selection

Yuca - How to Select and Use

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:27 -0400

This root vegetable is never eaten raw.
Select firm roots that are odorless, hard and free of cracks and soft, slimy, or moldy spots. Since it spoils rather quickly, keep at room temperature for no longer than 3 days. It can be peeled and frozen for longer storage. If you cut off a portion of the yuca, leave the rest uncovered to seal over.
To peel yuca, cut the yuca crosswise into 3-inch sections with a sharp knife. Be sure to use a sharp knife. Stand a section upright on a cutting board. Starting at the top of the tuber, cut a strip of the bark and fibrous layer off with the downward motion of the knife. Rotating the yuca, cut off the remaining bark in this manner. Repeat for the other sections. Immerse the yuca in cold water after peeling until ready to use.

Tomatillos - How to Select and Use

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:22 -0400

Select tomatillos with their husks still drawn tightly around them. Husk and rinse off the sticky residue before using them.

How to Choose Shrimp

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:18 -0400

Tiger Shrimpi - Mild flavor, with a sweet taste and a crunchy texture.
White Shrimp - Mild flavor, with a slightly salty, shrimpy taste and firm texture. Great for salads and stir-fry.
Pink Shrimp - Mild to medium flavor, with a medium texture. Perfect for shrimp cocktail.
Browni Shrimp - Full, robust flavor, with medium texture. Best when used for full-flavor dishes like gumbo or for frying.

Pumpkin - How to Select and Store

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:16 -0400

Pick a pumpkin that is heavy for its size.
The pumpkin should be blemish-free and should be bright in color.
The smaller the pumpkin, the more sweet and tender it will be.
If you are going to cook the pumpkin, pick one that is grown specifically for eating, such as a sugar or pie pumpkin.
Pumpkini can be prepared like most winter squash.
A pumpkin can be stored at room temperature for 1 month. After it has been cooked and mashed, it can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Pomegranates - Availability, Selection and Storage

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:14 -0400

Available late September through mid-February. Look for large, brightly colored fruit with shiny skins. Pomegranates keep longer than most fruits. Stored separately in small plastic sandwich bags, they will keep in the fridge for up to 10 weeks. You can also freeze the seeds in a resealable freezer bag for later use in salads or as an ice cream topping.

Pineapple - How to Select

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:13 -0400

Leaves should be bright green and sprightly, not pallid, brown or limp, and the fruit should feel heavy for its size, yield slightly to pressure but be devoid of soft or brown spots. Look for a faintly fruity aroma that exudes from the stem, but beware a sweetish, fermented odor.
Available year-round, the pineapple's peak season is March through July.

Oysters - Choosing and Preparation

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:12 -0400

When choosing oysters it’s important that the oyster shells are tightly closed and not broken. Discard any oysters with even a small slit opening. Next, scrub shells well with a brush and rinse thoroughly.
It helps to have a good, blunt oyster knife, and you might want to wear gloves for protection.
Soak the washed oysters in cold water seasoned with medium-grain sea salt (about 1 tablespoon per dozen oysters) for about 30 minutes. Soaking in fresh water robs the oysters of their briny flavor. The oysters are ready to be opened after they begin wiggling in the water. Place the oysters in a tub of ice, then pluck them out one by one to be opened.
Hold the oyster with the curved bottom side in the palm of your hand (the top side is flat). Insert the knife into the hinge and gently rock it back and forth to pry open the oyster and cut the hinge. Before tearing off the top shell, gently scrape off the abductor, the muscle that opens and closes the shells, attached to the top shell. Avoid puncturing the oyster meat. Be careful not to spill the liquid, as some consider this the finest part of the oyster.
Next, gently place the knife under the oyster and sever the abductor on the bottom shell. Place oyster shells on a bed of ice and prepare or serve immediately.

Mango - Selecting and Preparing

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:09 -0400

Mangoes vary in color. This means that color is not an indicator of ripeness. Use these simple steps to select your mango.
1. A mango is mostly green with a slight reddish blush.
2. It is ripe when it gives slightly when gently squeezed. If it is too soft, it is overripe!
3. If the stem gives off a fruit aroma, it is ripe! (Unripe mangoes have no aroma.)
4. For a mango that will last for several days, select one with a firmer feel when squeezed. Mangoes will ripen at room temperature in about one week. Mangoes should not be refrigerated during the ripening process
5. To hurry up the ripening process, place the mango in a paper bag for a few days. When ripe, avoid sunlight or high humidity. Fully ripe mangoes can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
What you need to know for cubing a mango (hedgehog-style):
Not only is it a dazzling way to display the mango and impress your friends and family, but cubing is also a clever way to prepare the fruit for your favorite recipe.
Slice the mango lengthwise cutting just above the seed (this is the fibrous centre that runs down the middle of the fruit). Curve your knife around the seed and repeat on the other side.
Scorei the fruit flesh in a crisscross pattern (forming cubes). Be sure not to cut all the way through to the skin of the peel. Repeat on the other half.
The cubes can easily be spooned or peeled away by bending the peel backwards to look like a hedgehog (pressing on the skin side).

Jicama - Choosing, Storage, Preparation

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:08 -0400

Select medium-size jicama that are smooth, hard and free of spots.
To prepare, pare away the brown fibrous skin, then slice into sticks. Jicamai may be eaten raw or cooked. It is especially good sprinkled with lime juice and chili powder.
Store jicama in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Peeled chunks will keep for a few days in a bowl of water set in the refrigerator.

Green Beans - How to Choose

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:36:04 -0400

Do not buy the larger, nobby beans. They are old and tougher than young beans. Make sure you purchase fresh beans. To see if beans are fresh, here is a test. Break a bean in half and it should snap with a crispy feel. 1 pound of fresh beans will serve 4 people. You can cook beans whole if they are small. Otherwise cut them in 1 inch pieces.

Cumin (Comino) - Choosing and Storage

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:35:58 -0400

Buy cumin seeds, not the ground cumin. Warm the seeds briefly in a dry skillet and grind them as needed.
To roast cumin seeds, heat a small heavy skillet over a medium-high flame and then add the amount of cumin seed called for. Stiri it gently, and when it begins to pop a little, be sure not to let it turn black. Dump it from the pan, let it cool a little, and then grind it in a coffee grinder. You can even make a larger amount and store it for up to two weeks in your spice cupboard.

Avocados - Selection and Storage

Chef — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 03:35:46 -0400

Avocados ripen best off the tree, so if you can wait to use them, buy the rock hard ones. The best are the purplish black, bumpy-skinned Haas avocados. They have a rich, buttery flesh. The smoother, green-skinned California and Florida avocados are too watery, too sweet, and tasteless. It is preferable to use Haas avocados in Southwestern and Mexican cooking.
Prevent avocado flesh from discoloring by brushing it with lemon juice as it is peeled. It is a myth that by burying the avocado pit in the guacamole that it will prevent it from browning.