BostonZest

"The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science" Is for Cooks of All Skill Levels

Since I preordered The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, I've had some time to dig into this massive 1,000 page resource for cooks of all levels.

And, don't be scared off by the term science. “It’s a book about learning the basic science behind food and the basic techniques behind cooking and how to apply those to your own food to make it better,” author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt told the Boston Globe.

Soon after I received my hardcover version, I bought The Food Lab's Kindle Edition so I could read it on the go in all those situations where I have to sit and wait. 

In the interest of full disclosure, Kenji was one of the editors during the years I wrote for Serious Eats. We worked for the same team and I learned a lot from his Food Lab column over there.

I also fell madly in love with his dogs from the weekly photos of them working hard around Serious Eats Headquarters. That said, our readers know I don't recommend books or other products that have not made a positive difference in my life. 

Here's the 30-minute minestrone from the book.

Why I like The Food Lab

I learn things from this man. He takes the time to do the testing and research to come up with the path to a great cooking result. Then, he tells you how you can adapt it for your own needs and resources.

The thoughtfulness starts right inside the covers where that often empty space has conversion charts you'll find yourself flipping to all the time as you work in the kitchen.

Kenji is a guide rather than a dictator. And, he clearly loves food and cooking. That comes through in every page. He admits that he is not perfect in the kitchen and shares funny stories about his experience with exploding blenders and weaning his wife from her favorite Ikea knife.

He creates recipes but he also teaches techniques. For example, there is a section on how to make creamy vegetable soups without a recipe. When an appropriate opportunity arises, he'll have a section on knife skills for a particular task. If an ingredient is important and deserves a primer, he'll provide one. In the soup and stew section he has one on onions. (With our recent cold snap, I've been spending time in his Soup and Stews section.)

  

  

You'll find dozens of kitchen tips throughout the book. With these and charts, graphs, illustrations, and photographs, he communicates with people the way they learn best. 

It will take me a while to read this book from cover to cover, but that is something I intend to do. (And, it's why I carry the Kindle edition on my phone.) There is a lot of goodness in these pages and I'm going to take my time and let all this knowledge simmer into my work in the kitchen.

Upcoming Boston Appearances

Kenji will be in Boston starting on Saturday. You can meet him at the following events. 

BOSTON: THE BOSTON BOOK FESTIVAL

• Saturday, October 24, 2015
• 10:00am 11:00am (Update From Kenji: "The book festival event actually changed to 12:30"
• Copley Square

Kenji will be presenting his book at The Boston Book Festival, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.

ALLSTON, MA: BURGERS AND FRIED CHICKEN AT ROXY'S GRILLED CHEESE

• Sunday, October 25, 2015
• 7:00pm 10:00pm
• Roxy's Grilled Cheese

Kenji will be teaming up with his buddies from American Burger Revival for a burger and fried chicken sandwich pop-up at Roxy's Grilled Cheese in Allston. Stop by to have some tasty burgers from Richard Chudy and Sam Monsour, and Kenji's kimchi-brined double-fried hot chicken sandwiches, Animal-style fries, and more!

No tickets necessary.

Books will be on sale and he'll be signing and chatting with guests all night.

BOSTON: THE CHICKEN LAB AT THE KIRKLAND TAP AND TROTTER

• Tuesday, October 27, 2015
• 5:30pm 6:30pm
• The Kirkland Tap and Trotter

Kenji will be joining his friend Chef Tony Maws at Kirkland Tap and Trotter for a southern fried chicken feast! Come join them for the best fried chicken in town, to chat, and to get your books signed.

 What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

   

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: Courtesy of J. Kenji Lopez-Alt (the one with the Kindle by Penny Cherubino)

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Boston Public Library’s Digital Magazine Service

These days, I'm spending more time reading magazines because I discovered the Boston Public Library’s digital magazine service.

It's another one of the free services included in your Boston Public Library Card. Once you finish the steps to get started with the service, you can browse the newsstand and read the latest issue and a few of the back issues right on your desktop or laptop. 

