sizzleteeth
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the way i can buy agar it's in these kind of cloudy-coloured batons. how do you soften it in the water, at what temperature, and how do you blend it with the other ingredients? how much agar sets how much liquid?
I've never seen the batons - but imagine you want to grind them into powder not put them in any liquid and I have heard of it coming in sheets like some gelatin and even in flakes.
It depends on the acidity of the liquid, the form of the agar and your desired consistency - for a set gelatin using powder - about 1 teaspoon per cup of liquid adjusting 1/4 teaspoon up for more acidic liquid like some fruit juices.
If you simply just wish to "add a little body" to something use it like you would use arrow root powder or some other starch in a gravy - that would vary greatly - I'd say start with 1/8 teaspoon per cup and adjust up as needed.
There is really no blanket policy - it'll take some experimentation.
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The package had some warnings on failure to set with acidic fruits (this is true of agar-agar too) and occasional clotting with milk jellies - need to warm the milk properly first??
Yes, Agar won't set things with a very high PH like citrus fruits or (apparently) fruits with certain enzymes like Pineapple and it's gel is stable to about 136 degrees - so it will set around 75-88 and won't melt until 136 +. This is sort of well known in a way that some chefs produce "hot gelatin".
Konnyaku contains calcium carbonate (basically the same thing in egg shells) which in combination with the Konnyaku starch produces a much more stable gel - basically you can broil it and it won't melt. Funny that it's been around since like the 6th century.
The first time I ever cooked with it I used it in a hot broth and was amazed - it looks and feels like Jello - but it's very sturdy. (added): I mean I have cooked with prepared, gelled Konnyaku - I've never made a gel with Konnyaku starch.
I've always found heating dairy just below the boiling point produces a much creamier consistency when chilled and I imagine this is true even when using Agar - it's a common trick also to add gelatin to ice cream for texture.
{another edit}: BTW an old science class experiment is to put an egg in a glass of vinegar - after several days it will eat away most of the shell and gelatinize some of the carbonate and the egg will almost be transparent - but still will not break easily. It's really cool - did this in like 5th grade.
{yet another edit} It seems my stated temperatures were off from the "official" 136 degrees - not 138 and 88 degrees - not 78 as well as enzymes are the reason for Pineapple while Acidity is the reason for some citrus fruits - so I updated those things.
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アンニンドウフ, with an ウ (u)
Annindofu is usually written as 杏仁豆腐, as you say.
杏 means apricot, and 杏仁 means dry apricot seed. 豆腐 means tofu (soy bean curd).
Making annindofu is easy if you use almond extract.
http://kurashi.hi-ho.ne.jp/diet/cooking/re.../recipe289.html
(Japanese only)
And, there are largely two types of annindofu, hard type and creamy type. Which one would you prefer?
Hmm probably in between but leaning toward creamy - sounds a bit like Flan.
Some parts of this recipe I can't translate but I get the point - it's basically milk, sugar and some type of gelling agent and a little almond extract. I found a few others in Japanese as well.
I'm glad my Mac supports English and Japanese Characters at the same time else figuring some of this stuff out would be near impossible.
I am sooooo making Annindofu this weekend!!!
Since the first character is "Apricot" - I'll make it with an "Apricot Sauce" - maybe some sliced almonds, a bit of golden raisin paste - possibly some lavender. We'll see how it goes.
I'll probably use Agar instead of gelatin since it sets up so fast at basically room temperature - no chilling necessary - I bet if I heated the milk to around 180 degrees like I would for ice cream - it would turn out much creamier.
I'll experiment. Like you did with cornbread.
Thanks as always Hiroyuki!!
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And, ahem...can anyone say $1,000 frittata.
$1,000 frittata.
Sorry.... I couldn't resist.
It's like that "shave and a haircut" knock from Roger Rabbit.
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Trotter's seems to have recently expanded their wine list to include wines from several
wine producing states in America - and not just the ones you might be familiar with.
Arizona, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Etc.
Glad to see someone do this, I've had great wine from Illinois (an especially good port) and Tennessee, but they are all largely over-looked.
http://www.charlietrotters.com/restaurant/...ne.asp?typeID=3
{edit}: Restaurants like this with ever changing menus and wine lists should add RSS and the meta tag that supports Firefox live bookmarks to these areas so people can see when changes are made without having to visit the site. (Also the port was from Illinois - not Wisconsin).
