When you cook under pressure, you trade perfection.
_ Gordon Ramsay
If you're aware of Thai food, or better are a fan, you must know about Pad Thai, which is also called as Phad Thai, or Phat Thai. The dish has grown to an absolute popularity, and is associated with Thai cuisine almost anywhere we go.
But how much do we know about Pad Thai. Do we know where did it come from? Do we know the culinary fundamentals of Pad Thai? In this article, we will explore the most important basics of Pad Thai. 1) The Origin The most popular story was dated back to the late 1930's when Thailand suffered a rice shortage due to the war and floods. Hence, the government ultimately promoted consumption of noodles, since it costs a lot less to produce noodles compared to rice, and helped established the identity of Pad Thai. There is another claim about Pad Thai that it was invented by Chinese immigrants and hence, the dish is highly influenced by the Chinese cuisine. Regardless of which story is 100% accurate, we can't deny the effect of the food shortage event, which boosted the Pad Thai's popularity. Also, it was a dish that helped sustain a whole country! 2) The Taste When we think about Pad Thai, we are usually drawn into a particular taste bud. It could be the "5-star" spicy version that you accidentally ordered first time eating Pad Thai. Or it could be the usual sourness from squeezing that juicy piece of lime onto Pad Thai. The truth is Pad Thai is a perfect combination of sweetness (from sugar), sourness (from rice wine vinegar, tamarind paste), spiciness (from chili paste), and saltiness (from fish sauce). Therefore, the next time you taste Pad Thai, assuming it is cooked right, take your time to appreciate and enjoy the mixture of each particular taste. Congratulations! You've mastered the most basic aspects of Pad Thai most most diners don't. I hope you have arrived to a better appreciation of a food, not only is tasty, but also sustained Thailand during tough time. Happy Dining, The Kid
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Summer is coming, as I am writing in May, and barbeque parties are almost inevitable. Either you host your own party or join other's, you likely will play the role of cooking (or at least flipping the burger patty).
Do you notice that some patties are juicy and moist and some are not? Have you wondered if there is a simple way/method to cook that little piece of meat perfectly? No worries! Below are simple methods to make/keep your patties as much juicy as possible: 1) Don't Move Too Much. It is our human instinct to do "something" while looking at the patties being cooked; Hence, we tend to move/flip the patties excessively. This reduces the patty liquid content. Avoid this mistake by trying to flip/move the patties as less frequent as you can. Only turn the patties once is preferred. 2) Don't Press the Meat. Human inpatient nature comes in every time, not to mention the good feeling to pressing that soft piece of meat. Avoid pressing your patties at all cost, or you are going to evaporate all the moisture. 3) Add A Cube of Ice on Top. Yes, you read it right. The concept of adding water, especially ice, might seem counter-intuitive. However, a little touch of the water element helps a lot. Try it yourself! 4) Add Some Mayo. If you want to go an extra mile to make your patties more moist, or even tastier, you can try to add in some mayo before forming the patties. This helps to add moisture and rich flavor to your patties. 5) Cover Your Meat. If you can cover with your patties with something similar to plate cover, it will help keep the moisture within the meat. It also brings out the smokiness flavor. Congratulations! You've finished patty-making 101. Now, you can confidently showcase your skills at the next barbeque party. Happy Cooking, The Kid We probably all have seen how most people eat sushi in many different ways. The point is which way is correct. Is soy sauce a must? How much ginger should you eat? In this post, I will uncover myths about sushi based on Chef Nobu's wisdom
1) For eating Sashimi (only protein). Dip Sashimi into a bit of soy sauce. Place a half tea spoon of wasabi in the middle of Sashimi piece and then eat. 2) For Nigiri sushi (Sashimi and rice). If you eat at a decent restaurant, do not add additional wasabi since it's already enough. Adding more wasabi could be a gesture saying the chef's ratio is off. Only dip the protein part into the soy sauce. Dipping the rice part will destroy the Nigiri's favor. 3) For rolls. You have no choice but to dip the rice part; however, try to minimize the amount of soy sauce as much as you can. 4) Additional tips. (a) Always eat the whole piece at once (b) Only eat ginger between tasting different types of protein. It helps reset your taste bugs (c) eating with either hands or chopsticks is fine; however you feel comfortable (forks are not okay). Now you have learned some basic rules for eating sushi. Of course, each diner will have his/her preference. However, avoid common misconceptions will, hopefully, enjoy sushi better and be able to teach others. Happy Dining, The Kid Humans have been consuming meat since the dawn of time. Steak has become a culinary art. Nonetheless, cooking steak is more like a science, at least based on Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay (you might want to Google these names if you love cooking and don't know them). There is one critical mistake that many people make every time they cook steak: they don't allow steak to rest. Below are the details:
1) How long steak should rest after cook. The answer is 10-15 minutes 2) Why? What's going on inside that unmolested steak is all sorts of magical re-circulation of its juices, and it comes out perfect. 3) What happens if you cut steak too soon. The steak will become very tough with a bulls-eye pattern. Now you have master one most important step in cooking steak: doing nothing after done for 10-15 minutes. Go and impress others with others with this little tip. Happy Cooking, The Kid Lobster is one of the most luxurious items that many consumers find its attractiveness and deliciousness. Have you ever wondered why lobsters are lively put into water tank in the restaurants? Perhaps, you think restaurants can increase the level of fanciness; hence, increases the item's price; or it makes the restaurant's decoration look better. These are all correct guesses; nonetheless, there is a hidden benefit while storing lobster alive, and then later... boil them ALIVE.
