Find Joy in Salad Dressings

"Excuse me, what would you like for your appetizer?" said the waiter.
You replied, "I would like salad please."
"Okay sure. What type of dressing would you like?" asked the waiter.
"Ummm..."

Do you ever have that moment when you contemplate on what salad dressing you should choose? I know I do. This is why in this blog, I will be explaining about dressings and how you can also make them using the information I read from the book, All New Joy of Cooking, by Irma S Rombauer, Marion Rambauer, and Ethan Becker.

In my opinion, salad dressing is best described as an uncooked sauce to enhance the flavor of the food. It does not matter if the dressing is plain or fancy, salad dressing is a balancing act. Generally, no one wants a salad soaked in dressing or a salad that barely has dressing or taste at all. Salad dressing should have enough body to lightly coat the salad but never be heavy that the greens collapse under its weight.

About Dressings:
"The easiest way to dress a salad is to simply add oil or vinegar or citrus juice directly in with the greens and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper" (Becker and Rombauer 234). This is great advice because by doing this, the salad will not be drowning in dressing or lacking of it. It creates a well-trained sense of proportion. 

"More cooks prefer to make up a dressing before hand so that its flavors are more thoroughly blended and so that the oil-acid balance can be more easily adjusted if necessary" (Becker and Rombauer 234). I do not agree with this theory because I hypothesize that the dressing will just stay at the bottom and will not dress the salad as much. By putting it afterwards, there is more chances that the dressing will juice directly in with the greens. 
  
In the pictures I took above, I show how the left dressing is preferably a better choice in the kind of salad that will not drown in flavor. However, the right dressing will most likely be more thick and soak the salad greens.


What is your favorite type of dressing? Have you ever experienced the awkward moment of debating which type of salad dressing? Do you use salad dressing for anything other than salad? 

Bombauer, Irma Von Starkloff. Joy Of Cooking / All New All Purpose. NY, NY: Scribner, 1997. Print.
https://www.litehousefoods.com/

Find Joy in Cookies

WHO DOESN'T LIKE COOKIES? In my opinion, the smell of cookies is one of life's most satisfying pleasures! However, this blog will not be about how to bake cookies. I will be providing information on storing and packaging cookies.

Storing Cookies:
Cookies are very easy and traditional recipe to make. However, what do we do with the leftovers? You store them. This is how: "Plastic storage containers and seal-able plastic bags keep cookies airtight" (Becker and Rombeaur 815). However, as long as their lids fit tightly, old-fashioned cookie tins do the job nicely.

Although there is one thing that you must not do: "Never store cookies in any kind of container until they have completely cooled" (Becker and Rombeaur 815). Warm cookies produce steam, which will cause the entire batch to soften, and eventually to spoil. Cookies can generally be stored at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks. Cookies that are sprinkled with or rolled in sugar, or that are to be frosted or glazed, should be frozen without these enhancements. Allow them to defrost completely before sugar coating, glazing, or frosting.

Packaging Cookies for Shipping:
Oftentimes, the best choices are small and medium cookies, at least 1/4 inch think and firm in consistency. An alternative is softer, brownies, blondies, and other bar cookies also usually ship well-with the exception of bars with sticky fillings or icings. "More delicate varieties can also be mailed successfully if they are packed carefully in tins or tough plastic boxes with plenty of crumpled wax or parchment paper added to keep them from jostling each other" (Becker and Rombeaur 815). After placing the cookies in a container, place them in a larger box filled with Styrofoam bits, plastic bubble sheets, crumped newspaper, or other airy filler to cushion the goodies inside from bumps and knocks.
As you can see in the picture I took from the grocery store, the cookies are in tough plastic boxes to secure the cookies.

What is your favorite kind of cookie? What is a technique you use to store cookies? Do you like soft or crunchy cookies?
Bombauer, Irma Von Starkloff. Joy Of Cooking / All New All Purpose. NY, NY: Scribner, 1997. Print.

Find Joy in Vegetables

IT IS A GLORIOUS TIME FOR VEGETABLE LOVERS!
First of all, I would like to give a huge thank you to the farmers at their markets, exporters, and seedsmen that are showering us with tastes, textures, and aromas we had never even heard of a few years ago. In this blog, I will be talking about the importance of vegetables, rules and preparing vegetables.

Importance of Vegetables:
Many people prefer not to eat vegetables. However, we can see the evidence that vegetables can change lives from the book, All New Joy of Cooking. "Scientists keeps confirming the age-old maternal admonition to eat your vegetables. The specific diseases you can avoid and miracle micro-nutrient of the moment might change with each new study, but the general advice stays the same: vegetables are good for you" (Becker and Rombauer 332). 

