Product review: Coal Harbour's Smoke and Mirrors beer

This is just a heads up about a really nice small batch beer you might want to try.  It's from the Coal Harbour Brewing company, one of the newer breweries around Vancouver (it's actually just down the road from me).  I've tried a few smoked beers now and again - not that there have been too many - and this one seems to catch the smoky character best without being too abrasive.  The beer is dark and really smooth, remarkable again since this baby weighs in at a hefty 8.5%.  Carla and I shared a 650ml bottle to go along with our arrachera - a perfect match.  Help support small breweries, give this one a go.

Product review: The Polyscience Smoking Gun

If you've read a fair amount of my recipes, you'll know that I use my Smoking Gun quite a bit at home.  As with most people, there's nowhere to put a smoker in our apartment, so the Gun is a genius way to incorporate smoke into cooking without a huge stinky cabinet taking up space.  It comes in a tidy little box that works great for storage and even holds a few spots for wood chips.  In practice at home, you may need to smoke an item a few times to get the result you want, but it's a small sacrifice.

At work, tasks are usually much larger and I generally use a full size smoker, but even there, occasions arise that are impractical for the big beast.  The Smoking Gun is often used for delicate amuse bouche and appetizers that get the smoke treatment right at the point of service.  You can compose a carefully stacked little item on a plate, grab an overturned glass, fill it with smoke, and send it out.  Customers love the presentation as their dish gives off smoke signals and the food picks up just the right amount of smokiness during the transport to make a difference, yet without dominating the overall flavour profile.

Polyscience has their own line of very nice smoking chips, but the nice thing is you aren't limited to them.  I've used brands designed for the large smokers with great results - if you use one that comes in compressed disks, just break it up so it fits into the Smoking Gun.

Polyscience has long been at the head of the pack when it comes to specialty modern cooking equipment, and the Smoking Gun certainly won't let you down.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Krups coffee and spice grinders

Good cooks need to grind spices.  They often could go for a coffee too.  These machines were originally designed for grinding coffee beans, but somewhere along the line someone got tired of the old mortar and pestle and put two and two together.  They did us all a favor.  The coffee grinder has become indispensable in the kitchen to the point that many cooks have two - one for coffee and one for spices (saves the trouble of scrubbing it down between duties avoiding curry coffee).  

I made mustards one year from cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and mustard seeds (of course)  - enough to distribute as Christmas gifts.  As you might imagine, the grinder got a lot of action on production day.  The motor got pretty hot, but kept trucking along to finish the job, and kept working great for years after that.  It finally died after a nasty spill off the counter - my bad, not the manufacturer.  I went out and got another - no need to try another company when the first one fared so well.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Coeur a la creme molds

Coeur a la creme has a lot of history behind it - it sure does in our family.  While you can improvise on a mold, sometimes tradition just suits tradition, in which case it's nice to have the classic porcelain heart-shaped dish to make it in.  You can actually get them in either large or individual portion sizes, but I prefer the large.  Its a bit more family style, and if the dish is a bit rich for some guests, it's easier for them to have a smaller portion - nothing would break my heart more than to make one of my favorite desserts and have someone not finish theirs.  When I moved out on my own, my mom looked all over so I could have my own dish, and I know it wasn't easy.  For the couple times a year I might make it, the mold is one of my favorite dishes in the house.  To save you some trouble if you are looking for one, you can order them through Amazon.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: American Weigh pocket scales

If you are getting into some molecular cooking - maybe you picked up the Artistre Experimental Kit - you will quickly find out that your regular kitchen scale isn't quite as precise as you need it to be for some of the new products you are using.  Pocket gram scales are now a normal part of a tool kit for serious professional chefs and increasingly in the home.  Some of the new molecular ingredients have such potent effects, rounding out to the nearest gram is leaving way too much to chance.

