Text 11046, 152 rader
Skriven 2014-03-18 21:48:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av MICHAEL LOO
Ärende: elusive illusive 326
============================
-=> Quoting Michael Loo to Jim Weller <=-

 ML> I thought you were the loyal core!

 JW> I thought I was too but Trevor and Glen have really impressed me

 ML> Just strikes me that if enough people do this, kaboom
 ML> goes the co-op, and when Trevor and Glen are promoted
 ML> to less icy climes, the next managers may not be so
 ML> enlightened, and someone is going to have to start
 ML> another co-op.

Trevor and Glen have a serious stake in YK; they purchased expensive
franchises and dropped over $1M in renovations on the small store,
$2M on the larger one. And even though they have the same supplier,
they are competitors. 

And yes, if they turn to the dark side, a Co-Op will rise again.

I am not familiar with rose' other than the Mateus I drank back in
University but it has become respectable and I thought one would
go well with a roast turkey dinner my SIL Sandra did for Matthew's
birthday. (The four of us don't go out for dinner anywhere anymore.)
So I did some research online and came up with 2012 La Vieille Ferme
rose by made by Perrin & Fils, the same people who own Chateau de
Beaucastel in Cotes du Ventoux, in the Rhone region. Made from
Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault. It's $10 in Ont, $13 in B.C. and $20
here and won scores of 88 at winescores.ca and 87 and "great
value" at Wine Spectator.

"Bright cranberry in colour and brimming with aromas of rosehips,
strawberry, raspberry and cherry, satsuma orange, fine spice some
leather and dried herbs. The palate follows suit and is rounded out
with star anise, rosewater, red berries and zest of orange. A
whisper of sweetness makes the fruit pop" sez the maker's website.

I don't know if it's as good as its reviews or not because other guests
brought bottles of an abomination called Cupcake California White
which got chilled and served while my bottle remained in the fridge.
Cupcake is a good example of marketing hype triumphing over quality,
value or taste. I guess it's aimed at millenials, women 21-29 who
are novice drinkers. It was a slightly sweet, fruity, low acid,
generic white with no outstanding character at all. I just hope that
S&M have us back for dinner again soon and that they pour my wine!

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: How To Cook Crispy Tofu Worth Eating Pt 1
Categories: Tofu, Info
  Servings: 4

           Tofu

It's easy to dislike tofu when it's soggy, mushy, or bland. But
great tofu, with a tender center surrounded by a well-seasoned,
crisp crust, is one of the most satisfying bites of food I can think
of, a food that can and should be appreciated by all serious eaters,
no matter their diet.

To crisp up plain slices of tofu ...

The goal when frying tofu, whether pan-frying or deep frying, is the
same as the goal when frying meat or vegetables: to alter the
texture and flavor. In the case of tofu, we're talking about adding
some crispness to an otherwise tender food, and adding some rich
browning, which brings out tofu's natural sweetness and bring some
savory notes to the forefront.

Crispness comes from the dehydration of the exterior layer of
proteins in your tofu slices, while browning occurs when those
proteins and carbohydrates are exposed to temperatures above around
300 F or so, precipitating the Maillard reaction (that's just the
fancy word for "things that make your food golden and delicious").

Some things are not good dry. Cake. Pools. Sex. But tofu is
different. The key to both crispness and browning is the removal of
moisture, so the drier you get your tofu to begin with, the more
efficiently these reactions will take place, and the better the
contrast between crisp exterior and moist, tender interior will be.

There are a number of ways to dry your tofu out before cooking it,
but the easiest first step is to get the right tofu to begin with.
Tofu comes in two basic forms: silken and cottony, which are made
using two different coagulating agents. Within these two categories,
you'll find varying degrees of firmness from custardy soft to very
firm and meaty, depending on their final water content. Some brands
conflate soft with silken, but traditionally, the two are orthogonal
measures (that is, it is possible to have soft cottony tofu just as
it's possible to have firm silken tofu).

For crisping purposes, you want to use cottony (non-silken),
extra-firm tofu, which holds its shape and browns better than other
varieties.

Cut and Dry

After choosing the right variety, the second step is to slice and
dry your tofu. Some recipes recommend pressing your whole block of
tofu to remove excess moisture before slicing. This works fine, but
takes some time. Much easier is to slice the tofu, then lay the
slices out flat on a cutting board or baking sheet lined with paper
towels or a clean kitchen towel. More surface area = faster water
removal = dinner on the table that much faster.

I've also seen it suggested to employ the microwave in the aid of
draining tofu: the theory is a few seconds on high power will cause
the protein structure to tighten up slightly, squeezing out excess
moisture. It works, but it's frankly a pain in the butt to microwave
tofu in batches. An equally effective but much faster and easier
method is to do what tofu goddess Andrea Nguyen suggests: pretreat
the tofu by pouring hot salted water over it.

It may seem counterintuitive to add water to something you're trying
to dry out, but boiling water will actually cause the tofu to
squeeze out more moisture, bringing it to the surface and making it
easier to blot off, while the salt gently seasons the slices. In any
case, your tofu should be dry to the touch before you cook it. Have
you ever stuck out your tongue and left it out for few minutes to
see how dry it can get? That's what your tofu should feel like.

Marinades

It seems like a no-brainer to marinate tofu, but I'd actually advise
against it. While non-silken tofu does have a somewhat spongy
texture that will absorb marinades, you end up with tofu that browns
too fast and tastes like raw marinade on the inside. I prefer
keeping the tofu tasting like tofu, using a sauce applied after
cooking to lend it flavor if it needs it. The combination of intense
sauce with clean tofu flavor is far more pleasant (or sophisticated,
or classy, or whatever it is that'll get you to try it).

Similarly, a dusting of spices can be tasty if the spices are fresh,
properly toasted, and balanced, but again, you want to apply them
after cooking the tofu. Tofu simply takes too long to crisp up
properly to be able to season before cooking without running the
risk of burning those spices up.

  From: Serious Eats                    
 
MMMMM-------------------------------------------------




YK Jim


... I'm not rich enough to have dietary restrictions.

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