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Awesome andiesenji - I didn't see this thread until just now.
Great pics and clear info.
You are definitely a cornbread master!!!!
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It is based on people listing their 5 favorite restaurants.
Now that is a rating quantifiable in numbers.
The main problem with most types of “star” reviews is that there is no point of reference.
At least when Ebert reviews a movie and someone has paid attention to his reviews over the years, you can get a feel for what he likes and dislikes and his progression or digression – so you know if he says X is good or bad you have more of an idea of whether or not you will like it.
I have a good friend who’s tastes are near a diametrical opposition to mine, she drinks tons of soda and many other things loaded with High Fructose Corn Syrup and eats tons of processed food filled with concentrated flavorings and MSG in all it’s forms and as a result suffers from what I refer to as “Strip Club Palate” – meaning her food literally has to “shake it in her face” for her to be interested.
She would refer to my taste in an equally derogatory manner.
She also has a general aversion to more authentic ethnic cuisines – particularly Indian – but tends to like them when they are more geared toward the American palate.
So when she says something is good or bad, knowing her taste I have a point of reference.
If something is “just sweet enough” for her it is most likely too sweet for me – if she doesn’t care for a certain Indian restaurant, chances are I might like the food there.
So her “negative” and “positive” reviews have become reverse indicators for me, not to say we never agree on anything or that my taste is “better” or “worse” than hers – it simply means we eat different things and have different taste.
That is the way of the entire world and as a result it makes any “rating” of a restaurant
based on the taste of the food almost worthless.
All you can really “rate” is its mechanical operation and compare it’s mechanical operation to similar models.
The rest is just your singular opinion.
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These are different examples of the way people can perceive someone/thing as over-rated. I believe both are valid. And I'm sure there are others.
The main argument I would have with that is you are talking about something that is quantifiable in numbers.
If a player is expected to hit certain figures and then does not it is possible to say that he was over-rated.
If something is expected to equal 10 but only equals 5 – then it can be said that it was over-rated.
If you pay $800,000 for a house and expect it to increase to $1,000,000 in ten years and it only reaches $900,000 – then you can say it’s value was over-rated.
These are not subjective elements but are measurable in numbers – return on investment, statistical expectations.
With something that is subjective, like whether or not a restaurant is over-rated, numbers do not apply – not even prices – because those are relative to the amount of money you can afford to spend.
Is a Rolls Royce over-rated?
You must look at the source of what causes you to perceive the “value” of a dining establishment before you have ever visited and
what contributes to your disassociation of it being at it’s previous level.
Was it ever really at that level to begin with – or was it just the first time you ever ate Beluga Caviar?
And now you are tired of said caviar.
If the rating of a restaurant is quantifiable in numbers, then McDonald’s is the gastronomic leader.
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the almond cordial is called annindofu and is also referred to in English as almond jelly, the good stuff is really good!
You have me interested in trying this now!!!
I need help with translation though, is annindofu the same as アンニンドフ ?
At least phonetically?
Or am I way off?
{edit}
Or is it more commonly written in Kanji - 杏仁豆腐 ?
Or niether?
I need to know what to look for in the market!!
{another edit}
This version with mandarin looks delicious!!
http://gourmet.yahoo.co.jp/gourmet/images/photo/E030604.jpg
Hmm. Can I make it myself? Any recipes?
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Also 4 states not recognized by the U.N. - most growing their own grapes supposedly, except those marked with an *.
Thought some might find this interesting - a few label images per country spanning
a number of years.
"200 years of wines of the world:"
http://home.tiscalinet.ch/wineman/
Albania
Algeria
Andorra*
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus*
Belgium
Bolivia
Bosnia Herzegovina
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cameroon*
Canada
Cape Verde
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia*
Ethiopia
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
India
Indonesia
Iran
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kyrgyzstan
Latvia*
Lebanon
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania*
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malta
Mauritius*
Mexico
Moldova
Morocco
Namibia
Netherlands
New Caledonia (Fr)
New Zealand
Norway
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico (U.S.)
Romania
Russia
San Marino
Senegal*
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sweden*
Switzerland
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Ukraine
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yugoslavia
Zimbabwe
{edit}:
This link is also interesting:
"200 Unusual labels"
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I've never had the feeling that Achatz was anything but sincere.
