educating our palates
from Les secrets de la casserole, by This Hervé:

In the early 80's, it was discovered that the limit of detection of saccarose, or the smallest noticeable quantity of sweetener that can be detected in a given quantity of water varies by individual ; likewise, different sweeteners are perceived with different limits according to the person. In other words, the amount of sugar that we put in our coffee depends not only on the sensation that we like to have, but also on our personal sensibility to the sweetening molecule . . . What is fascinating, and perhaps not astounding, is that these limits evolve through "education" : in a string of tests, the limits diminish, i.e. sensibility increases . . . This type of observation shows that, if we wish, we can train ourselves to develop a refined palate.
- posted by Jesse @ 9:19 PM 0 comments

 
pav bhaji
i developed a taste for this at the 3am punjab apartments of college when the prepackaged food sent from home by auntie was broken out.

it is a potato curry that you eat with toasted, buttered buns. you will want a potato masher to make it properly. this is my rendition.

for the bhaji:

either buy pav bhaji massala or follow a recipe online, like this:

roast these things:
50 grams coriander seeds
25 grams cumin seeds
25 grams black peppercorns
25 grams cinnamon stick
25 grams cloves
seeds of 4-5 black cardamom pods
10 grams fennel seeds

now grind everything, then add

50g chili powder
25g dry mango powder
1T turmeric powder

now you melt about two tablespoons or more of ghee
fry at a good pace in the hot oil:

1 large onion, diced

add now:
5 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 T ginger paste or fresh ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4T pav bhaji massala
1T chili powder
stems from a bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (you can make use of the whole cilantro plant if you add the stems at the start of your cooking, and the leaves at the end, instead of discarding the stems)

cook until a smooth sauce with oil floating atop.

meanwhile, you will have boiled some or all of the following, remembering that the potatoes are the sine quibus non:

3 large potatoes
2 large carrots
1 cup of peas
about 250g cauliflower
a green capsicum, seeded
a cup of boiled beans or lentils

add these things along with a cup or so of water

now stir and mash with the masher, until you have a curry that is thick but can still be stirred easily. use water to adjust the thickness. once it is all well mashed and has a smooth consistency, turn off the heat and add:

salt to taste
juice of a lemon or a lime (the lime will be more sour)
the leaves from your bunch of cilantro, in generous amount

your pav (pão) is buns that are toasted then buttered or buttered then grilled. dinner rolls or bolillos work well.
- posted by Jesse @ 2:35 PM 1 comments

 
tartiflette
for me, the standard tartiflette is layers of the following baked in a casserole dish:

bacon fried with onions
boiled, sliced potatoes
crème fraîche

after the last layer you pour in enough dry white wine to fill the interstices and then lay over the top a reblochon cut through the thickness like a sandwich roll. it's then baked for 30-45 minutes, until the cheese is melted and a bit browned on top, and the liquid has stiffened somewhat. a more standard recipe is here

i chose this dish for a potluck in buffalo, NY, this weekend, since buffalo is cold and showy. i made the following improvisations:

i used waxy white potatoes, peeled them, boiled them whole, then cut them into thick slices. this is standard.

i couldn't find suitable bacon, so i got a hunk of salt pork and fried it until it was crispy. it gave crackly bits of flesh that was almost purely fat. this is a welcome effect, i say, since the overall texture of the dish was made smoother and these pieces soaked up some of the liquid.

i forgot to fry onions in the pork fat.

there was no crème fraîche, so I used sour cream. about a pint and a half went into the casserole with three pounds of potatoes.

most importantly, there was no reblochon, so i experimented with Le pié d'Angloys, another washed-rind cow cheese that has a powerful fragrance when ripe. this cheese lived up to its expectation, and its flavor completely overtook the dish.

from this, i recommend further innovation in the area of cheeses. i would try époisse or pont l'evêque next time.
- posted by Jesse @ 1:47 PM 0 comments