Culinary Tips aims to provide cooking tips to everyone, no matter where in the world they are, but hey, we’re Vancouverites.  So here, we’ll talk about a few Vancouver specific stores, some with online presences.  I’m sure many of you have similar types of stores in your home towns.  If you do, please comment and let us know or send us an email.

Cookworks

Online:
http://www.cookworks.ca

Address:
1548 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
377 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC

Cookworks is very high end home cook oriented.  They stock All Clad, Viking, and Le Creuset cookware, Shun, Wusthof, Global other high end knives.  The usual assortment of ‘fancy’ tools can also be found – silicone Mario Batali spaulas, creme brulee torches, grapefruit spoons … basically yuppy cooking tools and wedding gift ideas.

Ming Wo Cookware

Online:
http://www.mingwo.com

Address:
23 East Pender Street, Vancouver, BC
2170 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
9855 Austin Avenue, Burnaby, BC
844-5300 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC
35-935 Marine Drive, North Vancouver, BC
2839 Broadway West, Vancouver, BC

Ming Wo carries more professional items, but not necessarily at a discount.  Their online presence is mostly nonexistant, so I’d recommend heading down to their store in Vancouver’s Chinatown.  Call ahead if there’s a specific item you’re looking for.  They often do a great Chinese newyear sale, and I believe they still offer an industry discount/culinary student discount.  Ming Wo carries a great selection of German knives, and a few Japanese ones as well such as Global and MAC.  Ming Wo stocks a good selection of pastry equipment, bags, tips, and even fondant and colorings.  They do have their fair share of silly gift type stuff too, but not nearly as much as is carried at Cookworks or some of the cookware places found in Metrotown.

The Gourmet Warehouse

Online:
http://www.thegourmetwarehouse.ca

Address:
1340 East Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

I wouldn’t really consider The Gourmet Warehouse a store for professionals.  It’s more of a store for Kits-living foodies and gourmands with too much money and free time.  Yes, they carry some hard to find ingredients and high end equipment, but that is far outweighed by the gift baskets, a thousand bottles of barbeque sauce, and cellophane bagged marshmellos from Butter Baked Goods.  If you like fancy premade products, then then you’ll love The Gourmet Warehouse.  If you like incredible ingredients then you’ll probably want to take a pass.

Genesis Food Equipment
Online:
http://www.genesisfoodequip.com

Address:
1990 Powell Street, Vancouver, BC

Genesis Food Equipment, Inc. isn’t a very sexy name, nor is the store in a sexy part of town, but that’s fine.  They don’t carry the flashy items or the silly wedding gifts that the mall stores, or ‘foodie’ shops do.  Genesis is a restaurant supply store with a constantly changing set of stock.  You won’t find your brand new Shun knife here, but if you need a 26 inch knife to cut slabs of cake, or a few cheap but functional bread knives, Genesis is the place to look.  They carry a full selection of tongs, spatulas, pans, Cambros, and even chinois.  We picked up a nice chinois for $38.  An identical one was at Ming Wo for $99.  I also purchased a bain marie insert that fits the chinois, a pair of tongs, and a beautiful nonstick aluminum frying pan that came to less than the price of the chinois at Ming Wo.

Restaurant quality equipment isn’t necessarily shiny or pretty, but a well made aluminum pan will cook as well if not better than an expensive 5 ply copper core All Clad pan if used correctly.  Your local restaurant supply store may not outfit your kitchen with Kitchen Aid appliances, but at least the pasta roller you buy won’t be made of flimsy plastic, and your pans won’t cost more than the average cook’s weekly wages.

Your Local Restaurant Supply Store is a post from: Culinary Tips

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Making a career in the food industry requires more than just a love of food, cooking, or people.  It requires you to get used to not sleeping or eating regularly, working 8-12 hours on your feet without a break, and putting up with things that should just not be the way they are.  Sure, not all jobs in the field are like that, but you’d be hard pressed to find a workplace that doesn’t have at least one of these issues.

