| Forum Q: Who discovered the pineapple? -Barbara, Jacksonville, FL A: Thanks for your question, Barbara. The indigenous peoples of tropical Central and South America were probably first to taste the delights of pineapple. But what they ate and what you'll find at a grocer's are probably quite different. Visit Oregon State University's Food Resources service for more information on the history of the pineapple. -CF Q: Is there a need in North America for new types of aromas (100% organic-certified) such as Labrador tea, sweet gale, bee balm, or balsam popular? We would be interested in your comments. Here in the Mainguy family, we have cooked for years with our own-made essential oils (HE) from native aromatic plants. In the coming weeks, we will present a number of terroir products such as aromates made with HE to top chefs in Québec City. Of
course, we see many advantages in the use of our HE-based aromates
and we are probably not very objective. A: Pierre, we appreciate your interest in developing new culinary aromatic extracts. In our view, there's always need for exciting new flavors. Anything that appeals to the palate adds to a chef's palette for creating wonderful new dishes. Bonne chance, and please keep us informed! -CF Q: How long can you keep a leg of parma ham for in the fridge? -Anne, United Kingdom A: Hi, Anne. The Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, the organization of producers of Parma Ham, provides the following storage and handling instructions on their site for consumer use: “Pre-sliced packs of Parma Ham should be stored in the fridge and used by their best before date. Parma Ham bought at the deli-counter should be stored well wrapped, in the fridge. It will then be at its best if consumed within two days.” For professional use, they say, “ In its vacuum pack, boneless Parma Ham can be stored up to six months, refrigerated at 4°C to 8°C. Once the vacuum seal is broken and the slicing begins, the ham can be held under refrigeration up to 40 days. A whole bone-in Parma Ham will continue to cure when stored for up to 12 months under carefully controlled conditions--the temperature should range from 10°C to 16°C and humidity should not exceed 70%. After slicing begins, the ham will maintain its high quality for about 40 days. In either case, recommend not freezing Parma Ham because “the texture may be damaged, and the flavor diminished.” -CF Q: Where can I buy commercially available whipping cream? I am using Nestle All Purpose cream but it's too thick. I am looking for suppliers of the whipping cream that can be use in whipped cream dispenser. The ones available in supermarkets are too expensive for my budget. Thank you. -Jeann, Manila, Philippines A:
Hello, Jean - Since it's impossible to know the range of products
available from regional foodservice product distributors, we
can't make a specific product recommendation. However, a simple
solution might be to order whipping cream by the quart from your
dairy supplier, then cut it down to the consistency you want
with non-fat milk before putting it in your charger/ dispenser.
Lower fat mixtures won't be as stable, but you can experiment
until you get the consistency and longevity you need. Thanks
for writing, and good luck! -CF A: Lucky you, Roger, having a fanatical, great cook in your kitchen! High quality knives are a wonderful gift for anyone who loves to cook. Many people give them as gifts but put off buying them for themselves or upgrading their old ones, and good knives are just essential for food-prepping pleasure. High carbon steel blades are best, as opposed to lesser carbon-content stainless steel, as they can be easily honed at home and hold their edge best. Japanese ceramic knives are super for their razor sharpness, but they’re rather expensive, and if you drop them, they can break. For a great set that will last for years, we recommend Wusthof’s Classic 10-Piece Block Set with a Santuko added for quick slicing and chopping. We like Rachel Ray's new 7-inch Santuko by Furi even better than Wusthof’s because it fits a woman’s hand so well. Don’t forget to put a coin in your card so she can return it to “buy” the knives from you—it’s an old tradition, meant to prevent friendship from being severed when a sharp gift is given—and enjoy your wife’s pleasure when she opens this wonderful gift. -CF Q:
Is it true that chocolate will never properly set—that
is, have a clean and crisp break—if it is not tempered?
If so, where can I find easy directions for tempering chocolate
at home? I recently attempted english toffee at home, but the
the 6 ounces of semisweet chocolate and 2 tablespoons of vegetable
shortening that the recipe called for never set. I tried refrigerating
the candy, but the as soon as the chocolate began to thaw,
it went back to its soft texture, thus being very hard to handle!
Help! -Maria, Houston, TX Quality couverture products include Valrhona Guanaja Lactée (41% cocoa butter), Callebaut Semisweet Dark (56% cocoa butter), Dagoba Organic ChocoDrops (73%), ScharffenBerger Semisweet (62%) and Guittard’s Melt ‘N Mold (for consumers) and industrial and artisan couvertures (for professional use). You can buy couverture at gourmet food stores and from online purveyors such as Chocolatesource.com and Chocosphere.com. The
tempering process stabilizes the cocoa butter crystals, making
them uniform in size, which in turn, creates hardness and sheen.
Tempering isn’t as hard as it may seem. The
Exploratorium science museum website has an easy-to
follow, step-by-step “recipe” for tempering couverture
chocolate for making candy and treats. Best of luck with your
candy-making experiments! -CF Update
on Portuguese goat cheese: Q: I used to live in Portugal, a VERY long time ago. I recall a wonderful white goat cheese, semi-soft, flat and round, which came packed in water (or some sort of liquid). I think it is maybe called "queijo fresco" (just based on internet research). My questions are, do you think that "queijo fresco" is indeed the cheese I'm looking for, and where can I get some (either locally or shipped to me)? I live near Los Angeles. -Jojo, Glendale, CA A: Hi, Jojo. Difficult as it is to track the original source of someone else’s memory, we’ve searched through a tall stack of "world of cheese" books. Unfortunately, no Portuguese goat cheese such as you describe is listed, though that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. The “floating in water” (whey) indicates it might be a goats' milk mozzarella-type cheese. There are two Portuguese artisanal cheesemakers here in California who you might call for information. One is Donna Pacheco of Achadinha Goat Cheese Company in Petaluma. (tel. 707-763-1025.) Donna’s amazing cheeses at the Ferry Plaza Marketplace in San Francisco and she may distribute to Southern California as well. Another source might be John Fagundes at Fagundes Old World Cheese Co. in Hanford, CA. John produces wonderful, award-winning Portuguese-style cheeses and may also be able to help in your search. (email info@oldworldcheese.com; tel. 559-582-2000). If all else fails, you might just decide to order some delicious other Portuguese cheeses from i-Gourmet's Portuguese cheese page. Hope this helps—boa sorte! -CF Q:
I produce a hot sauce in Minneapolis. I make small amounts
in a kitchen at a restaurant where I work. My question is,
how do I go from the kitchen to a large facility? How to
I get someone to produce for me? A: Hello, Dale. The University of Nebraska’s Food Entrepreneur Program connects tastemakers with contract food manufacturers. Contact The Food Processing Center, 143 Food Industry Complex, Lincoln, NE 68583-0930, tel. 402/472-2832, or visit their website. For more help, you might contact the National Association of Specialty Food Trades to obtain names of NASFT member contract manufacturers in your region. You can also contact NASFT at: 120 Wall Street, 27th Floor, New York, New York 10005; tel. 212.482.6440. Good luck! -CF |
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Got a Question? An Idea to Share? Send it in! Q&A and Info. Let your culinary curiosity take you on an adventure you'll never forget! Check out CF's suggestions at Culinary Adventures.
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