Cream is made by skimming the layer of butterfat from the top of milk before the milk is homogenized. Varieties of cream are defined by how much milk fat they contain. Creams with less fat are fine for coffee, but they can’t be heated or whipped. Cultured creams (sour cream, crème fraîche) break down when heated, and are best drizzled or dolloped after you've finished cooking a dish.
The spectrum of cream from lowest to highest butterfat content:
Half & Half: A mix of half whole milk and half cream. No whipping. No heating.
Light Cream: AKA Table Cream - Usually contains 20% milk fat. No whipping. No heating.
Crème Fraîche, Mexican Crema and Sour Cream: The cultured creams. No whipping. No heating. Cultured creams have sour undertones that differ from the silky sweetness of creams that are not cultured.
Light Whipping Cream: Has more milk fat (30-36%) than light cream. Whips into soft peaks. Heats nicely, too.
Heavy Cream (aka, Heavy Whipping Cream): 36-40% milk fat. Can be whipped into stiff peaks. Heats to a silky, rich thickness.
Recipe: Pappardelle With Creminis, Cream And Sage (Cookthink)
Recipe: Cream Of Broccoli Soup (Cookthink)
Reference: What do I do with leftover heavy cream? (Cookthink)
What is extra-virgin olive oil?
What is extra-virgin olive oil?
Extra-virgin olive oil is the precious unrefined first result of cold-pressing olives to make a fruity liquid that contains less than one percent acid.
Extra-virgin olive oil is the most expensive olive oil variety, and it is best appreciated in salads or as a garnish to give preparations a final flourish. If you are using olive oil to cook, it's fine to use regular olive oil.
Greece is the #1 consumer of olive oil in the world and also the leading producer of extra virgin olive oils, which account for 82 percent of their olive oil production. The U.S. is not a member of the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), which regulates olive oil standards worldwide, and the IOOC does not recognize the U.S. standards for extra-virgin oil.
There is much controversy in the olive oil world, with accusations of corruption and adulteration smearing consumer confidence and shedding doubt on the purity of so-called virgin olive oil.
What's the difference between white rice and brown rice?
What's the difference between white rice and brown rice?
Brown rice and white rice are the same grain. White rice is brown rice that has been stripped of its fibrous layers of bran and then polished smooth and white. Those outer layers contain most of the fiber and nutrients of the grain. (They also give brown rice a nuttier, chewier flavor and texture.)
So, which is better?
It depends on what you're in the mood for. We enjoy the complexity and wholesomeness of brown rice. But we also appreciate a simple, soothing bowl of white rice, which cooks faster and has a light, fluffy texture that balances acidic and spicy dishes, like a stir-fry or vindaloo. And while brown rice is great for the heart, white rice is easier on the stomach, making it a suitable base for comforting Greek Lemon-Egg Soup.
Kosher salt is a bright-tasting white, coarse-grained salt made without additives (such as iodine).
It is called kosher salt in North America (elsewhere it's referred to as coarse-grain salt) because it is used to aid in the preparing of kosher meat that is salted after butchering in order to draw out the animal's blood. Kosher salt works particularly well because its large grains don't immediately dissolve on the surface of meat, drawing in liquid instead.
But you don't have to keep kosher to appreciate kosher salt, a favorite of cooks everywhere for its large flaky texture and clean taste that works in a variety of dishes.
If you're new to kosher salt, be aware that it doesn't always dissolve completely in baked goods and that its grains vary in size according to the manufacturer, so be sure to check the box for measurement conversions. The large flakes of kosher salt make it a nice finishing salt to sprinkle on dishes before serving.
Maldon sea salt is cultivated in Essex, England. A favorite of British chefs and cooks everywhere, it has a crisp, bright taste and large, jagged pyramid-shaped crystals that make it a nice finishing salt.
Legend has it that salt has been cultivated on the British coast since Roman times and the first evidence of salt manufacturing in Essex dates back to the 11th century. But today just one salt-panning company remains, Maldon Crystal Salt Company. Believed to be located on the site of a medieval salt factory, it has been producing the salt for more than 200 years.
Leeks are underappreciated and underused. Their flavor is mellow, complex and more subtle than other members of the onion family, and they go tender and silky when cooked.
They’re known for their role in potato and cream-based soups (like vichyssoise) and in winter stews. They’re delicious raw and sliced thin in salads, stir-fried with beef (or anything, for that matter), simmered in water and served hot or cold with a vinaigrette, braised whole in wine or stock, or brought in anywhere you’d use an onion.
No matter what form you want your leek to take, you’ll need to isolate and clean the usable white and light green parts.
Start by cutting off and discarding the root from the leek’s bottom end. If you’re planning to cook the leeks whole or as halves, try to leave enough of the fibrous white part above the roots to hold the halves together. If you’re planning to slice the leeks, you don’t need to be so exact here.
Next, chop off the tough top part of the leek between the light green and dark green parts (let's call it medium green). Either discard the dark green part, or rinse it well and use it to flavor a stock, broth, or poaching liquid.
Next, cut the leek in half lengthwise. If you’d like insurance that the leek will stay together for washing, leave the root end intact.
Now it’s time to get rid of the sand and soil that wedges between the leek’s layers. Be thorough here — a gritty bite is a deal-breaker. Rinse the leek under cold running water, making sure to spread the layers apart with your fingers to remove any hidden sand or soil.
Alernatley, If this is too much, you can take the short cut and slice them sand and all, and afterwards rinse them well in a colander submerged in a bowl of cold water and pat them dry.
Now all you have to do is finish cutting the leek in half lengthwise (if you haven’t already), and choose your slice - crosswise for little half moons, or lenghtwise for matchstick sized pieces. Remember the longer the cooking time, the thicker the slice should be to hold up well.
