Addicted to Italian Cusine

I think there is one cuisine in the world that has a huge influence on my cooking.  That would be Italian.  Think about it.  How many things do you eat Italian in a week?  Pizza, pasta, risotto, calamari, breads, wine, cheese, anchovies, espresso, olives, bruschetta, and caprese salad.  The list goes on and on.

I"m not saying I am not influenced by other cuisines.  Surely I am with French, German, Russian, Mediteranean, Mexican, Spanish, Japanese, and Vietnamese.  You name it, I"m sure I am influenced by it in my cooking.

But I have to admit, I love all things Italian.  Even my husband.  I love the freshness of the ingredients.  I love the versatility of the dishes.  I love the variety one finds in pasta (somewhere over 600 types).  How can you not love Italian food?

Are you one of those people that remembers what you eat when you travel?  Are you like me, interested enough in the gastronomy of the country or region of the world you are in to not only remember what you ate, but then go home and repeat it?

I remember odd things like the 3 course meal I had in Florence for my friend Jule's birthday in 2004.  We started with a mushroom struedel, enjoyed spaghetti with a lamb ragu, moved onto bistecca fiorentina, and finished with a chocolate banana tarte with a Muscato for dessert.  I don't know why I remember that meal besides it being very good.  I remember the first time I had spaghetti carbonara in Roma.  Or eating croquettes in Amsterdam and crepes in Paris.  I remember this amazing Grune Salsa in Oberursel, Germany, served with hard boiled eggs and fried potatoes.  I remember rabbit ragu in Tuscany for my 1 year anniversary dinner with Peter.

Food is as much a part of my travel as the sights, the people, and the method of traveling.  In Italy, food is so much a part of the experience because its abundant, its beautiful, and its accessible.  I remember on my last trip eating 17 different types of gelato, 12 different types of pastas, and 16 differnt pizza flavors.  And I was only there for 19 days.  Imagine what it must be like to have those choices each and every day!

In many ways you see a region, a city, a culture through its food.  You understand the intricacies of the people in what they eat, how they eat it, and in what they drink.  Be it anything limone in Amalfi and Capri, pesto in Liguria, hearty bean and vegetable soup in Tuscany, or polenta in Vincenza. These foods that we eat in our own country, when traced back to their origins are all the more interesting, flavorful, and intoxicating when experienced in their city or country of origin.

I think we are all influenced by Italian Cuisine; its hard not to be when calzones, pizza. calamari, and caprese salads are found often on menus.  Next time you travel, think about the influences you see in the cooking; be it a simple seafood soup in San Francisco, Tallarin Verde (green spaghetti) in Peru, or paella in Spain.

What is Gastronomy?

I was reading my friend's blog, The Winter Pilgrim, and she mentioned the word gastronomy.  At first it seemed natural to see that word used, but then I pondered it for a second, wondering if everyone really knows what it means.  Because while it made sense, I don't think I really know the meaning of the word gatronomy.

So of course I Googled it.  Gastronomy is the study of the relationship between culture and food.  Not to be confused with the art of cooking; kind of like a cook is not necessary a gourmet; or a foodie is not necessarily a chef.  Are you following me? 

Gastronomy takes all facets of food (such as taste, research, writing, understanding) and combines it with the scientific knowledge of cooking (such as physics, math, chemistry, biology, history, agronomy, and sociology).  I think it might be simpler than it sounds.  I found another definition that basically says gatronomy is a particular style of cookery (as in a region).  For example French Gastronomy.  Or New England Gastronomy.  Or Southern Gastronomy.

Now that seems to make more sense to me.  So basically, when you travel about, you are studying, enjoying, eating, reviewing, and judging the gastronomy of that city, region, or country.

Makes using the word gastronomy seem a little less sophisticated on the word palette and a little more palettable.  Right?  Right.

Main Ingredient: Eggs

My last blog was about learning new cooking techniques, and included some stuff on poaching eggs.  That got me thinking about the diversity of the egg.  The incredible edible egg.  Think of all the things you can do with an egg.  Seriously.

You can bake it, poach it, scramble it, fry it, hard boil it, soft boil it, put it in ceasar dressing or a cake, a pie, custard, bread, and cookies.  Heck, you can even eat them raw if you are really feeling brave.  Eggs are a very diverse ingredient. 

Do you ever watch Iron Chef?  They pick a main ingredient and then the two chefs (with their culinary teams) battle it out, making 3-5 dishes for the judges.  Imagine if the main ingredient were eggs.  What would you make the judges?

