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The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

If you were not lucky enough to learn the art of cooking from your mother or, even better, your grandmother, all is not lost. It really is never too late to practice and obtain the skills needed to use the most important room in your home.

There are a number of outlets here in Frederick County that offer a glimpse into the culinary world. Frederick Community College offers classes to both professional and novice cooks who are looking to expand their cooking chops. The Department of Parks and Recreation also offers classes for kids, adults, and couples. Both offer a delicious experience in a relaxed professional atmosphere.

But what about learning to cook from a book? Can you gain the finesse needed to become a skilled cook between the pages of a cookbook? I would say no. I do not care what current culinary superstar wrote the book, there is no way you will be able to pick up every single idea they have about cooking. I do believe that if you read a successful, chef’s words you can develop your own philosophy on cooking. You may eventually be able to duplicate their signature dish as well and, given time, you my even be able to make some subtle changes to the dish to make it your own.

If you are working from a book you need to concentrate on the techniques that the chef/writer is working with and duplicate and perfect them. Then, you need to concentrate on getting your flavors down. All this takes time and effort, and there is no shortcut. Nobody is born or wakes up one day with the skills and knowledge it takes to be a great cook. You must practice. You must taste new dishes and try to figure out what ingredients and techniques were used to obtain their results.

Which brings us to the internet. Right now, there is no shortage of videos, blogs, and even websites promising a complete set of cooking courses that promise to make you a culinary icon, if not in your kitchen then in your own mind. As soon as I run out of ideas for this article, I promise I will start working on my own website, promising the same lofty goals. And given my experience, it is very easy for me to say that I can learn something from almost all of these outlets. But, if you do not have the basics down, it might be very difficult for you to gain any benefit from these sources.

Cooking is made up of a great deal of science; you can glimpse that science from a book to some extent, but the rest of it is art. And art is pain and understanding and calls upon us to open our minds to new ideas. Finding the right source of instruction that would suit you is something you will have to seek out yourself.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

The Year of Beer

When people would ask me where I am from, I usually responded with Frederick County, where brewers walk like gods on earth. It would have been difficult to argue my statement about our county in the past, but now it would be almost impossible. As the United States grew into the brewing revolution, our county can brag that we were right there at the forefront. We have a number of craft breweries, where you can get delicious craft beer made practically in your own neighborhood: a Brew On Premise shop, which was one of the first to offer anyone over twenty-one the opportunity to walk in off the streets and learn the art of brewing your own beer; a homebrew club with over one hundred members; and more than a few restaurants with a beer-centric theme. What better way to celebrate our love of brew than to have a glass of well-crafted beer. The only dilemma is what to drink and when. So, in 2019, if you want to know what to drink, here is a guide to international, American, and local beer celebration days.

Starting off the list is International Beer Day, which is celebrated on September 28, and which also coincides with Sir Arthur Guinness’s birthday. Perhaps the world’s favorite stout should be in your glass.

International Stout Day is observed on the first Thursday of November.

International India Pale Ale day can see you drinking a glass of hoppy goodness on August first. 

In Belgium, where beer is a way of life, they celebrate beer with a weekend of drinking, music, and shows. Held in Brussels on September 6-8, and with over four hundred beers in the mix, is it any wonder there is a movement to extend the festivities to a two-week event?

Not to be outdone, British Beer Day is June 15 and boasts the motto “Cheers for Beers!” And of course, they too would like to extend the affair to a one-week celebration. My thought is that there is someone on the tourist board pushing these initiatives.

In the United States, National American Beer Day is celebrated on October 27, but National Beer Month is in July. If you drink a beer sometime in this timeframe, I am certain you can consider yourself covered, but in case you miss those, National Drink a Beer Day is September 28. Funny, I thought every day was National Drink a Beer Day.

On the homebrew front, we have National Homebrew Day, which is observed the first Saturday of May. If more than one homebrewer gets together to make a beer, it is called a Big Brew Event. Our local club, Frederick’s Original Ale Makers (FOAM), gets together for the event, and if you ask nice, you might be allowed to crash the event.

Finally, we have the Big Kahuna of all beer drinking events: Oktoberfest. In Munich, they hold the mother of all beer bashes from September 26 through October 6, where copious amounts of food are washed down with oversized steins of German beer, all while singing drinking songs at the top of your lungs. Can’t make it to Munich? Frederick has more than a few of our own Oktoberfest celebrations. The Rotary Club holds theirs the weekend of September 27-28, and really shouldn’t be missed by anyone. And, better late than never, the Oktoberfest at Schifferstadt is held on October 19-20.

If you really need an excuse to enjoy a beer, by all means use these or any other beer-inspired holidays to enjoy a glass of craft beer goodness. And maybe you can say a little prayer in the name of St. Arnold, the patron saint of beer who we celebrate on July 18.

Need a recipe or an idea for any of these Beer Day Celebrations, drop me an e-mail at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Holiday Baking

Most cooks believe good baking is nothing more than accurately measuring the ingredients, mixing them up, and throwing the finished product in the oven. And, of course, those of us who do bake know these people are wrong in this belief. Armed with nothing more than a good recipe and a few ingredients, these people are like kamikazes; they may get the results they want, but it probably won’t work out too well for them along the way.

What most people who bake do realize is that baking takes a mastery of a few basic mixing methods, along with some special techniques and a little finesse. Like anything worth doing well in this world, good baking takes a little knowledge and practice. Until you get these techniques down, you will need to practice. Bake sales, parties, picnics, any excuse you can come up with, is a good time to try your hand on what might become your signature holiday sweet.

Next is getting organized. Of course, you will need a clean kitchen with the equipment you need in easy reach. Make sure the equipment you don’t need is put away or temporarily taken out of the kitchen. If you are working in batches, then get a system down where you can do the different steps at the same time.

Make a list of the ingredients and how much you will need. Purchasing extra isn’t a problem if you can properly store it and it has along shelf life; think flour and sugar over eggs and milk. Purchasing bigger lots or packages can save you money, but only if you can use most of them up completely.

Coming up with an idea of what you want to bake depends on your comfort level. It also depends on the reasons you are baking. If you are making holiday gifts, you might want to make cookies, while others might want to make a quick bread. If you are entertaining, a cake or some pies might fit the bill. Or, if you are going to party or dinner at someone else’s home, you might want to throw together a yule log cake or a bread pudding. Feeling bold? Try a Panettone (an Italian type of sweet bread loaf, originally from Milan), if you think you can manage the yeast-raised Italian confection. It even has a great story to go with it.

Another idea that can make the right statement is making fudge. For the novice fudge maker, you must have your act together tight. There are more than a few steps, but only three or four must be done with any real accuracy. Cooking sugar to a candy stage is not for the faint of heart, but once you get it down, you may well find it could become your signature dish that you can whip up with little or no effort.

