- 1
- 2
- 3
- next
- | single page
Turkey meatloaf with tomato-spinach sauce (William DeShazer, Chicago Tribune / January 25, 2010) |
Before you slice into a tomato, chop an onion, pull out a skillet — before you even turn on the stove — turn on your senses.
Your ability to use all your senses — to see, hear, smell, feel and taste — may be the simplest way to up your culinary cred.
"To ignore that is to deprive yourself of some of the natural, most basic pleasures of the craft," said Lauren Braun Costello, New York-based chef-stylist and cookbook author during a phone chat. Most important, she said, learn to taste.
"You peel a carrot. It feels firm, and you say OK, it's crunchy. You bite into it, and it's not that sweet, it's not that full of flavor or it has an odd texture. You're tasting before you start cooking," said Costello, who has written "Notes on Cooking" and "The Competent Cook." "You're a conductor and you've got all these musical instruments and you're going to create a melody. You have to really taste and see and feel and touch and smell how all that is coming together."
For Marcus Samuelsson, chef at restaurants Aquavit, in New York, and C-House, in Chicago, that might mean incorporating vinegar or lime juice into a savory sauce to brighten its flavor.
For Thomas Keller, chef at Napa Valley restaurants French Laundry and Ad Hoc, that might mean getting comfortable with touching food.
"I've found a lot of people are afraid to touch food," he writes in "Ad Hoc at Home." "Touching food is good. It … gives you results impossible to achieve when you're using long metal utensils."
More tips
Season as you go: "Season meat before you brown it. Season meat as it comes off the heat. Season the meat as you slice it," Costello said.
Season correctly: "When you season food … whether the food is raw or cooked, always season from high above the food to ensure even distribution," writes Keller.
Sweet, too: In "New American Table," Samuelsson mixes Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lime juice and olive oil for brushing on grilled tuna. For salmon, a similar sauce uses honey instead of syrup. Balsamic vinegar adds its sweetness to a toasted sesame oil, olive oil and lime juice mix he splashes on grilled chicken.
Balance a plate: "The contrast and repetition of shapes, colors, textures and sizes provide a powerful form of culinary communication," Costello writes.
jhevrdejs@tribune.com
Crispy braised chicken thighs
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 45 minutes Makes: 6 servings
A one-pot dish adapted from chef Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home."
12 chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup canola oil
Your ability to use all your senses — to see, hear, smell, feel and taste — may be the simplest way to up your culinary cred.
"To ignore that is to deprive yourself of some of the natural, most basic pleasures of the craft," said Lauren Braun Costello, New York-based chef-stylist and cookbook author during a phone chat. Most important, she said, learn to taste.
"You peel a carrot. It feels firm, and you say OK, it's crunchy. You bite into it, and it's not that sweet, it's not that full of flavor or it has an odd texture. You're tasting before you start cooking," said Costello, who has written "Notes on Cooking" and "The Competent Cook." "You're a conductor and you've got all these musical instruments and you're going to create a melody. You have to really taste and see and feel and touch and smell how all that is coming together."
For Marcus Samuelsson, chef at restaurants Aquavit, in New York, and C-House, in Chicago, that might mean incorporating vinegar or lime juice into a savory sauce to brighten its flavor.
For Thomas Keller, chef at Napa Valley restaurants French Laundry and Ad Hoc, that might mean getting comfortable with touching food.
"I've found a lot of people are afraid to touch food," he writes in "Ad Hoc at Home." "Touching food is good. It … gives you results impossible to achieve when you're using long metal utensils."
More tips
Season as you go: "Season meat before you brown it. Season meat as it comes off the heat. Season the meat as you slice it," Costello said.
Season correctly: "When you season food … whether the food is raw or cooked, always season from high above the food to ensure even distribution," writes Keller.
Sweet, too: In "New American Table," Samuelsson mixes Dijon mustard, maple syrup, lime juice and olive oil for brushing on grilled tuna. For salmon, a similar sauce uses honey instead of syrup. Balsamic vinegar adds its sweetness to a toasted sesame oil, olive oil and lime juice mix he splashes on grilled chicken.
Balance a plate: "The contrast and repetition of shapes, colors, textures and sizes provide a powerful form of culinary communication," Costello writes.
jhevrdejs@tribune.com
Crispy braised chicken thighs
Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 45 minutes Makes: 6 servings
A one-pot dish adapted from chef Thomas Keller's "Ad Hoc at Home."
12 chicken thighs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup canola oil
