Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil droplets suspended in a base compound of egg yolk, lemon juice and/or vinegar, water and often mustard, which provides both flavor and stabilizing particles and carbohydrates. It’s the sauce most tightly packed with oil droplets – as much as 80% of its volume by oil- and is usually dense and too stiff to pour. It can be thinned and flavored with various water-based liquids, including purees and stocks, or it can enrich such liquids the way cream does; it can also be aerated with the addition of whipped cream or egg whites. As a room temperature preparation, mayonnaise is generally served with cold dishes of various sorts. But thanks to the yolk proteins, it also reacts usefully to heat. It lends body and richness when added to thin broths and briefly cooked; when layered onto fish or vegetables and broiled, it moderates the heat, puffs up and sets into a rich coating.

Traditionally, mayonnaise is made with raw egg yolks, and therefore carries a slight risk of salmonella infection. Manufacturers use pasteurized egg yolks, and cooks concerned with salmonella can now find pasteurized eggs in the supermarkets. Both vinegar and extra-virgin olive oil kill bacteria, but mayonnaise is best treated as a highly perishable product that should be served immediately or kept refrigerated.

Making Mayonnaise

All of the ingredients for making mayonnaise should be at room temperature; warmth speeds the transfer of emulsifiers from the yolk particles to the oil droplet services. The simplest method is to mix together everything but the oil- egg yolks, lemon juice and/or vinegar, salt, mustard, garlic – and then whisk in the oil, slowly at first and more rapidly as the yolk thickens. However, the cook can produce more stable small droplets by whisking a portion of the oil into just the yolks and salt to start and then adding the remaining ingredients when the emulsion gets stiff and needs to be thinned. The salt causes the yolk granules to fall apart into its component particles, which makes the yolks become both more clear and more viscous. If left undiluted, this viscosity will help break the oil into smaller droplets.

Though cookbooks often say that the ratio of egg yolk to oil is critical, that one egg yolk can only emulsify a half-cup or cup of oil, that is simply not true. A single yolk can emulsify a dozen cups of oil or more. What is critical is the ratio of oil to water: there must be enough of the continuous phase for the growing population of oil droplets to fit into. For every volume of oil added, the cook should provide a third of that volume in the combination of yolks, lemon juice, vinegar, water or some other water-based liquid.

As a base for other sauces

·         Ranch dressing is made of buttermilk or sour cream, mayonnaise, and minced green onions, along with other seasonings.

·         Rouille is aïoli with added saffron, red pepper or paprika.

·         Sauce rémoulade, in classic French cuisine is mayonnaise to which has been added mustard, gherkins, capers, parsley, chervil, tarragon, and possibly anchovy essence.[13] An industrially made variety is popular in Denmark with French fries and fried fish. It is quite different from most of the remoulade sauces that are frequently found in Louisiana and generally do not have a mayonnaise base.

·         Tartar sauce is mayonnaise spiced with pickled cucumbers and onion. Capers, olives, and crushed hardboiled eggs are sometimes included. A simpler recipe calls for only pickle relish to be added to the mayonnaise.

·         Thousand Island dressing is a salmon-pink dressing that combines tomato sauce and/or tomato ketchup or ketchup-based chili sauce, minced sweet pickles or sweet pickle relish, assorted herbs and spices (usually including mustard), and sometimes including chopped hard-boiled egg—all thoroughly blended into a mayonnaise base.

What is it about mustard that keeps a lemon/oil mixture emulsified?

 Mustard seeds contain roughly equal amounts of protein, carbohydrate, and oil. When ground, the protein and carbohydrates bond with oil – coat it actually – and keep it from repelling the water in lemon juice, mayonnaise, vinaigrettes, etc.

According to Harold McGee, author of On Food and Cooking, the coating of the mustard seed also contains a fair bit of mucilage (a thick, sticky, gluey substance with an icky name), and this also helps to coat particles of oil, allowing them to coexist harmoniously with watery substances.

McGee says as much as 5% of the seed weight of the white mustard seed can be mucilage in the coat of the seed. White mustard is often used in sausage-making, he says, to help bind potentially repellent bits of meat.

Beurre Blanc

Emulsions

When making an emulsification, you’re basically cramming little droplets of oil in between water molecules, making it harder for the water molecules to move around. This creates a thick and creamy consistency, which is found in classical sauces such as hollandaise and mayonnaise.

In his book “On Food and Cooking,” Author Harold McGee refers to an emulsion as “Two Liquids: Continuous and Divided.”

 “The two liquids in an emulsion can be thought of as the container and the contained: one liquid is broken up into separate droplets, and these droplets are contained in and surrounded by the intact mass of the other liquid….The dispersed liquid takes the form of tiny droplets, between a ten-thousandth and a tenth of a millimeter across…The more droplets that are crowded into the continuous phase [read emulsion base], the more they get in the water’s…way, and the more viscous the emulsion is.”

To really make an emulsion work, you need shearing power. In culinary school, the first time we made mayonnaise in our basic skills course our instructor forced us to use a metal mixing bowl and a hand whisk. No doubt this masochistic approach was to teach us how easy us modern cooks have it. The problem with using a hand whisk to make an emulsion is that it has very little shearing power.

