The Acidity of Ratatouille & Why Oven-Roasting is Like Drinking a Coke
I came across an interesting cooking article on the BBC today. The article focused on one of my favorite foods, ratatouille and why the dish may be harmful to your pretty, white teeth.
“Cooking vegetables in different ways could cut down on tooth decay, scientists have claimed.
Certain methods of cooking them can make vegetables as acidic as fizzy drinks, according to a new study.Researchers at Dundee’s dental school made the discovery while experimenting with the vegetarian dish ratatouille.
They found that, compared with stewing, oven-roasting significantly increased the acidity of vegetables such as green peppers, aubergines and courgettes.
Dr Graham Chadwick, who led the study, said its findings could be used by dentists when advising patients on ways to fight dental erosion.
The problem is caused by the direct contact of acid with the teeth, which destroys tooth tissues - leading to the need for expensive dental treatment.
Dr Chadwick said: “The acidity of ratatouille prepared by oven-roasting is the same as that of some carbonated drinks that, when consumed in excess, are believed to contribute to the development of dental erosion.”
The research, published in the European Journal of Prosthodontics and Restorative Dentistry, came following claims that vegetarians are at higher risk of dental erosion because of the large quantity of naturally acidic fruit and vegetables they eat.
The researchers also found the cooking method had no impact on the acidity of tomatoes or onions, but roasting resulted in more acidic aubergines, green peppers and courgettes.
Red peppers, they also discovered, were more acidic when stewed.”
Hmmm, two of my fav dishes, roasted red peppers & ratatouille, bad for my pretty whites. I dunno. I just don’t think I can give them up.
So, with that stay tuned for the upcoming ‘I Just Can’t Live Without My Ratatouille Recipe’ post.
The Relationship Between Coriander & Cilantro
So, what is the relationship between coriander & cilantro? That’s what I’ve been wondering and I think I’ve tracked down the answer. The word ‘coriander’ can be used to describe the whole of an annual plant in the parsley family: leaves, stems, seeds & all.
However, when speaking of coriander, most are referring to the spice produced from the seeds of the herb. The leaves of the plant are called cilantro, which derives from the Spanish word for coriander. Ahhh, this makes sense, since the leaves and the ripened seeds taste quite different from each other.
Coriander seems to get a better rap than its counterpart cilantro. Coriander has a pleasing lemon-like flavor accompanied by a sweet aroma. Cilantro, on the other hand, is quite a different story. I found it hilarious that there is actually a site out there that bears much hatred to the wonderful leaf- IHateCilantro.com. You should really browse around, it’s pretty cute. Make sure you check out the graphs that indicates what cilantro tastes like, it ranges from doll hair to stink bugs.
Maybe cilantro is like caviar & Scotch whiskey, you have to develop a taste for it. I must be a quick developer, because cilantro is rarely not in my kitchen. It goes in my couscous, guacamole, salsa and bruschetta. Cilantro is my pal, maybe I should think on starting IHeartCilantro.com.
Coriander & its cilantro leaves are native to the Mediterranean and parts of southwestern Europe. The plant dates back to at least 5,000 BC. Coriander references have been found in Sanskrit writings and the seeds were placed in Egyptian tombs. The Greek physician believed ingesting coriander would heighten a man’s sexual potency. They were always saying that, weren’t they?
Today cilantro & coriander both are flourishing in kitchens worldwide. Stay tuned for the upcoming ‘I Heart Cilantro Avocado Chicken Wrap’ recipe.
The Key to Hispanic Cooking is the Cheese & Cotija Cheese Gazpacho Recipe
With today being “Day Without Immigrants” & Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, I thought we might step into Hispanic kitchens and discover a world of good food that does not breathe without cheese. I found this fascinating article from the South Bend Tribune on Hispanic food and wanted to share.
“Most cuisines do not look nor taste as good as they should unless the right types of ingredients are used.
This is particularly true of Mexican and Caribbean cuisines, especially where the cheese is concerned. Mexican or Hispanic cheeses not only look and taste different from American or European cheeses, but they also act differently when heated, making it worth the effort to learn a little about the hidden secrets of Hispanic cheeses.
These cheeses are divided into three main groups: soft (non-melting), melting and hard.
The soft, fresh cheeses have a unique ability to not melt when heated. That’s right! They don’t run, they don’t drip and they don’t error. They stay put, and this characteristic makes this mild-tasting cheese group well-suited for hot dishes.