The issue least mentioned in culinary schools is the seasonality of the job field.  In the restaurant world, don’t expect to get holidays off.  Do expect to get random weeks of very short shifts, or no shifts at all.  If you’re in an area that gets a lot of summer tourists, you’d be smart to save your pennies for October – March.  Banquet operations tend to do a ton of business from November to December, but it slows January through May.  That’s a long time to be part time employed, especially if you’re not wanting to live check to check.

I think Three Six Mafia said it best:

You know it’s hard out here for a pimp
When he tryin to get this money for the rent
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent
Will have a whole lota bitches jumpin’ ship

You know it’s hard out here for a chef is a post from: Culinary Tips

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My main problem with this book was the title. Things Cooks Love maybe isn’t the best way to describe this collection. Maybe “Tools Cooks Have Been Known To Use: Some More Than Others.” Maybe that’s not so catchy, but at least it’s more accurate.  A large number of the items in the book, I would probably never own and have never seen at use in a professional kitchen.  A fish poacher! Really? A Bisteeya Pan. What is that even! Oh, it’s for making Bisteeya, thanks Wikipedia. This all got me thinking, why don’t I make a list of equipment that’s actually you know, useful.  If your kitchen is a little sparse, or you’re looking for gift ideas, this is definitely a list to browse through.

If you have $100-200 (Your first apartment/college dorm)

Silicone spatula – I use mine for everything from making scrambled eggs to scraping the bowl of muffin batter.   Buy a nice one.  I’ve never used it less than once a day.  Don’t spend an arm and a leg though, as with everything, silicone wears out. Heat stresses it and it becomes brittle, and bits will fall off.  When you notice it start losing chunks, get a new one.  Nobody wants to bite down on a piece of silicone in their risotto.

Wooden Spoon – Choose one that’s treated (the only place I’ve seen ones that aren’t are at the dollar store), and that’s got a handle longer than your deepest pot.

Medium Sauce pan with lid – The ones with thick metal bases are great, but can be pricey. We bought all of ours in a set on clearance at Sears, and despite being Rachel Ray brand, are pretty freaking cool. Chris manages to repeatedly burn the silicone handles by ignoring the warning that they are only oven safe to 325ºF, though.

Medium fry pan – Again, a nice thick base is good.

Baking sheet – Make sure it fits in your oven. Our tiny oven won’t even hold a lot of so called “small” pans you can find.

Mixing bowls – Stainless steel mixing bowls are best. Choose a decently thick one that you can’t bend with your hands. Make sure it’s big enough for a big salad or a cake mix. Plastic mixing bowls will tend to hold on to fats and oils even if you don’t notice them, so you may have trouble whipping up those egg whites. Plus plastics will absorb smells easily.

Flipper / Spatula – you can buy one at the dollar store, and it will probably eventually melt, but all plastic ones do. Only buy one that’s metal if you don’t have non-stick pans, or else your pans won’t be non-stick for very long. If you have the budget, you can buy an Exoglass spatula that is nonstick friendly and heat proof up to 220ºC.

Box grater – again you can get this at the dollar store. I prefer ones with some silicone on the base to stop it sliding everywhere, but it’s not essential. Most do, but try to get one that has more than one texture on it; small grater, large grater, slicer.

Can Opener – pretty self explanatory. I love my Starfrit can opener, but that’s me.

Colander – The new snazzy silicone colanders are nice and more space efficient, but unless you have two people they can be hazardous. If you’re just buying one, I’d stick with the tried and tested metal ones. Unenameled is best so you don’t get paint chips.

Cutting Board – again self explanatory. One large one is better than a bunch of small ones. Also thicker is better. Wood is nice, but it requires more maintenance than plastic and is more costly. If you don’t buy one that’s non-slip, just stick a rubber mat or a wet towel underneath. The plastic boards with silicone nonslip sides are nice if you can find them. Plastic boards are disposable. When they get cuts in them, get rid of them. The nicks and dents can harbor food particles and bacteria. If you paid a lot for your NSF certified plastic board, you may choose to get it resurfaced.

Peeler - I can’t say enough about my offset Victorinox peeler that cost me $5. Anyone who’s ever borrowed it from me, or seen me peel apples, can attest to its awesomeness, and generally goes out and buys one. It’s more ergonomic than either of the other standard kinds, and has a nice sharp edge on it, but they are harder to find. If you can’t get it, go with the triangular ones, rather than the straight ones.

