A Memorial Day Collection Of Taste Tests
Plus my take on the great leftover rice debate
Happy Memorial Day Weekend, CulinaryWoman readers! We’re not far from June, which will mark CulinaryWoman’s fifth anniversary. For people who are new to the newsletter, CulinaryWoman was my pandemic project. I’m so pleased to see how much it’s grown since then. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, since I do not accept ads or have sponsors. You can also Buy Me A Coffee in any amount.
Looking At Spicy And Flavorful Food
Because we’re heading into a holiday, I thought I’d share some thoughts on the latest food products I’ve been sent over the past few months. I’d be interested to know if they’ve shown up on grocery shelves where you live and whether you have sampled them.
This month, my focus is on products that are spicy or which add flavor to dishes.
Marzetti Spicy Ranch Seasoned With Tabasco Sauce
Even though the Midwest is supposedly the land of ranch dressing, I have never been that much of a fan. I grew up with red wine vinaigrette dressing. If I’m going to have a creamy dressing, I prefer bleu cheese or Green Goddess.
So, I was shocked at how much I liked Marzetti’s new spicy ranch seasoned with Tabasco sauce. It comes close to a remoulade, which is the pinkish sauce that’s served in New Orleans with seafood. Marzetti says to use it on pizza, wings, tacos, burgers, salads, crudites and the places you’d use conventional ranch.
I tried it hesitantly on pizza crust (we do that here) and it made me a convert. It is not super-spicy, but there is a kick to it. I think it would make a great sauce with shrinp, or served with cheese curds. The dressing costs about $3.99 at Kroger and other grocery stores. You find it in the refrigerator section.
Kayanoya Soy Sauce And Dashi Ramen
I’ve used soy sauce all my life, but like many people, I relied on grocery store brands such as Kikkoman or else the little packets that came with Japanese and Chinese food.
That changed when I had lunch at MoPho, the recently departed restaurant in New Orleans owned by chef Michael Gulotta. The restaurant stocked artisanal soy sauce that was nothing like the commercial brand I’d been using. I subsequently bought some from Coutelier in New Orleans.
This winter, I was sent a box of fascinating and beautifully packaged food products from Kayanoya, whose roots in Japan date to 1893. It was originally founded as a soy sauce producer, and has since expanded its lineup to restaurants as well as specialty items.
One of the products is Kayanoya’s double-aging soy sauce. It comes in both a savory and a sweet version, and sells on its website for $13.15. That might sound a tad expensive, but you only need a teaspoon or less to add flavor to your Asian dishes, or to wake up other types of food.
Kayanoya also sent me an envelope of Dashi Ramen in sesame and miso.
In a world of instant ramen preparation, this is old-school Japanese cooking. First, you make the broth, using a flavor sachet from the kit. As the sachet swirls in boiling water, the broth darkens and is infused with flavor. In a separate pan, you cook the udon noodles. You drain them, dispose of the sachet, and combine the broth and noodles.
While it’s a tad time consuming, it’s also authentic and gives you the chance to understand the ramen process. The serving is enough for two people. Once the dish is assembled, you can add more ingredients, such as vegetables, seaweed, seasoning, egg or meat. It sells for $12.80 on the Kayanoya website.
Pacific Foods Chicken Bone Broth With Ginger, Turmeric And Black Pepper
You may have become a fan of bone broth, which was just called broth when I was growing up. Health advocates embraced bone broth as a source of nutrients, to improve digestive health and to reduce inflammation. It’s made, as you might expect, by simmering bones from animals and seafood.
Pacific Foods sent me a variety of its soups, which were nicely spiced. They included butternut squash soup flavored with cinnamon and nutmeg, spicy garden tomato soup, and chicken bone broth with ginger, turmeric and black pepper. The chicken broth can be used in a variety of dishes. You can add noodles, veggies, shredded chicken,, or simply have it hot or cold.
Chicken broth is a good drink to take on a boat trip, when you’re out hunting, at a football game or after cool weather activities. Even though summer is coming, you still might need to warm up after working outside. It goes for $6.49 at Amazon and you can also get a bone broth version that’s unsalted.
I’m Team Leftover Rice
Last week, CNet wrote an article that did not sit well with almost everyone who eats rice. It declared, “That Leftover Rice Could Be Dangerous. Here’s How.”
The article declared, “Leftover rice isn't safe to eat for dinner. Stay healthy by cooking up fresh rice, instead of reheating leftovers.”
Actor Simu Liu spoke for many of us when he posted, “You gotta be kidding me.”
I rarely let any rice go to waste, and it’s a staple in many cultures.
In Japan, leftover sushi rice is paired with tea or ramen broth to make chazuke, a soup that helps soak up alcohol after a night out.
Leftover rice is ideal for making fried rice from multiple cuisines.
Leftover rice, in the form of risotto, is also used in Italy to make risotto al salto, which are crispy pancakes often served with smoked salmon or parmegiano regioano on top.
I always cook doubles when I make rice. I make mine in a covered dish in the oven when I am roasting vegetables, fish or chicken. I eat half with my meal, and refrigerate the other half for another meal. I always make sure to thoroughly heat up the leftover rice with a little water. Then, I eat it plain with butter, in a bowl with other ingredients or drop it into soup.
We don’t all have the time or resources to make a fresh pot of rice every single time. As long as you cool it promptly, you’ll be fine. That said, I wouldn’t keep leftover rice more than 48 hours, because it can get hard. But it is certainly safe to eat. Sorry, CNet.
News From Favorite TV Food Series
Here are some updates on food television shows.
— Tucci In Italy has begun airing on NatGeo, and you can watch repeats on Hulu and Apple TV Plus. NatGeo helpfully uploaded the Tuscany episode onto YouTube.
— Somebody Feed Phil will be back on Netflix on June 18. This season, Phil Rosenthal will visit Amsterdam, Tbilisi, Sydney, Adelaide, Manila, Las Vegas, Guatemala, San Sebastian, and Boston.
— The Bear, Season 4, will begin airing on FX on Hulu beginning June 25.
Keeping Up With CulinaryWoman
There won’t be an issue of Red Beans & Advice for paid subscribers due to the Memorial Day holiday. But when it returns, I’ll tell you about a candy bar that is Japan’s answer to Dubai chocolate.
Feel free to get in touch with me at culinarywoman (at) gmail dot com, or reply to this newsletter. You can also reply to any of my posts on the Substack app.
A reminder to publicists: I do not write about alcohol, I do not honor embargoes and I generally don’t write stories about National _____ Food Days. But I am interested in hearing about trends, new data and learning about emerging figures in the food world.
Wishing you all a lovely unofficial start to the beginning of summer. We still have the heat on here in Michigan and I have a canister of Ice Melt next to my front door just in case.