Rose Water?

When I first saw the delicious little French macarons at Ladurée in Paris, I was immediately taken by their rainbow display of flavors. All the usual suspects were present: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, caramel, but one flavor in particular stood out: rose.

While I was aware that rose was often used in perfumes and occasionally in confectioneries like Turkish delight (which I also love), I had no idea that it was also used in baking. The flavor was so light and fragrant that it inspired me to investigate!

I wasn’t surprised to find out that rose water has been used in food for hundreds if not thousands of years in the Middle East and Asia and that it has cultural and religious significance for many. The water itself is a by-product of the production of rose oil, which is primarily used in perfumes and cosmetics.

After coming across a few recipes, I decided to try making some myself. Rose water and syrup can be a great addition to tea, and desserts like ice cream, rice pudding, crème brûlée, whipped cream, etc.

Here’s what you need to make a simple rose water or syrup:

- A large stainless steel pot with a rounded lid

- A brick (yes, a brick) or a Pyrex loaf pan

- The equivalent of a bag of ice

- About 4 or 5 cups of fresh, rinsed rose petals (depending on the size of your pot), slightly crushed or chopped

- A small bowl or ramekin

* Begin by placing the brick or Pyrex dish in the center of the pot

* Distribute the petals around the brick and cover with water to the level of the brick or higher

* Place the small bowl on top of the brick and place the lid upside-down on the pot

* Bring the water to a gentle boil and cover the lid of the pot with ice

* As the water condenses it should drip down the lid and collect in the bowl

* Check it every so often and collect what is your rose water!

* You can now make simple syrup by adding sugar (and more water if necessary) and reducing by simmering gently in a pan

Finish with a little red food coloring if you'd like to give it the rose look, but any other color would taste as sweet…

GG

Know your French cheeses!

France has long been synonymous with cheese, and with good reason. It's serious business here. Many cheeses carry the AOC designation, or 'Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée'. Like Italy's DOC and Canada's VQA, this designation specifies that the product has been prepared in a traditional way and in a traditional region (think Champagne, Dijon, and Chianti). Here's the skinny on a few French cheeses I've learned to love - in alphabetical order as not to offend the French. Being the wine snob at the dinner party is overrated. Be the cheese snob.

Bleu - Classic blue cheese is well known. Various cheese can be called 'bleu' after the right culture has been added to the mix, often Roquefort, Gorgonzola, or Stilton. Known for their pungent flavor, creamy texture, and of course, color. Great with salads or melted on a burger.

Brebis - Named for its origin, Brebis can be any cheese made from sheep's milk. Brebis is often buttery, smooth and pungent.

Brie - From the region of Brie, Brie is a soft, creamy, white cheese, cut into rounds.

Camembert - Similar to (but not the same as) Brie, Camembert is from the North of France. Traditionally made with unpasteurized milk, Camembert is also soft and creamy with a slight hint of ammonia. The classic apéro cheese, it's a good one to learn to like! 

Cantal - Cantal is a harder cheese, from central France. Almost like cheddar, Cantal has a strong creamy taste (depending on its age). Old Cantal can be pretty strong tasting so maybe opt for a fresher one. Cantal is great for recipes too.

Chèvre - Creamy goat's milk cheese, Chèvre is another French classic. Various kinds exist in France. One of my favorites, tart Chèvre is great on crackers with a sweet onion confit.

Mimolette - Probably the closest thing to Cheddar that the French have, Mimolette is a hard orange cheese from the North of France. It tastes somewhat like Parmesan.

Saint André - Like a very strong Brie, Saint Andre can take a bit of getting used to. It is also very creamy and rich.

Saint-Nectaire - A more nutty flavor, Saint-Nectaire is another common addition to a cheese board.

Tomme - From the French Alps, tomme is fairly dense and dry. Tomme is also the key ingredient in one of my favorite French dishes, Aligot.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, go try them!

GG

Truffles, not just a box of chocolates

Up until somewhat recently, when I heard the term 'truffle' my mind would immediately turn to a rich little chocolate you could buy someone special when you had a reason to say sorry.

Now however, I think of a little black or white fungus. Often referred to as 'the diamond of the kitchen', if you happened to have the same amount in weight as your candy, you'd probably be better off saying sorry with a piece of jewelry instead.

So what is a truffle exactly? Is it really worthy of its status in the kitchen or is it brought to us by the same group of 'connoisseurs' that have the rich pretending to enjoy roe and civet coffee?

A truffle is a fungus that grows off the roots of various trees. Sounds appealing right? Well they are to a lot of people, some of whom will pay as much as $4,000 a pound for this little mushroom, or more commonly, about 100 dollars for one the size of a golf ball. Our fascination with truffles and the willingness of a select few to pay through the nose for them goes back to antiquity.

Truffle searching is usually carried out with the help of man's best friend, or in many cases, pigs. It's been shown that truffles produce the same pheromone that is emitted by boars, which is why pigs are usually the beast of choice for this operation. They are however likely to devour the tuber upon its discovery, so it's risky (but profitable) business.

So why are they so valued? I think most of it comes down to a mix of basic economics and the mystique that surrounds them. Last month I decided to spring for the 30 euro black truffle risotto at an Italian restaurant near us and I hedonistically loved every minute of it. They are earthy, peppery, and woody. Would I have missed them if they weren't there? Probably not for the flavor, but definitely for the experience.

