As I covered in my Maple Maple Maple post, I don't skimp on certain ingredients. If you're looking for good food, you need to make it with good ingredients. A whole is only the sum of its parts. A dish is only as good as the items you make it with.
Of course, I'm expected to go all "go local" on ya but let's be honest here. I don't have time to go to the Farmer's Market every Saturday to get my veggies for the week and I have a feeling you don't either. I also don't have the money to go all organic all the time. Make due with what you have and look for quality.
Since we're on the topic, let's go with produce. Fresh is always best... theoretically. The problem with fresh veggies is that they go bad a lot quicker than, say, frozen or canned. But let's talk about just before they go bad when they're nice and ripe and perfect for munching. Vitamins and minerals, which are lost in a lot of cooking, actually denature and go away quickly in fresh produce. Within hours, a head of broccoli can lose half of all the things that make it good for you. Add heat (i.e. a tent at the Farmer's Market in the summer) and by the time you get the veggies home, they have lost most of their nutrients.
My advice? Go fresh for texture and flavor and not necessarily for nutrition. For example, fresh broccoli is great for stir frys and crudites. For day to day applications? I go frozen.
Hear me out. Frozen vegetables are blanched (cooked in hot water and shocked with cold to stop the cooking process) and this actually stops the vitamins and goodness from burning up. And they're darn convenient to toss in my mac and cheese! And canned? I never do it for veggies.
To completely change the subject, let's talk extracts. In particular, vanilla. Vanilla extract is a perfect addition to sweets and even if a recipe doesn't call for it, I add in a splash anyway. It adds that lovely depth of flavor to pretty much everything. The problem is that it has a tendency to be expensive. You can find huge bottles of the imitation stuff for cheap but the actual stuff is much more expensive- to the tune of 5 bucks for 2 oz. It sucks, I know, but you can taste fake vanilla. And it's not awesome. Splurge. Always buy real vanilla.
Another big issue. I was talking with a coworker and I gave her my risotto recipe and we were going through the ingredients when she asked me about the wine I told her to splash in. "Now, I've seen cooking wines..." she said. I immediately shook my head, started jumping up and down and said "Don't do it."
Cooking wine, quite simply, is the stuff that isn't good enough for you to drink at the table. It's the leftover unpalatable stuff that they won't put in the fancy bottle for you. You don't have to go out and get an expensive wine. Just get something that you would drink if you wanted to. I don't like wine so I don't get anything fancy but with cooking wine you'll basically be adding vinegar to your food and that is not delicious. You will taste it if you use cooking wine. Keep a bottle of white in your house just to add flavor and deliciousness.
Not everything has to be quality. Flour, sugar, butter, table salt, baking soda, baking powder, rice, pasta, etc. are all a matter of personal preference, choice and budget.
But when you're going for key elements, go for the gold and go for taste.
Happy cooking!
-Merry
28 October 2010
27 October 2010
Grocery Shopping
Grocery shopping is easily my favorite chore of the week. It used to be what I did with my dad. Once a week, we would hop in the car with Dad and go up to the grocery store with the list. We'd get free slices of cheese and free cookies. Definitely my favorite time of the week.
Times have changed and so have my places of shopping. For the better part of my life, I naturally went to the mega marts. Safeway, Shaws, Price Chopper, the basic places that one would go.
When I was in college, Price Chopper was the one about 15 minutes down the road and it was open 24/7. Needless to say, there was many a night where my friends and I would take a trip and play with produce and other items on the shelves. There may or may not be a Facebook photo album with a gypsy, Marilyn Monroe, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter running around PChopps. Just saying.
Aaaaaaanyway, times have changed and I have discovered other, more interesting stores. Granted, I now live in a very diverse area, but now I have specialty stores and have found that I love the thrill of discovery. "Ooh, what's this?!"
For example, right down the street is J's Produce Market- all produce all the time. But perhaps the cooler things there are the bulgur wheat, the random cookies, the corner of home made honeys and jams, the nuts, the mixes, the rosewater and many other ingredients that I hadn't heard of. And, of course, I like picking up fresh veggies. Nom.
