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The Nuts in Kung Pao Chicken: Peanuts or Cashews?
1) America is, as they say, the Land of the Free, so I suppose Serious Eats readers and tweeters and Facebookers have the right to dream up just about any combination of ingredients they can think of and call it gongbao jiding. But that doesn't ground their little thought experiment in earthly reality. In other words, the opinions of sundry New Yorkers, Nebraskans, or Alaskans on the subject--particularly those who've never been to China-- don't add up to a hill of peanuts, chicken morsels, and dried peppers. To begin with, their notions of Chinese food have very often been shaped by restaurants that make numerous concessions to non-Chinese tastes.
2) Guiyang may claim paternity when it comes to gongbao jiding, but I think you'll find that nearly everyone from anywhere else in the Chinese world associates the dish with Sichuan province.
3) There's something about the look of a pair of chopsticks jutting out of a bowl of food, as in the photo above, that is simply irresistible to Western illustrators and photographers; you run across it all over the place. For the record, though, in Chinese culture that image is considered inauspicious (for reasons I'll spare you right now), and a pair of chopsticks sticking out of a bowl of food like that is a definite no-no at the table.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Gongbao jiding (not "jidan") is totally authentic, but what's shown in that photo ain't it. What are those green bits supposed to be? Cucumber? Zucchini? Based on my experience in China and Taiwan, they don't belong. Also, there seems to be more peanuts than chicken, and even the most devoted peanut partisan shouldn't get away with that. As for cashews, not a chance.
As stated, Jennifer 8 Lee's book clarifies the record re: Gen'l Tso's, but gongbao jiding, as far as I know, is quite a different story.
Cook the Book: Pumpkin Walnut Cranberry Quickbread
I made this recipe last night (only substitution: raisins instead of cranberries, since I had none, but the orange zest bits still provide nice bright flavor), and it is indeed very tasty. The only problem is, as you warned, it makes two really BIG breads, and impatient sort that I am, I took one of them out too soon. By the time I discovered it was still wet at the core, it was too late to fix. This despite the fact that I'd done a successful skewer test--I must have happened on a tiny pocket where it was fully cooked. Next time I'll go for three pans.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
More wasteful, consumerist silliness from the go-to-any-lengths-for-a-single-delicious-bite school of gourmandise. For one thing, to say this will "revolutionize home cooking in ways that the microwave didn't even dream of doing" presupposes that the microwave revolutionized home cooking in the first place. In fact, all it revolutionized was the reheating of leftovers and stale coffee, as a sort of consolation prize for rendering us stupider and less skilled. It isn't awfully hard to envision the day when thrift-store shelves will be lined with home sous-viderators, alongside all those wedding present bread machines.
The Nuts in Kung Pao Chicken: Peanuts or Cashews?
1) America is, as they say, the Land of the Free, so I suppose Serious Eats readers and tweeters and Facebookers have the right to dream up just about any combination of ingredients they can think of and call it gongbao jiding. But that doesn't ground their little thought experiment in earthly reality. In other words, the opinions of sundry New Yorkers, Nebraskans, or Alaskans on the subject--particularly those who've never been to China-- don't add up to a hill of peanuts, chicken morsels, and dried peppers. To begin with, their notions of Chinese food have very often been shaped by restaurants that make numerous concessions to non-Chinese tastes.
2) Guiyang may claim paternity when it comes to gongbao jiding, but I think you'll find that nearly everyone from anywhere else in the Chinese world associates the dish with Sichuan province.
3) There's something about the look of a pair of chopsticks jutting out of a bowl of food, as in the photo above, that is simply irresistible to Western illustrators and photographers; you run across it all over the place. For the record, though, in Chinese culture that image is considered inauspicious (for reasons I'll spare you right now), and a pair of chopsticks sticking out of a bowl of food like that is a definite no-no at the table.
That's Nuts: Is Kung Pao Chicken Authentic?
Gongbao jiding (not "jidan") is totally authentic, but what's shown in that photo ain't it. What are those green bits supposed to be? Cucumber? Zucchini? Based on my experience in China and Taiwan, they don't belong. Also, there seems to be more peanuts than chicken, and even the most devoted peanut partisan shouldn't get away with that. As for cashews, not a chance.
As stated, Jennifer 8 Lee's book clarifies the record re: Gen'l Tso's, but gongbao jiding, as far as I know, is quite a different story.
Cook the Book: Pumpkin Walnut Cranberry Quickbread
I made this recipe last night (only substitution: raisins instead of cranberries, since I had none, but the orange zest bits still provide nice bright flavor), and it is indeed very tasty. The only problem is, as you warned, it makes two really BIG breads, and impatient sort that I am, I took one of them out too soon. By the time I discovered it was still wet at the core, it was too late to fix. This despite the fact that I'd done a successful skewer test--I must have happened on a tiny pocket where it was fully cooked. Next time I'll go for three pans.
