Putting on the heat

[]]=-

A little char

If you remember the reference to that tongue and flavor concept earlier, then you may also remember that sweet is pretty much as important as salt in the tactical perspective of taste.  We can crave sweet about as equally as we crave salt; and yes, we can likewise build up a tolerance to that flavor as well, especially if it is abused.  I didn’t say I don’t abuse, but I won’t point fingers.

Heat not only ‘cooks’ our food by rendering cell walls digestible, it removes some difficult elements found in some foods, while also promoting positive elements.  And wonderfully more, heat also has the potential for raising flavor quality.

If you wander through the internet or your encyclopedia, you’ll find when looking up a scientific term call Maillard Reaction, a description recalling proteins, enzymes, carbonyl and nucleophyllic groups (are you still here?) in the cooking process, you’ll see that carbonization reacting with amino acids in meats and some foods is the process described as the Maillard Reaction which raises the ‘flavor bar’ considerably. 

Like a hundred-fold! 

                                         

Now are you listening?

Caramelization is the reduction of natural or added sugars in foods to the point of an oxidized, sometimes carbonized, more complex flavor.  The encyclopedia has a lot of scientific words to give you there as well, but most folks are at least acquainted with caramelization and how it tastes, chews and smells.  

Caramelization and the Maillard reaction are NOT the same thing.  As I stated, the Maillard reaction deals with proteins and enzymes reacting to carbonization – while caramelization is sugars (natural and processed) reacting to carbonization.  The two effects are based with heat application bringing complexity, but then the reactions to the carbonization differs in structure and chemical process. 

Both of these ‘scientific’ flavor alterations are a huge contribution to foods, the natural sugars are more easily processed in our digestion than are the added processed sugars, and the flavor is, well, who doesn’t like a complex sweet?

I don’t think I even need to say what our society would be without chocolate or coffee.  But the chocolates and coffees of the world as we know them are completely dependent on the roasting stage of production -- that ‘bit of char’.  Those hundred-fold flavor complexities found in both chocolate and coffee could not happen without this Maillard effect. 

Or the savory, rich crust on steaks or turkey skin, or the yeasty crunch of fresh baked bread, or the hypnotically resonant sweet aroma, taste and texture of roasted corn and vegetables.  Thank you caramelization!

To caramelize vegetables and fruits, or to bring the Maillard effect and caramelization to meats, fowls, and fishes is, to me, a necessity. I’ve had boiled meats and vegetables – they taste ok, depending on other factors like spicing, texture and aromas – so believe me, without the chew and complex sweet found with caramelization, the difference is approaching legendary.  The act of using controlled high heat, or extended low heat to our advantage is a lesson to learn. 

Trust me.

Herbs and spices - and everything nices!

There was a time when food was eaten pretty much as a necessity, and not essentially as an enjoyment.  Oftimes the meat, fish, pork, poultry or vegetables were somewhat tainted at the best, if not running near rancid, but less than fresh was certainly a given.  Breads, root vegetables and cheeses were the foundational mainstay.  Fresh water?  Only if you lived near a fast moving stream.  Wines, beers and ales, dairy and juices offered the best safe liquid (wines and ales due to boiling of the water in the creation - although they hadn't yet learned about the act of sterilization).  Aside from alcohols, pickling and preserving, the act of cooking/boiling was the first (and usually the only) line of defense to deal with these taste and health issues for most of society.  Salt was treated like money.  SPICING, in any form, you’d think would have been considered a necessity, but unfortunately a high luxury for most.  Just the demand for peppercorns (and followed closely by cinnamon) was enormous once introduced to the European table from the Orient by Marco Polo. 

In their early days, these primary spice imports traveled through many hands from the Orient – sailed around India, caravan packed up through the Persian Gulf area, then shipped across the Mediterranean; and sometimes shipped around Africa and up that continent’s west coast to the western end of the Mediterranean -- making any imported spices so expensive by the time they reached western Europe, they were paid for in herds of cattle or parallel to that expense level.  At one point, one single peppercorn was exchanged with one head of cattle!  Yikes.  Ultimately, more localized agricultural opportunities lightened that huge financial restriction, but they were still a class/social/expense issue.

I’m so grateful that those historical eating restrictions have been dealt with for most of the world, and we have the luxury of eating for pleasure as well as sustenance.

Pepper is historically popular greatly because it has the remarkable ability to mask bad flavors and enhance the good ones in most foods.   The volatile oils open the senses, clear the taste buds of any residual blockages, and allow a more pure, original taste to be enjoyed.  The ‘fire’ also diminishes unpleasant tastes and odors.  What a magical little ‘corn’.