If I'm feeling a little more exotic, I take a trip down the beltway to H Mart. H Mart is an Asian market. You can find all your basic foods there but all the Asian specialties as well. Just walking through there is a cultural delight. They have an old fashioned rice cake maker at the back, banging (literally) out rice cakes. There are various pieces of produce there that I haven't seen along with lots of different chilis and noodles. They have a whole aisle full of stationary, rice cookers, tableware, cosmetics and accessories. My favorite aisle is the junk food aisle. Little crispy wafer balls filled with chocolate? Yes please. Bonus: Inside H Mart is a little restaurant with authentic Asian foods! Bring some cash and have some lunch. A-mazing.
But where does this mini foodie shop all the time? Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is all about a lot of the things I am- natural, good food with no additives, good for you but also very interesting ingredients. Oh, and the plus? Very low prices.
Don't have a Trader Joe's around you? Let me explain for you, but first, some basic consumer economics for you.
Supermarkets actually have a lot more politics to them than you'd think. It isn't a simple case of the grocer buying the food and putting it on a shelf. First of all, the megamart wants to provide a variety of food. But what happens if the food doesn't sell? To insure a profit, the store is forced to push up the prices of all of their food just in case the rest of the product doesn't sell. There are lots of other reasons that push up the prices as well.
Trader Joe's (and Aldi and other stores of the like) do something very different. They have a group of buyers who simply go out and find the best of whatever product the store is looking for. As a result, Trader Joe's and similar stores only have one brand and don't have to insure against the rest of the stock not selling and buying too many variations.
Neat, huh?
Trader Joe's is my favorite because they go for products without additives, artificial coloring and you can typically understand what's on the label, which is pretty nice. Other bonuses: An amazing cheese selection and a lot of interesting international foods. Naan bread, indian curries, pizzas... it's always a culinary discovery.
Super bonus: their Fearless Flyer. Instead of a weekly circular, club cards, sales, etc., the prices are stable and there's always new items. The flyer is only released once every month or two and is chock full of new or highlighted items for the season. The descriptions always have the price and have cleverly written statements about the items, where they come from, foodie info and Victorian style comics! Believe you me, it's a glorious day when I get the flyer.
Here's the downside. Trader Joe's is always circulating things out, not only seasonal items (like their pumpkin bread mix [yum]) but regular items as well. Why? Trader Joe's is in a smaller facility than most stores. Because it's smaller, it lowers operating costs. But that means there's less space. Not too bad since they don't have tons and tons of food but again, it raises that problem still of where to put the stuff. So they keep around the staples and move seasonal foods around a lot.
But what do I love most about grocery stores (even if I have to go to Walmart)? Wandering the aisles. Just wandering up and down the aisles, looking at what my options are, what's new in the bakery, what they have for seasonal items. It's actually my favorite domestic activity.
So I hope you like this post. It took me quite some time to write it.
As always, if you have any questions, email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
Times have changed and so have my places of shopping. For the better part of my life, I naturally went to the mega marts. Safeway, Shaws, Price Chopper, the basic places that one would go.
When I was in college, Price Chopper was the one about 15 minutes down the road and it was open 24/7. Needless to say, there was many a night where my friends and I would take a trip and play with produce and other items on the shelves. There may or may not be a Facebook photo album with a gypsy, Marilyn Monroe, Alice in Wonderland and the Mad Hatter running around PChopps. Just saying.
Aaaaaaanyway, times have changed and I have discovered other, more interesting stores. Granted, I now live in a very diverse area, but now I have specialty stores and have found that I love the thrill of discovery. "Ooh, what's this?!"
For example, right down the street is J's Produce Market- all produce all the time. But perhaps the cooler things there are the bulgur wheat, the random cookies, the corner of home made honeys and jams, the nuts, the mixes, the rosewater and many other ingredients that I hadn't heard of. And, of course, I like picking up fresh veggies. Nom.
If I'm feeling a little more exotic, I take a trip down the beltway to H Mart. H Mart is an Asian market. You can find all your basic foods there but all the Asian specialties as well. Just walking through there is a cultural delight. They have an old fashioned rice cake maker at the back, banging (literally) out rice cakes. There are various pieces of produce there that I haven't seen along with lots of different chilis and noodles. They have a whole aisle full of stationary, rice cookers, tableware, cosmetics and accessories. My favorite aisle is the junk food aisle. Little crispy wafer balls filled with chocolate? Yes please. Bonus: Inside H Mart is a little restaurant with authentic Asian foods! Bring some cash and have some lunch. A-mazing.