Seriously Italian: A Tale of Beef, Three Ways
At the no-nonsense Nerbone eatery in Florence's central market, I once ate a brothy soup/stew of nothing but beef and potatoes. It was the homeliest, plainest-looking thing imaginable, but the beefy flavor was as deep as the ocean, fantastically hearty and delicious. It sounds as if this soup recipe is headed in that general direction, with its long cooking and long sitting, so I'll give it a try. Meanwhile, any other tips on how Nerbone might have achieved that unforgettable depth of flavor?
Bazbeaux Pizza: Indy's Best is Just Eauxkay
Without trying to sound too harsh, I'll say this: Indpls has been getting pretty foodish pretty fast, and there is an ever-growing number of people there who know their stuff. However, that's all happened over a relatively few recent years. Because of that, the facts that Bazbeaux's (1) dates back to 1986 and (2) was a popular favorite for so long, are probably cause enough in themselves for lowered expectations. If you're looking in Indpls for the kind of food that might impress this site's readers, you'd better track down something that started up more recently (or much, much earlier, and didn't change with the times).
Magnetic Chopsticks That Recreate the Feeling of Pulling Apart Wooden Chopsticks
Is it just me, or does "Stickpecker" sound vaguely obscene? Not that it would interfere with my meal or anything...
Pie Lollipops
I would have called them "lolli-pies."
Bogey's Pizza & Guns, a Combination Pizzeria and Gun Shop
Seeing this, I can't help but think of Quincaillerie Dante, the wonderful shop in Montreal's Little Italy, near the Jean Talon Market. Half the store's devoted to kitchenware, the other half to hunting gear--rifles, camo, all that stuff. Gourmet mag's Montreal issue (a couple of years ago) gave it a look, focusing on the work of cooking teacher Elena Faita, who also happens to be the store's proprietor. Well worth a visit.
Why I Hate 'Hell's Kitchen'
Yes indeed. Happening on it last night, after missing a few months, I noted that the show's trajectory had moved in oh-so-predictable directions. The original approach of throwing in one or two psychologically iffy contestants just to stir things up had morphed into a conscious policy of recruiting people with obvious personality disorders; cooking skills had regressed from actual to token to completely imaginary; and the bleeping had become virtually continuous. This much is clear: First, the producers won't give up till they've delivered an on-camera murder and/or fatal heart attack, and second, anyone foolish enough to eat food produced in such a poisonous atmosphere would run the risk of considerable spiritual, if not physical, damage.
What is Chinese Brown Sauce Made Of?
I hope this clears things up a bit:
"GLOP: A versatile substance with a pivotal role in the cuisine known as
Chinese-American, where it functions as a binding, flavoring, and
lubricating agent all in one. Not a juice, not a sauce, not a gravy,
not a starch, and not quite an emulsion, it becomes an element of
presentation with the addition of red food coloring."
from The Devil's Food Dictionary: A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies (Frogchart Press)
Win Tickets To The Great American Food & Music Fest
"Who says Buffalo wings are bad for you? Apart from my hands being on backwards, I'm in excellent shape!"
Video: How to Make Green Screen Cookies from 'Food Party'
Very definitely the best thing since "Pee-wee's Playhouse"--and the best thing to happen to Cleveland since they extinguished the Cuyahoga!
Single-Serve Packages in Japan
The Japanese are fanatical about--not to mention extraordinarily inventive and accomplished at--packaging. That was all well and good when the packaging materials were biodegradable (bamboo leaves, rice paper, etc.). But in an era of seabird-choking, endocrine-disrupting, bioaccumulating synthetic materials, that mania ends up being suicidal for them and murderous for the rest of us. Are they entirely to blame? Well, I don't recall ever encountering a packet of "individually wrapped, pasteurized, process JAPANESE cheese slices" at the supermarket.
Dinner Tonight: Beef Miroton
I grew up with a variant of this very satisfying dish, cooked by my English Canadian mother under the influence of her French Canadian mother-in-law. In our house it went by the name "ragout."
In Videos: And Finally Tonight, Jesus in a Bucket of Spumoni
Believe it or not, I bought a Cuban sandwich yesterday that had an image of Adam Kuban on it. I'm saved!
Celebrate Pi Day with Pie
"PIE: A preparation consisting of a pastry crust that serves as a kind of
package or dish for a sweet or savory filling. Most restaurants
sell pie only by the slice; to find out how much it would cost to
buy an entire pie, multiply the number of slices by the value of pie,
which is currently about $3.14159265358979323."
