I admit that compared to past restaurant shows I’ve been to, this year isn’t a barn-burner, but there’s still more than enough good stuff to make it worth the trip. Given the topic of the past week — doughnuts and frying — I was particularly interested to see this new piece of gear: The new […]
READ ONIn order to excel at things like doughnuts, fritters and cannoli, it’s important to understand the process of frying. As I’ve mentioned previously, good frying is really more like steaming, but why would that be so? It all comes down to this simple maxim: oil and water don’t mix. In the case of frying, the […]
READ ONWell folks, it’s happened again. I’ve been diverted — back to Chicago to the National Restaurant Association (NRA) trade show that’s happening here. I have to say that as NRA’s go, this one is a little sedate, but it’s still a great time. I’ll put up some highlights for groovy baking gear, probably in the […]
READ ONDoughnuts were of course known as “oily cakes” among the Dutch back in the day. And believe it or not, that was meant as a term of endearment. As happy as the Dutch were to fry in oil at one time, however, it’s believed that well before they ever brought their proto-doughnuts to our shores, […]
READ ONNot if they’re done right. For when frying is done properly, at the right temperature and with reasonably fresh oil, the effect is more akin to steaming. How is that, exactly, Joe? Again we’re back to the issue of heat. Properly fried food cooks so quickly (in about a minute and a half), there’s very […]
READ ONAnother good question from reader Bill. I’ll get into this a bit more later, however I think it’s a topic well worth discussing, since crispiness is the signature quality of fried (especially deep fried) food. Think corn dog, think french fry, think funnel cake, think…excuse me for a moment, I’m getting lightheaded…think fried chicken, think […]
READ ONThere’s a great scene in the movie Sullivan’s Travels in which our heroes Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake show up penniless and starving at a diner. They ask for two “sinkers” and a cup of coffee. The hash slinger behind the counter reaches into a big glass jar and pulls out two thick black rounds, […]
READ ONExcellent question Jane G! Just about every culture on Earth has some sort of deep fried dough food item to its credit. Europe? Check. The Arab world? Check. Africa? Check. China, Japan and Southeast Asia? Check, check, check. What’s the deal with that? The deal is that grain, like most food, tastes best when it’s […]
READ ONWe moderns are filled with all sorts of conceits. As such, we’re all too ready to believe just about any made-up thing about our forebears. In the context of today’s discussion, that means accepting without question the notion that generations of doughnut eaters were perfectly content to eat half-raw sinkers for lack of a better […]
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