Archive for July 2011

Whether or not you expect it, wasabi packs a powerful punch but guess what? Here's another punch for you - the wasabi paste that you've been having with your sushi or covering your peas as snacks probably doesn't have real wasabi in it or if it does, contains little and is low quality (called "western wasabi" by the Japanese, or seiyō wasabi)! Wasabi is actually quite expensive even in Japan due to how difficult cultivating it is ($70-$100 per pound for a plant that takes about 2 years to grow), so the paste that is generally offered in the United States is often a mixture of Chinese mustard, horseradish, soy sauce, and green food coloring. There has been success in farmers in the Pacific Northwest in growing wasabi but in general, the products you'll find on the shelves or on your sushi plate will be imitation wasabi.

So what is it exactly? Wasabi (wasabia Japonica or Eutrema wasabi) is a cruciferous vegetable from the Brassicaceae family (cabbage, mustard, horseradish, etc) that is difficult to grow because it requires a constant stream of cool water, appropriate shade, a specific mixture of soil nutrients, and mild climate. Though the leaves produce the same hot flavor as what we're accustomed to, it is the rhizome (above-ground root stem) that is used as a side dish. Because the flavor is lost in as quick as 15 minutes after the root is cut up, the actual grating of the root is done briefly before needed. It can be sliced or grated (after grating, round up into a ball and let sit for a few minutes for heat to build); if grated, the preferred tool is sharkskin but if unavailable, a small fine grater can be used. It should be eaten in these forms. Any other form such as pastes is not genuine and have already lost much of their volatile flavors. When eaten in its actual form, the initial heat wears off quickly and gives way to a sweet vegetal flavor. As for the paste in the United States, the heat stays for quite a bit and can be powerful even if you've only had a small dab of it!

The interesting thing that you learn about wasabi when you have some whether real or imitation is that you feel the heat in your nasal passages rather than on your tongue. This shocking effect has led to developers attempting to make smoke alarms for the deaf which release wasabi vapors to wake them up in the event of fires at night. However, despite many people's beliefs that it is a decongestant, there has been research that it may actually do the opposite because it flares up blood vessels in the nose. Other health benefits include its abundance of isothiocyanates (chemicals which are significant in the fight against cancer), anti-inflammatory properties, inhibition of platelet aggregation to prevent clot formations particularly in strokes and heart attacks, and anti-bacterial antimicrobial properties (probably why it is typically served with raw fish).

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

With so many types of meats that are offered around, sometimes it's difficult to know what is what particularly if the name is uncommon to you. We all know about beef, pork, and chicken but what else is there? A menu item that appears somewhat frequently is veal but for some, it is an unfamiliar term. Veal can be served in a variety of ways; there are, however, only two basic ways of cooking it - through dry or moist heat. It can be roasted, grilled, fried, broiled, braised, stewed, mashed, or served as veal chops.

So what is veal? It does come from cows but it is named differently because of how it is produced and from what type of cows. Veal is most typically the meat of male calves which are born from milking cows (milking cows must give birth every year to keep up milk flow) and not turned into breeders. They may be raised on two types of diets - milk or grain based. The milk-raised calves typically produce light pink, finely textured, lean meat while the grain-raised calves are darker and fattier. There are five different types of veal that are determined by their weights as well as when they were slaughtered: bob veal (slaughtered after a few days of age, 70-150 lbs), milk-fed (slaughtered between 18-20 weeks, 450-500 lbs), grain-fed (slaughtered between 22-26 weeks, 650-700 lbs), rose veal (slaughtered around 35 weeks, UK-based), and free-raised (slaughtered around 24 weeks).

Regardless of when they are slaughtered, the meat stays quite tender and lean because of the lack of muscle growth in these calves. Veal is a hot topic of controversy based on the calves' living conditions which are described of as cruel. The calves are housed in stalls, crates, or hutches which limit the amount of movement they have (except for free-raised veal) to prevent a lot of muscle growth which leads to tougher meat. They are usually installed in these places for the remainder of their lives and have been said to be rife with various chemicals due to how often they get sick and require medicine. Conflicts between animal rights activists and the American Veal Association (and other related organizations) have led to some changes in production but has not completely eradicated the production of this meat. If you want to read more into the debates, make sure to read various sources so that you are not receiving falsified and exaggerated information!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

Remember that diagram of the tongue (like above) you saw when you were in elementary school that told you where the mouth's taste buds are located and which areas made you taste which tastes? Well, if no one told you after that first lesson, it was all a LIE! That's right - the taste receptors on the tongue are not independent of each other; they all have the capability of tasting various flavors. The theory first emerged in 1901 but was disproved in 1974. Unfortunately, the concept still pervades the school system. I remember learning this and I was definitely born after 1974!

