Crazy Food

I consider myself a bit of a foodie. We’ve eaten at some of the best restaurants in the U.S. Two of the most impressive were The French Laundry and Alinea.

The common thread here is their unbelievable experimentation. The chefs have spawned legions of followers. Some have been kind enough to share their experiences. They blog religiously.

Two that are worth mentioning:

French Laundry at Home
This home cook, Carol, is working her way through the French Laundry Cookbook. This sounds easy enough unless you’ve seen the book. I have this book and it is daunting. I love cooking crazy meals. Long, hard, complicated ordeals. But I haven’t taken the plunge into these recipes yet. It takes gusto and commitment.

She’s made it a long way through the book. She deserves major kudos. I hope she takes it to the next level and goes pro.

Hungry in Hogtown
This guy is amazing. After reading the post I linked to, go to the left and go to the link called Molecular Gastronomy. This food is more in line with Alinea. Many of the recipes are total science experiments.  This whole style of food was pioneered by el Bulli. The author of this blog has really gone all out to figure this out. He is becoming famous for his efforts, having been covered in Canada’s national newspaper. If your looking for a way to make science cool for kids, read his blog.

Spiced Beets

 

It is high harvest time right now, so canning is in full swing. I love spice beets. You can’t eat much at once but they’re awesome in small doses.  

For this batch I used golden beets, makes for a beautiful presentation when mixed for serving.

Ingredients:
35 to 40 small beets or 15 large beets
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves

Directions:
1. In a kettle, cook the beets until tender. Dip in cold water and peel off the skins. Slice 1/4 inch thick or cut into quarters if using smaller beets.

2. Pack tightly (snug but not bruising each other) into canning jars.

 

3. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, water, vinegar, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and whole cloves.

4. Boil for 10 minutes and pour at once over the beets, leaving a 3/4-inch head space (the liquid should go no farther than the shoulder of the jar).

 

5. Process in a boiling-water bath for 12 minutes.

6. Remove immediately and cool on a rack.