With modern day equipment on hand, it is much easier for us to make an emulsion just because we have more shearing power at our disposal. A KitchenAid with a whisk attachment, a food processor, and a good blender all have much more shearing power than a hand powered whisk. Why is this important?

Because the more shearing power you have, the smaller your emulsified “droplets” will be, and the less chance you will have of your emulsification separating (breaking). That’s why, when at all possible, I would recommend using a blender to make your emulsions, or at the very least a food processor. But pure shearing power isn’t enough; to really make a good, stable, emulsion, you need emulsifiers.

Emulsifiers are molecules that allow oil and water to play nicely together. These emulsifiers come in two forms. The first is a string type molecule that at one end likes to bond with fat and at the other end likes to bond with water. A typical example of this is lecithin which is found in soy beans and egg yolks.

The second are large protein molecules that will basically block the oil droplets from getting to one another (aka coalesce). Since they are not able to merge, the oil stays suspended in the water, keeping the emulsion from breaking. The protein molecules found in egg yolks and the casein molecules found in cream and milk are the best protein emulsifiers.

Emulsification also affects the way your palate perceives fatty things. Think of mayonnaise. If you tasted its component parts before they were blended together, you would be just pouring oil on your tongue, and you would wonder what you'd done to deserve this kind of punishment. But once emulsified ... incredibly delicious! The emulsification causes the oil to hit you much more softly, slowly revealing its round, rich flavor rather than drown you in grease.

Lecithin

Lecithin is ideal for making airs, foams, mousses and emulsions. Most commercial lecithin is extracted from soybeans making it both vegetarian and vegan friendly. Lecithin contains both hydrophobic (water-hating) and hydrophilic (water-loving) groups, so it can also be used in making emulsions. Under normal circumstances oil and water do not mix and separate out, creating two distinct layers, but an emulsifier such as lecithin helps to combine these two layers, creating a more stable preparation.

Lecithin is typically derived from soy bean as a by-product of creating soy based vegetable oil. Lecithin is extracted from hulled cooked soy beans by crushing the beans and then mechanically separating out (via extraction, filtration and washing) crude lecithin. The crude lecithin is then either enzymaticaly modified. Lecithin can also be derived from animal sources, such as eggs and animal proteins but animal derived lecithin is more expensive than plant derived lecithin so it’s less common and plant lecithin is more commonly used.

Beurre blanc

Literally translated from French as "white butter"— is a hot emulsified butter sauce made with a reduction of vinegar and/or white wine (traditionally Muscadet) and shallots into which cold, whole butter is blended off the heat to prevent separation. Each piece of butter carries all the ingredients necessary for a new portion of the sauce, so the cook can whisk in one piece of butter, or 100. The small amounts of lecithin and other emulsifiers naturally found in butter are used to form an oil-in-water emulsion. Although similar to hollandaise in concept, it is not considered either a classic leading or compound sauce. This sauce originates in Loire Valley cuisine.

Beurre blanc will begin to separate and leak butterfat if it’s temperature rises above approximately 135 degrees. Most damaging to the beurre blanc is letting it cool to below body temperature. The butterfat solidifies and forms crystals around 85 degrees, and the crystals poke through the membrane of emulsifiers and fuse with each other, forming a continuous network of fat that separates when the sauce is reheated. Ideally the sauce should be kept at 125 degrees.

Preparation

A good beurre blanc is rich and buttery, with a neutral flavor that responds well to other seasonings and flavorings, thereby lending itself to the addition of herbs and spices. It should be light and airy yet still liquid, while thick enough to cling to food. Beurre blanc is prepared by reducing wine, shallots, and herbs, if used, until it is nearly dry. Although not necessary, cream can be added at this point to act as a stabilizer to the sauce. Lemon juice is sometimes used in place of vinegar and stock can be added as well. Cold, one-inch cubes of butter are then gradually incorporated into the sauce as the butter melts and the mixture is whisked. The sauce can separate by either over heating or cooling. If it heats past 136°F, some of the emulsifying proteins will begin to break down and release the butterfat they hold in emulsion. If the sauce cools below 80°F, the butterfat will solidify.

Halibut

The Pacific halibut is found on the continental shelf of the North Pacific Ocean and Bering sea. They are demersal, living on or near the bottom. The halibut is among the largest teleost (bony) fish in the world. Halibut are strong swimmers and are able to migrate long distances. Halibut size is age and sex-specific, but also follows a cycle that has been related to halibut and other species abundance.

Pacific halibut have diamond-shaped bodies. Halibut have both eyes on their dark or upper side. The color adaption allows halibut to avoid detection from both prey and predator. Being strong swimmers, halibut are able to eat a large variety of fishes such as cod, turbot, pollock, and some invertebrates such as crab and shrimp. Most spawning takes place off the edge of the continental shelf in deep waters about 200 to 300 fathoms (1,200 to 1,800 ft; 370 to 550 m). At six months of age, the young have their adult form and are about 1.4 inches (3.6 cm) long. Young halibut, up to 10 years of age, are highly migratory. Older, reproductively mature halibut move seasonally across areas and between shallower and deeper waters during and around the winter reproductive season. The oldest halibut on record (both males and females) are 55 years old based on otolith (ear bone) measurements.