In my experience, one decimal point is satisfactory the majority of the time, but I have on occasion had to freestyle it  - "ok, I need 2.3 grams and a tiny bit" - then I've been closely watching the scale to make sure I don't hit 2.4 grams - and this is in large operations.  For this reason, if you are going to go and buy a gram scale, go for the extra decimal point.  If you happen upon a great formula from someone in the industry, almost certainly you will need to cut it down, which will certainly lead to splitting grams.  This is also good for the professional looking to tweak a formula - rather than trying new ratios on a whole recipe, you can try it out on a fractional recipe confident that you will be able to multiply the formula up with ease and precision.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Artistre Experimental Kit

As fun and exciting as molecular gastronomy and its applications in cooking can be, it is admittedly easier to dabble in if you happen to work in a kitchen with the necessary products on hand.  If you aren't in the industry and want to do things at home, it's not that the techniques are all that excessively difficult, it's more that tracking down the special ingredients can be tough, and often can only be bought in larger quantities than you need or want to make shelf space for.  Maybe you aren't sure which applications suit your style best, you might experiment with one or two things that are ok, then stop short of the one spectacular product that you would love because you didn't want any more "stuff" cluttering the kitchen.  Artistre has simplified the process for you.

This kit exposes you to a great variety of products - some used together, some on their own, but all with fun and interesting effects.  The amounts of each product are smaller, to cut down the clutter, but large enough to try each product a few times.  By the time you use up one thing, you will know if you like it and can choose to purchase a larger quantity of that one on its own.  Some experimental kits give you way too little of each product, and you would use it up in one or two applications - not much room to test if you like it if one of those attempts doesn't work out.

For reference, the Artistre set give you - for powders: Tapioca Malto-Dextrin; for spherification: Sodium Citrate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Lactate Gluconate, Sodium Alginate and Calcium Lactate; for thickening: Xanthan Gum; for emulsification:  Soy Lecithin and Glycerin Flakes; for gelification: Agar Agar, Methocel F50 and Kappa Carrageenan.  Take my word for it, this is a pretty great selection which will allow you to try a lot of different things.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Starbucks Via instant coffee

At times, especially with desserts, a recipe calls for coffee.  I don't like how depending on how you brew your coffee the results in the recipe can change.  You also need to account for the water content in the coffee used, and while the coffee may be strong, in effect you are still diluting the mixture.  This is where using an instant coffee can work well - you add the coffee flavour and omit the water.  The problem now is that most instant coffee is crap.  

Starbucks Via is an exception.  Served just as coffee, you may not even notice a difference with fresh brewed.  Now to switch to cooking - let's take a custard as an example.  Say you know the perfect ratio of yolks to cream for the texture you want, if you want to make a coffee custard, you now have to do some fancy footwork to account for the added coffee.  If you use Via, you can make your custard as usual, then dissolve the coffee into the custard to the flavour you like (it dissolves beautifully) with virtually no effect on the final structure.  An added bonus with respect to custards, Via is less acidic and less likely to break the emulsion (I've seen it happen using espresso).   

I still have my regular coffee for drinking at home, but like to keep at least a few packs of Via around  for cooking.  You can get it sent straight to you home if you like.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Tortilleria Yasmin (Mexico city)

Tortillas - they're a beautiful thing.  So simple, but can be taken in so many directions depending on your mood.  As the guero son-in-law, I've come to appreciate the position tortillas enjoy in everyday life in Mexico.  They can be a key element in a celebratory meal, or they can take a back seat and function as table bread, just to nibble on or sop up some extra sauce on the plate.  Whatever the case, I've also noticed that people are loyal to the tortillerias they go to - I've seen great debates in the family over who makes the best and I've taken long car rides out of the way just to get to the right one.  As an outsider, it's hard to appreciate these subtle differences - compared to the tortillas we get at home in Vancouver (which aren't all that bad), all the tortillas are good.  Picking a taco stand that makes it's own tortillas is a whole different issue altogether - hands down yes!  On this last trip, we sat down to a meal, and I actually noticed something different - I had to ask (translated from my Spanish) "These tortillas are amazing!  Did you change tortillerias?"  They had.  Of all the tortillas I've eaten over the years, nothing has ever come so close to being so tender, fresh and flavourful.  You can bend and fold these in any direction and they just don't crack, yet they are so soft and can hold in a saucy mix like no other.  I made them show me where it is, and it's actually on the way from one abuela's house to the other's.  Out of sheer excellence, I'm sharing them with you, because if you happen to be in Mexico city, and happen to be near the Rodeo area, you will be hard pressed to find a better product.  I couldn't actually find an address, but they are on calle 32, just off Ernesto Uruchurtu by a door or two.  Find it!