A final thought is that you may not need to bake something at all. Try your hand at measuring and make a signature baking mix you can put in a jar, decorate, and add a recipe for the recipient to bake it up for themselves. There just might be something to this measuring thing.

Baking something up for someone takes time and effort, but if done with love and care, it can brighten someone’s holiday.

Need a recipe or idea for any of these holiday ideas, drop me an email at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com. Otherwise, have a great holiday.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Get Out of the Thanksgiving Box

by Buck Reed

If Thanksgiving is a celebration or thanks for the bounty of the season, then why do we limit the foods we eat to the same thing every year? Why not add a dish or two to your table? A new dish might add a little pizzazz to your holiday and get you into the mood for a fabulous fall. Just don’t mess with the turkey or screw up the gravy.

Keep the traditional stuffing next to the turkey, but maybe think about adding another bread-based dish to your meal: bread pudding. It’s easy to add a bread pudding with pumpkin or maybe cranberries or apples to your dessert table, so take the plunge and give a savory bread pudding a try. Make a standard custard and pour it over some stale bread cubes laced with onions and filled with sautéed mushrooms, spinach, or cooked and mashed winter squash. With a little imagination, you can put a grand spin to this idea.

Another dish that could make its way as a new tradition is roasted apples stuffed with sausage. Let’s face it, “anything” and sausage is welcome on my plate. Also, consider roasted Brussel sprouts or cauliflower to add a different flavor. For the beer lovers on your guest list, try a beer and bacon vinaigrette drizzled on your roasted vegetables.

Maybe a great corn dish could find its way to your home. Corn bread (yawn) is a good start, but spoon bread is another southern favorite, or perhaps a corn soufflé or pudding could be an elegant, yet easy, dish to prepare. Don’t overlook grits, as you can add to them almost anything to transform them into a fantastic side dish. Or take a lagniappe from our Cajun friends and try corn Maque Coux.

Maybe you want to finish your meal with a bang. Got an ice cream machine collecting dust? Break it out and try your hand at making a pumpkin or cranberry ice cream. Or make a cheese cake with a cranberry curd. If we are pushing cranberries away from being a mere side dish next to turkey, let’s try a cranberry pecan trifle or a parfait featuring this berry. A sweet potato cake with spiced whipped cream might even break you out of the cranberry funk I just put you in. Note to self: Cranberry Funk would be a great name for a band.

You don’t have to make an extraordinary effort to add another dish. Perhaps you can make something that can be set up a few days in advance, or better, put your slow cooker or grill to work for you. Ladies, what better way is there to get the man in your life involved than to have him fire up the grill? For especially large families that require more than one turkey, perhaps a grilled turkey could fit the bill.

With a little planning and some thinking outside the box, you can perhaps add a little spark to an otherwise dim holiday meal. Heck, forget outside the box, step out of it and kick it away. Or if you really want to be different, head to the local Chinese restaurant for some Peking turkey.

Need a recipe for any of these Thanksgiving ideas drop me an email at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com. Otherwise have a great holiday.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Burgers: The King of Sandwiches

Burgers hold a special place in the hearts of Americans. Whatever way you stack them, they definitely have the numbers on their side. With nearly 50 billion consumed a year, this means we eat about three burgers a week, and about 60 percent of all sandwiches ordered are, in fact, some sort of burger. As far as celebrities, we all know a character named J. Wellington Whimpey, who will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. A not so well known celebrity is 100-pound-competitive-eater Molly Schuler, who holds the world’s record for fastest burger eater, consuming seven burgers in 1 minute 53 seconds. In case you were worried that she was walking away hungry, that included a 20-ounce Coke and side of fries.

As far as who invented the burger, it wasn’t a clown named Ronald. Most credit Fletcher Davis, who owned a lunch counter in Athens, Texas. In the early 1800s, he served a fried ground beef patty between two pieces of bread with mustard and a slice of Bermuda onion, and a pickle on the side. McDonald’s reopened, after closing its first restaurant in 1948, with a hamburger that cost 15 cents and for 4 cents more you could have it with cheese. Today, I have seen people drop a nickel and a dime on the ground and not even bother to pick it up. The McDonald’s menu included nine items, and they were known for speed and consistency.

Today, a burger with the works is dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, along with a variety of condiments, and is available in any moderately priced restaurant. And, of course, anywhere they offer a burger, you can always get it with a slice of American cheese melted on top, thank you very much. Fancier joints might even offer you a choice of the kind of cheese you would like on your burger, ranging from cheddar to Swiss, as well as almost any other kind that you can imagine. As far as condiments, the basics are ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise, but you can also opt for barbeque sauce, salsa, Thousand Island dressing, bleu cheese dressing, guacamole, or just about anything the chef can imagine. My own Bistro Burger included bistro sauce, which was barbeque sauce mixed with mayonnaise.

In this day and age, everyone seems to be reinventing the burger. Some are looking back to the days when burgers were served with a fried egg on top. Right now, it is chic to come up with a cool name and then come up with the toppings for a unique burger. Like the Big Kahuna might have a grilled slice of fresh pineapple and barbeque sauce on it, or a southwest burger might have salsa, avocado, and a slice of cheddar cheese. Thinking outside the box, some chefs are adding thick-cut fried onion rings to their burger creations. Not stopping there, we are now finding menus that offer fried mozzarella sticks and jalapeno poppers on their burger creations. Onion jam and bacon jam are actually making some appearances that are adding a decadent panache to our burgers.

Let’s not forget the bun. I believe a sandwich is only as good as the bread it is served on, and a good burger is no exception. You can still do well with the cheap hamburger buns that are sold in any grocery bread aisle; but don’t overlook a good Kaiser roll, club roll, or even brioche roll. Now, they are even offering a good Hawaiian bread style roll to add a new dimension to your burger. Start with good bread and you can’t go wrong here.

Don’t be afraid to try something new. You never really know where the next big burger idea will come from. And who knows, you might even become famous…at least in the world of burgers.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Eggs By the Numbers

by Buck Reed

As popular as eggs are, each person in the United States eats about 270 per year. That still adds up to a $10 billion a year business that employs 125,000 full-time employees. That is certainly something to crow about.

As far as purchasing eggs for you and your family, free-range chicken eggs are better than mass-produced eggs. Free-range chicken eggs can cost 2-3 times more than those found in the supermarket, but are worth every penny in terms of flavor and freshness. A chicken who scratches out at least part of her nutrition from the backyard will produce a better egg. Scientifically speaking, happy chickens make better eggs. There is a ton of data to support this.