Wait! What? That is so cruel. We don't boil pigs alive, how could we do so with lobster? It is normal if you have this reaction, like many consumers. You should also know boiling lobster alive might help saving your life. Food poisoning is the last problem consumers want to face (while paying expensively for lobsters). In case of lobsters, they carry Vibrio bacteria, which thrives on the decaying flesh of lobsters and other shellfish. If a lobster dies, you only have a few hours before these bacteria show up to the party. And once they're in, it's nearly impossible to get rid of them. Even cooking the lobster meat won't kill all of the bacteria. So it's safer to just keep the animal alive right up until you serve it. If we consume this bacteria, we can experience abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, and sometimes even death. Fortunately, we can smell the ammonia that is released when the body starts to decompose. If you argue about lobsters feeling pain, there is an on-going scientific and moral debate about this topic. In Switzerland, the country has outlawed boiling lobster alive. In the perspective of health, the next time you order lobsters, be sure to ask whether the lobsters are boiled alive... or not. Happy dining, The Kid Non-Stick cookware has become an essential item for daily uses, from cooking eggs to saute vegetables. These pots and pans are meant to increase convenience. However, most of us don't truly know how to treat these cookware correctly in order to save more on new equipment or simply to protect our health. Below are some of the expert suggests:
1) High heat. It destroys non-stick coated surface. Low-medium heat is desired instead. 2) Metal utensils. It simply destroys the surface, even worse than high heat. Use wooden or silicone utensils instead. 3) Dish washer. Some non-stick cookware might be allowed to put in dish washer, but most don't. Hand wash instead. 4) Cooking oil. Do not use oil spray since its residue buildup is bad. Instead use cooking oil (olive oil is good but expensive) or butter. 5) Adding oil. Some non-stick cookware release toxins if heated without oil. Remember to add oil before turning on the heat. Plus oil increases non-stick effectiveness. Now you're ready to save more money and protect our health better with cooking. Happy Cooking, The Kid American breakfast is always rich, simple, and delicious (not sure about the healthy part). Anybody who wishes to become a good cook/chef first have to prepare their own meals, most likely breakfast, most likely scrambled eggs. For example, Japanese sushi trainees have to spend several years just cooking rice and eggs.
This is such a simple dish to cook, but yet difficult to master; Even some of the best chefs can mess it up. Here I will show you how to prepare perfect scrambled eggs, according to world-class chefs like Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsay, etc: 1) Prep. Ideally, you want the eggs to be fresh, which means it should be prepared right just before cooking. Be careful not to over beat the eggs. You want it to still show two different colors of yolk and white. For seasoning, salt and pepper are the best. Just hold on the pepper until finish cooking because heat destroys pepper's flavor. Some people add cream or milk to eggs, but most professional chefs do not because egg, like avocado, is rich and creamy itself. 2) Cook. Use a hot (not terribly hot, usually 6-7/10) non-stick pan. Add a taste of butter for increased flavor. Pour in the eggs and let it cook for a minute. Then use a fork to beat it in a number-8 pattern. Remember, you don't want super small pieces of eggs. You want some good mid-sized chunks to reserve the airy, fluffy texture. When you think the eggs are ready, take them out the hot pan. It will continue to cook after leaving the pan. Egg will become hard if you leave it on pan with long high heat. 3) Eat. Now take the eggs out and let them rest a bit. Add some pepper and enjoy! Now you are ready to make breakfast in-bed for your loved one. Happy Cooking, The Kid |
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