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Category Archives: Umami

Brown = umami = Maillard reaction

Sunday, September 10, 2023

It would be easy to believe that the secret of cooking Chinese at home is as simple as using too much salt. That’s not it, though Chinese dishes certainly like salt. The real secret is the brownness. That’s where the umami flavor comes from. When foods are browned during cooking, that’s the Maillard reaction. Whether […]

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Some recent eats

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Egg foo yung with stir-fried sweet-potato leaves I buy good eggs from pastured chickens and then forget that I have eggs. I think it’s because I’m so content on a plants-only diet, until I start to worry that I might not be getting enough B-12. Then I remember how good egg foo yung can be. […]

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Vegan sausage muffin

Saturday, April 29, 2023

Whoever invented sausage was a genius. If we saw it made, we’d never eat it again. And yet, as long as we don’t think about what’s in it, it’s delicious. The real thing is also extremely unhealthy. I never touch the stuff. The key to vegan burgers is gluten. The other essential ingredient is soybeans. […]

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Miso broth

Sunday, November 20, 2022

One of my winter resolutions is to drink more warm drinks. Miso broth is a good choice. Miso, of course, is live and fermented, made mostly from soybeans. Miso broth is pretty salty, but no saltier than soup. To get the probiotic benefits of miso, it mustn’t be heated too much. Some sources say less […]

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Tofu foo yung

Monday, September 19, 2022

I was having a protein craving, which caused me to think of egg foo yung. When I had my own chickens, I used to make it. But it occurred to me that mashed tofu, with the right seasonings and some sort of binder, might make a nice foo yung. After Googling, I saw that tofu […]

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Marmite

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

I am embarrassed to admit that, for the longest time, I didn’t recognize the difference between Marmite and Nutella. I filed them both away in the seldom-referenced category of mysterious European goop in small jars that people make jokes about. But Marmite and Nutella are very different. Nutella, made in Italy, is a sweet concoction […]

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Fire, smoke, food, and drink

Thursday, December 24, 2020

Pie from roasted pumpkin, baked in an iron skillet with fire and smoke Since it was the week before Christmas, I splurged on a Scotch that cost twice as much as what I usually pay. When I first tasted it, I was a bit shocked at how smoky the Scotch was. I usually prefer a […]

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Quorn Stroganoff

Friday, February 28, 2020

I had not thought of Stroganoff in years. If ever I had even made beef Stroganoff, I don’t remember it. But, a couple of weeks ago, the New York Times mentioned beef Stroganoff in its beautiful weekly column, “What to Cook This Week.” Once you get Stroganoff in your head, you might as well give […]

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Improvising Asian sauces

Thursday, March 7, 2019

That’s miso broth in the cup, and fermented black beans in the jar. I have encountered two big challenges in trying to improve my competence with Chinese cuisine: wok cooking and the sauces. Recipes for Chinese dishes may call for one or more of an array of Chinese sauces that some of us have never […]

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Low-carb winter feasting

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Walnut pâté, mashed rutabaga, and Brussels sprouts gratin Rutabaga loves Brussels sprouts. Brussels sprouts love Roquefort. Roquefort loves walnuts. There you have it. A menu for a snow day. It’s amazing what you can get away with if you banish carbs. Not only have I maintained the summer diet that got me into shape for […]

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