But where does this mini foodie shop all the time? Trader Joe's. Trader Joe's is all about a lot of the things I am- natural, good food with no additives, good for you but also very interesting ingredients. Oh, and the plus? Very low prices.
Don't have a Trader Joe's around you? Let me explain for you, but first, some basic consumer economics for you.
Supermarkets actually have a lot more politics to them than you'd think. It isn't a simple case of the grocer buying the food and putting it on a shelf. First of all, the megamart wants to provide a variety of food. But what happens if the food doesn't sell? To insure a profit, the store is forced to push up the prices of all of their food just in case the rest of the product doesn't sell. There are lots of other reasons that push up the prices as well.
Trader Joe's (and Aldi and other stores of the like) do something very different. They have a group of buyers who simply go out and find the best of whatever product the store is looking for. As a result, Trader Joe's and similar stores only have one brand and don't have to insure against the rest of the stock not selling and buying too many variations.
Neat, huh?
Trader Joe's is my favorite because they go for products without additives, artificial coloring and you can typically understand what's on the label, which is pretty nice. Other bonuses: An amazing cheese selection and a lot of interesting international foods. Naan bread, indian curries, pizzas... it's always a culinary discovery.
Super bonus: their Fearless Flyer. Instead of a weekly circular, club cards, sales, etc., the prices are stable and there's always new items. The flyer is only released once every month or two and is chock full of new or highlighted items for the season. The descriptions always have the price and have cleverly written statements about the items, where they come from, foodie info and Victorian style comics! Believe you me, it's a glorious day when I get the flyer.
Here's the downside. Trader Joe's is always circulating things out, not only seasonal items (like their pumpkin bread mix [yum]) but regular items as well. Why? Trader Joe's is in a smaller facility than most stores. Because it's smaller, it lowers operating costs. But that means there's less space. Not too bad since they don't have tons and tons of food but again, it raises that problem still of where to put the stuff. So they keep around the staples and move seasonal foods around a lot.
But what do I love most about grocery stores (even if I have to go to Walmart)? Wandering the aisles. Just wandering up and down the aisles, looking at what my options are, what's new in the bakery, what they have for seasonal items. It's actually my favorite domestic activity.
So I hope you like this post. It took me quite some time to write it.
As always, if you have any questions, email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
-Merry
24 October 2010
Quality is Everything: Gear
I was spoiled when I was younger. My mom had a virtually indestructible set of pans and a good set of carbon steel knives. Both are older than I am.
As I am older, I realise the value of these essential items. I also realise that getting the kitchen you need costs a lot of money. Oh, sure, you can get a set of pots and pans with interchangeable lids for 30 bucks. And you'll have bits of nonstick Teflon flaking into your food and a ring of burnt food eternally stuck to the bottom of it. And you can get a set of kitchen knives for 10 but they'll all be serrated and rip up your veggies and make it virtually impossible to cut raw meat.
The key here is to slowly build up and, most importantly, to look in the odd places.
For example, I have a set of flimsy, thin pots and pans that my boyfriend and I got when we first moved in. They serve the purpose but it makes it pretty hard to cook, especially with a gas range. No matter how low I turn the heat, something will get burned if I'm not stirring it constantly. I dream of getting a really nice set of pots and pans some day but considering I barely have enough for the bills, the flimsy ones will have to do.
That is, until I went to Goodwill yesterday. I skip the clothes and random items and go straight for the housewares section. You can find some interesting gems there (hell, they had an iMac there yesterday) but I found the holy graile.
I found decent pans. I don't recognize the brand (Circulon anyone?) and they didn't have covers. But look at them! Nonstick, mismatched but thick and quality material! The price? 3.50-6.00 each. for less than 20 bucks I got three saucepans and a skillet.
On a side note, at the same Goodwill last year around this time I found an almost complete set of china for 30 bucks. Epic win.
