Archive for April, 2010
Know Your Tea
Know Your Tea
Tea is a beverage made by steeping processed leaves, buds and/or twigs of the tea bush, Camellia sinensis, in hot water for a few minutes. There is only one true tea plant: the Camellia sinensis. There are four basic types of true tea: white tea, green tea, oolong tea and black tea. The difference is in the processing. This can include oxidation, heating, drying and the addition of other herbs, flowers, spices and fruits.
Tea is a natural source of the amino acid theanine, methylxanthines such as caffeine and theobromine and polyphenolic antioxidant catechins. It has almost no carbohydrates, fat or protein. It has a cooling, slightly bitter, astringent flavor.
The term herbal tea usually refers to infusions of fruit, herbs, leaves, roots, bark or other parts of a plant or some plants. Herbal teas usually contain little or no Camellia sinensis.
Camellia sinensis is an evergreen plant and grows in tropical to sub-tropical climates. In addition to tropical climates (at least 50 inches of rainfall a year), it also prefers acidic soils. Many high quality tea plants grow at elevations up to 1500 meters (5,000 ft), as the plants grow more slowly and acquire a better flavor. Only the top 1-2 inches of the mature plant are picked. These buds and leaves are called flushes and a plant will grow a new flush every seven to ten days during the growing season.
Tea plants will grow into a tree if left undisturbed, but cultivated plants are pruned to waist height for ease of plucking.
Two principal varieties are used, the small-leaved China plant (C. sinensis sinensis) and the large-leaved Assam plant (C. sinensis assamica). There are about six varieties grown in different areas of the world.
These types of tea are distinguished by the processing they undergo. Leaves of Camellia sinensis soon begin to wilt and oxidize if not dried quickly after picking. The leaves turn progressively darker because chlorophyll breaks down and tannins are released. This process, enzymatic oxidation, is called fermentation in the tea industry although no true fermentation happens (that is, the process isn’t microorganism-driven). The next step in processing is to stop the oxidation process at a predetermined stage by heating, which deactivates the enzymes responsible. With black tea this is done simultaneously with drying. Without careful moisture and temperature control during its manufacture and thereafter, fungi will grow on tea. This form of fungus causes real fermentation that will contaminate the tea with toxic and sometimes carcinogenic substances and off-flavors, rendering the tea unfit for consumption.
Tea is traditionally classified based on the producing technique :
Young leaves (new growth buds) that have undergone no oxidation; the buds may be shielded from sunlight to prevent formation of chlorophyll. White tea is produced in lesser quantities than most other styles, and can be correspondingly more expensive than tea from the same plant processed by other methods. It is less well known in countries outside of China, though this is changing with increased western interest in organic or premium teas.
The oxidation process is stopped after a minimal amount of oxidation by application of heat, either with steam, or by dry cooking in hot pans, the traditional Chinese method. Tea leaves may be left to dry as separate leaves or they may be rolled into small pellets to make Gunpowder tea. This process is time consuming and is typically done with pekoes of higher quality. The tea is processed within one to two days of harvesting.
Oxidation is stopped somewhere between the standards for green tea and black tea. The oxidation process takes two to three days. In Chinese, semi-oxidized teas are collectively grouped as blue tea, while the term “oolong” is used specifically as a name for certain semi-oxidized teas.
The tea leaves are allowed to completely oxidize. Black tea is the most common form of tea in southern Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Malasia, etc.) and in the last century many African countries including Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, Malawi and Zimbawe. The literal translation of the Chinese word is red tea, which is used by some tea lovers. The Chinese call it red tea because the actual tea liquid is red. Westerners call it black tea because the tea leaves used to brew it are usually black. However, red tea may also refer to Rooibos, an increasingly popular South African Tisane or herbal tea. The oxidation process will take between two weeks and one month. Black tea is further classified as either orthodox or as CTC (crush, tear, curl), a production method developed about 1932). Unblended black teas are also identified by the estate they come from, their year and the flush (first, second or autumn). Orthodox processed black teas are further graded according to the post-production leaf quality by the Orange Pekoe system, while CTC teas use a different grading system.