Okay, ready to be further mind-blown? The four tastes that you learned - sweet, salty, bitter, and sour - are not the only ones around. There is a fifth and it is called "umami" after the Japanese word umami (うま味). It's a taste that is a bit difficult to describe but the easiest way to note it is to call it the "savory" taste. Though it has only been a recent discovery in the Western World (recognized officially at the first Umami International Symposium in 1985), it has been known to plenty of cooks before, particularly the Japanese and Chinese. Identified over 100 years ago, this is a taste comprised of the combination of glutamates and nucleotides. The much-hated monosodium glutamate (MSG) that received a lot of flak in Asian-American cuisine possesses the makings for enhancing the umami in a dish. Discovered in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda who was exploring why broths with kombu seaweed tasted good and named for its translation in Japanese as "deliciousness," umami became the key reason for his creation of MSG. Like sugar describes sweet and salt describes salty, MSG describes umami. Though recognized officially in 1985, it wasn't until 2000 when scientists in Miami found specific receptors that only picked up on glutamate that disbelievers agreed that umami was a taste.

The interesting thing about umami is that it must be paired off with other flavors its full potential to shine. Inducing salivation and being stronger with saltiness, it can be found in many of our savory dishes. Thinking of broths, tomatoes, cheeses, soy sauce, and meats, you can imagine what this flavor is. It is a bit hard to pinpoint when had because of its complexity and richness. Glutamate is an important building block of protein so it's not a surprise to find high concentrations in protein-rich foods. When glutamate is combined with ribonucleotides, the taste intensity heightens in food. So the next time you describe something as being savory, you are tasting a food with high levels of umami! For more information, check out http://www.umamiinfo.com/.

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

*Extensive information about sushi would end up turning this post into a novel so for any very specific details, I will defer to one of the sources I consulted to get information about sushi.

Contrary to popular belief, "sushi" does not actually refer to or mean raw fish; it actually is from the combination of the Japanese words su and shi (from meshi) which mean vinegared rice. Therefore, sushi refers particularly to the rice used (also called shari) which is a short-grain Japanese rice with glutinous traits and is mixed with rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and sometimes kombu/sake. The other things that go along with the rice are referred to as neta, and the most common type is raw seafood. Historically the mixture of fish and rice in such a way involved fermented fish and was not anything similar to how sushi is enjoyed today. What we call sushi today was made contemporary by Hanaya Yohei at the end of the Edo period and meant to be fast finger food. For the purpose of this post, I will refer to the general cuisine with which we are familiar as "sushi."

Types of sushi

Chirashizushi - Not found often outside of Japan, this is a bowl of sushi rice topped with sashimi and other garnishes.
Inarizushi - One of my favorites, this is basically fried cold pouches of tofu that have been stuffed with sushi rice.
Gunkan - Small seaweed cup of sushi that has rice at the bottom and seafood above such as pieces of roe and other caviar.
Makizushi - The most common of sushi types in the Westernized world, it is a roll of rice, seaweed, fish, and vegetables that is put together with a bamboo mat before being sliced. Variations to it are called so depending on width; Futomaki are thick rolls while Hosomaki are thin. Uramaki are the "inside-out" rolls where the rice is on the outside.
Nigirizushi - The second most common of sushi types in the Westernized world, this is vinegared rice which is topped with a slice of fish, egg, or seafood. A variation would be Gunkanmaki which has a strip of seaweed wrapped around the rice and topping. These are usually meant to be eaten with soy sauce but only dip the top side into soy sauce; dipping the rice will break it apart.
Sashimi - This is raw seafood that has been chilled and sliced appropriately; it is best served fresh from the water and/or refrigerated but not frozen. It may be served with soy sauce or another dipping sauce to help with consumption.
Temakizushi - You will probably recognize this best as a hand roll. Similar to makizushi, this is only different because the seaweed which wraps the contents is shaped into a cone, and the entire thing is consumed by being held in one's hand.

Sushi will usually be presented, in America, with wasabi paste and pickled ginger. The wasabi paste is meant to be eaten with the sushi but the ginger is to be eaten between bites in order to cleanse the palate. Generally the amount that is given should be adequate at nice restaurants but if you must add more, do so appropriately with fish going into the soy sauce only and wasabi not being mixed with the soy sauce. Sushi should be eaten with your fingers unless it is sashimi which is easier to be picked up with chopsticks. It is also a lot better if you are able to sit at the bar and watch the chef make your sushi not only because it is entertaining but because you can get a look at what the fish look like (are they fresh? are they dry? etc). Nutritionally, traditional sushi is quite healthy because it is low in fat and high in protein but Westernized versions can end up being quite bad with the inclusion of tempura, cream cheese, and mayo. If you are interested in learning more about sushi in extensive detail, check out http://eugeneciurana.com/musings/sushi-eating-HOWTO.html for lists abound and how-tos about sushi!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

The entree you are about to order has some kind of reduction sauce. It sounds fancy though so you'll order it anyhow. Red wine reductions - sounds neat. However, what makes it different from other types of sauces? What you may learn when you have anything with reduction sauces is that it's quite thick. While sauces used to be thickened through various methods such as adding flour, fat, and cornstarch, they are now thickened through the reduction technique which highlights and intensifies flavors in the sauces.

