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Spice World
2019-Mar-06, Wednesday 13:03
No, not that one.
I noticed in the morning email that there was a "Lunch & Learn" about creating flavor in cooking, and on a whim I decided to attend. I'm much better about using spices than I used to be--I used to use maybe some paprika, maybe some salt, now I throw in a bunch of things--but there's always more to learn, right? I'm just throwing things together and hoping it works.
When I went in, I noticed women outnumbered men in the audience about four to one, and that each seat had these on the table:
Left to right: Unflavored tomato, salted tomato, oregano tomato.
We ended up tasting them in order, to recognize how even just a little bit of salt can make a tomato taste somehow more tomato-y, and how oregano brings out some parts while suppressing others.
The presentation suggested the following ways of adding flavor:
I now cook onions before I add everything else to bring out the sweetness, a topic the speaker explicitly mentioned, so I've advanced pretty far.
As such, I don't know that I learned a lot I didn't know, but I did learn that I'm on the right path and I should keep at it, which is valuable knowledge itself. I learned to always zest lemons before using the juice, and that olive oil isn't as good for cooking as other types. I learned that half-and-half of butter and oil has a butter flavor and an oil higher smoke point. I learned that making a greek yogurt and pistachio Ral el Hanout dip is quick and easy and can be done in front of a live audience in about five minutes. I leanred that a simple marinade can be made with 1/2 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1-3 cloves of garlic, and some spices. And I learned that just a little salt is often great for bringing out flavors and I should do more with it that making pickles and shiozake (itself a great argument for salt).
I noticed in the morning email that there was a "Lunch & Learn" about creating flavor in cooking, and on a whim I decided to attend. I'm much better about using spices than I used to be--I used to use maybe some paprika, maybe some salt, now I throw in a bunch of things--but there's always more to learn, right? I'm just throwing things together and hoping it works.
When I went in, I noticed women outnumbered men in the audience about four to one, and that each seat had these on the table:
Left to right: Unflavored tomato, salted tomato, oregano tomato.
We ended up tasting them in order, to recognize how even just a little bit of salt can make a tomato taste somehow more tomato-y, and how oregano brings out some parts while suppressing others.
The presentation suggested the following ways of adding flavor:
- Heat.
- Acid.
- Seasonings.
- Time.
- Fat.
I now cook onions before I add everything else to bring out the sweetness, a topic the speaker explicitly mentioned, so I've advanced pretty far.
As such, I don't know that I learned a lot I didn't know, but I did learn that I'm on the right path and I should keep at it, which is valuable knowledge itself. I learned to always zest lemons before using the juice, and that olive oil isn't as good for cooking as other types. I learned that half-and-half of butter and oil has a butter flavor and an oil higher smoke point. I learned that making a greek yogurt and pistachio Ral el Hanout dip is quick and easy and can be done in front of a live audience in about five minutes. I leanred that a simple marinade can be made with 1/2 cup of oil, 1/4 cup of vinegar, 1-3 cloves of garlic, and some spices. And I learned that just a little salt is often great for bringing out flavors and I should do more with it that making pickles and shiozake (itself a great argument for salt).
"You know Sara, if you don't like that brightness, if you want things a little dreary, you can add a little less [lemon]. And if you feel that, you know, call me. It'll be okay."The speaker has a website here.
