|
THE FOOD REFERENCE NEWSLETTER
November 23, 2004 Vol 5 #39 ISSN 1535-5659
from the Food Reference Website http://www.foodreference.com
You are receiving this newsletter because you are a subscriber. This newsletter is never sent to anyone who has not subscribed.
To stop receiving it just send an email to
unsubscribe@foodreference.com
Be sure to include the address it was sent to in your email.
IN THIS ISSUE
=> Website News
=> 'Food for Thought' by Mark Vogel
=> Quotes and Trivia
=> Website of the Week
=> Food Trivia Quiz
=> SPECIAL EDITION Readers question
=> Ancient & Classic Recipes
=> Did you know?
=> Who's Who in the Culinary Arts
=> Requested Recipes
=> Cooking Tips
=> Culinary Calendar - selected events
=> General information and Copyright
============================================= ===================
WEBSITE NEWS http://www.foodreference.com
============================================= ===================
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
This issue is a little longer than usual.
WEEKLY FREE COOKBOOK DRAWING
Congratulations to the winner of the latest Free Cookbook Drawing, John Strube, who has won a copy of "Steamin' Down the Tracks with Viola Hockenberry" by Janette Blackwell, 339 pp
http://www.foodreference.com/html/steamin-down-the-tracks.html
THE NEXT DRAWING will be for 'THE BOOK CLUB COOKBOOK: Recipes and Food for Thought from Your Book Club's Favorite Books and Authors' by Judy Gelman, Vicki Levy Krupp
http://www.foodreference.com/html/book-club-cb.html
CLICK THIS LINK TO ENTER THIS WEEKS DRAWING -
http://www.foodreference.com/html/feedback-page.html
============================================= ===================
'FOOD FOR THOUGHT' BY MARK VOGEL
============================================= ===================
'ON THE SIDE'
When individuals contemplate what to make for their Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, there’s usually more indecision regarding the side dishes. After all, the Thanksgiving turkey is perfunctory and Christmas will inevitably be................
http://www.foodreference.com/html/markvogelweeklycolumn.html
============================================= ===================
QUOTE
============================================= ===================
"On the Continent people have good food; in England people have good table manners."
George Mikes, British author, 'How to be an Alien' (1946)
============================================= ===================
TRIVIA
============================================= ===================
In a 14th century Italian cookbook there are as many recipes for mustard greens as those for any other vegetable, yet mustard greens are virtually unknown in Italy today.
============================================= ===================
NEW FOOD MAGAZINE SECTION - LOWEST PRICES!
============================================= ===================
PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THIS NEWSLETTER BY USING THIS RESOURCE FOR YOUR MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS - AND SAVE MONEY TOO!
Large selection and Lowest Prices on Food, Wine, Beer, Gourmet, Cooking, Recipe, Vegetarian, Health, Fitness, Home, Gardening, Fishing, Environmental, Travel, Nature, etc. Magazines.
http://www.foodreference.com/html/food-magazines.html
============================================= ===================
THIS WEEK'S WEBSITES OF THE WEEK:
============================================= ===================
Several related websites this week. For those who work in the service industry, essential information.
And for those who dine out - find out how & why waiters, waitresses and bartenders do what they do for you and to you.
WaitersWorld.com - "The mission of WaitersWorld is to elevate the status of waiters in America to a professional career level."
http://www.waitersworld.com/About.htm
GratuityIngenuity.com - "Whether you are working in an upscale restaurant, or slinging draft at a honky tonk, This information will help you MAKE MORE TIP MONEY!"
http://www.gratuityingenuity.com/
Starkey International Institute for Household Management
"The world-leader in private service training, provides education for private estate staff and the military enlisted aides who serve in the White House, Pentagon and Camp David."
http://www.starkeyintl.com/
============================================= ===================
QUOTES
============================================= ===================
"Oh, that miracle clove! Not only does garlic taste good, it cures baldness and tennis elbow, too."
Laurie Burrows Grad
============================================= ===================
FOOD TRIVIA QUIZ
============================================= ===================
The Food Trivia Quizzes are now moved to their own separate section after the newsletter is e-mailed. Check the Navigation Bar at the top of the page.