Try it on strawberries, or cheeses, or greens or cherries or . . . 

Other flavor enhancers are to be found in the forms of:

HERBS (leaves, petals, stigmas and stems of flowers,

plants, and shrubs), etc

SPICES (ground dry seeds, buds, bark, roots; and ground

dried fruit and berries of plants, shrubs and trees), etc

EXTRACTS (reduction, steeping or evaporation of

flavors resulting in condensation, derived from essential

serums and oils suspended usually in alcohol – mostly

found presented as vanilla, nut, citrus/fruits, & liquors), etc

PREPARED MARKET SAUCES (Worcestershire

sauce; fermented pepper sauces – like Tabasco, Cholula or

Louisiana Hot Sauce; soy and fermented soy bean sauces

and pastes [miso] and other Asian condiments -- oyster sauce,

bean sauce, Thai chili paste and fish sauce; mustards/horse-

radishes; vinegars and ketchup), etc

     FLAVORED OILS (sesame, sunflower, coconut, peanut,

      grape seed, avocado, pine seed and other seed oils; walnut,

      hazelnut, cashew, peanut and other nut oils; olive; soy; corn;

      palm kernel; and other hot or cold processed and infused oils

      such as annatto/achiote, garlic, truffle, basil, chive, and lemon-

      flavored oils), etc

All work wonderfully to enhance flavor, and also stimulate saliva and digestion, fortify aromas, and encourage appetite. 

I much prefer eating for enjoyment, but as it is also a necessity, might as well make it strong on all fronts.

The tooth - TO IT (al dente)

OK, we’ve pretty much run the meat and vegetable texture thing through all its merits.  But the ‘tooth’ doesn’t stop there.    The world’s breadbaskets have brought us a veritable cornucopia of grain foods:  Breads!  crisp flatbreads, delicate naan, chewy resistant San Francisco sourdough, oh my, and other grain dishes like risotto, pilaf, cous cous, and grain puddings.  Don’t get me started on corn pudding.  We have pastas! Centuries of lovingly crafted recipes and shapes have produced untold thousands of options with this – Rotini, vermicelli, rigatoni, penne, capellini and more than I could list here ever. 

Oh, and then the cheeses.  With options of fresh, aged, skins and rinds, dry and soft, and curds and herb/spice flavored – there are more cheeses than meats, I’m sure.  In Paris, I could eat a different cheese every day and never taste the same cheese twice in a year.  And I tried.

But finally, I’m stressing equally important here, the idea also of a ‘liquid dente’.  Even wines have a ‘tooth’.  Yes, milk, tea, broths, soups, anything that you can pour should also refer to texture – a resistance, the personality of a ‘feel’ in the mouth.  Processed foods have a shallow go at this base gratification; and although they try artificially to create a mouth feel, in my opinion, they fail to meet the reality mark. 

Open up the creativity in your kitchen and explore what this wonderful world of foods has to offer.  Tastes, textures, nuances, they’re all there waiting to be discovered.

The tooth - THE SWEET ONE

Finally!  We come to the part where the grip meets the road.  The sweet tooth.  I eat desserts maybe once or twice a month, if even that, so I honestly don’t care if that baaaaaad thing is a sugar slash chocolate slash butterfat invasion.  There are zillions of dessert recipe books out there, and I’m not out to compete with any of them.  These recipes aren’t based on calories (high or low), health (as if), price (it’s kinda up to you) or awards.  They’re just delicious and different, somewhat easy to make, and something worth trying and adding to your recipe book.

Moderation -- slow and steady wins the race. Just eat a tiny bit and give the leftovers to your guests to take home with them (a good idea to stock up on ‘to-go’ containers to fit).  I know it’s real tough when you KNOW that there’s a ‘goodie’ in the pantry or fridge.  Don’t put temptation out there to haunt you.  The rest of that month I enjoy fruits, sweet veggies, flavored waters, un-sugared gelatins or a cookie or two when I have a sweet craving.

I’m not a huge fan of overly sweet foods.  When following dessert and cookie recipes I find online or from friends – I usually cut the sugar content requested in half (or at least substantially reduce the amounts) and the recipe is just fine to me.  I certainly don’t care for overly-sweet fruit dishes, or why even use fruit?  It’s the fruit I want to taste.

The sugar hype is just that, hype.  We can lower our need for ‘sweet’ by consuming less of it in small doses at a time. You WILL find that you become accustomed to the new taste intake, and are satisfied with that new, lesser ‘sweetness’.  It will happen!  Promise.