As far as the culinary world, eggs are an essential part of our world. A chef’s hat has a multitude of folds, each one representing a different way they can cook an egg. Omelets, scrambled, or fried are just a few of the many ways we can enjoy eggs every morning. In baking, eggs have an important function in stabilizing finished products, making them firm. As an ingredient, they also add richness and nutrition to everything they touch. This little miracle ingredient could be the most important part of any cook’s or baker’s repertoire.

As far as eating eggs safely, they have a dubious reputation. For every study that says they are good for you, someone will fund a study that says they are bad for you. To some extent, it is about the money. You won’t see the Egg Council fund a study saying eggs are dangerous to your health nor the Big Time Cereal corporations fund a study that says eggs are the wonder food for nutrition. That being said, you should monitor your health and eat eggs in moderation.

Eggs are best eaten fresh. The best way to determine freshness is to put them in a pot of water and see if they float. If they do float, they are old and should be discarded. The white or albumen part should have two distinct parts, described as thick and thin. After it is cracked the thick part surrounding the yolk should actually stand up looking like a mountain. As it ages, the thick albumen becomes thinner.

No matter how you eat your eggs, you should take the time to prepare them well. Just in case they really are super bad for you, you may as well make sure you enjoy them.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

In An Organized Kitchen

In culinary school, we were told a story about a chef in France who worked for the king of France in the days of old. It seems that during one of the parties the chef had prepared for the king, they had run out of food, devastating the chef and his reputation. So, when the next party was planned and the food was delivered, the chef noted that there wasn’t going to be enough to feed all the guests again. Not realizing that there was another cart of food on its way, he became distraught and eventually committed suicide, not wanting to face the humiliation of another ruined party. The moral that I took from this story was that you better get organized or you will get “run over” in the highway that is the professional culinary world.

A natural talent of most successful chefs is definitely found in organization. In my time, I have found that Lutece and McDonalds, both successful restaurants have this in common. If you look in their walk-in refrigerators, you will find that everything is neatly organized and put away the same way every single day. There is no guessing if you are out of something or not. There is no searching for a box that is out of place. Hide and seek is not a favorite game of any chef. Now we have computers to help us with our planning. A Point of Sale (POS) is a system that helps organize the wait staff’s orders into tickets that help the cooks prepare the food for service. But that is only one small part of what this program can do. If properly set up, POS can keep track of your entire food inventory, helping you with ordering, food cost, and even tracking theft. It can also give you a history of what happened in the past, and help you predict what might happen in the future. Knowing how much of a certain appetizer or entrée you sold last weekend, or the same time last year, can give you a great jump on deciding how much you should prep this weekend.

Fortunately for home cooks such as yourself, you do not need a $10,000 computer system to get organized. Keeping your kitchen and pantry organized will make shopping easier. And, an organized kitchen is just easier to keep clean. Making lists before you go out to the grocery store is a help, but like most of us, you may be shopping for sales or, even better, something that is in-season. Trying to shop in such a way that you will know what you want to cook for the rest of week is a challenge in itself. But, real cooks seem to make it work out. It is almost as if we do it without even thinking about it.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Articles I Probaby Won’t  Be Writing This Month

First off, let me say the internet is a wonderful tool. At no time in the history of the world has information been so readily available for anyone who has access to it. Not only can we find out the current number of aardvarks at the zoo in Cleveland, Ohio, but we can also find out what Sally Scofield of New Banger, Maine, thinks of her neighbor’s blueberry crumble if the old dear decides she wants us to know. And one thing I know about Sally, she loves to share these things.

Looking up facts can be a tricky endeavor on the internet, and unless Snopes starts verifying the actual number of vegans there are on the planet, you pretty much must rely on what your fellow bloggers are saying. But if you are two days from deadline and need an idea on what to write about, the internet might be helpful. You can read through a few articles that seem to be trending and try to get an idea there. What you do not want to do is go on Facebook and get into your Learning Chef page and ask them for ideas.

The Learning Chef page is a pretty good one as far as sites go. It is made up of both professional and amateur cooks, looking to improve their art by sharing ideas as well as information. Unlike most pages for pro chefs, it doesn’t degrade into rants of self-important line cooks complaining about the know-nothing owners and the uncouth customers who just don’t understand how much Parmesan foam is going to make your dish a hit. The customers have Yelp to rant, and we have Facebook pages to retaliate. These guys are usually good with ideas and criticism and that is why I had no problem asking them for ideas. And they are good ideas, but just not for me.

One aspiring chef wanted me to write an article that would explain the life of a line cook and the trials they deal with on a daily basis. I rejected this idea immediately, under the notion that I do not want this to become a rage page for something that I decided a long time ago I wanted to do. The fact that someone didn’t like my specialty dish doesn’t change any of that. You think your life is hard, try doing it on the cruise ships. The fact that it is hard doesn’t mean I love it any less.

The next suggestion was a treatise on cooking your next meal in the dishwasher or under the hood of your car on the drive home. I can’t really do 500 words on “don’t do that.”

One girl wanted me to write about being a female in a professional kitchen. Until I go the Bruce Jenner route, I really have no frame of reference for this material.

Many suggested I write about Anthony Bourdain. It is a topical subject, but I never really related to his. He was an angry man who had a lot of demons. His story is a good example of no matter how much success or riches you might have in life, if you do not conquer your demons, that success is not going to help you much.

I did get a few ideas that might work, and you might see them here soon if I can flesh them out. But I would like to hear your ideas for this column. Please write to me at RGuyInTheKitchen@aol.com. I promise if I reject them, I will not dedicate an article to them.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Chili Nation

The exact origins of chili are muddled at best. The only sure thing is that it is an American dish that is only made in Mexico for tourists. In most Mexican culture, chili con carne is considered a vile dish served and eaten in the United States, from California to New York. So, I do not believe anyone would dispute our claim that this is an American dish.

Chili can find its origins all the way back to the 1600s, where a nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain, said she ministered to the American Indians, who never even met her. She never left Spain, but it is said that she would go into lifeless trances for days, in which she claims she brought spiritual guidance to a faraway land. The Indians of North America called her spirit “The lady in Blue.” She is credited with being the first person to write out a recipe using antelope meat, onions, spices, chilis, and tomatoes. Every great dish should have a mystical element in its history. If we only could have worked in how Excalibur was used to chop the meat in the first chili.

Chili eventually found it’s way to the New World, and firmly found its place in the cattle drives of the 1850s. Dried beef was mixed with dried chilis and spices and formed into bricks that could easily travel and be rehydrated into a hot meal on the long drives. By the 1860s, the Texas penal system adopted chili to feed the inmates a cheap meal. Criminals would actually rate a jail house by the quality of the chili they served.

