Cooking Tips 101

Many years of watching cooking shows and practicing in the kitchen have led to the accumulation of many helpful tricks that you may not pick up elsewhere. Here are a few choice ones:

Cooking with oil
To check that oil has reached the right heat for cooking, splash a few drops of water into the pan. If the oil sizzles and spits, it is ready (just be careful not to burn yourself).

Marinating fish
Because of the delicate texture of some types of fish (salmon, tilapia ect...), marinating them in liquid for longer than 10-20 can make them soggy and crumble in the pan when cooking. A thick fish steak like tuna or swordfish can be marinated for significantly longer periods.

Washing strawberries
The best way to clean strawberries is to wipe them with a damp towel. They are porous by nature and will soak up a lot of liquid. If rinsed under running water and not eaten soon afterward, they can rot more quickly.

More tips will undoubtedly come, so stay tuned!

Book Review: The Castle in the Attic

 

Along with Lloyd Alexander's The Book of Three, this story was instrumental in establishing my childhood love of fantasy literature. I remember my mother reading it to me, and later reading it on my own. I loved each and every page, and not just because of the story itself. The main character was someone I identified with on several levels, the most significant being his abiding love of gymnastics (a passion of mine from age 5 until age 17).

Ten-year old William Edward Lawrence has been cared for all his life by Mrs. Eleanor Phillips, an English widow who is preparing to return home at the end of the month. Having no children of her own, as a parting gift she bequeaths to William a scaled-down, fully functional stone model of a medieval castle, complete with a figure of a knight in silver armor, that has been in her family for generations. While dreading the departure of his beloved caretaker, William is given the biggest shock of his young life. At his touch, the figure of the silver knight mysteriously comes alive and reveals an incredible story: Sir Simon (the knight) was cheated of his kingdom by an evil wizard who murdered his father and turned Sir Simon into a lead statue. Eventually, using magic stolen by Sir Simon from the wizard himself, William enters the enchanted kingdom of the Silver Knight and embarks on a quest to defeat the tyrant wizard once and for all.

In addition to my personal gymnastics aspect, William was a character who was very easy to relate to. His feelings of anger, sadness, courage and even social awkwardness are things that all children go through at some time or another. In addition, what little boy doesn't enjoy stories of knights, castles and magic?

Overall, The Castle in the Attic is a touching, poignant and very human story about the joys and sorrows of growing up. You could even say that it was my very first introduction to the classic "hero's journey" archetype so important to my later storytelling interests (Star Wars, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings ect... ect...). I would highly recommend this story to any child with a love of fantasy, or an adult who wants to recapture some of that sweet, literary magic they enjoyed in their own childhoods.  

Greetings From Mexico

For as long as I can remember, food has been a significant part of my life. When I was growing up, home-cooked meals were a mainstay in my house at least four times a week (although the takeout we sometimes ordered wasn't half bad either). My mother has always been infamous for hosting large dinner parties and family gatherings for holidays and special occasions, and in the last bunch of years I have become her "sous chef" in preparation for these big gatherings (so much to do, so little time).

More recently, I have been fine-tuning my own culinary skills and hosting parties of my own. I like to cook whenever I can and enjoy experimenting with new recipes, techniques and ingredients. I have absorbed many helpful hints working alongside my mother over the years, and the Food Network and the newly created Cooking Channel are common staples of our evening entertainment. In addition, I'm always excited to discover a new restaurant and sample its many delicacies. Whether a simple sandwich shop or the fanciest of French bistros, New York City certainly has no shortage of these palate-pleasing wonderlands. Overall, I think I can safely say I am comfortable with calling myself a "foodie".

The following recipe not only comes from the Food Network website (always a great source for gastronomic inspiration), but was perhaps the most difficult recipe I have tried to date. I have never been a fan of the "Tex-Mex" style of food, and this culinary concoction has turned me onto the authentic flavors of Mexico. Although very delicious, a word of advice: if you want to attempt to make this recipe, CLEAR YOUR DAY!!!

Yucatan Marinated Chicken Skewers with Peanut-Red Chile Mole Sauce