For people that cook at home, but aren’t trying to be superstar chefs:

As above, plus -

Ladle – I know Henckles make them, and that’s still silly to me, no matter how nice they look. Mine is plastic and from the dollar store and works fine.

Whisk - Choose a medium sized fully metal whisk. If you can bend the loops with your hand, it won’t be too good for whisking anything much firmer than an egg white, so try to look for one that has thicker loops.

Small and Medium mixing bowls – it’s a good idea to have more than one mixing bowl especially if you’re going to be baking anything as lots of recipes call for the dry ingredients to be mixed in one and then the wet in another.

Stock Pot - It’s not just for stock! A stock pot is essential for making large batches of anything, or for making more than 2 portions of pasta. We have 2 they’re so useful. Besides, why aren’t you making stock?

Small sauce pan with lid – Great for warming up sauces or soups.

Baking dish/pyrex. – Vital for lasagnas, casseroles and most importantly, bread puddings! I like to have a couple of different sizes, so I got a Pyrex set that was cheap because it was the “Storage” set (which meant it had lids), and is still oven and freezer safe.

Spider - It’s a wide holed strainer on a long handle. Useful for blanching peas, or other veg and I even use it to pull non-strand pasta from the cooking water when I’m too lazy to drain the whole pot or need to save the water.

Tongs - Chris likes the ones that don’t lock, I like the ones that do, so there’s probably not much in it. They make them with silicone tips now, to prevent scratching your non-stick pans. Make sure you can’t twist them too much when you close them, and that they close tightly. The silicone tips make it harder to pick up slippery things, and the seams can trap food particles.

Chris says: I need 12 inch or longer tongs for when I’m working the grill, so I bought a pair with a yellow silicone grip for $4.30 at My Local Restaurant Supply Store.

Microplane - I’ve extolled the virtues of microplanes in other posts, so I won’t go into their stupendousness again.  Suffice it to say they rock.

Multiple baking sheets – You’ll often find yourself needing more than one. If you’re freezing something and decide you need to bake, you’ll need at least two.

Roasting Pan – A roasting pan is basically a baking sheet with much higher sides. Like baking sheets they don’t last forever, so no need to spend big. Choose one with good handles. Silicone is great but isn’t oven safe over 350F so old fashioned solid metal handles are better. Some even have fold down handles to save space.

Brush – It’s a small item, so buy a proper one, but I’ve heard you can get one from the hardware store and not have too much trouble. Silicone works well for thicker sauces like basting BBQ sauce, but I prefer the regular nylon ones for most applications. To be totally foodsafe, you can get one with blue hairs/strands so you can tell if you lose one into your food.

Citrus Reamer – a useful tool with a funny name. You can juice citrus without one, but I don’t know why you’d want to.

Measuring cups/spoons – Probably something you might want to spend a little more on. If you get flimsy ones they are likely to bend and eventually break when you scoop something heavy or dense with them. Plus, when it comes to accuracy, not all measuring spoons and cups are created equally. There may be as much as a 20% margin of error in your measurements. There’s a reason that professionals prefer to do things by weight.

Masher - It’s either a masher or a ricer for mashed potatoes etc and a masher is cheaper by far. Your mash won’t be as smooth, but for 1% of the cost of a ricer, you’ll be happy anyway.

Steamer Basket – I like the standard collapsible metal ones that you can pick up easily and at a good price. The only thing I can think of to watch out for is that it won’t rust.

Things to get if you entertain a lot, are trying to be a pro cook, or have money to burn:

All of the above plus -

Grill Pan – We even use a version of this at work. One of the best ways I know to get sear marks on something. Substitute: a George Forman Grill.

Ricer - As I mentioned with the masher above, a ricer will give you the smoothest mash you’ve ever tasted that didn’t come out of a box. It’s also great for making gnocchi, baby food and tomato sauces. Martha Stewart Everyday makes a great one with 3 different sized blades.