By the 1880s, Latino women would sell bowls of homemade chili, kept warm over mesquite fires from brightly colored carts. These women were dubbed “Chili Queens” and were considered a must-have for both a quick lunch or a late-night meal after a night of drinking. By the 1930s, they were put out of business due to poor health standards. A resurgence of the Chili Queens started in the 1980s, when San Antonio began doing historic reenactments, with a festival dedicated to them held in May.

The Chili Queens were quickly replaced by chili houses all through Texas, as well as the surrounding states. As this was the Depression, nearly every town had an establishment, and chili, being a cheap dish to produce, got many people through the hardest times. In these one-room houses, with little more than a counter and some stools, a bowl of chili was served with all the crackers you could eat.

Cincinnati made its mark on chili in 1922, when Athanas Kiradjieff, also known as Tom, made a chili with Greek spices and served it over spaghetti. Five-way chili is served layered with cheese, onions, and kidney beans, and served with a side of hot dogs.

If you want proof that Chicago is the home of dirty politics, you can look no further than its treatment of chili and its origins. First, they spell it with two “L’s” to more closely resemble Illinois. And in a shameful and immoral move, Illinois State Senator Karen Harasa introduced Resolution No. 89 in the Illinois General Assembly, which proclaimed Illinois to be known as “The Chilli Capital of the Civilized World.” Texans are still pretty angry about that one.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

Food Trends – 2018 Update

So, here we find ourselves in May 2018. A full third of the year gone. Let’s take a moment to see how we are doing so far. Food enthusiasts made several predictions as to how we would be cooking today, what new ingredients we would be embracing and how we would be using them. So, let’s take a moment to see how we are doing.

One of the big trends of last year was avocados and, as an ingredient it has carried over into this year as well. I have one online friend who is looking into using them as a healthy fat in his homemade sausage. I do not want to discourage him, and I hope he finds his key to fame and fortune with this or any other ideas he may come up with. Joining the avocado this year was supposed to be the jackfruit as well as an expansion of coconut products. I have yet to see a jackfruit in the stores, but coconut products are trendy and are gluten free and could be used as both sugar and flour in baked goods.

One service that is drifting up is the prepackaged meal kits. Everything for your recipe is delivered to your front door. All the ingredients are premeasured and ready to be mixed and cooked by you. Many are marketed as getting you and your family back together and cooking together. There are more than a few companies offering this service and many want you to enter into a subscription service.

Another popular idea was to get you out of the grocery stores and get you into growing your own food. With the promise of fresher and more nutritious food at a better price, people are going out of their way to make growing their own food a reality. Be prepared for the condescending stories of these wannabe farmers as they tell you how hard they worked to save $10 on those tomatoes on their salad.

Along with the gardening trend is the buy local movement that everyone is embracing. Many restaurants and stores are advertising local produce. It feeds into the idea that local ingredients are fresher and since they didn’t travel by teamster from far away lands, they have a lower impact on the environment.

One product hitting the shelves soon is geared toward the consumer who is not concerned about their health or general wellbeing. Cookie butter is now found in many specialty stores and is bound to bring some joy to your culinary life. If it catches on half as well as I think, it will probably lead to Senate hearings, which seems to be another trend in 2018. Hopefully 2019 will be more palatable.

Make It Easy

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The Supermarket Gourmet

by Buck Reed

What is cheating exactly? In life, we are taught not to drive on the shoulder to avoid a traffic jam. But who is to say that you shouldn’t do that? Why can’t we just ignore the rules, throw caution to the wind, and just save ourselves some time and keep moving forward? Because some things are just wrong. The culinary world is no different. There are just some things you do not do, and there are some things that are just not that bad.

Take Yankee pot roast. I have a crock pot of it going right now. I could make it from scratch, but I opted for the Lipton Onion Soup recipe. This recipe is so standard for this dish that they don’t even print the recipe on the box anymore. Sure, I can take the time to purchase all the ingredients, measure them out and prepare it from scratch. But what would be the point. Lipton makes a product that not only makes an okay soup, but a really good pot roast as well. I would go so far as to say a better pot roast than one made from scratch. Clearly, no one is going to culinary jail over this dish.

Is it cheating if it makes a better dish or is it a question of having the time we save for something else. Sometimes, we must take the time to learn how to properly utilize a product in order to use it to make things not only easier, but better as well. That goes for working dishes made from scratch, as well as using a short cut.

For instance, take box cake mixes. There are a lot of mixes that make cakes, but they are seldom as good as ones baked from scratch. But, if we take a little time and do a little research, we will find several ideas that can kick that mix up a few notches. Try adding an extra egg to the mix and using mayonnaise instead of vegetable oil. Also try substituting milk for the water, or even better, if you are making a chocolate cake, use coffee or cola. Adding a couple of dollops of sour cream will help make your cake moist. For the price of a few extra ingredients, you can have a significantly better product.

Short cuts are no different than lining your pans with aluminum foil before you turn them into a mess. If you learn how to properly use short cuts, you might find yourself cooking more often.  And if these ideas do save you a little time, use it to look up some ideas for your next short cut.

What is your culinary cheat/shortcut? Is there a product that comes in a box that helps you in the kitchen? Let me know at rguyinthekitchen@aol.com.

Food Hoaxes

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The Supermarket Gourmet, by Buck Reed

As a big time, professional food writer and a general culinary know-it-all, I am often called upon to debunk many of the food myths that seem to permeate not just the internet, but the world at large. My interest in not only history, but how the mechanics of a con works has always been a great interest of mine. And with April Fools Day right around the corner, I don’t expect these stories to stop anytime soon.

I actually got this one the other day, concerning onions, and how once they are cut, they are highly susceptible to germs and other pathogens, to the point that they actually become poisonous. The question was posed by a good friend of mine, one whom I consider to be of well-above average intelligence. She should have been able to work this through in her own mind. After all, she was in the food service industry; even though she was a server, she must have seen onions cut up and stored in the refrigerator. Yet, it didn’t matter what she knew or didn’t know, she saw the article on the internet that claimed leftover onions are poisonous. For the record, onions, when treated properly, are no more dangerous than any other leftover food product. That is to say, if your work surface and your hands are clean, you cover and refrigerate them, and they are used in a reasonable amount of time, it is perfectly okay to consume them.

Another popular internet hoax is the story of margarine and its relationship to turkeys. It goes something like this: margarine was invented as a food supplement for turkeys to fatten them up. But, when it started killing off turkeys, the investors were desperate to make their money back and decided to market it for people to eat. Actually, margarine was created in 1869, during the Franco-Prussian War. The French government was looking for a cheap substitute for butter that would have a better shelf life and offered a hefty prize to anyone who could develop one. For a brief period, margarine was marketed as being healthier than butter, but notice they don’t do that anymore. Depending on who you talk to, margarine is not any better for you than butter and, according to some sources, might actually be worse for you.

