Throw away recipes - learn cooking techniques instead

Yesterday's Oprah had 3 "celebrity" chefs go to different people's homes and teach them how to cook. For some reason the people on the show really irked me (I know I have to work on that emotion - stop being irked so easily).

One woman had 2 kids and a husband and she bought nothing but frozen dinners for them and spent about $150 for 3 days worth of frozen food. Pathetic.

It got me thinking that people are too hung up on recipes. One of the guests mentioned that the chef had taught them 7 dishes for 7 days and on the 8th day they had the need to call the chef for more ideas. I think techniques are more useful than recipes. If people learned how to sear, saute, braise and broil for instance - then the sky is the limit as far as what they can make for dinner.

One can easily decide what they like to eat - figure out which technique it requires, and then maybe refer to a recipe for instructions and specifics. Like how long does a chicken breast take to cook, or a steak get to medium rare? Technique and basic information comes in handy here too - if one learns at what temperature something is cooked then it becomes simple. Chicken is done at 160 degrees and pork at 140 degrees. So no matter what you are making and you need to figure out if it is done - stick in a food thermometer and you will know.

Techniques are empowering while recipes can some times be intimidating. Cooking is like any other skill. When you learned to read - you first practiced alphabets and 3-letterl words, then simple books before moving on to things more complicated. No parent put a tome in front of their kid and expected them to start reading it.
It might be helpful to think of cooking in the same way. Do not look at chefs and try to do what they do - this is what they do for a living. Start small and do it every day - I guarantee you that is the way to learn anything.

As I write this, I have decided that each class I teach at Indian Culinary Center and elsewhere will mention what techniques are being used for each recipe. This way students learn techniques as they are learning how to make one particular dish.

Back to the Oprah show - it was sad to see families not having the concept of cooking at home. I love eating out and ordering in as much as the next person - but one should have the ability to create meals at home. Also, the word gourmet tends to put too much pressure on a novice and build unreasonable expectations. How about leaving the "gourmet" to restaurants and just cook simple, basic and delicious meals at home.

I was lucky enough to eat home made meals almost every day of my life as I was growing up. I wouldn't call that food gourmet but I will call is fresh, wholesome, delicious and most importantly, cooked with love and care.

We need to go back to basics - cook for ourselves and our families every day (or almost). Cook what is seasonal and cook what we like to eat - not what some celebrity chef thinks we should.

I could go on and on here - I think all the "convenience" foods are not doing us any service except maybe filling the coffers of huge food companies.

I am going to start a series of cooking techniques here on this blog.

This is not ground breaking or revolutionary - it has been done many times over. There are many cook books that do that. If you can't wait for me to go through all the techniques - feel free to pick up one of many excellent cookbooks out there.

But first:

Tell me, do you know how to cook? What do you eat everyday? Take out? Gourmet meals at restaurants? Or frozen Hungry Man dinners?

Until I eat again!

I Never Crave a Salad Until I Do!

Most of my cravings are unhealthy. Who am I kidding. ALL my cravings are unhealthy. Once in a while though, I crave a salad. When that happens I am so thankful that I don't question it. I just run out to get a salad before the craving passes.

Chop't is an excellent place to satisfy that fleeting craving.

I walked into a Chop't today and ordered a salad. They have choices of the greens. Romaine, Spinach, Mesclun and Arugula (for an extra 50 cents). I decided on the Romaine.
Then you have the option to pick 4 toppings from a list of what looked like 50 choices. You get a 5th one if you go before noon. What luck ... I was there before noon.
I had cherry tomatoes (the only kind of fresh tomatoes that should be had in the winter). Shredded carrots, cucumbers, chickpeas and for my 5th - some beets. It was a generous portion.
One guy puts all that you ask for in a huge plastic bowl; than another dumps it on a cutting board and chops away with a huge Mezzaluna (moon shaped Italian knife). He chops until everything is cut into bite sized pieces - hence the name Chop't. Quite clever, don't you think?

