Sometimes we find it without even lookin', sometimes it
keeps knockin' at our door without us knowin', but sometimes we do find it and
it changes our very core... okay, maybe not so grandiose. It may be as simple as
makin' that first Bolognese sauce or startin' that first exercise routine or
simply makin' us step out of that box known as the comfort zone. Or sometimes
we simply try to inspire others... which is sorta' my mission today.
Actually I'm not the most inspirational or motivational
personality around. Vince Lombardi is quoted as saying "Winning isn't
everything, it's the only thing". The Gochiso Gourmet would have said
"Winning is probable 50% of the time... losing is also probable 50% of the
time". Or perhaps I may have paraphrased Winston Churchill during World
War II, " Remember
gentlemen, it's not just France
But in any case, inspiration needs to come from within.
Maybe something we see, hear, read or even dream unleashes this wave from
within. But it still needs to start there. So I know my simple column won't
inspire you to cook if that's not your calling. Nor will it inspire you to ride
like Armstrong (heck, I can't ride like Lance even if he towed me). But perhaps
it may alter the path.
Inspiration in the
Basics
What are the basics in cooking? Good cooking vessels?
Well, not really since spit roasting doesn't require any vessel other than a
spit and fire. Okay, the fire part requires a good oven or stovetop. Well, I
really enjoy a good steak tartare or sashimi which doesn't require heat at all.
Only fresh product and prep utensils like a good knife. Okay, I could into
fresh artisanal product ad nauseum but unfortunately, not all of us can procure
heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving (or are willing to pay upwards of $10 per
pound for these birds) so I'll skip good product for now. Get it if you can (or
are willing to pay for it) or make do with supermarket product. Therefore I'll
focus on prep tools and arguably the most important prep tool is the knife. Yes,
I know Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal got by on fractured flintstone but the
original article will probably cost you more than a good Japanese or Swiss Vanadium-Molybdenum
steel blade. So purchase the modern version. I still remember the first time I
used a Global 8 inch chef's knife to cut my usual lunchtime carrot sticks. Like
cuttin' through buttah! The only downside is that these blades are so sharp,
they literally can cut slice paper thin slices off of your finger nail if you
try to slice too fast. And I'll be the first to admit, they aren't the sexiest
blades on the market. While the welded (with no apparent weld seams) handles
render the knife as hygienic as possible, I'll still a sucker for lacquered
wooden or ply knife handles. And while the blades are very easy to sharpen on a
whetstone, I'm also still a sucker for that decorative Damascus pattern or tsuchime
hammered pattern. But Global knives do simplify basic kitchen prep work. And
most of their blades do come in less than $100 retail. Therefore, if you've
been limiting your personal culinary creations by using that decades old Ginsu
or those old Gerbers, look for culinary inspiration with a set of Global
knives.
The Spice of Life
Though I love to use a variety of spices whenever I cook
and continually search out new individual or combination of spices, the
simplest can sometimes be the most rewarding. Before mankind started picking
stigmas from Crocus sativus
(saffron), harvesting both the aril and seed of the Myristica fragrans (mace and nutmeg) or navigated the Spice Route,
he probably flavored (and preserved) his food with the most basic of all
seasonings; salt.
Remember that salt is one of the basic taste sensations
in the human palate - there are no basil taste buds or cinnamon taste buds or
garlic taste buds but the palate can distinguish salt. In fact salt was so
important to the Romans that "salary" has its root in the Latin
"salarium" which referred to money paid to Roman soldiers to purchase
salt. That being said, I'm not talking about the simple table salt found in
that dark blue container that pours when it rains. I'm talking about the
colored and flavored artisanal salts used to finish dishes both in traditional
and non-traditional applications.
For starters, artisanal salts come in all colors from the
pink Jurassic and Himalayan salt to the Grey salt from the coasts of Brittany
to the reddish-orange Hawaiian sea salt to the black salt from India to the
various hues of off-white sea salts available worldwide. They all have subtle
differences in flavor and texture and often give a pleasing subtle
"crunch" when judiciously sprinkled on one bite items like sushi,
sashimi or tapas. One of our regular wine group members, Mr K is an avid
collector and consumer of these artisanal salts so much so that he extols the
virtue of these salts with the same exuberance as describing the flavor
sensations in aged vintage Champagne. I personally love using various smoked
sea salts to season and finish dishes.
An unexpected place where these salts shine is on sweets!
I often purchase Fran's Gray and Smoked Salt Caramel. Gray salt is lightly
sprinkled on dark chocolate covered caramel or smoked salt is sprinkled on milk
chocolate covered caramel. Delish! Since chocolate and caramel simply coat the
palate with richness and fat, the light sprinkling of salt helps cut through
the fat and since salt is also a flavor enhancer, makes the chocolate and
caramel taste even better. Ever since trying these confections, I've been a
believer in salt and dessert. The Mrs also makes an Olive Oil Orange Cake which
while delicious on its own, is highlighted by a sprinkling of flaked sea salt
over the top of the cake. Everyone who tries the cake agrees that the salt
makes it better!
So hopefully you're now inspired to either go out and
purchase some good salt for yourself or an acquaintance and perhaps use it in a
way you never thought of before (dessert perhaps) or simply use it to finish a dish.
Finally, the
Vessel
So unless you only spit roast your food or consume
everything raw, you'll eventually need a good cooking vessel. If I had to
choose just one vessel for multi-tasking, it would be a porcelain coated cast
iron Dutch oven. Earlier in my youth, I went for anodized aluminum vessels like
Magnalite or Calphalon because both were well made and eventually developed
"seasoned" bottoms that inhibited sticking. However if you nicked the
anodized surface and did a slow braised in acidic medium like tomato sauce or
wine based liquids, you could detect a bit of metallic qualities in the
finished product. Then I discovered All-Clad, especially the copper core line
that heated fast and even and with a stainless interior, imparted no flavor to
the finished product. However the copper core isn't magnetic so it can't be
used on induction tops. The d5 line can be used on induction tops (and I still
regularly use this product) but long oven braising means loss of liquid since
the covers don't produce a tight seal. That's where cast iron pots come into
play. Porcelain coated interiors which are as non-stick as they come, magnetic
so they are compatible with induction burners and tight fitting covers so you
don't have to worry as much about liquid evaporation during long oven braising.
The downside? Cost. I initially procured Le Creuset which run in the $200 to
$500 range. However cost isn't as much of an issue as many companies (and
celebrities) market their own lines of cast iron cookware from Mario Batali to
the domestic goddess Martha. They can also be quite heavy but I simply see it
as a means of burning off some of those calories I'll be consuming from the
braised oxtails or lamb shanks or short rib that lie within.
So if you perchance don't have a cast iron Dutch oven in
your cooking arsenal, hopefully I've inspired you enough to at least browse the
Le Creuset section and if it suits you, then purchase from the Batali or
Stewart line of goods (or even spend the extra $$ with the Le Creuset line).
Final Words
So like I've stated, I know I can't inspire you to cook if that's not something you really want to do. Nor do I expect all of you to immediately head to the store to purchase all of these items. Hopefully what I did accomplish is to start that little ember glowing, perhaps piquing your curiosity in obtaining a new knife or cooking vessel or in using salt in ways you never thought of before reading this column. Personally, cooking is much more than simply feeding the body basic nutrients required for life. Putting a part of yourself into a dish for family and friends provides the essential elements required not just for life but for living. For feeding the soul. Bon appetit!
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