Taste test: marinated mushrooms

Posted on April 13, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Marinated Mushroom Taste Test

Marinated mushrooms four ways.

I hoovered some delicious marinated mushrooms from the charcuterie board at a recent event and resolved to make them myself. Researching online recipes, I found a surprising variety of methods and even definitions of what “marinated mushrooms” implies. As executed, our marinated mushrooms taste test includes four preps with a focus on a/how flavorful is the mushroom itself and b/how well do the marinating ingredients complement the mushroom.

I worked with ordinary brown mushrooms (cremini) from the supermarket and trimmed the ends of the stems then quartered them (or halved in the case of smaller ones), I used good olive oil and a reasonable amount of salt and pepper for flavor balance plus some spices as noted below but was not going for a completed product, just a best practices technique.

Sautéed Marinated Mushrooms

Test #1: sautéed then marinated.

Test #1: sauteed then marinated. This is the method used in an NYT recipe and it might be argued the mushrooms aren’t really marinated but simply cooked then doused with vinegar before serving (not unlike that famous Rao’s chicken dish). I sauteed them lightly in olive oil with garlic then added vinegar to the warm skillet.

Boiled then Marinated Mushrooms

Test #2: boiled then marinated.

Test #2: boiled then marinated. This is a technique I ran across on the Mediterranean Dish blog. Boil the mushrooms 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly and toss with marinade. It’s counterintuitive because you’d think the objective in preparing mushrooms is to reduce their water content, not give them the opportunity to absorb more. But they retained their texture and flavor and were not waterlogged at all.

 

Boiled then Pickled Mushrooms

Test #3: boiled then pickled.

Test #3: boiled then pickled. I used the same boiling technique as test #2, then immersed the mushrooms in a pickling brine with half and half white vinegar/water, a bit of salt and pepper and sugar and a teaspoon of Penzey’s pickling spices. Also added a dash of olive oil, which I regret. These were refrigerated a couple of days before tasting.

Balsamic Marinated Mushrooms

Test #4: raw in marinade.

Test #4: raw mushrooms in marinade. I ran across a balsamic marinade recipe I liked and wanted to do something with uncooked mushrooms. Balsamic and red vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and a bit of thyme were heated to boiling then removed from heat and tossed with the mushrooms.

The results: a 2 ½ -way tie! The sauteed-then-marinated mushrooms in test #1 were closest to my charcuterie experience and were delicious. Boiling the mushrooms turns out to be a great solution: they retain their shape and texture while developing flavor and absorb the marinade without getting soggy. #2 was just as good as #1 yet with a completely different mushroom profile. #3 only gets half credit because I should not have added oil; will try again and expect an excellent result. #4 was a non-starter, with much less mushroom taste and an unsatisfying texture. I immediately recognized the dispiriting mushroom profile encountered in salad bars and poorly designed main dish salads.

Next test: I will tinker with #1 sauté, but start with boiled mushrooms as in #2. Look forward to having mind blown!

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Lunch at Le Bernardin

Posted on April 8, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Gold Leaf Gelee Le Bernardin

Lunch at Le Bernardin features flecks of gold leaf in a sublime seafood geleé.

I live 3 hours from one of the great restaurants of the world, so there was no excuse for not trying it at least once. My Yelp friend Louise G facilitated the reservations for lunch at Le Bernardin, which must be made on the first day of the month for a date in the month following. She got a 2 pm slot on a Friday and we were on our way, though not without a few planning sessions in which we perused and discussed the online menu.

This is a restaurant with a dress code for men: gentlemen must wear a button down shirt; of course jeans and sandals are out. Before the pandemic, I understand, a sports coat was required. No such restriction for women who are assumed to be better behaved. Also, if you don’t show up for your meal there is a $150 penalty. That got my attention.

The menu for lunch at Le Bernardin rarely changes which is why we were able to plan our meals in advance. As we ate we debated whether this is a good or a bad thing. Louise felt it must be dispiriting to prepare the same dish over and over again, day in and day out. I likened it to a carpenter putting together a dovetail joint: though the process is the same each piece of wood (or seafood) has its own personality so no two results are exactly the same.