Another of my favorite stores is Home Goods. Overstocked goods are sold to TJ Maxx and Home Goods (same company) resulting in amazing prices. Either are good to go to but Home Goods typically has a larger selection. High quality name brand items and low prices.
See, the point here isn't to look for the most expensive but the highest quality items, which I'm sure you didn't need me to tell you.
A note on knives: I have one rule about knives- no teeth unless you're cutting bread.
In case you don't know what I said there, let me explain. Knives come in a few different blade types. The most common ones you'll see is either a straight edge or a serrated edge. You probably have both of these in your drawer right now. If you have a steak knife, that's a serrated edge. I don't like cutting anything but bread with a serrated edge for the simple reason that it destroys anything I cut. In breads it's fine- the multiple cutting edges keep the air in the bread and keep it from just going squish. But say you're cutting up some chicken to put into a stir fry. Because of all those edges, you're basically ripping up the chicken and it'll be a stringy fleshy mass by the time it hits the pan.
What you want is for the metal of the blade to go all the way through the handle if you're going for an expensive set. But that's actually not necessary.
Example: I have a really nice set of carbon steel knives that were given as a Christmas present a couple years ago. As we were setting up the apartment, it took some time for those to move down to Maryland from Vermont and on this particular trip, I did not have my knives with me. I was trying to make dinner and I had, you guessed it, a cheap serrated knife to work with. I couldn't cook. I was destroying the food. Frustrated, I stopped and was very close to just ordering out. The boyfriend, being quite supportive and helpful, said he'd run out to the store and buy me a set to use. I said "Don't get anything expensive but PLEASE, for the love of god, don't get a serrated edge. Smooth edge only!"
In an amazing feat of following directions that men rarely do, he managed to come home with knives that actually were quite nice and only cost 16 bucks or so for the set of four. I actually still use them and they are my traveling set.
So what does the average home cook need?
Easy. Saucepans- a one quart and a two quart- that are heavy bottomed. A skillet- thick- cast iron is very nice and will last you forever. Knives- smooth edged, one large one for cutting vegetables and roasts, one medium sized one for meats and smaller vegetables and a paring knife will also be quite valuable.
As for utensils, a spoon and a spatula are essential and all you will likely need unless you find yourself needing something spectacular.
Very important note on utensils: If you have nonstick coated pans, never never never never never NEVER use metal utensils with it. The sharp utensil will cut into the coating and then you're screwed and will forever have bits of Teflon in your food. Stick with wood or plastic.
That's my ramble for today. Any questions or topic suggestions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy cooking!
As I am older, I realise the value of these essential items. I also realise that getting the kitchen you need costs a lot of money. Oh, sure, you can get a set of pots and pans with interchangeable lids for 30 bucks. And you'll have bits of nonstick Teflon flaking into your food and a ring of burnt food eternally stuck to the bottom of it. And you can get a set of kitchen knives for 10 but they'll all be serrated and rip up your veggies and make it virtually impossible to cut raw meat.
The key here is to slowly build up and, most importantly, to look in the odd places.
For example, I have a set of flimsy, thin pots and pans that my boyfriend and I got when we first moved in. They serve the purpose but it makes it pretty hard to cook, especially with a gas range. No matter how low I turn the heat, something will get burned if I'm not stirring it constantly. I dream of getting a really nice set of pots and pans some day but considering I barely have enough for the bills, the flimsy ones will have to do.
That is, until I went to Goodwill yesterday. I skip the clothes and random items and go straight for the housewares section. You can find some interesting gems there (hell, they had an iMac there yesterday) but I found the holy graile.
I found decent pans. I don't recognize the brand (Circulon anyone?) and they didn't have covers. But look at them! Nonstick, mismatched but thick and quality material! The price? 3.50-6.00 each. for less than 20 bucks I got three saucepans and a skillet.
On a side note, at the same Goodwill last year around this time I found an almost complete set of china for 30 bucks. Epic win.
Another of my favorite stores is Home Goods. Overstocked goods are sold to TJ Maxx and Home Goods (same company) resulting in amazing prices. Either are good to go to but Home Goods typically has a larger selection. High quality name brand items and low prices.
See, the point here isn't to look for the most expensive but the highest quality items, which I'm sure you didn't need me to tell you.
