WHAT IS A LONDON BROIL? This is actually not a cut of meat but rather a cooking technique for tough cuts of steak. This American creation was invented in Philadelphia during the Great Depression. The current technique evolved over time. A cheap flank steak is marinated and then cooked stove-top to medium rare. When serving […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FOOD
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Haddock
WHAT IS A HADDOCK? Native to the North Atlantic, this cousin of the cod is silver in color . A bottom dwelling fish, it has a long, tapered body with a small mouth and 3 dorsal fins. The upper part of the body can vary in color ranging from grey to black while the lower […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Cuban
WHAT IS CUBAN BREAD? Most similar to soft Italian breads like ciabatta in texture, this square loaf shaped bread has no scoring and uses a small amount of fat and enriched dough. It has a paper thin outer crust and soft, flaky interior. The use of lard however means that cuban bread doesn’t last for […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Rigatoni
WHAT IS RIGATONI? The birth of this legend started long ago with a chef named Toni. Day and night, he struggled to create a new pasta shape in the Italian town of Riga. No that isn’t true, but hey you write over 50 pasta descriptions back to back and see if you don’t get a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Orange Roughy
WHAT IS AN ORANGE ROUGHY? Also known as slimeheads, this deep sea fish didn’t look or sound that appetizing. With mucous producing canals on top of bony heads and spiky fins, few restaurants were asking for this fish. That is until New Zealand fisherman launched a marketing campaign under the new name orange roughy. Much like the Chilean […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Cocoa Powder
WHAT IS COCOA POWDER? The short version is this is what’s left over when you remove most of the cocoa butter (fat) from Theobroma cacao beans. They’re fermented, roasted, dried and ground into a cocoa powder. Higher quality powders will leave a bit more cocoa butter in the mix. There are two types of manufacturing […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Citron
WHAT IS A CITRON? Also known as yuzu, this large, yellow citrus looks like a primitive lemon. Originally from India, it’s thought that Alexander the Great was responsible for the spread of this fruit to the Mediterranean. An evergreen plant, it has a much thicker white pith then most other fruits. The skin is originally […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES – Zest
WHAT IS ZEST? It’s the outer layer of skin of any citrus fruit. This ingredient is one of the few words in food that’s used as both a noun and a verb. Officially known as the flavedo or exocarp, this is the most exterior part of the fruit followed by the spongy white pith. While […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PULSES, NUTS & GRAINS – Green Peas
WHAT ARE GREEN PEAS? This is a generic term for three different types of these legumes- sugar snap, snow or English peas. English are the most well known in the West, famous for their round shape and difficulty in shelling. Garden peas come in many varieties and their vines tend to have tendrils over leaves. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – chicken nuggets
WHAT IS A CHICKEN NUGGET? So they’re a bit controversial but basically it’s the chicken equivalent of meat balls. Ground meat is taken from broilers (industrially slaughtered chickens) and then formed, breaded and deep-fried or baked. Which cuts of meat can vary but any part of the bird is fair game. Originally invented in 1950 […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – flank steak (beef)
WHAT IS A FLANK STEAK Also known as a bavette or “bib”, this thin, long cut is among the harder working parts of the cow. It’s a leaner cut of meat with less marbling. So their texture will be tough but the meat itself is rich in flavor. Less expensive then many other cooked properly […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – chicken (whole)
WHAT IS A CHICKEN? A member of the bird family, it’s different from most of their relatives due to having a wattle (red skin under the chin) and comb. They’re one of the most widespread creatures on the planet due to their deliciousness. Omnivores, they’ll eat a seed or a snake with equal glee. The […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – skirt steak (beef)
WHAT IS A SKIRT STEAK? It’s a long, flat cut that is 1.5 (45 cm) to 2 feet (61 cm) in length. It goes by many names including a Philadelphia steak, Romanian tenderloin or Arrachera cut. While tough in texture is particularly rich in flavor. Both the inside and outside skirt cut are served boneless. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – Ribs (beef)
WHAT ARE BEEF RIBS? This is a generic term that refers to a variety of beef ribs that come from a cow. These include prime, spare, short and back ribs. While traditionally steers (young male cows) were used, today heifers (young females) are as well. Older cows in both genders as well as neutered males […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF SEAFOOD – Octopus
WHAT IS AN OCTOPUS? These creatures have been the basis of many a fisherman’s monster story since the dawn of time. Aquatic carnivores, they can grow up to 600 lbs in size. And this hunter has no problem holding its’ breath and climbing over rocks sticking out of the ocean. Like the squid they are […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Tandoori Masala
WHAT IS TANDOORI MASALA ? This spice mix is meant to be used with a traditional Indian tandoor (clay oven). The exact recipe varies somewhat but usually includes coriander, cumin, garlic powder, ginger, cloves, mace, fenugreek, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom and a dash of nutmeg. Other popular ingredients include garam masala and cayenne pepper. Traditionally this blend […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Dischi Volanti
WHAT IS DISCHI VOLANTI? The name of both an Alfa Romeo sportscar and Bond villain’s ship, Dischi Volanti is Italian for “flying saucers”. Supposedly this cut was invented in the U.S.A. in the 1940’s after some U.F.O. sightings. It is a small, circular cut of pasta with a lip ideal for trapping sauce. However this semolina […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PULSES, NUTS & GRAINS – Pigeon Pea
WHAT ARE PIGEON PEAS? Like a cold war spy, this legume is known by many names. And while it’s called a pea, it’s actually a bean! Also known as a red gram or gungo pea, this pulse is most similar to a black-eyed pea in appearance. Originally domesticated several thousand years ago in either India […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PULSES, NUTS & GRAINS – Cous Cous
WHAT IS A COUS COUS? It is NOT a grain, it’s a pasta! Yes, that’s right it’s just semolina flour mixed with water and dried into tiny grains. However unlike with other pasta cuts like orzo, the section of the durum wheat grain that doesn’t grind well is used. The name is originally from the […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF MEAT – spare ribs (pork)
WHAT ARE SPARE RIBS? This is the cut of meat starting from the baby back ribs (the belly) and running up to the breast bone. They typically are less expensive then baby back, but have meat between each rib. There is more marbling in this cut of ribs as well. Depending on the butcher there […]