---The Devil's Food Dictionary
'So You're Saying People Will "Tweet" What They Eat for Breakfast?'
Sad that we should have to hear it from someone wearing shoes like that, but, yes, everyone in our time clearly is retarded.
Seriously Delicious Super Bowl Party Giveaway: Snow's Barbecue Brisket
A similar fate:
Snow's brisket gets smoked.
So does one Super Bowl team!
Scientists Discover 'Gourmand Syndrome'
Mmmmm--right anterior lesions!
Asian Markets Attract Budget-Minded Chefs
I love the big Asian groceries; I couldn't live without them. Going from a mainstream American supermarket into one of the Asian ones is like seeing the screen suddenly shift from black-and-white into luscious living color. But the exotic razzle-dazzle doesn't mean you've left planet Earth: Your shopping still has consequences in the wider world. Sure, they do a great job with the miscellaneous meat cuts, but it's all thoroughly industrial meat, which usually means cruel and seriously polluting. Seafood? Yeah, a fantastic array, and most of it harvested with no concern for the future of those resources, or even the well-being of those who eat them (us!). As for the myriad workers providing that bounty, it's pretty much the same story as in a mainstream low-priced store, if not worse: If you could trace it all, you might have a hard time finding a single item that someone wasn't underpaid to produce.
So, as precious as they may get sometimes, the Whole Foods-type stores have at least begun to bring these issues to the public's attention, and without that discussion there's no future for any of us. Let's hope that in the long run the Asian stores can shame the hippie stores into juiciness, while the hippie stores shame the Asian ones into having a conscience. In the meantime, I for one will need them all.
Whole Foods Butchers Train for 1,920 Hours First
That's a pretty impressive number, but what matters more may be the stage of training achieved by the butcher helping you at any given time. Maybe it was just a fluke, but when I recently approached a WF meat counter and asked whether they sold suet, the first response I got was, "What's that?" I didn't exactly get the feeling I was in the hands of someone with 2,000 hours of butcher training.
Photo of the Day: Brussels Sprout Xmas Tree
At last--a tree that supplies its own ornaments!
Cooking from Thomas Keller's 'Under Pressure'
Did you guys know there's a war on?
In Videos: Food Security in Japan
A nicely made little piece with a direct, succinct, and vital message. As for its applicability to the USA, though, it has one huge flaw: It actually suggests that people may be doing something wrong and that they ought to change. That's a big no-no when you're talking about the nation with the world's most acute sense of exceptionality and entitlement. Sacrifice, cooperation, moderation, the common good? No time for those rickety old values right now--I've got happiness to pursue!
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
''A health report last month concluded that oysters tainted with sewage and poor staff hygiene led to guests falling ill after eating at the restaurant in Bray, Berks.
However, environmental health officials have now decided not to prosecute the 43-year-old chef over alleged breaches of food safety legislation at the eatery, which is one of only three in Britain to hold three Michelin stars. ''
If Heston Blumenthal can make people sick by not having adequate sanitation, then what is he trying to do getting home cooks to breed bacteria in a bag?
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I want one! Regarding the hygiene concerns, compared to the danger of deep-frying turkeys by amateurs, this seems tame. True, it may not be for everyone, but neither is a mandoline. Anyone who grills can see the control this would give them. Looking forward to more reports.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I was at this demo, and I have to agree, every bite was amazing.
Regarding the discontinued reynold's bags, their vacuum machine works just fine with the vacuum bags sold by ziploc; I've found they do a better job sucking out the air when there's a lot of liquid in the bag than the hand pump device ziploc provides.
One thing not really emphasized during the sous-vide demo is how great a combination this kind of tool is with a really good grill, like , say, a big green egg. You can sous-vide your pork chops, your steaks, your chicken, toss them on the grill to finish them off to absolute perfection. And if you like grass-fed steaks, but dont like how tough they usually are, sous-viding completely solves the problem.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Another issue to consider is the quality of the bags you use. commercial vacuum bags are multilayer laminate films, which contain an oxygen barrier. This allows you to pull a tight vacuum , if you have a multi thousand dollar cry o vac. Home machines generally leave levels of residual oxygen in the bag, and the simple cheap bags may not have an oxygen barrier. What does this mean? the long slow cook times, along the presence of salt and air can cause the product to develop warmed over flavor, which means they are beginning to go rancid. If the bag has no oxygen barrier, it means oxygen may be forced through the film after sealing by atmospheric pressure, you may not see a leaking bag, but oxidation can occur.