============================================= ===================
COCINA DEVEGA - RARE FOODS OF THE DESERT
============================================= ===================
Cocina Devega: What is Low Carb, Low Fat, Low Glycemic, and high in dietary fiber but Naturally Sweet? Mesquite Meal!
Click the link for more information or to buy some!
http://www.foodreference.com/html/artmesquitemeal.html
================================================================
ANOTHER FOOD REFERENCE WEBSITE
============================================= ===================
FOOD ART AND POSTERS - 1000's OF NEW POSTERS - CHECK IT OUT!
Art & Posters for your home, office, restaurant, dorm room, kitchen, etc. The best selection - including movie, music, sports, food and culinary art. Famous masters, current unknowns. All the best quality, framed or unframed, low prices.
http://www.culinaryposters.com
============================================= ===================
READERS QUESTIONS
============================================= ===================
I frequently receive questions from students, and sometimes they seem to be questions that they are supposed to be researching on their own rather than just asking someone else. I try my best not to help students take shortcuts, cheat, or avoid doing their homework and science projects. Sometimes I guess wrong. I am not sure about the following exchange. COMMENTS ARE WELCOME.
QUESTION: I really need help with a science project I have due on Dec. 3 and I would like to know what happends when cooking oil is heated. It's for my research. I really need you to answer this question for me when it's possible for you. Thank you for taking the time to read my e-mail to you. Bye.
Sincerely, Brittany Young
MY RESPONSE: Cooking oil gets hot when it is heated.
I think that the intention of a science project is for you to do the experiment and figure out the answer. This is not a difficult experiment. At the least, read some science texts about the subjects of heat, temperature and oils to find the answers. I think that asking someone else for the answer would be considered cheating. Regards, Chef James
BRITTANY'S REPLY: I'm not cheating in my project I'm doing research for part of my project. I was going to put you in my bibliography if I was going to use what you put in the e-mail. My teacher said that we could get information from people so I chose a chef! Who wouldn't choose a chef unless they were some kind of STUPID POOPHEAD. Anyway I wasn't cheating!
MY FINAL RESPONSE: Rather than not reply at all, I replied explaining why I did not answer your question.
If you had simply stated that your teacher had said it was ok to ask others as part of your research, I would have happily given you a detailed explanation of what happens both physically and chemically when cooking oil is heated.
However, since you feel I am a "stupid poophead," I have decided not to respond with that explanation.
THE ANSWER I MIGHT HAVE SENT IF I WERE NOT A STUPID POOPHEAD:
Cooking oil gets hot when heated. As the oil is heated, it begins to expand in volume (as do almost all substances except water), and decreases in viscosity (it becomes 'thinner' or less thick). When it reaches the point at which it starts to smoke, it begins to break down and emit noxious fumes of acrolein (the decomposition product of glycerol). Most cooking oils have a smoke point between 350 and 450 degrees F. As oil reaches the smoke point it also gives a burnt flavor to foods.
This chemical change is why cooking oils must be discarded after being heated and cooled from 3 to 5 times (depending on the specific oil and its smoke point).
============================================= ===================
TRIVIA
============================================= ===================
Myrtle is a Mediterranean evergreen shrub whose leaves and blue berries have a flavor similar to juniper and rosemary. Myrtle was one of the flavoring ingredients in the original recipe for Mortadella, a smoked sausage from Bologna, Italy. (Juniper is now mostly used).
============================================= ===================
CULINARY SCHOOLS, TOURS AND CRUISES
============================================= ===================
Culinary Schools & Cooking Classes - Food and Wine Tours for the amateur & the professional. U.S. and abroad.
The best of the best.
http://www.foodreference.com/html/Cooking-Schools.html
============================================= ===================
ANCIENT & CLASSIC RECIPES
============================================= ===================
From Larousse Gastronomique
http://www.foodreference.com/html/laroussegastro.html
TRUFFLED TURKEY
Draw the turkey, leaving the skin of the neck very long so that the opening in the bird can be secured firmly when trussing. Insert beneath the skin some large slices of truffle that have been seasoned and soaked in brandy.