Oyster Uni Le Bernardin

Oyster-Uni at Le Bernardin.

I started with “Oyster-Uni”. This was preceded with an unannounced smoked salmon spread with baguette toasts, and accompanied by various breads that were refreshed throughout the meal. In a masterpiece of understatement, the dish is described as “Sea Urchin-Oyster Medley; Nori Cracker Seaweed Gelée” without mentioning the gelee included flecks of gold leaf. It was formally, beautifully composed yet the taste was everything I love about seafood—seaweed, oysters, sea urchin and the fish used to make the fumé—in a single bite.

Hiramasa Le Bernardin

Hiramasa at Le Bernardin.

My main was “Hiramasa” which turns out to be a type of yellowtail which is popular in Japan. “Grilled Hiramasa; Roasted Maitake Bone Marrow-Red Wine Bordelaise” describes the experience. I happen to be a big fan of bone marrow and red wine served with fish; the marrow was a little skimpy (it was not anything so obvious as the usual split marrow bone, but rather a scoop of marrow mixed with the mushrooms) but overall the dish did not disappoint. I have read that Eric Ripert likes to serve a generous ladling of sauces so guests can spoon it or sop it up with bread, which is exactly what I did.

Le Bernardin Dessert

Dessert at Le Bernardin.

The dessert menu is not online but as I recall I had a “baba” soaked in whiskey infused with exotic spices and coated in a buttercream, accompanied by a scoop of an intense chocolate ice cream. There were also three perfect digestifs: a mini-macaron, a tiny raspberry biscuit and a wee chocolate tart.

The service was unobtrusive but omnipresent. I was seated facing a curtain wall, and at one point I turned my head to survey the dining room; immediately a server appeared to ask if she could help me. When ordering, Louise said she was considering two apps and the server declined to make a recommendation, but when she told him her entrée choice he volunteered that one of the apps was most frequently chosen by diners ordering that entrée. When she commented to another server that she admired the pattern of the silverware, the server said “I like it too.” In short, the servers facilitate and support the dining experience, but never guide it. Oh, and this: I was gauche enough to spill a drop of my demiglace on the white tablecloth, and a server carefully covered the spot with an unfolded white napkin and pressed it in place before serving dessert.

This menu at lunchtime was $127, which is certainly a fair price considering that the price for not eating would have been $150. The $395 evening tasting menu was also on offer, and many nearby tables were ordering it. There is also a slightly different menu at $95 with a donation to a local food kitchen. If you consider 33% to be an appropriate food cost, I expect the ingredients on my plate easily exceeded that amount and you are also paying for multiple servers and many changes of tableware. For my budget this is a very occasional treat, but if I could afford it I might eat here weekly.

Loise quoted a food writer, who I thought was contemporary but may have been Escoffier: when you enjoy your food, you say “that was a good meal”. When you have had a great meal, you say “that meal made me happy”. Lunch at Le Bernardin made me happy, and the pleasure lingers in remembering it.

Posted in Eating | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Taste Test: Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cups

Posted on April 2, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Trader Joes Peanut Butter Cups

Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cups from tub (l) and bag (r).

We are huge fans of dark chocolate Trader Joe’s Peanut Butter Cups. Here you have a perfect candy: a good quality chocolate shell with just the right amount of rigidity to resist then crack when you bite into it, enrobing a smooth filling from a peanut butter master. But hold on, there are two very different product configurations: a small package of cups wrapped in foil for 99c currently, and a plastic tub with unwrapped cups for $4.49.

Does the bigger size provide a better value? Are they the same cup or, as it would appear, two different configurations for different customers: the small package near the checkout for impulse buyers, and the larger tub over the freezer section for serious snackers? To answer the first question, the tub contains 16 oz while the small bag is 3.5 oz. Do the math and you’ll see the difference in price per piece is infinitesimal.

Peanut Butter Cups Crossection

Cross section from tub (l) and bag (r).

