Heavy Metal: the Science of Cast Iron Cooking

posted by Dave Arnold I originally wrote this piece for a print publication, but they said the tone was too dry and axed it. They said they wanted something more like the blog. Here it is on the blog. Cast Iron Intro: While cast-iron cookware has been available for centuries, the advent of industrialized factory […]

Pressure Cooked Stock 2: Changing Pressures, Playing with Chemistry

posted by Dave Arnold    This is our second post on the benefits and pitfalls of pressure cooking stocks. See the first post here.    We recently bought a fancy new pressure cooker

Whole Fish à la Cooking Issues

posted by Dave Arnold Cooking a large whole fish is challenging.  It’s easy to overcook the outside, leave the inside raw, or both. This problem keeps cropping up for me. You see, my stepfather Gerard has three interests: drinking wine, smoking cigars, and  surf casting for striped bass. He’s an accomplished fisherman, and he catches nice big guys –36-40 inches […]

Umami Nation: Kombu Dashi Smackdown

posted by Dave Arnold Kombu, a variety of giant kelp (seaweed), is a cornerstone of Japanese cooking. Kombu is particularly high in free glutamic acid—the umami maker—but its flavor is otherwise rather delicate, so it is an excellent source of MSG.  By the way, glutamic acid + sodium = MSG. (You’ll get much more on MSG and […]