There is a thriving commercial fishery for Pacific halibut, mainly in Alaska but also along the western coast of North America south to Oregon. Sport fishing for halibut in Alaska is a very popular activity; it is a strong fighter with an impressive yield and firm, white flesh. Over 65 percent of the effort and harvest occurs in Kachemak Bay, Southeast Alaska, the Kodiak area, and near the mouth of Deep Creek in the Lower Cook Inlet. Most halibut caught weigh 15–20 pounds (6.8–9.1 kg), although individuals weighing more than 150 pounds (68 kg) are regularly caught. The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) manages these fisheries based on large amounts of data taken annually.

Life Cycle

Halibut spawning takes place during the winter months with the peak of activity occurring from December through February. Most spawning takes place in deep waters of 200 to 300 fathoms. Male halibut become sexually mature at 7 or 8 years of age, and females attain sexual maturity at 8 to 12 years. Females lay two to three million eggs annually, depending on the size of the fish.Halibut are the largest of all flatfish. The largest ever recorded for an Alaska halibut was a 495-pound fish caught near Petersburg, Alaska. 

Fertilized eggs hatch after about fifteen days. Free-floating eggs and larvae float for up to six months and are transported up to several hundred miles by currents of the North Pacific. During this stage, many changes take place in the young halibut, which rise to the surface and are carried to shallower waters by prevailing currents. In the shallower waters, young halibut then begin life as bottom dwellers. Most young halibut ultimately spend from five to seven years in rich, shallow nursery grounds as in the Gulf of Alaska and Cook Inlet.

Younger halibut, up to 10 years of age, are highly migratory and generally migrate in a clockwise direction east and south throughout the Gulf of Alaska. Halibut in the older age classes tend to be much less migratory. Older fish often use both shallow and deep waters over the annual cycle, however they have much smaller “home ranges” than younger, more migratory fish.Younger halibut, up to 10 years of age, are highly migratory and generally migrate in a clockwise direction east and south throughout the Gulf of Alaska.

Commercial Fishing

Commercial halibut fishing began in the 1890's with company-owned steamers carrying several small dories (two-man row boats), from which the fishing actually was conducted. Thereafter, smaller 60' to 100' schooner type boats, specifically designed for halibut fishing, were used in the fishery carrying crews of 5 to 8 deckhands. Most halibut boats used today are more versatile and also take part in the salmon and crab fisheries.

Halibut fisheries have changed dramatically over the past several decades. In the 70's, halibut was fished for during a 5 month season. In the late 80's, only two openers of 24 to 48 hour lengths were available. This "derby style" fishing produced huge landings but low quality catch, not to mention, the extraordinary risks fishermen took during these short periods to secure their seasonal income. In 1995, halibut fishing switched to an individual vessel quota system which has increased the availability of fresh halibut to an 8 month annual span, while also increasing the quality of the halibut landed.

Today, commercial Pacific halibut fishing is regulated by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Members from the U.S. and Canada meet yearly to review research, check progress of commercial fishery, and make new regulations. This management is intended to allow maximum sustained yield of halibut.

The largest concentration of pacific halibut is in the Gulf of Alaska, with most in the Kodiak Island area. A smaller amount exist in the Bering Sea.

Both Alaska and British Columbia halibut fisheries now operate under an Individual Transferable Quota (ITQ) system. Under the ITQ system, fishermen "own" their quota and can fish for it anytime from March 15th through November 15th.

Halibut is also fished for in Russia and Japan. Generally the U.S. and Canada's halibut is superior in quality to Russian halibut, but Russian technology is making improvements that will allow them to be more comparable in quality. Russia and Japan halibut are smaller, averaging 10 to 30 pounds, but have higher oil content.

Alaska halibut accounts for 80% of the North America harvest of Pacific halibut. Annual  quotas now average about 25,000 tons. The U.S imports more than 8,000 tons from both Russia and Japan.

   Halibut are caught using the "long-line" method. This fishing gear consists of units of leaded ground lines in lengths of 100 fathoms which are referred to as "skates". Each skate has approximately 100 hooks spread out along its length. A "set" consist of one or more baited skates tied together and laid on the ocean bottom with anchors at each end. Each end has a float line with a buoy reaching the surface. Hooks are baited with frozen herring or other fresh fish. A skate set could cover several miles of ocean floor. Depending on the fishing grounds, time of year, and bait used, a set is fished 2 to 20 hours before being pulled by a hydraulic puller.

Culinary Uses

Halibut is one of the mildest and most pleasant-tasting fish on the market. It’s white and flaky, contains little oil, and never has an overpowering taste or smell (unless it’s going bad). It can be used in just about any recipe that calls for a mild white fish and can be substituted for other types such as tilapia or flounder.

