Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Not exactly an ingredient, but "foam" everything. I like the texture and taste of real food and if I wanted foam, I'd order a beer (in a place that did not know how to pour one)
ilene

Cheers to that Ilene

At least one other chef mentioned truffle oil as their overrated ingredient in a CB I got of 100 recipes from NY's best chefs (the title may not be exact!), and the interviews they had were very interesting. It was one of those books I read cover to cover in one day (if it was a weekend day!).

My top overrated ingredient, or rather, dish made with it, is rissoto, made with arborio rice. I guess this is because it has little flavor, compared to the Asian rices I live on, yet costs 10x the amount (and that may be an underestimate). If I want a rice porridge I can make one with a much more flavorful rice, with other items in it for texture!

Dave

splutter ... gods, you and Todd. I think that's the snarkiest I've ever seen you, Darcie.

Some comments on the above:

* Yuzu isn't particularly special. I have some (extract), I use it in Japanese recipes which call for yuzu. Besides, it keeps. In a salad dressing? Might as well use orange peel, it'll taste the same. Also, most "yuzu" you buy in the US *is* orange peel.

* Acai is not the supernutrient its marketers claim, but it does show up on your MRI: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15062934

* Polenta is cornmeal mush. It just on what you're having it with. Parmgiano, dried tomatoes and basil? Polenta. Cheddar and green onions? Mush.

* Dave, you can't make risotto in a rice cooker.

Stuff I don't think (INMAPO*) rates its hype, aside from meat in all forms:

Fancy salts, especially ones with dirt in them. Table salt, kosher salt, and coarse-grained sea salt, and I'm covered.

Flavored Pasta: you know what? Once it has a sauce on it, you can't taste the difference. Except maybe squid ink pasta.

Absinthe: it's an herbal liquor. It's not even a particularly good one. If it hadn't been banned decades ago, nobody would be drinking it now.

White Chocolate: it's not chocolate. It's just white.

Arugula: I like rucola / arugula. But don't put it on everything! Yes, the Italians put rucola on pizza. A few pizzas, ocassionally, when it's in season. But not on my darned Pizza Margherita, and not unnanounced on my taco!

Blue cornmeal: use it because it looks cool, and not because it tastes good. Because you know what? It doesn't. (personally, I'm waiting for the appearance of "Blue Corn Polenta". I think it's the next hot thing. I bought futures.)


(* In My All-Powerful Opinion)

Dave is wrong, Risotto is wonderful stuff

I have a policy of never serving rice to asian guests. But once, just once, I figured hey, Risotto (with mushrooms, parm etc) is a long way from asian style rice, so I'll serve it. My original policy is right and I'm really sticking to it from now on.

Love this thread. Double ditto on the white chocolate.

Maybe it's not really Chocolate, but I love White Chocolate.

Cilantro should be abolished!

My biggest gripe are the wonder cure foods of month. Last night my cooking club did an antioxidant themed dinner (a bit tongue in cheek) and had a salad with goji berries in it. We decided they were basically tart with a strong flavor of dust. The salad was really good (baby greens, quinoa, avocado, lemon juice, etc) but each serving had maybe 5 berries in it. I don't think that is enough to give anyone super powers.

Not a food but I also have an issue with the trendy, odd serving vessels. Some are fun and fine: soup in espresso cups, salads in canning jars. Some are just too damn unwieldy to actually eat out of. I was given a soup once in a very tall thin glass that you couldn't really use a spoon with and kind of ran into the nose if you tried to drink it causing dribbles. Towered food can be a bit too stressful for me too.

Here in Switzerland there has been an upswing in Mexican-ish food. Just went tonight to one such place and I don't see why they just can't get it right. Nachos, fajitas, burritos... this is not rocket science. I don't expect the Texas quality but what is so freaking hard about smashing up your own avocado?

Miso is also something that could vanish from the face of the earth without bothering me. At its best it has a sock-y taste.

Risotto I love and it is costs about the same here as normal rice. I can even get vialone nano an carnaroli for a couple bucks for a half pound.

Oh... shallots vs. onions. I don't see that much of a difference. Same with new garlic.

That felt good...
Mary