The salad is cut into the ideal bite sized pieces that can be eaten at a desk or even on a first date without looking awkward, as your lettuce dangles from the side of your mouth. I assess many a food by, if they are appropriate for business lunches or dates (the two tend to overlap - nothing messy like spaghetti, or stinky like raw onions).
{I know there is something grammatically wrong with the above sentence - but I don't know how to fix it. You know what I mean though? Right?}

Since it was before noon and I was going to have the salad later, I got the dressing on the side. A generous portion of Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I am eating the salad at my 'office desk' as I write this and am so satisfied and happy. I can't believe it. I am actually being satisfied, and made happy by a salad on a cold December day. What is the world coming to!

All this and a piece of bread for $7.50. Not bad I say. Not bad at all.

While a salad made from home can cost a fraction of the above amount - a 'holy' craving such as the one for a salad - I am willing to shell out some dough.

Today is New Year's eve eve. About 3 more days of holiday excess and debauchery that starts from Thanksgiving day. I think it is kind of fashion forward of me to get a head start on the whole diet thing that starts on January 2nd for a countless number of people (me included). While I intend to enjoy New Year's eve eating whatever I please, I am thankful for today's salad craving. It gives me hope that I will be able to get on the healthful wagon easily in 2009.

Happy New Year to all.

I sincerely hope that 2009 is better than 2008.

Do you plan to make any resolutions for the new year?
Let me know what they are.

Until I eat again!

Oprah and I have a lot in common - who knew!

In the past couple of days I have been reading previews of Oprah's upcoming magazine article where she will discuss her recent weight gain. The magazine comes out on January 5th, so I have no way of knowing what she wrote in the article but I have some ideas. I could probably write that article - about my life.

Weight gain, weight loss - and then weight again gain is an awful thing. It happens to so many people. One can argue that Oprah Winfrey is one of the smartest, most accomplished women alive - yet, food and weight is something she hasn't been able to conquer.

I saw a recent interview with her where she admits that she is addicted to food. While I would rather believe that food is not an addictive substance like nicotine or crack - i think it is - for some people. It is a tougher addiction than nicotine or crack since we all have to eat everyday. It cannot be given up cold turkey, never to be touched again.
To make peace with food is a complicated issue which I don't claim to fully understand or give adequate advice to those who have a food addiction.

Since I am not a scientist I don't know why some people develop an unhealthy relationship to food - but the fact remains that they do. Maybe it is a genetic predisposition; like that to diabetes, cancer or hair loss. Who knows. What we know is that it exists and so we have to work with what we know.

A genetic predisposition to something does not mean that we are helpless and have role to play in our destiny.

While all the salad in the world cannot make me look like Angelina Jolie - good food choices and exercise can make me look like the best me.

It all sounds so simple.

Eat less - move more and Voila! Weight loss. Then maintenance.
But no! Food is such a complicated subject. It soothes us when we are unhappy, it is there to celebrate with when we are happy.

All this may mean nothing to a person who has no food issues.
But I know that there are millions of people who know exactly what I am saying.

Millions of people who are not reading my blog - but if they were - they would know exactly what I am saying.

What am I saying?

I am saying that early this year I embarked on a weight loss regimen and was quite successful with it.

Then mid year I started becoming lax with myself.

And now toward the end of the year - I feel like I have lost some control over the battle. Not all control - but some control.

How does Oprah's struggle make me feel?

It makes me feel less guilty. With all her private chefs and fitness instructors - if she is still not able to win the war on terror - oh sorry, I mean the war on fat - then it is a huge and complicated problem.
It certainly doesn't give me license to throw in the towel and say, "if Oprah is fat then I'll be fat". But less guilt nevertheless.

Struggling with one's weight is a life long battle for some. It can be managed though with hard work, realistic goals and expectations. This is a topic for another post.

Tell me about your struggle with weight.
What works for you ... What doesn't.

