What does cheesecake taste like?

Posted on November 2, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Strawberry Cheesecake

Fresh Strawberry Cheesecake is their most-ordered item, says the Cheesecake Factory.

The Wall Street Journal recently did a piece on how the Cheesecake Factory chain thrived through the pandemic by increasing takeout orders. One of the secrets, as Atul Gawande wrote in a famous 2012 New York article, is process—there’s a 500 page operations manual and a procedure for everything, including how to describe cheesecake.

“Adding your delicious descriptions helps guests find the cheesecake they’ll enjoy most,” the guide instructs employees. “Use words that are natural to you and be sure to include your enthusiasm!”

Here are 42 words Cheesecake Factory provides to prime the pump:

Amazing Baked Chewy Chocolatey Chunky
Covered Creamy Crispy Crunchy Decadent
Delectable Delicate Delicious Dripping Drizzled
Extraordinary Fabulous Fantastic Full Gooey
Heavenly Layered Mouthwatering Out of this world Oozing
Light Loaded Rich Scrumptious Silky
Sinful Smooth Soaked Soft Sprinkled
Sweet Swirled Tart Unbelievable Velvety
Yummy Yum-a-licious

What’s interesting to me is how few words actually describe the taste of cheesecake, and only a few more describe the mouthfeel. The rest are about the experience—how you will feel, about yourself and the dish, as you are eating it and how you will be perceived by others.

Some time ago, when I was writing professionally for a meat company, I made a post about how hard it was to come up with adjectives describing taste and mouthfeel without repeating yourself. I later did some catalog writing for Allen Bros., an upscale steak purveyor, and inherited a copy style which was about how “your guests” will react when you serve up your perfectly cooked meat: you paid a pretty penny for this steak, and you want to make damn sure they’ll appreciate it. But still, it always started with taste—that first bite that confirms to the eater this is the good stuff, a cut above the rest.

Cheesecake Factory is doing something different. They want customers they’re doing something special and not a little sinful, simply by ordering such a payload of carbs and calories. I am sure Atul Gawande would approve—especially because he is a doctor by trade (the New Yorker article was about how healthcare delivery should be organized more like the Cheesecake Factory) and these gooey, oozing slices mean lots of new business for his profession.

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Recipe: Creamy Cucumber Salad

Posted on October 28, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad came from a German food blog, and it does remind us of salads served at a meals-included Munich hotel during a stay long ago. Goes great with fish or in a smorgasbord-type setting. We’ve drastically cut back on the sour cream because the cucumbers throw off plenty of liquid on their own. Makes 4-6 appetizer servings.

2 large cucumbers, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise and seeded; or 4 seedless Persian cucumbers
1 T minced yellow onion
½ c sour cream
1 t Kosher salt
1 T white vinegar
1 t dried dill weed or 1 T fresh dill weed, finely chopped
¼ t sugar
Pinch of black pepper

Method: slice the cucumber into ½ inch slices and mix with the chopped onions. Mix all remaining ingredients except sour cream and let them hydrate for a few minutes, then add to the sour ream and mix to a uniform consistency. Mix in the cucumber slices and refrigerate 6 hours or longer before serving. Creamy Cucumber Salad will keep for a couple of days in your refrigerator and tastes even better the next day.

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Recipe: Smoked Baked Beans

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Smoked Baked Beans

Smoked Baked Beans. The dish used for cooking will be a goner, so don’t use anything you’re fond of.

Smoked baked beans are cooked along with your brisket or other smoked meat, taking advantage of the extra space on your rack if you have a barrel smoker, or the top level if you have a Weber Bullet like me. You are going to add all the flavor, so start with the cheapest canned beans you can find. Makes 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:
28-oz can baked beans (we used Great Value from Walmart)
2 T bacon fat OR 2 strips bacon
2 T brown sugar
2 T cider vinegar
1 medium onion
1 t Worcestershire sauce
½ t ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Great Value Baked Beans

Use the cheapest prepared beans you find. This can was $1.48 at Wal-Mart.