Mandolin - A staple in many cook’s knife wraps is a mandolin slicer, Japanese slicer, or Benriner. A slicer is handy for making scalloped potatoes, rostis, lemon slices, and when you need to bruinoise or julienne something. No matter how good your knife skills are, you’ll never be as perfectly even or fast as you can be with a slicer. You don’t have to spend $100, but don’t buy the cheapest one you can find. Everyone I know uses the Benriner , but that might just be what we can get.  Choose one with at least 3 different blades, and that doesn’t feel flimsy. If you’re buying it used, make sure the blade is sharp, as with all knives the duller the blade, the more likely you are to seriously hurt yourself, and that it has the hand-guard. Otherwise you’re likely to lose a fingertip or four.

Funnel – A cheap funnel is fine. Ones with narrower tips are better unless you’re canning with it.

Ice Cream Scoop – see other post

Thermometer - Depending on what you’re going to be doing, you might want to get more than one thermometer. If you’re going to be deep-frying or boiling sugar an old-school candy thermometer works well and isn’t going to break the bank.  For testing the doneness of a roast, you can pick up a thermometer that only measures common meat temperatures for reasonably cheap. Cheaper digital tend to be slower to read, and still many times more expensive than ‘analog’ thermometers, so if timing is an issue, go with the analog variety, or buy a nice digital thermometer.

Wok – A wok is a great item if you have a gas stove, but they tend not to work too well on electric or flat surfaces. Chose one that feels nice in your hand, isn’t too heavy to flip, and comes with a ring stand (for those with gas).

Ramekins - Ideal for holding your measured mise en place, or if you have a lot of sides at the table (make your own taco night!), or making individual baked desserts, pot de creme, creme brulee…

Pasta Roller – Ours just broke, so I won’t say too much good about it. If you’re buying it to use as opposed to using once, get a good one. It will be a pretty penny, but there’s not a lot of cheap ones out there that work well, it’s just too complicated a device.

Melon Baller - For melons or soft fruits, you can cheap out, but if you’re going to be balling carrots all the time (don’t ask), you’ll need one that has the cup and the handle made of one piece of metal not welded together or onto a plastic handle.

Cheesecloth - sort of not really equipment, but it’s going on the list anyway. Great for making yogurt cheese or for pulling the liquid out of something (olive puree, carrot juice…). If you’re rich, buy a Superbag.

Mortar and Pestle – Which one’s the mortar and which one’s the pestle? The mortar is the bowl bit. The pestle is the bit that looks like a pen…cil. If you’re going to be making a lot of rubs for meat, or crushing your own spices for curries, or if you’re cooking from a Jamie Oliver book, you’ll need this. They’re never cheap, but you can find them every now and then at yard sales as unwanted wedding gifts I guess. They’re always heavy and that’s basically the only thing that can go wrong. I’ve heard the stainless steel ones aren’t so good because they are too smooth to get much friction going, but I’ve never actually seen one myself, so I wouldn’t know.

Salad Spinner – Pretty self explanatory too, I like the ones with the push down handle, but they are pricey. Chris thinks salad spinners are stupid.

Scale - for everyday use, go with a “nutritional scale” from your department store without too many bells and whistles. For more precision, buy a ‘jewelers scale’ on eBay.

Pizza Stone - Alton Brown says you can use a roofing tile, but that remains untested by me. Chris broke our last one by baking it at over 500F, and I’ve heard of it happening other times if it isn’t put in the oven before it’s turned on, so don’t spend too much.

Essential Cooking And Baking Equipment is a post from: Culinary Tips

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What is a Chefs Knife or French Knife?

A chefs knife is probably the most useful piece of kitchen equipment next to a frying pan.  This style of knife generally ranges from 6 to 10 inches with the most common length being 8 inches in length.  Blades may be straight or curved, thick or thin, but generally there are two distinct styles of chefs knives with different blade styles and construction techniques. Inside each of these classes there are also differences between brands and models when it comes to construction, metal quality, and balance.

Construction

Japanese knives are often made with additives like vanadium and molybdenum, making the blade harder and more stain resistant depending on the alloy.   German knives will generally be a high carbon stainless steel, which is a little softer than the Japanese alloys.  Oftentimes, a harder blade is more prone to cracking or shattering.   In a working kitchen, it isn’t uncommon to hear a story about how someone’s Global hit the floor and broke in two, or the tip broke off.