A reduction sauce is just as the name suggests. The liquids used are boiled down, or reduced, until they have just enough liquid left to give it a saucy consistency but otherwise are mainly solid. It is made from the drippings/leftover juices of meats that are cooked. Those have liquid ingredients added to them including stock, cream, wine, and the like as well as different solid ingredients for flavoring such as capers, onions, garlic, mushrooms, etc. Cooks will use it to drizzle onto the meats they've cooked or to artfully decorate the serving plate. They are rich in flavor and complement their dishes well.

Reductions can be made easily but can be a little time consuming because you don't want your sauce to burn while the liquids are evaporating. The basic steps in making the sauce are to add your second base liquid (cream, stock, wine, etc) to the meat drippings in a pan (after you've removed excess fat) and turn the heat on high. The added liquids should be twice the amount you wish to end up with since they will be evaporating; for example, use two cups of stock if you want one cup of sauce. Stir your sauce to ensure that no solids are left on the bottom (scrape if you have to) until the liquid has reduced by half. You may also add in herbs, seasonings, and butter as you like. Once the liquid has been reduced by half, you may turn the heat to medium or low for a simmer so you don't reduce too much. The rule of thumb is that the sauce ought to be thick enough to coat a spoon and stick; if you've reduced too much, add a bit more stock. Before serving, make to strain the sauce through a sieve to get the purest form of the sauce as you can. Enjoy with food! If you have a chance, try making some at some point but if you don't want to, at least you now know what reductions are. Common ones you'll see in restaurants are balsamic vinegar reductions and an assortment of wine reductions.

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

The first time I saw quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), I thought that it was a very pretty looking grain. It comes in small translucent spheres with solid rings near the middle which I learned was the "germ ring." Now, I've always had it cold in tangy salads/sides but it's quite the versatile seed. I say seed because though it is used very much like a grain in how it is prepared and added in food, it is actually a seed; quinoa would be classified as a pseudocereal because cereals/grains themselves are derived from grasses and their cultivated parts are the endosperm, germ, and bran of their fruit seeds. Quinoa, on the other hand, can be eaten entirely as it is a plant but the most common part eaten is the seed. It grows at high elevations and does well in bad soil and extreme weather. The seeds themselves can be a multitude of colors (red, purple, green, yellow, etc) but we mainly see them as off-white.

It originated in the Andean mountains of South America and was first recorded to have been eaten by the Incas. It was their mother grain (chisaya mama for 'mother of all grains'), a staple crop alongside corn and potatoes. Used in ceremonies to strengthen warriors and honored so much that the first seeds of the crop were harvested by the emperor himself, quinoa fields were destroyed with Spain's invasion and forbidden to be grown. However, it had been growing in the mountains for a while and was rediscovered in the 1980s by Colorado hikers. Now it is found ubiquitously in health food stores and some mainstream stores as well.

So what's the deal with quinoa? Why should you care about it? It's quite the superfood! Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning that it has all nine essential amino acids - it's the perfect "grain" for vegetarians, vegans, and those who are worried about getting enough protein in their diets. With about 16.2%, it has more than double the protein content of rice. Quinoa also has high levels of lysine which helps tissue growth and repair. It is rich in calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, potassium, zinc, and fiber. In fact, because of its healthy levels of amino acids, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients, it is one of the most "complete" foods you can have in your diet. I should also mention that it is gluten-free and low on carbohydrates for those who are watching what they eat.

If you're thinking that getting quinoa would make it difficult for you to cook, have no fear! I'm not here just to give historical information. If you're going to jump on the health bandwagon and try out this superfood, go for it. Though most companies have pre-rinsed their seeds, you can also take precaution and soak your seeds for a little while before cooking them. This process is due to quinoa's saponins, the soapy resin on the seed's outside that acts as a minor laxative. Then you should just cook it as you would rice with a 1.5-2:1 ratio of cups of water to cups of quinoa; 1 cup of the seed will yield 4 cups of cooked quinoa. If you're wondering how to cook in a pot, combine water and seed and bring to a boil. Then, let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the seeds become translucent. Use it as you would other grains or for some ideas, there's a neat blog I found that offers only recipes which contain quinoa! Check it out at http://www.cookingquinoa.net/.

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

If you eat at Italian restaurants often, you'll likely see some dishes that note that they have prosciutto in them. Sometimes places that aren't even Italian may have them in their salads or as part of an appetizer. So depending on how often you actually order these items, you do or don't know what prosciutto is. Let's just say that it is delicious!

