The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook - Martha Stewart Living Magazine [431]
MAKING BREAD CRUMBS
Bread crumbs have two very appealing characteristics: They are simple to make, and they are an economical use of odds and ends of unsweetened breads. Keep fresh unused bread in a resealable plastic storage bag until you have a few handfuls’ worth. Bread crumbs can be either fresh or dried. For fresh, simply remove the crusts from the bread, place the bread in the bowl of a food processor, and process until fine. For dried bread crumbs, toast the bread in a 250°F oven until fully dried out, 12 to 15 minutes. Let the bread cool, and process until fine. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to 6 months. Never use stale bread to make bread crumbs: They will taste that way—stale. Bread crumbs can also be made from darker breads. These somewhat earthier crumbs add interesting flavor to gratins and breaded meats.
RECONSTITUTING DRIED MUSHROOMS
To rehydrate dried mushrooms, place them in a heatproof bowl, and cover with 1 inch of boiling water. Let stand for 20 minutes. The mushrooms should be soft and tender. Strain. Don’t discard the soaking liquid; it is intensely flavorful and can be added to soups and sauces.
TOASTING SHREDDED COCONUT
Spread coconut in a single layer in a baking pan; toast in a 350°F oven until lightly golden and aromatic, 6 to 8 minutes. Shake the pan halfway through baking to make sure the coconut toasts evenly.
PEELING AND PITTING MANGOES
The best way to determine whether a fresh mango is ripe is to sniff the stem end; it should be fragrant and sweet-smelling. Choose mangoes with taut skins that show some yellow and red and give slightly when pressed. Using a sharp paring knife, cut a thin slice off the bottom of the mango to create a flat surface. Stand the mango on a cutting board, stem side up. Beginning at the stem, run the knife to the bottom of the mango, following the contour of the fruit and trimming away the skin. Shaped like a flattened oval, the mango has two soft cheeks that run from the top to the bottom of the fruit. To trim the fleshy cheeks away, place the knife at the top of the mango, slightly off center. Slice off one of the rounded cheeks in a clean, single cut, running the knife along the pit as you cut (some of the flesh will cling to the pit). Repeat on the other side.
PITTING AND PEELING AVOCADOS
Select avocados that are tender and slightly soft when pressed gently. If only firm avocados are available, buy them 3 days ahead so they have time to ripen. Cutting to the pit with an 8-inch chef’s knife, slice all the way around the middle of the avocado. Twist the top half off. With a short, sharp, but careful chopping motion, embed the knife in the pit; remove the pit from the flesh. Scoop out the flesh with a large serving spoon.
food sources
ALMOND FLOUR A.L. Bazzini Company, Dean & DeLuca
AMARETTI COOKIES Dean & DeLuca, Salumeria Italiana
ANCHO CHILE PEPPERS, DRIED Kitchen/Market, Penzeys Spices
BACON, CORNCOB SMOKED North-country Smokehouse
BANH PHO RICE NOODLES Temple of Thai
BLACK CURRANT PURÉE The Perfect Purée of Napa Valley
BONITO FLAKES Chefshop.com
BRESAOLA Zingerman’s Delicatessen
CARDAMOM PODS, GREEN Penzeys Spices
CARNAROLI RICE Salumeria Italiana
CAVIAR Russ & Daughters, Browne Trading Company
CHAMOMILE FLOWERS, DRIED Frontier Natural Products Co-op
CHILE PASTE Kitchen/Market
CHINESE FIVE-SPICE POWDER Penzeys Spices
CHIPOTLE CHILE PEPPERS, DRIED Kitchen/Market, Penzeys Spices
CITRIC ACID New York Cake & Baking Distributor
COCONUT, UNSWEETENED Uptown Whole Foods, Kitchen/Market
CORNICHONS Zingerman’s Delicatessen
CRAB BOIL SEASONING CMC, Obrycki’s Crab House and Seafood Restaurant
CRYSTAL SUGAR King Arthur Flour Baker’s Catalog
CURRY LEAVES, DRIED AND FRESH Adriana’s Caravan
DUMPLING WRAPPERS (SKINS) Katagiri & Co., Uwajimaya