If you want to read on your mobile device, you can download the appropriate app and have reading material on hand wherever you are. 

 

I love the option to be notified when a new issue of a favorite magazine is available. I'm using that service for the New Yorker and Saveur right now. This week I enjoyed all the cartoons and a few of the articles in the New Yorker. 

When they announced this service, the Library said,

"Boston Public Library now provides library cardholders free access to popular magazines via a digital magazine service, making more than 100 popular English and Spanish language magazines instantly available. The online resource Zinio offers the ability to check out and download titles like National Geographic, ESPN the Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Newsweek, and is compatible with smartphones, tablets, and computers. Zinio features complete, full-color magazines with intuitive navigation, keyword article search, and interactive audio and video elements.

“Boston Public Library is pleased to offer this new resource,” said Michael Colford, Director of Library Services. “It is a convenient, free, no-waiting option that appeals to avid magazine readers as well as those who prefer to consume their news and information in digital form.”

Cardholders can reach the service via the “collections” section of the Boston Public Library website. Library users log in with their Boston Public Library card and then create a library collection account and a Zinio.com reader account. In addition, users have the option of downloading a Zinio app."

If you don't have a Boston Public Library Card, get one. You might not know that you qualify for a BPL card. 

Here's the official word on who is eligible:

"You are eligible for a library card if you are:

• a resident of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• a Massachusetts property owner
• commute to Massachusetts for work
• residing in Massachusetts while attending school
• a resident of temporary housing in Massachusetts
• Library users from outside Massachusetts may apply for a research card for the purpose of using Research Library materials (in-library use only)."

Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino, Screen shot from the Boston Public Library website.

No Mayo Potato Salads

If your idea of potato salad is limited to the typical mayonnaise based recipes, it’s time to think again and experiment with farm fresh potatoes, new mix-ins, and alternate dressings. 

This potato and egg salad with a vinaigrette is made creamy by the mixing of the eggs and dressing. A few scallions add flavor and color.  

The great American writer Laurie Colwin devoted a chapter to potato salad in her book “Home Cooking.” She began with her belief that there is no such thing as a bad potato salad, “So long as the potatoes are not undercooked ...” From there, she described the many versions she has tried and loved over the years.

She had a favorite for this time of year. “If you can find them, the tiny potatoes of early autumn are delicious. They are the size of quail eggs and are wonderful steamed and eaten with a French olive oil, salt, pepper and a drop of lemon juice.”  

Colwin also gave good advice on selecting potatoes for salads. She found that waxy potatoes like our popular red skinned varieties don’t absorb as much dressing and are best when you want a salad, “delicately coated.” And that mealier potatoes, like a russet, soak up dressing for a creamier result. 

 

You'll find the recipe for this Summer Corn and Potato Salad in one of our posts from 2008. I still make it and we still love it.

Vinaigrette Potato Salads

Thinking vinaigrette rather than mayonnaise is very traditional. In Fannie Merritt Farmer's “The Original Boston Cooking School Cook Book 1896,” there are five potato salad recipes, all sans mayonnaise.  

One version is great for apple season – Potato and Celery Salad. She wrote, “To two cups boiled potatoes cut in one-half inch cubes add one-half cup finely cut celery and a medium-sized apple, pared, cut in eighths, then eighths cut in thin slices. Marinate with French Dressing. Arrange in a mound and garnish with celery tip and sections of bright red apple.” Her version of “French Dressing” was what we call vinaigrette: a mix of olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. 

Family Recipe

The potato and egg salad you see at the top was my father-in-law's recipe. Ed and I enjoy this as a quick meal some evenings. I use two pounds of red potatoes as the base. Rather than peel the potatoes, I scrub them, remove any eyes or bad spots, slice into wedges, and cook them in a steamer until tender. While still warm, I mix in a large stalk of diced celery, two thinly-sliced scallions, four sliced hard boiled eggs, two tablespoons of cider vinegar, and about half a cup of olive oil. You can serve this warm or cold.