A note on knives: I have one rule about knives- no teeth unless you're cutting bread.
In case you don't know what I said there, let me explain. Knives come in a few different blade types. The most common ones you'll see is either a straight edge or a serrated edge. You probably have both of these in your drawer right now. If you have a steak knife, that's a serrated edge. I don't like cutting anything but bread with a serrated edge for the simple reason that it destroys anything I cut. In breads it's fine- the multiple cutting edges keep the air in the bread and keep it from just going squish. But say you're cutting up some chicken to put into a stir fry. Because of all those edges, you're basically ripping up the chicken and it'll be a stringy fleshy mass by the time it hits the pan.
What you want is for the metal of the blade to go all the way through the handle if you're going for an expensive set. But that's actually not necessary.
Example: I have a really nice set of carbon steel knives that were given as a Christmas present a couple years ago. As we were setting up the apartment, it took some time for those to move down to Maryland from Vermont and on this particular trip, I did not have my knives with me. I was trying to make dinner and I had, you guessed it, a cheap serrated knife to work with. I couldn't cook. I was destroying the food. Frustrated, I stopped and was very close to just ordering out. The boyfriend, being quite supportive and helpful, said he'd run out to the store and buy me a set to use. I said "Don't get anything expensive but PLEASE, for the love of god, don't get a serrated edge. Smooth edge only!"
In an amazing feat of following directions that men rarely do, he managed to come home with knives that actually were quite nice and only cost 16 bucks or so for the set of four. I actually still use them and they are my traveling set.
So what does the average home cook need?
Easy. Saucepans- a one quart and a two quart- that are heavy bottomed. A skillet- thick- cast iron is very nice and will last you forever. Knives- smooth edged, one large one for cutting vegetables and roasts, one medium sized one for meats and smaller vegetables and a paring knife will also be quite valuable.
As for utensils, a spoon and a spatula are essential and all you will likely need unless you find yourself needing something spectacular.
Very important note on utensils: If you have nonstick coated pans, never never never never never NEVER use metal utensils with it. The sharp utensil will cut into the coating and then you're screwed and will forever have bits of Teflon in your food. Stick with wood or plastic.
That's my ramble for today. Any questions or topic suggestions? Email me at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Happy cooking!
19 October 2010
Risotto
Risotto is a scary word, according to some. It sounds fancy and hard. It's actually fool-proof.
So what is a risotto? A risotto is a short grain rice cooked and cooked and cooked in stock until it gives up all of its starches and becomes rich and super creamy and I could go into daydreams about this stuff.
There are some pretty sweet things about risotto nutritionally as well. It's a whole grain (rice), there is minimal fat to it and low calories and it provides a perfect canvas to add some of your favorite veggies.
So how do you make it?
I like making it as a nice simple dinner for one so that's what this recipe will yeild.
First, get yourself two sauce pans. A small one for the back burner and a big one for the actual risotto building process. In the small one, heat up:
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
(Merry's Tip: Boxed and canned stock is great but living in an apartment, I'm pretty short on cupboard space. Boullion cubes or concentrated stock packets work just as well. More on stock vs. boullion later!)
Bring the stock a boil and then reduce it to keep it nice and hot. This is important in the starch releasing process. Next:
2 tbsp minced onion, finely minced.
(Merry's Tip: Your typical onion will produce a lot more than you need for this recipe. Don't waste it! Mince the rest of it up and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Next time you want some risotto, pop some out of the freezer and straight into the pan. It'll also make life easier for any other meals you'd need the minced onion in)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
If you want to add some dried herbs, this is a good time to add them.
SO, what you're going to do is put the oil into the pan and heat that up. Add the onion, salt and pepper and saute until the onions are starting to go translucent. Then add
1/4 cup arborio rice
Arborio rice is a short grained rice that has a lot more starch than your typical long grain rice. The shorter the rice, the more starch it has. The more starch it has, the creamier your risotto will be. Nom nom nom.
BACK TO THE RISOTTO.
Add the rice and stir that around for a few minutes until that too is translucent and golden. Once you have reached that point, add in the chicken stock only until it just covers the rice. Leave the rest in that extra pot and keep it warm on the back burner.
