WHAT IS A FILET MIGNON? The file mignon is one of the most expensive cuts on the cow. Because of its small medallion shape, the French named this cut “mignon” a.k.a. small or dainty. It’s the most tender and one of the smallest parts of the tenderloin. Accounting for only about 2% of the entire […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FOOD
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Seaweed
WHAT IS SEAWEED? Seaweed is a generic name for a large group of aquatic plant life including kelp that are composed of algae. There are three basic types, red, green and brown. Each plant is composed of a root structure, a stem and blades where most of the photosynthesis occurs. Beds of seaweed play a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Harissa
WHAT IS HARISSA? A north African chili paste, harissa is a recipe made from roasted or dried red peppers. Along with garlic, caraway, coriander, cumin, olive oil and other hot peppers are often used. Local variations use other ingredients such as rose petals, lemon juice or mint. Industrial versions will often substitute tomato paste as […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Smoked Salt
WHAT IS SMOKED SALT? There are several methods to infuse salt with aroma, and one of them uses smoking. Unlike blended salts that use high mineral content ingredients like Hawaiian red clay, wood smoking involves immersing the salt for up to 2 weeks to imbue a savory flavor. These in turn enhance the inherent flavors […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Hawaiian Red Salt
WHAT IS HAWAIIAN RED SALT? Hawaiian red salt is also known as Alaea salt, Haleakala Ruby or Molokai Red. It’s a mix of ocean water sea salt and volcanic red clay. The rich iron content gives the clay it’s scarlet hue. However not all red salt is automatically from Hawaii. Industrially produced salts re-create this […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – tri tip (beef)
WHAT IS A TRI TIP? Tri tip is also known as a California cut, Newport or Santa Maria steak. It’s a triangular shaped sub-primal cut that comes from the tri-tip roast. It’s both one of the more flavorful and less expensive cuts giving the most value for the money. Furthermore this lean cut has decent […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Cream of Tartar (powder)
WHAT IS CREAM OF TARTAR? Cream of tartar is the scientific name for potassium bitartrate. Basically this is an acid that’s actually a by-product of making wine. Most often used to help egg whites keep their firm texture when being whipped, it has other uses such as leavening bread or cleaning household items or even […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Croaker
WHAT IS A CROAKER? The Atlantic croaker, also known as whiting or corvina (a different fish) is a ray-finned fish famous for the sound they make when they vibrate their swim bladders (gas filled organs that help fish to control their buoyancy) during mating. Growing up to 2 feet in length, they have a silver […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Rhubarb
WHAT IS RHUBARB? While rhubarb might look like large, red stalks of celery have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. A vegetable that’s often paired with strawberry (since both are among the first to be available) and sugar in pies due to its tart taste. However it’s also excellent for picking or […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – drumstick (chicken)
WHAT IS A DRUMSTICK? A drumstick is a term for the calves of any bird, though the term is only applied to edible fowl. A dark meat cut, the muscles here are actually different then the upper body white meat portions. The legs are used much more frequently and for longer periods of time then […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – t-bone steak (beef)
WHAT IS A T-BONE? A t-bone steak is cut from the muscle attached to the spinal vertebrae of the cow between the rib cage and pelvis. The bone attached to this muscle when cross cut (with a saw) has a t-shape giving rise to its name. But it’s actually two delicious yet different steaks in […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Pollack
WHAT IS POLLACK? Depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on, this whitefish goes by many names including Silver Bill, Boston Blue or Lythe. To make this even more confusing, pollock and pollack fish are slightly different types of cod. Delicate yet flaky, pollack is low in oil, making it less healthy but its flavor […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – striploin steak (beef)
WHAT IS A STRIPLOIN STEAK? This cut is also known as a NY strip, sirloin, and NY roast. In France where cuts can be a little different, this is called a contre-filet. They are a boneless cut from the short loin of the cow, yielding a great balance between flavor and tenderness. These steaks like […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – New York strip steak (beef)
WHAT IS A N.Y. STRIP? This cut is known by many other names including strip loin, Kansas City strip, Omaha strip or ambassador steak. A favorite among food professionals, it’s a sub-primal cut taken from loin primal cut. The cut is about a foot long and yields about a dozen steaks. There is a trade-off […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Gherkin (Cornichon)
WHAT IS A GHERKIN? Members of the gourd (a.k.a. cucumber) family, the gherkin is a small fruit that’s often used in pickling. With a warty, greenish appearance more suitable to a frog then a food, it’s thought this fruit was first pickled by workers building the Great Wall in China. Partial to warm climates, these […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Pickles
WHAT IS A PICKLE? The name describes both an ancient method of food preservation as well as the finished product. Today pickles are made by soaking fruits and vegetables like cucumbers in a vinegar or brine solution with various herbs and spices. Fermentation then occurs where microbial organisms already present on the skin consume sugar […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Graham Cracker
WHAT IS A GRAHAM CRACKER? The graham cracker is made from coarse ground whole wheat flour. This means that the bran, endosperm and germ are all milled as well. The brown coloring is due to the fact that the flour is unbleached. Religious in nature like Ezekiel wheat bread, it was invented by Sylvester Graham […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – short ribs (beef)
WHAT ARE SHORT RIBS? A sub-section of ribs in general, short ribs are the ends of the ribs that are closest to the breastbone. They are called “short” because the long rib is chopped up into “shorter” pieces, each about the size of your hand. Basically there is a muscle that is well marbled and […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – prime rib steak (beef)
WHAT IS A PRIME RIB? The primal rib is the first part of the cow removed in the butchering process, and the meat attached to it in turn is called a prime rib. However it’s also known by several other names. It can be called a standing rib roast because the meat is cooked “standing” […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Trout
WHAT IS A TROUT? This member of the salmon family is found mostly in freshwater. However some species such as Rainbow trout will spend 2 to 3 years at sea before returning to freshwater to spawn. Depending on the location, the colors and patterns that camoflauge this fish can dramatically vary. They generally prefer cooler […]