Rubarb Mistake

Oddly, some of my favorite recipe ideas have come from mistakes. of course, some mistakes have just yielded inedible messes. Over the weekend, I got lucky. there was a flourish of rhubarb in the garden as part of the jungle that all thse rain has produced. I sawed off--a bread knife works well--a few handfuls of stalks discarding the poisonous leaves. I washed them, cut out the nasty bits and trimmed off the root ends. I cut the stalks in one-inch pieces and put them in a pot with sugar, mixed them up and set them to cook. In the meantime, I went back to the computer and forgot my rhubarb. By the time I remembered, the mess was a medium brown and I had to poke and scrape to get the caramelized bits off the bottom and out of the corners.
I was about to discard it when I stuck a finger in and took a small taste. To my shock and delight, it was cara melized and delicious. Consequently, I have made it into a recipe. It's worth trying. Stir and be a bit more careful than I was. it makes a great dessert with a splash of coconut milk.

1/2 pound rhubarb, about 4 cups
3/4 cups sugar

Put rhubarb and sugar in a six-inch saucepan. Stir thoroughly. Stir over medium heat until the rhubarb gives off juice and the sugar is dissolved. If you are nervous about it scorching, add a half cup of water. Stir and cook at a slow boil for about forty-five minutes stirring from time to time. If there is a lot of liquid--there should be some--boil to dy slightly.
That's it and makes one and a half cups which should be enough for six people. It is very intense.
If there is trouble cleaning the pot, try scouring it with coarse salt-an old navy trick.

Paul Levy

If you don't know my friend Paul's work, you should ad would enjoy it.
He is a polymath and my court of first resort for recondite information. It was he who identified for me and through me to yet another savant, Steven Meyer, the author and basic meaning of the phrase, "specious present." You can look on Wikipedia. That is it for culture today.
Have a wonderful Fourth.
Incidentally, Paul is also one of the prime movers of the Oxford Symposium. it is very worthwhile event the subject of which changes with each biennial event. The papers are good and the discourse worthwhile and amusing. They are always food related whether cultural, ethnic, civilized and about civilization. The symposium iw open to the public for a worthwhile fee. Go on line to Oxfordsymposium.org.uk

Return

Well, I'm almost back. For the time being it will be mainly thoughts and history. Standing and pot holding are still problems.
Avoiding butter and getting a little fed up with olive oil, I was going a different route when stopped in what are not tracks. I know there are other fats and many of them have been used; but I began to think about that automatic: "brown." Of course, it can be done using a different starch say potato or rice. however, why brown at all? The connection and difference between /soup, stews and braises is close and intimate. A few pre-operative experiments found me to be on a good track.
Certainly, browned flour is not a needed all-purpose seasoning.
Oddly enough, just as I was thinking about this, I was alternately reading a highly praised and prized novel, Te Debt to Pleasure, byJohn Lanchester. In it, food serves as an over arching metaphor and one might even a character. There are even recipes.
At the opening of the book, there are ruminations on just the culinary distinctions and their out come that I have brought up.
The novel is well worth reading. The culinary thoughts are interesting. Most of the recipes sound all right; but i didn't find myself tempted to try them. I think I have better versions of all of them. However, they are not truly the point of the book.
If you haven't, read the book now and come back to me another day for more theory and practice.

Me

How's that for a self-promoting heading. this Friday, the 29th I will be the face on the home page of cookstr.com as the author of the day. I will be out of commission; but my internet alternate should be fine. Tell me about it.

Next friday

I will have the other foot operated on so I will be out of commission for a while. I always knew that hands were critical to cooking; but I was unaware of hoow much time was spent running around and standing at the stove--all foot work. I have nothing but admiration for a Boston friend and others wo cook from a wheel chair and have to have specially built kitchens;
Anyone with advice for the cooking impaired should please post comments here so as to help others.

Pork, Lean but Moist

It is amazing how small victories can delight a cook. The other day I had bought a pork chop to serve at dinner. I was admonished that, while my pork roast was delicious and really hefty pork chops came out okay, regular pork chops tended to be dry and tough. I chewed on that for a while and decided that there had to be a solution.
It is ironic that as our pork has been bred to be leaner and leaner, we are being told about rare breeds--of great price--that are to be prized due to their fat content. It is of course that fat that kept the meat moist and tender. However, the new leaner pork is better for us. I cogitated and am delighted to have come up with a solution.
The recipe is on my web site, bkafka.com in the recipe of the week section.
The answer comes from ignoring the usual browning of the chop. It is cooked over medium heat just until the surfaces are white. The other ingredients are added. The pan is covered and the chop(s) is braised until cooked through and tender. Also, the soy gives the illusion of browning.
It gave me pleasure in the eating and in solving the problem.

Mamon

i have succumbed. I am accepting ads. I hope not to be mortified and to make some money--always good. Wish me well.