December 2, 2006
From the desk of Jane Galt:Shameless commercial shilling: Ingredients edition
A reader writes in to ask if I can do something similar for ingredients that I did for cookware. I'm not sure what I did for cookware, but here's what I'll try to do: offer tips on ingredients I've found. There are some things it is worth it to pay a premium price for; for others, buying in bulk is fine. Distinguishing which situation is which can save you some $$$$. Readers are invited--nay begged--to chip in with their own observations below. And, of course, to do their shopping by my Amazon link or my AStore.
The list is kinda long, and boring for the non-cook, so if you're interested, click on the link below.
Chocolate: the quality of chocolate matters. I like Valhrona, for European, or Ibarra for Mexican (a very different quality from European chocolate). Of course, I also like BMW's, but I can't afford to drive one. Lindt and Ghirardelli baking chocolates are quite acceptable, and I'm hearing good things about Nestle Chocolatier. For cocoa: I use Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa unless the recipe specifically calls for dutch process, in which case I use Droste. Nestle toll house morsels are quite satisfactory for chocolate chip cookies.
Eggs: I like cage free eggs. It doesn't make the eggs taste any better, mind you; that's some weird urban affectation. But chickens on traditional farms lead really horrid lives, packed into stacked cages where the feces from the birds above drops onto the birds below (which is why they have to have all those antibiotics). They never see the sun, and are slaughtered after less than two years of unendurable hell. Cage free eggs cost an extra buck, which is what I spend on . . . things so trivial I can't remember what I spent them on. Don't use jumbo eggs in baking unless the recipe calls for it, or you are likely to have a Very Big Mess on the bottom of your oven.
Extracts: You probably think that naturally flavoured extracts are superior. This is not always the case. Imitation almond extract is just as good as natural; ditto rum, lemon, orange and maple. Nor are they healthier; in some cases, like almond, the natural ones are actually (very) mildly poisonous, while the imitations aren't. Imitation vanilla is inferior. McCormick's is fine, Nielsen-Massey is better if your supermarket carries it, but I like buying in bulk from Penzey's, which is also where I get many of my spices. Penzey's also carries unbelievably cheap vanilla beans; 1/2 bean makes an extraordinarily superior substitute for the vanilla in any custard or ice cream recipe. (Cut the bean open and scrape out the seeds with the tip of a knife, and then boil the pod in the milk. Mmmmmmmmm.) For chocolate lovers, I highly highly highly recommend ordering Chocolate Extract, which is not generally available in supermarkets. Add a tablespoon to any chocolate recipe; it somehow makes the flavour blossom.
Flour: I like King Arthur's--but let's be honest, it doesn't matter much. I've used store flour with great success. More important is to match your flour to your job: bread flour, which has lots of gluten, for yeast breads; cake flour, which has very little gluten, for cakes and delicate quick breads; unbleached flour, cut with a tablespoon of cornstarch, for pie crust; all purpose flour for everything else. Self rising flour is an abomination unto the Lord, and should be illegal. Cornmeal is likewise not very variable; I like Quaker or Aunt Jemima, but I haven't ever gotten a bad batch. Specialty flours are tricker. Oat flour I make at home in the food processor using Quaker Old Fashioned Oats (NOT NOT NOT quick or instant, unless you are trying to make Baked Glue). For whole wheat, etc, I recommend your local health food store; whole grain flours degrade rather quickly (they're oily), so you want fresh ground. The obvious corollary is that you shouldn't be tempted to save money by buying a large supply of whole grain flours in bulk. Bisquick is a waste of money and short on flavour; it takes approximately two extra minutes to measure the baking powder and shortening.
Fruit and vegetables: For baking, unless you have access to fresh local produce, you're better off buying frozen. Frozen fruits and vegetables are picked ripe and flash frozen near the field, so they actually have better flavour than the "fresh" produce in your supermarket, though their texture is often inferior. Soups, similarly, are better made with frozen vegetables. Fresh local produce is always best, of course. Pay attention to what's in season, and eat accordingly. In the off season, almost any vegetable you like can be bought frozen and made into delicious soup by simmering in chicken stock and a little wine with some onion, then pureeing with your food processor and hand blender; helps to fend off longings for spring. I never buy canned anything except for corn.