Depending on where you live, you may cook your halibut differently than others. Nonetheless, halibut is one of the most versatile types of fish available and can prepared in several ways and used in many innovative recipes.

• Grilling – In warm weather locations or during the comfortable summer months, many amateur chefs turn to their outdoor grills to prepare their halibut. It’s best to start with a specially-designed fish basket or other grill basket when grilling halibut fillets. Because this fish is very low in oil, it tends to stick to surfaces, so even with a basket, it’s necessary to keep it oiled. If you wish to enhance the flavor (though it’s certainly not necessary!), choose a dry rub or a very mild marinade that won’t overpower the fish. Because halibut is generally thin – an inch or less in thickness – it shouldn’t take more than 6-10 minutes to grill it over medium heat. Watch it carefully as halibut can dry out quickly.

• Baking – Like grilling, baking can also dry out your halibut. If you’re cooking it in the oven, choose a temperature setting of 325 – 350 degrees and bake for about 20 minutes for a 1 inch thick piece. Brush it with butter or a mild marinade before cooking.

• Broiling – Again, dryness is an issue with broiling but it can certainly produce a good end result if you watch the halibut carefully. Broil the fish about 3-4 inches from the element and brush often with butter, oil, or marinade. A one inch thick piece should take no more than 10 to 15 minutes to cook through and the result is a nice crispy outer layer. You can also take small halibut pieces, about an inch in size, wrap them in bacon and broil them to make a delicious appetizer.

• Pan Frying – Not unlike fried chicken, halibut tastes good when it’s breaded and fried, though this cooking method isn’t quite as healthy as others. It’s best to cut the filet into smaller serving-size pieces before you begin. Heat a frying pan containing oil, butter, or solid shortening. Dip the pieces in egg or milk and coat with flour. Fry a few minutes of each side until crispy and golden brown. Drain excess oil before eating.

• Deep Frying – Chunks or strips of halibut can be deep fried in a pan or a specially designed “fryer”. Dip all pieces in your favorite batter (try a tasty beer batter if you don’t have a favorite yet) and deep fry them a few at a time in hot oil. (Trying to fry all the pieces at once brings down the temperature of the oil and results in poor frying and soggy halibut.) Cook until the chunks are deep brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels before eating and consider serving the halibut with dipping sauces like honey mustard, sweet and sour, or BBQ sauce.

Herbs for Culinary Use

Basil

One of the most populary culinary herbs is sweet basil. The best flavor of purple basil comes from the Red Rubin variety. Especially good in Thai dishes is the Thai Basil whose leaves have a spicy aniseed aroma with hints of mint and citrus. All can be found at most seed and plant nurseries. If you are unfamiliar with the nuances of different basils, your best bet is to start with the sweet basil (most often used in Pesto). Basil is available in fresh leaves and in dried leaves, which are also sometimes called rubbed. Fresh leaves may be stored in a cool place or in the refrigerator for a very short time.

Also indispensable for many Mediterranean dishes, the fresh leaf has a sweet, clovelike spiciness and is excellent with tomato dishes. Its flavor is strong enough to stand up to the pungency of garlic, so it is often paired together like in Pesto.

If you have an herb garden with an excess of basil, you can dry the leaves and store in a cool dry, dark place (dried basil will retain itsr flavor for six months). Add dried herbs at the beginning and during cooking.

Add fresh herbs only at the end of cooking or upon serving. Many species of the basil herb exist, but the most popular is sweet basil. Basil is considered one of the most important and highly used herbs in the culinary world and is popular in the cooking of many types of cuisine.

The strong, clove like flavor is essential to many Italian recipes and it is paired most often with tomatoes. Basil is primarily used in sauces, pizzas, salads and pasta dishes. It is also the main ingredient used in pesto.

Bay Leaves

Also know as sweet bay, sweet laurel, bay laurel and laurel leaf. Store in a cool, dry place, away from bright light, heat and moisture. Available fresh, dried whole leaves or ground dried leaves. Bay is probably the one herb that most cooks prefer using dried than fresh.

Add a bay leaf or two to marinades, stock, pâtés, stews, stuffings and curries. When poaching fish, add a bay leaf to the water. Store with rice in a tight fitting jar and the leaf will impart its flavor to the rice when cooked.

Bay leaves greatly improve flavor if you are cutting down on salt. Try adding a bay leaf or two when you boil potatoes to replace salt. Always remember to remove the whole bay leaf after cooking in any dish.

Fragrant bay leaves are a basic ingredient of bouquet garni, but they have other wonderful uses. Bay leaves may be added to many fish dishes, particularly salmon, custards, stews, rice dishes and especially soups.

Remember to always add leaves to the start of cooking and remove before serving.

Bouquet Garni

Also known as French Bouquet Garni. A dried bouquet garni is made from dried bay leaves, parsley, thyme leaves and black  peppercorns. Mix together 1 tablespoon of each herb in dried form and place one or two teaspoons in a piece of cheesecloth or a metal tea ball. Then you can use in your favorite broth or soup.

Bouquet Garni is a French term used for a bundle of herbs. It can be made from fresh or dried ingredients. For a fresh, use 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 small sprig of thyme leaves and 1 small bay leaf.

