What food would you say is your specialty?
I make a mean pot of steamed rice.
PROMPT: Specialty
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Tag Archives: Cooking
PROMPT: Recipe
Flour, water, salt, and yeast. The epitome of simplicity.
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PROMPT: Foods
I’ve never baked a bread. That sounds satisfying.
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BOOK: “Masala Lab” by Krish Ashok
Masala Lab : The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish AshokMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publisher Site – Penguin
Many books have come out in recent years that explore the intersection of science and cooking, but this is one of the few that I’ve seen take on the sub-theme of science’s role in a particular cuisine — in this case Indian. Indian food, while broad and diverse itself, does present a unique palette of considerations. Few cuisines can make claims to the same level of complexity as Indian with all its spices and such. Also, Indian food tends to use heat to a different extent / in different ways than other cuisines, which is partly why, while Indian food is as tasty as food gets, aesthetically it tends toward a visually unappealing gloopy-gloppyness.
Ashok examines what applied heat does to food and why, how flavors are balanced and enhanced and why, what acids do and why they are essential, what value added is gained by pressure cookers and other specialty equipment, and how an experimental approach can be taken in lieu of a recipe book? The book takes a few controversial stances, such as in favor of sodium bicarbonate and MSG, but to a large extent is a straightforward discussion of how science informs culinary technique and ingredients.
The author maintains a light and readable tone throughout the book. I’d recommend this book for readers interested in the intersect of science and food, doubly so if one has a particular interest in Indian food.
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DAILY PHOTO: Still Life with Fish; Or, Jungle Cookery
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BOOKS: “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” by Ying Chang Compestine
Buddha Jumps over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes: A Graphic Cookbook—26 Recipes & Stories by Ying Chang CompestineMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Publisher’s Site – Chronicle Books
Cookbooks don’t get more interesting than this. As the title suggests, the author selected dishes that have colorful names (and often histories or folklore to match) and presents lessons in culinary history as well as teaching the reader how to make each dish. The graphic novel format conveys these stories compactly and with a bit of added liveliness. The graphic novel approach is also used to “demonstrate” the preparation process — in lieu of photographs.
In addition to the twenty-six recipes (5 appetizers, 16 main course, and 5 desserts,) the book has five appendices and some front matter to both help readers who are entirely new to Chinese cooking as well as those who’d like a bit more depth of culinary cultural insight. (I should point out that the book looks at Chinese food broadly, including items like Chop Suey and Fortune Cookies that developed outside of China, and either don’t exist within China or have subsequently been introduced from foreign lands.)
If you are interested in learning to cook Chinese food, or are interested in Chinese culinary history and culture, I’d highly recommend this book.
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PROMPT: Hobby or Pastime
I don’t collect favorites. I like reading, hiking, writing, swimming, playing, exercise, traveling, cooking… each in its due time for its due time.
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PROMPT: Recipe
I prefer to keep my cooking in the realm in which I can wing it without great a risk of disaster. Otherwise, it becomes too much like a science lab, and that’s a lot of pressure.
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PROMPT: Dinner
If you could host a dinner and anyone you invite was sure to come, who would you invite?
It would need to be someone who wouldn’t be put off or demoralized by my primitive cooking skills. So, not anyone particularly fancy or famous.
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PROMPT: Cook
Thai curry — red, green, massaman, it makes no difference. It tastes good, smells good, and is nutritious — at least in the way that I load it with vegetables. And it requires all those satisfying cooking actions — i.e. slicing, dicing, etc. Also, it’s simple and mistake-forgiving to an extent that even someone unskilled — such as myself — has a hard time fouling it up.
Tiger Riding for Beginners 