Even magazines are falling for these hoaxes. Take Robin Goldstein, a prominent restaurant critic, who wanted to prove how easy it is to win a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. This award is given to restaurants with the best wine lists. So, he submitted his wine list from the Osteria L’Intrepido in Milan and paid the $250 entrance fee. After careful consideration (or very little consideration), the Wine Spectator awarded them a prize. Unfortunately for them, there is no such wine list, as the restaurant itself does not exist.

So, before you try to charge your cell phone with an onion soaked in Gatorade or go to the grocery store looking for a purple watermelon, maybe you should do a little research. Just look around on the internet to see if the internet story is true. That’s what I did.

Following the Trend

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The Supermarket Gourmet

by Buck Reed

From the time Homo erectus placed his mastodon rib over the fire he had just invented, we have been experimenting with how to cook in the pursuit of the perfect meal. This is not the search for the perfect tasting meal, but the best way to produce the perfect meal. It seems that these days, almost every day there is a new trend, a newly discovered ingredient, an obscure cuisine, an all-encompassing new diet, or some clever technique that is thrust into the lime light and, for a brief time, we are held captive to it. The sad part is, unlike fire, these ideas are cast aside for the next big thing, almost before we can grasp them.

Some of these trends are a flash in the pans, like Southwest cuisine, and others have real staying power, like Pizza joints. Others are throwbacks, like cast iron skillet cookery, to a kitchen history that was all the rage only to be lost and then brought back.

In order to understand these trends and get the most from them, we have to look at history. We need to go all the way back to the late 19th century to Auguste Escoffier and his book, The Guide to Modern Cuisine. In this book, he wrote out all the various elements of French cuisine and broke down each recipe to the techniques, as well as the measurements for each ingredient. Before his book, anyone trying to explain a recipe for the professional chef was giving a list of the elements or ingredients with no measurements. It was up to each professional chef to learn these measurements on his own, as well as the techniques needed to produce them. This called for decades of practice as an apprentice and then a cook in a professional kitchen. Today, we can do the same thing online, apparently in a class named after Auggie. I can hear him spinning in his grave.

It can almost be a full-time job keeping up with all these trends. No sooner does one pop up, it is quickly replaced by the next one. By the time a book or a trendy magazine article is written about the next big thing, it is over and the next one has taken over. I do not even think the internet will be able to keep up.

What once took time and effort to learn for the professional can now be “mastered” by the amateur cook during a weekend class. You can spend a couple hours a week in a local culinary class or spend a vacation in a foreign country, getting a real taste of another country’s local fare, as you learn to prepare it yourself. For the professional chef, following a career path can be fairly typical for everyone; but for the amateur cook, there are many ways to go.

How are you keeping up with culinary trends? Do you have a chance to try any at home? Let me know at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Sous-Vide, Sous-You

by Buck Reed

Ketchup was first put in a jar and sold commercially in 1830. This remarkable creation was followed by mayonnaise, marketed in 1907. Today, we mark the day that ketchup and mayonnaise will now be mixed together and actually sold in the same bottle. Imagine…no more haphazardly mixing these two condiments together or having to consult a recipe and carefully measuring these two ingredients before mixing them together yourself. What a time to be alive. If it is not at your local grocery store, then ask for it by its name: Mayochup.

Then, there is the newcomer technique of the day: sous-vide. This technique is part of the new molecular cooking wave that is sweeping the high-end, hoity-toity culinary world. But unlike most of the methods being used in this new world of cooking, sous-vide might actually find a comfortable place in your kitchen.

Sous-vide was developed in the 1970s, and was used to gently cook foie gras by sealing it in a plastic bag and heating it in temperature-controlled water. It was quickly adopted by the airlines to provide top-notch gourmet meals to first-class passengers. In the last two decades, it has been expanded to a go-to technique for high-end restaurants. Today, home sous-vide kits are being marketed to the novice cook. Maybe you got one for Christmas? But, if you didn’t, do not question how much your family loves you, but instead, question how much you display your love of cooking. Holiday guilt…my favorite tradition.

At first glance, it might look complicated, but it is actually simple and easily managed. The first thing that this will help you with is consistency. Whenever someone asks me times and temperatures for recipes in their home, I must guess since I do not know their oven. Sous-vide solves this problem since it is precise temperature control, with exact times it takes to get food cooked perfectly. There is even comfortable wiggle room in the time for when things are not going as planned.

As far as equipment, you will need a circulator, a food saver with bags, and a large pot. A circulator is a device that will heat your water to the proper temperature and maintain it during that cooking time. The good news is that if you do not already have a circulator, there are a multitude of people who will receive one as a gift, but will not have an interest and might donate it to Goodwill. I am thinking you should start looking in March, or after the April tax rush. You probably already have a food saver, which most people have banished to the bottom cabinet.

The best part about this method is that it is versatile. You can use it to prepare more expensive cuts of meats, as well as elevate the cheaper ones. It also works well with fruits and vegetables, and will help preserve the flavor of your food, as well as introduce new flavors to them.

Like anything new to the culinary world, this technique may not easily catch your interest, but with a little research and practice, it might become a handy trick in the magic show we call your kitchen.

Supermarket Gourmet Throwing Tricks

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by Buck Reed

In last month’s article, I used the term “throwing tricks.” This in no way made me popular with my colleagues in the food service industry and may have confused a few of the many fans of The Supermarket Gourmet. So, I wanted to take a moment to express my absolute respect for what they do. The techniques they are preforming are obviously something they must practice and perfect before serving it on a plate for which they are charging you money. With that in mind, I thought I might share a few tricks I have thrown in my career.

One of my first tricks was learned during my time in the Navy, in the Galley of the USS Cushing. During extended time out to sea, we would unavoidably run out of fresh food. We could supplement with frozen or canned veggies. All our meat, poultry, and seafood was frozen, so no problem there. It was the dehydrated foods we had to deal with that would need our tender loving care. After ten or so days of dehydrated eggs and mashed potatoes, we would have to get creative. Before the eggs and fresh potatoes ran out, our chief would have us freeze a couple of egg shells and a couple pounds of potato peelings. Just as the crew was getting tired of our instant creations, we could slip our hidden treasure into someone’s tray. An egg shell in the eggs of the sailor with the biggest mouth was like gold in the propaganda arsenal of the naval cook, as was cooking the potato peelings into the instant mashed potatoes. For really extended cruising periods, we would have to rely on a steak and lobster tail dinner to get our shipmates over the underway depression.

Lately, I have been struggling with thoughts of dehydrated foods, mostly online with a group I am a member of, dedicated to Italian food. Last week, someone posted about using dehydrated marinara sauce. Almost everybody rejected it outright, but some people defended it. They said it was a great way to save time, and others thought it was a real money saver. I couldn’t agree with either of these opinions. As far as time, a good tomato sauce really can be made in a relatively short amount of time and will taste way better than the dehydrated mess. And, if you are considering price, you can find a jarred sauce on sale on any given day, and with a little manipulation, you can turn it into a nice dish.

