A quick post to tell everyone about the new article I just posted on my web site, www.reluctantgourmet.com, on clarified butter describing what it is, how to make it, how it is used in cooking and the advantages of using it.

I also talk about ghee or clarified butter that is cooked a little longer to cook off the milk butter.

And then there are some very cool cooking videos from Rouxbe offering step-by-step directions for making both clarified butter and ghee.

Go to Clarified Butter & Ghee

What Is Panko?

Panko-crusted mahi.  Mmm.  It sounds very swanky, but what exactly is “panko?”  Panko is the Japanese word for bread crumbs.

Suddenly, panko sounds much less swanky, but there are many characteristics of panko that often make them superior to American-style bread crumbs in many culinary applications.

There are two general types of panko sold in stores - white panko is made without crusts, and tan panko is made from the whole loaf, crusts and all.  What sets panko apart from regular bread crumbs is the processing.

The bread is processed in such a way that the resulting panko looks like flakes rather than crumbs. The flakiness means a much broader surface area than regular breadcrumbs.  What this means for your cooking is crispier coatings, crunchier toppings and lighter end-products, depending on how you use the panko.

If you dredge food in panko before frying, you will end up with a crisp, light fried coating.  Oil does not soak into panko as readily as it does into regular breadcrumbs, so you are left with a lighter, less-greasy coating.  Try this with seafood or chicken.

Panko makes a wonderful crisp topping for casseroles.  Toss panko together with some grated parmesan, salt, pepper and maybe some herbs.  Then, drizzle in some melted butter.  Spread this topping liberally on a casserole, and upon baking, you will be rewarded with a light, crunchy and flavorful topping—a nice contrast to your creamy casserole.  Try this trick on top of scalloped potatoes, lasagna, tuna noodle casserole or macaroni and cheese.

Use panko in any recipe that calls for bread crumbs as an ingredient.  Panko does not compact like breadcrumbs, and since grease doesn’t soak into them, your results will be lighter in texture than your original bread crumb-based recipes.  Use panko as an ingredient in crab cakes, meatballs or meatloaf.

By itself, panko has almost no flavor.  This makes it the perfect blank canvas.  Panko readily soaks up other flavors— and from the seasonings in the food and also from whatever seasonings you toss with it.  A simple topping of panko, a little salt and pepper, and some melted butter will result in a richly flavored, crunchy topping after baking.

If you do not have panko on hand, you can certainly substitute bread crumbs, but your toppings won’t be as crisp and any recipe you use them in will have a somewhat heavier texture.  A better substitute for panko is cracker meal.  You can crush up saltine crackers or matzo or purchase ready-made matzo meal.

Where To Find Panko

Look for panko in Asian markets, where it is readily available.  Panko is becoming more and more common on the shelves at your local grocery store, as well, as more people discover its light and crispy texture.  Find panko in the Asian section of your store or in the same aisle as standard bread crumbs.

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Parmesan Crusted Sea Bass

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How to Cook Great Rice and Beans

Have you ever stopped to notice that there are some dishes that can be found in almost every area of the world? They might go by different names or be spiced differently, but if you look beyond that, they are almost identical.

An example of this is flat bread.  Mexico has tortillas, India has chipati.  Go to Africa and find injera; visit Russia for blini, Malaysia for roti and Greece for pita.  Most cultures also have some sort of dumpling—whether they be called ravioli or pot stickers or Jamaican patties—and some sort of stew.  Curry, coq au vin, beef Bourgignon, Hungarian goulash, bouillabaisse and gumbo, just to name a few.

The one I want to focus on is simple rice and beans.  Rice and legumes are inexpensive to produce, are nutritious (the combination of beans and rice yields a complete protein) and can be stored for long periods of time.  As a result, many cultures make their own versions of rice and bean dishes.

Also, since meat has historically been featured as a main dish only on special occasions, it only provides a background flavoring note, if it is present at all.  This allowed the cook to stretch meat much farther and offer a less expensive meal that was still full of protein.

Rice and Beans Template

When considering making rice and beans, you might go and search for a particular recipe.  There is nothing wrong with that, of course.  But, you might want to consider the dish as more of a recipe template than one stand alone recipe:

• Soak dried beans overnight
• Cook rice in liquid
• Cook onions and maybe some bacon (or similar) in fat and spices
• Add liquid and beans and simmer until tender.
• Add any other flavor components.
• Either stir cooked beans and rice together, or top rice with beans.

When looking at a particular dish as a recipe template, it frees you up to use different cooking liquids, different beans and even different types of rice and spices.  For example, to make a Mexican-inspired rice and beans, you might cook the rice in chicken stock and cook the beans with a little chorizo in beer and/or chicken broth seasoned with cumin and chili powder.

For an Indian-inspired dish, cook basmati rice with a little clove and cinnamon.  Cook chickpeas with cubed potatoes and diced tomatoes in vegetable stock seasoned with curry powder.

Here are two recipes for rice and beans.  Enjoy them the way they are written.  Then, don’t be afraid to change the ingredients up to reflect a particular country’s cuisine. These recipes make a lot and will serve 6 - 8 people with leftovers depending on whose doing the eating and what you are serving them with.

Canned Bean Substitutions & Equivalencies

If you are in a hurry, you can substitute canned beans although the results will be different. Some will say there is a huge difference, some will say not so much.  I don’t always remember to soak beans the night before so if in a hurry, I pull out a couple of cans of beans from the pantry and prepare this meal in under 1/2 hour.

Canned Beans to Cooked Beans

• 14 -16 oz can = 1.5 cups cooked beans
• 19 oz can = 2.25 cups cooked beans
• 28 oz can = 3 - 3.25 cups cooked beans

Dry Bean Yields After Cooking

• 1 pound dry beans = 6 cups cooked beans, drained
• 1 pound dry beans = 2 cups dry beans
• 1 cup dry beans (most kinds) = 2.5 cups cooked beans
• Chick peas, great northern beans, and lima beans: 1 cup dry beans = 3 cups cooked beans
• Lentils: 1 cup dried lentils = 3 cups cooked

Cajun Red Beans and Rice

1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1  1/2 lbs. smoked sausage, cut in 1/3” slices
1 lb. dry red kidney beans
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lg. onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 bay leaves
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Cajun seasoning, such as Louisiana or Tone’s, to taste
Hot sauce, such as Tobasco, to taste
1 beer (optional)
7 - 8 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
Hot cooked white rice

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