2007 has ensured us that food blogs are still ‘in’. As much as like writing, I enjoy reading other peoples’ thoughts. David Lebovitz who resides in Paris has a quirky and sleek style. His insights and stories about the people and city are too true. I love his article, 10 ways to improve your cooking. Although I am still a very novice chef, I wanted to put my TU cents in of what I have learned thus far in the kitchen.
1. Recipes are guides, stick with your intuition and creativity when cooking ----I find it difficult to give out an exact recipe. I’ll give you the ingredients and the basis of things but it’s really up to you how it turns out. Cooking is about time, inspiration, and mood… ‘nuff said.
2. Salt and pepper – Thomas Keller (French Laundry) says that this makes or breaks you as a cook. Practice on a salad, sounds silly but that’s one of the first things I learned in the restaurant. My chef would always taste one leaf of every salad plate that went out!
3. The essentials - a sharp knife, a peeler, a wooden spoon, and tongs – I take these tools everywhere including on the plane if necessary. Shun knife, spoon from Paris, tongs and peeler I have owned from culinary school!
4. Try these dry ingredients such as bay leaf, oregano, coriander, fennel. I love using bay leaf especially this time of year for soups, grains, and beans. It does add that special fragrance. For sauces, real oregano is just way too strong. As for coriander and fennel seeds, grinding then, toasting brings on a whole new element!
5. Onions – always have those puppies around. I do agree with D. Lebovitz about shallots but here the States they are just not common. How can anyone not like caramelized onions, they go well with everything!
6. Don’t be afraid of butter –Around this time of year, it’s hard not use butter. Especially when you are eating hearty vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. I even like to poach veggies with butter--asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, simple and tasty!
7. Cook grains – packed with nutrients, substitutes for protein, significant in fiber. I made Wild Rice Barley Pilaf for Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Barley Risotto another time. Let’s not forget Quinoa, Bulgur, Wheat Berries – try it!
8. Buy Sustainable seafood, Organic Chicken and Eggs – this is just a belief of mine that you might or might not want to know. Email me with further questions.
9. Spend at least $10 on wine – If you are going to put your body through this, you minus well spend money on it. Just like anything else in life, you get for what you pay. Not to say that you can’t find decent wine for under 10 bucks, just not from the United States!
10. Own nice plates --- For the love of god, if you take time to cook, you must present it nicely. White plates, maybe a few rectangle, square shapes brings a whole other dimension to your food. First impressions even pertain to food!
1. Recipes are guides, stick with your intuition and creativity when cooking ----I find it difficult to give out an exact recipe. I’ll give you the ingredients and the basis of things but it’s really up to you how it turns out. Cooking is about time, inspiration, and mood… ‘nuff said.
2. Salt and pepper – Thomas Keller (French Laundry) says that this makes or breaks you as a cook. Practice on a salad, sounds silly but that’s one of the first things I learned in the restaurant. My chef would always taste one leaf of every salad plate that went out!
3. The essentials - a sharp knife, a peeler, a wooden spoon, and tongs – I take these tools everywhere including on the plane if necessary. Shun knife, spoon from Paris, tongs and peeler I have owned from culinary school!
4. Try these dry ingredients such as bay leaf, oregano, coriander, fennel. I love using bay leaf especially this time of year for soups, grains, and beans. It does add that special fragrance. For sauces, real oregano is just way too strong. As for coriander and fennel seeds, grinding then, toasting brings on a whole new element!
5. Onions – always have those puppies around. I do agree with D. Lebovitz about shallots but here the States they are just not common. How can anyone not like caramelized onions, they go well with everything!
6. Don’t be afraid of butter –Around this time of year, it’s hard not use butter. Especially when you are eating hearty vegetables like potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, carrots. I even like to poach veggies with butter--asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, simple and tasty!
7. Cook grains – packed with nutrients, substitutes for protein, significant in fiber. I made Wild Rice Barley Pilaf for Thanksgiving and Pumpkin Barley Risotto another time. Let’s not forget Quinoa, Bulgur, Wheat Berries – try it!
8. Buy Sustainable seafood, Organic Chicken and Eggs – this is just a belief of mine that you might or might not want to know. Email me with further questions.
9. Spend at least $10 on wine – If you are going to put your body through this, you minus well spend money on it. Just like anything else in life, you get for what you pay. Not to say that you can’t find decent wine for under 10 bucks, just not from the United States!
10. Own nice plates --- For the love of god, if you take time to cook, you must present it nicely. White plates, maybe a few rectangle, square shapes brings a whole other dimension to your food. First impressions even pertain to food!