Now imagine the other discerning judges in your life.  Your husband, your wife, your kids.  How do they judge your cooking every day?  They don't mean to, but a smile and second helpings is a lot more appealing than a barely eaten plate.    So what do you make for them?  Is it simple, or complicated?

I'm quite sure those Iron Chef's are given a heads up on the main ingredient ahead of time.  How else would their prep team and sous chef's know what they are going to make as soon as the main ingredient is revealed.  The dishes they make are pretty creative and complicated sometimes; I know I couldn't whip up five dishes based  on the incredible edible egg without some thought.

Off the top of my head, some of my favorite egg dishes include: quiche, poached, frittata, spaghetti carbonara, deviled eggs, scrambled, fried, strata, french toast, omelet, Easter eggs, mayonaise, souffle, and even baked eggs.  I suspect there are about 600 plus specific recipes for all these different ways to use eggs.  I know I haven't mastered that many of them, but there are a few favorites that are worth repeating.

Chicken eggs are probably the most common egg used.  Although, I"ve suffered through a raw quail egg once on some sushi (talk about gag reflex).  And I've heard of people using eggs from ducks, Ostrich, emu, seagulls, guineafowl, geese, and pheasant.  Not sure about you, but these are not easily obtained local ingredients.  Although, I'd be happy to try them out to see what its like to cook then, and eat them.

Don't forget the Century egg; also known as a hundred-year-old egg.  These are preserved by coating an egg in a mixture of clay, wood ash, salt, lime, and rice straw for several weeks to several months, depending on the method of processing. After the process is completed, the yolk becomes a dark green, cream-like substance with a strong odor of sulfur and ammonia, while the white becomes a dark brown, transparent jelly with a comparatively mild, distinct flavor.  Not sure how these would taste, and quite honestly I'm not adventurous enough to try one.

So what are you going to do this weekend with the incredible edible egg?  Are you going to make your normal french toast for the kids, or a quiche for your girl's bruch.  I suggest, if you've never made it before, to make Spaghetti Carbonara for dinner one night.  That's an amazing use of eggs.

For any egg recipe suggestions let me know.  I'd like to know how your main ingredient egg is cooked in your house this weekend.

A Recipe vs A Technique

Are you as addicted to the Food Network as I am?  Probably not.  I'm kind of a freak about these cooking channels.  I love learning a new recipe, a new technique, or a new ingredient.  I was recently watching Cook Like an Iron Chef, and Chef Michael Symon said something to the effect of, "Learning a new recipe is great; but learning a new technique helps you learn 100 new recipes." 

I was intrigued by this idea.  What does he mean by that?  You can learn a new recipe, and guess what, you can cook a good meal.  But if you learn a new technique, perhaps something you've never learned before, that opens the door to lots of recipes you never tried before because you didn't know how to do a certain part of the recipe. 

An example of simple cooking techniques include: grilling, braising, baking, roasting, poaching, sauteing, stewing, or stir frying.  Think about it.  You've never poached something.  So if you learn to poach eggs that opens the door for other types of poaching.  BTW, poaching is a moist heat cooking method for eggs, fish, chicken, meat, even fruits and vegetables.   It's a gentle cooking method for maintaining moisture and nutrients in food. 


Have you ever poached an egg in water for Eggs Benedict, or poached a pear in wine for dessert, or even poached salmon in olive oil?  Once you figure out the method for poaching an egg, you can pretty much poach anything.  You increase your ability to make one recipe (Eggs Benedict), to making hundreds of recipes.  You can poach in water, wine, oil, or bouillion.  You can flavor the poaching liquid with herbs, vegetables, citrus, and spices. 

Once you learn to poach an egg, you've opened the door to hundreds of new recipes in your life, including:

• Basalmic poached chicken
• Poached salmon with dill and lemon
• Oil poached salmon or sword fish
• White fish poached in wine
• Orange rosemary poached catfish
• Poached apple with cinnamon
• Cider poached apples
• Muscato poached pears
• Vanilla poached pears
• Japanese veggies poached in stock with soy sauce
• Tea poached chicken
• Poached tomatoes
• Poached orange and fennel green beans

There are many reasons why you would actually want to poach your food, including:

• It is a fast method for cooking tender food
• During poaching food is moved as little as possible and does not break up or fall apart
• The poaching liquid can contribute to taste and make good bases for sauces
• Poaching keeps the flavor of food and does not add fats/oils (unless you poach in olive oil)
• It tastes great!