As to the second question, I enlisted two small but experienced tasters who told me there definitely is a difference. The chocolate may be the same but the filling in one is grainier than the other. I wanted to confirm this for myself and found no difference whatsoever. I consulted the ingredient lists on the packages and found that each lists the same exact ingredients in the same order. I’m calling it a tie. Except…

If you look at the suggested serving it’s two candies for the tub but 3 candies for the small bag! This is probably because there are 9 candies per bag and the Trader wanted an even distribution, but still. Why eat 2 pieces when you are allowed to eat 3 for the same amount of guilt? Add in the bonus foil wrap (which is probably to protect the candies, assuming the package might end up in a backpack or lunchbox0, and we have a clear winner. Trader Joe’s dark chocolate peanut butter cup in the 3.5 ounce bag, you are now the official chocolate candy of Burnt My Fingers!

Posted in Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Cuban Slaw

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Cuban Slaw

Cuban Slaw.

This new version of Cuban Slaw resulted from a happy accident. I shredded the cabbage and mixed it with salt, then had to stop the cure after 20 minutes to get back to a family activity. The cabbage had softened and sweetened but had not yet thrown off any liquid; this as compared to a sauerkraut or sour slaw prep in which I’ll leave the salt on the cabbage longer then (in the case of the sour slaw) rinse it out before proceeding. Do try this at home! The tart white vinegar and oregano will remind you of Cuban flavors and Cuban Slaw could become a condiment on a sandwich as well as a side dish. Makes 6 servings.

Ingredients:
Medium head green cabbage, about 2 lbs
½-1 t Kosher salt*
¼ c neutral oil
3 t distilled white vinegar
¼ t ground black pepper
½ t dried oregano
1 t finely chopped garlic

Method: shred the cabbage with your preferred method (we use the coarsest side of a box grater). Toss the cabbage with ½ t salt and massage it in with your hands so all surfaces come into contact. *Taste; if it is under-salted add more, but by no means add salt to the point that it is “salty”. Cure for 20 minutes then mix in other ingredients. Refrigerate for 2 hours or more to let the flavors meld, then serve.

Posted in Recipes, Sides | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Food for Thought: searching for culinary origins

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Saratoga Spoon

Saratoga Spoon for dipping Saratoga (potato) Chips, available from Replacements, inc.

Elizabeth Weil wrote an arresting culinary origins story a few years ago which was published in Saveur. It seems that Weil’s grandfather invented the Reuben Sandwich in the 1920s when he oversaw the kitchen at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. Some poker players needed a late night snack and he came up with a sauerkraut-swiss cheese-corned beef-thousand island dressing combo and served it to a guy whose name, of course, was Reuben. Guess what, Reuben loved it and it soon became a menu staple.

Weil’s article references an earlier, shorter origin story published in the New York Times in 2013. The NYT got a number of letters in response to that piece including one from food historian Andrew Smith, which insisted in a rather strident way (the actual letter from Smith is not available; the link in the Saveur article actually leads to Weil’s original piece) that no, the Reuben was invented in New York in a deli run by a guy named, you guessed it, Reuben.

Weil had heard this before (she mentions the NYC theory in her article) and let it pass. But Smith was itching for a fight. He began researching old menus and cookbooks for references that would point to a New York origin. While not letting his foot off the gas, he did acknowledge over time (there were lots of exchanges between Smith and Weil) that the NYC Reuben had actually been made with coleslaw, not sauerkraut, which would make it a completely different animal; as a side note we will point out that heated coleslaw in a griddled sandwich sounds hurl-inducing. But the touchstone was the old menus; Smith challenged her to come up with a Nebraska menu listing a Reuben sandwich prior to 1941, the earliest recorded mention he could find in his New York mecca.

Which Weil, or rather her husband Dan, did. The Nebraska State Historical Society produced a menu from the Blackstone Hotel’s coffee shop in 1937 which included the Reuben and soon after, the Douglas County Historical Society came up with an even earlier menu.  Presented with incontrovertible evidence, Smith graciously conceded defeat.