Lets make 2009 a healthful and peaceful year.

Until I eat again!

What makes a picky eater?

I wonder what makes some people picky eaters and others more adventurous.

I assume it starts from childhood.

I always loved to eat, and ate everything. I can't remember not liking anything new. Most of my childhood memories are based on food. I remember people through food. Like my aunt in Amritsar with whom I spent many summers - made the best parathas (flat skillet bread). Our next door neighbor made the most delicious pooris (fried puffy bread) and different vegetables on a lot of religious holidays. Our upstairs neighbor's daughter made the best tomato chutney.

When I was 9 years old we traveled to England, and then Holland and Germany for about 3 months each. In Holland we were staying with a Dutch family who made Dutch food everyday. My mother was concerned for me that I might start acting up and missing food that I was used to after a couple of days when the novelty wore off.
That day never came. I looked forward to meal time everyday. Even the simplest meals that they ate daily were things that I had never seen in my entire life. But I loved it. I found nothing weird or strange.

Keep in mind this was the seventies when India, where I grew up was a very different India from today. We had almost no access to western media. Other than a couple of American or British movies I may have watched in my 9 years of life. I had no cookbooks nor had I ever seen a food magazine. I had no idea what a pot roast was, or a herring or gouda cheese. I had probably never even seen a chicken breast in my life since we always cut up the chicken to make curry.

In Germany while staying with my uncle and his Dutch wife I was first introduced to fondue. I just loved it. A concept that couldn't be more foreign to me-but I just loved it. I was thrilled to be sitting at the table with our special wooden plates in front of us with different sauces. There were a few mayonnaise based sauces and probably horseradish and mustard sauces. In the middle of the table was a pot of bubbling hot oil. I was instructed by my aunt to take a piece of the raw meat (probably beef or pork chunks) and carefully set it in the pot. Each skewer had a different colored top and that told us who it belonged to. I waited patiently while my meat cooked. I don't remember how I knew when it was cooked. I am sure my aunt showed me the first couple and then somehow I must have figured it out.
Then I removed the meat from the oil and dipped it in those delicious sauces and then ... heaven. The hot crunchy meat with the cool creamy sauces-couldn't be any more delicious.

As I write this I think of the average dinner table today with a 9 year old and 2 others (I had younger cousins - probably 6 and 4 at the time). Most parents today would freak out about hot oil on the dining table. And some may have an issue with deep fried meat - I don't know. All I know is that I learned so much from those type of dining experiences.

I learned about a totally new food - in fact a totally new concept of food.

I learned to be careful around hot oil.
With the presence of hot oil we were expected to behave a certain way, like no fidgeting and no sudden moves.

I think those are excellent life lessons that come in handy in a countless number of ways through out my adult life.

Also, none of us kids ever got preferential treatment or special food made for us in Germany, Holland or when I was back home in India.

Kid cuisine is such an American thing. And it is a terrible thing in my opinion. I may have answered the question I set out asking - what makes picky eaters?

One reason is too many options, or maybe not enough. Spaghetti, Chicken Fingers and French Fries? What's that? There are a million other foods that exist.

Too much drama around food. I've seen parents hold their breath, "Will Billy eat the peas? I am going to hide the carrots in the muffin."

I think that is ridiculous.

Growing up we had no kid food. And on most days we had no say in what was for dinner or what we got to take for school lunch. We all ate what was put in front of us.

And no, this didn't make us feel deprived, abused or un-loved.

On special occasions of course, we were asked what we wanted and then that made the treat all the more special.

I know I don't have kids, but I was one - once upon a time. And I grew up with plenty of cousins. I just didn't see parents getting all bent out of shape like they do today about what we would eat. We ate what was there.

I am grateful for that.

I am sure I was a tad unusual for liking new food as much as I did. But it was also the attitude that we were taught - and that is, that different people eat different foods. We should be thankful when we eat, and we eat what is put in front of us.