I can agree with that - he seems genuinely interested in sharing many aspects of his work for more than the sake of "becoming famous".
I attended the cooking demo he and his team put on at The Chopping Block, preparing dishes that (at that time anyway), were said to be destined for the menu at Alinea.
In my eyes it was an opportunity to do more than sample the dishes - but to witness the process of the team making and plating the dishes and to get a feel for them as people.
The dishes were distinctive and enjoyable and the team was mild mannered in that setting, including Grant - not much of a trace of large ego and I have no reason to believe that is not typical.
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Even if it is, so what? Viral marketing is a legitmate form of advertising (and effective). In this case all parties benefit.
I wasn't suggesting that it is nor does it matter to me either way - I was simply making a distinction between documentation for the purpose of documentation and documentation for the purpose of marketing in response to the previous post #69.
{edit} :
No, actually it's not completely true that it doesn't matter to me:
There are those who do things because that is what they truly believe and there are those who do what they believe will garner the best reaction.
It IS important ( to me at least ) to be able to distinguish between those who are sincere and those who are merely taking advantage of a public relations opportunity – and if both, to what degree each plays a role.
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you want your nutrients, eat a vitamin with your special K cereal in the morning...i'll see you at dinner that night...
trevor williams
-culinary student/professional at Kendall College-
Damn Trevor - I didn't know you had it in you!!
It seems that there are distinctions being made within something that contains all elements.
Almost all food, whether specifically formulated to meet any or not, provides some type of nutritional benefit if nothing more than in the form of caloric energy.
Some food requires mechanical preparation which would embody the "craft" element, after all the textbook definition of "Artisan" is "a skilled manual worker; a craftsperson". Other food does not require this, such as wild berries picked off a vine.
Then there is the food which embodies all 3, the plain chicken that is cut just so and arranged carefully and garnished with both respect to flavor, color and other aesthetic or taken much further.
Some crafts purposely take on artistic qualities and some are simply utilitarian in nature, but can take on artistic and aesthetic qualities even though none were purposely instilled.
It seems the food of a Chef would meet the criteria of all 3 elements almost by default.
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No, no – I do have one more thing to say and then I am done.
I didn’t want to have to do this but I feel I’m left little choice.
Don’t take my defense of Trotter as any kind of allegiance, on the contrary – I’ve never spoken directly to the man. I was just trying to stop a lynching – if it had been anyone and I had seen it I would have done the same – in fact if you look earlier in this thread, I defended Budrichard and elsewhere on this board while others are singing praise – I am offering a contrasting view.
You may have seen me, in previous posts, refer to what I call “the bubble of perception”.
Well, I’m about to slice it open and let you look inside.
I’m not going to tell you anything that is not there for you to see or that you don’t already know in some way – but you might wanna hold on to something or sit down.
The truth is people, these guys all know each other – they have for years.
No disrespect to anyone, but I need an analogy… they’re like Congressmen or say, Professional Golfers.
Yeah… they compete against each other, but they also get together every now and then and play a round and trade pointers.
It is conceivable that for those years they have pointed people toward each other’s restaurants, other chef’s, VIP guests traveling, organizations…etc.
It is also conceivable that, (here comes the real blasphemy), THEY ALL DIRECTLY INFLUENCE EACH OTHER LONG BEFORE YOU EVER KNOW THEIR NAMES.
Yes, not only that Adria likely influenced Trotter but… ahem, Trotter influenced Adria and in turn Chef X influenced Chef Y etc.
How do they know each other?
I don’t know – perhaps they are brought together by things like Relais & Châteaux, or the Beard Foundation or by sitting together on boards of various organizations.
These people are part of a system, and like any system – if you have a positive effect on the system – the system supports you… if you have a negative effect – the system tries to destroy you. This is true down from your individual system that supports good nutrients and attacks viruses – up to the eco system of this planet.
That is why they are so careful what they say about each other… because they support the system and in return the system supports them and they simply take turns at the top.
You see the EXACT same thing developing right before your very eyes with the next generation and this “battle” that is waging is comparable to children rebelling against their fathers or mobsters trying to knock off the boss– almost literally.