I try to eat my sweets and rich foods as early in the day as possible, so that the fats and sugars don’t enter a placid body, but an active body.  Most of the time my ‘sweets’ are bakery things at breakfast, and juices, and I try to focus my rich main meal courses -- the fatty meats, sausages and butters -- at breakfast or lunchtime for the same reason.  Dinner I try to keep with salads, soups, non-fried or lower-fat meats and sides.  Like I said, slow and steady wins the race.

I sure say ‘try’ a lot.  But don’t beat yourself up if that effort happens only sixty percent of the time.  Hey, that’s better than it used to be, right?  Just keep being aware, and act on that awareness whenever you can.

In preparation, there are a few helpers in using extracts, herbs and spices.  With sweet preparations, mixing powdered spices or citrus zestings well with the dry sugar ingredient of the recipe makes the distribution of the spices more even, as the pure powdered doses can ‘clump’ when shaking off a spoon.  The same if using a powdered or crushed savory spice, mix it with the flour content of the recipe prior to distributing in the ingredients.  With potato, macaroni or shellfish salads, the most delicate part of the salad is the star of the show.  The dressing shouldn’t be the end of the road for texture in these dishes.  I greatly recommend mixing the condiments and mayonnaises together well first, before folding in with the delicate ingredient.  Crab cakes can be ruined with the mashing of the mustard and minced ingredients into the mayonnaise after it’s all sitting on top of the flaked crab chunks.  And in that same stream of thought, if using liquid concentrates and flavor extracts, add them to the liquid ingredients like milk, cream or wine prior to mixing with the recipe as well.  If using a vanilla bean, and not needing it after it has been simmered, sautéed or baked -- after all is said and done, don’t throw it away, but instead rinse and dry it lightly and add it to your container of sugar.  It will perfume the sugar nicely.  You can even use the bean again if stored this fashion.

Keep all your spices away from heat and light, and store them in their largest natural presentation (buds, whole leaves, grains or nuts, bulbs, seeds or bark curl) as is possible; then shred, grind, pulverize, chop or crush as they are needed. Keep them in a well-sealed container, and if there’s room, keep them in the freezer or fridge well-sealed (like several in a larger zip-lock bag), especially if you know you’ll be out of town or away from cooking for a while.

                                                                                 

All that health stuff aside, I have acknowledged that my dessert recipes aren’t anywhere close to health food.  Not even in effort, but they are delicious.  They offer a different perspective on ‘dessert’ and definitely are memorable.  Just eat a sensible small portion,

and do a hundred lunges.  Ha!

Blend me your ears!

One flavor against another.  One aroma entwining with other unique smells, working together to make a completely new and provocative scent.  Each individual smell working with others to create memory and association.  Most every morning we mix the smells of coffee, soap, fresh-pressed cotton, toothpaste and toast – and that combined ‘breakfast’ smell will stay with us for many, many years.  Walking into downtown eateries, we are met with scents of fried meats, orange juice, floral arrangements, outdoor diesel fumes, the fish of the day, and the perfume of the cashier – but as remote as it all might seem, it all brings the association of ‘eating downtown’ to us.  With creating new things to eat and ‘taste’ – because of our noses – the opportunity is there for introducing many great marriages of aromas and flavors. 

The easiest of techniques for ‘training’ of the blending together these many flavors we come across simply is to hold single ingredient scents to one’s nose and to mentally remember them.  Subsequently hold other intended scents and aromas to the nose one after the other, apart and then together.  It’s as easy as it sounds.  Work varied blendings until there is found a combination of smells that work with the memory and sensibilities that you have learned.  Trust your sense of smell.  Trust your experience.

I am no nutritionist, and don’t claim to be.  My mom was a great cook, and she served her delicious food with love and laughter (which incidentally are the BEST condiments).  However, having been raised during the depression, her concepts of preparation and presentation in our new, more prosperous ‘baby boom’ world had her putting butter and mayonnaise on almost everything.  I loved it, but it had its consequences.  Then I was a skinny kid, but my youthful eating habits didn’t support that rich intake in my later years.

My brother and I had to work to alter those habits, and this book reflects that altered mindset from my food perspective.  It is always wise to educate oneself in nutrition and watch what one eats.  ‘Read the label’ -- simple yet very prudent advice.  Avoid highly processed foods if possible, and limit use of salts, sugars and chemicals.  Lighten up on dairy and red meats, use butter and animal fats sparingly, and deep-fry no more often than once a week if you can.   Easily said, but boy, what a task.  We find ourselves overwhelmed at the thought of having to give up foods we hold to comfort or habit, so we often surrender without a fight in deference to our ‘loves’. 

