1001 Foods You Must Taste and CORNISH PASTY!

My sister borrowed 1001 Foods You Must Eat Before You Die from the library. The lush pictures and detailed descriptions of the foods made me extra hungry as I rode the train home in the sleet and snow.

Amongst the stranges are Shiokara (Japanese picked fish guts) and Bundnerfleisch (Swiss style cured thin sliced beef). But the book is also full of delightful descriptions of all the different herbs, spices, and plants I've heard of and wanted to learn about. Definitely a great reference for foodies and budding chefs alike. I've heard of ramps and eaten them before (not it's not just a place where skatboarders play), but I never knew that they take up to 7 years to mature!

Issay and I spent the entire evening poring over the book and learning about delicacies from around the world. What strikes me the most is how all cultures evolve similar foods and preparations. One common theme is the value placed on fatty meats, my favorite being Royal Peking Ducks, which can contain a third of its weight in fat (since fat weighs less than muscles, that means the bird is probably half fat by volume). Another is the delightful preparation of various foods wrapped in pastry dough then fried or baked.

Which brings me to the subject of the Cornish Pasty, one of the most wondrous creations of mankind. Filled with turnips and chopped (not ground) beef, the hearty interior is wrapped in a baked crust with a ridged side perfect for gripping with your fingers. I am proposing a pasty baking night this weekend with my other foodie friends. This can be either at my home or yours (I do not own a pastry knife!). But we will bake then consume pastys warm from the oven. Please feel free to reply with your interest.

Microwave Oven Poached Pears

I bought some unripened Bartlett pears last week from the grocery and stuck them in the fridge because of my love of crunchy pears. Issay disagrees with me on the validity of the unripe pear and prefers to ripen his naturally out of the fridge. Although naturally ripened pears can turn into little golden balls of silky sweetness, I've also forgotten to eat them in time and arrived to find brown and spotty ones.

Since I've been sick at home with a cold for the past half-week, I decided to poach the pears instead of eating them raw in order to reduce cold induced coughing fits. But being lazy as I usually am, I decided to poach them in the microwave. The end result: pretty good, but longer stay in the microwave would have been ideal, so I increased the cooking time.

Try this dessert:

1 firm unripened Bartlett pear (or medium ripe), cut into wedges or cubes
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp butter

Throw everything in a microwave safe bowl. Zap on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Zap for another 2 minutes. Stir. Zap for one more minute. Let cool. Consume with spoon and a side of ice cream or croissant (go for the croissant if you aren't sick!).