Whenever I found myself in the depths of the South, the two words I dread most are: Ice Tea. Good Lord. Who can stand all that sugar? Give it to me straight—or mix it up with a little lemonade in honor of that darling duffer.
But today? I’m whistling a new tune.
Matthew Sheeter of the Viking Cooking School was teaching one of the three days of Culinary Classics that my friend, Cindy Maritz, and I took last weekend. It was 16 hours of nothing but chopping, chatting, mixing, making dishes and then, ta da, sampling the savories and sweets we created. (There may be better pastimes; this one happens to be one of my favorites.)
So, when Matt causally started praising sweet tea, I shuddered. He countered that I was wrong—and then … he proved it. He cooked up a sugar syrup (1/4–3/4 cup sugar to 3 quarts cold water, poured it over teabags (4 family-sized Liptons) and let it seep ever so briefly. (A native of Louisiana, Sybil Albritton—another class taker who had driven up from Springfield with her daughter-in-law, Stephanie—seeps hers much longer.) Well, in the ol’ that dog can hunt truism, Matthew Sleeter’s tea was terrific.
Over the years, Cindy, a buddy practically since birth, and I have taken classes on everything from decorating cookies to grilling pork and cooking up fancy fish, appetizers and sauces. While wolfing down the results has always been a highlight, learning the little tricks of the trade always makes the hours (and dollars) invested worth it.
So, dear friends, I’d like to share a little bit of what we learned from the wonderful teaching chefs, Richard Mueller, the aforementioned Mr. Sheeter and Glen Bahr. Some of it might be pathetically elementary but, hey, I didn’t know it before I went:
* For the world’s easiest, and among the tastiest, mashed potatoes: Roast the potatoes at 400 degrees for an hour (or until soft). Then simply, split and scoop out the potato. Put it through a ricer, add the butter and half and half, whip it up by hand (no mixer necessary). So much easier. And so, so, soooo delicious.
* Get wild salmon, instead of farm-raised. (Same goes for blueberries. Who knew?)
* Make your pesto with roasted walnuts, instead of pine nuts. Throw a dollop into vegetable soup. It turns it from drab to divine.
* When you preheat your oven, turn it up to 500 and then when you’re ready to cook, turn it down to the desired temp.
* All recipes are designed for large eggs.
* Difference between stock and broth? Stock is made with only the bones; broth with both bones and meat.
* Bob’s Seafood (8660 Olive (right off 170), 993-4844). sells the best fish base for things like lobster bisque, paella, any fish soup or stew. It’s in their freezer. (But then again, Bob’s sells the best fish in town).