There was a time when I questioned my own assessment and applied to a few places, Trotter’s was one and I was invited by an assistant and worked there 1 day for about 14 hours – I didn’t fall on my face but I didn’t do great either – the volume and speed at which things are done in those environments is not for me and after that brief momentary lapse of reason – I have no desire to ever return to any such environment... anywhere
The only reason I can point these things out is because I have no particular dependence on the system – that’s not to say I am immune – I could still easily be destroyed.
But if that is the case then so be it, but I will “die free”.
Freedom, my friends, is always preferable to the most luxurious of cages.
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Okay guys and gals, let's get back to Trotters.
=R=
Sure, we'll get back to Trotter's - and this will pretty much be my last word on the subject.
For those of you with the perception that CT is for some reason "recently" trying to align himself with "hot" chefs to "save his sinking career".
Pick up the book "Great Restaurants of the World" - "Charlie Trotter's" published in 2000 by Lebhar-Friedman - I happened across a copy at the Printer's Row fair last year.
On page 130 you will find a photo of CT with Ferran Adria, Tetsuya Wakuda, Daniel Boulud as well as other photos with Tetsuya and many other chefs on various pages from collaborative work on various occasions.
From over 5 years ago.
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I HAVE heard he is a pretty decent cook.
Do you think he would approve of the "new" stuff?
Or do you think he would be more of an 'analog' guy?
What band was it?
Food looks really great.
Great photos of France too!
I think if Steve was here, what I've had to say in this forum would qualify as mild.
Killswitch.
Thank you and if you are the same Ted Nicely of Jawbox "Sweetheart", then you might know of the band Mock Orange - of which J. Robbins just did their last E.P. and full length - they are the only surviving band from my old label... minus seven.
Appreciate the kind words.
{edit} One of my favorite albums of all time BTW - though I know you've done tons of other things.
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Jesus!
Albini has to show up on a Trotter thread???
Hey, don't discount Steve in the culinary arena - from what I've seen he's a pretty avid cook himself - when my old band was recording at Electrical with Bob back before they finished studio A - he was whipping up some kind of Italian feast in the kitchen - I actually heard him use the words "Al-Dente".
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there are absolutely none for doing so within this forum.
=R=
It is my opinion that everyone should have the freedom to do and say as they wish short of hurting others unjustifiably – it is also my opinion that there is a great difference between anonymously sending flowers and anonymously stabbing someone, one is a gesture of good will – the other is a crime.
There is also a difference between anonymously stating your opinion and anonymously purporting to have insider factual information confirming negative information about another person and offering no proof in any form.
I personally find the pitting “new” and “old” – “past” and “future” against each other practice and stating that one somehow makes the other illegitimate - or that one is “better” than the other fairly ridiculous.
Not only because when speaking of something that is subjective to each and every person like cuisine… it is not possible to be the overall “best” - and when comparing things that are completely different – an accurate association cannot be made – as they are in stark contrast.
Not only those things, but because the people making the statements, anonymous or not, offer nothing to lend any legitimacy, no actual comparative data, documentation or other items you would find in a credible claim.
So I assume they are just statements pulled out of the air – most likely based on the current media environment or second or third hand hearsay - rather than actual first hand experience – and if indeed the experience is first hand… it is most likely only with one side. I will continue to assume such until I am provided with evidence otherwise.
If anyone expected to attack and not be made to justify your attack - then you have my apologies… if there is any consequence for any post anywhere it is that you may be confronted and asked to justify it – by the opinion of another.
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Reposted (non-user agreement conforming comment removed):
I am neither exclusively for nor against any single person or style when it comes to cuisine.
In everything there are things I agree with and things that I don’t and, like your opinion, those are my assessments to make.
If I am "for" anything it is fact and verifiable statements and information.
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I personally think that we should all be extremely thankful that this city has so many great restaurants striving for culinary greatness.
ChefGEB
Well said.
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I don't think anyone here is personally claiming to be better than CT (at least not from what I've read in this thread), only that he is being surpassed somewhat by others who are up and coming.
=R=
That may be the case Ron Kaplan, but they make it look as though they are associated with the faction of those who are up and coming in some way - and that this new faction is somehow "better".
It is very easy to speak when your identity is shielded and you are protected from the potential consequences of your words.
