During my IBM days, I had a fellow co-worker tell me that if you were good in chemistry, you can be an excellent chef. The co-worker's belief is that both chemistry and cooking required a recipe. If you could follow the recipe for making something in chemistry, then you can do the same with cooking.
To a certain degree, I have to agree with that. Many a kitchen is used for experimenting with different ingredients and various dishes. For me, and others, the kitchen is the laboratory.
I have a fondness for the cinnamon roasted nuts at the hockey games. A friend got me the recipe for cinnamon glazed nuts, aka Rodeo Nuts. While I really like the outcome of this recipe, it is not quite the same as the nuts I get from the AAC.
As I gathered items for munching for New Year's Eve/Day, I came upon a recipe that incorporated not only cinnamon, but nutmeg and clove for the "spiced" nuts. I thought about it and decided to try adding a bit of the nutmeg and clove to the cinnamon glazed nut recipe.
As always, when making these nuts, the apartment has this wonderful cinnamon aroma. No need for candles when I prepare this recipe. The scent of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove fills the apartment.
The finished product tastes a lot like what I get at the hockey game, but I probably need to try a few more times. Still, it is fun to change up a recipe to achieve something that tastes good.
Next "project" will be to create a different kind of spice nut. It will have a bit more "spicy" than sweet. The ingredients include black pepper, cayenne, and cumin. I figure I should give it a shot and try it out.
I was never very good at chemistry when I was in high school. Maybe it was because I was at that awkward sophomore age and everything just was not clicking as it should. Who knows.
What I do know, as I got older, I began to gain an interest in cooking. To be honest, I figured the only things I could cook decently were cakes, rolls, and some main dishes. When I moved out of my parents home, I realized it was advantageous for me to cook. It was cost effective as well as keeping me aware of what was in the food I was eating.
I watched a ton of cooking programs and tried various things. I do remember suggesting doing various dishes when I was at home and my mom did not want me messing up the kitchen. She did not want me burning things in her pots and pans. Hey - it happens.
After awhile, I began to realize we all make mistakes. Sometimes, you have to throw out your mistakes and try again. With food, I would eat the mistakes to remind myself of what I did not want to do again.
Cooking is a lot like science. In fact, there is a lot of science to it, if you pay a lot of attention. As I told Random Cathy one day around Thanksgiving, I loved cooking with cranberries in order to watch/hear them pop. I felt like the mad scientist.
No comments:
Post a Comment