Stir frequently until there is little liquid left in the bottom. What has happened is that the rice was prepped with the olive oil to absorb the water. So it did and in doing so released the starch. So no more liquid.
Which is why you have that pan with a bunch of chicken stock left in it. Splash about a quarter of a cup of stock into the pot and stir around. Repeat this process about two to three more times. Make sure to test the risotto and make sure it's al dente (yes, just like pasta) but not crunchy. Crunchy will make your risotto sad when you eat it.
Then comes my personal favorite part.
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Mix that in and you have the perfect canvas for a delicious meal.
Add Ins
I said it's a canvas and with good reason. With this basic risotto, we can add any veggies we like. I have done:
Asparagus
Frozen (and then thawed) peas
Broccoli
Left over dijon chicken
It's a great way to use such leftovers and especially frozen veggies for a quick meal. I'd only stick to one or two add ins, personally. And I don't think corn would be good in it. Fresh flavored green veggies are perfect. A lot of people like to put mushrooms in there. I don't like mushrooms. But feel free to try it and let me know!
I find making risotto nice and relaxing at the end of the day, actually. It's a lot of stirring. It's mindless cooking that results in something that we all think is fancy and exotic.
Any questions? Let me know at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Until next time!
So what is a risotto? A risotto is a short grain rice cooked and cooked and cooked in stock until it gives up all of its starches and becomes rich and super creamy and I could go into daydreams about this stuff.
There are some pretty sweet things about risotto nutritionally as well. It's a whole grain (rice), there is minimal fat to it and low calories and it provides a perfect canvas to add some of your favorite veggies.
So how do you make it?
I like making it as a nice simple dinner for one so that's what this recipe will yeild.
First, get yourself two sauce pans. A small one for the back burner and a big one for the actual risotto building process. In the small one, heat up:
1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
(Merry's Tip: Boxed and canned stock is great but living in an apartment, I'm pretty short on cupboard space. Boullion cubes or concentrated stock packets work just as well. More on stock vs. boullion later!)
Bring the stock a boil and then reduce it to keep it nice and hot. This is important in the starch releasing process. Next:
2 tbsp minced onion, finely minced.
(Merry's Tip: Your typical onion will produce a lot more than you need for this recipe. Don't waste it! Mince the rest of it up and keep it in a plastic bag in the fridge. Next time you want some risotto, pop some out of the freezer and straight into the pan. It'll also make life easier for any other meals you'd need the minced onion in)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
If you want to add some dried herbs, this is a good time to add them.
SO, what you're going to do is put the oil into the pan and heat that up. Add the onion, salt and pepper and saute until the onions are starting to go translucent. Then add
1/4 cup arborio rice
Arborio rice is a short grained rice that has a lot more starch than your typical long grain rice. The shorter the rice, the more starch it has. The more starch it has, the creamier your risotto will be. Nom nom nom.
BACK TO THE RISOTTO.
Add the rice and stir that around for a few minutes until that too is translucent and golden. Once you have reached that point, add in the chicken stock only until it just covers the rice. Leave the rest in that extra pot and keep it warm on the back burner.
Stir frequently until there is little liquid left in the bottom. What has happened is that the rice was prepped with the olive oil to absorb the water. So it did and in doing so released the starch. So no more liquid.
Which is why you have that pan with a bunch of chicken stock left in it. Splash about a quarter of a cup of stock into the pot and stir around. Repeat this process about two to three more times. Make sure to test the risotto and make sure it's al dente (yes, just like pasta) but not crunchy. Crunchy will make your risotto sad when you eat it.
Then comes my personal favorite part.
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
Mix that in and you have the perfect canvas for a delicious meal.
Add Ins
I said it's a canvas and with good reason. With this basic risotto, we can add any veggies we like. I have done:
Asparagus
Frozen (and then thawed) peas
Broccoli
Left over dijon chicken
It's a great way to use such leftovers and especially frozen veggies for a quick meal. I'd only stick to one or two add ins, personally. And I don't think corn would be good in it. Fresh flavored green veggies are perfect. A lot of people like to put mushrooms in there. I don't like mushrooms. But feel free to try it and let me know!