"At best, styles are merely parts dissected from a unitary whole. All styles require adjustment, partiality, denials, condemnation and a lot of self- justification. The solutions they purport to provide are the very cause of the problem, because they limit and interfere with our natural growth and obstruct the way to genuine understanding. Divisive by nature, styles keep men 'apart' from each other rather than 'unite' them."
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You have a good head on your shoulders Trevor.
“Classical Cuisine” is a container just as “Novelle Cuisine” is a container, but they are connected.
“Novelle Cuisine” BECOMES “Classical Cuisine” – that is no different now than it ever was – it is only a matter of time.
There are the old ways and there are the new ways, but there exists no separation between the two – one simply blends into the other.
Anyone who relegates themselves to a certain section, new or old, places themselves inside a container and like any container there is only so much room inside, you are limited by it’s boundaries and subject to it’s volume.
If any chef in Chicago is standing higher than CT, it is only because they are standing on his shoulders and I advise them to look down and see the foundation that supports them and remind them of the story of the scorpion and the frog.
There are many people here hiding behind anonymous screen names alluding to the fact that perhaps they could do better – or are better now?
All-right then…. say the words. Post your photo in your profile, state your name – and say the words. Post them here for everyone to see.
Otherwise, you are a coward – and I personally don’t put stock in the words of cowards.
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I think it’s just more that the climate has shifted – temporarily.
It used to be that the variety and quality of ingredients were not readily available to the general public – but now you can buy micro greens and fingerling potatoes at Whole Foods, heirloom beets and tomatoes from any farmers market and anything else you want, regardless of how obscure, is available to buy somewhere on the internet, truffles from Oregon, Yuzu Juice, morels…whatever.
Also the wine, if you want a 1986 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion or a Vonse Romanee-Conti La Tache , you can order one overnight for 1/3 of the cost of one on a restaurant’s wine list – with a single Google search - or in some cases go to Sam’s.
Also this level of food preparation was not available…now there are many, many restaurants serving the type of food you can get at Trotter’s – in part because of it’s influence on the gastronomic environment, along with other restaurants.
Because of the vast amount of information available and the speed and ease of its access, and the amount of time these things have been in existence - people have become more acclimated.
There is a role reversal going on in the world, chef’s once were the source of access to organic high quality food and giant food companies produced highly processed items.
Now Heinz is making organic ketchup and cereal companies are switching to all whole grain – chef’s are rolling foie gras in pop rocks and imitating Doritos.
I personally have no feeling about it either way, but it is something worth pointing out.
Thus people are excited by the seemingly new and unattainable “new novelle cuisine” – as they once were about the type of food served here – and some still are – it is the media that dictates what is “hot” – it does not represent the actual majority.
Everything has its peak and the excitement over novelle cuisine too will peak and pass and something new will take its place, possibly now even faster because of the speed at which things travel.
You cannot be associated with a fixed element and stay “on top” forever, and you may not ever be able to reach the “top” unless you are associated with a fixed element – each has it’s own consequence.
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last night I grilled some semi-dried squid and served it with a kanzuri and mayo sauce, this was quite good!
Tried the Kanzuri mayo combo last night, just a mix of about 1/2 and 1/2 - very good indeed - could go with many many things. I also added some Togarashi and that added another layer of flavor and spice. It sounds funny but it would go really well on Chicago style hot dogs or Polish sausages or even as a sauce for Carne Asada.
{edit} Carne Asada with Kanzuri Togarashi Mayo - you gave me a new dish to try Torakris.
Agar Agar
in Japan: Cooking & Baking
Posted · Edited by sizzleteeth (log)
I found your "batons" online Gus - some places call them "bars" and yes they are then flaked and not used whole.
http://shop.store.yahoo.com/chefshop/misnkaaagja.html
Even though agar "sets" at room temperature and you don't need to chill it - it is still necessary
to heat the liquid to get a good dissolve and maximize gelling capacity - sort of like some starches only come to full thickening power when brought to a boil.
With flakes it seems you may actually want to let them soak a bit as you suggested above.
{edit} Please let me know how this goes - I'm curious - I might order some flakes.
{another edit} I also just noticed, Gus, that one of the recipes Hiroyuki posted calls for a "stick" of Agar to about 3 1/2 cups of liquid - seems difficult to measure to me especially since the sizes I'm sure are inconsistent from one brand to another - I'd still grind it.
http://users.rcn.com/sue.interport/food/almjelly.html