You’ll see a lot of terms thrown around when it comes to knife construction. Things are added to steel that resist tarnish, add hardness, etc.

High carbon steel is just steel with more carbon added.  Carbon hardens iron, making steel, and more of it makes harder steel.  Harder means more brittle, and more difficult to sharpen, but it means the blades won’t bend/roll as easily.

Stainless steel is steel with chromium added, making it more resistant to tarnish and rust.  You’ll see manufactorers boast about chromium alloys – that just means their knives are stainless steel, just like your cutlery.

Molybdenum increases the hardness of steel and reduces the brittleness of high carbon steel knives.   Like molybdenum, nickel, vanadium and manganese are other metals that increase hardness. Tungsten aids in durability by reducing brittleness and wear.

There’s no reason to feel uncomfortable around these terms. They’re mentioned by manuactorers as buzz words, and virtually all professional quality knives use one or more of these metals to improve their steel.

Maintenance

Japanese style knives really don’t need to be honed like German knives do.  Honing the knife on a standard steel is done to straighten the blade, not sharpen it.  Japanese blades are harder, and do not roll as easily as softer German blades which need straightening.  This also means that it is a lot harder to sharpen a Japenese blade compared to a German one.  It also means that you have to be more consistant in your angle when running the blade on a stone, or you’ll never get a good edge on your Japanese knife since you have to be able to keep that 90/10 or 70/30 proportion.

Blade Styles

Japanese style knives tend to have thinner blades, and are sharpened with a different edge called the 90/10 (or 70/30) meaning 90% of the edge is on one side of the blade, and 10% on the other. The thinner blade means that there is less metal used in the construction of the knife, thus making the knife lighter. This can be a positive or a negative depending on how you’re going to be using the knife.

A heavier, sharp German blade will in all likelyhood glide through a tomato or bell pepper when it falls. The German blades are usually sharpened to a 50/50 edge, which helps prevent them from rolling as easily as they would if sharpened with a steeper angle on one sid

The Bolster

The bolster is where the handle of the knife joins the blade. A bolster adds weight to a knife which acts as a counterbalance, and gives the knuckles a place to rest. The bolster may be full, meaning down to the edge of the blade, or shorter giving you full access to sharpen the entire blade.  A bolster, especially on German, 8 inch or larger knives, adds much needed balance to the blade.  On shorter or Japanese thinner bladed knives, it isn’t really necessary, however Japanese knives tend to be slightly off balance, always wanting to fall tip down.

Tang

Not the beverage.  The tang is the extension of the blade into the handle.  It provides strength and balance to the knife.  The Henckles knife pictured below has the metal of the blade extending all the way to the back of the handle. This is known as a full tang.  The Victorinox has a rat tail tang (I believe).   A rat tail tang is a thinner tang extending from the blade into the handle.

The Global knife pictured below has no tang, but not in the same way cheaper knives do. The Global is made from one piece of steel, and could be considered a full tang in a way.

An Overview of the Knives

Henckels Professional S 10″ Chefs Knife

Henckels Professional S 10 Inch Chefs Knife

Big and heavy, this is my latest knife acquisition.   The metal may not be as hard as some Japanese knives, but I haven’t had any problems with it rolling yet, and I’ve been pretty brutal with it.   I also don’t hone it very often, and it cuts incredibly well.

Victorinox / Forschner 9 inch Chefs Knife

Victorinox 9 Inch Chefs Knife

This knife is made of butter-soft stainless steel. It rolls like nothing else, but you can essentially sharpen it on a regular steel. Plus, they retail for about $30. The Victorinox knives are extremely easy to sharpen on a stone, and can get very sharp, they just won’t hold that edge for a long time. I keep this one for home use, and I like the non slip plastic handle.  Take special note of the dents in the blade.

Global G-2

Global G-2 8 Inch Chefs Knife

This Global model, and all of their other chefs knives I believe, have a problem where they are quite sharp on the top near the handle. After a few hours, your index finger will be aching because of the sharp metal digging under your knuckle. It’ll help you develop a killer knife callus though.

