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Which type of cook are you?
Posted by: bob parmelee
Which type of cook are you?
There are two types of cooks. Those who cook by formula and those who cook by feel. The difference is subtle, but the results are extraordinary. The formula cook is a cook from day one. Anyone can follow a recipe. The second type of cook takes years of practice, some intuition, and a good sense of smell.
Let’s say you want to cook a steak. The formula says add a pinch of salt and pepper, maybe onion and garlic salt, and maybe Worcestershire Sauce. Or maybe just “steak seasoning.” The cook by formula measures out the ingredients and applies them according to the instructions. The burner is hot, the steak is seasoned, and the cooking begins. The result sometimes is a flavorful piece of shoe leather.
On the other hand, we have a feel type of cook who recognizes the steak he/she is dealing with is less marbled and tougher than a fast cooking can stand. This cook recognizes tenderizing is required, by the needle or maybe aging, in order to render this particular piece of meat fit for steak. Otherwise, it may be better served with a longer, slower, lower temperature roast style cooking. The difference is in the feel of the meat.
Another example might be spaghetti. The formula cook assembles all the ingredients: tomatoes (diced), sauce, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms, fennel (intriguing), pepper, hamburger, and (also intriguing) sausage. The browning begins. First the meats, spiced according to formula. You strain out the meat into another pot, and then add the parsley, oregano, basil, rosemary, veggies and bay leaf to the juice. Things simmer. Finally, after awhile the combination of meats and vegetables occurs, and voilà, the meal is done, but falls flat.
You know you did everything right. The measurements were correct. You didn’t skip any ingredients, so what went wrong?
Well the answers are various. The usual culprit is stale spice. Any spice, (my rule) on the shelf for over six months needs to be doubled to have the same effect as a recipe amount. Also, a subtle but potent difference could be the timing of the addition of “colorful” spices. If you add herbs too soon, for example, they dissipate before the meal has finished cooking. They may need to be added again to recover their essence. Here is where the seasoned sense of smell plays a key role. If you sniff the pot and it smells mediocre, it tastes mediocre.
Time is of the essence and a good cook is as seasoned as the pot he/she cooks in. Nothing, in my opinion, is as satisfying as a mouth watering, fork tender meal, whether vegetable or animal. The key to achieving the desired result every time is a combination of formula, feel, and a good sense of smell.
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Who is the “Root of all Evil”?
Posted by: bob parmelee
Under: Recent Posts
2 Jun 2008
2 Jun 2008
Corrupt politicians or corrupt billionaires?
Four decades ago we experienced a huge run up in the price of precious metals, and in particular, the price of silver. Silver futures reached into an unheard of and totally unwarranted 80 dollar price range from a normal 4 dollar price. Based upon normal market factors, like supply and demand, the value of the dollar, and world stability, this run up made no sense. What turned out to be behind the extraordinary run up was a pair of oil billionaires, the Hunt brothers. They determined that the float in silver futures was small enough for them to gain a monopoly. They gave it the old “college try”, and nearly succeeded. But the US government stepped in at the last minute to save the day. The treasury released enough stockpiled silver bullion to pop the Hunt’s balloon. Since the Hunts were borrowing money to finance their diabolical plot they nearly caused a major bank failure in the process.
Next we saw a real estate boom financed by greedy bankers and real estate speculators. This has also required a government bail out. Could these scenarios possibly be precursors to today’s commodities manipulations? According to the Saudis they are producing enough oil to satisfy current world demand. Russia has moved into second place among the world’s oil producers and is providing for the large increase in demand in Southeast Asia, by way of a pipeline project similar to the Alaskan pipeline. The decline in the dollar is miniscule, when related to the increase in oil prices. All is quiet on the world stage with the exception of our unwanted intrusion into the Middle East. So absent any fundamental factors which could be responsible for the current price of oil, we are left with market manipulation by commodities billionaires. (The names may change but the irresponsible nature of the greedy remains the same.) It appears that without our government stepping in and dumping huge reserves of oil on the market from its strategic stockpiles, manipulators will enrich themselves yet again at the expense of people who can least afford it.
As to corrupt politicians, consider this. Do you suppose this unprecedented run-up in oil prices could have occurred if we didn’t have an “oil ticket” benefiting directly from and facilitating the manipulators? First they stirred up the world’s major oil suppliers like Venezuela and the Middle East. Secondly, they have done nothing from a legislative point of view such as eliminating tax breaks to profiteers and spreading that wealth around, or dumping oil on the markets to depress prices.
For me the answer seems obvious. Big government, together with big business, is acting without a conscience to conspire to hold the world hostage to their will and egos. Corrupt politicians, together with corrupt billionaires, are the root of all evil. And the world’s poor and starving can’t afford to put rice in their bowls or purchase a loaf of bread for their table. For shame, for shame.