It is ok to use 1 dried bay leaf in with the remainder of fresh herbs. Tightly tie the bundle together using string or wrap securely in cheese cloth and tie. Use in soups, stews and sauces. Remove before serving.

Add to the beginning of cooking and take out before serving. If using with fish, add dill weed for added flavor. If you use cheese cloth, add one of the following: orange peel, cloves, fennel leaves, celery leaves, marjoram or peppercorns.

Chervil

Also known as Gourmet Parsley and Garden Chervil. Can be used as fresh leaves or dried. Store dried leaves in a cool, dry, dark place away from heat light and moisture. Dried chervil will keep for 6 months.

Chervil is a delicate herb with subtle taste. It has a slightly anise-like flavor that can be quickly lost in cooking. Garnish salads with it, but serve it at the last moment. Chervil is a very popular herb in France.

It is one of the classic ingredients in the traditional French herb blend, Fines Herbes and is very popular in French cuisine. It has a delicate flavor and is suitable wherever parsley is used. Chop the leaf into soups, omelettes (fish and egg dishes in the last ten to twelve minutes of cooking so its flavor is not cooked away), salads, dressings and add to chicken before roasting.

Chervil is better used as a fresh herb because during a cooking process a lot of its anise - like aroma and parsley taste is lost.

Chervil is extremely delicate but may be preserved in vinegar and oil.

Chives

Available fresh, frozen, and freeze dried. Store dried chives in a cool, dry, dark place away from sunlight, heat and moisture. Will keep for 6 months to 1 year.

Chives are a mild member herb of the onion family. Chives has many uses and can be added to potato salad, baked potatoes, soups, salads, omelets, dips and spreads, pastas and sauces.

Use it anywhere you want to add onion flavor without the harsh pungency of onion. Best if used fresh. The flavor is lost in drying. Add fresh or dried chives at the end of cooking to preserve the flavor. However, once you taste fresh chives, you will know there is no comparison of flavor. Soon, you will probably want a fresh pot of chives on your windowsill, even if you have nothing else in your herb garden. Chopped chives lift many foods above the ordinary.

Cilantro

Cilantro is also known as a Coriander Plant, Chinese Parsley, Yeun Sai and Japanese Parsley. It is readily available fresh or dried in most grocery markets.

Cilantro is used in many cuisine around the world. Most notably it is used to enliven Mexican and South American food as well as as Thai and Vietnamese.

This is a multiethnic herb that is used in everything from delicate Asian spring rolls to substantial Mexican dishes. Cilantro is the leaf part of the coriander plant. It's unique flavor is quite distinctive and can liven up even a simple chicken broth.

Cilantro has a faint overtone of anise and a somewhat delicate peppery taste. Use cilantro in tacos, salsas, soups, stews, chicken and rice, salads, tomato based sauces and as a garnish. Use sparingly.

The coriander seed can be used in tomato chutney, raratouille, frankfurtes and curries; also in apple pies, cakes, buscuits and marmalade. Whole seeds may also be added to soups, sauces and vegetable dishes. The seeds are often used in Middle Eastern, southern Asian, as well as Latin American cuisines. In India, both coriander seeds and leaves are extensively used in curries and spice mixes.

Dill

Dill is available in weed and seed, both fresh and dried. Store dried seeds and leaves in a cool, dry, dark place away from heat, light and moisture. Leaves will keep for six months. Seeds will keep indefinitely.

Dill or dill weed is an herb that produces clusters of small flowers from which dill seed is gathered and dill weed is obtained from the thin, feathery leaves. The light aroma of dill faintly resembles licorice.

Dill has a totally unique spicy green taste. Add whole seeds to potato salad, pickles, bean soups and salmon dishes. Ground seed can flavor herb butter, mayonnaise and mustard. The leaves go well with fish, cream cheese and cucumber.

Fines Herbs

Fines herbes are also known as Traditional French Herb Blend. Dried leaves should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place away from heat, light and moisture. Will keep for 6 months to 1 year after opening package.  Fines herbes is simply a traditional French blend of four herbs containing parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon. This wonderful blend can be made either from dried herb leaves or fresh herb leaves.

Fines herbes is particularly good with eggs, poached fish and chicken as well as stemmed vegetables and butter. Heat diminishes the taste of this blend, so be sure to add toward the end of cooking.

Lavender

The green-gray needle like leaves and spikes of fragrant purple-mauve flowers are known to almost everyone, but there are other varieties with green leaves and white, pink or dark purple flowers. Even if you don't use it in cooking, it makes a nice addition to any herb garden.

Lavender is an incredibly versatile herb for cooking. In today's upscale restaurants, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavor and appearance of food.

Flowers and leaves can be used fresh, and both buds and stems can be used dried. Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

English Lavender has the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. Lavender has a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying. In cooking, use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh. Because of the strong flavor of lavender, a little goes a long way.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a tall perennial grass. Common names include lemon grass, lemongrass, barbed wire grass, silky heads, citronella grass, fever grass or Hieba Luisa amongst many others.