Meat: pay attention to the supermarket; if it's a little skeevy, steer clear of the meat aisle, particularly the poultry. For something that is going to be grilled, pay for quality: prime steak, good chicken breasts. Pot roast and soup, on the other hand, can use cheap cuts. Grind your own hamburger if possible, for flavour and health, especially if (like me) you like it rare; you can either use a grinder attachment for your kitchenaid mixer, or do it (as I do) in the food processor, which takes, like two minutes. For beef lovers, here's a secret: choice tenderloin roasts (which is what filets mignons are cut from) are nearly as good as prime, and can be purchased very affordably from Costco. Buy one for $50 and cut into filets, or smaller roasts; 45 minutes will produce a lovely, tender rare roast that can be gussied up as desired with sauces. It also obviously makes great gourmet hamburgers, carpaccio, or steak tartare. Pork is so lean these days it has no flavour; I lay strips of bacon or fatback on top of my chops or loin roasts before cooking.
Milk: With the exception of absurdly expensive artisanal farms, it all tastes the same. I buy whatever is cheapest. Loyalty to organic milk is based on a mistaken idea about the friendliness of nature by people who have never experienced it. For yogurt making, I buy Parmalat steam-packed milk (the shelf-stable stuff in the boxes), which avoids the need to pre-heat it.
Oatmeal: In theory, I like the Irish steel cut oats. In practice, I rarely have time to spend forty minutes or more on my breakfast cereal. I make old fashioned or instant oatmeal in the microwave. I am embarassingly fond of maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal.
Pasta: It's all the same. I buy Barilla or DiCecco, but only because they're available in bulk at Costco; Ronzoni is just fine. The important thing is to salt your water well, use lots of water (like, a gallon or two--you cannot make good pasta in a little saucepan, bachelors), and make sure you don't overcook it.
Salt: Fine ground salt, the kind that goes in baking, is chemically identical no matter where you buy it. I get the store brand; I've found no difference between iodized and non, and I have a thyroid problem, so I buy iodized. Cooking salt, on the other hand, varies widely. There are two considerations: size of the ground, and subtle flavour. For brining your poultry (if you don't, you should), and for grilling steaks, kosher salt. For everything else, sea salt--and not just any sea salt. Use Maldon, and accept no substitute. It's hard to find in most places, so order from Amazon. It has a lovely, lovely flavour. You can also use it on the table, though I prefer fresh ground salt; you can get beautiful salt and pepper grinder sets like mine for not terribly much money. Unlike pepper, the fresh grinding doesn't matter nearly so much as the variation in the size of the crystals, which makes it much harder to oversalt.
Sugar: Doesn't matter. Chemically, it's all the same. I buy the store brand, and have never had reason to complain. Exception: Domino's brownulated sugar, which is outstanding for things like topping apple cakes. Do not get carried away and sprinkle it on your pie crust, however; it will turn a nasty burned colour. (Sorry, Aunt Cathy!) I am similarly uninterested in fine distinctions between brands of molasses, and anyone who has an opinion about brands of corn syrup is on crack.
Shortening: The most important thing is to keep it well. I like my butter soft, but not rancid, which is what normally happens if you leave it out, so I use butter boats, which use evaporative cooling to keep the butter magically soft and fresh at room temperature. For my normal baking butter needs, I use Land O' Lakes. It is pricier than other brands, and that is because it is better. Like every young new housekeeper, I thought I knew better than my mother, and could save on my butter consumption. That's when I found out that butter matters, particularly in things like shortbread and pie crust, where it is a dominant flavour. For pie crusts and cakes, I often cut it with 50% Crisco--not because I am cheap, but because it produces a lighter, and in the case of pie crusts, flakier, product. You should never do this for something that is supposed to be ultra-rich, like pound cake or flourless chocolate cake; but for a normal angel food or two egg cake, it will actually give you a superior product. Do not buy butter flavoured Crisco, which is perfectly revolting. Nor will I ever use margarine, either on my toast or in my cooking.