So, can a dehydrated tomato sauce find a place in my pantry? Absolutely, but not as a standalone sauce to be poured over pasta. I can see using it to enhance a soup or stew, if it can add a unique, respectable flavor to it. Maybe it can add a good tomato flavor as a secondary component of a dish.

The idea is to not turn down an idea as a first response. After all, Yankee pot roast wouldn’t be the same without instant onion soup. Some of the best chowders in New England are made with canned milk. Bouillon cubes are not my go-to for stock, but crushed up and added to fried potatoes can transform Lyonnaise potatoes into an amazing side dish. It really is about looking at these components like an ingredient and getting the most out of it.

Do you use a dehydrated food product in a unique way? I would love to hear about it or any ideas you have for an article. Please write to me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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by Buck Reed

A Cook’s Efforts

If I had to label myself as a cook, I am afraid I would have to call myself “old school.” I get that sous vide and plates laden with foam are the wave of the future (For my readers who are interested in these techniques, I am currently working on articles that might explain them, but probably will not encourage you to try them.) And I understand that people are going to pay big bucks for a tiny portion of dishes dedicated to these techniques. And I get that the chefs and line cooks who prepare this food are extremely talented and dedicated professionals, changing the landscape of what fine cuisine is going to be. But it just isn’t for me. It isn’t the food I want to eat and it isn’t the food I want to make.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not too old to learn. The world hasn’t quite passed me by yet. I respect these guys immensely, but it all feels like they are just doing what I call “throwing tricks” at their customers. It all seems like it is all hinged on plate presentation and manipulating the ingredients with stabilizers.

Most of the professional cooking groups I have joined seemed to be filled with members that want to complain about food service business. They would rather talk about the long hours, the small pay checks, and, yes, even the customers. I didn’t stay long. But the one that I have stuck with is about the food and, sometimes, even about how to make the food better. There are people who do the Michelin star plate presentations for us to critique, and I tend to stay away from those posts. My people are the ones who ask or share ideas on how to create great food from simple ingredients. These guys and gals know that any fool can cook up a piece of tenderloin and make a meal from it; but, if you want something amazing, give me a person who can cook a nice brisket. It takes time, patience, and, more importantly, a lot of knowledge to make that piece of meat into a memorable meal. I will pick the person who can put that together any day and twice on Sunday.

Many cooks today would hear me talk about all the time I put into learning how to cook perfect oatmeal and think I am wasting my time. But, like anything else, it took me time to research it and then practice it until I got it just right. Now, when I ask a cook to make me oatmeal, I don’t care if they put caramelized apples or candied walnuts in it. If the oatmeal isn’t cooked right and, more importantly, if they have no interest in learning the right way, then I have no real use for them. And, since I know how to cook oatmeal perfectly, I have a pretty good idea of how to cook most any other grain perfectly as well.

So please show me that picture of a beautiful plate of meticulously arranged food. You will probably not get me to critique it or even coax a comment on how nice it is. But, I may ask you to explain how you made one component of your dish. And please feel free to elaborate every detail. I will make the time.

If you have any questions or comments, or if you have an idea for an article, please contact me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

The Supermarket Gourmet Foodie Nation

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by Buck Reed

It is not enough to call a plate of barbequed ribs “que.” It is no longer hip to call appetizers simply “Hors D’oeuvres” it is now “Tapas,” “Meze,” or “Antipasto,” and sometimes, two of these terms at the same time, but never all three. Menus are no longer written by chefs; they are “curated” by “culinary artisans” and, sometimes, under certain mysterious circumstances, they are even “carefully curated.” And dishes are now “deconstructed.” If a classic dish gets a different sauce or an ingredient is swapped out, it is “reimagined.” Let’s face it, the foodies are here, and they are bringing their own language with them.

So, what exactly is a foodie? At first thought, one might believe a foodie is someone who loves food and wishes to eat it. As opposed to most people who actually hate food and would never eat it. Or perhaps it is simply a person who, in attempt to elevate their lives by artificially looking down on others, describes every dish they have either made or had made for them with fancy terms, such as clean—as if the food everyone else was eating was somehow tainted with dirt or grime. I personally believe foodie is a marketing term created by an ad man to sell more abalone, saffron, and capers. Well played Mr. Draper, well played, indeed.

The first concept you want to grasp when speaking like a foodie is an absolute, minimal grasp of a foreign language. No, you do not have to speak French or Spanish fluently, but you do need to be able to trade out a few American ingredient terms for their distant counterparts. Eggplant is now aubergine, Mussels are now moules, and French fries are now called frites. You get extra points if you can say these terms with an exotic inflection, and you can somehow add an accent mark as you say them. Do not make the rookie mistake of speaking your entire sentence with a French accent, just over enunciate the actual words you are expressing and actually try to make your face look like you are from a foreign land as you say the words. If you want to practice, try using a German accent when you say sauerkraut. Note: do not do this with Asian ingredients as this could make you sound racist.

Although it may well be a marketing scam, being a foodie place does not by requirement automatically make your food more expensive, but it does seem to work out that way. For instance, new independent restaurants and some franchised joints are now marketing themselves as “neighborhood places,” which is an easy mark to hit, as they are in the neighborhood and they are an actual place. Does that mean that they are not going to seat you if you are not from the locality? And calling your restaurant New American, Pan-Asian, or Bistro doesn’t really define you, but doesn’t really increase the menu price either. And deconstructing your daily specials just means you are arranging the ingredients on the plate so the customer can put them together themselves. That has got to cut down on labor cost.

Whether it was the yuppies, the hippies, or the Food Channel that came up with the term, foodies are here, and like a tick on a St. Bernard, they are not going to be easy to root out. And although I am fairly certain they will not be making the food taste any better, they may actually be helping us develop new ways to express our appreciation for the food we are eating.

Did you like this article? Have any questions or have an idea for a future article? Please feel free to contact me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Buck Reed
Buy the Book

Even though trends indicate that less people are cooking at home these days, cookbook sales are climbing almost every year by 3-6 percent. Who is buying cookbooks? Not surprisingly, over 60 percent are bought by women, of which most are college educated. According to my wife, the other 23 percent are bought by me. And, 76 percent of people who buy two cookbooks a year say they cook at home at least once a week. Cookbooks bought for personal use are clocked in at 70 percent, while the remaining 30 percent are bought as gifts. And what kind of cookbooks are they buying? American cooking tops the list, followed by Italian cuisine, desserts, and seafood.