The Global knives are hardened to 56-58 Rockwell and constructed using molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel.

Because of the handle sharpness, this knife lives at home as well. I love it for 15-30 minute cutting jobs, but it hurts too much to use for 4-8 hours inspite of my formidable knife callus.

MAC MBK-85

MAC MBK-85 8.5" Chefs Knife

All of MAC’s knives are hardened to 57-61 degrees Rockwell and are chromium/molybdenum/vanadium – that is to say, hard and shiny.  I find it quite light, and it has an ergonomic resin impregnated wooden European style handle.   The handle is a little short for me, though.  Kind of a pain in the ass to sharpen, but it holds an edge well with only minor chipping.

This is my favorite knife, and my go-to for working with fish, cutting veg, and I’ve even used it to carve a few barons of beef when in a pinch.

What is a chef’s knife? is a post from: Culinary Tips

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Half of the publication seems to be comprised of ads for natural remedies and herb growing videos/kits/seeds.  That’s not necessarily a bad thing if those products target you. but I quickly flipped by them.   A good portion of the articles in the magazine were dedicated to growing medicinal herbs, and in the January 2010 issue, there was a great writeup on planning a low-water garden – their monthly “Design Challenge”/”Garden Spaces” would help those like me who are completely oblivious as to how best to optimize garden space.

The food related articles were really where my interest in The Herb Companion lay.  The January issue had a writeup on Chai Tea (a happy coincidence considering one of the latest Culinary Tips posts), herb infusions, and herb butters.  Basic techniques, yes, but the articles were clear, well written pieces with easy to follow instructions.

I enjoyed flipping through The Herb Companion.  It is very heavy on herbal healing and gardening, with a dusting of food/cooking articles, but it was nice to let my mind wander to non-food related places for a while.  Maybe I’ll even plan a ‘Exotic Herb Spa Day’ myself – might take a few more issues though.  If you’re not up for a subscription, request it at your local library.  It’s a tough time for paper publications these days, and even though a lot of information is available online, magazines provide professionally written, well researched articles, so support your oldschool pulp and paper media.

The Herb Companion Magazine is a post from: Culinary Tips

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The premiere episode, Chocolate, featured four tantalizing recipes: simple mousse, chocolate delice, chocolate and caramel fondant, and a really neat cafe creme in an edible chocolate cup and saucer.

Now, I must say the show was quite ‘cheffy’.  This isn’t Rachel Ray’s 30 Minute Meals.  Raymond Blanc doesn’t talk down to his viewers, expecting a certain level of ability to listen to instructions and repeat them.  The show was also filmed in his Oxfordshire restaurant kitchen, not a studio, which is a nice change for a food program.

If you watch carefully, and appreciate kitchen torment, you’ll get a few laughs as chef Blanc scolds his sous chef (or commis?) Adam.

This show is definitely worth watching if you’re interested in professional cooking tips – there is a lot to learn from this program, and I’ll definitely be following it.

Update: Raymond Blanc’s website RaymondBlanc.com has the recipes for the show in PDF format.  Currently up are: Chocolate Mousse , Délice de Chocolat, Chocolate Fondant with Salty Caramel, Café Creme, Fillet of Mackerel with Fennel & Rocket Salad and a Soy & Lime Dressing, Fillet of Pollock Grenobloise with Pommes Purées
, and Braised Fillet of Turbot with Scallops and Cucumber . Fish Soup, and Braised Fillet of Turbot with Scallops and Cucumber.

Raymond Blanc’s Kitchen Secrets on BBC2 is a post from: Culinary Tips

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Momo Sushi - Salmon sashimi, dynamite rolls

Posted July 21, 2009

I noticed that Momo Sushi, a new Westend Sushi joint got a pretty poor review over at I’m Only Here For The Food, a Vancouver foodie blog.  The author felt that while the rolls looked nice, they didn’t deliver on flavour, and that they were of dubious freshness.

Well, my experiences with Momo Sushi have been good if not excellent so far.  The rolls themself remind me of Samurai Sushi, where you’re served completely unmanageable fist-sized multi-bite rolls.  Like Samurai, the they’re fresh and flavourful, and priced reasonably.  The tempura in Momo’s rolls seems to be made to order, because it is often hot when you get your order.  The salmon seems fresh as well, because it still has bite to it rather than being spongey and soft like previously frozen salmon is.