Spices: The decision between fresh and dried is always tricky. Basically, dried have a stronger flavour, and are easier to store; fresh have a more delicate, rich flavour, and are very expensive. If I had room for one of these indoor herb gardens, I would get one, for pesto if nothing else. Sadly, I don't, so I make do mostly with dried (though not for pesto). There are a few exceptions, however: garlic salt/powder is an abomination for anything except sprinkling on your pizza at the pizza parlour; onion flakes/salt are likewise a silly idea. Fresh ginger makes a nice substitute for dried, though it's a pain to peel and you need to use a lot of it; candied (or "crystallized") ginger, on the other hand, is disgusting, no matter what the Williams Sonoma catalogue says. Melanges like pumpkin pie spice, apple spice, "italian seasoning" and so forth should be shunned. If you don't know what goes into them, write me and I will tell you. (Poultry seasoning is actually okay, IMHO, though you can get pretty much the same effect with salt, pepper, thyme and sage.) In general, anything that takes control out of your hands is a bad thing. I do use Indian spice melanges, since I'm otherwise clueless. Where possible, dried spices should be purchased whole and ground, particularly cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and black/white pepper. This sounds worse than it is; get one (or a few, for convenience) of these spice mills. You will be truly astonished at the difference it makes in flavour. You can also now often buy those little throwaway-jars-with-included-grinders at the supermarket; that's what I have for nutmeg. Salt and pepper are almost always available in this form now--so if you aren't grinding your pepper fresh, hide your face in shame (and then get your ass to the supermarket). I like Spice Islands, in the supermarket; or Penzey's, for mail order; their spices tend to be cheaper and fresher, since they bypass the distribution network where spices get old. You should throw out your spices after, at a maximum, three years if you want the best flavour; I have friends who swear that twelve months is the limit.
Measuring ingredients: for liquids, I like the Oxo cup; for dry ingredients (no, you cannot use a liquid measure: you need to be able to level off the top), you need accurate sizes; I like a set like this, which goes down to 1/8 tsp and 1/8 cup, and contains all the odd sizes like 2/3 cup for convenience. I particularly like the shape of the spoons, which are designed to easily go into spice bottles. If you already have measuring cups, but like the idea of the spoons, you can pick up similar ones almost anywhere. Don't underestimate the power of the 1/8 tsp measure. I don't like plastic cups/spoons as much, because the numbers eventually wear off, specially if you have a dishwasher. Yes, embarassingly, I cannot always eyeball the difference between a 1/4 cup measure and a 1/3 cup measure.
The best thing to do is get a kitchen scale and weigh your ingredients (here's a chart to convert your recipes). This eliminates variation due to aeration or improper packing.
Posted by Jane Galt at December 2, 2006 4:43 PM | TrackBack | Technorati inbound links"); ?>At Indian supermarkets you can get fresh ginger, cold, in a jar, in paste form. Highly recommended, it solves all ginger problems.
Posted by: Tyler Cowen on December 2, 2006 6:34 PMThe folks at "Cook's Illustrated" and "America's Test Kitchen" disagree with you in that their tests indicate that McCormack's Imitation Vanilla Extract can hold its own against the real article in baked goods.
I make my own with vanilla pods and vodka, and while I've got a spice store here that sells the pods cheaply, I've also seen them reasonably priced at Trader Joe's, and Worldspice.com , a superb Seattle shop, does a good mail-order business and has them for $3.50 a pod.
Posted by: LAN3 on December 2, 2006 7:27 PM"Self rising flour is an abomination unto the Lord, and should be illegal."
"Loyalty to organic milk is based on a mistaken idea about the friendliness of nature by people who have never experienced it."
This sort of well-informed reporting spiced with point-of-view is why I'm a fan of the Economist. But
"Don't use jumbo eggs in baking unless the recipe calls for it, or you are likely to have a Very Big Mess on the bottom of your oven."
What's the problem with jumbo eggs?
Posted by: Bill Woods on December 2, 2006 10:45 PMThere's nothing wrong with them in some Platonic sense--I boil & scramble them all the time. But they enourage many things to rise, in some cases right out of the pan and over the sides. I once had a pound cake in a small oven that managed to marry itself pretty firmly to the *top* of my oven due to my use of jumbo eggs.
Tracy, I stand corrected. Canned corn is the only canned vegetable I will eat as is, but I do use canned tomatoes in sauces.
