danieljdwyer's Profile
What counts as "junk food"?
Sounds like we basically agree. Whole fruits are certainly a better choice than juices. I'll admit I'm not terribly familiar with the nutritional content of commercial juices, as I don't buy much in the way of packaged or prepared foods of any kind. I do buy apple cider from a few different local cider mills. An 8 ounce serving of that contains 4-5 grams of fiber, so if I have a 12 ounce mug of hot cider for breakfast on a fall morning, that's about a quarter of my daily fiber needs. Would I be better off just eating an apple? Absolutely, but chances are I'd drinking the cider because I am either running late or don't feel like eating. I'm better off drinking the cider than skipping breakfast. I suppose that's how I would define junk food: are you better off consuming it or consuming nothing (discounting potential starvation as a factor)?
In terms of what juices have substantial fiber, in terms of "a lot", I'm not sure, beyond prune juice. I should have phrased that differently, as what I mean was more that a lot of juices retain a substantial portion of the fiber of the fruit even when strained. I know berry juices retain most of the soluble fiber from the berry, as do fruit juices from the prunus family (peaches, plums, cherries, apricots, et cetera), and pomaceous fruits (apples, pears, quinces, et cetera). My assumption would be that pulpier fruits like citrus and pineapple retain very little fiber, and the fruits themselves probably don't have much in the way of soluble fiber to begin with.
Surprisingly, nutrition.gov has almost no information on this. I had to look through the nutrition data given in the recipe booklet that came with my juicer.
What if I want to make rice pudding (arroz con leche) and don't have long grain white rice? Possible?
Cool. Thanks.
The way it is explained in the guides I've seen is not so much that more polished rice is higher quality, but that it is purer starch. Not knowing whether or not this is true, I just went with it, because the price difference ends up being almost negligible when you can make a gallon of excellent sake for a couple bucks even with overpriced "sushi rice".
The claim is also that the most prestigious sake houses in Japan are using rice milled to only 35% of its original weight for their premium sakes. I can't even find rice that polished, except for exorbitant prices online. Here's the most complete information I've found, if you're interested: http://www.sake-world.com/html/more-types-2.html
Freezing restaurants! Please turn on the heat!
I know this puts me in an extreme minority, but I hate air conditioning. This is something I could rant about for awhile (and did before I thought better of it and deleted a few paragraphs). But, to put it simply, I don't like being hot. I sweat when it's above 70, and I'd never consider living in a place warmer than New England. But I'd rather sweat than sit in artificial cold. And I'd rather be hot than be cold. Heating is a necessity of human life outside of the hottest parts of the globe, and has been for almost two million years of human history. Air conditioning, in the modern sense, is a luxury enjoyed by a small percentage of humanity for only about a century, so I don't think the two can be fairly compared.
What if I want to make rice pudding (arroz con leche) and don't have long grain white rice? Possible?
I've been making sake at home for a few months now and am wondering, in light of this, what you think about advice I've seen. The more highly polished the rice is, the better the sake will end up being. I've seen in a number of different homebrew sources (all American and clearly not well researched or professional) that, from the same brand, buying a bag of rice labeled "sushi rice" gives you a better chance of getting a more highly polished rice than one simply labeled short grain rice. Thoughts?
Freezing restaurants! Please turn on the heat!
I agree that the drastic difference in fancy attire for men and women causes a conundrum here, but I've always though etiquette dictated that the men should be the uncomfortable ones if anyone must be. After all, that's what undershirts are for - or, as a worst case scenario, a suit jacket covers up a sweat stained shirt.
Beyond that, I just don't think being too warm is a big deal. A whole lot of people pay good money to go fry in the tropics on vacation. There are charities dedicated to making sure no one has to be cold. This seems to point to hot being desirable to cold.
What counts as "junk food"?
A lot of packaged commercial anything have added crap that makes them unhealthy. A bad version of a food existing doesn't make that food unhealthy.
I'm guessing that by juicing you mean squeezing, in which case few commercial juice are prepared that way. Most are pureed or crushed, then strained. The soluble fiber is not removed, which would be a difficult and expensive process. The insoluble fiber is lost, but, again, fruit just isn't a great source of that to start with.
I'm not claiming all fruit juices are healthy; this is certainly not the case. But many do have a substantial amount of fiber, and many that don't are healthy for a variety of other reasons. Many juices are also quite incorrectly assumed to be unhealthy as well. Commercial apple juice is crap, but people lump apple cider, which is quite healthy, in with it and assume it's also crap. Lumping different products together and making generalizations just doesn't work.
What counts as "junk food"?
Fruit juice does not lack fiber. Most fruit is not a good source of insoluble fiber, but many fruits are among the best sources of soluble fiber. Many juices retain a significant enough percentage of their soluble fiber to be very healthy. A glass of prune juice, for instance, has more than the daily recommended amount of fiber.
