Posts Tagged ‘cooking’

Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding – The Timeless Favourite

Tuesday, November 10th, 2009
Do you think the pud is best part of the roast?

Do you think the pud is best part of the roast?

In the old days Yorkshire pudding was baked under a hunk of meat roasting on the spit, and was (unsurprisingly) known as Dripping Pudding.  It was frequently served before the beef, mainly as a means to temper the disappointment at the modest servings of meat most people could afford.  These days you load it on your plate alongside the roast beef and potatoes, veggies, gravy, and horseradish sauce, and then savor its delicate crispness while simultaneously marveling at what hot fat can do to a basic batter of eggs, flour, and milk.

The Sunday ritual of a side of roast beef with all the trimmings continues to be a symbol of British life and the nation’s red-blooded nature, as a famous song of the 18th century suggests.  And it’s not a coincidence that one of London’s most famous tourist attractions are known as Beefeaters.

Most families would tell you Roast Beef and Yorkshire pud is best enjoyed as a home-cooked meal. But if you must go out, London’s oldest restaurant (established in 1798) may just be the most appropriate place to sample the country’s oldest dish.

Would roast beef and Yorkshire pudding be part of your Timeless 50? Visit http://www.timeless50.com and let us know.

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Food, Timeless 50 | No Comments »

Who Wouldn’t Die for Chocolate Torte?

Monday, November 2nd, 2009

Death by chocolate – how good must a dessert be to conjure up such an idea?  Truth is, it could really only have been chocolate torte – dark, bittersweet chocolate and cream densely packed into a cake so intense that it’s liable to evoke visions of heaven.

Arguably the most famous one of all is Sacher Torte, pioneered in 1832 Vienna by 16-year-old stand-in chef Franz Sacher, although such is its prestige that a long-running legal battle was fought over its origins between Sacher’s descendants and another local Viennese chocolatier.  In keeping with the allure of the treasured confection, its recipe has remained a secret for over 175 years.

The “Guru of Ganache”, chef Marcel Desaulnier, wrote chocolate torte into dessert lore with his prize-winning book named – what else? – Death by Chocolate.  Countless others have perpetuated the theme across all walks of life and leisure, but perhaps Simple Minds managed to get closest to the naked truth when they sang: “Once there you can’t come back, Death by chocolate it’s a fact.”

Could you leave chocolate torte off your Timeless 50 list? Vote now if not.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Food, Timeless 50 | No Comments »

Will the Chopping Board Make the Timeless 50 Cut?

Friday, October 30th, 2009

In this modern age, what could possibly be more timeless than the chopping board?  Pre-dating its kitchen appliance brethren by a Jurassic age or two, it’s remained true to its original function since hirsute hands first picked up a keen-edged shard of stone to chop organic matter into smaller pieces.  Even its form hasn’t changed much, with wooden boards dominating kitchens across the globe, although these days science and experience have refined things somewhat, decreeing that end-grain is better than edge-grain (also known as flat-grain), cherry is better than oak, and bamboo might just be the most eco-friendly.  Take care of it, and it’ll comfortably outlive you.

Wood’s contemporary competition – plastic, marble, granite, corian, glass, and steel – has spawned passionate debate about their comparative qualities, not least among them the question of which is healthiest.  But there’s little argument about wood’s kindness to your knives, and its dislike of another ubiquitous kitchen corner dweller – the dishwasher.

These days chopping boards have become works of art as well as work horses, with technology offering the promise to make them even more efficient by building in another chore – weighing.

Weighing up the merits of the chopping board as part of the Timeless 50? Vote now.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Food, Timeless 50 | 1 Comment »

Whisks Whip Up a Foodie Frenzy

Monday, October 26th, 2009

Balls, balloons, tornados, springs, twirls, pianos … It’s hard to imagine this cast of characters being in a kitchen together, let alone assisting in the preparation of a meal.  But that’s just what you’ll need to beat an egg, mix a sauce, or blend dry ingredients.  The whisk has become an indispensable item in kitchen efficiency, and has come a long way from the medieval days when a bunch of twigs were wound together to introduce air into their culinary mixture.

The first formal mention of the whisk in Europe dates back to 17th century England, but the Japanese were using bamboo versions in their tea ceremonies as far back as the fourteenth century – they’re still only produced in one place … in 120 different versions.  Julia Child popularized it in America through her 1960s TV show The French Chef.

Today there are a dozen different types of whisk, each specializing in their own niche, be it emulsifying sauces, whipping up a foam, or mixing stiff doughs.  Naturally, the contemporary world’s penchant for fashion has also conjured up a distinct new breed – the designer whisk.

Every kitchen should have a whisk but does it make the Timeless 50 for food?

Tags: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Food, Timeless 50 | No Comments »