Project Foodie - What's a cook to do?

What's a cook to do?

With almost anything, if you know the insider tricks and tips things are easier. Cooking is no different, yet learning those tips can be difficult. Recipes rarely explain all of the details needed for a beginner and in many cases even people who have cooked for years find new techniques and ingredients intimidating to explore. James Peterson aims to help all of us by answering many of our cooking questions with an illustrated guide to cooking tools and techniques. In "What's a cook to do?", Peterson helps with concepts ranging from how to clean leeks to how to brine pork. The straightforward descriptions ease you into new techniques and provide you tips to make your cooking in general easier and quicker. One example is Tip #145 "How to make a gratin". Peterson provides details for turning vegetables or pasta into a wonderful gratin (or casserole). With summer approaching the Zucchini or summer squash gratin is sure to be a hit.

Tip 145: How to make a gratin

From "What's a Cook to do?" by James Peterson, Artisan 2007

Almost any vegetable or pasta can be turned into a casserole and served as a satisfying side dish to meats and seafood - potatoes au gratin and macaroni and cheese are the best-known examples.

Leftovers, can also be used. A gratin is simply a casserole made by cooking vegetables with béchamel sauce (basically, milk thickened with flour), cream, or a combination, and sometimes tomato sauce. Most gratins also contain grated cheese, such as Gruyère, cheddar, or parmigiano-reggiano.

1. Layer vegetables with liquid, cheese, and seasonings (kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, a little nutmeg) in a baking dish.

2. Use enough liquid so that when you push down on the vegetables, the liquid comes up to the tops of them. Finish with a layer of cheese.

3. Bake in a 350°F oven until the vegetables or pasta is soft and a brown crust has formed on top.

How to make potatoes au gratin

Unlike many casseroles and gratins, which are made with béchamel sauce, potatoes are already starchy enough and should be baked with cream or half-and-half.

1. Peel and slice waxy potatoes, such as Yukon gold, to about 1/8 inch thick.

2. Layer them in a baking dish with cream or milk or a mixture, grated Gruyére cheese, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg, finishing with a layer of cheese.

3. Bake in a 350°F oven until the potatoes are soft and a crust has formed. If all the liquid hasn't been absorbed, it will usually get absorbed if you let the gratin sit for 15 minutes before serving.

How to make a zucchini or summer squash gratin

This gratin is a little unusual in that it uses tomato sauce instead of béchamel or cream.

1. Slice and sauté the squash or zucchini until softened and well browned.

2. Overlap the rounds in a baking dish with pureed tomatoes or basic tomato sauce (see entry 374).

3. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a moderate oven until crusty.

About "What's a Cook to Do?"

From one of America's favorite cooking teachers, multiple award-winner James Peterson, an invaluable reference handbook. Culinary students everywhere rely on the comprehensive and authoritative cookbooks published by chef, instructor, and award-winning author Jim Peterson. And now, for the first time, this guru-to-the-professionals turns his prodigious knowledge into a practical, chockablock, quick-reference, A-to-Z answer book for the rest of us. Here are 484 invaluable techniques with nearly as many color photographs, bundled into a handy, accessible format.