What we call prosciutto here in the United States is actually a form of prosciutto in Italy. The word itself merely means "ham" but the one that we have often is prosciutto crudo which means it is uncooked. This ham is salt cured but has not been cooked; the cooked variation is prosciutto cotto. Prosciutto is made from pig/wild boar hind leg or thigh (the "ham") that has been salted for a few months, frequently re-rubbed with salt and turned. The ham is drained of blood and slowly pressed during this process; afterward, all the salt is washed off and the ham is hung somewhere nice and breezy to be air cured. Traditionally this last step takes two years. The meat is thinly sliced (to be nearly transparent) when needed to be used lest it rots or spoils when exposed.

Prosciutto has been made in this way since Roman times and is still being enjoyed today. The flavor will vary depending on the regions from which the hams came. Certain standards per region must be adhered to in order for it to be designated Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Prosciutto. An example of a variation is the well-received Prosciutto di Parma which comes from pigs who are fed a diet that includes the whey of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If you're looking for sweet hams, go for the Prosciutto di Parma or Prosciutto di San Daniele; if savory, Prosciutto Toscano. Of course, hams imported from Italy will be quite the pretty penny so it will be unlikely that you'll go running to purchase prosciutto by the pounds any time soon.

When you have it in restaurants, you'll most likely find slices with pasta, salads, or in appetizers. If you've seen "saltimbocca" on the menu, you're looking at veal and sage wrapped with prosciutto and pan-fried. A great Italian combination is prosciutto e melone which is ham wrapped around honeydew or other melons. If you actually are eager to give cooking with prosciutto a try, you can start looking at recipes at http://www.prosciuttorecipes.com/ for some inspiration!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

You often hear that olive oil has many beneficial and healthy traits but may be curious as to what they are. Why should you substitute the vegetable oil in the thing you're cooking with olive oil? Well let's first take a quick step back to where olive oil came from. Olives themselves have been cultivated for thousands of years in the Mediterranean basin. The oils from the fruit have been used for a variety of reasons that revolved around its "magical" properties including religious rites and for medicine. Currently olive oil is still being produced in large quantities and is regulated by the International Olive Council (IOC) based in Madrid except for in the US where the USDA does the regulations. You'll also often see that olive oil comes in different grades. These are based on acidity and purity as well as the process; for example, virgin oils indicate the lack of chemical treatment.

Common grades of olive oil

Extra-virgin - A virgin production which contains no more than 0.8% acidity, you'll find this type on salads or for dipping.
Virgin - The acidity is less than 2% in this virgin-only produced oil.
Pure - This is a blend of refined and virgin production oil.
Olive oil - This is a blend of virgin and refined production oil with no more than 1.5% acidity.
Refined - Made from virgin olive oils that have been refined without changes to glyceridic structure, this has a free acidity level and is the saving process of 50+% of the oil produced in the Mediterranean area that makes the oils edible.

Olive oil is an interesting product because it is the only oil that can be consumed as is. In fact, you'll often find olive oil shooters at high end restaurants. It is produced through either physical or chemical means. Olives are ground to a fine paste via millstones or steel drums, and the juice/oil is drained from this during the process. Later on, the paste that remains is sent through a centrifuge to further extract juices/oils and to round off the process and get as much out of the fruits as possible, chemical solvents are added to the paste. Once they are bottled up and shipped out, it is important to make sure they are also stored properly at home. Air, heat, and light can spoil the oil so put yours in an airtight container and in moderate amounts. The ideal temperature to store is 57°F though 70°F is acceptable as well if stored in a dark area. Refrigeration would not be detrimental except for very expensive oils, and make sure that the containers in which you store the oil are not plastic! When cooking with it, you ought to leave the higher quality ones for straight consumption and lower qualities for frying/sauteeing.

The product has high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidative substances (77 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, 14 percent saturated fatty acids and 9 percent polyunsaturated fatty acids). These fats are actually considered healthy! Some research has shown that olive oil helps protect against heart disease, ulcers, gastritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, gallstones, Alzheimers, and colon cancer. Particularly, extra-virgin olive oil has higher levels of antioxidants because it has been processed less. Vitamins A, E, and K and oleic acid thrive in the oil, making it quite the attractive oil to have around. It is often used to moisturize skin and hair and is known to help with nail growth and strength.

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

There are so many different kinds of milk out there. I'm going to focus specifically on cow's milk for this post, however, because to cover all the types would be quite expansive. To start off with basics (and I apologize if this seems to be common sense), milk is formed from the mammary glands of mammals. For cow's milk, it would come from the udders of a cow. Naturally, it is used to feed the young but we have used it to create dairy products for human consumption through cows, goats, sheep, and other such animals. In addition to making us the odd ones for consuming another species' milk, this phenomenon makes us the only animals to continue drinking milk past infancy.