The nervous energy that parents display when it comes to feeding their kids today is picked up on by the child and manifests itself in all sorts of ways.

Just feed your kids what you are eating yourself - as long it isn't a bag of Doritos and a pint of ice cream.

What kind of food did you eat growing up?
Are you a picky eater or do you embrace most foods?
What approach do you take when feeding your kids?

Agree with me. Disagree with me. I don't mind.

Until I eat again!

Last Post This Year about Thanksgiving - I Promise

By now all are aware of my love of Thanksgiving.

After the day is over and all the dishes are washed and the guests have gone home … what I enjoy most are leftovers!
Ah! Just thinking of them right now is making me hungry.



They are best enjoyed on the couch watching my favorite show – Law and Order Criminal Intent maybe and preferably all alone.
Everything tastes so much better since all the flavors have married with each other and really bloom on the plate.
Maybe not too many points on visuals but the taste. Ah the taste.

The stuffing has had a chance to absorb more flavor; the gravy is richer and darker - oozing with the essence of pure turkey; and the mashed potatoes – oh the mashed potatoes. The roasted garlic has permeated each and every cell of the potato and become more garlicky – but not a in your face harsh garlic flavor. Instead, a smooth luscious flavor that envelopes you like a warm blanket.
Okay, I’m done. Sorry if I was too corny for your liking (I know I was too corny for my liking), but I promise there will be no such talk until November 2009.

I promised there would be no more Thanksgiving posts but I didn’t promise that this would be a short post.
I just wanted to share my uncooked turkey. A thing of beauty. Or is it beauty only a mother could love? I don't know.

{I realize it is sideways-but I couldn't straighten it ... technology is still hit or miss for me}





The holding area pre-feast.





I show you this to tell you that don’t be like most New Yorkers who complain that they have tiny kitchens.

My advice:

Be organized. Be very organized.

Use rooms other than the kitchen.

Pre prep as many things as you can; trust me, even with all the preparation – things will get hairy when the guests are hungry and surrounding the kitchen looking for things to eat.
I think Martha (Stewart for the rest of you) has created a bit of a delusion in some of us. She used to talk about throwing an omelet party or a pasta party where your guests pick their fillings and you prepare your guests’ desires to order.
Unless you live in one of Martha’s houses- just stick to pre-prepping and preplanning.
Okay, I am done.
I am ready to put Thanksgiving to rest.



Since I promised no more Turkey Talk this year - some parting shots.





Checking if the drippings are good and not burning.




Mmmm, So good, so delicious!


Until I eat again!

Post Thanksgiving Lessons

I had a lovely Thanksgiving. The food was good, the turkey gave me no trouble whatsoever and mix of guests was just perfect. Essentially a Thanksgiving with no drama in the living room, dining room or kitchen. Can't beat that!

I had set up a challenge for myself this year not to use copious amounts of butter and I achieved that goal without compromising the flavor. I used 2 and a half sticks of butter - 3 at the most. Perfectly acceptable amount in my eyes when a 30 pound turkey and about 8 sides were on the table - feeding 11 guests and countless doggie bags and left overs.

The clear winner in the eyes of my guests were the brussels sprouts. They really did come out well. First off, they were baby brussels and so were sweet and tender. I cooked them in a little butter, fresh thyme and lemon juice. Definitely something to cook on days other than Thanksgiving.

The personal triumph for me were the mashed potatoes. I used very thin skinned Yukon Golds and left the skin on. I could say that it was for the added nutritional value in the peel - but the truth is that I was saving some time.
I used buttermilk instead of cream. Buttermilk is misunderstood by many to be a fat filled ingredient - but truly, it is very low in calories and provides a lovely tangy flavor to the potatoes. I did use some butter and a nice amount of salt and pepper. I almost forgot the roasted garlic. My trick with roasted garlic is to take garlic cloves and cook them slowly and gently in oil. They become tender and sweet, and provide a luscious flavor to just about anything. The bonus is garlic flavored oil that you can use in any dish that needs a subtle garlic flavor. I use the oil when cooking vegetables; or flavor it with rosemary and thyme - it makes a perfect dip for bread.

