Marinade 101

The marinade is possibly the most useful tool in a cook’s repertoire besides a heat source. Good for imparting flavor and moisture into foods, a marinade can also act as a tenderizer for tough cuts of meat or starchy vegetables. The same key ingredient mediates both effects: acid. Chemically defined as any substance with a pH below 7, acids act to break down connective tissues within muscle. This makes the meat easier to cut and tear apart (i.e. more tender). It also increases the uptake of other components of the marinade like oils and spices, which bring moisture and flavor to the table. Although most traditionally a type of vinegar, any acidic liquid can be used in a marinade including wine, orange juice, or buttermilk.

By simply varying the type of acid and its accompaniments, a marinade can be used for almost any type of cuisine. For example, balsamic vinegar combined with olive oil, thyme, basil, and garlic makes a great Italian-style marinade. An Asian-style marinade can be made from soy sauce, orange zest, and sesame oil. Or you can combine them into a fusion dish. If made with dry ingredients, it transforms into a rub perfect for grilled steak or fish. Varying the marinating time further increases the versatility of this technique, allowing it to be used with both tender and tough cuts of meat. Marinades can also serve as excellent sauces after they are boiled to eliminate any traces of contamination from the raw meat.

Since an acid is the only crucial ingredient in a marinade there’s plenty of room for experimentation. This also means that marinades are very forgiving - so don’t be afraid to try something new!

St. Patty's Hand Pies

While I'm not exactly Irish, my family and I still decided to delve a little into the crazy holiday this past week. Needless to say, we stocked up on cabbage and whiskey (thats another story) and concocted some authentic Irish cuisine with a vegetarian twist (to satisfy my 13-year sister's new declaration). Edited from Martha Stewart's Version of Irish handpies, this rich and delicious indulgence really put us in the spirit for some St. Patty's day fun. 

We first sauteed a hefty amount of garlic and onions in olive oil. We then chopped a small head of cabbage and cooked that with the garlic and onions until soft. Kale was added to boost the nutritional value and give the dish a little more substance. We then seasoned the whole thing with salt, pepper, and a little red pepper flakes. The simple mix of vegetables created a wholesome filling for the pies. We then rolled out a simple store bought pie crust and cut each sheet into fourths. The fourths were each filled with the vegetables, folded over, and the edges were crimped with a fork. The pies were baked at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Review: The Devil's Cup

(Apologies for the lack of posts last week - classwork has been hectic for Rachael and me lately. We should be mostly back on schedule now. Huzzah!)

I seem to have an obsession with posting about coffee. I blame Seattle for the most part, but it really is a subject of more depth and breadth than you would initially think. Aside from the techniques and recipes previously discussed, there is the thousand-year old history of its cultivation. Stewart Lee Allen's book The Devil's Cup: A History of the World According to Coffee take's an entertaining look at this story, detailing the author's attempt to trace the spread of the coffee bean from its origins in East Africa to the Middle East and the rest of the world. Allen integrates anecdotes about his own travels with this story, adding a great deal of humor and making this much more than a highly-specialized history book. I would highly recommend picking up a copy if you have a chance, even if you aren't as obsessed with coffee as I am.

Slow Food

There is a revolution a foot and I’ve picked up my knife and rolling pin in its defense. Call me spoiled, call it expensive taste, call it what you want, but I have such a deep loathing for the fast food chains of the world that this so called revolution is just what I needed. In my head, I’ve personified fast food. The greasy kid from high school with slicked back hair and an odor slightly reminiscent of lunchmeat. There is nothing wrong with the kid, he just kind of skeeves me out. Same with the 1200 calorie Triple Whopper sandwich from Burger King. This strange mash of meat, bread, and grease should just not be allowed to bear the label of “food”.

And then there are the intellectuals: sipping shiraz in their thick framed glasses and plaid sweaters, nibbling aged cheeses with a novella in hand, and crunching on local foods bought after a long day of scrounging at the farmer’s market. They swirl the rich and robust liquid around in their mouths to taste the oak, the berry, the body. They spread the cheese over their taste buds. They bite slowly and chew thoughtfully. They are the antithesis of lunchmeat kid. They are the Slow Food Movement.