Product review: Minerva beer

Tipping the odd cerveza when you are down in Mexico is fairly par for the course, but I always try to steer away from the Coronas - not that there's anything really wrong with Corona, but it just seems so much the standard for foreigners, plus I like something a little darker anyway, like a Negra Modelo or Victoria.  On this latest trip, I was told that the small brewing industry has been making some advances since our last trip down.  A trip to the local store isn't quite the craft-brewing buffet we enjoy in Vancouver, but a larger selection is always encouraging.  

On this trip, I was introduced to Minerva, a beer hailing from Guadalajara, and a real treat.  Beautiful colour, robust flavour, and a rich creamy head, this is a "real beer" that can stand up with the cream of the crop.  I'm not going to attempt to place it in a particular rank among the world classics, because beer depends on mood and personal taste, but I can say that this perfectly hit the spot.  If you are on vacation, it's always nice to lend a hand to some of the little guys for a change, and Minerva is well deserving if you want to try something different.

Product review: Kittchenaid pasta roller attachments

Fresh pasta is pretty hard to beat for satisfaction factor, but it involves a handful of work, which in turn can be a deterrent.  Hand crank rollers are not only big and heavy, they can leave you feeling that you should have been born with three arms - one to feed the dough, one to guide the pasta out, and one to crank the roller.  

The good people at Kitchenaid really did us all a favour by developing their roller set.  The entire package of three rollers is less than half the size of a hand crank unit's storage box, and will definitely cut your effort in half too.  For starters, since you already have the mixer, the dough is no problem.  Then you pull out the lasagna attachment, set the speed on low and start feeding and folding the dough through to work it and take it gradually thinner.  By now you should start to feel guilty at how easy it is.  Once you have the dough thin enough, you can start making your lasagna or stuffed pasta, or you can load up the linguini or fettucini cutter and cut the noodle you want.  Done.  Cook it and eat it.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Microplane zesters

If you don't have one already, a Microplane zester is an absolute must in your kitchen.  The fine teeth enable you to take only the sweet and tangy outer layer of zest off a citrus fruit, leaving the bitter pith behind.  If grating ginger, the zester will hold onto the majority of the stringy fibres and leave you with a fine mince you would have to slave for with a knife.  Minced garlic, a snap.   Nutmeg and even cinnamon can be grated super-fine and since you are using the whole spice, the freshness of flavour far surpasses any pre-ground product.  A favorite with a lot of people is the job a Microplane does on Parmesan cheese - ultra light and fluffy, there simply isn't a better way to top off your pasta or Caesar salads.

There are some choices in design, which ultimately will come down to preference.  Some are more attractive than others, and you can choose a couple different lengths or widths.  The grating surface is the same in each case, so you can pick the one that suits you best, but I'll share a few observations I've noticed in my experience with the tools.  As for widths, the wide ones will help if grating cheese, but for citrus zest, garlic or ginger, the narrow ones are just fine.  Citrus fruits are round remember, and only a small amount of surface will be in contact with the grater anyway.  I find that the narrow ones fit better into drawers and tool kits, so I tend to stick with that style.  With regards to length, I used a full length one happily for years with no issue, but have seen over-zealous cooks bend them on several occasions, and once they've been bent, the metal is weaker at the folding point and the grater's days are numbered.  My full length grater eventually got nicked by someone, so when I replace it, I went with the shorter model with a handle.  Not that it was ever really any discomfort, but I basically never used the top part of the grater anyway except for holding, so why not get a proper handle and the shorter grating length will be inherently more resistant to pressure.  I still have it years later and it still works like a charm.  Perhaps the important thing to notice was that after my first microplane got stolen,  there was no question that it needed to be replaced - my set of tools is incomplete without it.  So is yours.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Activa RM - "meat glue"

Activa RM has become a favorite in modern kitchens everywhere.  It is relatively "new" to the restaurant world, but has been used by commercial food producers for a long time.  Those deli-style turkey loafs and boneless honey hams you've eaten for years?  You bet, you've already had it.