Method: cut 3 or 4 nice slices of onion across the grain to use as topping, then chop the rest. Add chopped onion to the beans along with brown sugar, cider vinegar, pepper and Worcestershire; if using bacon fat melt it and add that as well. Mix thoroughly and taste for salt; depending on the brand you may need to add more. Pour the beans into a shallow aluminum tray or other pan you don’t mind ruining. Top with reserved onion slices and bacon slices, if using.

Smoke along with your meat during the initial, smokiest part of the cook. You can take them out after that but there’s nothing wrong with leaving them in until you’re ready to remove the meat (or maybe wrap the meat and leave it to slow-cook, depending on your process). Serve hot with other BBQ fixins.

Smoked Beans BBQ dinner

A typical Texas BBQ dinner, including smoked baked beans.

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Texas Monthly BBQ guide jumps the shark

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Goldees Pit Bosses

The pit bosses at Goldee’s in Fort Worth are all in their 20s. Ranked #1 in the new Texas Monthly BBQ guide.

The annual Texas Monthly BBQ guide is eagerly awaited by Texans near and far. Will Snow’s retain its top ranking, or will some upstart along the lines of Franklin in Austin upset the post oak woodpile? What old standbys have lost their luster as a pitmaster retires or is called to the great smokehouse in the sky, and who are the young bucks/buckettes who will emerge to replace them?

Well, the Texas Monthly BBQ guide for 2021 is a bit of a departure. Snow’s and Franklin are #9 and #7 respectively, Kreutz’ is the only Lockhart smoker listed (as an honorable mention), and Miklethwait and Louie Mueller don’t even crack the top 50. In their place is an assortment of places serving novelties like brisket elote—”Layers of creamed corn, chopped brisket, queso fresco, cilantro, and hot sauce are a full meal in a cup” at #10 Panther City BBQ, Laotian sausage—”take a chunk, mash it into a bit of sticky rice, and dunk the combo into the spicy-sour jeow som sauce” at #1 Goldee’s Barbecue and, God help us, “an array of Instagrammable desserts” at #3 Burnt Beans Co.

What in the world has gotten into BBQ Editor Daniel Vaughn, and his monk-like attention to temperature stalls, smoke rings and burnt ends? Well, therein lies the problem. According to Texas Monthly, 37 staffers and 3 freelancers visited 411 barbecue joints to compile a preliminary list, and the “most promising candidates were then revisited by either barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn or food writer Patricia Sharpe, or both, to determine the top ten.” Notice the “or” in that statement. Some of the top places were not even visited by the Texas Monthly barbecue guru.

Now, we understand these are tough times for traditional media, and Texas Monthly needs to appeal to a younger demographic to stay afloat. And establishments that serve the public must evolve as well. We grew up near the first 7-11 store in Dallas, which was referred to as “the ice house” by old-timers because that was their most important product when self-cooling refrigerators were a relative novelty. These days you can probably buy a bag of ice at 7-11, but you’d have to look for it.

Frankin Barbecue

An array of smoked meats from #7 Franklin. Not very Instagrammable, but mighty tasty.

But… barbecue is all about the meat. And while we love the sides (especially when the place takes a novel twist on a standard, like the poppy seed slaw and buttermilk pie at Miklethwait), they should never be allowed to steal the show from the main attraction which is the classic cuts of beef, pork, sausage, maybe chicken or turkey, prepared to the best of the pit boss’ ability.

It’s clear that the reviewers were entranced by the novelty of imaginative entrees and clever desserts (we refuse to use the I-label) and as a result they lost track of the reason they were reviewing. People travel long distances and wait in long lines in search of a transcendent BBQ experience and “sassy kimchi, vinegary braised cabbage and sausage, and terrific pork hash (a.k.a. rice with a meaty gravy) … [and] cheddar cheesecake with a dab of apple butter … worth a return visit” (at Leroy & Lewis, #5) ain’t it.

If you want to read the rankings in full, Texas Montly is behind a paywall but you get two articles for free. The top 10 is here, and the also rans here. Read fast, because we predict this will prove a one-year experiment and we’ll be back to the regular rankings in 2022. The one silver lining about this train wreck? For now, the lines are likely to be shorter at Snow’s.

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Recipe: Best Way Eggplant Parm

Posted on October 19, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Best Way Eggplant Parm

Best Way Eggplant Parm.

