Author's articles
Recipes Are Guides, Not Formulas
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
Judging by the comments in some cookbooks, you would think recipes are chemical formulas to be measured out and carefully mixed. It just ain't so.
A favorite line of editors always refers to the measurements ...
Mastering the Tricks of the Trade
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
Every now and then, nightly in some cases, something will happen to test a cook’s mettle. Good ones will rise to the occasion, mediocrity will sink others without trace. There are a few tricks that ...
But What Do I Do With The Whites?
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
It’s not at all unusual for cake and dessert recipes to call for egg yolks. Any kind of custard is a liaison of several yolks, sugar and milk. Which leaves the whites.
What are we ...
Bicarbonate of Soda: The Magic Ingredient?
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
For well over a century professional cooks have known that adding bicarbonate of soda to cooking vegetables enhances their color; greens turn bright green and old carrots look like new.
It’s a chef’s trick that ...
Microwaves and Metal. What's the Problem?
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
Metal, we are told, should never be used in a microwave. Yet that is exactly what the oven is made from, right down to the reflective mesh in the window.
So what's the big deal? ...
Why Do We Need To Marinade?
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
Marinades are used either to add flavor to food or to tenderize it. Usually we are trying to do both, which raises a central question:
Why is much of our meat so tough?
It’s an ...
Is Your Cookware Poisoning You?
By Michael Sheridan · 18 years ago
For over 40 years scientists have known that the fumes from hot non-stick surfaces can kill birds such as canaries. So just how dangerous are they to humans?
Several studies have been conducted into health ...
Boiling - The Test of a Good Cook
By Michael Sheridan · 19 years ago
Let's take a look at one of the most basic forms of cooking - immersing food in hot water.
Yes, I know. That includes simmering as well. But I want to look at boiling, some ...
Boiling - The Test of a Good Cook
By Michael Sheridan · 19 years ago
Let's take a look at one of the most basic forms of cooking - immersing food in hot water.
Yes, I know. That includes simmering as well. But I want to look at boiling, some ...