Measuring freshly ground black pepper
Measuring freshly ground black pepper
When a recipe calls for "freshly ground black pepper," it usually does so without suggesting an amount. In the instructions of the recipe, you’ll be told to "sprinkle [something] with freshly ground black pepper" or "generously season both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper" or "add freshly ground black pepper to taste."
In general, this makes sense. Cooking with black pepper is one of those things you just get a feel for as you spend more time in the kitchen. And descriptive measurements like "sprinkle" and "generously season" are hard to screw up: a light sprinkle is not going to be drastically different from a heavy sprinkle.
Still, we've been keeping track of pepper amounts for a while now, because we want our descriptive measurements to be more or less the same from recipe to recipe. How much pepper do we mean when we write "generously season?" What is the ideal amount of a Cookthink "sprinkle?"
And of course, there are times when it helps to have an exact amount for freshly ground black pepper. For certain casseroles and papillotes -- dishes that can’t be tasted for seasoning as they cook -- it's nice to have an exact baseline amount of pepper so that you don’t have to tweak it too much at the end for taste.
The problem is that it’s near impossible to grind accurately into any measuring spoon smaller than a tablespoon, and few recipes call for that much pepper. So how do you measure freshly ground black pepper?
One easy way is to go by turns of the grinder. I’ve carved an “X” onto the side of mine, a short and simple model with three settings: coarse, medium, fine.
I set the grind to medium and made 8 full rotations into a small bowl. Using a 1/8 teaspoon, I shoveled the ground pepper into another 1/8 teaspoon. Too much. I started over and stopped at 4 full rotations. It was a little light, so I made another full turn and got an almost level 1/8 teaspoon with 5 total rotations of the grinder.
I did the same for 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon. I got the results you’d expect:
1/8 teaspoon = 5 full rotations
1/4 teaspoon = 10 full rotations
1/2 teaspoon = 20 full rotations
1 teaspoon = 40 full rotations
I repeated this in both the fine and coarse settings, and found them close enough to the medium not to worry too much about it.
So are these measurements helpful? In writing and testing recipes, yes. In practice, probably not, though I have often wondered, while standing over a stew grinding away, just how much pepper I’m adding. Now I know. - Chip
Since its leaves hold their shape well, escarole is one of the easiest greens to prep.
Start by cleaning it: Fill a bowl with cold water and dunk the head of escarole, swishing it around so the water gets in between its leaves and any sand or dirt can sink to the bottom of the bowl.
Pull off and discard any damaged outer leaves.
Let the escarole drain upside down, then put it on a kitchen towel. Cut off and discard its tough bottom stem.
If you want to keep the leaves intact for a salad or braise, just pull the leaves apart at their base. Arrange them on a towel to dry, or spin them dry in a salad spinner.
For stews, sautées and pastas, just chop the leaves crosswise as thick or thin as you like.
what you should know
Escarole is a pale, broad-leafed type of endive.
Delicious and crisp when eaten fresh, this bitter green is also excellent when braised, wilted, grilled or cooked in soups. (Always be sure to give the leaves a thorough washing.)
easy green The Bittman challenge: close your eyes and try to distinguish between escarole and its trendier, more expensive, red-tinted cousin, radicchio.
A+ Escarole is a great source of folic acid, vitamin K and fiber, and when it comes to vitamin A, escarole tops even spinach. One medium head of escarole yields about seven cups of torn leaves.
wintergreen Escarole is a winter green (along with chard, collards, mustards and kale) that thrives late in the growing season. The heart of a head of escarole is less bitter because it's been deprived of sunlight.
what you need
Everyone should own a copy of Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. (Be sure to check out her recipes for escarole torta and escarole and rice soup.)
A brightly colored shallow pan is perfect for quickly sautéing escarole and then bringing the dish right to the table to serve.
Tongs, our favorite kitchen tool, will do right by your escarole, whether hot or cold.
what you do
Juicy, tangy and still slightly crisp, wilted escarole with lemon is simple and soothing.
Escarole's salad possibilities are virtually endless: serve it with chicken and mint; with beets, walnuts, and goat cheese; or with golden raisins and Dijon mustard.
Parmesan and bread crumbs make a richly contrasting topping for braised greens.
Grilling season is coming to a close, but fire it up one last time for some charred escarole.
If you're craving something warming, try escarole soup -- with kale or with sausage.
Find more escarole recipes at Cookthink.com. And if you haven't yet signed up for a free account at Cookthink, do it now!
Flat-leaf parsley vs. curly-leaf parsley
Flat-leaf parsley vs. curly-leaf parsley
Italian, or flat leaf, parsley has flat leaves as its name suggests, and many cooks prefer it for its more pronounced flavor, as it contains more essential oils than the curly leaf variety.
Curly leaf parsley is most often used as a garnish to add color to plates of monochromatic food or to dress up seafood displays.
While parsley is generally used for its leaves, parsley stems actually contain more flavor. Finely dice them and add to stocks, sauces, sautés and other preparations for added taste and vitamins.
Recipe: Barbara Kafka's Parsley Soup (Cookthink)
Recipe: Tortellini With Tarragon, Chives And Parsley (Cookthink)
Some rice -- short-grain white rice in particular -- almost always needs to be rinsed of the powdery starch that builds up around it during transport. Brown rice, since it still has its hull, doesn't create as much buildup in the bag or box.
All rice probably gets a little dirty between the farm and the store shelf. A good rule of thumb is to rinse new brands and varieties the first few times you use them. If the water's crystal clear, they may not need rinsing the next time.
To rinse rice, add it directly to the saucepan or a bowl, fill it with cold water, and swish the rice around with your fingers. Check the clarity of the water, pour it out (keeping the rice in the pan with your hand), and repeat until the water is clear.
