CONCEPT 31: SLICING CHANGES GARLIC AND ONION FLAVOR

Question 1

Most cooks understand that cooking does what to onions and garlic?

Answer 1

Tames the harsh notes in garlic and brings out the sweetness of onions.

Question 2

Keys components in countless savory recipes.

Answer 2

Onion and garlic.

Question 3

Do garlic and onions belong to the same botanical family? What’s it called?

Answer 3

Yes, it’s called alliums - this also includes shallots and leeks.

Question 4

Unlike many other foods with potent flavors, garlic and onions don’t have what?

Answer 4

Almost no aroma.

Question 5

Does the papery skin keep some of the strong compounds from reaching our noses?

Answer 5

Yes, but these compounds aren’t really activated until the cell structure is disturbed.

Question 6

When the cells are ruptured, how does garlic get its strong aroma?

Answer 6

An odorless sulfur contain amino acid is released and immediately comes into contact with and enzyme called allinase. The reaction of the two eventually creates a new compound called allicin - garlic’s familiar scent and fiery flavor.

Question 7

When garlic is cut, will allicin build until the flavor becomes overwhelmingly strong?

Answer 7

Yes, this is why you should avoid advanced preparation.

Question 8

What happens to allicin when garlic is cooked?

Answer 8

It’s converted into a variety of more mellow tasting compounds.

Question 9

Compounds, similar to allicin, that are created when isoalliin mixes with the enzyme alliinase?

Answer 9

Thiosulfinates

Question 10

Unlike garlic, onions contain an enzyme called __ _______, which is responsible for what?

Answer 10

LF synthase, responsible for forming the tear-causing compound propanethial S-oxide.

Question 11

What does LFS stand for?

Answer 11

Lachrymatory factor synthase

Question 12

The odorless sulfur contain amino acid in garlic that mixes with alliinase to create allicin.

Answer 12

Alliin

Question 13

To get a less pungent taste and odor from onions, how do you slice them?

Answer 13

Through the poles - root to end.

Question 14

Does thinly slicing garlic create more or less bite than mincing?

Answer 14

Less

Question 15

Do thiosulfinates have antioxidative properties that stop enzymatic browning?

Answer 15

Yes, as seen in the test kitchen with potato juice.

Question 16

TEST KITCHEN: POTATOE JUICE W/NO ONIONS, DICED ONIONS AND MINCED ONIONS.

Answer 16

Juice with no onions was very dark, like tea; diced onions was a lighter color and minced was pale yellow.

Question 17

Does using a sharp or dull knife create less thiosulfinates?

Answer 17

Sharp

Question 18

Does more cellular damage with garlic and onion also equal more flavor? Explain.

Answer 18

Yes, when using a small amount of onions for a large dish you may need to mince it in order to extract a lot of its flavor. When making an onion soup, thinly sliced will keep it from overpowering anything.

Question 19

What happens when potato juice sits overnight?

Answer 19

It oxidizes and turns black.

Question 20

Three classifications of French soup.

Answer 20

Consommé (clear, broth soup), soup (thick, chunky, stewlike mixture), potage (hybrid of consommé and soupe).

Question 21

Do cutting and cooking affect garlic’s flavor?

Answer 21

Yes

Question 22

Garlic is sharpest when ____.

Answer 22

Raw

Question 23

At what temperature are garlic’s enzymes destroyed and no new flavor produced?

Answer 23

150

Question 24

What happens to flavor compounds when garlic hits 150ºF?

Answer 24

Flavor molecules that have been produced are transformed by the heat to more mellow-tasting sulfur compounds; this is why roasted or toasted garlic has a mellow, slightly sweet flavor.

Question 25

What happens if garlic is over browned at high temperatures? What temp causes this?

Answer 25

300 to 350ºF results in a bitter flavor.

Question 26

Why aren’t garlic chips (garlic heated in oil) bitter after cooking?

Answer 26

Because garlic chips are mellowed first, then crisped, it creates a sweet flavor with only hints of bitterness.

Question 27

Roasted whole head.

Answer 27

Very mild, sweet, caramel-like flavor.

Question 28

Toasted whole clove.

Answer 28

Mellow and nutty flavor.

Question 29

Slivered and sautéed.