For soups and simmered dishes, cut the trimmed stalk at a very sharp angle into inch-long pieces, exposing its fragrant interior. Smash with the flat blade of a cleaver or heavy knife to bruise and release the aromatic oils before adding to these dishes.

For salads, cut with a sharp knife into very thin rounds, breaking up the fibers that run the length of the stalk. When slicing, if the outer layer seems fibrous, peel it off before proceeding. Such thinly sliced rounds of the inner stalk can be easily chewed with other salad ingredients for a refreshing burst of lemony herb flavor.

For curries, cut the stalk into thin rounds before pounding in a stone mortar to reduce to paste. Although lemon grass appears dry when you are slicing it, when crushed, you will see that it really is quite moist. Crushing breaks the juice sacs in the fibers and releases the aromatic oils that make lemon grass so special.

Mint

Mint is an herb that comes in many varieties such as peppermint, spearmint, apple mint, lemon mint and even chocolate mint. Mint came to the New World with colonists, who used it in tea for medicinal purposes.

Mint is used for seasoning lamb, vegetable such as carrots, bell pepper, and tomatoes, in yogurt dressings, and breads. It is also used in the Middle East for salads, tabouli and marinated vegetables.

Mint is good in soups, salads, sauces, plain meat, fish and poultry, stews, sweet or savory recipes, extremely good with chocolate or lemon based desserts. Add near the end of cooking for a better flavor.

Oregano

Oregano is also known as wild marjoram. It is the O. vulgare variety of the Origanum family. Oregano is available in fresh leaves from most grocery stores. This herb is also found dried in leaf form or ground. Store dry forms in a cool, dry, dark place.

Oregano is an herb that derives its name from two Greek words meaning "the joy of the mountain". It is a hardy member of the mint family that has been used for flavoring fish, meat and sauces since ancient times.

Oregano has a warm, aromatic scent and robust taste. It's uses include seasoning soups, stews, meat pies, pasta sauces and shellfish.

Parsley

Also known as curled or curly parsley, flat leaf parsley and Italian parsley. It is readily available in dried leaves and fresh leaves. Store dried leaves in a cool, dry, dark place. Store fresh in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Parsley is a great all around herb. It quickly adds a touch of color and texture to any recipe. The aroma and taste of parsley is very distinctive for a herb that is generally described as being mild and non obtrusive.

Parsley has a delicate favor that combines well with other herbs like basil, bay leaves, chives, dill weed, garlic, marjoram, mint, oregano and thyme.

Flat leaf or Italian is used primarily in cooking because of its more robust flavor and curly parsley is used primaryily for garnish. Add at the end of cooking for better flavor.

Rosemary

Rosemary is available in fresh leaves or dried whole leaves or dried ground. Store in a cool, dry, dark place. Ground rosemary will keep for up to 6 months and the leaves for up to 1 year, if stored properly.

Rosemary is an herb of the mint family. It is a small evergreen shrub that is native to the Mediterranean and likes warm climates, but will flourish in nearly any climate. It is produced all over the world.

Rosemary's aromatic flavor blends well with garlic and thyme to season lamb roasts, meat stews, and marinades. Rosemary also enlivens lighter fish and poultry dishes, tomato sauces, and vegetables.

Sage

Sage is available in fresh or dried leaves whole, crumbled (rubbed) or ground. Fresh sage can be refrigerated for about a week, while dried should be kept in an airtight container and stored in a cool dry place.

Sage is an herb from an evergreen shrub in the mint family. Fresh sage sprigs have long, narrow grayish green leaves and, although it is a member of the mint family, it has a musty yet smoky aroma.

Tarragon

Also known as French true tarragon. Fresh tarragon is only available during the summer and early fall months. Refrigerate fresh tarragon for up to a week and keep dried or powdered tarragon in a cool, dry place.

Tarragon is an exceptional herb. It has a subtle and sophisticated flavor and is an essential herb in French cuisine. It's flavor is delicate and almost licorice or anise-like. Tarragon is native to Siberia.

Tarragon, together with parsley, chervil, and chives make a traditional French blend, Fines Herbes. Tarragon is exceptional in egg dishes, poached fish, mushrooms and other vegetables.

Thyme

Fresh thyme can usually found during the summer months, but dried thyme is available year round at most grocery stores. Dried thyme should be kept in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to six months.

Fresh garden thyme is an herb that has thin grayish green leaves and a subtle lemon, yet minty aroma and taste. Thyme is used in a wide variety of cuisine, but is most closely associated with French cuisine.

It is often used in soups and sauces, with meat, poultry or fish. It is also a very important component of herbes de Provence and bouquet garni. Fresh thyme has the most flavor used whole, with the stem.

