Tasty Tangents

Food, life and other morsels

March 29, 2009
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Iron Chef

I was watching Iron Chef America: Battle Melon, with the added twist that there must be a frozen component served with every dish. If you’re not familiar with the new, or the original Iron Chef series, two chefs have an hour to make at least five dishes using the “secret ingredient.” The ingredient is revealed just 15 minutes before they begin to cook, so the chefs must think on their feet. Now granted they have the resources of the best kitchen and the best possible ingredients, but as someone who gets stumped trying to plan dinner with hours of time to prepare, I have to admit I’m always impressed with what the chefs are able to come up with in such a short time. I’m also inspired to use the ingredients, which are often a simple grocery store item, in different ways. Things like incorporating fruit into a main course as a salsa or using something I would normally serve raw in a cooked preparation. Anyway, I guess the bottom line is that I like the show, and I find it inspiring. Where do you find your food inspiration?

March 28, 2009
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Ice cream season

I’m so happy that summer is almost here. It’s not that I stop eating ice cream during colder months, okay maybe December, but that’s because there’s so much other good sweet stuff out there. But there’s something so satisfying about cooling off on a hot day with an ice cream on the beach or a milkshake on the patio or a popsicle in the backyard. Hubby and I have been so enjoying this new gum flavour ‘Trident Splash Orange Swirl’ that tastes exactly like an orange creamsicle that we finally gave in and picked up a couple of the real thing this afternoon. I don’t think I’ve had one since I was a kid, and it was exactly how I remember it, with the requisite orange lips and tongue after you’ve eaten it as well. There are a lot of foods that hold memories for me, and make me quite nostalgic. From traditional desserts like biscotti, to a homemade tomato sauce, to the ‘Rocket’ candy given out at Halloween. Do any foods induce nostalgia for you?

March 26, 2009
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Not ready for clams

The innocent looking clams.

The innocent looking clams.

I decided to get brave tonight and attempt a “Clam Stew with Potatoes and Parsley Puree” in Mark Bittman’s “Quick and Easy Recipes from The New York Times.” (A Christmas present.) I had been eyeing a bag of frozen clams in my folks’ freezer for awhile, and since I was cooking with my mom tonight I figured she could fix any disaster. Let me start by saying I’m not all that comfortable with shellfish. I kind of understand how to prepare mussels with white wine, but beyond that I’m pretty hopeless. At any rate, I’m not going to be attempting anything clam-related anytime soon.

While the recipe did turn out in the end as described in the book, it wasn’t withough significant additional flavours including sage, chili pepper, chicken broth, cream and extra olive oil and garlic. It’s still amazing to me how an experienced cook knows exactly what flavours work with which main ingredient.

I think I went wrong off the top when trying to figure out how much of the clams to use. The recipe calls for 4 pounds of clams, but in retrospect I think this means including the shells, not the already cleaned ones I was using that come out of the freezer or a can.

I think this is a shortfall of many cookbooks. They’re not detailed enough when it comes to ingredients, or using substitutions if the fresh product isn’t available. It’s not a criticism of this book in particular, (I’ll have to try a few more recipes before I draw any conclusions) but an observation from someone who owns far too many cookbooks.

So, long story short, I’m going to lay off the ingredients that are a little out of my league, unless I’m working with someone with far more experience than I.

March 24, 2009
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Instant Polenta

There are some wonderful innovations that have come about in recent years, not the least of which is instant polenta. Similar to Grits, the boiled cornmeal dish is reminiscent of oatmeal or cream of wheat in terms of texture, but with a very different flavour. Suffice it to say it’s delicious, and the instant variety is ready in minutes. Leftovers harden to a bread-like consistency and are also fabulous sliced and either grilled or fast fried in a little olive oil. If you’ve never tried this delicious grain, pick up a pack of the instant stuff and follow the directions, then just top it with a basic tomato sauce and some sausages and you have a killer meal.

March 22, 2009
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Milk vs. 7Up

On left, traditional milk pancakes vs. 7Up pancakes on the right.

On left, traditional milk pancakes vs. 7Up pancakes on the right.

Hubby heard through the grapevine that using 7Up instead of milk when making pancakes made them much fluffier, so we decided to do a little experiment. Using the Bisquick mix, we followed the package directions (the only other thing you add is eggs) and did one batch with milk and the other with 7Up. A panel of six testers then rendered their decisions.

The verdict: There was no real noticeable difference in fluffiness, but the 7Up pancakes were definitely sweeter. They also seemed to be a bit more rubbery and most taste testers felt there was a bit of a “pop can” aftertaste to them. Only one six preferred the 7Up pancakes to the traditional milk pancakes. All in all, it would be really hard to tell the difference between the two if no one told you there was one. So I would say this is a nice alternative for anyone with a lactose intolerance, or if you just happen to run out of milk and have some pop on hand. We are determined to try the recipe with Bisquick’s biscuit recipe and see if they come out any flakier, so stay tuned!