This passion for culinary origins and arguing about the past reminds us of the story of the origin of Guss’ Pickle on the Lower East Side, which unfolded right here on Burnt My Fingers a dozen years ago. To abbreviate, one individual bought the historic Guss’ pickle store on the Lower East Side of Manhattan but another individual acquired the name, which had never been trademarked. She moved the pickle shop to a new location in Brooklyn, then  they went to war. Please do read through the many comments which demonstrate the battle had by no means ended and I expect continues to this day.

Also, let’s talk about the origin of potato chips! Anyone who lives in my vicinity knows they were invented right here in upstate New York, at a resort alongside Saratoga Lake. Doubters have challenged this claim including Jim Leff, the founder of Chowhound and now a friendly freelance curmudgeon. To him and other skeptics I have proof that is even better than historical menus: the Saratoga Spoon. This is a broad spoon, perfect for scooping up potato chips by those too genteel to use their fingers, which was standard in sterling flatware sets in the 1870s. Local antiquities dealer Mark Lawson has a nice story on the chips and the scooper here.

In the future, food historians may look for the culinary origins of Thanksgiving Stuffing Pudding or Chili Crisp Ice Cream and find them right here. Or, maybe not.

Posted in Eating, Food for Thought | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Rueben (or Reuben) Sandwich

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Rueben Sandwich

Rueben (or Reuben) sandwich with pickle spear.

This Rueben sandwich is for people who spell it that way during searches when corned beef is popular around St. Patrick’s Day. It’s very similar to the Original Reuben Sandwich recipe presented in Saveur magazine by Elizabeth Weil, who claims with a lot of credibility that her grandfather invented it in Omaha in the 1920s. Makes one big Rueben sandwich to serve 1-2 people. Note: proportions are approximate; the key is to have equal amounts of corned beef and cheese, and sauerkraut and dressing.

Ingredients:
2 large slices pumpernickel or dark rye bread
4 oz thin sliced corned beef brisket (flat preferred)
4 oz thin sliced swiss-style cheese (worth using a premium aged cheese, like Trader Joe’s Comte)
2 T sauerkraut (we use Cleveland brand) mixed with 2 T thousand Island dressing
Softened butter
Yellow mustard (OPTIONAL AND NOT IN THE ORIGINAL RECIPE, BUT GOOD)

Rueben Insides

The creamy dressing mixed with the tangy kraut is key to the Rueben’s appeal.

Method: spread half the sauerkraut/dressing mixture on one slice of bread. Layer with half the cheese, corned beef, the rest of the sauerkraut and the rest of the cheese. Spread softened butter on the second slice of bread (or combine/replace with OPTIONAL mustard if using) and assemble as a sandwich.

Add a pat of butter to a cast iron or non-stick skillet. Heat to a medium temperature; when butter melts lay in the sandwich to crisp up and melt the cheese. Put a second cast iron skillet or other weight on top and press down to compress the sandwich. When cheese is melted and the bread is toasted but not burnt, carefully turn over and give the other side the same treatment. Slice your Rueben sandwich and serve with pickle spear.

Posted in Eating, Mains, Recipes | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Recipe: Acme Olive Bread I

Posted on March 15, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Acme Olive Bread I

Acme Olive Bread I.

Acme Olive Bread is an interesting creature. It combines the astringent bite of salt cured olives with a tender, almost fluffy crumb. We have posted several olive bread recipes and they’re all good, but a close rendition of Acme Olive Bread is a worthy goal. After several attempts this captures the flavor balance but still has the crusty authority of a classic sourdough batard. Ideas for what we’ll try next are at the bottom of the recipe; contribute your own and we’ll work on this together. In the meanwhile you’ll enjoy Acme Olive Bread I, no question. Makes one approximately 1 ½  lb batard.

