A Davis
I’m certainly not a skinny cook, if that’s what you’re asking. :P
John Athayde
on 07 Feb 08I joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) program last year and recently signed up for partial ownership of a cow.
The CSA was inspired by reading Michael Pollan’s book, “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. Basically I am one of 400 or so “shares” of a vegetable farm an hour west of Washington DC. The farmer harvests crops in the morning and brings them to predefined drop off locations. For ~$400 for the entire season, I had the bulk of my vegetables provided by this program. I also included a fruit share and had more apples than I knew what to do with. This year I’m getting a pressure canner and going to town.
Partial ownership of a cow is a different thing. You can’t get unpasturized milk in Virginia unless you own the cow. So for $15 a month, I get a gallon of milk that I pick up at the farm.
I also recently purchased half a cow from my farmer’s friend at 5.75 a pound.
Local. Truly organic. And reducing oil/transportation costs of food? Brilliant.
matt
on 07 Feb 08@Dani: ”- Iceberg lettuce is not a food. Period.”
You’re wrong. Period. People tend to regurgitate this “fact” all the time. Iceberg lettuce is high in Iron, B6, Thiamin, and Potassium. It also contains common anti inflammatories such as Vitamin C, K, Folate (can be bad in other ways), and carotenes. Romaine lettuce does tend to be more nutritious (hello vitamins A & k) as, similar to other more colorful leafs, it’s higher in phytonutrients. Most of the time I will choose other leafy greens than iceberg; however, it is food…even if you don’t like it.
As far as taste goes, I’d assume you’re one of those people who has never cooked any variety of lettuce…so i won’t even bother.
John Wulff
on 07 Feb 08Unsalted butter. Always.
Christian
on 08 Feb 08I as a German drink this kind of Soda all the time. It’s pretty ubiquitous and is called “Schorle”. Here in Canada it’s sold in glass bottles as it’s something special. Everybody should stop drinking Cola and switch to “Apfel-Schorle”.
Pauli Cookware
on 09 Feb 08Never burn your pasta sauce again!!! Go to www.paulicookware.com to find out how!!!
Joe Sak
on 11 Feb 08I just used fresh garlic in a vegetarian lasagna last night and I truly believe it made the dish.
This discussion is closed.