Over the course of two days I have heard mentioned and have read about the use of 00 flour in pizza and pasta making. I had never heard of it before so I went to web and found a number of sites that not only gave a nice bit of information about it, but also promoted lengthy discussions on the matter.
I suppose the only reason outside of wanting to share a bit of this information with you is that our forum here is called Cooks Talk. The internet, in all it's glory, allows for that in a very big way. It's like having a kitchen party in your computer! Isn't that grand?
Now, go make some pizza!
Cooks Talk!
00 flour forum!
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=103372
More 00 information:
http://www.fornobravo.com/brick_oven_cooking/pizza_ingredients/flour.html
00 pizza dough!
http://www.fornobravo.com/pizza/pizza_dough.html
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
You call it Rib-Eye, I'll call it Delmonico!
The American Beef Institute is looking to rename your favorite cuts of beef, or at the very least, mine those diamonds out the rough cuts of beef that most folks scratch their heads in wonderment about. Seems that we, as a major meat eating nation, can fire up a grill or plug in a crockpot, can cook up loads of burgers, steaks and roasts, but flounder when it comes to figuring out what to do with the rest of the beast.So leave it up to science and a million dollar study to find out what the rest of the cooking world knew about years ago: there's more than one way to slice a cow.
Your average American has a lot to learn about variety meats, about braising and stewing and such. We tend to go for marquee cuts, not only because of their tenderness but for their ease of use. If it can't be pan fried, barbequed or crockpotted, well, we just can't have anything to do with it. In order for us to get the biggest bang for our buck we need to take a different approach. Learn to slow cook, turn those less than stellar pieces of steer into tasty treats. I think of Beef Bourgenon and know that once I put that first tender slice of beef into my mouth I tend to forget that it wasn't the priciest cut in the supermarket cold case.
The more that we study, learn and appreciate third world cooks the more we find that the large, expensive cuts of meat are not the stars of the show. Meat is generally a secondary player in most of those vegetable and grain based dishes. The more we learn to love those kinds of dishes the more we can feel proud about finding out new ways of slow cooking tough cuts for hours on end. Those raggedy muscle bound steer shoulders or fatty close to the rib cuts that we've turned our noses up for so long are now becoming the carne stars of the show. And so long as they remain the preferred cuts of those who haunt the ethnic neighborhoods that most folks from the suburbs generally bypass we'll be in good shape. Once they hit the Safeway meat counters with darling new names attached to them we'll have to find something new to cook.
But for now, let's enlighten the world, why don't we!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/dining/29beef.html?hpw
Your average American has a lot to learn about variety meats, about braising and stewing and such. We tend to go for marquee cuts, not only because of their tenderness but for their ease of use. If it can't be pan fried, barbequed or crockpotted, well, we just can't have anything to do with it. In order for us to get the biggest bang for our buck we need to take a different approach. Learn to slow cook, turn those less than stellar pieces of steer into tasty treats. I think of Beef Bourgenon and know that once I put that first tender slice of beef into my mouth I tend to forget that it wasn't the priciest cut in the supermarket cold case.
The more that we study, learn and appreciate third world cooks the more we find that the large, expensive cuts of meat are not the stars of the show. Meat is generally a secondary player in most of those vegetable and grain based dishes. The more we learn to love those kinds of dishes the more we can feel proud about finding out new ways of slow cooking tough cuts for hours on end. Those raggedy muscle bound steer shoulders or fatty close to the rib cuts that we've turned our noses up for so long are now becoming the carne stars of the show. And so long as they remain the preferred cuts of those who haunt the ethnic neighborhoods that most folks from the suburbs generally bypass we'll be in good shape. Once they hit the Safeway meat counters with darling new names attached to them we'll have to find something new to cook.
But for now, let's enlighten the world, why don't we!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/dining/29beef.html?hpw
Variety meats!
Growing up in a Mexican American household I learned to value and love cheaper supermarket cuts. Pot roasts, hamburger and beef ribs may have been fairly low end choices for some families, but oxtail, stomach, pork bones, tripe and tougher cuts of lamb and pork were staples in my home.
What's funny now, or maybe more a sign of the times, is that those variety meats are now the darlings of esteemed chefs and household cooks, and those lesser cuts, dolled up and served pretty, now make the grade and the menus in many fine restarants. The only side effect of all that recognition is that the cost of those less than cool cuts are now skyrocketing. Have you priced oxtails, lately? Pricier than most cuts of beef, even if they are, when prepared properly, slowly and with care, worth every penny you pay for them.
The article posted below is sample of what's happening on the other side of the coast with supermarket and butcher shop specials. I hope that it is enlightening for you and that you can see your way to trying out one or more of the cuts mentioned. For those of us who had just a little less money in our pockets growing that article brought back fond memories of those tasty meats. Take on that brave new world of variety meat, cook up slow and enjoy!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/dining/29super.html?_r=1&8dpc
What's funny now, or maybe more a sign of the times, is that those variety meats are now the darlings of esteemed chefs and household cooks, and those lesser cuts, dolled up and served pretty, now make the grade and the menus in many fine restarants. The only side effect of all that recognition is that the cost of those less than cool cuts are now skyrocketing. Have you priced oxtails, lately? Pricier than most cuts of beef, even if they are, when prepared properly, slowly and with care, worth every penny you pay for them.
The article posted below is sample of what's happening on the other side of the coast with supermarket and butcher shop specials. I hope that it is enlightening for you and that you can see your way to trying out one or more of the cuts mentioned. For those of us who had just a little less money in our pockets growing that article brought back fond memories of those tasty meats. Take on that brave new world of variety meat, cook up slow and enjoy!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/dining/29super.html?_r=1&8dpc
Monday, April 27, 2009
Onion goggles!
We haven't posted a gadget piece for awhile, but this one was too good to pass up. How often have you walked away from a bit of kitchen prep with your eyes streaming from noxious onion fumes? Well, cry no more! Now there's a pretty good looking set of goggles out there that are ready for you to buy and take home! Chop away and be merry!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.wishingfish.com/210609.html
Cooks Talk!
http://www.wishingfish.com/210609.html
When times get tough, make soup!
Heartening story, well written, well told. It's not everyday that one person makes a difference, even if that difference is a small one, in this case, perparing a welcoming pot of soup! Read and rejoice in the simplicity of the gesture, and then go round up some ingredients to make a pot of Portugese soup!
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/us/27land.html?_r=1
Cooks Talk!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/us/27land.html?_r=1
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