Best Way Eggplant Parm uses a flour-and-egg wash when cooking the eggplant slices. This creates a barrier to keep the slices from absorbing excessive oil, plus it provides another layer of flavor that’s similar to breadcrumbs but without the grease. Only possible drawback is that the slices tend to come apart when you cut them. If this bothers you (it doesn’t us) you can reassemble on the plate, slice the product cold then reheat in microwave, or build a shorter stack in a wider pan. Serves 4 as an entrée.

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, about 1 ½ lb
Kosher salt, maybe 1 T
2 T olive oil
1 egg
1 c all purpose flour
1 t Kosher salt
½ t ground black pepper
1 c good tomato sauce
2 T tomato paste (optional)
1 c grated mozzarella
¼ c grated parmesan or romano
1 t oregano
1 t garlic powder or 4 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Battered Eggplant

Egg-battered slices waiting to be assembled into Best Way Eggplant Parm.

Method: peel the eggplant and slice crosswise into ¾ inch slices. Sprinkle both sides of each slice with salt and rub it in to be sure the surface is thoroughly coated. Stand the slices up in a colander for an hour or so to leach out excess liquid then dry thoroughly with a paper towel or clean cloth (you want to remove some of the salt as well as the water).

Heat the oil to medium-high (about 350 degrees) in a non-stick skillet. Make your dredging mixtures: thoroughly mix flour and spices in a plastic bag; dilute egg with a little water and beat. Dip each slice in the flour, then the egg, then lay it in the heated skillet.  Don’t crowd the slices; cook in two batches if needed. If temperature is right it should sizzle when you put it in the pan then cook till the bottom of the slice is a light golden brown. Flip and cook the other side to the same light golden brown. Test for doneness with your finger; if the slices are not very tender and yielding give it another couple minutes with the heat slightly lowered. When the slices are done, transfer to a paper towel to drain.

If you are using tomato paste, mix it into the tomato sauce; this will give you a deeper, richer flavor. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Assemble the dish in a loaf pan or 9×9 glass pan which has been buttered or oiled to prevent sticking. Start with a thin layer of sauce, then a layer of eggplant slices, then a layer of mozzarella. Sprinkle on some parmesan, garlic and oregano. Repeat this process till all the eggplants have been used with the top layer being cheese and spices. Bake 30 minutes or until the cheese is thoroughly melted. Slice and serve. Eggplant parm reheats well and should taste as good or better the next day.

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Top five recipe posts of 2021 on Burnt My Fingers

Posted on October 12, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Halal Guys Sauces

On the left, the original Halal Guys White Sauce; on the right, our adaptation.

We reported our five most popular non-recipe posts of the year the other day; now let’s cut to the chase with the most-clicked-on recipes of 2021. As with the previous post, we’ve made an adjustment to upgrade the recipes that were preferred by our regular readers vs. those that were liked by the folks who flocked here in the depths of the pandemic and have since dwindled. The downgraded recipes (and there’s nothing wrong with them, they’re just not in our top 5) are at the bottom of this list.

  1. Halal Guys White Sauce. It’s almost too easy to make the mild topping which is served along with the fiery red sauce at the iconic street food stands (and now strip mall locations). So maybe you should draw out the experience by reading this post first, followed by this one.
  1. Vinegar Peppers. This one is pure comfort food, and it’s an essential element if you are not eating out as much and recreating the menus of your favorite red sauce places at home. Do try the related recipe for Chicken Riggies, in which these peppers have a big role.
  1. The Colonel’s KFC Three-Bean Salad. We feel like our copycat recipe for KFC Cole Slaw is pretty close, but this one is a dead ringer. You’ll have to take our word for it since the fried chicken stores discontinued the bean salad, to the lament of many of our readers.
  1. Thai Chili Vinegar. We’re noticing a trend here: the most popular recipes of 2021 are also the easiest to make. This is the stuff that is on the table at every Thai restaurant in the world, providing sweet, sour and spicy all in one spoonful.
  1. Bone Bread. Ha ha, this is not at all easy to make and it’s also not a real recipe but a riff on a basic white bread with a ghoulish twist for Halloween. Munch it with some stinky cheese and maybe blood sausage while you’re waiting for the trick-or-treaters.

