I was short with some of the details in my post on stocks. I thought I’d elaborate here on a new (for me) approach to stews. My current issue with stews and braises is that the meat is too cooked.…
Month: March 2013
How I brought stock-making into my regular cooking
For my money, the big question in home cooking is, “How do I get on a roll?” Anyone can make a great dinner one night. A productive home cook makes good food every night. This entails a system, a way of…
“What’s a typical dinner in the Pépin household?”
From an interview, here: Well, last night we had asparagus, which I steamed in a skillet, and a piece of salmon that I cooked skin side down in a very hot pan. I cook it on one side for about…
A Crisis Worth Buzzing About
The practice of beekeeping is the harvesting of excess honey produced by the bees which will not be consumed during the winter months. Inherent in this one statement encompasses an incredible number of concepts including by not limited to husbandry,…
Margins for error
As much as I wish it weren’t true, I cook proteins inconsistently. Lack of repetitions must matter. Amassing repetitions is exactly how restaurant cooks learn to cook consistently. In other words, practice makes perfect. The corollary is that it would…
“Shoot One, Please”
The New York Times put up an “Op-Doc” on hunting, occasioned by the Youth Firearms Deer Hunt in New York. The documentary features a 15-year-old. He’s accompanied on the hunt by his older brother and father. Based on votes, the…
“Sous vide” at home
I’ve been asked if low-temperature methods are practical and affordable for home cooks. They are indeed both.
Water Baths
Sometimes you are caught unprepared or overlook small steps in prep, which may set back your cooking significantly. Sometimes this is fairly innocuous like forgetting to put a bottle of something in the fridge to chill for your guests. Other…
February cooking
On missing the farm stand and the benefits of keeping a cooking log.