cooking

Curry Diary 8/13/2013: Return To Cinammon

by

Originally when I added cinnamon to my Japanese Curry it really didn’t seem to work for me.  Too hot, not quite right, didn’t add the richness that I’ve quested for.  But that was quite a few experiments ago, so I decided to revisit using it on that big batch of curry I made awhile ago.

The result was different – it added heat, but also hinted at an increase in richness and taste complexity.  I’m not entirely sold that it’s a must-have, but I’m thinking that it’s something to at least consider.

The cinnamon brought not just heat, but it played well with the other ingredients – the cocoa powder and maple syrup.  In fact, I’m thinking that if I used cinnamon, I could remove either the black or the red pepper from the mix and maintain a balance of heat while keeping the complexity I’m looking for.  Not entirely sure, however.

This is a great reminder that when you’re evolving a recipe that you need to revisit ingredients.  When enough elements of a recipe change, what failed in the past should be reviewed, especially if the failed ingredient seemed like a good idea at the time.  Maybe it was a good idea, but just not then.

So not sold, but I can definitely say if you’re pursuing Japanese Curry, keep it in mind.  I can see why it’s one of the spices I’ve seen recommended in my research.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

Cooking Freak

by

It’s no secret I love cooking. I’m charting my own voyages into making Japanese Curry here. I cook for friends and co-workers. I enjoy it.

Now not everyone has to like cooking, though I suggest you give it a shot to see if you can at least make it an enjoyable task. But I’m starting to feel like someone who likes cooking and enjoys cooking is extremely rare. It’s a little odd, truth be told, and a little unsettling.

For instance, right now I’m trying to date. My cooking seems to inevitably come up when people contact me, making me think it must be a rare trait especially in men. In Silicon Valley. In their 40’s.

OK, it probably is, but still.

It’s also remarkable among people I meet. I know people are busy, but between health concerns, the price of food, the fun of cooking and the fact you can make some kickass meals in a short time, I wonder why more people don’t cook. Hell, I lost 23 pounds almost entirely due to diet changes, you’d think people would want a piece of that. Also my curried split pea soup entirely rules.*

It’s to the point where I feel a little WEIRD cooking like I do. And this is when there’s all sorts of food-related reality show like ‘Hell Cupcakes” or “Diner Mud Wrestling” or whatever. I don’t know, most reality TV without Tim Gunn gives me hives.**

I guess what bugs me is that it shouldn’t seem odd. Cooking is one of those skills that’s good for us, that’s part of our history, that’s part of good health, and that’s fun when taught right (or at least fun when you’re done). I’d like to see it more appreciated and applied. Maybe there’s some kind of “Cooking is Cool” thing we could do for kids, or get Hipsters on board “I cook because it’s not mainstream.”***

Also cooking is how we understand our bodies, our environment, and how we live. To cook and understand is to understand what keeps us going in the first place. To not understand that is risky.

Ironically, I don’t think everyone needs to cook all the time. I think that it would probably be more resource efficient to create more restaurant, store, and delivery services doing same-day-prepared healthy meals. But cooking at least gives you some knowledge of what to look for.

It just feels weird to like it, do it, and have it be regarded as noteworthy.

– Steven Savage

Steven Savage is a Geek 2.0 writer, speaker, blogger, and job coach.  He blogs on careers at http://www.musehack.com/, nerd and geek culture at http://www.nerdcaliber.com/, and does a site of creative tools at http://www.seventhsanctum.com/. He can be reached at https://www.stevensavage.com/.

* Really, it does.
** Tim Gunn just makes me think “Damn I wish I looked that good.”
*** OK maybe not.

Italian Dressing Mix – Plus!

by

I’ve been experimenting with this mix over time, and frankly am pretty pleased with this version.  It’s a way to make Italian dressing – but you can do a lot more with it (thus the Plus).  Best of all, you can mix it with spices and ingredients you probably have lying around the house.

First you need these ingredients.

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried, ground thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 tablespoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1 tsp salt

Take all the ingredients and mix them together in a jar or other container (preferably the one you’ll keep it in).  If you have a mortar and pestle it’s even better as you can crush things together, but I just mix them together and crush them a bit with the back of a spoon.  I probably need a mortar and pestle to be a cool cook.

To make dressing, just blend 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil (or another oil), 1 teaspoon of White Wine or Rice Wine Vinegar, and 1/2 tablespoon of the mix.  It’s best when you put it in a container, shake it, and let it sit in a refrigerator for awhile so the flavors blend.  Shake again before you serve.

This is a bit high in fat (olive oil, after all), but delicious.  It also goes far – it’s usually enough for a good 2 or so cups of vegetables.  I particularly like it on baby spinach, tomatoes, and broccoli – and diced tomatoes on spinach.

If you want more, merely scale it up.  You can try other vinegars, but I like these ones.

However there’s more you can do . . .

Read more