After milk has been collected from the cow, it goes through a series of processes before it reaches the general consumer. It is pasteurized, homogenized, and fortified. Pasteurization is the process by which milk is heated to temperatures that would kill off dangerous organisms. Homogenization allows for the milk fat to remain with the milk liquid and is the reason for the smooth, rich texture in milk. Fortification is the addition of nutrients to milk that are either new or were lost during the previous processes; Vitamin D is a common nutrient added on. Ultimately the milk we drink ends up providing a lot of calcium, protein, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin A, riboflavin, and niacin. These all help with bone/dental structure and growth, prevention of a variety of illnesses, smooth skin, and a strong immune system. For more on health benefits, check out www.whymilk.com.

Milk types

Whole milk - < 4% fat and each cup is approximately 150 calories (half from fat)
2 percent milk - 2% fat and each cup is approximately 120 calories (third from fat)
1 percent milk - 1% fat and each cup is approximately 100 calories (fifth from fat)
Nonfat or skim - each cup is approximately 80 calories (none from fat)
Pasteurized - milk heated to at least 161° F for at least 15 seconds or 145° for 30 minutes.
Ultrapasteurized (UHT) - milk heated to at least 280° for at least 2 seconds
Raw (unpasteurized) - the FDA recommends that consumers not drink this

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

It seems to me that a lot of people get confused when the word "kosher" is used. Admittedly it's a confusing topic and not one that people will take the time to explain thoroughly. What you'd probably get when inquiring further is, "food that Jewish people are allowed to eat." But what does that encompass? What is it that you can and can't offer to your Jewish friends when they come over? Kosher actually means "fit" or "proper" and in reference to food, is a part of Kashrut, the overseeing law governing food consumption and preparation.

In food, there are three main areas to understand: meat, dairy, and parve. Meat must come from ruminant, split-hooved creatures (animals that chew cud and have split hooves) that are not predators or scavengers; this includes meat from cows, sheep, goat, deer, and oxen among other types. There is also kosher poultry such as chicken, goose, and turkey. All of the animals must be slaughtered via certain humane methods (shechita) by a specialist (shochet) and examined afterward (by a bodek) to make sure that its organs (particularly the lungs for Glatt kosher) are in kosher-designated condition. Though the meat can be eaten, blood is not allowed to be consumed. Dairy must come from kosher animals and cannot be combined with meat/poultry. Parve would encompass all other foods. Fruits and vegetables that are unaltered are naturally kosher and certain grains are, though not all grains are kosher during Passover. For fish, they must have fins and scales, which eliminates fish like catfish from being called kosher. It should never be mixed with meat, and shellfish is forbidden.

A very important part of eating kosher, however, is also how the food is prepared. Equipment that has touched non-kosher, or treif, foods cannot be used again to cook kosher. Utensils have the same rule. So you can see that kosher foods do not have to be just Jewish dishes. There are several other cuisines and restaurants which can and do cook kosher. There are also Jewish places that don't cook kosher. A general rule of thumb to keep in mind is that a place claiming to serve kosher-style most likely will not be kosher. When trying to eat out, it may be difficult because you are not in control of what has touched what nor do you know if the ingredients they used are plant or animal based. On the other hand, eating kosher can also be easy because a lot of products nowadays are kosher including Philadelphia cream cheese and well-known cereals. You can determine kosher or not if it has specific symbols on the packaging!

Kosher items can be quite appealing to those who aren't even Jewish. In fact, only about 20% of the consumers of kosher foods are Jewish. Because the foods are put through various inspections and are meant to be "clean," they are generally high quality and healthier than the average food product. All food must be strictly supervised. Animals are slaughtered humanely without shock or pain which arguably prevents bad toxins from releasing into the meat. So perhaps you can start about eating kosher every once in a while (or forever!) for some healthy eating.

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

My mom used to tell me that the imitation crab sticks we ate were just made of flour, flavoring, and food coloring. I believed her, of course, because she is my mom. Therefore, despite liking imitation crab a lot, I used to avoid it because I didn't want to bloat myself with useless unhealthy carbohydrates. I also think that that was a big reason why my mom hardly bought imitation crab as well. However, as I got older and started eating more food that wasn't homecooked by my own mom, I realized that imitation crab was used in a lot of things. You've probably had it in Americanized sushi, seafood salads, stir-fry dishes, and sometimes even appetizers. So, is it really just another flour-y creation that dumps carbs into your diet?

Imitation crab actually has some merit in being seafood! Officially patented in 1973 in Japan (but known since the 1500s), it is now made from surimi which is basically finely pulverized white fish paste also used to make fish balls and other imitation seafoods. The most commonly fish used is Alaskan pollock because it has little flavor on its own, is abundant, and is inexpensive; the fish is skinned, deboned, minced, rinsed, and pulverized into a paste. The paste is mixed with crab flavoring for taste and smell and is dyed in such a way to mimic the look of crab legs. You can find it in stores sold either in chunks or sticks and because they are pre-cooked, they can be eaten right after purchase. They peel away like string cheese quite often as well and even look like those sticks too! It is not recommended to cook it too much lest the texture become tough. Imitation crab is great for those who are not huge fans of the crab itself or are looking for an alternative that is lower in carbohydrates and cholesterol. For much more specific information in greater detail, you can visit http://www.gale-edit.com/products/volumes/crab_meat.htm to learn the nitty gritty about imitation crab!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

"Hors d’Oeuvre: A ham sandwich cut into forty pieces."

