James Beard "Rising Star Chef of the Year" semifinalist and "Top Chef: Portland" finalist — and fan-favorite — Chef Shota Nakajima was a breath of fresh air on the show, adding a punch of levity and brightness on a season that sometimes felt a bit heavy with the stress and pressure of the competition. Nakajima recently spoke with Salon about …
Among the flavor enhancers used in Michelle Huneven’s Roman-style Chickpea and Tomato Soup with Bulgur are, top left, Red Boat salt and Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce. Red Boat Salt Infused with Red Boat’s famous fish sauce, this salt is pricey but highly concentrated — a little goes a long way. Huy Fong chili garlic sauce I add a teaspoon …
In 1908, Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda discovered that an amino acid called glutamate in kombu, or dried kelp, was responsible for the wonderful savouriness in his wife’s dashi, a stock that forms the basis of many dishes including miso soup, shabu shabu and okonomiyaki. In Korean cooking, kelp is essential to building layers of umami, the zephyrlike kind that lingers …
It's a smooth sauce now typically made in the U.S. with pureed tomatoes and vinegar. How ketchup, an invention of imperial China, eventually became a polarizing American staple Do a quick Google image search of the term "All-American food." A little history first: While tomato ketchup is deeply ingrained enough in American cuisine that it's present in 97% of American …