Ingredients:
125g whole wheat starter at 60%
300g water
500g all purpose flour
2 T good olive oil
¾ to 1 c mediterranean olives in brine, coarsely chopped
A little brine from the olives
2 t Kosher salt
1 T diastatic malt powder (optional)**
1 T vital wheat gluten (optional)**

Method: combine starter, water, flour and olive oil and autolyze for awhile. (We did about 90 minutes.) Add salt and olives with a bit of their brine and knead for 7 or so minutes or else put through several rounds of stretch-and-fold till the dough is uniform and elastic with good gluten development. Rest at least 4 hours, then form into a ball and transfer to a banneton dusted with rice flour. Place in a plastic bag and cure overnight or longer in refrigerator. When it’s ready to bake, the proofed dough should slowly recover when you poke it with a finger; a rapid return means it needs more time while a lasting impression means it’s over proofed.

Olive Bread Olives

These olives, from Walmart, worked well in our Acme Olive Bread I. Be sure you use olives in brine, not flavored oil.

Preheat your cast iron dutch oven to 460 degrees. Dust the bottom with polenta then carefully add the proofed dough, with a slash down the center if you like. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, then remove cover and bake for 20 or so minutes longer at 440 degrees till the loaf is nicely browned but not burnt and has reached an internal temp of 206 degrees or more. Cool completely before serving.

What we might try next:
*Less whole wheat starter. Acme’s ingredient list says “whole wheat starter” but that might be just a small amount combined with all purpose or bread flour. Our dough is definitely darker than Acme’s.
*Lower baking temps. Our loaf is a nice crusty sourdough but Acme’s is more soft and tender.
*Flour variations. Maybe the secret to that tender Acme crumb is 00 flour, with a lower gluten content and finer grind?

Let us know how it works for you. In the meantime, this recipe is delicious!

**We’ve been fiddling with these dough enhancers recently. They may help, and probably won’t hurt.

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Eating, Recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Recipe: Puffy Italian Sub Rolls

Posted on March 8, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Puffy Italian Sub Rolls

Puffy Italian sub rolls!

At last! The puffy, yielding, open-crumb Italian sub rolls of my dreams. This has been a journey. We have published recipes for hoagie rolls, sub rolls and po’ boy rolls but none were truly the open crumb puffy submarine rolls you find in almost any Italian deli in the northeast. I know they are using dough enhancers and we finally gave in to a couple of them. Success. This recipe began with this King Arthur recipe but we have gone very far beyond that. Makes six puffy Italian sub rolls approximately 10″ each. (You could also divide the dough and make more, smaller rolls of course.)

Ingredients:

For overnight starter:
180g all purpose flour
225g spring water (non chlorinated)
¼ t active dry yeast

For the dough:
660g all purpose flour
1 T active dry yeast
1 T vital wheat gluten*
1 T diastatic malt powder
4 t Kosher salt
300g spring water (non chlorinated)

Method: mix ingredients of overnight starter and let it rest overnight; in the morning it should be lively and bubbly. Combine dry ingredients in an orbital mixer and process a bit with the dough hook until well combined. Add overnight starter and water and mix at first speed for a couple of minutes; the dough should clear the bowl. Increase to second speed and knead 7 minutes. Transfer to a large oiled (maybe 1 T olive oil) bowl; cover and proof 45 minutes until doubled.

Submarine Rolls Crumb

Submarine Rolls Crumb.

Punch down dough then form into 6 balls of roughly equal size (around 220 g). Rest a few minutes then form into rolls: stretch the dough into a rectangle and fold the top down, then bottom up (letter fold). Pinch the edges and using your palms roll into a shape that meets your preferences. (This is the procedure for forming a baguette but with much more forgiving dough.) Transfer to a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone pad; cover and proof until doubled, maybe 45 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees.

Add toppings if you like; we tried an egg white wash and sesame seeds and didn’t particularly care for either. Bake for 40 minutes, possibly rotating the position of trays in the oven, until lightly browned. Cool and serve.

Posted in Baking and Baked Goods, Eating, Recipes | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Making Maagchi’s japchae

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Maagchi Chapjae

Chapjae following Maagchi recipe.

