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Lynne Rosetto Kasper
Lynn Rosetto Kasper is host of The Splendid Table. . . a nationally syndicated public radio call-in program devoted to the bountiful world of food, broadcast on KMUW FM89, listener supported public radio serving Wichita and South Central Kansas. Tune in every Saturday from 3 – 4 pm and join Lynne and her guests! For more information about FM89 membership, programming and special events, visit us online at www.kmuw.org
Food & Drink
2002-01-01 12:33:00
Of garlic, vanilla & alcohol
Answer:  It's really very simple.  Preheat your oven to about 400 degrees.  Take large whole heads of garlic (I use organic garlic so I don't have to worry about fertilizers and pesticides) and cut off the top quarter of each head.  Set aside what you remove because you can use it later.  Arrange the whole heads of garlic in a shallow baking dish, add a bit of broth or water (about ¼ inch or so), and sprinkle each head with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Cover the pan with foil and put in the oven.  Roast about 45 minutes then uncover and roast another 15 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the garlic with a knife.  Question:  I was recently in Paris and picked up some bourbon extra vanilla beans and some powdered vanilla at a street market.  How do I know how much of this to use?        Answer:  Vanilla is the pod of a member of the orchid family.  If what you have is the same as what I used to buy in Paris, it's ground vanilla beans and is extraordinarily intense.  If a recipe calls for one teaspoon of vanilla extract, you would use the amount of ground vanilla that you could hold on the tip of a paring knife or about 1/16 of a teaspoon. The beauty of ground vanilla is that it's even more complex than most extracts because you get the different tastes from the seeds and the aromatic pod.  It's incredible.  Keep it in the freezer because it's really volatile.  I found I could keep mine for about a year and a half when frozen. Question:  I have some friends and relatives who are recovering alcoholics.  We all love to cook and eat.  When an entree or dessert recipe calls for alcohol I'm concerned that it won't burn off the way it's supposed to.  What is an appropriate substitute for the alcohol that won't appreciably change the quality of the dish?  Answer:  You are right to be concerned.  The alcohol doesn't always burn off completely so if one has any sensitivity to alcohol, you need to be cautious.  The trick when dealing with this type of substitution is to realize that while the finished dish won't taste the same, it will still have its own special flavor and can be very tasty.  Substitutes in savory dishes might include a dry cider, especially if you boil it down by half and add a little lemon juice.  This will make for an interesting play of fruitiness with a hint of sweetness and acidity.  You could do the same thing by using a good broth.  Another substitute is a fine vinegar, such as sherry, balsamic or wine vinegar, boiled off to almost nothing.  This always adds a a special resonance to the food.
 
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