Carlo Petrini, one of my favorite Italian revolutionaries, began the Slow Food Movement and has since raised awareness for the cause and gained followers in over a hundred different countries. Slow Food states their philosophy as, “We believe that everyone has a fundamental right to pleasure and consequently the responsibility to protect the heritage of food, tradition and culture that make this pleasure possible. Our movement is founded upon this concept of eco-gastronomy – a recognition of the strong connections between plate and planet”. Essentially, the movement aims to slow people down to allow them to savor every flavor and every ingredient, support locally grown produce, and explore the diversity of taste. Members of the Slow Food Movement are reveling in local cuisine, upholding culinary and cultural traditions, and educating the public about the complexity of taste, the danger of fast food, and what ethical and safe buying practices are at the supermarket.

With spring break in full swing, I have really found myself jumping into the movement. I am finally home and ready to spend my break in front of the stove. I intend to find the longest, most tedious recipe and to revel in it. And for a change, I want to slow down. I’ll spend my break sipping shiraz, nibbling cheese, and crunching on local vegetables. I’m spending my break as a member of the Slow Food Movement.


Adapted from previously published article at The Cornell Daily Sun

Antioxidant Smoothie

There couldn't be anything more nutrient dense and delicious than a smoothie. As a quick and easy breakfast or a filling lunch, a smoothie is great way to get the recommended amount of the fruit and dairy groups. This recipe from Whole Living is a great recipe that is loaded with anti-inflammatory antioxidants and vitamins.

1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
1/2 cup chilled green tea
3/4 cup low fat yogurt
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Sugar or honey to taste.

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. If necessary, ice can be added to make it colder. Also, organic frozen berries are a great option in the winter months. Other additions to this smoothie could be cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, bananas, blackberries, or wheat germ. Take the time to play around with the recipe to find your favorite go to smoothie!

Improv Cooking #1: Red Curry Ramen

Since I live off a student stipend, I’m always looking for ways to make good meals cheaply. One trick is to make the most out of everything I buy at the grocery store, no matter what obscure recipe required it originally. But since I don’t want to repeat the same dishes ad nauseam, I’ve come to enjoy what I call “improv cooking”: making an unplanned meal solely from whatever I find in the kitchen at the time. It’s a fun experiment in creativity! I’ll be posting the results here, starting with this:

Red Curry Ramen

1 package Ramen noodles, any flavor
Several basil leaves, chopped

For sauce:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup 1% milk
2 Tsp red curry paste
2 Tsp tomato paste
1 ½ Tsp sugar
Salt and pepper

1) Cook ramen noodles as directed, but discard the seasoning packet.
2) Melt butter in small saucepan. Add flour in small increments until it forms a paste. Let cook for 1 or 2 minutes or until bubbles start to form.
3) Heat milk in the microwave for 1 minute. Whisk slowly into the saucepan until the paste is dissolved.
4) Stir in red curry paste, tomato paste, and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow sauce to reduce and thicken until it coats the back of a spoon.
5) Pour sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Enjoy!

I realize that not everyone has red curry paste and fresh basil in their pantry, but that’s why this is fun – finding a use for those more obscure ingredients wasting away on the back shelf. Try it, and you might just invent your new favorite recipe!

Countertop Garden

Adding fresh herbs is one of the easiest and fastest ways to liven up a dish. While the dried versions found in the supermarket spice aisle can certainly go a long way in a pinch, they don’t have the same pungency of flavor and versatility of fresh cuttings - pesto certainly wouldn’t be the same! But dried herbs do have the advantage of a longer shelf life. They usually retain their potency for about six months, whereas fresh herbs can go bad within a week of clipping. So what’s a budding gourmet to do? One option would be to buy the pre-packaged supermarket bundles whenever a recipe called for an herb, but that cost adds up quickly. A better option would be to grow any often used herbs yourself – that way you can have a self-renewing supply at a fraction of the cost. But for those of us apartment dwellers without green thumbs, a traditional garden is often out of the question. Luckily, the world of kitchen gadgetry comes to the rescue!

Meet the Aerogarden. This neat hydroponic garden kit allows you to grow fresh herbs right in your kitchen without much mess or fuss. It automatically controls light exposure, and lets you know exactly when you need to add water or fertilizer tablets. The model I have supports growth of up to three “pods”, which are pre-assembled capsules of soil and seeds. I’m currently growing basil, thyme, and chives, but the company provides a marvelous array of choices including flowers and even some vegetables. You can also order custom seed kits or transplant seedlings from your own garden.

Now for the downside: the basic model (with starter seed kit) runs at about $100 US, with each subsequent 3-pod seed kit costing $15. It also requires a fair amount of counter space away from any direct heat or light sources, which can be tricky in a small kitchen. But my pesto has never been better!