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 […]