Gourmet Scientist - Vegetables

Sun-dried Tomatoes

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:39:00 -0500

I think there are only so many people out there who can actually get excited by something so trivial as sun-dried tomatoes that are actually dried and not swimming in oil. I think it's mainly because I was able to find what I wanted rather than the item itself. In any case, one day for some unknown reason, I was struck with the desire of hunting for dry-preserved sun-dried tomatoes. I've never bought them before, and I was surprised when I managed to find some at the local supermarket. That night, I reconstituted some in water, and braised it with some onions and lamb. Yum! For lunch the next day, I steamed some vegetables and added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Yum again! Nothing more than tomatoes and some salt, they're really packed with flavour. Definitely a happy and satisfied person.

En Papillote

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:06:00 -0400

Note: Those are my brother's hands

Wow! With only a week of pre-holiday preparation stress, a blissful two week trip home, and a week of new school year chaos, a month has already passed since my previous entry. I guess it's about time I posted about a dish I made back home.

For part of my trip home, I visited Pittsburgh, where my brother was studying, for a few days. We'd just arrived that afternoon after a 3.5 hour drive, and I was unexpectedly making dinner for 5 people that night. [*sighs*] What a loving brother have I...

Okay, I'm teasing. I actually offered to cook after going through a list of unfavourable options. And it gave me a chance to try a very "quick and easy" technique called "en papillote."

Working mainly with supplies on hand, I started with a piece of parchment paper and placed a layer of chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, potatoes) and dried cranberries (for sweetness). Above came the chicken breast which I'd rubbed with a hodgepodge mixture of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, various herbs, salt, and pepper (I also made slits in the meat and filled them with the mixture for better flavor penetration). I tucked a couple wedges of lemon under the chicken and drizzled a little more olive oil before wrapping and sealing the parchment paper tightly. Twenty minutes at 425°F (218°C), and each of us was peering into a steaming hot package of mouth-watering chicken and vegetables.

Basically, ''en papillote ''is a form of steam cooking and is ideal for leaner cuts of meat (i.e. chicken breast, fish). Any type of vegetable, fruit, or even rice can be mixed in. A key ingredient is oil; with that, you are free to use whatever sauce, herb, or spice you desire. Although parchment paper is preferred, aluminum foil can also be used. It's because of such freedom and relatively short cooking time that makes ''en papillote'' so friendly. Plus, cleaning is easy!

Mushroom Pâté

nospam@example.com (Crystal Cheng) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 12:03:00 -0400

This weekend, I paid a visit to Borough Market in London. I learned of it through my housemate and was very intrigued by the apparent size and friendly food tastings. Indeed, it was fairly big (although my housemate's description and the online map gave the impression that it would be bigger), and the mouth-watering smell of savoury food struck you the moment you entered. There were countless stalls alternating between oils and spices, jams/chutneys, cheeses, pastries, prepared on-the-spot savouries, candy, chocolates, fresh and cured meats, seafood, fruits and vegetables, bread, antipasti, beverages, and flowers. And the throng of people (since it was a Saturday) made it even more lively although difficult to maneuver.

One stall had the most interesting and extremely tasty product: mushroom pâté. That was all that it sold and all that it needed to sell. Intrigued by the oddity and the busy transactions, my friend and I took a tasting. The pate was a wonderful meld of cheese, and herb/spice flavourings that brought a creamy smoothness and mild flavour to the mouth. None of the ingredients dominated the other but played in harmony. The name "pate" conjured up a liver and meaty taste, but there was barely any resemblance. Instead, it was the flavour of grassy fields toned down by the curd cheese and breadcrumbs. Needless to say, we bought a tub home and savoured it with fresh home-baked whole wheat bread! Delish!!