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Monday, September 15, 2003
So much fire, not enough food
Posted
6:32 PM by Mike
The other day I faced the embarrassing Griller's Dilemma: What do you do when you've fired up this incredible bed of coals for a meal, but your food is cooked within minutes?
We had bratwurst on the menu, and there were only a few of us eating, not a big spread. Nonetheless, I wanted to prepare the brats on the grill, instead of under the broiler as is usually the case. So, I pulled out the chimney starter and got the coals going. In the meantime, I needed to defrost the brats (it was one of those big party packs; we would take the leftovers for lunch the next day or two). They were placed in a pot of warm water on the stove while the coals were igniting.
Unfortunately it took more heat than I thought to defrost the brats in time; by the time they were thawed, they were also partially cooked. When I finally got them on the grill, they cooked to proper temperature in only a couple of minutes! (Yes, I cook by thermometer, even on the grill; I know that's blasphemy to most grillers, but what can I say?)
So, with the brats done in less time than a typical commercial break, I had this wonderful fire, but no more food to cook. I hadn't thought to prepare any side veggies to roast. I thought of cooking some hamburger patties, but was afraid they'd go to waste.
It was a sad and melancholy thing, having to watch this fine and honorable fire die without giving it a chance to adequately serve its purpose. Next time I'll know better and prepare properly.
Tuesday, September 09, 2003
We want Wusthof!
Posted
9:42 PM by Rick
Yes, my wife is now a believer. She thought I was being my usual high-tech self when I started craving a Wusthof knife, and thought it silly to buy one when we already had a set of knives. I could only afford one to begin with but just the other day my wife told me it's the only knife she uses anymore, no matter the job. One day I hope to have a set. Yes, they are highly expensive, but as my friend said the other day, "Buy the best and only cry once."
From Mike: Actually, Rick, buying your knives one at a time is the way to go. I was tempted to buy one of those massive, nine-knife sets when I was shopping for my first good knife, but all the guides I read advised against it. If you buy one at a time, you purchase only what you need; in other words, you might be zooming along with your chef's knife, but then realize, "Hmm, this isn't doing the job when slicing bread is involved. I need a good, serrated bread knife." Having said all that, though, I wound up compromising: The online store from which I bought my Wusthof had a special on a starter set - an 8-inch chef's knife, a 9-inch carver and a paring knife - so I went with a mini set. Those were the only knives I needed until I did, indeed, buy a bread knife (Wusthof, of course).
Sunday, September 07, 2003
How green is my dorkiness?
Posted
11:19 PM by Mike
The watchword of the FoodDork philosophy is "no kit-cooking"; in other words, to learn to create all meals from scratch. Something I saw on the Food Network the other night, however, makes me question this ideal on at least one front.
On an episode of "Unwrapped," they were describing how the Dole folks prepare and package their salads-in-a-bag. Now, I've always pretty much made all of my salads from scratch, even in my pre-FoodDork, just getting by in the kitchen days.
But watching the preparation of the Dole bagged salads made me wonder if the salad-in-a-bag concept is not only faster, but also potentially healthier. After all, the Dole salad ingredients undergo a total of three separate washings before getting bagged. And one of these washings is with a water that's a little more chlorinated than the other rinses, to help fight bacteria. Then, the greens get tumbled in giant salad spinners to wrest the moisture from the leaves.
Now, I think I do a fine job of rinsing and spinning (with my little, $4 Wal-Mart spinner), but I can't help but think there's no way I can get my greens as clean.
On the other hand, I can't imagine that the greens that I buy are so filthy and contaminated that my usual wash in a filled sink can't clean them.
I guess, in the end, it comes down to a matter of cook's pride. When a guest compliments the salad, would you rather be able to say you prepared it yourself or admit that you just poured it from a bag?
(In other words, I guess I'm 'fessing up in advance should I break down and decide to grab a bag o'salad on the way home from work some evening.)
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