A loose definition of the word improvisation to invent, compose, or perform something extemporaneously. For example, if you've ever seen a Woody Allen movie, laughed a sketch on Saturday Night Live or heard Miles Davis play notes of music is not bound by this earth, you've experienced improvisation in action. Because in the movies, sketch comedy and improvisational jazz is the joy of cooking is in the results that arise inspired their creation.
How do I use a recipe? Youevery step and measure each ingredient with the precision of a chemist? Do you have nervous feet back from the days of cookie stamping his foot to the rhythm of the timer? We will use this area we talk about more than our stomachs, the reasons are too numerous. Whatever the reason, because I usually approach with the recipe in hand. Often, a recipe that we do not understand. The essence of improvisational cooking, with him is something Zen approach requires imagination andInstinct to help solve the riddle of the recipe.
The steps on the path Improv Kitchen
Kitchen improvisational theater should not be read so much and for a recipe, how to bring skills and techniques to get a prescription to another level, or create a recipe out of nothing more than a pantry full of ingredients. You must have a certain degree of skill and understanding before diving into any kind of cooking. Improvisational cooking is no different. It forces you to trust your instincts as well.Follow these seven simple steps and soon will be free to open the refrigerator and begin cooking.
No. 1 button so many different styles of cooking as much as possible
This is probably the easiest of all the techniques of improvisation to learn and master. How many different ways to prepare food, as you can. The axiom is simple. The more you are exposed, the more imaginative you are. Fill out the headphones with nothing more than Britney and would be hard to imagine CharlieParker's saxophone. Therefore, eating nothing, but at the same restaurant and home cooking all the time and your food vocabulary is reflected.
# 2 key to understand the basic techniques of cooking
You can not take a trumpet, and expect, like Miles Davis, knowing a note of a few things first. I do not want all the things that could go wrong and go. I'm sure you get the picture. Now follow the same rules of improvisational cooking. We can not expect to be able to whip aCoq Au Vin without perfect knowledge of techniques used to do it. But the rewards can be great when you are doing. The following list is not only the essence though. I have listed all the techniques and methods that the best cooks do not care.
The oven-group
Fry - cook with dry heat that surrounds food with direct heat as possible.
Roasting Pan - The secret little careful, every professional kitchen. This method is a combination ofThe starting point of the food in a hot pan then into a hot oven.
Barbecue - Grilling is a cousin of this kitchen direct heat with the heat source from the diet rather than less.
Brazing - Moist heat cooking, as a rule in a closed container like a Dutch oven or tagine clay pot reached.
Cooking - A dry heat method of cooking is usually related to bread, cakes, etc.
Wet-group
Boiling - Cooking in a large quantity of liquid, usuallyWater.
Steam - Cooking in a closed container with a small amount of liquid (usually water, but not in reality) was stopped by the food above the liquid so that it is only in contact with steam vapors.
Poaching - best described as a method for eggs, fish and chicken cooking perhaps best known. This is still a hot liquid when the liquid reaches no more than a simple kitchen cook over low heat.
The roast Group
Brown - cooking in a hot pan with little or no fat (butter, oiletc.)
Fry in skillet - very similar to frying, which consists of fat. Sometimes it's enough to almost overwhelm the food.
Fry - The Asian method of cooking in a frying pan very hot, usually a wok, with very little fat, while the food almost constantly in motion.
Fry - kitchen fully immersing food in hot fat. The fat makes the job of the kitchen looking for food with the heat, so cook quickly in dense natural juices and flavors.If done correctly, is not suppose most people health demon it is.
The Outdoor Group
Grilling - Cooking over direct heat with the food usually assisted by one of a kind of rust. This method can be carried out indoors and with proper equipment.
Smoking - This is actually two sub-groups. Smoking hot temperatures is that infuses the food at the same time the food is cooking with smoke flavor. Cold smoking is the heat source separate from the kitchenChamber so that the food is wrapped in cold weather, the smoke, the taste will be drawn without cooking.
Rotisserie - works such as grasshoppers, this method is not necessarily open for the lucky few who have the ability to be done in a well equipped kitchen. In any case, cooking the food directly on or near a heat source and turned by some mechanical means is exposed.
The group of salsa
That's where it gets a little 'difficult to separate the cooks from the pretenders. Somethese techniques are the best at the elbow of someone who has previously learned. But you can not stop yourself, dig in and try it yourself. You can come up with some pretty terrible things, but the attempt to learn a lot.
Stock - A cornerstone of cooking, whether meat, fish, poultry or vegetables. A cook low and slow meant to pull the true essence of flavor in liquid form.
Brown sauce - with meat usually beef or veal, but can be made with any brownspicy roasted bones and vegetables with herbs.
Demi-Glace - Just like brown sauce made only with no thickeners, and reduce to thicken and intensify flavors.