An easy way to enjoy this cheese is to simply cube it and fry it in a hot skillet. Soft cheese varieties include queso blanco, panela, queso para freir and queso fresco. They are all mild-tasting and perfect in dishes where you want the cheese to stay put, such as enchiladas and burritos.
The second group, melting cheeses, are also unique in that they have the ability to not separate into oil and solids when heated, making them perfect for dishes where you want an “oohy-gooey” factor, as with quesadillas, tacos, pizzas, grilled cheese or even cheeseburgers. This mild-tasting group includes: queso quesadilla, asadero, queso de papa, Oaxaca and queso para derritier.
The third and final group is the hard, grating-style cheeses with strong flavors and dry, crumbly textures. These include cotija, anejo enchilado and duroblando. Cotija is used much like Parmesan. Anejo enchilado is rolled in paprika and used for topping or stuffing enchiladas and burritos. And duro- blando’s mild smoked flavor is often substituted for cotija.”
Let’s take our knowledge of cheese a little further with this Cotija Cheese Gazpacho recipe.
Ingredients:
- 2 quarts tomatoes, peeled & chopped
- 1 quart cucumber, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, minced
- 1 Jalapeño pepper, seeded & minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups veggie juice cocktail
- 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- S & P, to taste
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 pound Cotija Cheese, crumbled
- 1/2 pound Manchego Cheese, shredded
- Chopped cilantro, for garnish
What’s Next:
In a large bowl- combine all the ingredients except cheeses.
Place mixture into bowls & top with cheeses & cilantro garnish.
A History of Cumin, The Spice of My Life
Cumin is an annual, herbaceous flowering plant with slender stems native to the eastern Mediterranean region. The leaves of the cumin plant are 5-10 cm long with thread-like leaflets. The flowers are small and bloom in pink or white. The seeds are similar to that of fennel but are smaller & darker. Cumin seeds are used as a spice in North African, Middle Eastern, western Chinese, Indian and Mexican cuisine. Preferring a hot climate, cumin is mostly grown today in Iran, Morocco, Egypt, India, Syria, Mexico & Chile.
Cumin is usually found in Indian & Mexican food & always in my chili. Cumin can be found in some Dutch cheeses, which I recently tasted & loved, and in some traditional French breads. You can add cumin to just about anything. It is traditionally added to curries, tacos & Cuban dishes. For an excellent salsa, add a dash of cumin & enjoy the sweet flavor.
As for the history, cumin has been grown as a spice since ancient times. The spice was originally cultivated in Iran and made its way to the good life in Greece & Italy. The Greeks keep cumin as many keep salt & pepper, always on the table for ready-to-go use. The name cumin has an interesting history. The English form of the word goes back to the Latin ‘cuminum’. Yet the Greek word seems to have been borrowed from a Semitic source, as is attested in Akkadian.
Folklore weds the word to the Persian city of Kerman. The story goes that most of ancient Persia’s cumin was cultivated in this city and thus the Persian expression “carrying cumin to Kerman” which has the same meaning as the English phrase “carrying coals to Newcastle“. Kerman, locally called Kermun, would have became Kumun and then cumin in the European languages.
Fascinating. I love digging up the history.
Stay tuned for my ‘Cumin-Infused Rice Recipe’.
Tom Bridge Reinvents the Welsh Rarebit & Food Network Recipe
According to Times Online, a rare invention will hit the eBay market soon, thanks to the master chef & historian Tom Bridge. Bridge has reinvented the Welsh rarebit and it is not a wee bit rarer at $605 a slice.
The Welsh rarebit snack dates from the 18th century and is also known as toasted cheese or cheese on toast. The snack is made by blending grated cheese with beer or a little milk and butter adding some seasoning (usually mustard) and spreading the mixture onto hot toast and then grilled.
The cheeses most often used in the Welsh rarebit are Lancashire, Cheddar or Double Gloucester. Tom Bridge will use the finest of ingredients for his Welsh rarebit, including Umbrian truffles and matsutake mushrooms which are so valuable that they are harvested under armed guard. Bridge has opted to use Warburtons Toastie bread and Lancashire cheese. The chef will be just in time for National Cheese on Toast Day on April 27.
A version of the snack is to be auctioned on eBay and the winner wll get a personal visit from the chef, who will cook the dish in the winner’s home. Wow, that is something I would love to see. Good luck & start bidding!
