THREE DRESSINGS, MANY USES
Three basic (salad) dressings, useful for many other foods as well; one vinaigrette, the other two creamier but the other two alive with the electric balancing of fat and acidity.
MIREPOIX ETC
“Mirepoix” (pronounced meer-pwah), or its Spanish sibling “sofrito” or Italian “soffritto,” are what chefs call “aromatics,” the heady mix of vegetables and seasonings at the base of many warm temperature dishes (certainly most wet dishes such as soups or braises) all over the world.
TO DEGLAZE A PAN
Caramelized proteins or sugars left behind from browning meats are called “fond,” as in “foundation,” because they are now the very flavorful base for sauces that can be made directly in the same pan. Adding a liquid with which to boil, then scrape up these bits, is called “deglazing.” Photo from techfun on flickr.com.
CHIFFONADE
This culinary term means to slice or cut leafy greens such as lettuce (or, in this recipe, chard) or fresh leafy herbs (the best example is basil) into very thin strips that are then used as an accent or garnish for any number of dishes such as soup, pasta, or fish. It derives from the French “chiffon,” meaning rag; therefore, “to cut up into rags.”
EASY SWALLOWING FOOD AND COOKING
Hints on cooking and serving foods, with three recipes, that are easy to swallow (especially for those who have difficulty swallowing after surgery, say, or due to trauma to the mouth or throat.)
LIDIA’S MARINARA SAUCE & BSJ’S TOMATO PREP TIPS
The best marinara sauce—the true marinara sauce—is made in a skillet right before it’s eaten. Takes 20 minutes tops. It’s bright red (not kettle-cooked red) and smells of the perfumes of pomodoro, little else.
COOKING WITH WHAT’S ON HAND
You can make dinner from what’s on hand, as meager as that may be. Above all, reframe what a “meal” means.
FERMENTATION
One of the earlier and more primitive transformations of foods is fermentation, the conversion by yeast, bacteria, or microbe, often in their wild state, of one form of food into another, thus lengthening its useful life. Photo from ELEVATE on pexels.com
QUICK PICKLES
If you’re going to get into a pickle in the kitchen, you’d best go all the way.
MACERATING FRUIT
Don’t just toss a bunch of chopped fruit together, then add sugar, without reading this first.
BASICS OF VEGAN COOKING
Cooking vegan impresses on the home cook just how much non-plant food we can do without in our diet—all without sacrificing flavor, aroma, texture and other eating esthetics.
CORN AND THE FOURTH OF JULY
Elotes, Mexican street corn—and now as American as the 4th of July.
INDIAN VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN
Might you be considering eating more plants in lieu of meats or fish? May I propose that you cook Indian?
HOW TO CUT THE ONION
Tips (and illustrations) on How to Cut Up an Onion, plus a recipe for French Onion Soup Gratinée.
SOME FOOD RULES TESTED
Top row, a Fresno chile pepper and sprouting garlic cloves. Bottom row, dried garden sage and a cut-open lemon, showing the white pith.
FOUNDATIONS OF MESOAMERICAN AND MEXICAN CUISINE
Three Sacred Sisters Salad pays homage to the Mesoamerican mix of beans, corn and squash.