What is one tip that you learned about cooking that was simple but made a huge difference? [old]
Okay, but how is water solubility a factor? I'm not challenging the fact that it is, but no one here and none of the references to how alcohol "releases" flavors have provided even a cursory explanation of what water solubility has to do with sense of taste.
I've not been able to find any literature, on the internet or in an academic database, making even brief mention of this idea. It is also quite counterintuitive, considering that not only do I know I can taste some things that are not water soluble, but nueroscientists have identified some as categories of taste reception.
Pure copper and iron are not water soluble, yet each has a very distinct taste. The same is true of long chain fatty acids, and, arguably, a whole range of pure lipids.
Also, if solubility is the cornerstone of taste, how does the fact that saliva is a more effective solvent than water factor in? And shouldn't that mean if my mouth is dry I can't taste anything? If that's the case, then what are all those cottonmouthed stoners doing eating bags of Cheetos?
What counts as "junk food"?
I don't know the exact breakdowns. They do gather, though they aren't broken down into hunters and gatherers so much. Their societies are remarkably egalitarian. While the men tend to be the ones the actually do the wearing down and killing of prey, simply due to typically being faster runners, the entire tribe typically sets out together to find food. They eat seeds, nuts, grubs, vegetables, and what little fruit grows in the Kalahari, all as they find them. When they find antelope, they chase one until it collapses from heatstroke. I believe nuts are the most important source of calories for the majority of tribes.
What counts as "junk food"?
Both their fat and glucose stores are lower than is typical of humans in agricultural societies. This has interesting effects on psysiology. For instance, you'll often hear people toss information around about how humans are naturally meant to get married and start pumping out children as teenagers. Khoisan women, however, because their diet and liefstyle allows for little in the way of short term energy storage, do not even become fertile until an average of 18, though the average age of marriage and reproduction is closer to 25. They also are not able to have children more frequently than about once every 3 or 4 years, despite breastfeeding duties often being shared among several women in the tribe. The study of these peoples which began in earnest only within the last 40 years, has thrown a lot of the basic assumptions of anthropology and human physiology out the window.
Oh, and generally, the tribes that have started eating sugar and carb rich foods stop hunting. They have abandoned their hunter gatherer lifestyle and life on UN grain rations. It's a truly sad thing.
What counts as "junk food"?
That's not entirely true. While I think the energy bars are fine if you are really burning all those calories in your workout - though there are much better sources of the calories, and I personally don't want to replace the calories I burn working out - you don't need sugar for energy. The Khoisan hunter gatherers of southern Africa - whose genetics and lifestyle are most similar of all humans to those of the first modern humans of about 200,000 years ago - travel an average of 20 miles a day on foot through rough terrain. A typical hunt involves a 10 mile run to exhaust prey. Their diet involves no grains or refined sugars and very little fruit.
I'm not advocating a hunter gatherer diet, but if they don't need sugar to run ten miles across the Khalahari, no one needs sugar to work out.
What is one tip that you learned about cooking that was simple but made a huge difference? [old]
I use a cast iron skillet for just about everything. Not eggs though. No matter how well seasoned cast iron is, it's not ever going to be non-stick. It takes a lot of added fat to get eggs to not stick, and for omelettes you even need to get the sides greased. I can cook an egg in my new non-stick without adding any fat at all. I've been making omelettes for years in my cast iron skillet. It takes about three times as much butter as I want to use, and still isn't as easy as my new cast iron. And I wouldn't call these new pans disposable. My mother has had the same ones for ten years now and they're still in perfect shape.
What is one tip that you learned about cooking that was simple but made a huge difference? [old]
Absolutely. That's the same principle as the vanilla pod. But if you're leaving the solids in, there's no logic to the claim that the alcohol is "releasing" flavor. It's either there or it isn't. Solubility is not a factor since things don't need to be dissolved in order for you to taste them. You don't need to make a broth to be able to taste the flavors in beef. The alcohol certainly alters the flavor profile, both in an additive fashion and by rearranging things, but it isn't unlocking anything.
Square Hot Dogs?
The part of this that I find the most idiotic is that the issue with most hot dogs comes from their being skinny, not round. I highly doubt kids are choking on a nice, thick hot dog, because they don't fit in the throat until you chew them. The crappy, mass produced, mystery meat hot dogs that most people buy are skinny enough to go down the throat intact. One more reason to buy a high quality hot dog.
Realized I have NO Greek Cookbooks!
I'll second these recommendations and add her book Paella!: Spectacular Rice Dishes From Spain. Casas is the only English language cookbook author who seems to really get Spanish cuisine.
Realized I have NO Greek Cookbooks!