Here is a Food Network Welsh Rarebit Recipe for your eating pleasure:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup porter beer
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces (approximately 1 1/2 cups) shredded Cheddar
- 2 drops hot sauce
- 4 slices toasted rye bread
In a medium saucepan over low heat- melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook, whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, being careful not to brown the flour.
Whisk in mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until smooth. Add beer and whisk to combine. Pour in cream and whisk until well combined and smooth. Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly, until cheese melts and sauce is smooth; this will take 4 to 5 minutes.
Add hot sauce. Pour over toast and serve immediately.
A History of Creme Brulee & Trinity College Burnt Cream Recipe
I feel like we left creme brulee a little short last Friday, so I thought we’d revisit with a short history and another delectable recipe.
Creme brulee which means ‘burnt cream’ in French, is a dessert with a rich custard base topped with a layer of sugar which is then burned using a salamander and becomes a hard caramel. What an interesting dessert, who would have thunk this one up?
We first see the recipe for creme brulee in Massialot’s cookbook in 1691 in France, however, Trinity College in Cambridge, England also lays claim to the origin of the sweet custard. They contend to be the first producer of the dessert in the 1600’s where they named it ‘Cambridge Burnt Cream’ or ‘Trinity Cream’ and have a special branding iron with the official college crest which is used to burn the sugar top.
Here is the Trinity College Burnt Cream / Creme Brulee Recipe, I wish I could have found a pic of the branding iron.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 8 tablespoons sugar
Go ahead and preheat your oven to 325 F, or 110 C.
In a small saucepan - put the cream & vanilla extract extract over the lowest possible heat. Slowly, bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
In a large bowl- beat the eggs, yolks & 2 tablespoons of sugar until the mix is thoroughly blended. Pour the hot cream onto this mixture, whisking all the time. Pour this mixture through a sieve back into the saucepan and place over very low heat.
Cook without letting the mixture boil until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Pour into 6 custard cups and place these in a shallow baking dish into which they fit with plenty of room to spare. Cover each one with foil, then add water to the baking dish so it comes halfway up the sides of the cups.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and insert a knife blade into the center of the custards. If it comes out clean, they are done. If not, replace the foil and cook until they are ready.
Cool, then chill for 3 hours. An hour before serving, preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and sprinkle 2-3 teaspoons of sugar in an even layer over the surface of each custard. Place under the hot broiler and leave it until the sugar melts into a layer of golden-brown caramel.
This takes between 3 and 5 minutes, depending on the temperature of the broiler and the thickness of the sugar layer. Watch it carefully; once the sugar begins to melt, it can easily burn. Leave for 3 to 4 minutes to cool the caramel before serving. Serve with a few berries as garnish.
I hope you enjoyed this age-old recipe.
Say Goodbye to ‘Celebrity Cooking Showdown’, NBC Cancels Show
Well, it was good while it lasted- the show anyway, the ratings never reached sky-height. NBC has decided not to air the remaining episodes of the reality show ‘Celebrity Cooking Showdown‘. The show, similar to Iron-Chef, was being produced by Sean “P.Diddy” Combs and Wolfgang Puck. The Showdown was supposed to air every night this week but has received abysmal ratings and the final episode has been canceled. But never fear you can catch the last Showdown on NBC.com.
I guess it was meant to be, how can you compete with American Idol’s ratings? The show featured celebrities such as Gabrielle Reece, Cindy Margolis & Ashley Parker Angel. Naomi Campbell was on the list originally, but due to some unfortunate circumstances, she was not able to compete. Somehow I just can’t see Campbell dishing up a creme brulee, but if you step into my kitchen, I bet we can whip up a mean one!
Stay tuned for the ‘Weekend Creme Brulee Recipe’ post coming soon.
Dolly Parton’s New Cookbook Will Raise Your Imagination
Dolly Parton has revealed her favorite recipes in her new cookbook, Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s. The cookbook will feature recipes from her mother Avie Lee Parton, her mother-in-law “Mama” Ginny Dean, as well as recipes from her Dollywood restaurants and dishes she discovered while touring on the road for the last 40 years.
Proceeds from the sales of Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s will help fund Parton’s Imagination Library. The Library was founded by Parton in 1996 and has been established in 42 US states. The Imagination program encourages reading by distributing a free book a month to children from birth to age 5.
When you purchase Dolly’s cookbook before September 1 of this year, you enter yourself to win a personal backyard barbeque and bluegrass festival with Parton as your special guest. I promise won’t tell anyone if that’s the only reason you’re buying Dolly’s Dixie Fixin’s. The cookbook is available for purchase at Dollywood, the Dixie Stampede restaurant and the more convenient websites.
