Sriracha: What Is It and How Do I Use It?

Start the year off with a taste bud bang with this super-spicy hot sauce.  Popularized by David Tran, a Vietnamese refugee who emigrated to the U.S. in 1979, Sriracha Hot Sauce is the most in-demand condiment Tran created in his Southern California factory.  No one knows exactly what else is in this sauce, but sugar, salt, vinegar and garlic are likely ingredients.

How Big Is Julia Child’s Shadow in My Kitchen?

French Onion Soup

Every once in a while I think about Julie Child and wonder how much she influenced me.  She began her world domination before I started dabbling in the kitchen.  And when I did start, I was so intimidated by her reputation that I avoided her famous 1961 opus, “Mastering the Art of French Cooking.”

Mom Cooking Tip 155

Don’t rinse pasta after you cook it.  Yes, water will cool it down so you don't burn your mouth, but it will also remove the layer of starch that helps the sauce adhere to the noodles.  

There are two exceptions to this rule. 

If you’re making a cold pasta salad, do rinse away that layer of starch.  Otherwise your noodles will stick together.

If you’re making an Asian stir-fry with cooked noodles, rinse those noodles too or they will stick together in the wok.

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Are You an Old-Fashioned Cook?

I am an old-fashioned cook.  Many of us are when holiday dining is involved.  I’ve eaten turkey on Christmas all my life, and even though it’s a big, messy meal I would feel terrible eating anything else.

If I want to add something new to the holiday menu, I might choose a new side dish—maybe Honeyed Sweet Potatoes along with the mashed potatoes.

The Dangers of Autopiloting in the Kitchen

I have made hundreds of loaves of whole wheat bread over the years, and the ingredients/directions are tattooed on my brain – or so I thought until this morning.  We were running out of bread so I decided to make some more.

Easy peasy, as my kids used to say.  Out came the yeast, water, sugar, flour and all the other ingredients I keep on hand just for bread-making.  At least a decade ago I stopped looking at the recipe because I knew it by heart.  

What Is Panko and How Do I Use It?

Crab Cakes Coated in Panko Crumbs

Panko are Japanese breadcrumbs, which are larger than cornmeal and normal breadcrumbs and are crunchier than either.  Panko crumbs are made from plain white bread which has been baked in a special procedure to dry them out and keep a bread crust from forming. 

Why bother getting panko crumbs?

When I Learned to Love Spaghetti and Meatballs

Growing up in a coal-mining town in Pennsylvania meant different foods served at dinner, depending on where your parents came from.  My little town, about 15 miles Northeast of Pittsburgh, included many nationalities, drawn to the coal mining and steel working opportunities.

Thus was I introduced to Syrian sandwiches, made on bread much thicker and fresher than today’s packaged and often tasteless pita bread.  Or I might have been served that Polish classic, sauerkraut and kielbasa (sausage), or sticks of Greek souvlakia (aka shish kebab).  Or if I were eating at my grandmother’s house, I could count on boiled chicken.

I loved them all, but my favorite food from that time was Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Eggplant: Love It or Hate It

Eggplant Parmesan

Nobody is neutral about eggplant.  Some people actually tense up when they hear the word.  Others apparently start to salivate.

For most of my life I’ve been in the tense-up category.  When I was a beginning cook, I tried to keep an open mind.  When a recipe directed me to salt slices of eggplant and let them sit for an hour in a colander to take away the bitterness, I did as told.  When the recipe then said to fry the eggplant on both sides in 1/2 cup oil, I did that too.  The end result was unpleasant and oily.

Mom Money-Saving Tip 100

If you have stale French bread, slice it into 1-inch pieces and heat the slices for 30 seconds in a microwave.  They will soften up, although they probably won’t taste very good. Lay the softened slices on a baking sheet and top with olive oil, chopped garlic, oregano and other spices.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes and serve as garlic bread slices.

                                                   See all my Money-Saving Tips!