The staff at Momo Sushi could not be more friendly, and they genuinely seem to appreciates the business.  If you’re down in the West End, low on cash, and have a craving for fresh and flavorful sushi, give Momo a try.  You won’t even have to tip, as they have a large sign on their front counter saying “We Don’t Accept Any Tip”.

Update:

Feb 21, 2010

Went back again last week – similar experience.  Nice rolls, good flavour.  Took some photos before stuffing my face.

Momo Sushi - Dynamite Roll, Beef Teriyaki Roll (That I covered in soy sauce before taking a photo of ... oops)

Momo Sushi is fresh and cheap is a post from: Culinary Tips

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Making Chai Tea

Tired of that cup of Folgers every morning?  Want a little change from Starbucks?  Well, next time you want a little pick-me-up, try brewing a cup (or 4, in our recipe) of chai tea.

What is Chai Tea?

For those unfamiliar with chai, it is black tea infused with aromatic spices, finished with milk and sugar.   Virtually any blend of ’sweet’ and ‘warming’ spices are a good match for chai tea.  Sweet spices are those that pair well, or are enhanced by sweetness: Nutmeg, allspice, vanilla, fennel seed, star anise, cassia and cinnamon to name a few.  Warming spices include peppercorns and ginger, as well as cinnamon.

There are brands of sweetened chai syrup on the market, as well as prepackaged chai flavoured teabags, but they can’t compete with the intoxicating aroma and deep flavours of real chai tea.  Making the real thing is about as difficult as boiling a pot of water – you just need a few things on hand.

As with many Indian dishes, there are limitless regional differences with chai tea.  Some recipes omit ginger or cloves, some add other spices, and I’ve even heard of chilies being added.  Preparation methods differ as well, so remember, there is no truly ‘right way’ to make chai tea.

How do I make Chai Tea?

Ingredients for 1 Litre of Chai Tea

3 Tbsp Black tea – Use a good quality black tea.  Something you would drink on its own.  If you don’t have any on hand, 4 or 5 Tetley tea bags will do.  I normally drink Red Rose tea, but for some reason Tetley seems to make nicer, less tannic masala chai.

Spices -

• 3 inches cinnamon stick
• 10 green cardamom pods
• 1/2 inch ginger, sliced thin
• 10 whole cloves
• 10 black peppercorns

1. Place 2 1/2 cups of water, and all of the spices in a pot, and bring to a boil.
2. Once boiled, cover your pot, and turn to low heat, or turn it off.  Let the spices steep for 10 minutes.
3. Add 1 1/2 cups milk, 2-4 Tbsp sugar, brown sugar, or honey and bring back to a boil.
4. Once boiled, turn heat to low.
5. Add tea leaves and steep on low heat for 10-15 minutes.
6. Strain and serve.

Chai Tea - Ready to Strain

Some additional spices you may want to try adding to your chai:

• Star anise
• Dried orange peel
• Vanilla bean (or just the saved pods, after you scrape the seeds)
• Nutmeg

How to Make Chai Tea is a post from: Culinary Tips

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A Whole Bulb of Celery Root (Celeriac)

If you’ve never tasted celeriac before, the flavor will be familiar yet distinctive.  Similar in aroma to celery, but with an earthier, deeper flavor reminiscent of a potato, celeriac is incredibly versatile and hardy.  It is also an amazing diet food being both filling and low calorie at only 14 calories per 100 grams.

What to Look For

Celeriac plants consist of a large, pale skinned bulb, roots, and small green leaves somewhat resembling common celery.  When purchasing celeriac look for the most even skinned, roundest bulbs you can find.  The ridges and furrows in the skin will trap soil, and the flesh underneath may not be completely white.  The rounder the bulb, the less trimming needed.

Bulbs will be around 3 to 6 inches in diameter, and unlike most other vegetables larger bulbs of celeriac will not be less flavorful.

Storing Celery Root

Celeriac can be stored in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator for a week or more.  Cubed, blanched for 2-3 minutes, and frozen in airtight bags, celeriac can be frozen for several months.