Aka béchamel milk, and cream or paste (flour and butter) and was thickened with a roux - white sauce
Cream - Designed much like white sauce, is replaced with the exception of milk is usually a light lager meat or poultry. It is often improved with egg yolk andButter at the end.
The Family "Aise" - This includes all its descendants, such as Dutch and Bern, Choron, etc., and all his descendants, and aioli mayonnaise, remoulade, dressings, etc. These are all based emulsion of egg and body composed mainly of oil or butter.
Other emulsions - This may or butter sauces, vinaigrette Aeolis region, sauces, thickened, finished with butter and cream at the last minute or in a pan.
Gravy - A sauce in bulk only. Saucesare generally with the sauce of roasted meat or poultry were collected. The varieties are not thickened sometimes called 'menu' Jus in modern vernacular.
The Soup Group
The Hearty Family - This includes all the varieties that you used in food-sized dishes like beef stew, chicken and dumplings, chili, soup and stew.
Bisque - Soup is usually intense flavor and is thickened with rice, potatoes or pasta flour breading called.
Puree - Similar toCookies made in nature, but usually with a single and flavors of vegetables thickened by pureeing the whole mass of some mechanical or manual. Often, these soups are finished with cream.
Creme - a soup, thick or thin, whether a substantial part of the liquid is milk or cream.
Soup - often confused with storage, are both liquids, which have been seasoned with spices. But the basic structure is composed of actions while bones from cuts of meat broththere are more collagen. This is the quality of lip stick, the stock is his hard body.
Broth - a stock that has been clarified with egg whites
Miscellaneous Group
This is a smorgasbord of techniques that add depth to a little 'more to your creativity.
Papillote, parcels and bags - This is where the food is packaged and sealed in paper, aluminum, or sometimes a natural casing as a corn husk or banana leaf. Packages can be cooked baked, steamed,Cooked or grilled.
Dumplings - This is a very broad category of food products and methods that have many varieties that I use to break into two families now contains. The diversity and variety filled dough is nothing more than pasta. Relatives dough filled with names such as ravioli, dim sum, kreplach or cakes. After filling, these brothers are juicy steamed, boiled, baked or fried. The dough will be nothing, but relations in general, just as "Dumplings", but sometimes the most important aromabefore his name, such as apple or onion. On this branch of, Hush Puppies tree, matzo balls and donuts are.
Croquettes - usually fried delicacy, but sometimes in the oven. A soft fill any manner of meats, cheeses, vegetables or fruit wrapped in a crispy shell.
Brine - Very popular these days. Besides Turkey, Thanksgiving, is an essential step in the process of smoking, certain foods, such as salmon or ham. But it is often a stand in foods like salmon or gravlaxHam.
Pate - A French term to describe a dish with minced (ground), offal or any kind of meat. But the technology is placed in cooking and has recently become more mixtures of vegetables or fruit, as noted above. Cold meatloaf is technically a cake.
Salami - Pardon my French, but they had a great impact on the world of cooking. This term includes all types of sausage making and meat preservation.
The Baker Group
This group ofTechniques is where art meets science of cooking food. Measurement accuracy, the combination of ingredients and the technique of the utmost importance. Discipline and strict adherence to the formula may need to replace a loose attitude that you can give to other cooking areas. But as in life, there are no absolutes. Once mastered, these techniques show a lot of tuning options and apply a recipe to your will.
Yeast Bread - sweet or savory, these can be bread, rolls or bagels. Theircan be baked, fried or steamed.
Quick Bread - The "fast" generally refers to the active yeast, which is obtained with the eggs, baking soda, baking powder and any combination thereof. These can be baked in loaves or cups (they are like muffins). Or in ways that will change its name changed a steamed pudding.
Cakes, pies and cobblers - Whether it's a crust or two dishes by hand or in depth, full-cream, fruit fillings, cream or meat. The basic structure varieslittle.
Cakes and pies - the basic building blocks of flour (usually wheat, but any variation), sweetener (sugar, honey, whatever) change, and yeast (very similar to the quick bread) are rare. The differences in all the flavor and the final construction come.
Icings and frosting, etc. - in fact, a group of sweets and cakes, but for this purpose, it stands alone. I am in this field, including fondant, buttercream, ganache, boiled frosting and finished with all the wonderful creationspulled sugar.
Souffles and mousses-One of the obstacles seem difficult for beginners, but also the simple structure of flavors illuminated with basic protein in case of soufflé or whipped cream for the mousse learned the sky is the limit.
Creams - Learn to manage both races baked, boiled and stir in focus, opens up new opportunities for both sweet and savory variations.
To grasp a difficult process because of the wide range of foods, can - Puddingscalled puddings.