I'm sure there are plenty of cook books and websites that can teach you how to perfectly poach an egg, or a pear.  I'm not a chef, but as a foodie I do believe that learning one new cooking technique like poaching will open the door for you to poach other ingredients.

If you need any recipes for poaching, shoot me an email or comment on my blog. 

Are You Finished or Done?

For those who know me, I will correct you if you use "done" or "finished" improperly.  Steaks get done, people get finished.  This is an ongoing battle I seem to have with those around me regarding proper grammar.  And I'm sure you are now asking wth the hell does the English language have to do with my food blog.  So, let me tell you.

I was thinking about the different cuts of beef out there.  Beef is the culinary name for meat from bovines (domestic cattle).  Beef is a main source of protein in many cultures, including Europe, Asia, Middle East, Africa, Australia, Argentina, and the United States.  In some countries beef is taboo, such as India (ever hear of the Sacred Cow of India?).  The US, China, EU, and Brazil are the biggest consumers of beef.

But I didn't bring up beef to provide you the statistics.  I thought discussing the different cuts of beef would be a useful culinary tool.  There are basically 8 different cuts, known as primal cuts; 4 from the upper part and 4 from the lower part.  These seem like they are complicated,  but really they aren't so complicated when you break it down by the upper cuts and the lower cuts.

Note, there are many uses for other parts of cattle.  That discussion is probably best left for another blog.  Things like oxtail, tripe, tongue, and glands (known as sweetbread), and the liver, testicles, and kidneys are used to make all sorts of soups, stews, sausages, and other culinary delights.

Upper half cuts consist of the chuck, rib, loin, and round:

• Chuck — one of the most common sources for roasts and hamburgers.  This can be ground for burgers, meatloaf, and chilis; or you can have a chuck bone or eye roast, top blade roast, or a chuck shoulder roast. 
• Rib — short ribs, rib eye steak, and prime rib.  These are some of the fattiest pieces of meat taken from the rib area.  Best way to cook is by grilling.  Although for a Prime Rib you can bake in the oven.
• Loin — includes 1) Short loin — from which T-bone steaks are cut; 2) Sirloin — less tender than short loin, but more flavorful, further divided into Top sirloin and Bottom sirloin, and 3) Tenderloin — the most tender, from which filet mignon is served, can be removed separately, or left in for T-bone and Porterhouse steaks.  These are tender and flavorful cuts, good with grilling, pan frying, broiling or sautéing. 
• Round — lean cut, moderately tough, lower fat marbling, and requires moist cooking or lesser degrees of doneness (such as a crock pot or dutch oven).  This includes the botton round roast, top and eye round roast, and the botton round rump roast.   Best ways are broiling (cooking by direct exposure to radiant heat), braising (cooking in fat in a closed pot with minimal moisture), or crock pot cooking.

Lower half cuts consist of the brisket, shank, plate and flank.

• Brisket — often associated with barbecue beef brisket or corned beef; this can be grilled, smoked, or put in a crock pot.  The basic idea here is low and slow.
• Shank — used primarily for stews and soups; it is not usually served any other way due to it being the toughest of the cuts.   Shanks are taken from the foreleg of the animal.  Cook in crock pot or dutch oven.
• Plate — produces short ribs for pot roasting and types of steak such as the outside skirt steak for, say, fajitas and hanger steak. It is typically a cheap, tough, and fatty meat.  Best when marinated and grilled, or thinly sliced and pan fried.
• Flank — used mostly for grinding, except for the long and flat flank steak, best known for use in London broil. Many flank recipes use marinades or moist cooking methods such as braising.

Beef is considered 'red meat' because the animal's muscles need so much oxygen as they work keeping the cow upright and moving it around. Myoglobin is the molecule that transports oxygen around the body; it is red in color, therefore the muscles which are used a lot contain a lot of myoglobin and are deep red.  The meat of cows, buffaloes, sheep, and horses are considered red.  Same with duck and goose.

Chicken and pork are considerd white.  Meat from baby mammals such as calves, sheep, and pigs are considered white meat as well.

Check out my upcoming recipe link to find recipes for all these different cuts of meat.  And always, if you have any questions let me know.

No Reservation

Did it ever occur to you that the moment you open a bottle of wine, or slice into a wheel of cheese, it starts to die.  Before you touch it, before you make the decision to devour it as part of a meal, girl's night, or making dinner, its a living organism, still developing its flavor, its aroma, and its essence.