Teas that undergo a second oxidation, such as Pu-erh, Liu’an, and Liuboa, are collectively referred to as secondary or post-fermentation teas in English. In Chinese they are categorized as Dark tea or black tea. This is not to be confused with the English term Black tea, known in Chinese as red tea. Pu-erh, also known as Póu léi (Polee) in Cantonese is the most common type of post-fermetation tea in the market.
Either used as a name of special tea processed similarly to green tea, or high-quality tea served at the Imperial Chinese court.
Also called winter tea, kukicha is made from twigs and old leaves pruned from the tea plant during its dormant season and dry-roasted over a fire. It is popular as a health food in Japan and in macro-biotic diets.
Orange pekoe is a term mainly used to describe a grade of tea found in the grading system used for sorting black teas (Orange pekoe grading). The system is based solely upon the size of the processed and dried black tea leaves.
The term “Orange Pekoe” is used in the tea industry to describe a basic medium grade black tea consisting of many single whole tea leaves of a specific size; however, it is usually used in popular Western culture to describe any generic black tea, or in some cases, even a specific variety of black tea. Black teas to be graded in this system must be obtained from new flushes, which are the terminal leaf bud along with a few of the youngest tea leaves. Grading is based solely on the size of the individual leaves and flushes, which is determined by their ability to fall through screens of specific meshes ranging from 8–30 mesh. This parameter also determines loosely the wholeness, or level of breakage, of each leaf, which is also part of the grading system. Although the grading system is not an indicator of quality, the size of the leaves will, more often than not, influence the taste and clarity of the resulting brew. Black teas of the basic grade (Orange Pekoe) are highly fragrant, with strong floral and fruity aromas, as well as a pleasant woody note. The taste should be slightly bitter with no astringency, and a sweet aftertaste.
The term “Orange pekoe” is commonly misused to denote a variety of tea, as seen on this package.
When used outside the context of black tea grading, the term “Pekoe“, or occasionally “Orange pekoe“, describes the unopened terminal leaf bud (tips) in tea flushes. As such, terms such as “a bud and a leaf” or “a bud and two leaves“, used to describe the “leafiness” of picked flush, are often used interchangeably with “pekoe and a leaf” or “pekoe and two leaves“, respectively.
Huevos Rancheros- Who knew?
Huevos Rancheros was the first ‘Mexican’ dish I remember eating. I remember 2 corn tortillas soft fried then dipped into red enchilada sauce and laid on the plate with just an inch of overlap on the tortillas. Two eggs cooked together sunny side up were put on the tortillas. More red Enchilada sauce over that. Sprinkle of chopped onions. Sprinkle of shredded cheese. Plate on the table. Dig in. Beans were nowhere near. Our beans were red beans and came with sausage over white rice on Mondays.
I was raised in southern Louisiana so this was VERY exotic. Turtle, alligator, various types of duck, Canadian goose, deer, oysters, crawfish, catfish – all these were no surprise to find on the supper table. But, Huevos Rancheros sounded like something a bullfighter would eat before facing the bull. We kids would stomp the floor and snap pretend castanets – which would shake the whole house since it was wood frame set on concrete piers – till Mom would give us ‘that look’ indicating her patience was gone and we should stop ‘acting the fool’ and sit down. Which we did with swirls of our pretend capes.
It was even more fun when we found out this was a breakfast dish. Breakfast for dinner. Man! We were living on the edge! Who knew it would be so hard to add HR to the Double Eagle/Peppers Cafe Menu?
Actually, it WAS on the original Peppers Café menu when we first opened Peppers and the sales were poor so I eventually took them off and put something else which would sell better. Other items like banana enchiladas or green chile cheese stuffed wontons proved more popular than the Huevos which were on every Mexican joint’s menu from Texas to California.
About January, 2010, John Ritter started mentioning that people were asking about Huevos Rancheros and I started warming to the idea of having them back onto the menu. Simple dish. Good food costs. Easy to make. No extra items needed. And, there’s that breakfast-for-dinner excitement thing!
