The great flavor exploration

Today I want to talk more about the exploration of flavors tastes and smells. I want to also introduce a new item of business that I will put on some of my posts and how they will be implemented into my new blog.

       Have you ever followed, what seemed like a good recipe, and found out that it was pretty bland? Yes? No? 
        Well in fact I have followed a lot of recipes that just don't cut it. Now, don't think I want you to cut down on following recipes in fact I want you to. As you do, you get the feel for what you are doing and understand what goes with what. That way you start to understand ingredients better and how food is truly prepared

       So let's take a minute and talk about some good flavors and spices and how to use them in a dish. I want to now introduce the new upcoming item and that is the Action Activity! This will help you gain skills that will bring you closer to being a rock star at cooking! 

The Action:

       So take a minute and go to your kitchen, take out the spices that you have and smell them. smell each one and in between take some coffee grinds or some cocoa powder and smell it in between each spice to clear the previous smell. Identify each one and after you have done so, take two at once that you wouldn't regularly put together, do they smell good? No? Then understand that those two spices will probably taste bad together. Yes? Then the two should go great together and harmonize in flavor. Do this with each spice and continue to identify good and bad combinations and soon you will be a spice combo expert! Sometimes you will find that several sets of combos will work great together and that is where you get different flavors of food. 

For example:

Oregano
Basil
Rosemary                                     } All can be a great start to a wonderful Italian flavor
Cumin
Garlic
Olive oil
Tomato Paste


Chile powder
Garlic powder
Cumin                                           } All can be the base of a spicy and deep Mexican flavor
Red pepper flakes
Tomato Paste

Dill leaves
Lemon Juice
garlic powder                              } All can kick off to a great base for robust seafood and fish  
capers
Onion salt

       There are ENDLESS possibilities and all can very delicious, but first you must identify and understand each one. These are some great combos and even though they may sound simple or plain now, once you combine it with meats, veggies and other foods, you can create some amazing meals that really only have a few spices. Now how can we apply this to cooking? How can we create something super awesome yet have some good simple spices? Well there are few tricks that I have learned that can help food taste so much better.

1. Use a diverse amount of ingredients when making or creating pretty much any dish. An example is like a pecan and strawberry salad with spinach. Sounds pretty bland, but if you work with spices and flavors you can get some great combos.

• In this example use a good sweet and tart dressing with some citrus to blend well with the strawberries. Toss in a handful of a light, yet boldly flavored cheese, I prefer Romano cheese that has been shredded or sliced thinly, that can compliment well with the pecans. A good couple pinches of kosher salt and pepper can help bind the flavors together to form something more meaningful and yet bold enough to keep you interested. Last grab some good, authentic olive oil and drizzle it on. All of this can combine into a really great salad that you would want to eat everyday!

2. Use meats that look good and that you like. Like a good flank steak with mushrooms and peppers. Now kick it up a notch.

• The steak should be tenderized before cooking. A good mallet will do the trick and tenderizing the steak will bring out it's juiciness and flavor. (At this point a good marinade and some time, will tenderize the meat even more.) Rub on a generous amount of S and P (Salt and Pepper), Garlic powder, (and Chile powder if you like it hot), some seasoning salt and wet it down with a couple drizzles of olive oil. Cook the steak with a little vegetable oil, so you can crisp the outsides and keep the inside good and tender. Don't cook the steak too long as you'll end up cooking the moisture and juiciness out of the meat. (That happened to me a-lot!) It takes time and practice and once you get the hang of it, the steak will be awesome. Now for the peppers and mushrooms. Fry them up in the same pan as the steak with a little melted butter and use the left over juice to fry them up. A good crisp pepper is nice on a salad but this should be sauteed til it is sweet and soft. Cook the peppers first and then add the mushrooms last. This will help them become less rubbery and more tender. And the same rule applies, don't cook them too long. Do this and your dish is going to take the cake the next time you're at a grillin' party or cookout! 

       There are more dishes and creations out there now take the chance as summer break is coming up to break out your grill and start impressing the neighbors and I promise that you will love your food, just give it some TLC and you're on your way to becoming a great chef!

-Chef Sheets