Posted by: Jane Galt on December 2, 2006 10:48 PMI have to disagree on eggs. If you can find them, eggs with the redish-orange yoke (sometimes found with pastured eggs) are astounding... no other egg I've ever had comes close...
Posted by: quadrupole on December 3, 2006 1:43 AMRe: Jumbo eggs: Most American recipes are calibrated for "Large" eggs.
According to the USDA, a "Jumbo" egg is 2.5 oz or greater; a "Large" egg is 2 oz or greater.
Agree with you on the fresh ground meat...if you can get some venison (wild whitetails or mulies, not the farm-raised red deer stuff), and grill it over some hardwood lump charcoal, it's the best stuff EVER...if you think Argentine beef is better than grain-fed US beef, you'll LOVE venison that has been feeding on acorns and other drug/hormone free mast.
It's the height of deer season....the NE is overrun (from what I hear)....I'll bet one of your fans could help you out. If you were here in Texas, I'd be happy to share....in the spirit of "Jane bakes cakes for her loyal readers."
Posted by: bristlecone on December 3, 2006 2:49 AMI've heard different things about how liquid and dry measures are calibrated differently—are you not supposed to measure the bottom of the meniscus or whatever? I've heard that they're too inaccurate for it to matter, which is why you shouldn't use them to measure out medicine.
Posted by: Raghav on December 3, 2006 4:25 AMPeel ginger with a spoon. I do a lot of stir-fry and that means a lot of fresh ginger, but spoon-peeling makes it pretty easy.
Posted by: Rob Lyman on December 3, 2006 7:23 AMYou can use a dry measure to measure liquids, but they tend to spill, since you need to pour it right up to the top. You can't use a liquid measure to measure dry because there is extra room above the 1-cup line, precisely so that you will not spill. Dry ingredients are measured by the "dip-level-pour" method: dip the cup into the ingredient, level it off with the flat side of a knife, and then pour it into your bowl. Because there is extra room at the top of a liquid measure, you can't do this, which will make your measuring inaccurate.
It is true that measuring flour accurately is impossible because of variations in aeration. I use a scale where possible.
Posted by: Jane Galt on December 3, 2006 10:40 AMGarlic powder actually has a use in dry meat rubs and spice crusts for hamburgers, where crushed garlic would be too liquid.
I'm becoming ridiculously fond of these. They always taste fresh, and the usability is wonderous, far easier than jars. They are especially great for spices that you would like to have around fresh,
but don't use every day (rosemary, dill, lemongrass). Just shove the tubes in the back of the fridge, and they are always available. I'm always reaching for the tubes of the everday stuff (garlic, oregano, basil, ginger)
Jane,
I love these posts every year, although I wish you'd do them before T-Giving as my wife tries to do all of her shopping before the end of Nov., and she's not happy that I just turned to her to give her suggestions for things I'd like.
I have a question though, how can I find out if you are benefiting through the affiliates program? After signing up for Amazon Prime last year I saw my purchase volume increase drastically, and I wanted to make sure someone benefited, so I took your link and bookmarked it as my Amazon bookmark. Most of the time I use that link, but sometimes I'll just type amazon.com manually. Sometimes I'll add items to a wishlist but then buy them later from a different computer (not set up with your shortcut). Probably in both these cases that the affiliate does not benefit, but I don't know for sure, and if I had a way to check it would remind me to use whichever methods generate the affiliate credit.
Posted by: Lou Wainwright on December 3, 2006 12:15 PMi peel carrots with a spoon, but i've never tried it with ginger.
Posted by: dhagood on December 3, 2006 12:44 PMOn spices:
- Avoid cheap cinnamon sticks. More than one source said they don't taste as good as the stuff they grind.
- For nutmeg, Microplane makes a grater that works very, very well for it. It is U-shaped. (BTW, Microplane graters are great for zesting and cheese grating. Get one or more.)
- a Braun coffee mill works well. Use only for spices and clean with either some uncooked rice or a stale end of a loaf of bread.
Measuring cups:
- there is a cup that is set up like a graduated funnel, called "The Perfect Beaker". It has measurements in just about anything you want - Oz., Tbsp, tsp (steps of 3), cc, Pints, cups. Holds 2 cups. Great for adding multiple liquid ingredients: need 1/2 c Milk, 1/4 cup cream, 2 T of cocoa? Add them one at a time, watching the appropriate scale.
