December 6th, 2007 — article, spirits
Alameda distiller helps make absinthe legitimate again
Absinthe. “It leads straight to the madhouse or the courthouse,” declared Henri Schmidt, a French druggist urging his own countrymen to outlaw the green liquid in the early 1900s, which they did.Now it seems that no one can remember exactly why it was prohibited. Some say it was the chemical thujone found in the herb wormwood, used to make absinthe, that affects the brain. Others say it was a plot by the wine industry to put the popular spirit out of business. And there are those who believe it was a case of baseless hysteria, not unlike “Reefer Madness,” the 1936 propaganda film about marijuana.
December 6th, 2007 — article, chefs, food porn
BAY AREA FLAVORS FOOD TALE
“The central challenge was making food look appetizing in animation,” said Lewis, adding that when it came to the actual ratatouille, it really had to be spectacular.For inspiration and authenticity, they went to Keller. The Yountville chef tutored the film’s creators on the inner workings of a French kitchen and acted as the key consultant for the cooking. Producer Lewis, who interned in the French Laundry kitchen as part of his research for the film, gave the chef an extra challenge.
“I asked him how he would prepare the ratatouille if he knew the most famous critic in the world was coming in to the restaurant,” he said.
December 5th, 2007 — article, recipe
via New York Times
Recipe for ratatouille’s ratatouille
December 5th, 2007 — article, recipe
Movie Recipe for Ratatouille
Here is Remy’s ratatouille recipe, from the movie with the same name as the dish, courtesy of Thomas Keller.
December 2nd, 2007 — article, recipe
via Science of Candy
The caramel color of caramels comes from a reaction between the sugar and the protein in cream. Called the Maillard reaction, it’s the same chemical process that happens when you toast nuts, barbecue meats, or put on self-tanning lotion.
November 30th, 2007 — food - misc
The extraordinary article on Ketchup finally up on gladwell dot com
After breaking the ketchup down into its component parts, the testers assessed the critical dimension of “amplitude,” the word sensory experts use to describe flavors that are well blended and balanced, that “bloom” in the mouth. “The difference between high and low amplitude is the difference between my son and a great pianist playing ‘Ode to Joy’ on the piano,” Chambers says. “They are playing the same notes, but they blend better with the great pianist.” Pepperidge Farm shortbread cookies are considered to have high amplitude. So are Hellman’s mayonnaise and Sara Lee poundcake. When something is high in amplitude, all its constituent elements converge into a single gestalt.
November 29th, 2007 — la technique, video
on the Skinny Chef
Knives, the cornerstone of cooking, are the most important and versatile kitchen tool that we have! Using sharp knives makes cooking fun, because you can work with ease, chop faster, and prepare meals that taste fresher.
November 29th, 2007 — article, food crimes
By Steven A. Shaw in Slate Magazine
Copyright protection is weak when it comes to recipes. The U.S. Copyright Office states, “Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds or prescriptions, are not subject to copyright protection.” Explanatory notes—like the paragraph before the recipe where the author reminisces about dinners on the family farm—are protected, but the recipe itself is not. That’s why Colonel Sanders has had to work so hard to keep his recipes a secret.
November 29th, 2007 — article, food tv
Cat Cora on a hot ‘Iron Chef’
Iron Chef America’s” Cat Cora has outflambéed some of the best in the business, but the only female chef on the popular Food Network show has set her sights on one competitor in particular.”I really want to challenge Gordon Ramsay,” Cora told the Daily News. “I think that would be a good battle. He’s one of the chefs that really stands out for me. He needs to get in there and get knocked up a little bit.”
November 22nd, 2007 — article, food holidays
By Jill Hunter Pellettieri in Slate Magazine
Turkey fried rice. Turkey-mushroom casserole. Turkey dinner muffins. Turkey samosas. Turkey hash. Strawberry-turkey spinach salad. Turkey and veggie lasagna. Turkey chowder with wild rice, crimini, and pancetta. Turkey quesadilla suiza.
Turkey and veggie lasagna. Turkey and veggie lasagnaReading this list of recipes—and trust me, there are plenty more—is enough to make you want to go cold turkey on turkey.
Happy Thanksgiving, all!
