It is hard to exaggerate how important this stuff is. We are mostly water. Arguably, we are ambulating water bottles. The food we cook is mostly made of water and we cook food in water. Nonetheless, like anything common, it can be taken for granted. Plants are the ultimate water containers; nearly all vegetables and
Sushi and tomato ketchup represent two culinary extremes – one associated with refined healthy eating and the other with American junk food. But remarkably, they share a common origin: fermented fish. It all began with the Chinese, as, in historical terms, almost everything did. In river and coastal regions of southern China, small fish were
Regular readers have seen posts on sous vide popping up repeatedly on this site. The technique cooks meats precisely and evenly. However, optimal cooking temperatures for meat proteins (around 55-65C) are too low to produce a flavourful crust. This needs to be an added step. Usually, the protein is seared after cooking in a little
Our bodies need fat to function. For example, after allowing for water (70-80% by weight), our brains are mostly fat (health-conscious zombies beware). Fats in the brain provide the electrical insulation for our myriad nerve fibres, and have a role in nerve signaling and neurotransmission. Just as for vitamins, some fats are ‘essential’ – that