Answer 29

Mellow flavor.

Question 30

Minced and sautéed.

Answer 30

Full and rounded flavor.

Question 31

Pressed and sautéed.

Answer 31

Very robust, harsh flavor.

Question 32

Raw paste.

Answer 32

Sharp and fiery flavor.

Question 33

Easiest way to turn garlic into a paste.

Answer 33

Use a rasp-style grater.

Question 34

When sautéing croutons, how does water help?

Answer 34

Water gelatinizes starch within the bread, simultaneously breaking some of it down to glucose. As it cooks, the starch turns crispy on the exterior but remains tender within. And the glucose? Like all sugars, it hastens browning–a good thing for croutons.

Question 35

Paste or oil-packed anchovies for caesar dressing?

Answer 35

The deep flavor of good quality oil-packed fillets is a must in this recipe. The fishier, flatter taste of commercial anchovy paste won’t do.

Question 36

Why should you mash anchovies with a fork?

Answer 36

To ensure they add savory, not fishy, flavor; big chunks taste fishy.

Question 37

What can you soak precut garlic in to mellow its flavor?

Answer 37

Lemon juice.

Question 38

Why does garlic mellow out when soaked in lemon juice?

Answer 38

The citric acid in lemon juice hastens the conversion of harsh-tasting allicin to more mellow compounds called thiosulfinates, disulfides and trisulfides–the same milder tasting compounds that form when garlic is heated.

Question 39

A simple way to ensure garlic isn’t burned when cooking in oil.

Answer 39

Start the oil and garlic off cold.

Question 40

Heavy browning makes garlic taste ____ and ___-_________.

Answer 40

Acrid, one-dimensional.

Question 41

Cloudy pasta water generally means what?

Answer 41

Isn’t necessarily and indication you’ve overcooked the noodles. It can also mean the pasta has a weak structure and breaks down too much as it cooks, resulting in a mushy texture?

Question 42

Is Montebello a poor pita brand?

Answer 42

Yes

Question 43

Is De Cecco a poor pasta brand?

Answer 43

No

Question 44

Describe cloudy pasta water (confusion with its aesthetic principles).

Answer 44

Firm pasta will still be slightly cloudy (you can still see a spoon in the water glass) but weak pasta creates a thick cloud of starch that blankets everything else.

Question 45

Great pasta texture all comes dow to what?

Answer 45

Maintenance of the extruder and the die, as well as the drying process.

Question 46

Texture of poorly made noodles.

Answer 46

Sticky and gummy.

Question 47

Texture of properly made noodles.

Answer 47

Firm and springy.

Question 48

To form pasta into shapes, most dough is passed through what?

Answer 48

Holes of a die.

Question 49

All dies were originally made with _______ blocks, which give the noodles’ surface a rough-______ appearance.

Answer 49

Bronze, hewn

Question 50

Manufacturers claim that sauce clings better to what type of noodle?

Answer 50

Coarse and craggy.

Question 51

Many American manufacturers have switched to what type of dies?

Answer 51

Teflon-coated dies.

Question 52

Why have manufacturers switched to Teflon dies?

Answer 52

It’s non-stick and reduces the surface tension of the dough extrusion and, as a result, creates smoother, shinier pasta.

Question 53

What did test kitchen find in regard to sauce adhesion with different noodles?

Answer 53

Sauce clung equally well to pasta made with both types of dies.

Question 54

Were bronze dies responsible for producing a firmer texture?

Answer 54

No

Question 55

How does the extruder affect texture?

Answer 55

The heat, friction and pressure applied to dough wear down and loosen the extruder parts over time. When this happens, the machine is no longer able to press the dough with enough force to make perfectly compact strands of spaghetti.

Question 56

Do drying times and temperatures vary among brands?

Answer 56

Yes

Question 57

How do manufacturers heat and dry pasta?

Answer 57

Some dry their pasta low (95 to 100º) and slow (over the course of many hours, even days) in drying rooms, claiming it preserves flavor. Others, like Barilla and Ronzoni, place the noodles in special ultra-high-temperature (UHT) ovens and crank the heat to 190ºF or higher, which gets the job done faster.

Question 58

How does heat affect pasta?