There are alternatives to this defeatist style of thinking; and the most basic manner of approach is moderation – altering our diet so gently and subtly that we don’t really recognize any substantial change -- making the task much more, shall we say, palatable.   Give it a try, it isn’t that hard.  Most all ingredients I refer to in this book are easily found in the local supermarket.  This presentation of cooking is for everyone, and even those actively instituting controlled food preparation and ingredient choice can use these recipes as a reference with slight augmentation. 

See what you can come up with.   ‘Healthy’ will only be an incidental by-product.

         FATS AND OILS – No one loves pork fat more than I, trust me.  Butter, ah, a gift from Heaven.  But it’s the flavor and texture that I crave most, not necessarily the actual ingredient.  Just trimming the amounts of the animal fats intake by a third, then later by a half (or maybe even more) in preparation and cooking, and substituting the other portion with canola, olive, or safflower oil will fare better with the body and digestion, and not alter the original beloved taste and texture noticeably at all.

       CREAMS AND CHEESES – in most dishes, these elements are added for a rich ‘mouth feel’ of smoothness and silkiness to the tongue.  And mayonnaise, what is it about whipped oil and egg that’s so irresistible?   Reducing quantities of these elements in foods such as gravies, sauces, dips, or baked goods, and replacing that partial amount removed with a selection of the following offerings:  smooth-blended soy curd (soft ‘silken’ tofu), thickened yogurt/Greek yogurt, canned evaporated milk, or smooth-blended cottage cheese.  These will maintain the lovely mouth-feel and taste while enhancing the nutrition and contributing considerably less fat. Actually, the reduced-fat dairy items and mayonnaises available commercially are surprisingly satisfying (they’ve already replaced some of the animal fats with heart-healthy oils).  Soy based vegetarian isn’t bad, but completely non-fat versions of soured creams, soft and aged cheeses, and mayonnaises, however, will disappoint you.

      FLOURS AND GROUND GRAINS – Not all flours, semolinas, farinas or breakfast wheat grains are as nutritious as our bodies would like.  Simply adding a teaspoonful of fresh wheat germ per cup of the ground grain in a cereal, baking recipe or coating adds a richer flavor as well as a significant lift in nutritional value.

Upping the Ante

When you have a winner, go for the gusto!

A BITE OF HISTORY

 

 Mixing flavors, textures and aromas is a big deal.  One would think that every conceivable option has been exhausted in the relationship of different foods to one another, but there’s still ‘room’ for more ideas.  We can forever be grateful to Daniel Peter for working with Mr. Nestlé as to thinking of blending cocoa powder and condensed sweetened milk. You see, until the late eighteen hundreds, milk chocolate hadn’t ever been tried, or at least successfully.  For centuries chocolate was served hot, water-based, and bitter as a stimulant beverage – much like coffee, and sweetened if you were lucky or rich enough to have honey or sugar – and if you could even afford the chocolate!  It had rarely been considered as a sweet confection.

And then bringing in peanut butter, wow, Mr. Reece, you’re the man. 

OK, another blend story:  The 1904 worlds fair in St. Louis, MO, having a waffle booth situated right next to the ice cream booth . . . such serendipity.  The ice cream purveyor ran out of paper serving cups to present his ice cream and started using thin-crisped waffles borrowed from next door that they shaped into a cone-shaped cup. 

You have to realize -- ice cream -- although enjoyed for at least a thousand years as a sorbet-style dish in the Orient, and enjoyed in ancient Rome made with snow carted rapidly down from the mountains, and as a chilled cream refreshment that had been around for at least a century to the general European and American public – found this to be the first official effort with a portable ‘edible container’. 

So simple.  The rest, as they say, is history.  You just never know.

Then we have an ancient Asian sauce given a name derived from the Chinese ke-tsiap, that morphed as it traveled to the west, to kechap – which originally was a smoothly ground sauce consisting of vinegar, oils, herbs, spices, anchovies and nuts.  The English misspelled the word to ketchup when adopting the sauce to the European range of foods.  But what you probably didn’t know, the addition of the tomato as an ingredient in ketchup wasn’t until around 1790 – easily centuries into its culinary use -- thanks to Thomas Jefferson, who pretty much single-handedly legitimized the fruit (yes, it’s a fruit) to the uneducated population’s sensibility.  Until then, the general European and Colonial understanding was that the tomato, an import from the New World, was poisonous (lead or pewter cooking utensils and acidic tomatoes DO NOT mix; plus the leaves of the plant are NOT safe to eat, thus enhancing this confusion!).

Whew, are we glad THAT misunderstanding was straightened out!