I find making risotto nice and relaxing at the end of the day, actually. It's a lot of stirring. It's mindless cooking that results in something that we all think is fancy and exotic.
Any questions? Let me know at merryskitchen@gmail.com!
Until next time!
14 October 2010
Maple Maple Maple Maple
Fall us upon us! Changing leaves, pumpkins, apples, crisps, spices, lovely things. So to those who have an undying love for fall like me, I salute you. Let's have dinner some time.
On to the cooking and today's topic: Maple Syrup
There is one thing I never compromise on- the quality of my ingredients. Things like flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda and powder don't count. When shopping, I go for real vanilla extract and one thing I absolutely never never never compromise is my syrup.
A little perspective: I grew up in New England. And then I went to college in Vermont.
One of my boyfriend's family did maple sugaring. It's from him that I learned the differences in the grades. The whole point of the grades is how much water has been cooked out of the sap. On average, 40 gallons of sap goes into one gallon of syrup. That's why it's so expensive. Grade A fancy is the most expensive because it's lighter and there's a very fine line and a very precise application of heat to get it that way. The further down in grade you go, the more water has been cooked out and, thus, is more concentrated in maple flavor.
I like the stuff that's almost black and they can't bottle and sell. You haven't lived until you've tried this stuff. As a result, I always go with Grade B, since it's much darker and more concentrated.
But considering how much work goes into it, it makes the syrup a bit expensive. A regular 16 oz. container will run you at least 15 bucks. It's very unfortunate. But totally worth it. And, if you're like me and don't make pancakes every weekend, it will most definitely last you just about forever. It's worth it to keep it on hand.
One of the cool things I find about maple is that it can be used just like honey or agave. The unfortunate thing is that maple has so much flavor it's harder to use. My tip? Use it like honey.
For example, yesterday I made a variation on a honey mustard pork recipe I have done before. Giada de Laurentiis has a lovely recipe for a pork roast, covered in this coarse honey dijon mixture and wrapped in bacon. Amazing.
So, since I had the mustards all left over, I did the same thing but found myself short on honey. So I used maple syrup. My recipe tester said it was delicious.
I also use maple syrup as the sweet component in my vinaigrettes. I candy walnuts with it (and they are the best thing since chocolate).
Try it out.
And splurge on the maple. It's worth it.
Till next time!
On to the cooking and today's topic: Maple Syrup
There is one thing I never compromise on- the quality of my ingredients. Things like flour, sugar, eggs, baking soda and powder don't count. When shopping, I go for real vanilla extract and one thing I absolutely never never never compromise is my syrup.
A little perspective: I grew up in New England. And then I went to college in Vermont.
One of my boyfriend's family did maple sugaring. It's from him that I learned the differences in the grades. The whole point of the grades is how much water has been cooked out of the sap. On average, 40 gallons of sap goes into one gallon of syrup. That's why it's so expensive. Grade A fancy is the most expensive because it's lighter and there's a very fine line and a very precise application of heat to get it that way. The further down in grade you go, the more water has been cooked out and, thus, is more concentrated in maple flavor.
I like the stuff that's almost black and they can't bottle and sell. You haven't lived until you've tried this stuff. As a result, I always go with Grade B, since it's much darker and more concentrated.
But considering how much work goes into it, it makes the syrup a bit expensive. A regular 16 oz. container will run you at least 15 bucks. It's very unfortunate. But totally worth it. And, if you're like me and don't make pancakes every weekend, it will most definitely last you just about forever. It's worth it to keep it on hand.
One of the cool things I find about maple is that it can be used just like honey or agave. The unfortunate thing is that maple has so much flavor it's harder to use. My tip? Use it like honey.
For example, yesterday I made a variation on a honey mustard pork recipe I have done before. Giada de Laurentiis has a lovely recipe for a pork roast, covered in this coarse honey dijon mixture and wrapped in bacon. Amazing.
So, since I had the mustards all left over, I did the same thing but found myself short on honey. So I used maple syrup. My recipe tester said it was delicious.
I also use maple syrup as the sweet component in my vinaigrettes. I candy walnuts with it (and they are the best thing since chocolate).
Try it out.
And splurge on the maple. It's worth it.
Till next time!
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