Plus, I considered it ‘ligher’ fare, in calories at least. That seemed to be a trend for our area.
So, without any testing or tasting or even much discussion, since everyone had heard of Huevos Rancheros. Everyone knew what they were, how to make them. No problem. No worries. I published the new menu sheets, mentioned the change to Chef – again, no problem – changed the cash register and instructed the Servers. And, bid Adios, Muchachos!
The next morning I find news in the Daily Log that there had been some discussion among the dinner cooks as to what was Huevos Rancheros when the first order came it. The cooks sent out their version which the customer reported as strange. So, the next order, the cooks tried something else. Again, the customer reported “how could you screw up Huevos Rancheros?”
Of course, I immediately went to Chef Campos. Chef was baffled. Chef had instructed all three evening cooks in what to do. How could they screw it up? Sure, enough, when the evening cooks come it, Chef and I were at the back door waiting. Seems the cooks all know different versions and argued among themselves totally ignoring Chef’s instructions. Talk about steamed clams! Chef was furious. Long discussion about following instructions, the importance of consistency, customer satisfaction is the key to success – all out usual buzzwords.
So, I started researching Huevos Rancheros. Turns out, HR is a Mexican dish based upon a Spanish dish of baked eggs. But, as always in cooking, regional differences based upon item availability takes the lead in the evolution of recipes. I didn’t look further than the northern Mexican states of Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila and Nuevo Leon and the American Southwest.
Here is what I found as regional recipes for Huevos Rancheros.
All the Mexican states use a rough chopped cooked red salsa of tomatoes and peppers – the peppers may differ but the basic idea is visible pieces of tomato, peppers, sometimes some onion and always garlic.
Baja California Norte
Smear of mashed beans (black or pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa, sprinkle of local soft white cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes chopped avocados are added right before the hot salsa.
Baja California Sur
Smear of mashed beans (black or pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa, sprinkle of local soft white cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes one tortilla is laid down, some kind of seafood – cooked shrimp or cooked fish or drained ceviche – topped with another corn tortilla then the eggs, salsa and cheese.
Sonora
Smear of mashed beans (always pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa, sprinkle of local soft white cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes a green salsa (no tomatoes) is made with chopped roasted pork or shredded pork (Think ropas viejos)
Chihuahua
One corn tortilla dipped into the hot salsa and laid on the plate, smear of mashed beans or whole beans, second corn tortilla dipped in the hot salsa, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa – red or green, sprinkle of local soft white cheese. No beans on the side.
Nuevo Leon
Smear of mashed beans (always pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa, sprinkle of local soft white cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes the tortillas are stacked and have chopped beef or ground beef between them. I suspect this is a recent (last 30 years) development taken from the Tejas border recipes.
American Southwest:
California
Smear of mashed beans (black or pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa – red or green, almost always including cilantro, sprinkle of monterey jack cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes there are slices of avocado inserted between two stack tortillas.
New Mexico – South
Smear of mashed beans (almost always pinto) under two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa – red or green sometimes with cilantro but never with cumin, sprinkle of Monterey jack cheese and yellow cheddar cheese. Spoon of beans on the side.
New Mexico – North
Two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa – red or green, always with cumin and sometimes cilantro, sprinkle of shredded Monterey jack and cheddar cheese. Spoon of mashed or whole pinto beans on the side.
Texas
Two soft fried corn tortillas, two soft cooked eggs, hot salsa – red or green, sprinkle of yellow cheddar cheese. Spoon of beans on the side. Sometimes the tortillas will be stacked and stuffed with ground beef. Sometimes they use flour tortillas instead of corn.
These are general findings and variations abound. Just order Huevos Rancheros in every Mexican restaurant you enter and find your favorite combination.
Who knew?
Know Your Balsamic Vinegar
Know Your Balsamic Vinegar
Vinegar comes from Old French “vin aigre” meaning sour wine. Vinegar is made from various sources – wine, cider, malted barley, rice wine and fruits – but the best of the best is called balsamic vinegar. Brewed for over 600 years, true balsamic – Aceta Balsamico Tradizionale – comes only from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, especially the towns of Modena and Reggio Emilia. It is barrel-aged for a minimum of 10 years and as many as 25. Small 3.5 oz bottles may cost well over $100.00 or more but only a few drops are needed to impart its powerful essence. It is sometimes even sipped as a digestif.