Stay tuned for ‘A Tribute to Dolly Parton Recipes’ post. You won’t want to miss this collection of Parton recipes.
An Informative History of My Friend the Martini
Just a little historical walk with my pal the Martini, why don’t you join us. The modern day true Martini consists of Gin and a varying amount of dry Vermouth and is sometimes garnished with an olive, twist or cocktail onion. But I’m no Martini purist, so if you add a little Vodka or mix in some chocolate, you have my permission to keep the name Martini.
There are differing arguments as to the origin of the Martini, but the most detailed account lies with the Martinez from 1862. This drink calls for four parts red, sweet Vermouth to one part Gin and is garnished with a cherry, sounds good to me. The first Martinez was made with aromatic bitters and Old Tom Gin, which was very sweet compared to today’s take on the drink.
The transformation from the Martinez to the Martini was a gradual one; first Old Tom Gin was replaced with London Dry, then orange bitters took over aromatic bitters’ place. Folks then began to replace the red, sweet Vermouth with a white, dry Vermouth. The proportions of the drink eventually became equal parts and soon the modern dry Martini appeared, just add olive.
If you don’t like that little historical number, try this one on for size. Someone came up with a Martini history anecdote involving the British Army. The story claims that the drink’s name came from the Martini and Henry rifle used by the army around 1871. The punch was that the rifle and the drink both shared a strong kick. Pretty cute.
Well, no matter the history or claims regarding the Martini, it is a sexy and smooth drink that just waits experimentation. Stay tuned for ‘Allison’s Top 5 Martini Recipes’ post.
The History of Panera: It’s Bread Time & Kalamata Olive Bread Recipe
I was in Panera Bread this weekend getting my favorite soup & sandwich combo, broccoli & cheese soup with their tasty turkey artichoke panini on focaccia bread. Yummm. As I was enjoying my scrumptious Easter weekend meal with some pals, I began to wonder about the history of the chain cafe. So, this Monday morning I thought we’d explore it together.
Panera Bread is a chain of bakery cafe restaurants popular across the US. Panera specializes in artisan breads, soups, sandwiches, desserts and happy taste buds. The word ‘panera’ literally translates to ‘bread time’ in Latin which makes the name quite suitable.
The legacy of Panera began in 1981 in Richmond Heights, Missouri as the Au Bon Pain Company founded by Ron Shaich & Louis Kane. The company prospered around the east coast of the US and internationally throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In 1993, Au Bon Pain Co. purchased the Saint Louis Bread Company, a chain of 20 bakery cafes in the St. Louis area which helped the then Au Bon Pain Co. to prosper and gain respect as a bakery cafe.
In 1997, Au Bon Pain Co. was renamed Panera Bread which now operates or franchises over 850 cafes in 36 states and 17 manufacturing plants to support the cafes. Panera has been recognized by Business Week as being one of their “100 Hot Growth Companies”. Panera is recognized by myself as being one of my “100 Yummy Food Places”.
And now on to the Panera Bread Kalmata Olive Bread Recipe.
Ingredients for the starter:
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons fresh yeast
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Ingredients For the Dough:
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 4 teaspoons fresh yeast
- 1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
- 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon salt
- Starter
- 1 3/4 cups kalamata olives, pitted
What’s Next:
To create the starter, combine the water and yeast in a medium mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the flour to the bowl and stir until the ingredients are fully incorporated. Cover with a cloth and ferment the starter at room temperature for 30 minutes.
For the dough, combine the water, honey and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to dissolve the yeast fully. Add the shortening, flour, salt, starter and olives. Mix on low speed until the dough is fully developed. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl. Divide the dough into 2 pieces weighing about 22 ounces each. Set aside any remaining dough and freeze for future use. Roll each piece of dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough on the counter or in a proofing basket and cover with a warm, damp cloth to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Form the dough into loaves and place them on the counter or in a proofing basket. Cover the loaves with a warm, damp cloth and proof at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Score the loaves with a sharp knife, spray with water, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the crusts are a deep golden brown and the middle of the loaves is 190-200 degrees.
Remove the bread from the oven and place it on the cooling rack for 30 minutes. If the bread was baked in loaf pans, remove the bread from the pans before cooling.
Now you’re ready to enjoy the wonderful wonders of Panera Bread at home.
It’s almost time for dessert, look out for ’The Moistest Chocolate Cake This Side of Heaven Recipe’ post.
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