The overlooked Culinaria Greece is the absolute best I've read: http://www.borders.com/online/store/TitleDetail?type=0&catalogId=10001&simple=1&defaultSearchView=List&keyword=culinaria+greece&LogData=%5Bsearch%3A+18%2Cparse%3A+56%5D&searchData=%7BproductId%3Anull%2Csku%3Anull%2Ctype%3A0%2Csort%3Anull%2CcurrPage%3A1%2CresultsPerPage%3A25%2CsimpleSearch%3Atrue%2Cnavigation%3A0%2CmoreValue%3Anull%2CcoverView%3Afalse%2Curl%3Arpp%3D25%26view%3D2%26all_search%3Dculinaria%2Bgreece%26type%3D0%26nav%3D0%26simple%3Dtrue%2Cterms%3A%7Ball_search%3Dculinaria+greece%7D%7D&storeId=13551&sku=0841603642&ddkey=http:SearchResults
It's not available directly through Amazon, but I've seen it recently in both Barnes and Noble and Borders. It focuses on not just the food, but the food culture of Greece. The many regions of Greek cuisine are examined independently, and the factors behind the unique cuisine of each are discussed.
It also helps that it has a lot of beautiful photographs. Such a beautiful country with such beautiful food really needs good visuals to be understood.
What counts as "junk food"?
Eaten by themselves, I would say that yes, butter and lard are junk food.
Making paella in New Haven, need rice
Pimenton and pimentos are two different things. I've never seen a decent pimenton at Stop and Shop, and those carried by La Tienda are not expensive.
Stop and Shop does have some decent Spanish olive oil, but the stuff carried by La Tienda is a much better value. My favorite is the Senorio de Vizcantar, which, at $18 for a half liter, is not especially expensive. It's about twice as expensive as the basic olive oils at Stop and Shop, and about ten times as flavorful. It's way better than the best oils Stop and Shop carries, while costing less.
I wouldn't use saffron powder. Stop and Shop does sell McCormick thread saffron, which is way less expensive than the Princesa de Minaya I buy at La Tienda. You get what you pay for.
As for the rice, if the Uncle Ben's works for you, then you should certainly use it. It's a very different rice than what is used in Valencia, and when I make paella I'm looking to recreate what I ate in Valencia. I buy the 11 pound bags of Calasparra for $30, which is not terribly expensive. That's only about $5 worth of rice for a pan of paella.
What counts as "junk food"?
I would have counted it, because of the subjectivity of the term. I wouldn't call hamburger helper junk food, but the argument can easily be made that it is. It's certainly a nutritionally poor meal.
Roseland Apizza: ambiance doesn't affect price. Warning: pizzas can cost $85!
In terms of price, service, ambiance, wine list, and all that, Roseland is very normal for a pizza and red sauce joint like you'll find anywhere from Philly to Boston. It's also among the best I've been to. They do have some higher end items, but I don't see why this should be a negative thing. Sure, they make a $40 pizza. They also make a $12 spaghetti and meatballs, $14 lasagna, and $20 sausage pizza, just like everyone else. And that $40 pizza is a good value, as far as I'm concerned. They aren't using the - as far as I'm concerned, low quality - pre-cooked frozen shrimp you'll find at Stop and Shop, or even the stuff from a restaurant supplier. It's high quality product from a local fish market - I think Swanson's in Bridgeport, but it's been years since I learned those details. There's at least $20 of ingredients in that $40 pizza, and 50% ingredient cost is an amazing value when dining out.
Roseland can just as easily be an inexpensive meal out as an expensive one. And the food is great, which I think is the most important part. The high end Italian restaurants in New Haven, like L'Orcio, aren't a good comparison. Roseland is pure Northeast US Italian. L'Orcio could be anywhere in the country. Most of the local Italian Americans don't want white tablecloths and cloth napkins and Tuscan pappardelle. They want lasagna like mema made in a comfortable setting at a fair price. Roseland does that better than anywhere else in the area.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
Maytag Blue might be rare at mid range restaurants, but there are at least some that use it. A restaurant I used to prep in used it for blue cheese dressing, and I see a number of restaurant supply companies that sell it. There was also a trend a few years back of Maytag Blue burgers. But yes, it's not going to be found in most restaurants or in industrially produced dressings. I just think that, given their market share, most Americans who have eaten blue cheese (not in a dressing) have had some.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
Thanks. I'm in Boston, and have been to Formaggio Kitchen a few times. It is a great shop. Unfortunately, I always get there when it's incredibly busy, and I hate to hold up the line with twenty questions. I'll look for some of those you've mentioned - probably Fourme d'Ambert first, since it reminds me of the first season of Top Chef when Miguel couldn't remember the name when serving a cheese plate.