Other additions to a salad like this might be capers, grated carrots, parsley, dill, or a bit of dry mustard. As with so many salads, I use what I have on hand when I begin to make it and change it up often enough to keep it fresh among the routine meals.

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (Adapted for the web from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2008- 2015 Penny Cherubino 

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Getting Us Outside: Another Way Dogs Are Good for Us

Instead of thinking, “Time to walk the dog,” try turning it around by saying, “Time for my dog to take me outside.” Say it in a tone of appreciation, because being outside can be very good for both of you. 

Here are Leo (front) and Wolfgang (rear) taking their humans outside this past spring.

Cameron Woo, co-founder and publisher of The Bark magazine, brought to my attention recently the importance of the time I spend outside with my dog. He wrote, “According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American spends 87% of their life indoors with another 6% spent in automobiles for a total of 93% habitating in enclosed spaces. That leaves only 7% of one’s entire life to spend outdoors. Translated to daily life, we average only about 100 minutes of our day outside”

Even with the cold and snow last winter, Poppy made sure we had some time outside each day. She likes the cold better than the heat and loved those high snowbanks.

Living in one of the country’s most walkable cities (where 15% of us walk to work), Bostonians may do a bit better than average at spending time outdoors. But, Bostonians with dogs have the advantage of taking a few more trips a day to the streets and parks with their canine companions. 

Where Do You Walk?

Most days we walk the Commonwealth Avenue Mall. That's our routine dog place. But, we also love to explore the city and discover other great dog neighborhoods. Where do you walk your dog? What places do you recommend that we explore? And, how much time do you spend outdoors each day?

Get to know all of our Sunday Dogs at Boston Dogs.

Thanks to everyone who Hops over to Amazon from here to do their shopping. We appreciate your support. And, we highly recommend a subscription to The Bark. It is one of the few print publication subscriptions we still receive.

   

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (Adapted from one of her City Paws newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2015 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

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Mastering Hamersley's Roast Chicken Recipe

I’m sure Ed and I are not the only Hamersley’s fans missing that restaurant’s fantastic roast chicken. I plan to master that recipe over the next few months. I’ve made it once or twice. But, as long as I could just take a walk to Tremont Street to enjoy the finished product, I let the Hamersley’s kitchen do the work.

Start with the Recipe

First, of course, you need the recipe. It's in the cookbook Bistro Cooking at Home By Gordon Hamersley. And, while this is currently out of print, you can buy used or even a few treasured new copies on Amazon. You can also check local, used bookstores. I highly recommend having a copy of this book on your shelf and I look forward to the next publication from this great food champion. 

If you just want a copy of the recipe, Boston University posted it online after one of Gordon Hamersley's cooking classes at the Seminars in Food and Wine. Here's a link to that posting.

And, if you prefer visual instruction, here is a link to Gordon Hamersley's appearance with Julia Child as a part of her Master Chefs series.

 

There are many steps to this signature dish. Fortunately, the process that Gordon Hamersley (and his first sous chef Jody Adams) developed to serve a perfectly roasted chicken with a crispy skin and moist interior also makes it a great party dish for a home cook. 

The chicken is roasted ahead of time and popped under a broiler for heating and crisping before it is served. I love dishes like this that I can make a day ahead because they let me spend more time with my guests.

Begin With Shopping

Of course, to come out with a result like the dish served at Hamersley’s, you have to begin as the chef did with the finest ingredients you can find. In his tips for choosing chicken, the chef suggests trying chickens from smaller producers or kosher brands.

In 2003, when Gordon Hamersley wrote “Bistro Cooking at Home,” he said what many locavores are saying now, “... getting a more flavorful bird that has also been raised free of antibiotics and hormone injections seems to me to be worth the price.”

Stepping Along

You begin this dish by preparing an herbed lemon pesto marinade. You rub this all over the clean and dried chicken and let it marinate 2-4 hours in the refrigerator.  

