Greg Roach's Berkshires Blog
Sunday, June 17, 2007
  Simple Pleasures
Amy has tagged me for 5 things I love to cook. The verb to cook means different things to different people. To me it means to change something to make it more palatable. Usually this means applying heat in one form or another, but not always. I can denature proteins or tenderize veggies with salt or acids. Scandinavians use lye to make the strange delicacy known as lutefisk. Heck, some meats are simply air-dried to create a finished product. But my favorite things to cook, not necessarily to eat, are much simpler because they are so incredibly versatile. This might not sound like the list of a chef who has worked for three James Beard Award winning chefs, but...:

5) Dried Grains and Legumes - lentils, barley, quinoa, oats, etc... are all incredibly easy to prepare and can be prepared in dozens of different ways. Salads, soups, side dishes, .... you name it.

4) Tomatoes - I hate eating raw tomatoes but I love to cook with them. Their acidic properties and sweetness, which can only be achieved through cooking them down, can completely define a dish. Summer is here and I am in heaven now that real tomatoes are in season rather than their hothouse imitations.

3) Soups - OK, this is kinda' cheating, but nothing makes me happier in my kitchen than looking that the various byproducts and leftovers in my cooler and making soup. I am a complete sucker for a good puree or brothy soup, but if you must know my weakness, it is gumbo. And I make a damn fine one, at that.

2) Rice - See #5. And I might add, if you want to understand rice, cook it every day for a year. Try doing something a little different each time. Make your pilaf with a different stock, or a few added veggies. Add your aromatics while "toasting" your rice. Cook your risotto in a pressure cooker rather than stirring it for 1/2 an hour. Use your leftovers for fried rice or jambalaya. After a couple of years you will understand why 2/3rds of the world consider rice their main staple.

1) Eggs - There is an old legend that the 101 folds in a chef's toque (hat) represent the number ways you can cook an egg. The legend is off by at least a few thousand. Eggs are just about the most versatile food on the planet. And if you really want to get perplexed, ask a dozen cooks the best way to boil an egg. You will likely get 10 different answers. If you want the best scrambled eggs you've ever had, add a little sour cream when you beat them and then add a slice or two of American cheese as you cook them. Light... moist... and they will last for a couple hours without getting rubbery. Oh, kids really love them too.

So there you have it...... 5 things I love to cook.
 
Comments:
Great list. I would never have expected any of those items, but they all make sense now. I confess, I can't cook rice.
 
Have you read Omnivore's Dilemma? I'm not all that into cooking or food, and I simply loved that book (Michael Pollan).
 
any comments on clam chowder---milky? heavy cream? that's for the New England style--- flavorings??
Manhattan-- or Rhode Island red?? actually have had a clear broth chowder in Rhode Island--since it's that time of the year-- what's your take-- you da chef??? chbpod
 
Question...Why do I love pork fried rice but hate white rice? Why can I cook and eat brown rice but can't stand the site of "Uncle Ben's"? I have eaten many dishes of "Cow-Pot" (G.I. term and spelling) prepared in dirt floored, thatched roofed huts that were garnished with fresh picked wild veggies from the bank of the local brown colored river and mixed with a meat, that may have the day before, been the family watch dog. (don't ask-don't tell) All mixed with rice.....but it was delicious!.....Go figure?
 
Speaking of getting tagged... you're it.

WF
 
Post a Comment



<< Home
A blog of random thoughts and reactions emanating from the bank of a mountain stream in the farthest reaches of the bluest of blue states.

ARCHIVES
May 2006 / June 2006 / August 2006 / September 2006 / October 2006 / November 2006 / December 2006 / January 2007 / February 2007 / March 2007 / April 2007 / May 2007 / June 2007 / July 2007 / August 2007 / September 2007 / October 2007 / November 2007 / December 2007 / January 2008 / February 2008 / March 2008 / April 2008 / May 2008 / June 2008 / July 2008 / August 2008 / September 2008 / October 2008 / November 2008 / December 2008 / January 2009 / February 2009 / March 2009 / April 2009 / May 2009 / June 2009 / July 2009 / August 2009 / September 2009 / October 2009 / November 2009 / December 2009 / January 2010 / February 2010 / March 2010 / April 2010 / May 2010 / January 2011 / May 2011 / June 2011 / July 2011 / October 2011 /



CONTACT:
greg at gregoryroach dot com

"Livability, not just affordability." - Dick Alcombright




My ongoing campaign for North Adams City Council

iBerkshires' Online Event Calendar



Because a Chart is Worth 1000 Words


Source:
Congressional Budget Office data

Powered by Blogger