This is a wildly fascinating idea I collected while watching Anthony Bourdain's No Reservation.  Have you watched his show before?  He's a gritty, smoking, cussing New York chef who travels the globe, experiencing the cuisine of the neighborhood, city, or country he's visiting.  Great show.  Really raw.  But truly edgy because its a chef who really indulges himself in a country via its food.

I wonder if you we all viewed food and wine with no reservation, assuming it to be alive, growing, breathing, developing, would you still open that bottle of wine or slice into the cheese wheel?  I would think yes.  I would think in some ways its all the more appealing.  The down side being the moment the bottle is open, or the cheese sliced, it starts to die.  It starts loosing its flavor, its aroma, and even its essence.

Think about that bottle of wine from yesterday.  Is it really a good glass of wine?  Or now is it better for cooking?  I don't know about you, but the next day its already cooking wine.  Its aleady lost its flavor and its aroma.  The same is true of veggies, fruits, and even cheeses.  As soon as you slice into them they start to change, to decompose, to lose their colors, their flavors, and again their essence.

I don't mean to be so down on food and wine, saying that we are killing it.  I'm not a food and wine activist, against any harm coming to a good bottle of Silver Oak or a fresh cheese wheel from Parma.  I'm all for opening the bottle or cutting into the cheese.  I'm also all for finishing that opened bottle of wine.

What I'm suggesting is taking a look at your food as more than nutrition; more than something you put on your plate and serve to your children.  Take some time to consider that the life you take when you drink that wine or eat that cheese is now adding to your life.  Its enhancing that romantic dinner with your husband; its a topic of conversations for a group of friends over for dinner; its a story to tell your coworkers when you have a success in the kitchen using a new ingredient.

Cooking 101 - Do You Remember When?

I don't know about you, but I think I was 7 when I started cooking.  I was your typical latch key kid, letting myself in the back door, heading straight to the kitchen to find a snack, before heading back outside to play.  The only problem was, back in 1976 no on had neat little microwave popcorns, pre-processed cheese slices individually wrapped, or individually portioned snack bars. 

Nope.  In the good old days (I can say that now that I"m 41) we had to take whatever ingredients were in the pantry or the fridge and create our own concotions.  For me it started as simple as Cheerios with maple syrup, or perhaps saltine crackers with butter and parmesean cheese melted in the oven.   Then I expanded to tortillas, leftover spaghetti sauce, and velveeta cheese.  Eventually I learned how to make macaroni and cheese, tuna noodle casserole, and even almond cookies.  Let me tell you, those were the days of my culinary birth.

Today however I am a much more refined cook.  I rarely ruin a meal (but yes, I have been known to do so on occassion), and sometimes I even surprise myself with something amazing.  Take for example last week.  We had some ground beef and ground pork in the freezer (which I was in the process of cleaning out so I could buy some new meats).  I decided to make salsbury steak with a brown mushroom gravy, buttered egg nooodles with fresh parsley, and a side salad.  Much to my delight, those were some of the yummiest salsbury steaks I've ever eaten.  Way better than the frozen kind my mom used to buy for us as kids.  And in all honesty, it took no longer than it would have if I had made hamburgers or a meatloaf. 

I remember when I used to have to follow a recipe so thoroughly that there was no room for creativity.  For those of you who know me now, my idea of following a recipe is to Google whatever I want to make, reading 3 to 5 recipes online, and then creating my own recipe.  I"m not sure if this is an art form, but I have to admit it sure makes cooking fun.   And the more creative I can be in the kitchen, the more willing I am to try something new, be it a new technique, a new ingrediant, or a new kitchen gadget. 

Remeber back when you first started cooking.  Perhaps it was because you got married and your husband wanted dinner on the table at 5 pm.  Perhaps you grew up cooking and found it be a passion like I did.  Maybe you stumbled your way into cooking because being single and eating out every night wasn't exactly good for your waist line. 

Now think about how you want to be as a cook.  What kinds of things do you want to learn?  What meals do you want to make?  There's no time like the present to get inspired to learn something new in the kitchen and surprise your husband, your kids, your boyfriend, or even yourself. 

If you want any new recipes I will be adding a recipe link to my blog page soon which will help you find some simple and enjoyable new recipes to make.  And if you ever have any cooking questions feel free to contact me.

The Secret of Cooking Success - Using Knives

One of the things I've learned about cooking over the years is that you have to add layers to your cooking techniques, much the same way you add layers of flavor to a pot of soup. 