Just a little daring – a little forethought and savvy – and you might find a food element or preparation combination with which you could make your own delicious mark.  Try this concept of ‘mix and blend’, using common sense on top of your smelling sense, and you just might originate another ‘potato chip’ or ‘brownie’ or ‘hamburger’ or ‘Buffalo wing’ or ‘cola’ or ‘chocolate chip cookie’ or ‘French dip’ sandwich or chicken ‘nuggets’ or . . .  or

– all serendipitous creations.  My Salsa Sorpresa and avocado cheesecake are such ‘serendipitous creations’, give them a try!

Although Solomon wisely observed there’s nothing new under the sun, it could be figured that some things might have just gotten misplaced, and we simply need to find them again.

Sounds great.

Flavor Translations

This is where your knowledge of flavors and backgrounds, basics and accents all comes into a practical play of the cooking game.  If a certain mix of savory, piquant, spice, sweet, salty, and heat works with one mix of ingredients, then why not ‘translate’ that mix and proportion unilaterally into another blend of similar ingredients.

In a cake, the basic flour and fat, dairy and leavenings – all work great to make a nice, rich texture – then why not alter the flavorings a bit to bring a whole new final taste to the table?  If you have a spice as a base, then translate and go for a fruit flavor as a base instead, or why not try a nut base? Add some ground nut ‘flour’ to the AP mix, or add flavored oils or extracts to the liquids?  Note your fluid proportion alterations in your additions, and work from that.

Vegetables are a rich source of translation.  In mashed potatoes, there are a huge number of varieties one can try for that wonderful mashed, rich, buttery side dish.  Mashed winter vegetables like turnips, parsnips, celery root, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, legumes (limas, boiled peanuts, butter beans, fava beans and sweet green peas - yes!) – can stand in for or a portion (usually about one-fourth) along side the usual potato.  Instead of butter, try thickened yogurts or nut sauces, or a modest amount of duck or chicken fat, bacon or roast beef or lamb drippings – again instead of or along side.  Wow, you’re getting it.

BBQ introduced the Asian/Tropical translation of sweet with hot, sour and savory to western cultures.  We have no problem with that now, but imagine the first time!

Or with a great salsa, I translated my Salsa Sorpresa from a traditional basil pesto.  And with the well-known salsa fresca, I simply translated the ingredients to become a ‘sweet/pickled/pungent’ from ‘fresh’ in the final taste, as with Plum Loco.  Your experimental fun with the flavors you know and minor ‘chemistry lab’ thinking is all you need.

TRANSLATIONS IN GOOD TASTE

GREEK YOGURT

Instead of the savory association with Greek yogurt, why not use it as you’d use cream cheese and create different ‘schmears’ for toasts and bagels, toppings and fillings.  Add to the much thickened yogurt, a richer idea such as diced fresh and dried fruits and fruit preserves and juices, toasted nuts, nut butters, chopped olives, sun dried tomato and basil mix, sweet onion and dill mix, caramels and chocolates, coconut, and butterscotch.  A better way to be bad.

SANDWICHES

We’ve demonstrated many diversions of the standard sandwich throughout this book.  As has been offered, many things can replace the form of the two slices of bread, and the beloved interior sandwich makings can be presented in a myriad of surroundings – tortillas/crêpes/pitas, French toast, a sealed encasement of crust/pasta/dough or steaming parchment, rolled and baked or braised in flattened meats, rolled in cooked beaten eggs, served between sliced fruits/ vegetables/ roots, rolled and steamed in banana/grape/cabbage leaves, stuffed in roasted peppers/tomatoes/squashes, and baked in packed salts/clays/stones.

CASSEROLES

Layering vegetables, meats and starches and baking them all together is nothing new.  With pasta we have lasagnas, then trade out the pasta with tortillas and you have enchilada pie.  Add any of several forms of potatoes and you’ve made shepherd’s pie.  Layer sautéed sliced squashes, eggplant, seeded/stemmed roasted peppers, edible leaves etc as you would pasta with cheeses and rich vegetables/meats in yet another type of lasagna.  Incorporate rice, rice noodles or fried rice and it becomes again something new, related to stuffed cabbage/grape leaves, summer rolls or spring rolls. 

           

POTATOES

Knowing that there is about a thousand and one ways to prepare potatoes, what can I say?  Well, you can always supplement part of the taste and texture of the potato with another contrasting or harmonious great taste and texture.  When making mashed, grilled, fried, au gratin, hash or whatever, use three quarters of the mass in potatoes, with Yukon Gold being the most favorite for fluffy, ‘soft’ dishes, and ‘new’ or young potatoes being used for fried or ‘firm’ potato dishes.  The other quarter can be a myriad of choices.  When frying hash browns, try grated zucchini, grated onions, sweet potato, carrot, turnip and/or radish.  For a twist on mashed, try roasted or steamed celery root, parsnips, cauliflower, eggplant (can you imagine mixing some baba ghanoush with mashed potatoes or potato salad?), ground roasted nut ’butter’, and/or roasted peppers. 

