Things That Go Crunch In The Night - Making Your Food Pop, Part 4

Two cans of Pringles later, my studio was in ruins

"Crunch is so universally appreciated that whenever I finish a recipe, I ask myself, 'Is there any way to add a little more crunch?' Often it makes the difference between a dish that is merely good and one that is miraculous. In short, if in doubt, crunch it." - Chef Michel Richard, Happy in the Kitchen

Read the Series

1. Salt
2. Acid
3. Fat
4. Crunch
5. A Telling Failure

I couldn't agree more with Chef Richard. Properly crispy latkes, the well-browned cheese atop lasagna, a simple but crispy corn quesadilla, or good homemade breadcrumbs on a rich gratin are great favorites of mine.

And in contrast to those dry, shattering crunchy bits, there is the refreshing crunch of fresh vegetable garnishes, like the carrot, daikon and onion in this Vietnamese bun, or the kohlrabi slaw adorning roasted potato and asparagus tacos.

Pretty much everyone loves crispiness, whether it is the timid addition of crackers to soup, the all encompassing chomp through a bowl of granola, the balanced crisp and soft of French fries, or the shockingly irreversible shatter of crème brûlée.

But why? Why do we love the crunch?

Chef Richard's answer is that our caveperson ancestors came to associate it with food that has been cooked, rendering it more nutritious (don't freak out, raw foodies, I'm just paraphrasing him), and delicious due to the Maillard reactions. That might be part of it, but I've got some other theories to offer as well.

I asked this question on the new Herbivoracious fan page on Facebook (which I hope you will join right away), and got some interesting answers. One reader (Anne) perceptively suggested that it is because crispy is so often tightly associated with the goodness of deep fried fat and salt.

Others (Amy, and my old friend Dan) pointed out the importance of contrast. Crispy is good. Crispy and soft in the same dish or same bite can be transporting.

Then there is the sound. I think we enjoy eating most when it speaks to all of our senses. The sound of crunch travels right through our jawbones to our ears, adding an electrifying dimension to the experience.

Finally, there is the simple thrill of physically breaking through. The crispy crust first resists your teeth, then yields with a satisfying snap. Your jaw muscles actually work hard to render the food ready to swallow and digest. Crunchy food requires you to actually engage with the eating experience, not passively consume.

So let's not be careful out there, people. Let's thrown caution to the wind, and run that dish under the broiler, finish it with breadcrumbs or sesame seeds. Let's add a cracker or a chip, a tuille or croquant. Let's top it with cucumbers or radishes or thin rings of green onion. Let's make a little noise!

Nuevo León Style Tamales, Adapted to be Vegetarian - Recipe

Vegetarian tamales with a red chile portabella filling

Tamales have got to be one of my favorite things to make and eat. Sure, they are a bit of a production. Traditionally, you would have a group of friends and family for a tamale party (tamalada), working together to make a happy assembly line (with plenty of cervezas). So far, I've mostly made them myself. My kiddo was enthusiastic but unfortunately got frustrated when it required a little precision in the spreading of the masa and fillings. Lesson learned: I should have encouraged her to just make a few as best she could!

I usually make two or three different vegetarian fillings, and fill up a big steamer with around fifty smallish tamales. That way I can feed six people and easily have leftovers for another meal or so. A pound of fresh masa will make 16 this size, so 3 pounds will fill up my biggest steamer.

Today's filling is a vegetarian riff on Rick Bayless' formula for Nuevo León Style Tamales from his epic and indispensable Authentic Mexican. The pork shoulder is replaced by cubed and sauteed portabella mushrooms. I use the mushroom stems to make the broth base for the red-chili sauce.

I'm not going to go into the whole technique of making them tamales themselves. There is excellent step-by-step information in the aforementioned book, or in this pictorial guide by Robin. Just remember to beat the shortening (or butter) and masa mixture really well, to incorporate plenty of air. A ball of it should float in a glas of water. And use some of the reserved sauce below as part of the broth component when mixing the dough; it will add lots of extra flavor.

