ON COOKING TECHNIQUE & THE JOYS OF VEGETABLES

On Cooking Technique

I love to cook – it is relaxing and natural and fun for me.  I know that is not the case for all people.  I will, at various points in this blog, explore details of cooking – kinds of pots, kinds of knives, basic technique.  I’m not a chef – just someone who loves cooking and feeding people and has some basic cooking skills. I hope my thoughts on food are of interest to people who share my passion for cooking.  However, I also hope to provide some inspiration for less experienced cooks.  For those, I’ll try and include some technical, practical information in each blog.  Those who know this stuff – feel free to skip it!

On the Joys of Vegetables

I’ll be blogging a lot about vegetables.  I’m not a vegetarian, although I was for a time in my life.  I do feel, however, that, even after all the hype about the nutritional benefits of vegetables, they are somewhat neglected.  At some of my most favorite restaurants here in Boulder, I’ll have a glorious meal – some locally raised beef, or fresh-caught fish – and a small aside, an afterthought, of some kind of vegetable.  Or I have to order it separately – a salad or side of vegetables – to get anything at all!  So often, it’s completely uninspired – maybe it’s not iceberg lettuce in the salad, but it’s a baby green mix taken out of the bag and dumped onto a plate. 

When I’m planning my meals at home, I usually start with the vegetable.  And I believe that the most healthy style of meal – as well as the most interesting in terms of taste – is to have a meal centered around the vegetable.  So, instead of having a summer meal of a grilled steak with a large baguette and a small side salad, I’ll prepare a large salad  with whatever’s fresh in the garden or farmer’s market.  I might broil or grill a small-ish steak or chicken, or hard boil some eggs, or bring out some farmhouse cheese, We’ll slice the meat thinly.  Make a home-made balsamic vinagrette (olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, a little mustard, a touch of honey or jam).  Fill the plate with salad.  Top with a small amount of protein.  Serve with some rye or rice crackers or a small amount of whole grain bread.  Same idea – meat, salad, bread – but the proportions are so different.  The nutritional benefits are very different.  The amount of fiber is different.  The feeling of satisfaction is different (high fiber meals, with lots of vegetables and whole grains, fill us up with more ease and satisfaction).  Most importantly, the taste is different – a variety of different lettuces, a bit of spicy mustard or arugula, some bitter raddichio, some cherry tomatoes which burst in your mouth – a delightful exploration in color and taste, rather than an afterthought of iceberg.

I take care with cooking my vegetables.  A slow saute of mixed vegetables, or a large heap of slowly browned mushrooms, are a great centerpiece for any meal.  A Chinese-style stir fry with lots of veggies and a little meat, or a stew loaded with potatoes, carrots, parsnips and beans, and a small amount of lamb - these provide an awesome blend of tastes, a sense of fullness and satisfaction, and the pleasure of knowing you're eating all those vegetables!