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While we don’t exactly have a huge library of cookbooks and stuff, there is a pretty good amount of them around here. It’s not just cookbooks either. There’s a whole stack of Rachael Ray’s magazine and loads of other magazines, printouts from web sites, and so on. There’s even three or four of those recipe card sets (well, ok, it’s only the first freebie bundle of each set)
We have managed to (finally) corral that mess into a couple of places, but it’s not always the handiest thing in the world. Someday, I’d like to get real adventuresome (and maybe a bit insane) and make some kind of computer searchable database with every recipe, tip, idea and so on in it and then make a few copies of it on some of those keychain style usb flash drives.
Not a bad idea, now all I need is laptops to use the flash drives in for some real portability.
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Posted on 18th March 2008
Under: From The Cook, Odds & Ends, Recipies, kitchen talk | Comments Off
Vanilla Beans come from the Vanilla orchid, which is native to Central America. The Vanilla orchid is also the only orchid that produces an edible fruit of any kind. It’s got a long history going back to the Mayan and Aztec civilizations.
It has been considered an aphrodisiac and a cure for fevers. It’s often used in “aromatherapy” Modern science has shown that Vanilla causes an increase in catecholamines such as adrenaline, which means it could be considered mildly addictive. Another thing that science has discovered about vanilla is that it’s able to block bacteria from knowing there’s enough of them to overcome the immune system of a host (it’s called “quorum sensing”).
The bean itself doesn’t actually have any taste until it’s been cured and fermented. It’s used in a wide variety of products and is an extremely popular taste, probably second only to chocolate.
The Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans are considered by many to be the best variety and something like 60% of the vanilla comes from Madagascar.
When buying vanilla beans they should be dark, oily and flexible. They should be stored in an airtight container for up to 18 months
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Posted on 18th March 2008
Under: Food Info, Spices | Comments Off
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