I was recently reading Dash Of Stash a great blog out of Chicago. The hero of the story had been invited to a brunch in his building. He’d temporarily let the date slip his mind and found himself in a time crunch and with an obligation to bring food.
His solution was a smoked salmon tartare (nice…). As he hurriedly gathered (more like hunted) and assembled his ingredients. He came across that moment. We have all been there.
He had spent a considerable amount of time, energy and from the sound of things, a pretty penny getting to this moment. As he leaned over his bowl, the city skyline and sparkling lake in view outside his kitchen window (okay, I am editorializing here somewhat). He took in the deeply savory aroma of his smoky creation and he put a spoonful into his mouth. This is the moment of “taste”.
Something was missing. Now this is no big deal. So he did not panic. This is why the phrase “season to taste” was invented. It’s that last shining moment when the cook gets to tweak his culinary baby into it’s peak performance.
He began to reach for the salt. Because surely “season to taste” means salt and possibly pepper. Right?
Wrong. And my hero in Chicago (whom I’ve never met) knew this too. He put his brain aside and trusted his instincts. How could smoked salmon with capers need more salt? It doesn’t make sense.
His solution was lemon. A big spritz of lemon brought his tartatre home where it belonged and everyone at that brunch lived (or at least ate) happily ever after.
I am sharing yet another stolen story with you because I want to make a really great point.
Now there is nothing wrong with salt. A well-timed sprinkling of the stuff is often the key to deep flavor. Especially during cooking.
But I do have a problem with diners who reach for the saltshaker as soon as they sit down. Your meal should arrive at the table well seasoned; give the cook some credit. But, of course, there is room for disagreement and more salt could be just the thing. But, please, oh please…taste before you salt. Especially if you are eating at my house.
That said I thought we should talk about what “season to taste” or really just “season” actually means.
There are two well-accepted forms of seasoning. Salt is one. But the other is less understood and holds the key to balance in cooking. I am talking about acidity.
To your taste buds adding salt and adding acidity may accomplish the same goal—the food tastes better. But these ingredients accomplish their goal differently.
Salt brings out the potential in food and enhances the qualities that already exist in that food. It makes beef taste beefier. Eggs taste eggier and sweets like caramel and chocolate far more sublime.
But acid acts in another way altogether. Acid adds to the fabric of a dish. It is part of its construction. It adds structure.
Whereas salt enhances, acidity builds. If we were talking houses here salt would be paint, acidity would be lumber. But this analogy falls short, because structure in cooking can come at any one of many places along the road. Especially at the end.
Housing, Roads… I sound like the Obama Stimulus Package! I hope you can follow along anyway.
Adding acidity is a balancing act. Just like salt you (usually) don’t want to taste it in the final product. But its effects should make themselves known. So taste as you go is our mantra. But I know you knew that.
Sometimes adding acidity is built right into the recipe in subtle ways. So don’t skimp on or skip them entirely. When a Beef Rib Roast recipe says to de-glaze the pan with wine. Do not simply substitute one liquid for another and think that by getting all those yummy bits off the bottom and into the sauce that your mission is accomplished.
Sure, deglazing gets those flavor bits unstuck, but we use wine for other reasons than this or it’s fruity flavor. We use it for the acid it brings to the sauce. Tomatoes act much the same way.
There are many useful ways to add acidity to a dish. Each has it’s own character and each has a place on your permanent shopping list.
Vinegar is one of the best. Vinegar lives on my stove top, right next to 2 kinds of salt and my “everyday” olive oil. There are so many to choose from. You could start a collection. Though I doubt it would ever rival mine. Unlike some silly over the top price tags you can find on olive oil. Really good vinegars can be had at reasonable price points. So splurge. Try all kinds. You deserve it.
But if this economy has you cutting back on your expenditures; then try and keep just one bottle of very good red wine vinegar in the house. I stress very good because some of those grocery store varieties can be just too astringent.
Citrus (especially lemon) is another great acid we use in cooking. Citrus is great at “brightening” almost anything. It can cut through some of those full-mouth-fatty-flavors and will add much needed balance to cloyingly sweet fruit recipes.
There are other “seasonings” besides salt and acid you can use as well. They all reach for the same effect in a recipe and you should experiment with them. Some of these ingredients are regional or unique to one style of cooking. Asian fish sauce or its Italian counterpart, Colatura di Alici are good examples of this. So is lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf.
There are many types of pepper (or chilies) that are very good frameworks in a dish. You can break out of stereotypes too. Ancho chili can add a depth of seasoning to decidedly North of the Border recipes.
So experiment. If you are afraid of ruining your beautiful soup with the wrong seasoning, then pull small amounts out at a time and add just a hint of whatever seasoning strikes your fancy. No harm no foul. Your soup pot stays pristine and ready for that moment when just the right seasoning makes itself known on your palate. It’s when everything comes together, and you experience that wonderful moment of taste. Ah taste!
SERIOUS FUN FOOD
Greg Henry
SippitySup
Can anyone give me a specific place that I can pick wild elderberries right now? I love this stuff for a syrup for the cold/flu season for the family.
Thanks!