Preparing Celeriac

To prepare celeriac, rinse and scrub the bulb to remove any trapped soil.  Celeriac oxidizes, similiar to a cut apple, when the skin is broken, so prepare some acidulated water in a bowl using lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar.  1-2 tablespoons of acid to every 4 litres of water should be adequate to prevent discoloration.

Turn the bulb onto its side, and cut the stem end and the root ends off.  Place the celeriac onto the cut root end and using a chef’s knife, cut from the sliced stem end downwards, shaving off the skin.

Celeriac leaves are very strongly flavored, and shouldn’t be confused with common celery.  They can however be dried, or used sparingly as a tasty garnish, so you might not want to throw them into the bin just yet.

Culinary Uses

Celeriac is a delicious, nearly calorie free addition to stews and soups where it can substitute potatoes, beets, or other root vegetables.  Used raw, it is a tasty substitute or companion to cabbage in slaws and salads.  Fully cooked, celeriac takes on a wonderful silky texture similar to the much more starchy butternut squash, thus celery root makes a delicious soup with a great texture.

Medicinal Uses and Concerns

Celery and its cousin celery root are both diuretics.  For those with poor kidney function, and pregnant women, large quantities of celeriac should be avoided.  Medicinally, celeriac is said to have a calming effect, as well as treat rashes and skin irritations.

Fat Free Celeriac Remoulade

Serves 4

• 1/2 cup fat free mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp sugar or 1 tsp honey
• 1 bulb of raw celeriac, cut julienne
• 1 granny smith apple, cut julienne

Mix the mayo, cider vinegar, Dijon, and sugar, and toss with julienne cut celeriac and granny smith apple.

If you are not comfortable cutting julienne pieces, try using the widest setting on your box grater and shred it.

Low calorie celeriac chips

Serves  4

1. Scrub, trim, and peep 1 medium celeriac bulb.
2. Boil in salted water until tender enough for the tip of a knife to penetrate.
3. Remove and cool.
4. Slice the bulb using a mandolin slices or knife into thin, 1-1.5mm slices.
5. Dry slices thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel and deep fat or pan fry until crisp and golden.

Celeriac Gratin

Serves 4

• 2 celeriac sliced into 3-4mm thick slices
• 400ml of vegetable stock
• 2 tbsp of sour cream or yoghurt
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 50g of grated parmesan
• Salt and pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C
2. Peel the celeriac, and then cut into slices using a mandoline or chefs knife.
3. Bring your vegetable stock to a simmer, then add the sour cream and garlic.
4. In a bowl mix the liquid with the celeriac slices and sprinkle in the thyme, salt and pepper.
5. Take an ovenproof dish and layer the celeriac inside, pour over the remaining liquid mixture, and cover with foil.
6. Bake for 45-60 minutes, and then remove the foil.  Press down and top with the parmesan cheese.
7. Bake for another 15-30 minutes, until golden.

Perfect Celeriac Soup

Serves 4

• 1 large or 2 medium celery roots (4-5 cups chopped)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Clean, peel, and chop the celeriac into equally sized pieces, about 3/4 of an inch.
2. Sautee the onion in a little olive oil, and when slightly translucent, toss in the garlic cloves whole.
3. Add the cubed celeriac.  Cover and simmer until the celeriac is tender all the way through, about 15-30 minutes.
4. Add your seasonings.
5. Remove from the pot and puree in a blender.  Add back to the pot and bring back to a simmer.  Add your milk, or for a more low calorie version, vegetable stock or water.
6. Finish the soup with a dash of lemon juice.

Celery Root is a post from: Culinary Tips

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Macerating fruit could be seen as something akin to artificially ripening it.  You’re drawing moisture out of the fruit, and sweetening it.

To mascerate, clean and take any inedible parts out of the fruit.  Then sprinkle it with a little granulated or icing sugar.  Cover the fruit with saran wrap, and it leave for about half an hour.  The sugar will draw some of the moisture out of the fruit, and the resulting liquid can be drained off.  You may wish to save it for another use.  The longer you let the fruit and sugar sit together, the softer your fruit will become.

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