Topic: The Secret Ingredient

This topic has 10 voices, contains 32 replies, and was last updated by jennifer from Belgium 60 days ago.

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February 12, 2012 at 5:50 am #4637
drew	I cook mostly by feel, not usually measuring other than with senses. It is never the same thing twice, which is always interesting, and usually palatable. I like the idea of secret ingredients, both metaphysical and physical. I also enjoy the fun part of the existence of a secret not yet divulged: the guessing. So, I have a secret ingredient for pancakes (physical addition) which could also be used for pan bread (if the conditions were right). Care to guess? Do you have a secret ingredient that puts a little something mysterious in a dish and makes it great?
February 12, 2012 at 6:26 am #4640
jennifer from Belgium	Always use fresh ingredients when possible…in their purest form…butter, milk, cream always use those for the fats…full of vitamins and good fats….raw is best! Cook with lots of time and patience…become one with the food….organic when possible. Use strong spices like cardomon and tumeric and basilic and corriander…good spices. Okay…now when it’s time for the feasting try to be cool and relaxed even if the kids aren’t..watch as an observer as they react to their food. Good lesson in humility. Stay calm as the faces grown and complain. Then when the ‘storm’ is over and all are to bed, do the cleaning up…reflect on the meal and observations made during, finally sit in the peacefulness and stillness of your space- the kitchen–and admire yourself for offering such a pleasurable gift that has been shared with others.
February 12, 2012 at 9:17 am #4650
thought capacitor	I’m not much of a cook, but last I heard the secret ingredient is love….
February 12, 2012 at 11:32 am #4658
Deb	But if we tell it won’t be a secret any more……
February 12, 2012 at 10:58 pm #4671
jennifer from Belgium	Hmnn Deb what have you got up your sleeve?? (we had a nice discussion on the minerals while you were away)
February 12, 2012 at 11:44 pm #4686
Christina Ciani	The secret ingredient, hm, Drew – you have great skill for pan bread, too? The secret ingredient for me would be water Secret spice isn’t a secret, but we love, love, love it: a good story to hear, tell or imagine. I have heard blessing everything has power, and that’s why I think water. The work by Dr. Emoto made perfect sense to me, because of our vibrations of thought.
February 13, 2012 at 6:20 am #4730
drew	Great skill is not a judgment I make, Christina. I am a rudimentary cook who is not afraid to experiment. This is not my secret ingredient, but it is a small thing I take much pleasure in. I cook with cast iron, skillets, griddles, pans, etc. Cast iron is substantial, holds heat very well. It is also porous, and gets better with use and age. Seasoning, they call it. Once seasoned, your cast iron takes a certain minimal amount of care, by hand, and without detergents, a stiff brush and hot water is enough to clean it, and a little oil keeps it. It will last you a lifetime and, once broken in, it is fantastic. To the extent the pan provides something back to you, it is giving something back your body needs anyway: iron. I find the experience of cooking with and care of cast iron as a nice metaphor for how to treat myself as a human being.
February 13, 2012 at 7:57 am #4739
jennifer from Belgium	I also cook with cast iron—have a whole set that i salvaged…heavy stuff. I need to use two hands for some of them and the wok…forget about. My wrists are getting really strong..I sometimes don’t even have to clean them. Okay…so I lose out on being pragmatic…especially when making crêpes. But you know me..I tend to swim upstream.
February 13, 2012 at 2:18 pm #4822
Camilla	OK, you two, your posts have of course nothing to do with my frying pan dissolving itself today and my needing to buy a new one. Purely a fluke. (I´m still amazed at the synchronicity that crop up here even in the most mundane things. And I´ll be getting a cast iron one. Thanx for the tip.)
February 13, 2012 at 2:47 pm #4825
drew	Love it, Camilla!! Here are some tips for seasoning and re-seasoning if you manage pick up a one from another lifetime (they really last practcially forever, so why not). http://www.lodgemfg.com/use-care-seasoned-cast-iron.asp I use canola oil to season, it is a high-heat tolerant natural oil and it is flavorless (at least to me). You’ll want a fairly stiff bristled plastic or fiber brush to clean it with. I reserve one for the purpose. Once seasoned, they are the original non-stick. Oh, and I like to use wooden tools, spoons, spatulas, etc. just something about that — not sure what exactly, but a better experience for this cook.
February 13, 2012 at 3:01 pm #4826
Camilla	Great link and advice, Drew, thank you!
February 15, 2012 at 6:33 am #4971
drew	Yogurt. That is my secret ingredient for pancakes. Plain, usually strained (greek style), but sometimes not, yogurt. A hidden leavening agent, which when combined with a bit of vanilla extract, provides subtle flavor, and adds a certain character to the cakes.
February 15, 2012 at 7:47 am #4979
jennifer from Belgium	ah-ha…so now we know-much more digestible too…lacto fermentation is always preferable for the stomach…i use buttermilk or sour milk in the pancakes….but good ‘ole yohurt (which fills my fridge up) is used on my rice, and all other grains that I make….savory style with spices.
February 15, 2012 at 5:23 pm #4993
Mel	YOGURT! Genius. My boys still think it’s a special dessert. (Shh!) Speaking of kids, have any of you seen the movie, Kung Fu Panda? That’s actually what first came to mind when I saw the title of this post. Same analogy and life lesson, too!
February 20, 2012 at 1:46 am #5211
thought capacitor	You know what’s a special dessert? Skyr! Discovered it when I did volunteer work in Iceland several years back, now reading about yogurt makes me miss it…. (bunch of memories flooding back now…)