"I like to do demos because they let me vent," Michael Symon admitted in Aspen. Which was fine by the crowd. It was only 10 a.m. on Friday, but the audience was roaring with laughter. At his In Praise of Pork seminar, the Iron Chef, who's set to release a book with Michael Ruhlman this November, showed that he's just like us. He accidentally lights up the wrong burners and secretly loves Miracle Whip (he buys a giant tub incognito and has to hide it in the back of the refrigerator). Still, the renowned chef had a lot of knowledge to impart on the audience when it came to seasoning and spices. Learn Symon's tips for enhancing food's flavor when you read more.
- Michael admits he wants to "kill the guy who invented the garlic press." Always chop garlic by hand. A food processor makes garlic taste bitter and "hot."
- Go Greek and put cinnamon — the world's most underrated spice — on everything from meatballs to lamb.
- Buy spices in whole form, not ground. When you buy ground, it's impossible to know whether the spice was ground last week or four years ago.
- Likewise, buy fresh herbs. When you buy dry herbs at the grocery store, you just don't know what you're getting.
- Don't discard the stems of vegetables such as watercress; they contain much of the vegetable's flavor.
- When zesting, only complete one pass, otherwise you'll hit pith, which imparts a bitter flavor.
- For flavor without heat, remove the seeds — and ribs — in hot peppers. There's actually more heat in the rib than in the seed.
- Don't cook with extra-virgin olive oil; blended olive oil is sufficient. For added flavor, cook with rendered animal fat.
- Unlike Italian olive oil, which may contain olives from other regions or countries, Greek olive oil is required to contain olives from only that region. Greek extra-virgin olive oil is a great, affordable addition to your kitchen.
On my next attempt at meatballs, I'll be adding in a dash of cinnamon. I'm also surprised to hear him sing the praises of Greek olive oil. Do any of these tips come as news to you?
Aftershock
Tomas Maier
Chantelle
The olive oil statement is incorrect for olive oil sold in the USA. An olive oil that says "Made in Italy" must have completely come from Italian olives. An olive oil that says "Imported from Italy" or "Imported from Greece" must have only touched the shore of that country, so conceivably the oil could have come from anywhere, sat in a dock in either Italy or Greece and then was shipped to the US. There are great olive oils from both Italy and Greece, but you must buy from a reputable producer, and it must say "Made in Country", not just "Imported from Country".
1He's a great entertainer!
2What I find funny about this article is the spice spinner full of McCormick already ground spices and dried herbs. However, all of the lids still have the seal on them, so obviously he isn't using them. Perhaps McCormick sponsored the event.
3Err, how is using a garlic press any different to chopping and crushing with a knife?
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