Here we go with a word that many people tend to butcher or not know how to spell: hors d'ouevres. Hey, I don't blame you - it's certainly not a word that follows many of the patterns we normally see in our own vocabulary. That's because the word is French! So how do you say it? "or-DERVZ"! These are basically the (usually single or double-bite) delicious little finger foods that precede a meal or are just served as the food for cocktail parties/receptions. They should not be mistaken for appetizers however because they are usually small sample sizes that are eaten with fingers or toothpicks rather than the first course of a meal. Literally translated, the word means "apart from the main work" and derived from the architectural term for an outbuilding but have grown to represent the precursors to a main dish. They can be served on a table or, more often, on trays that are carried around by waiters/waitresses.

A blanket term, hors d'oeuvres encompass a wide variety of foods and were a concept borrowed from ancient Greeks and Romans whose lavish meals were usually begun with finger foods that were passed around to whet appetites. Initially, they were as simple as olives, crudites, nuts, and such but now they have become a reason to make savory elaborate morsels.

There are several unspoken rules for hors d'oeuvres that make the experience of enjoying them much better. They should not be runny/wet/dripping/overly messy as it makes guests have to find a napkin or become self-conscious. Sauces are allowed but only if thick enough not to get everywhere or enclosed. They can be hot or cold but not scalding or frozen. Also, to go along with drinks (with which they are usually served), it is very good if the hors d'oeuvres are savory and salty; besides, you should have these out if you have alcohol lest your guests become quickly drunk on empty stomachs.

Tips for serving hors d'oeuvres

For small parties, one or two hors d'oeuvres are adequate.
For large parties, make sure to have something from each of the categories of seafood, cheese, vegetables, and meat.
25 guests = 5-6 different kinds. 25-50 = 9-10 kinds. 50+ = 10+ kinds.
A person will probably eat 6-8 pieces per hour if served before a meal. If replacing a meal, 20 pieces per person can be expected. They should be bite-sized.
If these will replace a meal, have some foods that can mimic hors d'oeuvres but are more filling such as a carving station.
The first hour and a half is the prime eating time period. After two hours, guests will come back to pick at the food if it is set out and not being "butlered" around.
Both hot and cold hors d'oeuvres are acceptable.
Good flavors are cheese, olive, tomato, bacon, ham, and fish.
Easy hors d'oeuvres include toast/crackers spread with anything, puff pastries, quiches, miniature crab/fish cakes, or small foods that can be on small skewers/toothpicks.

"How you like your eggs - fried or fertilized?"

Major props and kudos if you know where that quote is from and if you don't, you're in for a funny surprise if you go searching. Anyhow, eggs! They seem almost ubiquitous from breakfast foods to baking ingredients to desserts. The most common egg is, of course, the chicken egg even though there are several other animals that produce eggs commercially. Eggs are made up of a calcium carbonate shell, albumen, and vitellus (yolk). They are quite nutritious and well-liked.

In terms of nutrition, one large egg is approximately 72 calories with 6.3 whole grams of protein (for very detailed nutrition facts, click here)! They provide a lot of health benefits such as healthy weight management through their filling natures, building muscles, contributing choline which helps with pregnancies and preventing birth defects, keeping brain cell membranes strong, and preventing macular degeneration which is the main reason for age-induced blindness. For such a small price, an egg is certainly worth having in your diet because of its health benefits! Though there is a scare about how much cholesterol is in eggs (there's almost a full day's recommended daily allowance in one egg), you should note that it is the egg yolk that contains fat and not the white (no cholesterol or fat, mostly water & proteins).

What seems to makes eggs so well-liked is how versatile they are. Aside from the various ways they can look whether in color or shape, they also can be prepared a multitude of ways. This can lead to a little bit of confusion when you are at a restaurant and your server asks how you'd like your eggs. You could have a favorite, no idea, or a comic remark like Mitch Hedberg said ("Incubated, and then raised, and then beheaded, and then plucked and then cut up then put onto a grill then put onto a bun. Shit, it's gonna take awhile. I don't have time, scrambled!"). Some common ways to have eggs for breakfast are hardboiled, sunny side up, over easy, scrambled, as an omelette, and fried. Other ways to have eggs include deviled and poached. Of course, all of these techniques will have to be demonstrated in future blog posts so you can know the difference!