Inexpensive (relatively) versions are sweetened and colored with brown sugar or caramel to mimic long ageing but even the best of these come from Modena. The real thing requires elaborate formulation and ageing:
1. Local grapes, usually Trebbiano but sometimes Lambrusco or Spergola, are crushed an juiced. The unfermented juice, called must, is boiled over an open fire in copper containers until reduced by as much as half.
2. The must is inoculated with ‘vinegar mother’, a gummy mixture of various bacteria and fungi, often culled from previous batches. The mother ferments the sugars into acetic acid.
3. The developing vinegar is aged in a succession of different barrels, coopered from oak, chestnut, mulberry, birch, juniper, ash or cherry – each imparting its distinctive flavor to the vinegar. Stored in hot, drafty attics, the vinegar evaporates as it ages. The missing vinegar is called the angels share. Due to the reduce volume each barrel used is smaller in size.
Know Your Mushrooms
Know Your Mushrooms
Don’t wrap mushrooms in a paper bag. This is recommended in several places but don’t do it. And, don’t add a damp paper towel to the mushrooms.
Do store mushrooms is a partially closed zipper lock plastic bag. The small opening allows maximum air circulation, minimum drying and an exit for the ethylene gas emitted by the mushrooms
Do re-use the original store container if possible. Just wrap up the remaining mushrooms
Cleaning
Brush with an old used toothbrush if you are going to serve them raw.
Or
Rinse with cold water in a salad spinner, spin till dry and use a paper towel to blot up any excess moisture
Don’t rinse cut mushrooms as they act like a sponge and soak up water like crazy.
DRIED MUSHROOMS
Look for packages with large thick tan or brown pieces – not black. Avoid packages with lots of crumbs or dust. Watch for pinholes in the package which is a signal for worms.
Rehydrate by placing mushrooms in a microwave safe bowl, cover with water and seal with a plastic wrap. Cut several steam vents in the wrap and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Remove and let stand for 5 minutes. Should be ready to use.
Use a fork to remove the mushrooms without disturbing the sand and grit. If the mushrooms do still feel gritty, rinse briefly under cool water.
Strain the soaking liquid through a paper coffee filter to remove the grit and use the soaking liquid for cooking.
FRESH MUSHROOMS
PORTOBELLO
Ranging from 4 to 6 inches in diameter, these are the giants. Dense flesh, steaklike, robust flavor. Choose fully intact caps with dry gills; avoid wet or damp or damaged gills. Gently scrape the gills out before use.
SHIITAKE
Tan to brown, chewy, nutty flavor. Stems are tough and woody – discard. Look for smaller caps with edges that curl under –a sign of freshness – but not desiccated or wrinkly.
CREMINI
Basically miniature Portobello mushroorms harvested before maturity. Browner and firmer than white buttons – more intense flavor
WHITE BUTTON
The ones you see everywhere – mild flavor – rich and meaty when cooked – used raw for veggie trays
OYSTER
Large fan shaped mushrooms, generally beige, grey or cream colored. Delicate and best cooked briefly – springy texture and a light briny flavor.
BLACK TRUMPET/HORN OF PLENTY
Related to Chanterells, these are hollow and drier. Chewy texture and a smoky flavor - avoid dried out, leathery mushrooms and those that are all black – a sign of age. Cut in half and then gently rinse. Lots of grit in the hollow center.
MOREL
Blond to black, morels are hollow and porous with a mild nutty flavor. Shaped like a rocket ship. Domestic are pretty clean but wild morels are dirty and should be cut and rinsed well.
HEN OF THE WOODS/MAITAKE
Densely clustered with feathery caps – complex red-wine flavor with subtle touches of garlic
CHANTERELLE
Pale yellow to deep orange – trumpet shaped and dense – an assertive nutty flavor, can be fruity flavored. Wild mushrooms are the most intensely flavored.