The also rans, two recipes that would have placed in the top five if we cut off our poll in February:

Amish Creamed Celery. A perennial favorite that will probably return to our top five next year. Celery has a lot of significance to the Amish, as explained in the post, yet we couldn’t find a recipe cooking with it so we created our own.

Instant Pot Sourdough Bread. The popularity of this post is doubtless due to the search gods, and we bet not that many people have actually made it. If you do, you’ll be rewarded with a sourer-than-usual product that may or may not be reminiscent of the loaves produced by the Larraburu Bakery in San Francisco.

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Top five non-recipe posts of 2021

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Lan Chi Chili Garlic Paste

Lan Chi Chili Paste with Garlic. We tell how to get it in top post #4.

It’s time to report the most popular recipe and non-recipe posts on Burnt My Fingers, measured by the number of clicks over the past twelve months. However, this year we have an unusual situation because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our readership more than doubled during the early months when everything was moving online. As things improved, many of these new readers peeled off toward better climes.

We appreciate their time on Burnt My Fingers and wish them well, but it doesn’t seem right to include them our annual top posts reports. So we are making a one-time exception and downgrading a couple of posts that were popular in the pandemic months, less so with our current readers.

  1. The Halal Guys white sauce mystery… SOLVED! This post has been at the top of our list ever since it was published in 2018. People seem to want to cut to the chase rather than reading this post which is about all the shenanigans leading up to our discovery. If you want to make your own version of the Greek-style white sauce served at the popular food stands and now strip mall franchises, dig in.
  2. Best mayonnaise taste test: Hellman’s vs Duke’s vs Kewpie. This post wasn’t published till we were four months into 2021, so it’s impressive that it vaulted into the #2 position. As with the white sauce post, be sure to read the comments. Some folks think we have it exactly right, while others say we’re full of hooey.
  3. The sauce that made Mr. Durkee famous. An ancient post (from 2010) that keeps ‘em coming year after year. Truth to tell, we only think about Durkee’s Famous Sauce at Thanksgiving turkey time, but there are a lot of folks out there who think differently. We had to revise it because the company that makes Durkee’s lost interest in the product and took down a lot of the links we’d originally provided. Our readers certainly have a different impression.
  4. Lan Chi Chili Paste with Garlic. A newcomer in our top five! Lan Chi is our preferred chili sauce for generic applications such as Chinese takeout, and it’s all but disappeared from grocery shelves for reasons explained in the post. We tell you how to get it, and a lot of folks seem to appreciate this.
  5. The truth about Amish buffets. A post from a few years back that has climbed in popularity during the Pandemic, maybe because readers like to dream about the good old days where you could fill your plate at all-you-can-eat buffets. If that appeals to you, this post might be of interest though the tips it provides are not currently applicable.

Who got cut to make room for these guys (at the #4 and #5 positions)? Test driving the Misen nonstick skillet describes an early user’s experience which is now obsolete a few product turns down the road. And The cure for watery steak solves a problem we didn’t realize we had. Perhaps our newer readers were cooking steaks at home last winter, then went back to their favorite steakhouses when quarantines were eased.

Next: the top five recipe posts of 2021.

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Too Good To Go

Posted on October 5, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Yummy BBQ TGTG

My $5.99 Too Good To Go (TGTG) special from Yummy BBQ Kitchen.

Too Good To Go (TGTG) is an app that matches up restaurants looking to get rid of leftover food at the end of the day and consumers looking to score a bargain. You pay in advance for a mystery box—the most common price seems to be $5.99 including tax—and pick it up in a narrow window of time.

The Bay Area Eats group on Facebook has lots of posts from happy people who ordered through TGTG. I will join them with the box I picked up at Yummy BBQ Kitchen in Chinatown, a place I’ve visited previously with good smoked duck and friendly service. My box had no duck but it did include generous amounts of sweet and sour chicken and a chicken/mushroom/tofu combo over fried rice. It’s easily enough for two meals.

Larger restaurants may have arrangements with food banks, but that requires a team of dedicated people to collect the food and then distribute it while it’s still viable. TGTG eliminates this hurdle by making the consumer do the legwork. Some restaurants have been criticized on the FB group for measly portions, but most seem to realize this is a smart way to attract new customers who will come back at regular prices if they like the food.