Then the stuffing. I love stuffing. I love making it and I especially love eating it. I used corn bread and sourdough bread. I cut it into inch size squares and left them in the oven overnight. The oven is off but the heat of the pilot light helps dry out the bread. When the bread is dry it takes on more of the stock which translates into more flavor. And the key to a flavorful stuffing are the fresh herbs. I don't think you can have too many herbs in stuffing. I use sage, rosemary, thyme and tons of parsley. I cook the mirepoix ( fancy french word for onions, carrots and celery) with the herbs so there is a lovely essence of the herbs. And then I add finely chopped herbs when mixing the stuffing and before putting it in the oven. The cooked herbs provide a depth of flavor and the uncooked herbs provide freshness.
That is a good principle when cooking almost anything like stews and other long cooked dishes. Herbs while cooking and fresh herbs as garnish, or toward the end of cooking. They brighten any dish.

The sweet potatoes. I used 2 kinds - by accident actually. Fresh Direct happened to have yams - my first experience with them. They are creme colored and not sweet, and taste quite starchy - more so than a potato. I also used the sweet potatoes. The color contrast was aesthetically pleasing and the flavor was enhanced by the juxtaposition of the 2 types of potatoes. I peeled and sliced them about a 1/4 inch thick - then boiled them seperately till they were just done.
It would be better to steam them but can you believe it - I don't have a steamer. I need to get me a steamer.
As soon as the potatoes were cooked and drained, I added some olive oil, maple syrup, fresh lemon and orange juice and the key ingredient in my opinion - grated fresh ginger. Salt and pepper of course. The technique of adding the flavoring ingredients to hot potatoes is a good one to keep in mind. The hot potatoes absorb the flavor more readily resulting in a more flavorful dish. Remember that when making potato salad.
I made this dish before with only sweet potatoes and I remember it tasting much better. I am not sure what happened exactly. Did the yams not love the maple syrup, etc.? I am not exactly sure. The dish was good - just not as good as I remember it the last time. But my guests didn't have the memories of the last time I made them - and so I trust that they enjoyed them.

The salad:

Oven Roasted Beets with Arugula. I loved this salad. It was fresh and light - a nice counter point to the other dishes on the table. For the beets, wrap them in foil and bake them in a 325 degree oven. They take quite a while - so its best to do this the night before. My beets were especially huge and so took almost 2 1/2 hours. As soon as you are able to handle them, oil your hands and peel them. The oiling of the hands ensures that your hands don't remain red for too long. The same applies for your cutting board. I cut the beets into 1 inch square. I love cutting beets into squares as opposed to slices - they look like jewels when they are square. I saved the juice that was gathered in the foil that the beets were cooked in and used it in the dressing.
The dressing like most of my dressings was simple. Just some lemon or lime juice - whatever I have at hand, a little olive oil (I don't follow the formula of 1/4 acid to 3/4 oil - I just taste it till it tastes right) and salt and pepper of course. Just before I was to serve the salad I dressed the baby arugula and the red beet juice made the leaves look lovely. The oil made them glisten and the red juice clung to the leaves in places and they looked lovely. I put the greens in the middle of a platter and the dressed beets all around.
If you like the idea of this salad - please take the time to cook the fresh beets. What I am trying to say is don't used canned beets - they are no where close to the fresh ones. If you don't have 2 hours to put your beets in a largely unattended oven - make another salad.
I had planned to put some goat cheese in the salad too but changed my mind at the last minute. They was too much food on the table and the goat cheese would be lost. I would definitely add it when I make this salad on another day when I don't have such a feast.

The Vegetarian Entree.