So, what type of cookbook would best suit you? Well, you must ask yourself if you are looking to cook better or become a better cook. If you just want to cook better, then you are looking for recipes that will actually work and you can easily follow. This is called having faith in the book. However, if you want to become a better cook, you want a book that will explain how the basic techniques work, and how to get the most out of ingredients. The books you are looking for will inspire you to think “outside the recipe.”

How can you tell if a cookbook is not for you? As you thumb through it, look through the ingredients. Are they calling for things like saffron or truffles in every recipe? You have to ask yourself if you are really going to cook with truffles at $1,300 per pound? Is the book trying to get you to Sous Vide everything, which isn’t a bad technique and could elevate your game considerably, but could be difficult for people who are tim- challenged.

Some of my favorite books include authors such as James Peterson. He puts out a book about every two to three years and usually tackles one element of cooking. He explains things very well, in an easy manner that most everyone can understand. Then there is the other side, with Kevin Gillespie and his book, Fire in my Belly. It is easy for me to say that I can get a lot from this book, not just with his inspiring stories about food but his recipes as well. Take his sweet bread recipe. Although I doubt many of us will ever really cook with them or even try this recipe, he tops his fried sweet breads with a celery relish. Looking at this recipe, I cannot help but think this relish would be great in tuna or chicken salad, which most of us make and eat. So, from this one recipe that most would pass by, we can elevate our cooking.

A cookbook shouldn’t just be a collection of recipes. It should inspire you to actually cook something. It should tell you something about the ingredients, the region the recipe comes from, and how the person feels about this dish. You may never cook with geoduck, but maybe a good seafood cookbook will encourage you to pick up those clams at the grocery store.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Food Pro

Buck Reed

Urban legend tells a story of a young woman in the late 60s and early 70s, who upon graduating college, decided to hit the farmers market scene. Her booth in New Jersey had a single apple pie that she had placed at the audacious price of $100 (that’s $12.50 per slice). It took her most of the day, but she finally sold it. No word on whether the purchaser felt it was worth it or not, but she went on to build an empire of magazines; to appear on television shows; and to sell her goods in K-mart, Target, and Macy’s. But no matter how easy her success seems today, Martha Stewart is the story of what an amateur “foodie” can obtain if they work hard, appreciate the business, and get unbelievably lucky to become a successful culinary pro.

In my career in the food service industry, I have met a fair number of people who have never marketed, prepared, plated, and served a single meal for profit in their lives. But if Chef Boy-R-Dee, the McDonald Brothers, and even Paula Deen all did it, these same people think: why can’t I? If passion is a key ingredient in these pursuits, then one can acquire the rest of the qualities needed to become successful. Obviously, they are the grill master of their backyard or the neighborhood cookie queen, but following through can get a bit dicey. Getting your ducks in row can be a daunting task.

Case in point: Dave Peters. Peters, the co-founder of a small family software business, clearly has the first element: a great love for producing great food. “I just love cooking in general, but the most rewarding is producing something that is of high quality,” Peters said. Making cured and smoked meats for his family and friends has given him a deep understanding of the process needed to make and produce these products.

The next element is acquiring the equipment needed to create his masterpieces. Although he has the equipment needed to produce his products as a hobby, he may need to upgrade to equipment that is geared more for professional use and approved by the health department.

So far, he is planning to start his venture by selling sausages and Canadian and American bacon under his company’s name, Peters’ Gourmet & Artisanal Meats. These are all considered cooked items and will be easier to get a license for producing. “The government regulations can be pretty strict; once you mention curing, you tend to get a lot of attention.”

Although it will take time to get his full project up and running, Peters is hoping to get all of his products in a farmer’s market soon. Getting the overwhelming paperwork needed to get a charcuterie license is almost a hobby of its own. And maybe someday his hard work will build a business that will inspire the next group of culinary hobbyists to take the plunge into the deep end in which food pros thrive.

David Peters with some of his masterpieces.

Stew & Soup: The Interview

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Buck Reed

The Supermarket Gourmet

I know my fans expect big things from me. In these past few years, I have tackled the big issues in the culinary world. But who would ever believe I could get this scoop. So many times, I have heard the words “never happen.” My editor told me I would be better off teaching you how to cook a unicorn, which is now on sale at your local grocery store. But, I did it. I got Stew and Soup to put their differences behind them and do their first interview together. Enjoy!

 

Supermarket Gourmet: First of all, let me thank you both for this time.

 

Stew: As long as he can be civil.

 

Soup: I can be cool. I am usually a hot dish, but I can be cool.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: Considering how closely related you are, why don’t you get along better?

 

Stew: Clearly, I came first, and during my time we had respect for elders.

 

Soup: Let’s face it you are old hat.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: For two dishes that have so much in common, why concentrate on the differences?

 

Soup: Maybe we are just two dishes that are nothing more than a set of ingredients, cooked and served in liquid. But it is our differences that make me great.

 

Stew: There is a certain consistency to stews that people find comforting.

 

Soup: I have that comforting thing going for me as well, but I can also bring a greater variety to the table. I am young; I am happening.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: What is your greatest benefit?

 

Stew: I nourish the body and feed the soul. Stew is always the same: meat, seafood, or chicken, cooked with vegetables with a thickened broth. But, I can also be versatile by being served on rice, noodles, or potatoes.

 

Soup: I heal you when you are sick and raise your spirits when you are weary. I can be thin as a supermodel or thick as a mother’s love. I can be served piping hot or glacier cold. You can start your meal with a cup or enjoy a meal as a bowl, or even make it as a finish for dessert.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: What about chili?

 

Soup: Is he here? I am leaving if HE shows up.

 

Stew: We do agree that chili is not a stew….

 

Soup: …. or a soup. It is like comparing elephants to zebras. Sure, it is a good dish and everyone loves it, but really no skill to making it.

 

Stew: It demeans us all.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: What can we appreciate about you both?

 

Stew: Well, we both celebrate the marriage of different ingredients coming together.

 

Soup: Sometimes it is a simple combination, and sometimes it is an excess of ingredients.

 

Stew: But, it always seems to work out.

 

Supermarket Gourmet: Any final thoughts?

 

Soup: If you are in hurry and want something satisfying, throw together a soup. It’s good food.

 

Stew: If you have the time, but a limited amount of energy, make something amazing: stew. It is what people come home for.

The Supermarket Gourmet

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Seasoning Meats

Buck Reed

When we are talking about seasoning meats, I do not mean salt and peppering a steak before putting it on a grill. For the record, by all means, do that. Seasoning meats are a class of ingredients that, when incorporated into a dish, add a distinct flavor to it. These are usually meats that are processed by curing, aging, or smoking, or a combination of two or even three of them. Before refrigeration, these processes were necessary to extend the shelf-life of these products. As these processes became more refined, and even elevated into an art, these ingredients became an important part of our cooking tradition.