Fun egg facts

US Grade AA eggs have thick and firm egg whites and nearly perfect yolks and shells. Grade A and B eggs decrease in quality respectively.
What the hen eats will determine what color the yolk is.
On average, a hen lays 250-270 eggs in a year.
The white parts attached to the yolk's ends are called chalazae and are there to keep the yolk in place; the fresher the egg, the more prominent the chalazae.
A whole egg is about 3 tbsps of liquid with the yolk being 1 whole tbsp itself.
Eggs that are not fresh will float in water.

Dim sum has got to be one of my most favorite groups of food to have when dining out, and I think that a lot of it has to do with the familial memories that are attached to dim sum. I believe I've only been one time to have dim sum that wasn't with family. How crazy is that? If you have no idea what it is, you are missing out but hopefully I'll educate you well enough to tempt you into getting together with friends for a dim sum outing.

The term itself (Cantonese) means "a little bit of heart," and the practice of having dim sum is said to have been linked with Silk Road travelers who would often stop at teahouses on their journeys. Small foods begun to be served with the tea there and thus dim sum was born. It is now a big part of people's diets, particularly those in Hong Kong who enjoy it as breakfast, brunch, and/or lunch. It is still paired off with tea which can considerably range in variety. When enjoying dim sum at a restaurant, one will order it from carts that circle around in the restaurant and are pushed by waitresses. The carts are equipped to keep the food warm and sometimes will include a fryer for particular dishes. These waitresses will often say what is on their cart aloud so that patrons can know whom to flag down. The dishes themselves are not very large, having a few pieces per, so it is common to order a few dishes of one type. The types of dim sum you will see will vary from place to place. Of course there are stable dishes like shu mai or har gow but sometimes one restaurant will have different sweet types or so. They all fall into one of the following categories in some shape or form however.

General types of dim sum

Steamed - This is fairly self-explanatory and includes many of the most popular dishes like har gow and dumplings.
Cheung fun - My favorite of dim sum dishes, these are rice noodle rolls that have something inside of them. I like the shrimp ones best. They have a warm sauce that complements them that your waitress will pour for you.
Fried/grilled - These will require special carts that have burners so that your dish can be fried to order. An example would be turnip cake.
Baked - Surprisingly there are a lot of puff dim sum dishes that are both savory and sweet. If you think of roasted pork puffs and egg tarts, you'll know what I mean.
Sweet - Self-explanatory as well! These are the dessert dim sum dishes that you want at the end of your meal unless you just can't resist.

Of course, those aren't everything but there are also dishes which overlap. Having dim sum is an excellent experience and should be done in fairly large groups for the experience of sharing dishes with everyone. If you ever want to go on a dim sum expedition, don't hesitate to let me know!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

You have a recipe that you want to use, and it lists light whipping cream. You have half-and-half in your refrigerator and wonder if you can use it as a substitute. Can you? There are so many creams out on the market and various uses for each one that it can be hard to get it all straight. You don't want to mess up your recipe but you also don't want to have to stock your refrigerator with six different creams. I pondered this question a while ago when I made a dish that required whipping cream when I only had half-and-half. So here's the dish:

First off, what is cream? It's the butterfat layer that rises to the top of milk before homogenization. Though the butterfat naturally rises to the top of milk, this process is sped up commercially through the use of centrifuges. This is skimmed off and used to produce all the different creams you see in stores - the amount of butterfat (by percentage or range as designated by the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 131) determines what kind of cream it is, how well it will whip, and how stable it will be. The higher the fat, the better the taste (generally) and the richer the texture; obviously it will also be thicker! Fun fact: the yellow-white color that we call "cream" comes from the yellowish cream produced by cows who graze on natural pasture (the plants' pigments) though cream can also be white and has been produced by those fed on grain.

Facts about cream

Cream is labeled pasteurized or ultra-pasteurized. The former will taste better, whip fluffier, and hold up longer. The latter is harder to work with for whipping as it has been overheated.
Leftover cream near expiration can be frozen. Refrigerate to thaw and mix together in case of separation.
Cream with more fat will not curdle in soups.
To whip cream yourself, make sure the cream, bowl, and all utensils are cold. Beat at medium speed until it thickens (for soft peaks, cream will droop from beater end but for stiff peaks, cream will hold).
Creams will vary in availability and type based on country.
If your recipe calls for a cream that you don't have, the safer bet is to go higher in fat content than lower. If you are trying to cut calories, you should use the cream just below the one needed in fat content.