I baked the Sweet Dumpling Pumpkins in the oven the nice before. The choice of these pumpkins were solely visual and what I could find in the market. Also the size helped in the determination - I was looking for something that would be good for 1 serving. They were a tad too big - but the day before Thanksgiving I couldn't be too choosy. There was a huge run on all things squash and pumpkin at the grocery store. This was one ingredient that I didn't get from Fresh Direct since I wanted to hand pick them.
I made the filling which was toasted pearl couscous (called Israeli couscous by some), onions, squash, apples, mushrooms and lots of herbs. Half an hour before were were to sit down, I stuffed filled the pumpkins and baked them in the oven. I wasn't thrilled with them since I think they cooked to long in the oven and the couscous got a tad crunchy on top. This is what happens when you are juggling 8 or 9 dishes in one oven and trying to get everything hot and out on the table at the same time. I still think that the vegetarians appreciated the sentiment that I made something especially for them and they wouldn't just have a plateful of side dishes.
I am hypercritical of my own cooking because that is how I learn. When I make these next I might put them in a lower temperature oven or keep a watchful eye on them on maybe cover them.
Cooking is all about making adjustments according to what is thrown at you.

The Gravy:

For the first time ever I made the gravy before hand. Ideally I would want to make it with the turkey drippings in the pan the turkey was cooked in. The turkey needs to rest for 30 minutes and that is plenty of time to make the gravy. But with the size of kitchen that I am working in and the last minute chaos of getting everything ready - making the gravy becomes a huge ordeal. By the time the turkey comes out of the oven I am used every square inch of my counter space and the stove top. To have two burners free where I can make the gravy the way I like it just doesn't happen.

So I made the gravy before and then after degreasing the pan juices, I added them to the already made gravy. The is a happy medium that I am comfortable with.
When I go out to buy that steamer I also need to get a gravy separator. It is this genius measuring cup looking contraption that just separates the fat from the precious as gold pan drippings, and you can just pour it off while the fat remains in the separator.
I was happy with my gravy, it had a rich and deep flavor and was the perfect consistency. Slightly thick but not gummy and gray. Think of it as a thickened jus.

The Turkey:

It was my least fussy turkey ever. By that I mean that it gave me no trouble at all. I cooked it simply and it cooperated all the way. No pink parts at the joints, no dryness - just perfect crispy brown skin, succulently juicy breast meat and perfectly cooked dark meat.

I rubbed it with salt and pepper and massaged it with 1/2 stick of butter. Put it in a 500 degree oven for about 20 minutes and then reduced the heat to 350 and cooked it for another 2 hours of so - until the thermometer registered 160 degrees. I didn't baste the turkey once. I feel once there is a lovely crispy skin - why ruin it by throwing liquid on it and also...since it is so crispy - how will any liquid permeate. I used to baste every 20 minutes but I find that it just cools down the oven and makes the turkey take longer to cook.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
If not, don't worry there will be another one next year.
What were the hits or misses in your menu?
Learn anything new? Something to keep in mind for next year or forget about it?

Until I eat again!

My Thanksgiving Menu

Fresh Direct came through for me.

Everything was delivered and perfect.

I prepped yesterday and following is my menu thus far.

Cheese Platter

Pear and Butternut Squash

Roast Turkey with Gravy

Sausage and Apple Stuffing
(Sourdough and Cornbread, Wild Rice, Chestnuts, Herbs and more herbs)

Vegetarian Stuffing

Pearl Cousous Stuffed Squash (for the vegetarian guests)

Green Beans with Fried Onions and Toasted Almonds

Brussels Sprouts

Garlic Smashed Potatoes with Buttermilk

Sweet Potatoes with Ginger and Maple Syrup

Oven Roasted Root Vegetables with Herbs
(rutabaga, turnips, parsnips, onions and carrots)

Salad
Roasted Yellow and Red Beets with Arugula and Goat Cheese and Toasted Pecans

Home made Cranberry Sauce with Orange

Bread and Sweet Butter

Pecan Pie and Pumpkin Pie with Chantilly Cream