BREAD PUDDINGS

Most expectations of bread puddings are sweet, but consider translating the idea of a moist flavorful bread-based dish to the savory, like a loaf dressing or quiche.  Instead of fruit bits and sweet spices, translate it over to small cubes of cheese and cubed prepared meats (salami, pepperoni, kielbasas, chorizo, ham, Italian meats, Spam etc.), fish/shellfish, favorite veggies, fresh herbs/spices, nuts, small pastas, diced squashes along with the rustic bread cubes and custard base.  Bake and top with a crunchy finish, and serve warm or room temperature, with a cream sauce or gravy.

BUTTER

We love butter, and having it top just about anything is a lovely thought and taste.  To bring that rich taste without as much of the fat and cholesterol is also always a lovely thought and taste.  Sometimes, just replacing some of the content with a ‘safer’ ingredient is a good start.  Herbs, small diced flavor components savory or sweet (anchovies, dried tomatoes, mushrooms/truffles, tofu, miso etc. or honey, fresh and/or dried fruits, citrus zests, crushed candies etc.), dairy (hard boiled eggs, cheeses, dried cheeses, Greek/thickened yogurt, etc), or liquids (hot sauces, fruit juices).  Some of the content of the butter mass may also be replaced by ‘safer’ neutral/flavored oils such as canola, peanut, safflower, sunflower, sesame, hazelnut, olive, soy etc.   Or try nut butters, rich and delicious – and unexpected.   

What foods these morsels be

The understanding of ‘feasting with the eyes’ is no small reality.  When we find dishes lovely to behold, our appetite is enhanced, pre-digestion has begun, and we’re literally ‘watering at the mouth’ to eat.  Even photographs and TV depictions of foods can have us drooling.  Flavors are already being enjoyed in the mind; associations are working overtime with what we see and what we expect.

Simultaneously, if the food being viewed is in front of us and real, then aroma draws us in even closer, ramping up the energy and the desire to dine through that emotional memory of the flavors and smells bringing a precise expectation of gratification. 

Finally, as we begin physically to dine, the next sense to support our enjoyment is that of touch.  As mentioned often here, the ‘tooth’ of the bite is a huge contribution to the success of the meal.  Finding that ‘tooth’ place becomes possible by how the food is prepared, cooked, fried, boiled, cut, squeezed, pounded, torn, shaken, stirred and ground.  I’ll never completely understand that oral gratification of chewing and resistance in the bite, but it sure is a very real element of food enjoyment.  If everything we consumed were the texture of foam or paste, but still delicious, would we enjoy it as much?

I know I can safely say no way!

The bite.  That’s our hero.  Enjoying that bite by proportion to the size of the mouth, the ease to access that bite for the ‘chew’, and the ability to easily swallow is also the key.  The size of that ultimate bite is decided in how much cooking and preparation, and therefore, final breakdown of the morsel sizes.  Some vegetables cook away to ‘nothing’ over lengthy braising and boiling.  Some meats as well can be too soft or too tough for the pleasure of the bite, and some are most difficult to be enjoyed if they are portioned too big or too small, no matter how tender they are.  Planning the morsel size and texture during preparation in relation to the size and ‘bite’ at serving is necessary. 

A good cooking technique is to add small-diced vegetables at the onset of longer-time cooking which will veritably cook away over time, contributing basically their rich flavor; then adding the same vegetables but larger-diced, twenty minutes to a half an hour prior to finish to bring a tactile form of flavor to the dish on top of the earlier caramelized applications. 

Often we’ll see television cooks removing meats or other ingredients from a sauce or braise right after they’ve finished grilling or sautéing them, and adding them back into the recipe sauce at the end of the preparation.  There’s a reason for that idea.  Guarding against overcooking is not a waste of time.  It’s a great practice, and the flavor enjoyment is worth the planning.

Oh, and YES!, take care of your teeth.  Listen to your mom, and keep them all your life.

A Chance for Enhancements

Salt is our number one flavor enhancer.  We as mammals need salt in our bodies.  It’s out there cheaply and easily, so many folks unfortunately tend to over-indulge.  It’s possible to build a tolerance to salt flavor, increasingly thinking we need more, so be aware.  The general public now knows that this additive must be used in wise moderation -- about 2400 mg daily for normal intake, some say less, especially for older folks -- while perspiration, physical activity, blood pressure, and general health all dictate specific attention to the numbers.  We all must maintain wisdom in our diet.

