In the thick of things

Does the word “emulsification” mean anything to you?  If you have ever eaten mayo or made good seasons italian dressing…then it does.  An emulsification is the homogenous binding of two liquids or ingredients that would never stay mixed under normal circumstances.  Why do they stay??  That my friends is a very easy question.  They would stay bound or “suspended” if you used an acid or other binders such as mustard.  You would combine an acid such as vinegar and then slowly drizzle in the oil.  This emulsification happens when you create tiny droplets of the vinegar into the oil. The mustard will act like the glue to hold it together.  In the case of mayo…egg yolks, lemon juice and then slowly incorperating the oil…and there is your mayo.

Other thickeners are roux, cornstarch/water &  arrowroot.  These are used in sauce making.  Roux is the combination of equal parts of fat & flour and then cooked to form a paste that resembles raw cookie dough.  All of these share a comon trait…they won’t activate unles the liquid you wish to thicken boils first.  You must also cook them for a bit to remove the raw starchy flavor and texture.  Other things you could use to “emulsify” with is a chemical called Xanthan Gum.  It comes in powdered form and does not require cooking to activate it.  It is found in many items on the supermarket shelf including good seasons.  That’s how it stays thick after you mix it.  It is actually pretty cool and it leaves no after taste or unpleasant mouth feel.  If you want to try it you can buy it in small quantities from www.willpowder.net. 

Making roux is easy and it can be made ahead and stored for weeks.  You would heat you oil in a pot and then stir in an equal amount of flour and continue to stir it over medium heat until you have achieved the desired effect.  The minimum to cook a roux is 3 minutes and the max is about 45.  At the max it would look like chocolate and smell “almost burnt.”  This is primerily used in Cajun cooking.

All in all whatever you choose to do with any of these…I promise the result will be grand.

Well…I’m all out for this week.  Join me next week for more culinary knowledge and maybe a few recipes.  Until then…bye! 

On the front burner

Here we are at the beginning of my newest blog.  I decided on the title because I will be giving you “Food for thought.”  So many people out there are on the cutting edge and why should I fall by the wayside?  Once you get there, the cutting edge seems so fitting.  Anyone can be ordinary…why not be extraordinary?!  If you deconstruct your kitchen stove, there are “zones.”  There is the oven, the back burners and of course the “front burner.”  people usually favor the front burner…and for good reason.  Up front is usually the part in the spot light.  We all wish for the spot light even if we do it secretly.

Today’ topic “on the front burner” is simply one of the basics…although a lot of people might overlook it.  As we all know that foundations in cooking start with the “mother sauces.”  These are the sauces that usually start as the base for all of the other ones we know.  Espagnole, tomato, bechemel, veloute’ and holandaise are classic and nessesary.  The recipe I am doing today is one that some chef’ don’t even know about.  They may have heard of it, but then again they may have not.

The term “Gastrique” is of course french, and once you do this sauce, it just may become one of your favorites.  It is akin to simple syrup, but has a cool twist.

Lemon-Raisin Gastrique

1c. Sugar

1c. Red wine Vinegar

Julienned zest from 2 lg. lemons

1t. salt, kosher

1/4c. california or golden raisins

Combine all ingredients in a heavy bottom sauce pan.  Heat to boiling, reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until syrup is thick.  Use immediately or save for later use.  In example I have found that this goes best with Scallops, Lobster, Escolar, Sea Bass, Halibut or any good white fish.

Well…that’s all I have for now…  Join me next time for more of the unknown.  Don’t be shy…feel free to drop me a line.  You can email me at chef531@gmail.com.  Until then…bye!     

Who…and why?

Once again we are posed with that one faitful question…”why?”  Why does it do what it does?  What if we did this instead of that..then what?  Before I begin, let’s go with the who.  Who am I?  Well, that’s easy enough.  My name is Brian K. Fowler and I am a chef from Long Island NY.  I have been in the kitchen since I was young and even though I had dreams of being a chef, I didn’t know I would end up here.  Cooking for me wasn’t always easy…I would always try to go further than I probably should have even back then.  I was never truely satisfied with what I knew…never focused, so I pushed on.  Fast foreward to now, I am still more than just obsessed.  I am intrigued by the pioneers…the great ones.  Faran Adria may have sparked the fire for many, but I am hard pressed to fan the flames of genius.

What should you expect from me?  That is easy enough.  Expect me to be teacher and pupil alike.  I am going to dive head first into the science of food…to go where no man has ever expected to go.  Unlike James Tiberius Kirk…this journey will be a life long quest, not a five year mission.  So “take your protein pills and put your helmet on” boys and girls…cause this ride is gonna be a bumpy one.

Jpoin me next time as we travel into the unknown.  Until then…bye!