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fatmat

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Posts posted by fatmat

    Report from a bacon tasting

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    It certainly looks like fun, but I think a bacon tasting is inherently flawed. Flawed for two reasons.

    First, bacon lacks the quality control required to stage an effective/useful tasting. The amount of marbling changes from belly to belly, it's ability to absorb the marinade is altered, the length of time in the package impacts the marination- the variables impacting the taste of bacon are numerous. If I open two packages of the same brand I get two completely different tastes. These are packages I've purchased at the same time from the same store.  A particular brand may taste phenomenal one week and only good the next (bacon NEVER tastes bad :) ). I guess you could track bacon over a few months and zero in on brands that taste good consistently, but a one shot deal, nope.

    Second, you could never recreate the same cooking conditions/degree of doneness for every batch of bacon.  Without perfectly consistent cooking conditions, the bacon can't be judged fairly. I can't fit a whole package of bacon on the same baking sheet, so I break it up into two batches.  No matter what I do, the second batch NEVER tastes the same as the first. Slight changes in temperature/doneness creates a different end product.  It's like the difference in taste between a white and a blond roux.  You're talking only seconds difference but the taste changes drastically. With bacon the window is just as small, maybe even smaller because of the sugar involved. 5 or 10 seconds longer and you're talking about a completely different tasting bacon. I guess you could put all the types of bacon on one cookie sheet, but even then, if you're oven has hot spots, the results will be skewed.

    Disagree - it's possible to comment on different styles, provided that there is significant difference between them. Furthermore, the difference between good quality and poor quality within the same style tends to be immediately obvious.

    You get variations within styles - taste tests are great for spotting the difference.

    All produce varies slightly, but that's the one of the arts of the producer to take random variations and create consistency

    Also, It's impossible to create exactly the same conditions for any cooking experience - that's just the way of the kitchen , yet somehow I manage to cook my bacon just the way I like it every time!!

    Smoking and Taste for Chefs and Eaters

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted

    Are you talking cigarettes or tobacco in general?

    As an off shoot to my culinary obsession I have taken up smoking cigars.  Like good wine and spirits, cigars are not smoked for the buzz or as a habit but to enjoy the complex flavors in a good cigar.  I like to retire after dinner with a fine single malt scotch, port, bourbon or rum and a nice cigar.  It is very enjoyable and relaxing.  I know a few chefs and restaurant owners that smoke cigars.  I don't think it has a negative effect and the only positive is that they are tuned in to complex flavors whether it is in food, drink or tobacco.

    I'm mostly talking about habitual smoking, but if occasional smoking has an effect, then I'm curious as to what folks think

    Smoking and Taste for Chefs and Eaters

    in Food Traditions & Culture

    Posted · Edited by fatmat (log)

    I'm not wanting to create a rant on the evils of tobacco.

    I'm speaking as a sometime non smoker, smoker, and ex smoker.

    I'm curious to hear what chefs, cooks and diners have to say about the taste buds and creativity of smokers.

    Some of my favourite chefs have been (or are) smokers. They've achieved some amazing things. These include the youngest ever Michelin 3* chef, Marco Pierre White.

    The question I have is... do you think that cigarette smoking (or smoking anything else for that matter) can have a positive effect on the output of a chef or cook? If so, why?

    flambe'ing

    in Cooking

    Posted

    If you torch sambuca with coffee beans, watch below the surface as the liquid burns... you'll see some kind of essence falling from the beans. Sadly I've never been sober enough to notice if it adds to the flavour.

    Masterchef

    in Food Media & Arts

    Posted · Edited by fatmat (log)

    I don't undersatnd why everything has to be 'harder' and 'edgier'. Why folks in these programmes have to be so damn aggressive. There is no need to be insulting to let people know that they don't quite meet the mark. The contestants are trying their best and working their hearts out - there is no need to be rude about their efforts.

    Also, the trouble with the mark is that it varies from day to day and week to week with these guys, and sometimes from contestant to contestant.

    Torode and that muppet seem to be basing many of their judgements on the latest trends - presentation techniqes are slated because they are not cool this month - and contestants made to feel foolish because they are not quite upto date with London's latest.

    P.S. I feel that the show would benefit by the addition of a female judge to break up the testosterone fueled macho BS

    UK Ingredient/Equipment Source

    in United Kingdom & Ireland: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    I have tons of new questions :biggrin: , sorry but I am still very new to London.

    1. I am familiar with Italian or American cuts of meat. I am trying to understand what's available. Beef: me and my husband tried the ribeye at Northfield farm, not a good as in NY but better than the others we had before (thanks!). I found less choice for braising cut, I saw cubes, I saw braising steak and ox tail, but if I want a big piece? For example, in NY I used to buy chicken steak (is it's the top chuck shoulder the one with the big vein of gelatine in the middle) or how do you call chuck tender?

    Still talking about meat. If I want to buy veal bones for stock, where do I find it? Marrow? Veal breast to stuff?

    Where do I find good demi-glace? I saw tons of derivatives sauces, but the demi-glace?

    2. Good portogues place for bacalahu? I went to Garcia in Notting hill and I didn't like it! In those plastic bags...

    Sorry for having so many questions!

    Thanks

    Hi Franci - There is really good meat about - stuff that you'll really enjoy eating. Sadly, you'll need to look for it - there is a lot of really poor quality stuff as well - as you are discovering. Most of the meat in supermarkets is either awful or ridiculously expensive.

    You need to find a really good family butchers - there is a fantastic one on Chiswick High Street (Not living in London, so I can't recommend any more - I'm sure others can help tho.). It's worthwhile developing a relationship with your butcher - many of them are really helpful and knowledgeable.

    It's also worthwhile going to farmers markets and developing a relationship with the guys there - I have the home number of one of the butchers that I use - I can give hime a call before the market and he'll make sure that he has the cuts and weights that I want - I've not used the offer, but it is nice to know.

    I hope that this helps. Don't despair - this country has some of the finest meat you'll ever eat.

    Wine Pairing

    in India: Cooking & Baking

    Posted

    Don't drink wine with Indian food, they weren't designed for each other. Spirits and beer are far better.

    What is the origin of this belief? Who's the "designer" here?

    There's plenty of history of wine being drunk with Indian food,

    e.g. Emperors of Delhi etc.

    They used to ritually break their wine cups and forswear intoxication

    before battles as a vow for success, but apparently afterwards went

    right back to it, and had new cups made.

    here's a link with a picture halfway down.

    http://www.bhu.ac.in/kala/gallery_nidhi.htm

    Who came up with the notion that wine and Indian food don't match?

    Milagai

    ('ll cross post on the wine board too).

    No idea, but personal experience makes me agree that there are better combinations - why struggle to make wine work with curry when there are better options?

    Cleaning a Kitchenaid Grinder and Stuffer

    in Kitchen Consumer

    Posted

    I'm not totally impressed with the grinder - I find that the central spindle clogs quickly and then the grinder mushes as opposed to grinding, producing a pulp as opposed to a mince. I don't know if mine has a fault as I've not seen another in action, but I feel that it is a design issue.

    Has anyone else experienced this problem?

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