Scallops

Clean, sweet and tasting of the ocean, scallops are considered a seafood delicacy by many people.  Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and relatively low in calories, they are an incredibly healthy source of protein. The name "scallop" aptly describes the fluted edges of the fan shaped scallop shell. The shells of young scallops, in particular, are beautiful; the outside is delicately colored, sometimes having pink and white or other darker color variations. The inside of the shells are pearly white and have a satiny luster. As with many delicacies, many stories and traditions have grown up around the scallop.  You may have heard the term “Coquille de St. Jacques.”  While this names a classic scallop preparation, it also translates to “St. James’ shell.”  St. James the Greater was a disciple of Jesus and is the Patron Saint of Spain.  Pilgrims traveling to his shrine carried a scallop shell with them to signify that they were making a pilgrimage.  At stops along the way on his pilgrimage, the pilgrim was offered what food he could scoop up in his shell.

What Are Scallops Really?

It is nice to know a little history of the scallop as a symbol of pilgrimage and fertility, but what are they?  Scallops are bivalve mollusks.  This means that they have two shells.  Although the reproductive organs, or roe, are edible, the part of the scallop that most people in the United States eat is the adductor muscle that opens and closes the shell.

Some people refer to this muscle as “the nut” or “the eye” and this sweet flavored muscle is the only part of the scallop eaten by Americans.  Europeans, in contrast, eat the entire scallop meat. Unlike other mollusks that we eat, such as mussels and oysters, most species of scallops are free-swimming and can propel themselves across the sea floor several feet at a time by rapidly opening and closing their shells.

Types of Scallops

The New England sea scallop Placepten magellinacus is the most commercially important scallop in the United States. It has a saucer shaped shell and grows as large as 8 inches in diameter with the muscle or "eye" sometimes reaching up to 2 inches across.

The bay scallop is much less plentiful, but greatly desired by scallop fanciers. It reaches a maximum size of about 4 inches in diameter with the muscle or "eye" about 1/2 across. The bay scallop shell is similar to that of the sea scallop except that it is smaller, more grooved, and the edges are more serrated or scalloped.

A number of important scallop beds were found through Bureau of Commercial Fisheries exploration. The calico scallop, located off Florida and in the gulf of Mexico, is closely related to the bay scallop although slightly larger. It gets the name "calico" from the mottled or calico appearance of the shells.

Another source of sea scallops was found in the cold waters surrounding Alaska. This species, found as far south as Oregon, is a different variety of sea scallop than that found in New England waters.

How Are They Harvested?

Scallops are harvested in one of two ways—by trawling or by diving.  Trawling is done by scraping the ocean floor and pulling up scallops (and whatever else is down there) without regard to maturity or to the damage possibly being done to the ocean floor. A more environmentally friendly, albeit expensive, method of harvest is by diver and giving us “diver scallops.”  A diver scallop is not another species of scallop, nor does it designate at size.  Rather it describes the manner in which the scallops were harvested. Divers go down and choose mature scallops by hand, leaving behind immature scallops as well as leaving the ocean floor alone.  Since the ocean floor is not disturbed by the divers, diver scallops are usually less gritty than those harvested by bottom trawls.

Farmed Scallops                                                     

Scallops are commonly raised "on-bottom" or "off-bottom." The off-bottom technique is preferred, because these scallops are harvested by hand. On-bottom scallops are often removed from the seafloor with a heavy net called a dredge, which can harm ecosystems that marine life depends on.

Ninety-six percent of the scallops consumed in the U.S. are wild-caught in U.S. and Canadian fisheries. Of the four percent that are farmed, most are imported from China and Japan. While Japan has made key advances in scallop aquaculture technology, there are concerns about cultured scallops raised in China.

 

Trawling for Scallops



Day Boat Scallops & STP

Unlike other mollusks that can hold themselves tightly closed once caught, sea and bay scallops cannot and are extremely perishable.  For this reason, scallops are killed right after harvesting.  Some are immediately frozen while others are brought quickly back to shore to be sold as “day boat scallops,” some of the freshest, and priciest, scallops you can find.

Due to their extreme perishability and the high costs of only taking a boat out for a day at a time, some scallop fishermen treat their scallops with a solution of sodium tripolyphosphate, or STP, which helps keep the scallop from drying out.  Used judiciously before freezing, treatment with STP is not necessarily a bad thing.

Unfortunately, when used in great quantity, a soak in STP causes scallops to absorb a lot of excess moisture, sometimes as much as 50% of their weight.  Of course, since scallops are sold by weight, this artificially inflates the price.

How Are Scallops Sold?

Like shrimp, scallops are sold by count-per-pound.  Sea scallops might be marked at 10/20, meaning that between 10 and 20 scallops are in each pound.  This translates to scallops that weigh somewhere between .8 to 1.6 ounces each.  The higher the numbers, the smaller the scallops.

Of course, larger sea scallops tend to be the most expensive.  Another weight designation you might see is U/10 or U/15.  This means that it takes fewer than, or under, 10 (or 15) to make up a pound.  Here again, the larger the U number, the smaller the scallop.  Bay scallops, being smaller than sea scallops, generally fall in the 70/120 range.  This roughly equates to between 4 to 9-10 bay scallops per ounce.