Vegetarian Nuevo León Style Tamale Filling
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free
Enough for 16 smallish tamales (1.5 tablespoons of filling in each)

• 1 pound portabella mushrooms
• 5 whole dried chiles (combination of ancho, New Mexico, cascabel, etc. to your taste)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons raisins (optional but very good)
• 1/4 cup pitted green olives, roughly chopped (optional but also very good)

1. Separate the portabella stems from the caps. Roughly chop the stems, and cut the caps into 1/4" dice.
2. Put the stems in a saucepan with two cups water and a pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the caps with two tablespoons of oil and a pinch of salt until all the liquid has cooked out and they are tender.
3. Wearing rubber gloves, tear the chilis into large flat sections, and dispose of the seeds and stems. Toast the chili flesh on a dry, medium hot skillet for a minute or two, until fragrant. Don't burn them.
4. Remove the portabella stems from the broth and discard them. Add the chiles, black pepper, cumin, garlic and sugar. Puree, preferably with an immersion blender. (Be very careful when blending hot liquids and know how to do it safely!). Back in the original saucepan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the sauce back in, let it sputter for a minute, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer and reduce until you have about 1 cup left. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
5. Add 3/4 cup of the sauce to the mushrooms and cook together for a few minutes. Stir in the raisins and olives. Taste and adjust the final seasoning. You might also like just a little squeeze of orange or lemon juice and/or a bit of Mexican oregano to enhance the flavor. Remember to use the remaining bit of sauce in the tamale dough itself.

Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange Olive Oil Dressing - Recipe

Roasted cauliflower salad with white beans

Roasted cauliflower is a staple side-dish in my house. We all love that caramelized flavor. And because cauliflower keeps quite well in the refrigerator, it works well with our lifestyle. We don't always know how many times in a given week we're going to get to prepare a full meal.

Simply roasting the cauliflower with olive oil and salt is terrific. But there is no limit to the ways you can dress it up with minimal additional effort. The active preparation time is no more than 10 or 15 minutes. Today's version with white beans turns it into a rather hearty salad.

You could also use romanesco

I based the flavors around Etruria's orange-infused olive oil (from ChefShop) with which I've been completely obsessed for the past few weeks. If you don't have that, a couple of other options would be to use finely grated orange zest with an unflavored but delicious extra-virgin olive oil, or you could use some of Trader Joe's tasty Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar.

I like to cut a head of cauliflower into quarters, remove some of the core, and then break it up by hand from there. Once you get the hang of it, this technique produces more attractive, intact, round florets instead of the flat surfaces from a knife, and is just as fast. Try it and see if you don't agree.

Bad picture, good food

The first version I did of this dish was served hot, omitted the beans, and added homemade breadcrumbs  lots of chili flakes, and fresh mint. It also tasted great but I took a lousy picture of it! I hate it when that happens.

Other possible elaborations: green olives, raisins and capers (for a Sicilian spin), diced tomatoes, feta cheese, roasted garlic cloves.

Roasted Cauliflower and White Bean Salad with Orange Olive Oil Dressing
Serves 4
Vegetarian, vegan & gluten free

• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (see above)
• 2 tablespoons (plain) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small can white beans, thoroughly drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion, sweet white onion, or shallot
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 3 tablespoons orange-infused olive oil (or see above for alternatives)
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (or a nice red wine vinegar, or lemon juice)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt
• flat-leaf parsley (minced or not, your choice)

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss the cauliflower with the unflavored olive oil and a generous pinch or two of salt. If you like, you can microwave for 5 minutes first to reduce the oven time. Roast until there are many deep brown patches, about 20 minutes or so.
2. Meanwhile, combine the rinsed beans, onion, garlic, orange-infused olive oil, sherry vinegary, rosemary, black pepper and 1 teaspoon of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remember that you want a strong flavor because you will be combining this mixture with the cauliflower.
3. When the cauliflower is done, toss the beans and dressing with it while it is still warm. Allow to cool to room temperature, garnish with parsley, and serve.