Cook Like a Rock Star - Anne Burrell [6]
Pepper, on the other hand, is not a flavor enhancer. It’s a very strong spice and it adds ANOTHER flavor to food. That’s why I use pepper as an ingredient. I would never think to salt and horseradish everything, and I treat pepper the same way. I find when people are inexperienced in the kitchen they’re scared of salt, yet they go hog-wild with pepper. But Sale (sall-ay) and Pepe (Italian for salt and pepper) are not married. They are only dating. Sale makes the party; she’s the life of the party. But Pepe isn’t usually invited to my party—he’s too strong, so I tend to leave him home. He’s invited only when I want his strong personality around.
THE SPICES OF LIFE
Just because you buy spices and herbs in the same aisle of the grocery store does not make them the same thing. Dried herbs to me are gross. If you smell them, you’ll know instantly that they are nothing like their fresh counterparts. I’d rather cook with no herbs than dried herbs. Dried thyme smells like dirt. Dried parsley flakes smell like something from the lawnmower bag. Dried chives are just sad, and dried basil has nothing to do with summer. Adding these ingredients to your food will not improve it, so here’s my advice: Don’t.
Spices, on the other hand, are an ENTIRELY different story. They are transporting, exotic, aromatic, and sexy! They’re seeds, they’re bark, they’re pods! The world of spices is amazing and seductive, and these ingredients can add so much to your cooking—but they have to be treated with respect. Spices should be replaced annually, so buy them in small amounts and use them regularly.
I also recommend buying spices in their whole form—for example, cumin, fennel, and coriander seeds. To use them: Toast the spices in their whole form in a dry sauté pan for three or four minutes or until they’re very aromatic. Then grind them in a spice grinder. (A spice grinder is nothing more than a coffee bean grinder dedicated solely to spices—it’s worth the investment and will make a world of difference in your cooking.)
I LOOOOOVE NUTS
Like spices, toasting nuts is an essential step if you want to bring out their full flavor. Some people toast nuts in a sauté pan, but they don’t toast evenly this way—that’s why I’m an oven toaster. Put your nuts on a baking sheet and toast them in a 350°F oven. How long does it take nuts to toast? Just long enough to forget. Start with 6 to 7 minutes, but keep an eye on them. I’ve spent a lot of time in my career burning nuts. Once you start to smell them it’s too late—so set a timer!
What does toasting nuts do? It’s just like making toast! It makes them browner, crunchier, and far more flavorful. If you feel like toasting nuts ahead, go for it, then store them in the freezer until you’re ready to use them or for up to six months.
MY FAVORITE TOOLS
(AND WHY I LOVE THEM)
To this day, whenever I go into a kitchen supply store I still get turned on by all the wooden spoons, bowls, and other cool tools. I just want to buy everything because having the right equipment makes cooking so much easier and more fun. Of course, there are some tools that I love more than others, and there are definitely some that I use more often. To get set up with a basic toolkit, consider this list of my personal favorites. You can always add, but start with some of these essentials. You’ll begin to keep a wish list if you don’t have one already, because the more you cook, the more you’re going to want cool kitchen stuff!
BASIC KNIVES
Chef’s knife, boning knife, paring knife, and serrated knife
WOODEN SPOONS
Lots of them!
RUBBER SPATULAS
Large and small and definitely heatproof
BENCH SCRAPE
Useful for transporting little