Making paella in New Haven, need rice
I was never able to find either Calasparra or Bomba rice anywhere near New Haven. The other rices that make an excellent paella are pretty much impossible to find in the US, so those are the two to focus on. Your best bet is to order online, and La Tienda is the best source I know, not just for rice but for everything else you'll need (pimenton, olive oil, saffron, or even a good paella pan and Penelope Casas's wonderful book on paella): http://www.tienda.com/food/paella_rice.html
If you need to buy something locally, and have no luck finding either of those types of rice, your best bet is to buy a Japanese rice. They don't absorb nearly enough liquid, but they do maintain the appropriate texture. Whatever you do, don't buy any regular old short grain rice, especially arborio or any other risotto rice. Any rice that's good for risotto is terrible for paella, and vice versa.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
Thanks. That's a cool filter. I forgot all about Cashel Blue, which I would agree is delicious.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
Can you recommend some foreign cow's milk blues? I've never been able to find any aside from Stilton. I've been told at various points that both Cabrales and Gorgonzola should be cow's milk, but I've never seen either without sheep or goat milk blended in.
Great Hill Blue, due to proximity, is the domestic blue I buy most frequently. Berkshire Blue, on the opposite end of the state, is another very good Massachusetts blue. In a very different category, Westfield Farm, in central MA, makes a few very good surface ripened blues.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
Yes, but the Maytag family hasn't been involved in managing the appliance company since the Sixties. I'm not sure when they lost majority ownership, but Whirlpool owns Maytag now. So, while the farm and appliance company once had the same owners, there is no longer a connection.
Generic "blue cheese" in the US
There are a lot of poor quality blue cheeses being produced in the US, including a number by companies like Kraft. Kraft and the like, however, are not big restaurant suppliers, and most US restaurants are using either a low quality generic blue cheese or Maytag blue cheese.
Maytag has dominated the US blue cheese market since it was first made in the Forties. It is actually a high quality blue cheese, with a better reputation abroad than in the US. The process under which it is still made was created by two dairy scientists at Iowa State University. Initially, they had been trying to create a process for making Roquefort in the US, but after many failures, realized Roquefort cannot be duplicated. They started from scratch, using cow's milk instead of sheep's, a different strain of Penicillium, ripening the milk prior to adding rennet, using a slightly larger amount of rennet than is usual and a slightly higher temperature.
While Maytag does not enjoy the protection of a designation of origin, it is a trademarked name which can be used only by Maytag Dairy Farms. This is not owned by the Maytag appliance company, but by the family which founded that company. It is properly classified as an artisan cheese, as it is hand made according to the original process. The milk used is from only local Iowa dairy farms (mostly Holsteins), and it is cave aged at Maytag Dairy Farms in the original caves built there for this process.
This isn't necessarily the blue cheese you don't like, but it is in such wide use that I'd have trouble believing any American who has eaten blue cheese more than five times has not had it. If it's the one you don't like, there are two likely reasons. Most blue cheeses aside from Maytag and those modeled on Maytag (as many US artisan blues are) are made from sheep's milk or goat's milk, so you might not like cow's milk blues. Try some Stilton, which is also a cow's milk blue. If you don't like it, I'd bet this is it. The other possibility is that you prefer blues that are abundant in Brevibacterium. This is what gives most French and Italian blues their distinct odor. Maytag and most American blues are much lower in Brevibacterium.
Gas vs Electric oven
Upgrading power plants would be great, but it's only one piece of the puzzle - the biggest piece, but also the most costly and conententious. Upgrading the power substations, transformers, power lines, computerization of distribution (so called smart grid technology), and a redesign of the actual distribution grid to focus on closer to source usage, controlled distribution or directed power output, and decentralized generation are among small scale projects that would make an enormous difference without being resource intensive. Much of the grant money is already in place for these upgrades, some of it having been allocated as long as five years ago. Unfortunately, there isn't much profit to be made in the design, labor, or material production, so the money that is available is stuck. Until that money is spent, no new money will be allocated. Kind of an absurd issue to have in this economy.
Gas vs Electric oven
Of course. I don't disagree, just reflecting on the unfortunate fact that efficiency is hard to find no matter where you look.
I know the US does have some of the better power plants, but I was under the impression that some sections of our power grid are among the least efficient in the world. I recall a lot of information going around during the 2003 Northeast blackout about how that part of the power grid particularly around New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Southern New England, being among the oldest electrical systems in the world, was among the absolute most poorly designed. Oddly, though all of the surrounding neighborhoods and towns were blacked out for days, my parents' neighborhood, where I was living at the time, never lost power. There was talk in both the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns about serious updating of the power grid, so let's hope that actually comes to pass. Regardless of how it compares internationally, it's not even close to as good as we can make it.
Gas vs Electric oven
And then you have my first college apartment in Boston, where the lost heat from the stove, oven, and shower were the only things keeping the place warm from November through March.