Next, the chicken is roasted to an internal thigh temperature of 165-170 degrees and rested before cutting and deboning. The final step in this part of the preparation is to make the sauce from the pan drippings.  

When it’s time to serve the chicken, you broil it with lemon slices on top and the sauce in the pan below until the skin is crisp and the meat is heated. 

This dish requires many steps with a good bit of waiting time for some of them, but it is not a difficult recipe. Dozens of Hamersley’s cooks mastered it over the years. And, I can’t wait until I can make it without glancing at the cookbook just as they did.

If I master the chicken, next up on my list will be the perfect duck confit that was so tempting on the Hamersley's menu and is often such a disappointment when I order it elsewhere. 

 What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

   

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino (adapted from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns)
Photos: ©2008 Penny Cherubino 

Sherry, A Trending Drink and a Great Book

In a recent newspaper column on food trends, sherry was one of my picks. Not only am I seeing it on more menus outside of tapas bars, but a fabulous new book on the subject Sherry: A Modern Guide to the Wine World's Best-Kept Secret, with Cocktails and Recipes has been getting rave reviews.

I've been a lover of dry sherry for many years. I remember sitting in the Bristol Lounge in the early days of our Boston life sipping sherry from lovely glasses and feeling pampered. Back in December, we were at Brix on Broad for a champagne tasting, and they had a few bottles of sherry that we added to our order.

That made it possible for me to sip this Gutierrez Colosia Sangre y Trabajadero Oloroso while I enjoyed learning more about this fortified wine through the research, writing, and tasting notes from author Talia Baiocchi.

 

This book is a virtual tour of the three towns in Spain where sherry is a way of life. You'll learn how and where it is made, visit the bodegas, and meet some of the people who devote their lives to this wine.

Besides tips for serving and storing sherry, Baiocchi also covers the history of this beverage, glassware, tapas traditions, and lists her essential sherries in each of seven sherry categories.

Finally, there are recipes for sherry in cocktails and at the table. We'll be adding this book to our list of essential books for wine lovers.

 

Want to learn more about wine? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site! Here are three of our favorite wine books.

The Food Lover's Guide to Wine

The New Wine Lover's Companion

The Wine Bible

 

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino with cover art courtesy of the publisher.

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Great Read or Listen – The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites

Last month, you would have found The American Plate: A Culinary History in 100 Bites on both my bedside table in audiobook form and beside my reading chair with the Boston Public Library's (BPL) hardcover edition.

I do audition books with my card. And, some of the those make it onto our bookshelves, into my Kindle, or Audible libraries. This one is a great audiobook that I know I'll listen to over and over and that may be good entertainment for both of us on long car trips.

Bites Range from Jello to Bagels and Bialys to Frozen Foods.

If You Love Learning New Food Stuff ...

The book is divided into timeline chapters and within those chapters bites or tidbits of interesting information about the food we often take for granted, like celery.

Who knew that the celery stalks that we chop and toss into so many dishes today were once a luxury item. Or that Kalamazoo, Michigan was once dubbed, "the Celery Capitol of the World." Or why you see celery dishes and celery vases in antique glass collections?

Author Libby H. O'Connell tells how one Michigan farmer began to pile up dirt around his celery plants to blanch the stalks and make them sweeter and less fiberous. From there she explains:

"With the advent of refrigerated railroad cars, celery was shipped all over the country. It was just exotic enough, a somewhat pricey but not outrageous treat, not beyond the means of many Americans but still aspirational. Celery became hugely popular, and the development of special dishes for its presentation illustrates its status during the Gilded Age."

This book will fill in some blanks in your pantry of food knowledge. It will enhance your appreciation of what we enjoy today when you learn more about the past and how our current foodways evolved. 

What's on your Food Lover's shopping list? Shop Amazon for all your kitchen & dining needs and support this site!

  

Details:

Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: ©2015 Penny Cherubino with cover courtesy of Amazon.

 

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