Types of cream

Half-and-half (10.5-18% fat, ~12%): commonly used as coffee creamer or in other drinks, 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream, can replace whipping cream in cooking, does not whip
Sour cream (12-16% fat): different from the other creams listed as it has had bacterial cultures added to it that produces lactic acid, used in baking with baking soda to replace baking powder, used in savory dishes, does not whip
Light/coffee/table/single cream (18-30% fat, ~20%): similar to half-and-half, does not thicken when beaten, cream with 30% fat will whip but not be stable, used in both sweet & savory dishes
Crème fraîche (28% fat): slightly soured with bacterial cultures, thick and matured with nutty taste, expensive to purchase, used as a dessert topping, used in sauces and soups
Light whipping/whipping cream (30% fat): thickens when whipped but not as well as heavy whipping cream, almost all are ultra-pasteurized, used for toppings and fillings, not good for piping
Whipped cream (>30% fat): made by mixing air into cream with >30% fat (nitrous oxide may also be used), used for topping
Heavy/heavy whipping cream (36-38% fat): whips denser than whipping cream and doubles in volume, holds shape and whips well, used for fillings and decorations of pastries, used in savory dishes
Double cream (48% fat): whips easiest and thickest (often over whipped so it is too thick), used for puddings and desserts (particularly pies), used in sauces, good for piping
Clotted/Devon/Devonshire cream (55-60% fat): thick and rich, made by heating unpasteurized milk until cream sits on top (cooked flavor), not common in the U.S., used as is with scones and fruit

I also made a chart that you can save for yourself for reference! Below is an interesting diagram available on Wikipedia of different milk products - check it out!

Whoever told me that butterscotch contained actual Scotch whiskey was a liar! However, thanks to whomever it was (I can't remember), I did decide to look into this confectionery item a bit more and wanted to give it a quick write-up. We see it most commonly nowadays as a sauce with which to top ice cream or as orange cellophane-wrapped hard candies; both are not true to butterscotch's actual flavor or making. Many would attribute its flavor to being similar to toffee or caramel but the confectioneries are certainly different in ingredients and way that they are made.

Butterscotch is claimed to have been first named such in 1817 in Doncaster, England by Samuel Parkinson. He had begun making the candy prior by the name of buttery brittle toffee. The company that produced the candy received the Royal Seal of Approval for their highly demanded export. Though it is considered merely a flavor in the present, it has historically been a hard candy created with brown sugar and butter. Some recipes will include vanilla, syrup (particularly for butterscotch sauces), cream, salt, and even lemon. The coveted original recipe was discovered in 2003 by a businessman in Doncaster (the original company stopped production in 1977) and is still being used today by particular businesses.

The origin of the name is unknown. Some think that "scotch" is a deviation from the word "scorch," while others believe that it refers to the word's meaning as "to cut or score" and the process by which the candy must be cut/scored before it hardens. It differs from caramel (caramelized sugar) and toffee (caramelized sugar, butter, and flour) by ingredients and the temperature by which it is heated to. Butterscotch is heated to the "soft crack" stage which is 270-290°F/132-143°C with a sugar concentration of 95%, similar to salt water taffy. Though we today have it in false forms such as butterscotch chips, butterscotch pudding, and hard candies with butterscotch flavoring, there are still people who embrace the authenticity and will make it! Check out http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_butterscotch/ for a recipe from pastry chef Shuna Fish Lydon. Also, did you know that Boyer Candies (who make Mallo cups) also have peanut butter cups with butterscotch shells? They're called "Smoothie cups" and sound delicious!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!

Ever sit down at a restaurant, read the menu, and wonder what "aioli" was exactly? Perhaps you didn't even care; you just knew that it tasted good. You want dishes that have aioli in them, especially if the aioli is special in some sense or form (black pepper aioli, red pepper aioli, etc). I don't blame you because it sure is good stuff but what is it? Long story short, aioli is garlic mayonnaise.

Short story long, aioli was made for Occitan cuisine. The bare bones ingredients are garlic, olive oil, and egg. Of course there are many variations of this but though restaurants will designate their flavored mayonnaise sauces "aioli," they can't be called so without garlic. A common variation includes the addition of Dijon mustard. To make it, you would mash/puree garlic and then blend with olive oil (you can use a mortar and pestle for the garlic). In a separate bowl, mix egg yolks and mustard. Once that is mixed, slowly and evenly drizzle the oil into the bowl while still whisking the egg yolks until a thick mayonnaise forms (if adding other ingredients to flavor such as lemon juice, salt, and pepper, add them when about half the oil has been added). What you are doing is using the egg yolks' property as emulsifiers to make the aioli.

Aioli can be used in a variety of dishes but will typically be used with seafood, shellfish, and vegetables. The kind that we normally see is provençal aioli, and the word comes from the Provençal words for garlic, alh, and word for oil, òli. Any complaints or worries that people have is concerning the use of raw egg yolks; because of this, some restaurants have been using pasteurized mayonnaise as a starter. It is possible to make aioli without egg yolks though the technique is hard as the emulsion process becomes more difficult. A fairly versatile sauce, it can be found in a lot of places you may go, and now you know what it really is!

This post is part of an A-Z series I am running for my blog category "Origins and Information" while I am in Vietnam with my family for July. Many of the posts in the series answer questions that were posed by friends/readers. If y'all enjoy the series, I will gladly run another in the future!