Cooking
I admit it. I'm addicted to watching cooking shows on TV. Almost all of them. There are a few I don't care for, but I'll save that for another time. I was thinking about the things I have learned from cooking shows and here are some of the specifics:
Rachael Ray. She hosts a cooking show called "30 Minute Meals". From her I learned about the "garbage bowl" keeping a bowl at your workspace saves you steps to the garbage and the inevitable messes that happen in between.
Jacques Pepin. From Jacques (I like to imagine we are on a first name basis) I learned a quick and easy sauce for fruit--simply mix some fruit jam or marmalade with lemon juice and chopped mint. Voila! A great way to perk up fruit that is not fabulous on its own.
From Julia Child I learned that a little butter makes almost everything taste better.
From Alton Brown of "Good Eats" I learned that an egg slicer is great for slicing mushrooms in a hurry.
From Mario Batali who hosts several shows on the Food Network and is a frequent guest on other people's shows, I learned the secret to neatly flipping stuff in a pan is to tilt the pan downwards first.
From Martha Stewart I learned that insider trading is naughty. No, actually I learned that the best, lightest, most fluffy mashed potatoes come from using a ricer, not a potato masher.
That's just a taste of what I've learned and remembered. I'm sure I have absorbed plenty without even realizing it...but every once in a while it's worth giving credit where credit is due.
- Williams-sonoma Tools & Techniques
The sense of joy and satisfaction that I get from cooking something wonderful and sharing it or eating it is almost indescribable. Not only do I feel pride, but it inspires me to take on more and more recipes and techniques. I learned to cook from watching...
- Julia Child Contest
I am still savoring my Summer edition of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. It was an entire issue devoted to none other than Julia Child. There are interviews, remembrances, stories, poems, songs and even a picture of Julia in the bathtub...
- Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way
Watching cooking shows on TV is one of my favorite pastimes. It's entertainment, sure, but I also learn a lot. My all-time favorite television chef is Jacques Pepin. I have many of his cookbooks and watch his television series religiously (let's...
- Peach Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe
When I was in high school I used to come into San Francisco's North Beach to hang out in cafes and drink Italian sodas and fancy coffee drinks. Torani syrups were a fixture in those cafes and they still are. But flavored syrups can actually be used...
- Jacques Pepin
You learn by doing. How many times have you heard that? It couldn't be more true when it comes to cooking. I have been very lucky to learn from my parents who are both good cooks and to learn from a wonderful cook whose family I lived with in Italy....
Cooking
Cooking Shows
I admit it. I'm addicted to watching cooking shows on TV. Almost all of them. There are a few I don't care for, but I'll save that for another time. I was thinking about the things I have learned from cooking shows and here are some of the specifics:
Rachael Ray. She hosts a cooking show called "30 Minute Meals". From her I learned about the "garbage bowl" keeping a bowl at your workspace saves you steps to the garbage and the inevitable messes that happen in between.
Jacques Pepin. From Jacques (I like to imagine we are on a first name basis) I learned a quick and easy sauce for fruit--simply mix some fruit jam or marmalade with lemon juice and chopped mint. Voila! A great way to perk up fruit that is not fabulous on its own.
From Julia Child I learned that a little butter makes almost everything taste better.
From Alton Brown of "Good Eats" I learned that an egg slicer is great for slicing mushrooms in a hurry.
From Mario Batali who hosts several shows on the Food Network and is a frequent guest on other people's shows, I learned the secret to neatly flipping stuff in a pan is to tilt the pan downwards first.
From Martha Stewart I learned that insider trading is naughty. No, actually I learned that the best, lightest, most fluffy mashed potatoes come from using a ricer, not a potato masher.
That's just a taste of what I've learned and remembered. I'm sure I have absorbed plenty without even realizing it...but every once in a while it's worth giving credit where credit is due.
- Williams-sonoma Tools & Techniques
The sense of joy and satisfaction that I get from cooking something wonderful and sharing it or eating it is almost indescribable. Not only do I feel pride, but it inspires me to take on more and more recipes and techniques. I learned to cook from watching...
- Julia Child Contest
I am still savoring my Summer edition of Gastronomica: The Journal of Food and Culture. It was an entire issue devoted to none other than Julia Child. There are interviews, remembrances, stories, poems, songs and even a picture of Julia in the bathtub...
- Jacques Pepin: Fast Food My Way
Watching cooking shows on TV is one of my favorite pastimes. It's entertainment, sure, but I also learn a lot. My all-time favorite television chef is Jacques Pepin. I have many of his cookbooks and watch his television series religiously (let's...
- Peach Walnut Vinaigrette Recipe
When I was in high school I used to come into San Francisco's North Beach to hang out in cafes and drink Italian sodas and fancy coffee drinks. Torani syrups were a fixture in those cafes and they still are. But flavored syrups can actually be used...
- Jacques Pepin
You learn by doing. How many times have you heard that? It couldn't be more true when it comes to cooking. I have been very lucky to learn from my parents who are both good cooks and to learn from a wonderful cook whose family I lived with in Italy....