Curing is the method used to draw out the moisture of a meat or fish with a mixture of salt, sugar, spices, and other chemicals. The curing process adds a unique flavor to the meat, depending on what it is cured with, as well as how long it is cured. Smoked meat is preserved in two ways: by dehydration and by the chemicals (phenols) in the smoke that are imparted to the product. The type of wood used, as well as temperature and time, all effect the finished product. Aging is generally done to beef to tenderize it, and is done under very controlled conditions. All these processes take time, not only for the process themselves, but the commitment to master these procedures as well. Many of these products are elevated to delicacies in their respective cuisines. Using these products in our cooking can not only connect us to our culinary traditions, but also add a flare of creativity to your table.

Chowder was the first dish that came to my mind when I was articulating this article. Salt pork or bacon is an essential and traditional ingredient in this dish, that adds sweetness to enhance whatever the main ingredient is. Unless you want a smoky flavor, smoked meats should be avoided. Soups, in general, are a great vehicle for getting rid of food product that might go bad. So, why not try a bit of chopped pastrami or corned beef in your vegetable beef soups or stews? Unless you’re afraid of being called a “culinary genius,” you really have nothing to lose.

Ham is another fantastic ingredient. Whatever flavor the ham owns, it very easily transfers to your dish. Beans simmered with ham bones or a ham hock make flavorful soups or side dishes. When it comes to prosciutto or serrano ham, stick to a good, flavorful cheaper product, as these “Cadillac” hams do not really hold up to a longer cooking process. When prosciutto is added to pastas or pizzas, it is usually added just before it is served. If you cook them into the dish, the other chefs will call you names.

Are you in a rut with your usual breakfast of bacon and eggs? Try switching out the bacon for a couple of slices of corned beef or pastrami. Or, for a healthy choice, a nice slice of well smoked turkey breast beats turkey bacon any day. I know switching out your loved one’s bacon for anything else might cause some strife in your household, but you can always claim temporary insanity.

When it comes right down to it, the production of these foods is more art than science, so taking a bit of time to find the right ones is time well spent. And learning how to cook with them could elevate your game in the kitchen and at the dining room table.

Food Celebrations of November

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Buck Reed, The Supermarket Gourmet

As far as food celebrations go, Thanksgiving takes the spotlight for not only the month of November, but quite possibly the whole year. Let’s face it, if food were a sport, then that one Thursday in November would be the Super Bowl, World Series, and Stanley Cup, all rolled into one. Thanksgiving has all the advantages: the iconic foods we all love that we only see once a year; the good gravy; the family traditionally congregating around the table; and, if you do it correctly, three kinds of pie for dessert. Did the Fourth of July really have a chance? But if we took away this day—pretend turkeys are extinct, soon to be followed by cranberry sauce—we might find out that November has a full menu of other food festivities.

The first thing we find is that November is National Sweet Potato Awareness Month (big surprise). We should all be aware that sweet potatoes are chock-full of beta-carotene, which is a big help in general nutrition and an excellent antioxidant. We should also be aware that sweet potatoes are great baked, mashed, boiled, candied (with little marshmallows), and French fried.

The eleventh month also claims to be National Peanut Butter month. This is convenient because November 3 is also National Sandwich Day. So, a peanut butter sandwich, with some milk, is an easy means of celebration to toast the day. Anyway, it beats defrosting a turkey, figuring out a 20-minutes-per-pound roasting time, and making stuffing.

November 2 happens to be Deviled Egg Day. November 14 is Guacamole Day, and November 17 is Homemade Bread Day. Right off the bat, I want to know who is on this committee, anyway. Wouldn’t it be way better if bread day was the day before sandwich day? Clearly, this was a government operation, and proves my point that government hates us and always will.

November 23 is Eat a Cranberry Day, November 25 is Parfait Day, and Chocolate Day brings up a big finish on November 29. Oh, and November 15 is National Clean Out Your Fridge Day, probably a practice day for when you will have to do it again a few days before Thanksgiving. Make it into a tradition and use any food that isn’t discarded to make a casserole. It may not be a meal to rival that turkey, but it most certainly will be memorable.

In an effort to promote food safety in the home, November 29 is Discard Your Leftovers Day. If you haven’t used up your turkey and cranberry sauce to make delicious post-thanksgiving sandwiches, then our friends at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) want you to be aware that it has to go. Since it is that time of year, there is plenty of information on the proper handling of leftovers to be found online.

So, even if we were to take away Thanksgiving—and in this politically correct world, it could happen—November would still have plenty to offer the culinary world.

Recipe for Success

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Buck Reed
The Supermarket Gourmet

As a chef, I get into a lot of interesting conversations with people I meet. Mostly, it involves questions about what my favorite thing to cook is or what my specialty is. Once in a while, someone will ask me what my favorite ingredient is or if I have a favorite gadget I like to use. One girl was amazed that a chef could keep all those recipes in their head. People will often express the idea that they wish they were a better cook, to which I can only reply “then you should learn to cook better.”

So what does it take to become a better cook? Many who teach the culinary arts believe that all you have to do is demonstrate a recipe, go over it, and let the student loose. I can tell you from experience that these people couldn’t be more wrong. Recipes are a good place to start, but someone who tells you that recipes are the answer to becoming a better cook is lying to you. If you want to become a better cook you have to learn about ingredients, techniques, and how to get the most flavors out of your dishes.

I remember a fairly recent job interview for a craft brew pub that the owner swore he had the best barbecue sauce recipe ever. Everybody loves it, he told me, and nobody better come here thinking it needs changing. I pointed out that there are many cooking techniques in which barbecue sauce might be called for and one sauce will not accommodate all of them. For instance, a smoked chicken will need a different sauce then a grilled chicken breast. I didn’t get the job.

So, instead of memorizing a perfect recipe, you have to be ready to roll with it. You may have to adjust the flavor to suit someone else’s taste. Take French toast. I add a little orange juice to give it a different flavor. Most people cannot even identify this flavor, but they either enjoy it or they do not. Most people enjoy my French toast, but that does not make me a genius. The idea that I understand the technique and I use the right bread makes me a good cook.

Why is understanding technique more important than memorizing a recipe? The answer is: Because recipes are flawed. Any fool can write a recipe; I do it all the time. Have you ever seen a recipe that calls for one clove of garlic? They must be kidding. Even if you don’t particularly like garlic, one is almost never enough. Recipes have to be living things. You have to have the knowledge to look at them and make changes as needed to suit your taste. The mistake many people make is that they believe recipes are written in stone by the almighty himself (Emeril). The ability to “fix” a recipe is the road to true kitchen enlightenment.

If you have any questions or need an idea, please feel free to contact me at RGuyintheKitchen@aol.com.