I have worked with sous vide for years, it really is not a practice you want out in uneducated hands, or in the hands of people who think they can control food safety processes by buying organic and local.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I don't know...call me a Luddite, but.there is something about the smell of food simmering, sizzling, and roasting that makes my mouth water and my stomach growl. A kitchen without these delicious aromas wafting through the air seems rather unappetizing. Or maybe, ala elBulli, we can spritz the air with the scent of roasted pork while we gum the sous-vide version.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I may be biased having been born in Chile and travelled extensively throughout Argentina but give me a steak cooked on a parrilla by Francis Mallman over a sous vide steak any day of the week. And yes, I have tried the latter. There are certain applications at which sous vide excels. But come on..... No home cook is going to start supper 72 hours in advance.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@Hannekin: 140°F is potentially safe for cooking chicken, based on the science behind the growth of microorganisms. When dealing with food safety, one must also consider the time held at a certain temperature. While salmonella does not die instantly at 140°F, it will die if held long enough at that temperature. (More precisely, enough will die to no longer be considered a health hazard). The USDA temperature recommendations are total bs. It's more to cover their own ass.
But yes, proper cooking is a huge issue when dealing with low temperature cooking. I hope this equipment comes with the proper food safety documentation detailing temperatures and times. If you're interested in low temp cooking, you really should read Douglas Baldwin's highly informative (and science-based) sous-vide site: http://amath.colorado.edu/~baldwind/sous-vide.html
-----
I have a homemade sous-vide setup that was constructed for under $100 using an ebayed Auber Instruments temperature controller, a hot plate and a stock pot. It's just a precise water bath, and is one of the most versatile cooking equipments that I have. If Ron Popeil were selling this, it would go something like this: But wait! It's not just a Sous-Vide Supreme, it's also a yogurt maker, dough proofer, slow-cooker crockpot, grain masher, red wine fermenter, perfect creme-brulee cooker, egg hatcher....
Unfortunately, the Sous-Vide Supreme does not allow you to cook exactly like they do in Michelin-starred restaurants. You still need a $5000 chamber vacuum sealer to be able to do make some of the things that require compression or liquids that shouldn't be frozen beforehand.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Chicken cooked to 140F just isn't safe. The "quality and freshness" of your ingredients don't matter; chickens are biological organisms and they frequently contain salmonella no matter how fresh they are, how free their range or whose backyard they were raised in. Your handling of the ingredients doesn't matter if they're already contaminated. Long holds (I am loathe to call it cooking) at low temperatures in anaerobic conditions is a recipe for disaster. The USDA didn't pick the numbers to be mean or to limit our options, they picked them in an attempt to help people avoid foodbourne illness.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Chef Blumenthal is helping to bring this form of cooking to the current public palate, but I remember writing about similar methods back in the 70s...It is already being used on such long distance railroad lines as Amtrak.
Apparently it must be done under highly controlled conditions so that it does not cause health issues, hence the expensive equipment.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I think a revolution has to happen in peoples' idea of food in general before sous vide machines become a common sight in households. This machine is great for those who want to try ferran adria or blumenthal style cooking at home but most people already have a preconceived idea of their 'ideal steak' or 'ideal burger' - one which is inherently tied to traditional cooking techniques.
If this machine is supposed to spearhead a revolution in food - it's got it's work cut out. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great tool but I doubt it will hold as much mass appeal as Heston Blumenthal would like.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@J. Kenji - I have always wondered why I have never come across a burger cooked sous-vide and then quickly seared for the crust. I'm looking forward to reading about your results.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@RossS
Don't think I haven't thought about it! I'll definitey be trying it next week. My concern would be that the patty would get compressed under the pressure of the bag, but we'll see. I've had burgers cooked in a C-vap then finished on a plancha before (That's how Tony Maws does it at Craigie STreet Bistrot), which is a similar concept (C-vap is a fancy steam oven that gives you results somewhat similar to sous-vide style cooking).
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@J.Kenji Dude, if they can do steaks in these, imagine how good a burger might be?
Slow cook it for a little while, then take it out and brown it up...or it could be a huge fail. Probably hugely dependant on the blend(s) of meat in the burger patty.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
The ban in NYC was lifted in 2007 but restaurants that wish to use sv in their kitchens must complete and submit a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan, which can be prohibitively expensive for all but the most high end restaurants.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Most restaurants using sous vide techniques are most likely violating county health codes. As stated before, C. botulinum growth will be stimulated under modified atmospheric pressure. Variences are needed, and they are not easy to obtain. A chef a Johnson & Wales University received his varience in sous vide cooking and he showed what was a textbook of information required to be learned, reguarding health deparment regulationss and operating every aspect of the machine. Anyone know if this is still banned in NYC?
