The Mediterranean
6 short explainers. Read them in order, or jump to the question you have right now.
- 127Cooking oil versus finishing oilGood extra virgin olive oil smells grassy and fruity and bites a little at the back of your throat. Those aroma compounds are volatile, which means they…
- 128Tomato sauce: short or long simmerTomatoes are acidic and sweet, and every minute of simmering evaporates more water. About 20 minutes keeps the sauce fresh and bright. An hour or more…
- 129Lemon herb roast: zest, juice, herbsThe yellow zest holds the aromatic oils, including limonene, that make a lemon smell like a lemon. The juice holds citric acid, which is the sour. The…
- 130Anchovies melt into saucesAnchovies cure in salt for weeks or months. Their proteins break down into free amino acids, including savory glutamate. In warm oil the fillets fall apart…
- 131Silky hummus: whip the tahiniTahini is ground sesame seeds, mostly oil. Whip it with lemon juice and ice water. It stiffens first, then loosens into a pale, fluffy emulsion: tiny…
- 132Braised greens: garlic early, acid lastHeat and salt pull water out of leaf cells, and heat softens the pectin holding the cell walls together. A big pile collapses into a small, tender mound.…
