If you agree with me that the Food Network has become a joke (with very few exceptions: "Iron Chef America" and "Chopped" to name two shows worthy of watching), then you will love this funny and original website!
Alz Food Blog
If you listen to the Paul & Al show at HJY on a somewhat regular basis, you probably know that. All that drooling you hear on the air? That’s me. So I figured that I'd start writing about it. Anything goes: restaurants, bars, food, wine, spirits, great websites, new products, chefs, recipes, events, travel...anything. We're pretty damn lucky here in Southern New England. We've got some amazing talent in local restaurants, and some incredible sources for organic, gourmet, and artisinal foods.
My goal is to sample them all and let you know about them.
So...if it's all about good food and drink, I'm all over it! Check back often! I will update once or twice a week.
ON DEMAND
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
ASIAN COOKING BASICS: COOKBOOKS, WHERE TO BUY INGREDIENTS
I am a huge fan of Asian food. Unfortunately, living in Tiverton means I am nowhere near some of my favorite Asian restaurants in Providence: Apsara, Mu Mu Cuisine, Sakura...and Thai Taste in Swansea and Dartmouth, MA.
So, I do a lot of Asian cooking at home. It’s really not as difficult as it seems, and you really don’t need the hand-hammered wok you used to see on late-night TV. A good frying pan works just as well… and once you get a small arsenal of Asian sauces and spices together, you can cook just about anything.
Rather than give you a list of what you need to buy (because everyone’s tastes are different), I can recommend a couple of excellent cookbooks for you to invest in. Find the recipes you like, then stock up on the ingredients.
Cookbooks:
The Chinese Cookbook, Craig Claiborne and Virginia Lee: Printed in 1972, this is the bible of all Chinese cookbooks. Virginia Lee is a master of Chinese cooking. Craig Claiborne, who passed away in 2000, was the NY Times food critic and editor from 1959 to 1987. Together they explore every aspect of Chinese cooking and show you how to create of all the dishes you love at home. A few drawings, no photos, but lots of information. If you’re serious about Chinese cooking, this is the book.
Martin Yan’s Feast, Martin Yan: He’s the host of “Yan Can Cook,” a popular Chinese cooking show that ran 17 years on PBS. This book is his “greatest hits.” It features many familiar dishes as well as many new ones…and Yan has a way of explaining things in a very simple style that gives you the confidence to try a recipe. Great photos and tips. If you’re curious about Asian cooking and don’t want to get too technical, this book is a great start.
Now that you’ve decided what to cook, get authentic ingredients. That means skip the overpriced name brands in the supermarket and head right to the Asian market. My favorite is in Cranston on Park Ave , just around the corner from Rolfe Square . It’s called the Chinese American Market, and I’ve been going there for almost 20 years. They’ve got every ingredient you can think of: sauces, spices, teas, noodles, dried mushrooms, canned products, fresh vegetables, huge freezers full of Asian foods, and more.. And you won’t believe how much cheaper it all costs than your supermarket. Even if you don’t live in the area (like me), stop by and stock up. It’s worth it.
Rice wine vs. rice vinegar
When do you use rice vinegar, and when do you use rice wine in cooking?
Part of the problem is that rice vinegar is often called rice wine vinegar. Both rice vinegar and rice wine are made from fermented rice, but different processes are used.
The dregs, or lees, of wine are sometimes used in the making of Asian rice vinegars, which have low acidity and are considered milder than western vinegars.
Freshly steamed glutinous rice is fermented to make rice wine, which has a comparatively low alcohol content relative to other wines and beer.
Sake and mirin are common rice wines; Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean and Indian rice wines are all quite different in clarity and flavor, although most tend to be sweet.
To add depth or sweetness to a dish, use rice wine, especially shaohsing cooking wine, which is aged and somewhat mellow. Try sherry as a substitute in recipes that call for rice wine instead of reaching for the rice vinegar; it's a closer match. Rice wine will hold up in stir-fries, braises and stocks.
Use rice vinegar to perk up or heighten flavors, such as those in sweet-and-sour dishes, or use the condiment in place of more tart vinegars when you want to soften the edges of a dressing or marinade.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNEW THAT SODA IS BAD FOR YOU...BUT THIS MIGHT SCARE YOU!
Friday, January 27, 2012
NEW STUDY JUST IN TIME FOR THE BIG GAME: FRIED FOOD IS NOT A HEART RISK!
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
FIRST BURGER KING...NOW STARBUCKS: ADDING BEER AND WINE TO THE MENU
Monday, January 23, 2012
LA AREPA IN PAWTUCKET: GREAT VENEZUELAN EATS
It's the classic story about a couple that believe if they worked hard, their dreams would come true. La Arepa, a great little Venezuelan restaurant on Smithfield Ave in Pawtucket, started out as a food truck. Purchased by Nohemi Rodriguez and her husband Jorge Garcia in 2000, it took 5 years before that truck was ready to launch. Within a year, the demands of the patrons allowed them to move their business to a small restaurant, and then in 2007 to expand that restaurant to where it is now.
And all because of Nohemi's incredible talent with a simple ground corn dough pocket, called an arepa.
The arepa is made of ground corn (or flour), water, and salt which is fried into a pancake-like bread. It can be topped or filled with meat, eggs, tomatoes, salad, cheese, shrimp, or fish.
Satuteed shrimp
Very simple. Very good. Or as the owners of La Arepa call it: Typical Venezuelan food.
Dipping sauces: the pink is like a sweet thousand island. The green is like a mild remoulade.
Though it's really not typical at all: arepas rellenas, filled with roasted pork, beef, chicken or shrimp. Toppings like black beans, cheese and avocado. Dipping sauces, sweet and savory. Great burgers. Full dinners, too. And George, a friendly guy who happily serves the food his wife preapres. But it's the arepas that will keep you coming back for more. And the prices are more than fair. They serve beer and wine, too.
One happy boy!
© 2012
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