For the sake of education, Activa is a transglutaminase, which means it is an enzyme that bonds proteins together.  It is generally produced through a special fermentation process or extracted from animal blood.  It may sound a bit scary, but on the good side, the scarier something is, the more closely the health authorities tend to scrutinize the operations.  Case in point:  people tend to be paranoid about undercooked pork, they have been for centurites, and for good reason as is a source of trichonosis.  These days, the pork industry is so closely watched that you can quite safely and confidently eat a medium rare chop if you choose - I've done it myself.

Moving past the production process, Activa opens up a world of possibilities for the modern cook.  From simple applications such as helping a terrine hold together or using it as a binder in hamburger meat to all out Dr. Frankenstein in the kitchen.  We did a holiday turduckin one year and used Activa to help hold the turkey, duck and chicken together.  I've even seen it used with a salt-crusted roast - Activa was mixed with the egg white to help create a better salt shell.

There are some good handling practices you should employ with Activa to ensure safety and the effectiveness of the Activa itself.  When using, it is easiest to apply using a salt shaker for even application, and when done, best to vacuum seal the shaker in a bag and store it in the freezer.  Whatever isn't isn't in the shaker should always be sealed and stored in the freezer.  You should wear gloves when handling the product, but don't worry, it's not like crazy glue, it's just that we are made of protein ourselves and any on your hands will be wanting to bond.  For the same reason, some chefs take the extra precaution of also wearing goggles and a surgical or drywall mask to avoid inhaling any airborne product.  As with many things, use it properly and responsibly and you will be able to accomplish things you may have never thought possible.

You will have a very hard time finding Activa in a store, but you can order it through Amazon.  There are two sizes available.

If it's your first time using it, you will want the smaller size - CHECK IT OUT HERE.

If you know you will be using it a lot, the larger size is HERE.

Product review: Cona vacuum coffee percolator

Some products are definitely filed under "luxury items", but if there is quality going along with it, sometimes you are allowed to spoil yourself.  The Cona coffee maker is one such item.  Vacuum percolation as a method to brew coffee has been accepted by many aficionados for decades as the ideal way to get the most out of those premium coffee beans tucked in your freezer.  The system brews the coffee at the perfect temperature, then separates the beans from the coffee at the right time, all the while giving you a show.  The glass unit itself, while adding to the spectacle, is chosen as the optimal brewing medium as it will impart no foreign taste to the brew - no plastic or paper filters, no metal pot - just pure perfectly brewed coffee.

Ok, that's great, I love a good cup of coffee, but as a cook that likes to see things with added culinary value, there's another intriguing aspect to this coffee maker - soup!  Coffee aside, flavours in general infuse best within a tight range of temperature.  A good chef will always tell you that almost never should you see something boiling on the stove - things like pasta water, and blanching water are acceptable instances.  Listen to someone who is a master of Tea, temperature and time are huge factors in the execution of a quality product.  

Now imagine sitting down to a dinner, and the soup course comes out in a strange contraption with broth in the bottom chamber and some fresh herbs and aromatics arranged around some delicate cuts of seafood in the top.  You then watch as the broth heats up and enters the top chamber, cooks the fish and absorbs the aromatic flavours, then makes its way back to the bottom.  Your server then pours the soup into your bowl and garnishes it with the seafood from the top.  Hell of a show no?  Vue de Monde in Melbourne Australia made headlines with a bouillabase this way.  They've since moved on to other soup infusions, but the system remains.  I love seeing creative thinking like this.  The soup is wonderfully executed and you manage to add a whole different level of experience to the meal.  Well done!

Interesting no?  Whether in pursuit of a perfect cup of coffee, or brewing a beautiful soup, if your luxury budget allows, consider adding a Cona system to your arsenal.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Paneer

I mentioned in the post for the India burger that the butter paneer component get me pretty exited.  If you have never tried paneer, you really need to get out to a restaurant that serves it and give it a try - soon!  You want to go to a place that knows what they are doing, because your first taste of paneer should be an illustration of its amazing powers.