After our toasted sesame oil taste test, of course we had to make some japchae, the iconic Korean dish with glass noodles and various vegetables and meat. Making japchae is a simple process but it has many steps, which is why it’s a favorite social event for Korean aunties or the moms in my kids’ Korean immersion program back in San Francisco.

Japchae Video

Yes , there’s a video. But you don’t really need it because Maagchi’s written instructions for making japchae are so clear.

We used some leftover denvers from our chuck roast experience and of course the Ottogi Korean sesame oil. Recipes are similar but flexible; we really liked the approach of Maagchi’s blog because she manages the many steps with just two cooking utensils (though you will amass a lot of bowls or plates as you stage the ingredients). Rather than copying her recipe, I’m going to ask you to read it on her blog.

The ingredients in recipes can’t be copyrighted, but descriptions of technique can be. We are happy to honor that because her technique is really clever and good in this case. Check it out.

Posted in Cooking, Mains, Recipes | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Toasted sesame oil: taste test

Posted on March 2, 2024 by Burnt My Fingers
Toasted Sesame Oils

These are the toasted sesame oils in our taste test.

There’s no mistaking the taste of toasted sesame oil: sweet, nutty, caramelized like the aroma of a slice of bread just out of the toaster (some say the smell is the most important aspect, vs how it feels on your tongue) with just a hint of bitterness. Toasted sesame oil is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes, especially Korean. With so many brands available at your local Asian market, it was time for a toasted sesame oil taste test.

Sesame Oil Cucumber

The cucumber taste test. Clockwise from lower left: Kadoya, Lee Kim Lee, Ottogi, Trader Joe. We found the oils very similar in color and viscosity.

Our bottle of Lee Kum Kee was nearing the bottom which is what prompted this test. We tried four brands with a two part test: a/a spoonful straight out of the bottle, on a slice of cucumber; 2/on a cube of tofu sauteed in oil till very lightly toasted.

  1. Lee Kum Kee Toasted Sesame Oil. Lee Kum Kee is the Amazon of Asian sauces, with a rendition of every imaginable product. When we did a doubanjiang test a while back they ranked close to the bottom; in general their products are workmanlike but not exceptional. A 15-oz bottle is $9.98 at our local Walmart.

Results: a solid, smooth taste with a satisfying finish, even though we were using a bottle that has been stored at room temperature for months.

  1. Trader Joe Organic Toasted Sesame Oil. The only house brand we could find in stock, it was well priced at $3.79 for 5 oz.

Results: milder than the others, in both the cucumber and tofu test.

  1. Kadoya Toasted Sesame Oil. This is the brand preferred by Woks of Life and also recommended by Bon Appetit and Serious Eats, among others. For such a high rated product it was surprisingly hard to find; we got a 5.5 oz bottle for $5.99 at our upscale supermarket which was probably an inflated price.

Results: beautifully balanced in both the cucumber and tofu tests.

  1. Ottogi Sesame Oil. Koreans will, of course, say you absolutely must have Korean sesame oil to make Korean dishes like japjae. We got lucky and stumbled on a sale: $8.99 for a jumbo 10.8 oz. bottle in Jae Tung, our nearest Korean market.

Results: somewhat more bitter than the others. On our first taste we actually thought it was rancid, but this did not happen again when we re-tasted. Possibly something in the neck of the just-opened bottle?

Sesame Tofu Taste test

Tofu cube taste test. Same order as above.

The winner, Kadoya, by a wide margin. Lee Kum Kee was a surprise runner up—good news because this is the sesame oil you’re most likely to find in a non-Asian market. We’re on the fence about the Ottogi. If you’re Korean you might enjoy the stronger taste. We’ll definitely continue to experiment with it because we’re not about to throw away that big bottle. Trader Joe: a disappointment. Would not buy this again.

One thing we didn’t try: un-toasted sesame oil of the type sold in health food markets. This is a neutral-tasting food which is fine for what it does but lacks the special taste of toasted sesame oil. When you hear people saying “I bought some expensive sesame oil and it had no taste” this is what they’re talking about.

Posted in Cooking, Eating | Tagged , , | Leave a comment