I had assumed TGTG was a Bay Area phenomenon—another version of creative takeout that emerged during the pandemic—but in fact it is an international movement based in Denmark. The website has quite a bit of information and some lofty goals for 2020; in other words it hasn’t been updated in a while. But that’s okay because the basic concept seems to run on its own. TGTG was incorporated as a B Corp in the US in 2020 and is now available in New York, Boston, Jersey City and Washington DC as well as San Francisco with more cities planned.

If you are in one of the target cities, or if you want to get on the list so you are notified when TGTG comes to your area, you should download the app (it’s free, for iOS and Google Play) and set up an account. Good food for cheap while you fight food waste… what’s not to like?

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This Thai beef soup is the best thing I have ever eaten

Posted on October 2, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Kings Thai Beef Soup

Guay Tiew Ruer Nuer Puir, Beef Soup with flat noodles, from King’s Thai #1.

What’s the best thing you have ever eaten? To me it would be this Guay Tiew Ruer Nuer Puir—#3 Thai soup with beef stew—at King’s Thai #1 on Clement St. I have a list of must-eats whenever I return to San Francisco, and this bowl of wonder has risen to the top. I now make a beeline for the 38 Geary (actually the 1 California this time, which was closer to my hotel) as soon as I get into town.

I always order it with flat noodles, which provide the maximum surface area to absorb the magnificent broth which is funky with long-simmered beef parts and aromatics, and I request the birds eye chili sauce (the little dish at the top of the photo) which is too spicy to leave on the table because it could easily ruin a meal. I have a few sips of soup to calibrate my taste buds, then pour in the little dish of sauce and stir thoroughly so I don’t get too much at one time, which causes coughing fits. Then I dig in. There’s bean sprouts, a wilted green vegetable (usually spinach), and copious amounts of beef offal (usually intestines, sometimes tendon as well) and the beef stew made with stringy long-muscle pieces that get caught in your teeth so you will continue to experience the meal long after you finish it. It takes me a good half hour to get to the bottom of the bowl, savoring every bite.

During the darkest days of the pandemic, King’s Thai #1 was closed to inside diners and you would order at a makeshift plywood table that blocked the entrance. You’d get the broth in a big plastic container along with the meat, the noodles and vegetables in a separate Chinese takeout box, and the hot sauce carefully wrapped in its own little dish. It’s every bit as good (and consistent) reheated in your hotel room or eaten in your own bowl from the top of a car.

At one time, I would have said Snow’s brisket was the best thing I had ever eaten. But that’s a virtuoso solo, while King’s Thai’s Guay Tiew Ruer Nuer Puir is a symphony. If you find yourself in the Bay Area, do not fail to get some.

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Recipe: Esquites (Mexican roasted corn salad)

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Burnt My Fingers
Esquites

Esquites are the better-behaved version of Mexican street corn.

Esquites are the grown-up, raised-pinky version of elotes, the popular “Mexican street corn” ears which are roasted on a grill and slathered with mayonnaise and spices. Because the niblets are off the cob the product is easier to manage and can be served in a bowl alongside other dinner items. Serves 4.

Ingredients
2 ears good quality corn
2 T mayonnaise
2 T chopped cilantro
2 T chopped green onions (including a lot of the green part)
1 t Taijin seasoning or Trader Joe’s Elote seasoning, or chili powder with a splash of lime juice
2 T cotija cheese (use another crumbly white cheese, like feta, if cotija is not available
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped fine (optional)

Esquites Popcorn

Corn niblets and Taijin, caramelizing in the wok for Esquites.

Method: cut the niblets off the corn; you’ll have about 2 c. Heat a wok or cast iron pan very hot and add the corn*; let the corn caramelize until the hot side is a toasty brown. Stir to expose other sides to heat and continue cooking until all surfaces are well caramelized, about 5 minutes total. (Don’t be surprised if a few niblets jump out of the pan, like popcorn.) Mix in seasoning while the corn is still on the fire to toast it a bit, then transfer to a bowl and mix in other ingredients. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature.

*Thanks to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt for this cooking technique.

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