Alternatives to salts as flavor enhancers are always a good idea.  Some of these following flavor enhancers fare better with some foods than others to develop taste.  We all know the dependable flavor additives such as vanilla for sweets and garlic for savories, and citrus zest enhancing most every food it accompanies – but there are the more subtle options as well.  There are commercial packaged options to use, but I have my list that I choose to use religiously in my cooking:

Chicken and poultry, and eggs – fried, broiled, braised, boiled or baked with the ‘grassy’ herbs: basil, sage, parsley, dill, tarragon or cilantro, fresh or dried, rubbed or marinated/sauced over; or in the oil, boil or baste.

Braised meats (and chocolate) – adding proportional amounts of brewed coffee to these foods will anonymously elevate the base flavor.  With pot-roasts and other meat braises, include about a cup in the liquid; and with confections, about a tablespoon of coffee or espresso per pint/pound of chocolate element.

Grilled meats and poultry – I always add external flavors to my meats at least fifteen minutes prior to cooking while bringing them to room temperature from the refrigerator, or up to a day in a rub or marinade, to enrich the flavor but also to lightly tenderize the meats.  Powdered dried peppers and roots (chile, paprika, curry, cayenne, ground dry mustard, powdered garlic and onion), and dried herbs (ground to a powder in the palm of the hand by the opposite thumb) -- all provide enormous flavors.  I first pummel the meat surface with the tines of a fork, providing an inward route for the dissolved flavors; then rub with vinegar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and/or oil as moisturizer, an adherent and a vessel for the powdered flavorings – massaging all together with my fingers.  As the meat readies to room temperature – freshly rubbed, or having set herb/sauce coated and refrigerated in a zip lock bag from the day before – the exterior moistures and flavors will be absorbed into the meat, and the meat surface will again be ‘dry’, ready for browning in the pan.

Fish – Gentle herbs, such as dill, basil, tarragon, sage, marjoram – and conversely, the ‘heat’ spices like ground mustard, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, paprika and cayenne  -- and always the dependable lemon/lime juices and/or zests are pretty much magical with any fish or shellfish.  Minimal liquid marinade (one-half hour tops) is recommended.

Potatoes – baked, sautéed, mashed or fried with a light dusting of dried or fresh oregano,

            sage, thyme, dill or tarragon.

Greens – dark leafy greens and green legumes find a deeper taste when steamed, sautéed, or braised with a whisper of nutmeg.  Acids like vinegars, lemon/lime juices, squeezed and/or zested last are a big ‘fresh’ flavor boost as well.

Vegetables – Tomatoes and other vine-based fruits and vegetables (tomatillos, cucumbers, melons – the fruits; and eggplant, beans, squashes, and peas – the vegetables) like to be paired with some of the ‘grass’ herbs (cilantro, dill, parsley, mint, basil, tarragon, marjoram, chives). Stalk vegetables (celery, rhubarb, broccoli, chard, leeks) and root vegetables (potatoes, beets, carrots, rutabagas, onions, parsnips) tend to fare well with ‘stem’ or ‘shrub’ herbs (thyme, sage, oregano, rosemary) and most all vegetables love being surrounded by seed spices (cumin, caraway, allspice, celery, nutmeg, cardamom, mustard).  Bark and root spices (ginger, garlic, cinnamon, tumeric) along with the seed types fare better when first paired with heat (sautéing or roasting the spices) to release and temper their essential oils.

Fruits – Some sweet/tropical fruits and melons fare well with savory or spicy (contrasting) spices like cayenne, paprika and/or cumin.  Limejuice with fruits and melons always gives a flavor boost very well.  In a dessert or sweet presentation, almond extract and liqueurs enhance flavors well, especially in under-ripe / under-flavored fruits. 

Grains – Such as rice, barley, oats, rye, wheat (bulgar), spelt, corn (semolina) combine exceptionally well with nuts and seeds, such as almonds, pecans, walnuts, filberts/hazelnuts, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, caraway and sesame seeds.  Best when added in a ground or broken up form, especially when roasted or toasted – which not only adds caramelized taste, but also multiplies the nutritional value of both ingredients.  The grass herbs: fresh mint, cilantro, parsley, tarragon, sage, basil or dill added to semolina, farina, wheat or corn brings a satisfyingly bright sense of ‘fresh’ to the table. 

The tongue and the TOOTH

I like to feel the density of what I’m eating about as much as enjoying the taste of what I’m eating.  I think one reason we enjoy eating meat so much is the luscious chew resistance found in ‘the bite’.  Texture and resistance feel in the mouth is very satisfying.  Who knows what residual caveman basic fundaments are being utilized here. 