What it is is a style of fresh cheese.  What sets it apart is what happens to it when it is heated.  It gets warm, it gets soft, but it never really melts.  On it's own, sliced and served cold, you may think it's nothing too remarkable, but heated up in a tasty sauce, look out.  Done right, this simple little cheese can bring empires to their knees.  Familiar with butter chicken?  Most people are - now replace the chicken with a cheese that just manages to hold itself together.  Saag paneer is a dish where it is cooked in a spinach sauce - a little healthier than butter, but oh so tasty. 

This is the perfect sort of thing to serve when vegetarians are coming over - a good paneer dish has the power of any main course dish and no one will miss the meat.

Product review: Takoyaki pan

How can you make your pumpkin waffle balls without a takoyaki pan?  You can't, so I'm going to point you in the right direction.  I can't properly recommend the one I have since there's no name stamped on it, and I can only say it was from one of the countless stores on Shanghai street in Hong Kong.  I can however recommend what I would get today, as it's the closest thing to my version.

First off and most important, it's cast iron.  You will need to season it well when you first get it, but after that, as long as you are careful cleaning it and keep it seasoned, it will be 100% reliable.  Heating the pan is a little slower, but once up to heat, it is very even and consistent as you cook.   Being cast iron, it's also indestructible, so you'll only need to buy it once, and it will always come in handy for self-defence.  There are non-stick versions out there, but when you are turning the waffles with a metal skewer, sooner or later you will get through the non-stick coating - no more indestructible.  Stick with the cast iron.

Second, as for "handles", this pan has minimal, and they were designed as part of the cast.  You already have enough handles hanging off your stove and Junior doesn't need to be pulling a cast iron pan onto his noggin.  It's cast iron, so the weight alone will keep it in place.  You'll see some versions with handles.  Wood v.s Iron?  Always the same outcome - one day the handle will break.  If you find a pan you like with a cast iron handle, that's better, but I still don't see it as very necessary.  

Lastly, the size and shape is perfect.  My pan has 15 divots, this one has 16, and they are in nice clean rows.  As you move along with your batter and start turning the waffles over, rows are a little easier to keep track of your spot than a circular pattern.  The size fits perfectly over one of the large burners on your stove, minimizing energy output and helping even out the heating.  Some pans have 24 divots, but then if you don't have a skillet feature on your stove, you are doing a balancing act between two burners and the middle of the pan isn't over any heat at all.  I'd rather have two small ones and work on two burners evenly (then you'd be working with 32 divots and 30% more productive!).

Amazon has a good selection, so look around, but for my money, this tight little unit is the pick of the litter.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: iSi Soda siphons

If you want to start getting into making your own sodas, you'll need to get a siphon.  The iSi company has been a leader in the pressurized canister department for ages.  Their products have always been reliable, well built, and easy to maintain.  The question here actually becomes one of deciding between two of their models.  

The stainless 26oz model is ever so slightly better built and its dispensing system is slightly different to maximize bubbles (four "jets" as opposed to one).  Being stainless, you know it looks great, and it is a bit shorter than other siphons, making for more convenient storage.  The drawback?  The 26oz (759ml) capacity.  If you are serving lots of specific sodas, not just soda water, the difference between a 26oz and a full quart (1L) siphon gets pretty noticeable, and since the best results require a bit of fridge time, it can be frustrating.  If your budget allows, you could get two - this would also allow you to keep a backup charged at all times on a busy night.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The other model is the brushed aluminum one quart (1L) version.  I have used these a lot and have no complaints on the quality of soda or construction of the siphon itself.  The dispensing system is a bit simpler than the stainless, but it still works very well.  The brushed aluminum still has a nice clean look (I would get it over a painted model), and it's priced a bit nicer.  You also get that extra capacity which helps a lot.  I can often get about 50 shot sized amuse-bouche from one of these bottles, but still have had to recharge on the go some nights, so the same consideration still applies with the stainless model - a backup siphon goes a long way for the sake of speed and quality.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Magic Bullet blender

The Magic Bullet.  You've probably seen the infomercials, but is it worth it's salt?  Yes.  I have a natural tendency to be skeptical of infomercial-related products (kind of counter productive isn't it?), but Carla and I were given one way back as a wedding present, and it quickly found it's way into daily use - literally daily use.  