Prepare the stuffing as follows: dice 500 g (18 oz) fresh pork fat and mix with 250 g (9 oz) uncooked foie gras. Reduce to a purée in a mortar or a blender, and add any parings from the truffles. Season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of dried fennel. Press the stuffing through a sieve, add a little crushed thyme and bayleaf, and cook very gently in a heavy saucepan, stirring, for about 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons
(3 tablespoons) brandy and allow to cool completely.
Stuff and truss the turkey and wrap it in a sheet of buttered greaseproof (waxed) paper. Leave it in a cool place for at least 24 hours. Bard the truffled turkey, wrap it again in the buttered paper, and roast, uncovered, at 160 C (325 F, gas 3), allowing 20-25 minutes per 500 g (lb). Unwrap the turkey, remove the barding, and replace in the oven to brown. Place on the serving dish and keep hot. Deglaze the pan, reduce the gravy, and serve separately. Alternatively, serve with a Périgueux sauce to which the cooking juices have been added.
PÉRIGUEUX SAUCE Clean, peel, and dice some truffles and gently braise them in butter for 10 minutes. Then add them to some Madeira sauce just before mixing in the cornflour (cornstarch) and Madeira.
============================================= ===================
QUOTE
============================================= ===================
"High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?"
Annita Manning
============================================= ===================
FLOWERS
============================================= ===================
Fresh Flowers Directly from the Growers
BE TRULY ROMANTIC - GIVE FLOWERS FOR NO REASON AT ALL!
http://www.foodreference.com/html/freshflowers.html
============================================= ===================
DID YOU KNOW?
============================================= ===================
Potatoes exposed to bright light develop green patches. This green skin contains the toxin 'solanine' which can cause cramps, headache, diarrhea, and fever. The solution is simple. Don't eat the green skin - simply remove it - the solanine is only present in the green skin and any discoloration underneath it - the rest of the potato is completely safe to eat.
============================================= ===================
WHO'S WHO IN THE CULINARY ARTS
============================================= ===================
Honore de Balzac (May 20, 1799 - Aug 18, 1850) French author.
Balzac would lock himself away during creative bursts, drinking coffee and eating only fruit and eggs. When he finally took a break, he was known to consume huge quantities of food. One report recalls that at the Véry restaurant he consumed at one sitting "a hundred Ostend oysters, twelve cutlets of salt-meadow mutton, a duck with turnips, two partridges and a Normandy sole," not to mention the desserts, fruit and liqueurs he finished up with.
============================================= ===================
RECIPE REQUESTS FROM READERS
============================================= ===================
REQUEST
I have heard of a method of coating the rim of a Cognac glass with sugar, then heating the Cognac sufficiently to cause the sugar to caramelize on the rim and slowly run down into the Cognac. Can you furnish a recipe how to prepare ?
Thanks, L E P
REPLY
Here is a recipe that utilizes the method you mention -
FLAMING COFFEE WITH TIA MARIA
Yield: 2 servings
1/4 medium lemon
1 cup granulated sugar in bowl
1 1/2 to 2 ounces cognac
1 1/2 ounces Tia Maria
3 cups of hot coffee
1 cup Whipped Cream (1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 Tb powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract)
Equipment Needed
1 small fire extinguisher
1 portable gourmet stove and fuel
3 long handled matches
2 HEAT RESISTANT glasses with stem
1 serving spoon
1 jigger
2 napkins
2 dessert plates with underliner
Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Light the burner and adjust the control to moderate heat. Rub the rim of a glass with lemon. Dip the rim in the bowl of granulated sugar to coat. Pour 3/4 to 1 ounce cognac from a jigger into the glass and hold the glass by the stem over the burner. Turning continuously to prevent breaking, until the cognac ignites. Remove the glass from the burner and swirl until the sugar on the rim caramelizes. Pour in 3/4 ounce of Tia Maria. Add hot coffee to within inch of the top of glass. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to coffee. Next, spoon whipped cream over top of coffee. For presenting, wrap the glass in a clean white napkin, place on a dessert plate with underliner and serve.
