Welcome back to the 2nd edition of In the Kitchen, where I ramble to my friends who equally love food or are patient enough to listen to me talk about it. Published at random intervals. Proofread by me, 20 minutes after I wrote it. I sprinkle in some questions (which you never have to answer). Also, I try to respond back to some of the comments/questions I receive. Basically, I'm just winging it.
I’ve been letting this next email marinade for too long. Yes, this is possible. For both emails and food. Marinades, like this email, should have a few core properties:
Oil (to spread the love)
Aromatics (garlic, spices, shallots = tasty surface)
Acid (but not too much; acid + too much time = mushy meat).
Salt (ofc you need salt, silly)
Sugar (for balance + char)
Here’s an article that goes into more deets on the “why” behind each component (see Marinating section). And before you ask, yes, Kenji did write it.
Aka “O A ASS”
Did I just PEMDAS marinade? You bet.
At some point in the last train of thought I forgot how it connected to email writing. But my original thinking was that I left this next email marinating for too long. And I thought that longer marinating time = deeper thought = better writing. But marinades don’t work that way (they actually just barely penetrate the meat) and neither does my writing.
By the time I came back to my half thought out sentences on a google doc, they felt mushy. Forced. A bit too much acid marinated for too long. I had to change my approach and mostly, my mindset.
Today, I gave myself a reminder that this was just for fun. Why is it so easy to forget life/work should be fun? At least for me, these days, I have to actively remind myself to be more playful. This is, of course, made easier by hanging out with a toddler. But if you can’t find a toddler nearby (in a non-kidnappy way), we have to bring out our inner child.
TBH, I blame you all. You all hyped me up so much over the last email, so I got in my head about making this one great. Damn you, words of affirmation!!! But also keep them coming, they feel good.
This week I felt nourished by things other than food itself- shocker, huh?
I felt a new sense of nourishment when a 2 year old finally liked something I cooked. And of course, it was the most basic thing I cheffed up all week. A damn quesadilla. You may be wondering why I’m spending so much time with a 2 year old. No, it’s not my second family (don’t worry Reuben). It’s my niece.
Now that I think about it though, it would be incredibly hard to hide a second family as a woman, assuming the kids are yours. How do you hide a pregnancy? Only Avery Jessup figured that out.
Anyways, it’s amazing how validating her approval of the meal is, despite knowing that she will never remember it or even give a crap about it. But making something that others enjoy is rewarding in a way that I can’t quite explain. Am I the only one?
Here’s the thing about my love for cooking - part of cooking is the creation, but the other part is other peoples’ enjoyment. I’m going to blame the latina in me.
It’s why having Reuben as a person to cook for is simply the best. He enjoys eating more than most, and he hypes me up constantly. It’s the fuel I never knew I needed to keep practicing and building my confidence. He calls me Chef DPo and for someone who almost spent 6 years to become Professor DPo, the former is much more rewarding.
So this is your reminder to hype someone up for their cooking, but only if it’s tasty. If it’s over-marinated, tell ‘em, “ O U A ASS” for forgetting, “O A ASS”.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s the appropriately cheesy time to tell someone you’re grateful for their badassery in the kitchen. But if you’re looking for a different gift because you’re not quite a chef yourself, I have an answer for that too! (pretty shotty segway).
Self-Made Emailing Friends Influencer: Gift Guide under 15$
(and no, don’t get paid for this, Amazon has a high bar for affiliates and email is not a qualified source. If you are curious about that though, read more here)
I’ve been asked to share my top 3 kitchen gadgets that I can’t live without. I’ll be honest, no one asked… but since it’s the holidays and I am a self-made emailing friend's influencer, I figure you peeps are on the lookout.
Squeezy bottle ($)- This thing both makes you feel like a chef, looks fancy just sitting in your fridge and is a handy tool to store premade dressings in. Makes whipping up a salad feel a bit less cumbersome.
Scraper ($) - Never again use your knife to half scrape the mound of veggies. I really can’t hype this tool up enough.
Skura Sponge- Eva Mendez launched the best product in her lifetime. Perhaps in any actor's lifetime. This sponge is simply the best sponge in the world. It doesn’t stank. And it’s dense af, which makes cleaning feel like ASMR. No more smelly hands or dishes. Say no more.
In summary:
tell me yours, plz!
Last week, my chicken soup was controversial.
Mostly the chicken parts. I was told by one of you that, “I think having the spine in there gives it a lot of chicken oils which make a big difference”.
So, to cook w/ the spine or not? The answer is in fact, yes, the spine does enhance the flavors and body, but not for the reasons you may think.
Knowledge Drop
Welcome to our first episode of “Knowledge Drop”, where I break down the science behind your food thoughts (aka, I read the food lab and then summarize it back to you).
This is me in college filming for a friends’ short film. I actually have no idea if this was even used. Either way, it’s both an amazing picture and even better blackmail. Can’t be blackmail if I’m ahead of it, huh?
Spines are a big contributor to both body and texture. But so are legs. And so are wings. And so is skin. All four are high in collagen. When collagen unravels (under heat), you get gelatin and it forms a loose matrix that gives it that yummy body and texture. These parts also help you achieve more flavor, especially when combined and pulverized. YES, I said pulverized. Basically, by putting that shit in the food processor, you’re breaking down the muscle fibers and thus, making a shorter path to flava development
I’ve outlined the formula + hacks below to achieve damn good Stock (which is the base of your soup).
I think that’s enough ramblings for one day. The last thing I’ll leave you with is….
What I’m cooking:
This butternut squash soup is a perfect turkey day side dish that will make you look v fancy in front of your fam. *there's a typo below, my b
Recipe: Serious Eats
With love,
Chef DPo