We like to make fruit smoothies to have with our breakfast, and usually made them with an immersion blender.  What made us switch, was the fact that the Bullet was more powerful, faster and the cleanup was a cinch.  You can load up all the ingredients for each person's smoothie right into their drinking cup, then just screw on the blade atachment and press onto the motor to blend.  Then you take the same blade, screw it onto the next cup and repeat.  They even give you some screw-on lids so you can take your cup to go.  Cleanup is restricted to the blade attachment and the cups themselves.  Since everything screws together, spillage is basically impossible.  We've made some pretty sturdy smoothies and never saw it get stuck (ground flax seed really thickens things up).

The Bullet also does a great job as a spice/coffee grinder.  A lot of chefs keep multiple spice grinders in order to keep coffee from tasting like curry and vise-versa - the Magic Bullet is so easy to clean, one unit will take care of you.  For large spice mixes, the capacity is much better too, no more need to grind your spices in several batches.  This particular set has the added appeal of coming with a pitcher attachment for larger jobs.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: RGM New Age painting knives

This may seem like an odd item to review, but if a spray gun can be used for chocolate, why not switch up the style of palette knives used in the kitchen a bit.  Regular palette knives are already a must have for handling delicate items, this just adds a bit of style to the plating process.  Swooshes, schmears and comets are all good, but the repertoire could use a little expansion, after all plating a dish is often compared to painting a picture.  RGM is a company that makes a wide variety of different shaped palette knives designed to create textures and patterns with paint - it works the same with coulis, aolis and sauces.  The set pictured is a great starter variety of palette knives for a few different effects, and if you enjoy using them, you can explore the line further.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Silpat silicone baking mats

Silicone mats are so useful in the kitchen it's ridiculous, and it's the Silpat company that really got things going in the first place.  There are so many instances when having a silicone mat adds a level of polish you really can't get any other way.  Baking a sheet cake?  Too often the parchment paper will wrinkle on you on the underside.  Dehydrating fruit or vegetable chips?  Again, wrinkles.  Making crispy bread garnishes?  You'll be fine with paper underneath, but you'll want a silpat on top as the weight will keep the bread from curling up.  If you are working with a convection oven, the air circulation can flip parchment paper up and mess with your product.  Even if you just want to be a little more environmental, a Silpat can be reused until the cows come home.  I even like how using a mat is just a little more effective with heat dispersion - some instances where you may want to double pan your product, a silicone mat provides a bit of a barrier between the food and a very hot sheet pan.  For most people, the half sheet size is perfect for home and a great starting point to find out the advantages of cooking on silicone - you may even want to start by getting two so you have one for the top if making garnishes (perfectly flat bacon chips can only be made with two).  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Product review: Cuisinart ICE-40BK Flavor Duo ice cream maker

'ol Double Barrel

You may recognize this ice cream maker, as it has been featured in a few of my recipes.  The Cuisinart ICE-40BK Flavor Duo ice cream maker, or "ol Double Barrel" as I affectionately call it, has been a welcome contributor to a lot of creations ever since I got it.  Not that we are making ice cream constantly at home (summer is of course high season), but I love being able to make frozen treats at will.  Case in point, when we made the blueberry atole recently,  I had no intention of making atole ice cream until I was looking at what we had left over from enjoying normally, then decided it was time for a round of "will it churn?".  Since the freezer barrels are always frozen and ready to go, it was a simple matter of chilling the atole, assembling the machine and hitting the button.

The fact that this machine has two chambers makes it stand out for a number of reasons.  The first is that you can spin two flavours at once - an obvious plus, especially if hosting a kids party.  The second reason is that the combined capacity of the two chambers is greater than that of a single chamber machine, allowing for larger batches of a single flavour to be done.  A third plus is that with two chambers, you can take a normal batch and divide it between the two and simultaneously cut down the churning time and improve the quality of the outcome.  Generally speaking, the faster you can churn an ice cream base from liquid to frozen, the smaller the ice crystals, and thus the creamier the ice cream.  Beyond that, the machine is ridiculously user friendly - there's a switch for selecting one or two chambers spinning and an on/off button.  That's it.

That said, if you have been thinking of getting an ice cream maker, a two chamber model definitely has some advantages, and this one has given me years of great service - CHECK IT OUT HERE.