Thought for the Day...

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Cooking with Hollywood: Ratatouille 6

Another point the movie Ratatouille brings up is about presentation. Remember when the ratatouille was placed before the critic? He had ordered the dish and and obviously had an idea in his mind about what it should look like, but something distinctly different showed up. His reaction was surprise that bordered on displeasure. He did not expect to like it. When he tasted it, however, he loved it and it evoked all of the memories he had of the wonderful taste of the ratatouille he had experienced while growing up.

This is the interesting thing about presentation. Particularly with traditional dishes, it's important not to go too far when changing a presentation. It must still be appealing in a way that people will try it. What ultimately matters is how it tastes, but you have to be sure your guest will at least try it in order for the taste to come through. Make your dish beautiful and even different, but not too bizarre.

Cooking with Hollywood: Ratatouille 4

Remy, the rat, said, "If you’re going to name a dish, you should name it something that sounds delicious – not RAT-atouille...Patuie!" How true is that! This even applies at home. "They" say we eat with our eyes - but we also eat with our ears! This reminds me of a German dish called "Rote Grueze". It's several different kinds of bright, red berries, cooked into a delicious, warm sauce, often served over ice cream. We saw this translated as "Red Grits". Without understanding what it really was, who would order red grits for dessert?

Cooking with Hollywood: Ratatouille 3

Another favorite quote from Ratatouille: Remy, the little chef rat is explaining to his father why he loves to cook and he says, "It's because of the infinite combinations". This is contrary to what the French lady chef (can't remember her name) says, when she scolds Remy and says, "We have to follow the recipe!" Actually, making up our own combinations is a luxury we have more often at home than a restaurant chef has. Once he/she has the fun of creating a recipe, it does have to be followed exactly because clients expect to be able to order a dish and have it show up the same each time. A chef has to keep to a standard to meet expectations. It's the same when you write a cookbook. The recipe has to be exact enough so that it works for everybody. At home, however, we can create a new dish every day!

Daikon Radish Soup

I hardly ever throw anything away. So since I bought these Daikon radishes and have been munching them for diet food, I had to figure out something to do with the beautiful greens. Soup is always great when you're on a diet because it's so filling! It really sticks to your ribs. Here's what I came up with. Give it a try!

Daikon Radish Soup:
¼ cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped large
3 Daikon radishes, trimmed and peeled
1 red bell pepper, chopped large
5 large, Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped large
Approximately 32 ounces chicken broth
Greens from one bunch of radishes, washed and chopped
Optional: 1 to 2 cups heavy cream
Salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste

Method:
1. Over medium-high heat and in a 4 quart sauce pan, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, radish and pepper and cook until lightly browned.
2. Add the potatoes and continue cooking until the potatoes are golden, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
3. Add just enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables and continue to cook until the potatoes are well done, about 30 minutes.
4. Stir in the greens and cook for another five minutes.
5. Purée the soup.
6. If desired, add the cream.
7. Taste and season with salt, pepper and a few shots of Tabasco sauce.

Diet foods

Like many of my friends, I packed on a few pounds over the holidays. As I try to get my head around consuming less calories, I've been thinking about how to get some variety into our meals while at the same time limiting them. Last night, up popped the Daikon radish. We had purchased some fresh ones to make a stir fry and of course, as I was chopping I started munching. Daikon is Japanese for big root and as I researched it, I learned that it is not only just 65 calories for a whole cup, it's full of fiber and packs a lot of Vitamin C! The taste is milder than the red radishes we are used to, but still spicy and interesting. I'm going to get some more and keep them sliced and wrapped in the frig. Along with the standard carrots and celery, I can grab radish sticks when the snack monster overtakes me!

Spicing Foods 5

People often ask me about using wine as the acid component of different dishes. They wonder whether it's OK to use cheap wine and if the type really matters. The answer is yes to all of that. Price is not an issue when it comes to cooking with wine. In fact, you probably wouldn't want to use your really expensive wines when you can accomplish the same thing with inexpensive ones. What matters is the taste. It shouldn't be "sour" tasting or something you dislike because that taste will definitely flavor your dish. I find that fruity wines are the best because they round out other tastes and blend well. Chardonnay in particular doesn't work well because when it reduces it becomes too strong. Choose something that is light to medium weight and fruity like a Riesling (white) or a Pinot Noir (red). Use a white for light colored dishes and a red for dark colored dishes. You would use, for example, a white for a fish sauce and a red for a meat sauce.

Spicing Foods 3

Another product that is a staple in my kitchen is hot sauce. Yes, Tabasco or any other hot sauce that you really like. I even have one that my kids brought from Taco Bell that I really like! Adding a dash or two of hot sauce does not make your dish unbearable hot. It creates a little sensation on the back of your tongue, not even identifiable as "hot". In most instances, people will not even be able to recognize it as a taste. That extra little kick is pleasing and gives the over-all taste more interest.

Spicing Foods 2

The two major things that kick up flavor are salt and acid. By acid, I mean vinegar, wine, fresh lemon juice, etc. Adding a little of each can take your dish from every day to gourmet in an instant. Add these ingredients until you can just taste the difference.

Spicing Foods 1

Learning to cook has a lot to do with learning to spice. Anyone can follow directions and come up with an edible product, but to turn something out that tastes good, you have to check it before you serve it. To me, this is the first commandment of cooking. Taste everything before you serve it.

Cooking is easy

Just saw the movie, Ratatouille. I guess I was resisting because it's basically a cartoon, but it was great! The whole premise of the movie is that anyone can cook but I'm wondering how many people really believe that. I have, however, been surprised at the number of people who have looked at Flavor Secrets and said, "WOW. These look so easy. I think even I can try them!"

Recipe Success

It makes me really happy when people tell me things they like about the cookbook and the recipes within it. I worked hard to make sure the recipes were easy and contained ingredients that are easy to find. I felt I had accomplished that, but then actually publishing it was like gulping and putting my heart and soul on the line. It is so gratifying to know that you are having success with the recipes and that you like them. When you tell me, it's like a gift. Thank you!