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How to Assemble a Gorgeous and Tasty Cheese Platter

Filed under: Dining

Few foods are as versatile and universally appealing as cheese (who doesn't love it?) and rare is the holiday gathering that doesn't include it in some way. Impress your guests by featuring cheese front and center on a beautiful homemade cheese platter you assembled yourself.

Aim for variety
A good cheese plate offers a variety of styles and milk types, and has something for everyone from beginners to connoisseurs. Three to five cheeses per platter is plenty, allowing 1-3 oz per person as an appetizer, and if the options are overwhelming consider narrowing the field by choosing a region and going all local, all French, or all American, etc.

Ask the Cheesemonger
When buying cheese it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices but a good cheesemonger will be happy to offer samples and help you make selections based on your preferences, type of guests, and other food you plan to serve. For more advice on selecting cheeses watch this Luxist interview with Taylor Cocalis, Director of Events & Education at New York City's Murray's Cheese.

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How to Make Perfect Espresso at Home

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Espresso is so much more than just really strong coffee. It's an elixir, an experience, that takes only a few sips but lingers long after. For true espresso connoisseurs brewing the perfect cup is an art form, and one that takes skill, time, and practice to master.

Start with good coffee and pure, fresh water
As with any recipe the end result will only be as good as the sum of its ingredients. Coffee beans should be as fresh as possible and medium-roasted (not dark) to preserve the delicate flavor nuances. The water should be pure, fresh and odor-free, and neither too hard nor too soft.

Use the right grind
The beans should be ground to a fine powder in order to expose as much surface area as possible to the water, but not so fine they pack too tight for the water to get through. Depending on your machine, coffee, and preference the grind consistency should be somewhere between small sugar granules smooth baking flour. Many experts recommend having your beans ground by a professional in order to get the best results. For more on grinding read How to Grind Coffee Beans Perfectly.

Tamp evenly
Tamping ensures the water to flows smoothly through all the coffee in the basket and doesn't just gush through one or two areas. To tamp put your coffee grounds into the basket and, on a smooth solid surface, use your tamper to press straight down into the basket with 20 - 30lbs of pressure. Practice by pressing on your bathroom scale to see exactly how much that is. Finish with a single firm twist to secure any loose grains and then lift the tamper straight up. The resulting packed grounds should be level and smooth, with no gaps or dimples. Note: The tamper should fit snugly into the basket -- if it's too small the coffee around the edges won't get compressed and the water will rush down the sides instead of dispersing evenly.

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How to Open Champagne (And Why It Shouldn't Pop)

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Champagne is supposed to open with a bang, right? Not necessarily, in fact a huge celebratory "pop!" is actually a sign that it was opened by an amateur. Experts contend that a bottle of champagne opened with skill will make only a very small popping sound, or perhaps none at all.

The WSJ gives us a thorough explanation of exactly how to open a champagne bottle like a pro:

Chill thoroughly Properly chilled champagne will fizz and/or froth over less
Towel dry the bottle if there's condensation to ensure a good grip and prevent slippage
Cut the foil using a knife, only tearing with fingers after you've scored the foil.
Tilt and aim Tilt the bottle to 45 degrees and aim it away from yourself, others, and anything breakable (like windows)
Hold the cork down with one hand while twisting open the wire cage with the other
Twist the bottle with one hand while continuing to hold the cork down with the other
Listen for the sound of air escaping to signal that the bottle is open. There may also be a small cloud of gas.

The pop can be fun when among friends in a party atmosphere but if opened gently and quietly the champagne will have more bubbles and taste better. As the old saying goes "The ear's gain is the palate's loss."

Once you've successfully opened the champagne the next step is pouring it. For the best results make sure the bubbly has been chilled to the proper temperature, 46º F - 57º F depending on age, and then further preserve the bubbles by using a 'beer-like' technique and pouring the liquid down the side of a tilted champagne flute.

Source

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Why You Should Never Freeze Coffee (and Other Freshness Tips)

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Coffee is something most of us enjoy making and drinking on a regular basis, daily even, but do you know how to keep it at optimal freshness between buying and brewing? One of the most common habits, sticking beans in the freezer, is actually among the worst things you can do. When optimal flavor is the aim it must be realized that coffee and coffee beans are really very fragile -- the delicate oils and flavors begin to break down almost immediately after roasting and are sensitive to light, oxygen, moisture, and temperature extremes.

Why keeping coffee beans in the freezer is bad
Although freezing whole beans can be okay in some cases (like if you have more beans than you can use up in a week or two) it only works if you seal them up and freeze them once -- not to be opened or removed from the freezer until you're ready to thaw the whole batch.

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What Is Foie Gras?

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Foie gras (pronounced ˈfwä-ˈgrä, French for "fat liver") is a food product made of the liver of a duck or goose that has been specially fattened, typically through gavage (force-feeding) corn. It is a delicacy in French cuisine. Foie gras' flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté, and often is served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as steak.

France is the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations, the United States, and China. Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial and considered by some to be cruel. A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras.

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Understanding the prix fixe menu

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

At some restaurants you may see the term prix fixe. What does this mean? It is a French term that refers to a set menu that offers a limited selection of courses for a single price and offers either one option per course or sometimes a choice of two or three potential selections. A prix fixe menu generally includes the full meal from appetizer to dessert. At fine restaurants it allows the chef a greater level of control when selecting dishes that complement each other. The prix fixe menu creates an experience that expresses the full measure of the chef's expertise. Often a wine pairing with different wines selected to enhance each dish can be ordered.

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What is molecular gastronomy?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

You've probably heard the term molecular gastronomy bandied about when talking about some of the most well-regarded restaurants in the world. The term referred originally to the scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking but has been expanded into a kind of cuisine that looks at food through an entirely new lens. Old standards are reimagined in new ways by using new techniques. Often the discipline is best expressed through elaborate tasting menus that involve a series of small, precise courses. The overall goal is not as much satiation as it is in delivering a new taste experience.

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