Email your recipe requests, food info or history
questions to me at james@foodreference.com
============================================= ===================
SPONSOR
============================================= ===================
POSTERS - Culinary posters, movie, music, sports and fine arts posters and prints. Framed and unframed. Largest selection available anywhere, at the lowest prices.
http://www.culinaryposters.com/
============================================= ===================
QUOTE
============================================= ===================
"Home grown tomatoes, home grown tomatoes
What would life be like without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and home grown tomatoes."
John Denver, 'Home Grown Tomatoes'
============================================= ===================
COOKING TIPS
============================================= ===================
WINE IN COOKING - SOME SUBSTITUTES FOR WINE IN RECIPES:
Non-alcoholic wine or beer.
Chicken, fish or beef stock.
Vegetable stock.
Water and a little Balsamic Vinegar.
Pomegranate juice.
Grape juice, apple juice, orange juice, etc.
Carrot juice.
Syrup from canned fruit.
Cranberry juice.
White grape juice and a few drops of lemon juice or sugar, depending on whether a dry wine or a sweet wine is called for.
Orange juice or orange juice concentrate.
Coffee, espresso, etc.
Green tea.
For information on how much alcohol remains in food that you cook with wine or spirits:
http://www.foodreference.com/html/falcoholincooking.html
============================================= ===================
CULINARY CALENDAR - A Few Selected Events
============================================= ===================
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24
1864 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was born. French artist who documented Parisian night life in the 1890s with his insightful posters.
http://www.culinaryposters.com/html/henridetoulouse-lautrec.html
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25
1715 American Sybilla Masters was the first American granted an English patent. It was for a method of processing corn.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26
1942 ‘Casablanca’, the movie, premiered in New York City on Thanksgiving Day.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27
1826 John Walker invented the friction match (strike anywhere).
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28
1930 After a sandstorm in Morocco, there was a rain of mud in Paris and yellow sand fell in Spain.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29
1997 Reports from Chile about giant rats, that had been feeding on the droppings of hormone fattened poultry, were attacking farm animals near Santiago.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30
1838 The Great Pastry War. A brief conflict began between Mexico and France caused by a French pastry cook.
The complete story is here:
http://www.foodreference.com/html/html/november30.html
For a complete listing of each day's events, go here:
http://www.foodreference.com/html/HistoricEvents.html
============================================= ===================
TRIVIA
============================================= ===================
President Grover Cleveland once noticed the smell of corned beef and cabbage coming from the servants quarters at the White House. He asked to trade his dinner for that of the servants. He commented that this New England Boiled dinner was "the best dinner I had had for months.....this Boeuf corne ay cabeau!"
============================================= ===================
QUOTE
============================================= ===================
"How can people say they don't eat eggplant when God loves the color and the French love the name? I don't understand."
Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet)
============================================= ===================
PLEASE RATE THIS EZINE AT THE CUMULI EZINE FINDER.
----------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.cumuli.com/ezines/vte.html?ez=foodre
You can vote once each day. Your votes are appreciated.
============================================= ===================
MORE GREAT E-MAIL NEWSLETTERS
----------------------------------------------------------------
Beer Basics - http://www.beerbasics.com
Ardent Spirits - http://www.ardentspirits.com
============================================= ===================
LIST MAINTENANCE
----------------------------------------------------------------
To SUBSCRIBE send a blank email to
subscribe@foodreference.com
To UNSUBSCRIBE send a blank email to
unsubscribe@foodreference.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
Food Reference Newsletter ISSN 1535-5659
James T. Ehler (Publisher & Editor)
3920 S. Roosevelt Blvd
Suite 209 South
Key West, Florida 33040
E-mail: james@foodreference.com Phone: (305) 296-2614
Food Reference WebSite: http://www.foodreference.com
----------------------------------------------------------------
© Copyright 1990-2004 James T. Ehler. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this newsletter for noncommercial, personal use only. You may forward a copy to someone else as long as the Copyright notice is included. Any other use of the materials in this newsletter without prior written permission is prohibited.
|