How the mouth (lips, tongue, roof of mouth, teeth and jaws) perceives texture is about as important as flavor.  Each of these mouth areas greatly enjoys getting their ‘part’ in the play of eating.  I can think of easily three different senses of texture and feel to the mouth, and as they say, ‘the more the merrier’ when applying these textures to each bite.

THE CHEW

Crunchy/crisp:  well-fried bacon and slim-cut meats/skins; fried cheeses,

         milled grain products, vegetable and root fried ‘chips’; caramelized

         sugar; bar/molded chocolate and candies; crushed ice; raw or

         baked/fried/toasted nuts and seeds; baked grains and breads

         (re-toasted or crusts); raw vegetables/roots, greens and fruits, etc.

      Dense/sticky:  fried/baked meat and fowl; dried meats, fruits and vegetables;

               medium to well-cooked bacon and slim cut meats; lightly cooked

               vegetables; sautéed fungi, legumes, roots and sprouts; hard cheeses;

baked cheeses; some baked pastries; syrups, caramels and some sugar

confections, etc.

Soft/mushy:  cooked/fried vegetable and meat interiors; very ripe fruits and
               vegetables; fresh breads and some baked pastry interiors; fresh and soft
               cheeses; steamed/boiled grains; warm gums, taffies and caramels; English/
               American style puddings, etc.

THE FEEL

Slick/slippery:  oils/butter/fats; roux and custard based; whipped oils (mayonnaise,

        salad dressings, sauces, etc); shaved ice (Hawaiian style); milkshakes, icings

        and frozen/whipped treats; cultured dairy; gelatin, etc.

Foamy/whipped:  whipped cream/dairy; soft meringue interior; soufflés; mashed/

        riced potatoes and roots, etc.

Airy/fluffy:  cotton candy; dry meringue; marshmallows; interiors of baked foods

        (cakes, breads, pastries), etc.

THE SURPRISE

Effervescent liquids:  sparkling wines/fruit juices, soft drinks, mineral waters etc.

Vaporous or volatile liquids and oils: liquors, beers, citrus/sours, vinegars,

        horseradishes, mustards, hot peppers, ginger, mints, cloves, bitters, cinnamon,

        eucalyptus, etc.

Reactive powders:  citric acid/sour salt, ascorbic acid, bicarbonate of soda

Astringent:  alum, tannins (some teas and some wines), some fruit (apple and pear)

        skins and seeds, i.e. some grapes, cranberries, pomegranate seeds, some

        vegetable liquids (cucumber, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, some legumes

        and lentils, etc.

     

Many non-meat foods will affect us in the same way if prepared properly.  Fungi, such as portabella, Crimini, and shiitake mushrooms are almost like a robust steak as it is; and eggplant grilled, fried or baked can be outrageous.  Breads (grain gluten), cheese and other foods in various yeast or bacterial presentations have a remarkably great elasticity or resistance, plus other bacteria-affected, brined or ‘aged’ preparations along with the cheeses, such as vegetables (sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles), onions, soy/miso and tofu.  Squashes, root vegetables, grain products (corn, wheat, barley), stalk/full leaf vegetables – all have the potential for being very wonderful in the ‘tooth’ department through their natural traits or a combination of that and thoughtful preparation and cooking.  Cheeses will give the same great ‘chew’ when caramelizingly parked on top of a bubbling casserole or broiled on top of breads, fruits and vegetables.  When aged to a rich, dense texture, it imparts a remarkably complex flavor as well as a good tooth.  It is paramount, therefore, to incorporate knowledgeable preparation to enjoy the uppermost flavor AND texture in foods.  Caramelization, reduction, drying or crisping of foods are the basics of these preparation techniques as much as fresh and quality ingredients.

Nuts in foods give a great crunch, as does crisp grilled or raw vegetables like celery, carrots, bell peppers, (onions aren’t as tasty when undercooked), root vegetables as well as the lesser known celery root and jicama – and some canned things hard to find fresh here, like water chestnuts, baby corn, bamboo shoots and heart of palm (very tasty!).  I always add these crunch elements to my foods – for both nutrition and for a happy mouth. 

With that said, we can certainly reduce and exchange our intake of meat, as we Americans eat waaaay much more meat than we nutritionally require.  It weighs us down, overworks our cardio-pulmonary system, and parries with our budget.  That base desire for a healthy chew resistance can be met with a well thought-out plan utilizing veggies, fungi, cheese, nuts, legumes and/or roots. 

Our heart (and wallet) will thank us too.