Sunday, March 10, 2013

On a couple of food notes.

Seems I can't go on an eating weekend without analyzing every little thing I digest.  Almost every time I eat out (really, any time I eat anything that hasn't been prepared by me), I wind up with a head full of details and notes to take home with me.  I'm really not complaining, mind you.  At any rate.

1.  So far, my favorite applications of soft-cooked eggs (meaning eggs that have been brought up to 140 degrees in a water bath) have been in broth, and I know why - egg yolk has long been used to enrich soups, stews, and stocks, as per the French 'liaison', a raw egg tempered into a hot liquid and gently brought up to temperature.  The phospholipids in the yolk have both hydrophilic and lipophilic ends, which brings together the broth with the flavorful fat inherent in the two bowls of ramen I had this weekend.  Simple and elegant, really.  And since restaurant soup is traditionally served at ~160F, the squidgy egg white that normally ooks me out a little is quickly cooked through as it's stirred.

2.  The combination of hot sauce and honey remains one of my favorite accompaniments to fried chicken.  Something about the earthy sweetness and the fiery vinegar cut straight through the grease to meld with juicy flesh and crunchy crust.  When I was doing groundwork for a fried chicken concept down at the shore, sriracha honey was going to be one of the primary dipping sauces offered.  Glad I got to remind myself why.

3.  Oysters may have surpassed mussels as my shellfish of choice.  Of course, I cannot reach a proper scientific conclusion without rigorous testing.

Onwards and upwards, guys.  Anyone else psyched for Scintilla to start?  Because I sure as testicles am.

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