Want to see if you'd even like the taste? Try buying a small bottle of truffle oil instead (which probably won't have any truffle in it) for considerably less money, and use it in your cooking. Try it over pasta, salads, risotto, soups, or hey, even in your scrambled eggs or drizzled over some popcorn in front of the TV.

Hope it's a good movie!

GG

Flour - not just for baking

I don't know about you, but when I see an open jar of flour (maybe with a scoop in it, and a little flour on the counter for good measure), I think of baking - muffins, homemade bread, pizza dough, pies...

Flour is another staple of the staples which dates back to the days when grunting in loincloths in public was not part of a hazing ritual. As you probably know, flour is a powder made of grains, seeds, or roots. And, as you also suspected, flour ain't just for baking.

The main use of flour for me, is as a thickening agent. Flour is a key component of a roux - which you wouldn't even notice in stews, sauces, and some soups, unless it was missing. Marie-Antoine Carême, 'the king of chefs, and the chef of kings', and one of the first ever celebrity chefs, classified sauces into four 'mother sauce' categories (Béchamel, Espagnole, Velouté, Allemande) as part of his newfangled 'haute cuisine'. Three of these four sauces are made with a roux. A roux is similar to a beurre manié, except that a beurre manié isn't cooked and is added after cooking to thicken. Where would you be without dextrinization?

Another main use of flour is for frying. Flour is used for both breadings (dry, for frying or baking), and batters (wet, for deep-frying). The world would be a sad, sad, skinny place without fried chicken and tempura shrimp. Oh, and as a side note, when you're breading meat you always need to go from wet to dry - meat to flour to egg to breadcrumbs. 

This superhero of the kitchen even has some non-culinary uses. Next time you bake a batch of aunt Mabel's oatmeal cookies, use some flour to get the oil off your poker cards. I've seen mixed info on using it to put out grease fires, so for safety sake I'd say don't try it. You can however make your significant other happy by cleaning the sink, and then whipping up a batch of play doh to keep the kids at bay.

Astounding!

GG

The Balsamic Reduction

Are you an Italian food lover? Could you subsist solely on great bread, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar? If so, then you already know that all balsamic vinegars are not created equal. There are essentially two kinds: one comes in a large plastic bottle and has a picture of a grape vine on it, and the other comes in a wax-sealed perfume bottle and can cost as much as you'd want to spend on a good pair of shoes. What do you do with such a potentially expensive ingredient? Is it even worth buying?

The truth is that balsamic's uses depend largely on the quality you're using. Run of the mill balsamics are fine for salad dressings, soups, marinades, and dipping. You can even add it to a bit of mayo for a nice sandwich condiment. Average to good balsamic vinegars can also be reduced and sweetened for more traditional uses like over meats, vegetables, and even fruits.

Honestly, I would never use the good stuff every day, but it is definitely worth trying. Just like saying you haven't had beef until you've had real Kobe, a good balsamic vinegar will make you go 'oh, so that's how it's supposed to taste'. Got some of the good stuff? Try it with strawberries and whipped cream, over pastries, cheeses, and even ice cream. It is often used as a digestif and a little can even be added to sparkling water for a refreshing beverage...

Like any expensive food item, there's a whole world of opinions and talk flying around about it. One thing I've seen though that's worth mentioning is that if you're going for the good stuff, be careful where you buy it. There are (unsurprisingly) some shady folks out there.

GG

Cilantro - Hate it or Love it

I figured I would get the 'Ingredients' posts started with a certain ingredient that has given me its share of problems: Cilantro.

My relationship with cilantro has been rocky even in the best of times, and I would probably describe it as more of a hate-love dynamic. There was a time when even the slightest taste of cilantro made me want to gag. Worse yet, it so often polluted my favourite Indian, Mexican, and Thai food. I felt justified in my hatred knowing that Julia Child herself told Larry King in 2002 that even she couldn't stand it. After a couple cilantro-free years, I've decided to give it another chance; and although I'm skeptical, I remain optimistic.

Just for fun I did a little Google searching to see what's what. It turns out that cilantro is quite the hated little herb. Just check out these links:

I Hate Cilantro and Ban Cilantro

Some try to offer a scientific explanation for all the hate: The Obligate Scientist

The discussion has even made it to the Wall Street Journal!

Reading all the hate propaganda actually had me feeling a little sorry for my ex arch nemesis cilantro. Truth be told I've even started to acquire a bit of a taste for it. Don't get me wrong though, if I can taste cilantro as a main flavor in any dish, I will probably still (ever so subtly of course) spit the food into a napkin and slip it into my pocket for easy future disposal. I have also been known to still meticulously pick it out of pad thai with my chopsticks.

That being said, a LITTLE cilantro in the right place imparts what I would call a 'fresh' taste to a dish. Just this past weekend I had homemade pico de gallo, which I devoured, cilantro and all - and it wasn't even because I was being watched. A little cilantro is really nice in salsa too. It can be added to ground beef for hamburgers or added to soups, salads, curries and marinades. I've even seen a recipe for cilantro ice cream! ... Ok maybe I'll still take a pass on that last one.

GG