Are you going to be able to cook a turducken the first time you try your hand at poultry?  Probably not.  BTW, a turducken is a dish consisting of a partially de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The word turducken is a portmanteau of turkey, duck, and chicken or hen.  However, if you start by grilling chicken thighs, or pan searing boneless skinless chicken breasts, you'll have much better success in learning how to clean, cut, season, cook, and finally eat the main ingredient.  You could even try your hand at roasting a whole chicken in the oven.

A simple cooking technique suggested by one of my favorite Food Network Stars Alton Brown is to learn how to use a knife.  Now I'm not a knife expert, or a chef, but purchasing, taking care of, and learning to use a good set of knives is a great start to your culinary expertise.  There are plenty of instructional sites out there on Google to help you decide which kitchen knives (and gadgets) are best for you.

My friend Kelly started me off with the JA Henckles Professional S series knives about 12 years ago; I still have the starter set he gave me, and over the years I've added to this collection of good quality and wide variety of knives.  I believe some of the basic types of knives you should own include:

• 4" Pairing Knife
• 5" Utility Knife
• 5" Santoku Knife
• 5.5" Flexible Boning Knife
• 8" Serrated Bread Knife
• 6" Chef Knife
• 8" Carving Knife
• 8" Chef Knife
• Cleaver

Definitions of the different types of knives from How To and Wikipedia includes:

• Chef's Knife - A chef's knife is usually the largest knife in the kitchen, with a wide blade that is 8" to 10" long. Choose a knife that feels good and balanced in your hand. The knife should have a full tang. This means that the blade should go all the way through the handle for the best wear and stability.
• Paring Knife - Paring knives are generally 2-1/2-4" in length. The most often used knife in the kitchen. It is ideal for peeling and coring fruits and vegetables, cutting small objects, slicing, and other hand tasks.
• Utility Knives - Utility knives are longer than paring knives but smaller than chef's knives, usually around 5-8" long. They are also called sandwich knives because they are just the right side for slicing meats and cheeses. I have several utility knives in my kitchen as 'extra' knives.
• Boning Knife - This type of knife has a more flexible blade to curve around meat and bone. Generally 4" to 5" long.
• Bread Knife - Bread knives are usually serrated. Most experts recommend a serrated knife that has pointed serrations instead of wavy serrations for better control and longer knife life. I have two bread knives in my kitchen - a long 10" knife that's great for cutting whole loaves, and a 6" knife perfect for cutting sandwich buns. You must use a sawing motion when using a serrated knife.
• Santoku Knife - The santoku bōchō is a general-purpose kitchen knife originating in Japan. It is typically between 5" and 8" long, has a flat edge and a sheepsfoot blade that curves in an angle approaching 60 degrees at the point. The word santoku loosely translates as 'three virtues' or 'three uses', a reference to the three cutting tasks the knife performs well: slicing, dicing, and mincing.
• Cleaver - A cleaver is a large knife that varies in its shape but usually resembles a square-bladed hatchet, but is not the same as a hatchet, due to different uses. It is used mostly for cutting through bones as a kitchen knife or butcher knife, and can also be used for crushing, notably crushing garlic.

You should not only learn how to use your knives, but how to take care of them.  Simple tips include:

• Use good wood cutting boards (avoid glass, plastic, or marble)
• To clean, wipe with a spondge, dry, and store properly
• Sharpen your blades when they get dull
• Store your knives properly, either in a block, knife sleeve or case, or magnet bar

In the end, adding those layers to your soup may be as simple as using salt; and adding to the layers of your culinary technique may mean going outside your comfort zone to learn about knives and other kitchen gadgets. 

What is a food dictionary?

We all know what a dictionary is.  Its that big book (and for some, a website) that provides you with the definition of a word.  My blog is about defining food.  What does food mean to me.  What does it mean to you? 

I've been a writer since I was a little girl.  I've always had a passion for writing stories, poems, and character sketches.  As an adult, I write for a living.  Writing is a way to express myself.

I started cooking when I was about 6 years old.  I didn't realize then that eventually I would grow up to become what everyone calls a Foodie.  According to Wikepedia, Foodie is an informal term for a particular class of aficionado of food and drink. The word was coined in 1981 by Paul Levy and Ann Barr, who used it in the title of their 1984 book The Official Foodie Handbook.  Foodies are amateurs who simply love food for consumption, study, preparation, and news.

As a Foodie, I intend to share my passion for writing and food in this blog.  I hope that I am educational, inspiring, and maybe even funny on occassion.  My intent is to not provide step by step instructions on cooking; I"m not a professional chef.  But I would love to share my tips, lessons learned, and travel stories about food.