Answer 58

The high heat cross-links some of the gluten strands and can strengthen pasta. But UHT drying tends to cook out some of the pasta’s flavor.

Question 59

Why are yellow onions best for caramelizing?

Answer 59

They strike a good balance between savory and sweet, with mild onion flavor and beautiful color.

Question 60

Name 5 types of onions in the produce aisle.

Answer 60

Yellow, white, Spanish, red and Vidalia.

Question 61

Described as sugary and mellow while others found them too sweet and one-dimensional.

Answer 61

White onions.

Question 62

Deep and complex flavor but can seem a bit harsh.

Answer 62

Spanish onions.

Question 63

Turn very dark when caramelized and can be pleasantly sweet despite their sticky and jammy consistency.

Answer 63

Red onions.

Question 64

Sweetest sample but have a chalky and gummy texture when caramelized.

Answer 64

Vidalia onions.

Question 65

Possible issues when caramelizing onions in a pot.

Answer 65

The sides encourage condensation causing onions to take a longer when caramelizing.

Question 66

Non-stick or regular sauté pan when caramelizing onions?

Answer 66

The flavorful juices do not cling to non-stick pans, forcing them to mingle with the onions.

Question 67

How to use heat when cooking caramelized onions.

Answer 67

Start on high heat to release moisture immediately then turn down to medium. This will create a nice caramel brown.

Question 68

Why should you finish caramelizing onions with water?

Answer 68

It gathers up drops of caramelized onion juice from around the edges of the pan without compromising flavor or texture.

Question 69

When is the best time to salt onions? Explain.

Answer 69

Adding them before cooking helps release moisture and thoroughly season onions. Adding after cooking only seasons the surface and leaves onions crunchy.

Question 70

Does salting onions before cooking create a longer cooking time?

Answer 70

Yes, excess moisture takes longer to evaporate.

Question 71

TEST KITCHEN: TOMATO SAUCE COOKED WITH SLOWLY COOKED, QUICK COOKED AND RAW ONIONS.

Answer 71

The sauce with gently cooked onions was rich, rounded and sweet; fast cooked was sharp and flat; sauce made with raw was thin-tasting.

Question 72

Why do onions taste different depending on heat and duration?

Answer 72

Onions contain different types of sulfur compounds. Chopping and low heat release the enzyme alliinase, which zeroes in on some of these molecules, breaking them in half and producing pungent compounds that, over time, transform into sweeter-tasting disulfides and trisulfides. The longer exposure to low heat produces more molecules and greater complexity. High heat deactivates the enzymes, so fewer of these flavor molecules are produced.

Question 73

How does fat also help produce greater flavor when cooking onions (besides the obvious)?

Answer 73

When fat coats the onions during cooking, it protects against the reaction with water, so that fewer of objectionable molecules can form.

Question 74

What happens when you add raw onions to water (or watery substances like tomato)?

Answer 74

Water triggers the release of smelly and unpleasant-tasting sulfur compounds (boiled onions, anyone?)

Question 75

Secret to rich French onion soup.

Answer 75

Caramelizing the onions for 2 1/2 hours in the oven and deglazing the pot several times. This can also be done on the stove with added patience. Finish on the stove and deglaze a few times to collect the fond–takes 30 to 45 min for deglazing.

Question 76

Best way to slice onions for French onion soup. Explain.

Answer 76

Pole to pole will have more presence and retain some shape.

Question 77

How do red onions affect French onion soup?

Answer 77

They bleed out to produce a dingy-looking soup.

Question 78

How do white onions affect French onion soup?

Answer 78

Too mild.

Question 79

How do Vidalia onions affect French onion soup?

Answer 79

They make the broth candy-sweet.

Question 80

How do yellow onions affect French onion soup?

Answer 80

They offer sweet and savory notes.

Question 81

Can you remove strong odors from cutting boards with baking soda?

Answer 81

Yes

Question 82

How to make baking soda paste.

Answer 82

1 tbsp baking soda and 1 tsp H2O; rinse with hot, soapy water when finished.

Question 83

Most effective two ways to reduce tears when cutting onions.

Answer 83

Wear some type of eye protection (ie contact lenses) or work next to a flame; changes the activity of sulfuric propanethial S-oxide by oxidizing completely and probably deteriorating as well.