The Egg

The egg is one of kitchen’s marvels, and one of nature’s. Its simple, placid shape houses an everyday miracle: the transformation of a bland bag of nutrients into a living breathing, vigorous creature. Their contents are primal, the unstructured stuff of life. This is why they are protean, why the cook can use them to generate such a variety of structures, from a light, insubstantial meringue to a dense, lingeringly rich custard. Eggs reconcile water oil and water in a host of smooth sauces, they refine the texture of ice creams and candies; they give flavor, substance and nutritiousness to soups, drinks, breads, pastas and cakes; they put a shine on pastries; they clarify meat stocks and wines. On their own they’re amenable to being boiled, fried, deep-fried, baked, roasted, pickled and fermented.

 Shell - Outer covering of egg, composed mainly of calcium carbonate. May be white or brown depending on breed of chicken. Color does not affect quality, flavor, cooking characteristics, nutritional value, or shell thickness.

 Shell Membranes - Two membranes -- outer and inner -- just inside the shell surrounding the albumen (white). Provide protective barrier against bacterial penetration. Air cell forms between membranes.

 Air Cell -Pocket of air usually found at large end of the egg between shell membranes. Caused by contraction of contents while egg cools after laying. Increases in size with age.

Outer Thin Albumen (White) -Nearest to the shell. Spreads around thick white of high-quality egg.

Firm or Inner Thick Albumen (White) - Excellent source of riboflavin and protein. In high-quality eggs, stands higher and spreads less than thin white. In low-quality eggs, appears like thin white.

 Chalazae -Twisted, cord-like strands of egg white. Anchor yolk in center of thick white. Prominent, thick chalazae indicate high quality and freshness.

Yolk -Yellow portion of egg. Color varies with feed of the hen; does not indicate nutritional content. Major source of vitamins, minerals, almost half of the protein, and all of the fat and cholesterol. Germinal disc; slight depression barely noticeable on side of yolk.

Science of Cooking Eggs

Egg proteins change when you heat them, beat them, or mix them with other ingredients. Understanding these changes can help you understand the roles that eggs play in cooking. Proteins are made of long chains of amino acids. The proteins in an egg white are globular proteins, which means that the long protein molecule is twisted and folded and curled up into a more or less spherical shape. A variety of weak chemical bonds keep the protein curled up tight as it drifts placidly in the water that surrounds it.

Heat ’em

When you apply heat, you agitate those placidly drifting egg-white proteins, bouncing them around. They slam into the surrounding water molecules; they bash into each other. All this bashing about breaks the weak bonds that kept the protein curled up. The egg proteins uncurl and bump into other proteins that have also uncurled. New chemical bonds form—but rather than binding the protein to itself, these bonds connect one protein to another.

After enough of this bashing and bonding, the solitary egg proteins are solitary no longer. They’ve formed a network of interconnected proteins. The water in which the proteins once floated is captured and held in the protein web. If you leave the eggs at a high temperature too long, too many bonds form and the egg white becomes rubbery.

Beat ’em

When you beat raw egg whites to make a soufflé or a meringue, you incorporate air bubbles into the water-protein solution. Adding air bubbles to egg whites unfolds those egg proteins just as certainly as heating them.

To understand why introducing air bubbles makes egg proteins uncurl, you need to know a basic fact about the amino acids that make up proteins. Some amino acids are attracted to water; they’re hydrophilic, or water-loving. Other amino acids are repelled by water; they’re hydrophobic, or water-fearing.

Egg-white proteins contain both hydrophilic and hydrophobic amino acids. When the protein is curled up, the hydrophobic amino acids are packed in the center away from the water and the hydrophilic ones are on the outside closer to the water.

When an egg protein is up against an air bubble, part of that protein is exposed to air and part is still in water. The protein uncurls so that its water-loving parts can be immersed in the water—and its water-fearing parts can stick into the air. Once the proteins uncurl, they bond with each other—just as they did when heated—creating a network that can hold the air bubbles in place.

When you heat these captured air bubbles, they expand as the gas inside them heats up. Treated properly, the network surrounding bubbles solidifies in the heat, and the structure doesn’t collapse when the bubbles burst.

Mix ’em up

Everyone knows that, left to their own devices, oil and water don’t mix. But for many recipes, you mix oil-based and water-based liquids—and want them to stay that way. Often, egg yolks come to your rescue by creating an emulsion.

Most food emulsions are known as the oil-in-water type, which means that oil (or fat) droplets are dispersed throughout the water. Put oil and water in a jar, shake it vigorously, and you’ll disperse the oil. To prevent the oil droplets from coalescing, however, a substance known as an emulsifier is required. Egg yolk contains a number of emulsifiers, which is why egg yolks are so important in making foods such as hollandaise and mayonnaise.

Many proteins in egg yolk can act as emulsifiers because they have some amino acids that repel water and some amino acids that attract water. Mix egg proteins thoroughly with oil and water, and one part of the protein will stick to the water and another part will stick to the oil.

Lecithin is another important emulsifier found in egg yolk. Known as a phospholipid, it’s a fatlike molecule with a water-loving “head” and a long, water-fearing “tail.” The tail gets buried in the fat droplets, and its head sticks out of the droplet surface into the surrounding water. This establishes a barrier that prevents the surface of the fat droplet from coming into contact with the surface of another fat droplet.