I’ve gathered them in the Arroyo in Pasadena and near Hansen Dam. But I scored bigtime in the Oak Glen area of Yucaipa a couple of weeks ago. Numerous trees yielded enormous umbrels of ripe fruit. I easily gathered 20 pounds in less than an hour. When you can gather the big clusters it is much easier to process the berries off of the stems. (And please remember to get all the stems out. There are tannins in them that can cause some big stomach upset if eaten.)
For mushrooming in L.A., contact The Los Angeles Mycological Society (LAMS) at http://www.lamushrooms.org
They have monthly meetings and forays. They will also ID any mushrooms that you find (ater signing a release form).
I hike/run Griffith Park trails above Beechwood Dr. everyday and have been tempted by the wild mustard…the question is: which part of the plant is edible? Just the leaves? The flowers? Stems?
Any help would be appreciated!
See you in the hills.
The Hungry Hiker
I harvest the leaves of mustard when the plant is quite young. Before it flowers. I believe the stems and flowers are edible too because I have gotten responses from several people of Greek Heritage talking about a sautee mustard flower their grandmothers made. But I wonder if it is a different variety than the one we have here. Speaking of varities there may be more than one here too. I harvest the one with smooth leaves. There is a similar looking flower in bloom now that seems like it may be mustartd but it has hairy leaves. I am unsure if it is actually mustard and I leave it alone to be on the safe side because I just don’t know it’s ID for sure. GREG
Hi there, GREAT blog! I’ve recently moved to l.a. from Toronto, Canada where I spend most of my weekends foraging around my father’s farm 2 hours north of the city. Everything you can imagine; elderberries, morels, asparagus, puff balls, chanterelles, mint, lemon balm, apples, lettuces.…every type of berry and mushroom desirable! I don’t know the area here well, let alone outside of the city and would love to do some foraging. I’m not familiar with a lot of the edible plants here, and I don’t know that a girl hiking alone around random farmland would be a great idea!! Do you take people foraging? Also does anyone know of any great mushroom spots around l.a. as we’re in the middle of morel season?! Or perhaps group forays, or excursions? Thanks!
I am really not an expert. I am fairly restricted by what I know and recognize. Especially when it comes to mushrooms. You would be better served contacting the Sierra Club. They have had such tours in the past. If you find a good one let me know. I’d love to increase my knowledge in this area. GREG
Christopher Nyerges runs foraging hikes, mostly out at the Hahamongna Watershed by Alta Dena, as well as a few other places. It’s a fun trip, a few hours for about $20.
As for mushrooms, I think the season down here is kind of over. LA Mycological Society has talks and walks, and occasionally the Native Plant Society will do walks too, but as far as I know, they aren’t particularly geared towards the forager, so much as just people that are interested in mushrooms. Most of the places they go are nature preserves, so even if you find edible mushrooms, you aren’t really allowed to gather in bunches to eat. But once you have the knowledge, maybe you can find another non preserve park…
Great post! I really like the idea of foraging, but here in Hawaii, where I haven’t been living for very long, I’m not even sure what I’m looking at half the time. But fruit trees are everywhere, and I’ve done the fruit-hanging-over-the-sidewalk grab more than once. Many times, in fact. I’d kill for my own lychee or mango tree, and think I might maim someone for a papaya or avocado tree. Sorry, but I like my fruit. Your information and advice are excellent, and I’m bookmarking your page for future reference. Thanks for posting this.
Great post about foraging! I pick the unopened flower buds of the mustard plants and serve them in the Greek way: boiled and dressed with olive oil and lemon juice. Try it! 🙂
P.S. Your frittata looks delicious!
I am guessing that is not your real name…but I will try the flower buds trick. Cause if it ain’t poison, I’ll surely eat it! GREG
I’m no expert, but I think if you’ve got access to nettles, you’ll find that elderberry tree. They grow together in my back garden, anyway. And if the above is a current picture, you should be watching out for elderflowers rather than berries. They are umbrella formations of tiny white flowers with a fruity fragrance that make lovely cordial or flavouring for apple desserts. And they taste much nicer than the berries!
This is interesting information. Though I have yet to find an Elderberry tree. I just know they are supposed to be there somewhere. Maybe higher elevation?? But now that I know the flower better maybe I’ll have some luck. GREG
Do you ever find wild mushrooms on your scavenging, er. I mean foraging adventures? I understand there is quite a variety available in CA. How about avocados?
The idea of picking fresh meyer lemons off a tree is quite enticing.
I have heard tell of mushrooms. But am not brave enough to go there. There is a rather pornographic looking mushroom that pops up in my yard sometimes. I have heard it’s not only edible but a real delicacy. They look like a morel with a much longer slimy stem…But I can’t vouch for that as I have not eaten them. GREG
Probably not. If there’s one person likely to find the urine-flavored greens, end up with a hemlock salad or be attacked by a mountain lion, it’s me. Still, that frisson of danger has a certain appeal and I like the idea of fruit-grazing over the fence. The tours you’ve cited would make a great activity for our next visit to LA!
But if you do come to LA make sure you stop by Sup Town, err, I mean my neighborhood…
I might have to check out those hiking trails this weekend.