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@rajin - this is a lot more expensive than using a PID with a rice cooker/slow cooker/electric hotplate.
The Reynolds HandiVac sucks and is not up to the task. The foodsaver is a good investment regardless, and is the bare minimum necessary to do it right without dropping some serious money on a chamber vac.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
The SousVide website offers an option to buy a Reynolds Handi-Vac, however, they should also note that the Handi-Vac has been discontinued by Reynolds.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I just ordered one. I'd been looking at putting together an immersion circulator contraption for a while now, but this looks like a much better, easier, and cheaper solution.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I guess tasting is probably believing, but I think this would just take out all the fun of cooking. I mean, the challenge of getting something 'perfect' is what keeps me going, even if it's not attainable.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Very simply, I need one of these.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I was just asking my husband yesterday when he thought a home version of sv would hit the stores. It's interesting...I wish I could just rent one for a couple of weeks to try it out.
@simon - I hear you about the proliferation of fermenting/pickling/curing regulations, but keep in mind...10,000 years ago there were fewer lawyers, too!! :-)
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
@J. Kenji Lopez-Alt
I attended the Chicago demonstration of the machine, and I went through the exact same menu. Everything I had was extraordinary. I mean, I'd never had a pear that was so beautifully cooked! Just think about it, even the best poached pears have outsides that are mushier than the insides. But this one was the same texture throughout. It's astouding.
Honestly, though, it's the eggs that I keep thinking about. They were flawless. To think that a home cook, or the local diner, could consistently turn out eggs like this is enough to blow my mind. No more overcooked eggs! It really will change everything.
I understand the comments on how the chicken looks. When chicken is cooked like this, the meat doesn't become stringy, so it doesn't look "normal". Like Kenji explained, "you can't even see the muscle fibers". It's initially a strange texture. What it honesty tastes like is eating chicken with gravy built in with every bite. All the juices are still inside the chicken. So every bite is perfect.
In Chicago, Blumenthal presented two versions of the dish. One straight out of the bag, and one that was removed from the bag and then sauteed in a skillet to crisp up the skin. The sauteed version was still unbelievably juicy, but it also had some of those roasted notes that make a solid roast chicken so comforting. I think I preferred the latter.
My mind is boggled with the possiblities of this machine. This instrument doesn't replace other cooking methods like roasting and sauteeing. It's just another tool that can be used in wonderful ways.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
I have used sv at home many times, so far so good, no one dead or sick. Cooked steaks at 125* for ten hours in various infusions and marinades, then quickly seared the outsides in clarified butter. Perfect temperature, nice crispy seared crust. It's awesome for making custards for ice cream, sabayon, etc. If you follow basic hygiene rules and use clean, fresh ingredients you will be fine. The NYC DOH has ridiculously draconian rules. They don't even allow restaurants to cure or ferment their own products without following a strict Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan. For a process which has been used by people all over the world for tens of thousands of years. They would rather ban a process like sv just because it's easier for their bureaucracy to deal with.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
"Meat guy" made one of my comments -- I think I read that the NYC health department was very concerned to find some of the cooking temperatures being used...
Also, how many home cooks will want to cook for as long as these recipes require? first there's the prep of the food, then the cooking, then the post production... I just don't see mass adoption of this device.
Sous-Vide Cooking with Heston Blumenthal
Captain Buzzkill here,
this technology is great when used correctly. Done correctly it is safe, done incorrectly you are dealing with environments that can produce all sorts of problems. When used incorrectly, say cooking something below 140 degrees for 3 days is a potential food safety nightmare. Sous Vide (without air) means you can grow botulism if the finished item is temperature abused, or even during the cooking cycle. Not hitting kill temperatures for salmonella and staph are possible as well. This is where cooking and science can collide, possibly with disastrous consequences, so learn the food safety before you jump into this.
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About Barry Foy
Website: http://www.frogchartpress.com/
Location: Seattle
About: Author of "The Devil's Food Dictionary: A Pioneering Culinary Reference Work Consisting Entirely of Lies" (Frogchart Press, Seattle)
Favorite foods:
Last bite on earth:
More wasteful, consumerist silliness from the go-to-any-lengths-for-a-single-delicious-bite school of gourmandise. For one thing, to say this will "revolutionize home cooking in ways that the microwave didn't even dream of doing" presupposes that the microwave revolutionized home cooking in the first place. In fact, all it revolutionized was the reheating of leftovers and stale coffee, as a sort of consolation prize for rendering us stupider and less skilled. It isn't awfully hard to envision the day when thrift-store shelves will be lined with home sous-viderators, alongside all those wedding present bread machines.