Rules for  Vegetables:
1. Just like fruits, if possible, buy vegetables that have been organically raised.
2. Do not wash vegetables until ready to cook them.
3. Look to see if vegetables have been waxed or sprayed.
4. If stored, check vegetables daily.

Preparing Vegetables:
Number one rule: "Prepare vegetables as close to cooking time as possible" (Becker and Rombauer 333). Wash vegetables no more than is needed to remove dust and dirt. I also learned that tepid water relaxes the leaves just enough for them to let down hidden grains of sand. "The skin is a vegetable's seal, keeping nutrients in and microorganisms out" (Becker and Rombauer 333). If necessary, vegetables can be cut up and refrigerated in an airtight container several hours in advance.



Do you eat vegetables everyday? What is your favorite vegetable? What is your preparation technique?
Bombauer, Irma Von Starkloff. Joy Of Cooking / All New All Purpose. NY, NY: Scribner, 1997. Print.

Find Joy in Mushrooms

Honestly, mushrooms are my favorite type of food. The texture, taste, and even feel of mushrooms gives me so much joy. Since it is almost the holiday, I wanted to correspond the food that gives me joy in my blog. Cheesy, but oh well.

In the book I am reading for this quarter, All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking, it provides so much information about mushrooms in general and different recipes you can make with mushrooms. However, in this blog, I will be talking about the different kinds of mushrooms and some tricks to use while cooking mushrooms.

"Mushrooms lend elegance and earthiness to a dish. While we are grateful for the abundance of cultivated small button mushrooms, wild mushrooms have considerably more character, and an assortment of them is available in specialty groceries and super markets" (Becker and Rombauer 383).

While shopping for mushrooms, you want to choose the mushrooms that are heavy in size, with dry, firm caps and stems-nothing damp or shriveled, no dark or soft spots, and all close to the same size. Mushrooms go tremendously well with cream, lemon, garlic, shallots, onions, cheese, fennel, fish, chicken, veal, peas, dill, chervil, parsley, tarragon, basil, oregano, and capers.

No doubt, in my opinion, I agree with this book about mushrooms being great and a wonderful food too eat. However, the book also provides a caution that needs to be acknowledged. "A number of poisonous forms of wild mushrooms, during various stages of their development, resemble edible forms" (Becker and Rombauer 384). This is also part of the importance of this blog. It is important to take the time to become familiar with the mushrooms you wish to pick.

Here are some mushrooms that are known to be good to eat:
1. Button or Commerial Mushrooms -- only buy the ones with closed caps
2. Porcini Mushrooms
3. Chanterelles Mushrooms
4. Creminis or Italian Browns
5. Enoki --good with broth
6. Enoki --good with salad or both
7. Morels Mushrooms
8. Oyster Mushrooms
9. Portbelos --useful in sautes
10. Shiitakes

Do you like mushrooms? Do you know the difference between your mushrooms and how to pick the right ones? What are some recipes you make with mushrooms?

Bombauer, Irma Von Starkloff. Joy Of Cooking / All New All Purpose. NY, NY: Scribner, 1997. Print.

All the New Joy of Cooking

Cooking is way we can represent ourselves. It can represent our lifestyles and culture. The book not only provides recipes for meals, it also provides essential cooking basics at a glance: washing and storing salad greens, selecting a pasta and a matching sauce, and determining when a piece of fish is cooked through.

This book is really about what we can do to be healthy by having freshness, convenience, and healthy food in our fridge or pantry. Reviews state "An essential cookbook" (Martha Stewart Living). "For millions of Americans, the Joy of Cooking is a beloved kitchen companion, a friendly source of advice on everything from how to roast a chicken to a recipe for the best brownie ever" (Los Angeles Times).

Each chapter is organized on type of food it is. An example is fruits. In the fruits chapter, I learned how to shop for fresh fruits, prepare fruits, and cook fruits. There are many rules that can help you preserve fruits from rotting.

I now know that in November, the fruits that are in season are cranberries, mandarins, persimmons, and quinces. I also gained the knowledge of trying to leave the peels on the fruit while eating. However, only do this if you know the fruit is organically made.

What do you to preserve your fruits? Are you going to choose healthy? If so, what are you going to do maintain a healthy diet?

Bombauer, Irma Von Starkloff. Joy Of Cooking / All New All Purpose. NY, NY: Scribner, 1997. Print.