Cooking Issues

Latest Episodes:

Episode 93: The Role of Plating Aug 14, 2012

Show notes

This week’s episode of Cooking Issues starts off with a slightly off-topic discussion: food aesthetics. Tune in to hear Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez talk about the the importance of the appearance of a dish or cocktail versus its taste. What role does food presentation have in defining the quality of a meal? Later, Dave tackles a question about centrifuges and clarifying agents, as well as some methods to re-bottle vermouth. Dave offers some equipment suggestions to a caller, and follows up about picky-eating children. Check out this listener’s suggestions for children’s foods here. What is involved with making a maraschino cherry? All this and more on this episode of Cooking Issues! This program has been sponsored by White Oak Pastures.

“We’re in an era now where a lot of food work is done on the Internet, in books, on television programs, and demonstrations. There’s a lot of work that’s done where you can tell that it’s done for the look, and not necessarily the taste.”

“When you’re doing a demo or dish or a cocktail it’s important to have it look appetizing. The way a dish looks can be enchanting and captivating and make an already good tasting thing taste better, but nothing is worse than something that’s taken forever to make look great but doesn’t even taste good.”

— Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 92: Sap and Stock Aug 07, 2012

Show notes

Welcome to another installment of Cooking Issues with Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez! On this episode, Dave breaks out some of his cocktail knowledge to help a couple win a Mexican-themed cocktail competition. Tequila, mezcal, or sotol? Later, Dave talks about the differences between birch and maple syrup, and finally talks about making cream liqueurs at home. Dave answers a few different questions about stocks. what is the best way to prepare a chicken stock for pressure cooking? And at what temperature should you cook your stock in order to extract the maximum amount of protein? Tune in to hear more about the possibilities of food-borne lyme disease and carbonated coffee. This episode has been brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“Birch sap has a lower sugar content than maple sap, so you have to acquire more of it and boil down more of it.” — Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 91: Shellfish and Fish Sauce Jul 31, 2012

Show notes

Welcome to another episode of Cooking Issues! Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are in the studio answering a range of cooking questions- from thickening simple syrup, to cooking shrimp in oil. Tune in to hear Dave talk about his particular preparation methods for making a cioppino. What could cause off-flavors in pressure-cooked stocks? Hear Dave’s opinions about using spent distiller’s grain in food products intended for human consumption. What effect does distiller’s grain have on livestock production? Other topics on today’s episode including making fish sauce at home, getting children to try new foods, and creating vegan protein analogs. This episode has been brought to you by Whole Foods.

“It’s very difficult to make simple syrups with sugar that are as thick at glucose syrups… glucose inherently doesn’t form crystals as much as sucrose does.”

“The enzymes and bacteria in the gut help to get the fish sauce going, but every part has been used throughout history- all making a different product.”

— Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 90: Live from Tales of the Cocktail Jul 24, 2012

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Cooking Issues, Dave Arnold calls in from Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, while Nastassia Lopez holds in down in the Heritage Radio Network studio. Even though Dave’s in New Orleans, he’s still here to answer all of your cooking questions! Is it possible to turn a turkey roaster into a deep fryer? And what problems could arise from such a transformation? Next, Dave revisits a question about pressure cooking jams, and what it does to flavors and Brix levels. Dave also talks about the best way to sous vide a skirt steak, as well some pointers about making creme liquors. Are there any dangers involved with cooking in Ziplock bags? Later, Wipop calls in to talk about Nomiku’s new immersion circulator that was recently funded through a Kickstarter campaign! This episode has been brought to you by White Oak Pastures.

“The Ziplock bags are rated for re-heating in a nuke…the issue is that a Ziplock is made of polyethylene. It’s the same stuff that most plastic wrap is made of. It can’t get near the boiling point of water because it gets very soft, and it’s very close to the melting point.” — Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 89: Peeling & Seasoning Jul 17, 2012

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Cooking Issues, Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are tackling a bunch of different food-related topics; from peeling potatoes, to heat energy- your hosts have all the answers. Tune in to hear about Dave and Nastassia’s respective potato peeling tools of choice, as well as the effectiveness of anesthetizing shellfish in heightening flavor. Dave fields some caller questions about whipping cream at home, and why it differs in consistency from store-bought whipped cream. Other topics include sugar content in purees, and the best way to modify an oven at home to cook pizzas and breads. How important is it to season a pan, particularly when cooking Chinese food? Dave shares his opinions on seasoning skillets and woks, and the chemical and physical reactions that take place during this process. This program has been brought to you by The International Culinary Center.

“Seasoning is actually important. There is a slight debate in the community about what is exactly is going on when you are seasoning a pan. For me, the accepted reason for seasoning a pan is that you are putting on a thin layer of oil or fat, and when you heat it, the fat is breaking down and polymerizing…and it is that surface that is non-stick.”

— Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 88: Egg Your Oven Jul 03, 2012

Show notes

On this week’s episode of Cooking Issues, Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are joined by Aaron Marks, Development Executive for a food mini-series called Deconstructing Dinner: Reconstructing Our Food System. For more information, visit Deconstructing Dinner’s Kickstarter page. After a brief discussion about Dave’s love for financial history, Dave talks about combi steam ovens’ capabilities at low temperatures, and how to make sure your combi steam oven is properly calibrated. Dave tackles some other listener questions about the vinegar-making process, and how different meats fair in pressure cookers. Patrick Martins of HRN’s The Main Course stops in to talk to Dave about George Foreman grills and cooking in a New York City apartment. Finally, Dave discusses the safety of the different sugar substitutes on the market, as well as tomorrow’s upcoming Crif Dog Classic eating contest at Roberta’s. This program has been sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

“At the onset, if you want to make sure your results are good and your recipe is good, just start with a purchased culture if you’re going to make vinegar.”

“I have a big problem with the entire nutritionist outlook because it keeps changing. All the data, all the ideas of what’s good, what’s bad- keeps changing every year!” — Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 87: Banned Bubbles Jun 26, 2012

Show notes

We’re getting sociopolitical on this week’s episode of Cooking Issues! Dave Arnold and Nastassia Lopez are in the studio taking your questions about cooking and other food-related topics. We start this week’s installment with a listener question about the proposed ban on sodas of certain sizes in New York City. Tune in to hear Dave’s opinions about the proposal, considering his love of bubbly beverages. Other questions include troubleshooting vacuum reduction devices, and the safety of homemade cultured butter products. What is the proper ratio of fat-to-meat when making sausage? Tune in to hear the answer, as well as types of fat make good additions to sausage mixtures. Finally, Dave and Nastassia talk about some of the food destinations they visited in their recent trip to Tokyo. This program has been brought to you by Tekserve.

“I detest the phrase ’empty calorie’ as much as I detest the phrase ‘junk food.'”

“It takes about 6 kilos of ice to condense one liter of water.”

“You definitely don’t want to have coffee go in and out of the freezer because condensation will form.” — Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 86: Frothy Lulo Jun 19, 2012

Show notes

Dave Arnold breaks his personal record as he zooms on his bicycle to Roberta’s for this week’s Cooking Issues! This week, Dave gives away some pork chops from the Heritage Meat Shop to listeners who answered this question, “What Colombian fruit naturally creates a frothy head and can be used as an egg white substitute in cocktails?” The answer- lulo! Later on, Dave finally answers some questions about processed cheese and cheese consistency. Also Dave talks about some problems with mushy meat at low temperatures, as well as whether or not to cook a suckling pig using sous vide. Don’t let your pork skin get too dehydrated! Other topics include low-and-slow cooking of a Boston Butt, as well as some more questions about cocktails. This program has been brought to you by Hearst Ranch.

“Not every muscle in a hog wants to cook the same way…a suckling pig is a little bit different because it doesn’t require as much cooking time as a whole hog because it doesn’t require as much time to break down.” —Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 85: Back From Japan! Jun 12, 2012

Show notes

Dave and Nastassia are back from Japan and Cooking Issues has returned! Dave’s mailbox is full and he attempts to answer as many questions as humanly possible. From coffee brewing to cow muscles to intervase enzymes, Dave continues on his mission to solve any and all Cooking Issues on-air. Learn more about egg free custards, ways to prepare foods for those allergic to eggs and how to effectively roast meat. Ever try making bagels and pretzels at home? Hear some tips about avoiding lye disasters in the process and hear Dave’s pretzel rules. This program was sponsored by The International Culinary Center.

“If you add fat to your pretzels, I have a problem with you and your pretzels. It’s an abomination, it turns into a cracker – it’s terrible. Also, if it’s not twisted it’s not a pretezel, it’s a pretzeloid. The best pretzels I’ve ever had in my life are from Martins Brothers – you can get them by mail order.”

–Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Episode 84: Nastassia Hates Coffee May 22, 2012

Show notes

This week on Cooking Issues, Dave takes issue with Nastassia’s distaste for coffee and, to a lesser extent, hipsters as she heads off to Seattle after the show. He takes listener calls on Memorial Day BBQ advice, pressure cooker recipes, and tips for beet terrine. Find out what Charlie Trotter’s is like in it’s final months as a restaurant and find out why home curing ham isn’t always the best move. This program was sponsored by S. Wallace Edwards & Sons.

“A great thing to make with pressure cookers is stocks and soups. Something to remember is that pressure cooking drastically mutes flavors like onions. The trick with pressure cookers is to use a minimal amount of liquid.”

“Please don’t mess with your microwaves. That said, I’ve done it plenty of times.”

–Dave Arnold on Cooking Issues

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected