Kitchen Foolery

KITCHEN FOOLERY – CRASH COURSE

It’s time to set the record straight in the culinary world. We’re here to debunk some of the most pervasive food fallacies that have long clouded conventional cooking wisdom. From the truth about washing mushrooms to the real story behind MSG, prepare for some culinary myths to be busted. As The Who wisely sang, we won’t be fooled again.

BOOZE NEWS

We’ve all heard that the alcohol we add to our favourite dishes “burns” off when cooked. Turns out, it’s not true. According to research funded by the US Department of Agriculture, the amount of alcohol remaining after cooking ranges from four per cent to 95 per cent depending on temperature, cooking time, the size of the pan and other ingredients in the dish.

PLAYING CHICKEN

Is it me, or are people afraid of chicken? Some cautious cooks would have you believe folks are dropping dead of salmonella poisoning by the hour across the country. It’s actually about 17 people a year – and only 23 per cent of those are attributed to poultry. Personally, I suspect the turkeys. Some have taken to washing their chicken – sometimes even with soap – before cooking it. STOP THAT. Not only does it not help (cooking poultry to an internal temperature of 73.9 C (165 F) is the only way to kill salmonella), it can also splash any surface bacteria or pathogens back onto your sink creating more danger than if you just put it in the pan and called it a day.

MSG – MORE SILLY GOSSIP

You don’t blink an eye when someone sprinkles sodium chloride on your popcorn, or uses sodium bicarbonate in your muffins, or when you pop an ascorbic acid tablet in the morning – so why snub monosodium glutamate? Glutamate is the essence of seaweed broth (yum!) added to salt to create a seasoning that makes pretty much anything better – especially soups, eggs and other savoury dishes. By adding umami, MSG can also help lower your sodium intake as it has about 40 per cent less sodium than table salt.

WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH CAST IRON?

For something that appears so … butch … cast iron seems to be quite the delicate princess when it comes to kitchen care. We’ve all heard about cast iron’s demanding reign of terror: “Never wash me with soap, tomatoes are too acidic for my delicate constitution, don’t scratch my silky complexion with your metal flippers, steak gives me gout.” Guess what! Cast iron’s got a bad rap. It’s more workhorse than whiner. Go ahead, wash your dirty pan with soapy water, flip freely with metal utensils, braise those tomatoes. Just make sure you keep it dry between uses and make sure it’s well seasoned after washing. Here’s how:

Rinse off any excess soap with water.

Place the skillet on a burner set to high.

When most of the water has evaporated, add a half teaspoon of neutral oil and rub it around with a paper towel.

Continue heating the pan until it just starts to smoke, then give it one more good rub.

Let it cool.

Call your mom.

SHINE THE ‘SHROOM

I grew up in Airdrie in the ’80s … downwind from the now-mercifully-moved Money’s factory. I know what they’re grown in. Take it from me,
you want to wash your mushrooms. While some cooks say washing mushrooms can cause them to retain water and dilute the flavour, I ask you this – the flavour of what, exactly? Here’s how to clean your creminis, shine your shiitakes and buff your buttons:

Inspect: Look for dirt and debris.

Brush: Use a brush or damp cloth to remove excess dirt.

Rinse: Rinse mushrooms quickly under running water.

Dry: Pat mushrooms dry with a clean paper towel or dish towel. You can also use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture.

QUICK MYTHS

Here are a few more of our favourite kitchen myths:

Oil Ban: Oil in pasta water does not prevent it from sticking to itself;  it does, however, prevent the sauce from sticking to the noodles. Nona would be very disappointed in you. To prevent noodles from sticking, stir them well when you first add them to the water and continue stirring for the first few minutes of cooking.

Juice Joker: You don’t need to sear your meat to seal in its juices. In fact, the high heat of searing can cause your meat to lose moisture. But searing your meat before slow cooking will add colour and flavour that will improve the overall dish thanks to the Maillard reaction during which amino acids and reducing sugars brown and become exponentially more delicious.  So, sear away.

Pick a Side: It doesn’t matter which side of your tin foil faces up or out. Matte or shiny, it’s all the same.

Flipping Out: Flip your steak or burgers as much as you want to – they’ll cook more evenly that way.

Get Steamed: Vegetables don’t become less nutritious when cooked. In fact, it can make them easier to digest for some folks. And, let’s be honest, raw cauliflower is a heinous, teeth-squeaking monstrosity, while cooked cauliflower is rather delightful. I’ll die on this hill.