- For soft solids (peanut butter, mayo) and thick liquids (honey, molasses), nothing beats a plunger. Don't know if Amazon has them, but Alton Brown does: http://catalog.fullpond.com/altonbrown/productdetail.aspx?CatalogName=General&CategoryName=All+Merchandise&ProductID=ABRN+AB1001
Lou: If you click on any amazon link from my site, like the one in the right-hand column of my main page, and then buy something (whether or not I've linked it) I get credit. Thanks so much for your concern . . . and next year, I will try to do it earlier.
Posted by: Jane Galt on December 3, 2006 1:04 PMEver made pie crust with lard? I've heard that it makes by far the best and flakiest crusts, but have never done it, and the only lard I can find in the supermarket is typical hydrogenated crap. The only thing I can think to do is get some pork fat and make my own lard, which apparently is very easy.
Posted by: Stuart Buck on December 3, 2006 3:32 PMJane, if you like Quaker's maple and brown sugar oatmeal, you really should try McCann's, or better yet their "Quick cooking" Irish Oatmeal, to which you can add your own (real) Maple syrup and maybe some ground flaxseed. Trust me, you'll never go back.
Posted by: Simon on December 3, 2006 6:27 PMI must protest! I recently tried candied ginger for the first time (chopped very fine as a topping on Butternut Squash Soup as per Alton Brown's recommendation) and I thought it was great! The brand I bought was very hot and not overpoweringly sweet. I enjoyed the chunk I "tested", but it also made a nice addition to the soup...
Posted by: metapundit on December 3, 2006 7:57 PMBoth of my local supermarkets are forever running out of the Quaker Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal. You'd think they'd figure out that their customers know it's the best stuff evah eventually...
Posted by: Scott Lemieux on December 4, 2006 12:45 AMLard works better than Crisco IF you buy it fresh, which usually means rendering it yourself. This is not hard, but it can be messy. If you do want to use lard, find a friendly butcher (that Armour stuff in the supermarket is elderly, and not the best to begin with), and ask him for "Leaf lard", which is the lard from around the kidneys.
Posted by: Jane Galt on December 4, 2006 12:47 AMJane, do you know anyone who has actually used one of those indoor gardens? The reason I ask is because I grow herbs and veggies hydroponically in my apartment, and the description of that garden doesn't sound quite right for growing flavorful, healthy herbs. It advertises a "daylight spectrum" bulb, but plants actually use a pretty small portion of the spectrum, with peaks in the blue and red ranges (that's why plants are green, they can't use green light). A daylight spectrum bulb will make the plants look nice, but will waste energy.
Also, most "daylight" bulbs don't produce much, if any, UV-B radiation. Certain herbs like basil need UV-B to produce their essential oils, without it you get great looking plants that taste like nothing much.
Just curious.
Posted by: Brian Engler on December 4, 2006 2:28 AMHave to agree with quadropole on eggs, they're not all the same. I lived in Uganda for a while and all the chickens were free range and living in the sun. The eggs were incredible and nothing I have tasted since has even come close.
We have a company in the UK doing Lazy Chillis, Lazy Ginger etc. in pots. Great products.
Posted by: Tom on December 4, 2006 5:12 AMNo I don't . . . but in my apartment, which is 400 square feet and has no natural light, there don't seem to be many other options.
Posted by: Jane Galt on December 4, 2006 8:12 AMIt's been decades since I had relatives raising crops indoors, but I vaguely remember flourescent bulbs that were optimized for plant growth. That is, their phosphors produced mainly the red and blue wavelengths that chlorophyll uses, and the spectrum extended well into the ultraviolet. I think they were called something like "Daygrow".
Of course, don't blame me if the narcs come around to check up on you after you order these...
Posted by: markm on December 4, 2006 8:21 AMBrian Engler has a point in the above comment. Growing herbs indoors isn't as easy as it looks - well, you can get the plants to grow, but raising basil that has the same flavor as romaine lettuce is a disappointing experience. The same goes for arugula and other strong-flavored things. The right light (and plenty of it) is the only solution I know of.