# 3 Learn the ratio of aroma, flavor, texture and color
The relations of smell, taste, texture and color are probably the most important aspect of the kitchen improvisation. At the end of each dish can be cooked well, the judge must be an integer. It has all to perceive and respond with a complete harmony. Webster's dictionary describes these elements as follows;
Aroma - A pleasant characteristic odor
Taste - the taste experience with a warmSpice in the mouth
Texture - The distinctive physical composition or structure of something, especially in terms of size, shape and arrangement of its parts.
Color - This aspect of things, which is caused by different quality of light reflected or emitted from them.
For all those who work in harmony, is not an easy task. If you have recipes or ideas that are the crux of the whole kitchen. To neglect or diminish any of these factors leadin a court which is not complete. And to improve contrast and to emphasize these elements and would be a court, not the result of the balance and, probably, very attractive. So how do you know if you do it right? There may be a formula or a system to measure these elements, which ensure that all parts of the puzzle in place? No, you just know if it works. Although the balance between these elements is crucial, the right answer for you. Let your soul and your plateor as it was called in Caddyshack, "Be the ball!" Let your senses tell you what's happening in the pot. Smell, taste, look and even feel the food during cooking. There is a great story to tell if you let it.
# 4 Learn the art of accompanying
Only a few things that we are cooking for themselves. Even well-made soup or stew is even more complete and more interesting for what is served with. The range of possibilities to spice supplements, drinks and even on the fieldChoice of lighting or music. In fact, there are too many possibilities to discuss in detail. The best way to address this dilemma is to understand, first, the goal. Since there are big differences in this and a simple lunch for two suggests a different set of choices from a large family gathering or an elegant dinner. Throw into the mix that with your level of comfort with certain techniques and dishes and I think to say what I do. Perhaps the best way to dealThis step towards the improvisation of the kitchen to start with what you know, because like the right accompaniment can make a meal, only evil can destroy easily.
Cook with the other # 5
"You can do everything in solitude except character of gain."
Stendhal, On Love, 1822
Unlike jazz, improvisational comedy, or any of the other arts, in which the act of improvisation rarely occurs alone, seldom think about how to cook something that can and should be done with others. But there arerandom improvisation sessions, which happens all the time.
In developing the skills of improvisational cooking, you should schedule several meetings to decide to cook a particular dish or prepare a meal that combines two or more persons jointly centered. Cooking with someone else to magically open the door to your imagination.
# 6 Taste Analytically
I started cooking because I wanted to understand the magic behind the food we eat. Analysis Tasting and smell of ingredients forunderstand the implications, each in a pot is a key capability for improvisation. The more you do, the easier it is to unlock the magic of a court. This skill with a solid understanding of technology coupled allows you to do great things in the kitchen.
# 7 break the rules.
Without a sense of exploration, the switch final rule, we never went to the moon or experienced Nouvelle Cuisine. The space program produces hundreds of modernConveniences we enjoy today. However, many food writers and chefs consider nouvelle cuisine with the same contempt as the torment of the collars and polyester suits of the day. Nouvelle cuisine has given us a legacy to the limits. Unlike other chefs in the period were below the expected, and for us a whole new way to view it. The food and presentation techniques that have seemed strange and far, has not only become the norm for many bosses, but a jumping offBoiling point at the most wild species. Breaking the rules is the mantra in many kitchens today. Edible foams salty snacks are laser printed paper carnival in the palaces of haute cuisine served some of the ways the rules are broken. If something feels like is usually the next time you are in the kitchen, then they break. You can create something that is not edible, but you learn a valuable lesson. I can not stress enough that once you combine your best knowledge of techniques and flavorsand the construction of your imagination is free to explore new ways of seeing. Soon the rules will begin to disappear.
Chicken breast in mustard sauce PAN Improv
Boneless chicken breast and skin
Unsalted butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Velouté sauce
Good grainy mustard French
Yolk
Lemon juice
Chives for garnish
Butterfly the chicken breast, or pound them to 1 / 2 "thick. Each season generously with salt and pepperthen put aside. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until no more foam and begins to brown. Add just enough to give the chicken to the pan, and then also not too crowded. Brown the breasts on one side turn and cook for about 4-5 minutes. Take the pan from the heat and lift the chicken breasts to a warm plate. Repeat the process if you need to cook more chicken. Otherwise, the pan to the heat and add the sauce smooth. Stir in the mustard and reduce the heat to low. Scrapethe pan, saute chicken pieces all the little elevator attached to the pan. The egg yolk in a small bowl. Add a little 'heat from hot sauce to the egg yolks then stir the mixture into the sauce warm. Return the pot to boil the heat, but do not let the sauce. Finally, add the lemon juice and season to taste, if necessary.
Send the chicken and accumulated juices to the sauce and heat for a short time. Serve the chicken topped with a little sauce and garnish with some choppedChives.
Note Improvisation: The velvety sauce, in this case should be a bit 'on the thin side. The latent in the pan, mustard and egg yolk to have an impact on it a little 'thicker. Plan approximately one third for each cup of sauce, chicken breast.
