bigkoiguy

Okay, now that we're nearing the New Year, it's time for the obligatory predictions and reflections on the past year. Some of my own predictions: - Spinach will make a comeback :-] - Indian food will go mainstream, finally fleeing its urban confines and appearing in both the suburbs and the supermarket - Chipotle? Gone from most menus. Probably wasabi too (except sushi). - Prickley pear will be a new, ubiquitous fad ingredient. - Old Classics and Fads from the 50's and 60's (Beef Burgundy, Lobster Newberg, etc) will appear on menus, possibly with modern twists So what are your thoughts? Get your crystal balls out.

Your success will depend on the type of cheese you're making. Mesophilic starters can be used in everything from cheddar to jack to cottage cheeses. Each of these has different incubation times and temperatures, all of which have a tremendous effect on the final product. Longer and warmer fermentations result in more acidity, which in effect changes the texture of the curds. A cool water bath around the fermentation vessel does work but why not simply make a different variety of cheese? Many mesophilic cheeses require that the milk be brought up to temperatures in the 80's and low 90's -- your environment may be perfect for these. This is the exact opposite of the problem I have here in Alaska where I have to constantly work to keep the milk warm in a 60 degree room! My real question is why fight the environment you're in? Italian and Mexican cheeses are created in warm environments like yours. Instead, start with a thermophilic starter. Try a simple mozzarella to begin with and then advance to a parmesan, montasio, queso blanco, and finally swiss. Aging may be more problematic as finding a cool but not refrigerated spot is sometimes tough (even for me!). Some cheeses are best consumed fresh anyway. Even if you're conditions are not perfect, give it a try. I think you'll be pleased with the process and the results.

At the turn of the last century, one of the food magazines (Gourmet? maybe?) did an issue recounting food from the last 100 years and they had a section discussin the 1920s. I don't remember much in the article... For some reason, Oysters Rockefeller seems like it was created in the 20s.

I also forgot to mention one thing about goat's milk. Extremely "goaty" tasting fresh goat's milk could indicate that the milk was poorly handled during processing - either by contaminated milking vessels, failure to chill the milk quickly, dirty teats, or other means. Federal regulations also allow a certain bacterial concentration prior to pastuerization -- I suspect that this is often enough contamination to begin essentially fermenting the sugars in the milk, producing the off taste often found in commercial goats milk.

I live in rural Alaska and actually milk my own goats -- though I don't sell the milk and keep it only for my household. In my experience, what you do with milk depends on the type of milk and its freshness. VERY fresh, raw goats milk is sweet and rich, rarely with any tang though the diet of the animals will affect the overall flavor (floral overtones, oniony/garlicky, etc). I use it anywhere I use cow's milk and it is indistinguishable for most of my guests. I love goat's milk in ice cream as I find it smoother. Pasteurized goats milk or goat's milk that is a week or so old will begin developing the characteristic goaty flavor that many people don't like. Hence, virtually all goat's milk you buy in the store will have that flavor. Some suggestions are cream or cheesy soups where the tang adds a bit of complexity (especially with smoked items), using it in baked goods, or making a sweet fruit smoothie (really interesting flavor). I find canned goats milk awful. It shoudl be reserved only for those poor souls who cannot digest cow's milk but can't get fresh goats milk.

One other possibility that others have touched on but haven't really discussed is the type of chicken, its age before butchering, and how long the meat aged after butchering prior to freezing. I raise and butcher my own chickens - both commercial Cornish cross varieties (very tender, fast growing but little flavor) and heritage breeds (slow growing, very active birds whose meat usually ends up tough unless cooked carefully). Older birds, including hens, will be very tough. Their age allows the proteins in the meat to crosslink strongly, versus the fibers being by and large only parallel to each other. Any old hens I butcher ALWAYS go into the pressure cooker. The final thing is how long meat is aged before freezing or cooking. Chicken MUST be aged at least 8 hors (or preferably one day) after butchering before freezing or cooking -- unless it is to be cooked within about an hour of butchering. Cooking immediately on butchering prevent the bird from stiffening into rigor mortise which toughens it. Natural enzymes in the bird break down stiffening in about a day. It sounds to me like it wasn't the cooking technique as much as the bird itself.

A few dishes come to mind for Alaska cities.... Valdez -- batter-fried halibut Anchorage -- King crab, salmon, halibut tacos Fairbanks -- reindeer sausage (made in my hometown of Delta...!)

I highly recommend that Double Musky in Girdwood -- more Creole than Cajun. IMHO, they are the best restaurant in the state. An old Anchorage restaurant that I frequent when I drive down is Club Paris. It's one of the few buildings that survived the 1964 earthquake and is a local standby. You will need reservations, so plan ahead. I cannot recommend the Alyeska Resort for food -- highly overrated though they seem to try very hard. The view is nice though. While in town, be sure to try Alaskan halibut. It's a staple in most local restaurants. It's a much under-celebrated fish that I prefer over even Copper River salmon.