Posted by: Derek Lowe on December 4, 2006 9:36 AM"But chickens on traditional farms lead really horrid lives..."
My goodness, when did factory farms become "traditional"? Many, many decades ago, when I lived on what I thought was a traditional farm, our chickens lived in a large shed with roosting boxes and shelves, and spent their days roaming around "scratching" for dietary variety. Nights they spent inside avoiding various forms of predation.
Posted by: rafinlay on December 4, 2006 12:37 PMWe grind our own beef as well, and we've had our share of rare hamburgers, but it's still rather risky. True, you known exactly what meat you're using, so at least you're avoiding ground spinal cord. But the reason why it's OK to have rare steak and not rare hamburger is because bacteria on the surface of the steak are killed in cooking. Grinding even the freshest raw beef means that the surface bacteria are mixed throughout and could still make you sick if you leave the burger (deliciously) rare.
Posted by: Mary on December 4, 2006 3:01 PMNot all pasta is created equal. Although artisinal pasta is 3-4 times as expensive as generic brands (like Barilla), it actually tastes like wheat, and not like processed mush. Other bonuses include a superior texture and a better ability to cling to the sauce, since the slow drying process and bronze extrusion creates microscopic ridges. I like Latini the best.
Posted by: Jonah on December 4, 2006 4:10 PMSo what's wrong with self-rising flour? It's usually the only kind of low-protein flour that supermarkets carry.
Posted by: Ragout on December 5, 2006 12:47 AMJG,
Thanks for doing this "Ingredients Edition", it isn't often that many, in our cohort, have the depth of interest, in the kitchen-related field(s), as you do.
I am surprised that the margarine v. butter topic wasn't covered, though.
Personally, "I can't believe it not's butter" should be the name of the answer, not a margarine.
Posted by: Mark E Hoffer on December 5, 2006 6:10 AMIf you love stone-cut oats but don't have the time, cook them overnight in a slow-cooker. The clean-up the next day is horrid, but the oatmeal is sublime.
Posted by: Gregg on December 5, 2006 4:26 PMLearn to eat your oatmeal uncooked. Easy prep, easy cleanup. Surprisingly good, with raisins and brown sugar.
Posted by: rafinlay on December 6, 2006 12:12 PMOk, as a bachelor(ette), I've got to ask - why does the pasta need a gallon or more of water?
Posted by: Erica on December 6, 2006 9:52 PMSo it doesn't stick together. Pasta throws off a lot of starch, so if you crowd it in a small pot with inadequate water, you're trying to cook it in glue.
Use lots of well-salted water (the salt is for flavour), stirring a couple of times after you put it in the water, and all will be well. Don't add oil as it just floats on the surface and doesn't do a damn thing.
Posted by: Mary on December 6, 2006 10:30 PMTrader Joe's uses exclusively cage free eggs, and you can get a dozen (mediums) for 99 cents.
Posted by: adam on December 7, 2006 1:09 PMI see that this thread has lost its steam, but your comment on milk is staggeringly incorrect - I can't believe that you think it's true, and that none of your commenters called you on it. Not only is organic milk vastly better than "regular," but its flavor and richness are so far superior that I - raised a whole milk purist - prefer organic 1% to regular whole. I usually bring a jar of 2% organic with me if I'm going to a bakery (not a coffee drinker); when I don't, and am left with regular whole, I'm astonished at how watery it tastes.
I actually consider organic milk to be proof that those who poo-poo the organic enterprise are ignorant or philistinic. I may not be able to taste the difference between organic and pesticided apples, but I'd be able to pick out organic milk against the other blindfolded and with a head cold.
On a separate note, I think Cook's is almost always right, but think their advocacy for vanillin is insane - even when it's a minor ingredient, I can always tell.
Posted by: JRoth on December 8, 2006 4:18 PMTo second JRoth, Organic milk not only tastes better IMO, its usually pasteurized differently so it has a much longer fridge life too. The expiration date is usually over a month away at time of purchase. Although the carton says, to drink within 7 days after opening I have gone 2-3 weeks after opening after opening and I am pretty picky about milk taste and souring. Although organic milk is usually about twice as expensive, the longer shelf life adds a lot of value for me.
Posted by: ben on December 9, 2006 2:36 PM