Good cooking requires transfer of flavors and aromas. A soup without transfers is just hot water and floating vegetables. One way to transfer flavors is to add that ingredient directly to the dish, as in adding fermented shrimp paste to…
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Animal slaughters
Every now and then my wife and I talk about our future home. Recently we added a chicken coop to the imaginary layout. My wife likes the idea of freshly-laid eggs. I know raising chickens will also involve harvesting their…
Prices in cacao
From Oaxaca Journal, by Oliver Sacks.
Asian-style pickled cucumbers
I’ve learned to use pickles to add texture, flavor, and contrast. The pickle recipe below — based on David Chang’s recipe in Momofuku — is very easy to make.
Mythbusting: Myths of Onions and Vampires (or, the Flu)
While clicking around on Facebook today, I spotted a post on a friend’s wall that claimed that leaving an onion out will absorb germs (e.g. the flu virus) like a magnet, and prevent you from getting sick. This is a…
Facebook Myth: Onions Absorb and Trap Germs
I recently saw this post on a friend’s Facebook page, and I address the (possible) validity of the claims in an article here: http://cookonthebias.com/?p=444 ONIONS! I had never heard this!!! PLEASE READ TO THE END: IMPORTANT In 1919 when…
Forming hamburger patties
Bobby Flay’s way works for me. The relevant part starts at 39 seconds.
Seasoned rice
White rice is great. I grew up eating it. I still love it. For health reasons we switched to brown rice. I find it needs help. In fact, with a few minutes extra work and a handful of ingredients, brown…
Thyme salt brussels sprout chips
This is a thoroughly investigated space. However, recommended cooking temperatures vary widely online. I’ve tried many recipes and gotten a wide range of results. Furthermore, there may be room for more twists. To help sort things out, and in case…