Tasteful Knowledge: February 2010

Monday, February 22, 2010

Tasteful Knowledge History

The name Tasteful Knowledge is the name of one of my first companies. I started it while living in Ft Lauderdale going to Culinary School. The company was a mail order newsletter on herbs and spices describing the uses and included recipes for subscribers.

Now it serves as the name of this blog. A destination for me to voice recipes, food finds, history and tales of educating myself on one of my loves... food!

Food Preparation Clarification

Through my food education and working credentials I have sought after the understanding of these combinations, their origins and similarities. So, here is my understanding of the three, mirepoix, sofrito and the Trinity.

More than just an incredible Holiday Market cooking school in Royal Oak, MI, Mirepoix is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots, and celery. Mirepoix, either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter, is the flavor base for a wide number of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. The three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics.

Sofrito is probably the most common term that covers a wide variety of cultures and origins in cooking. Sofrito in Spanish language, soffritto in Italian, sofregit in Catalan or refogado in Portuguese are similar but different sauces made with tomato and onion which have been cut in very small pieces and slowly (at least a quarter of an hour, but more usually half an hour) cooked in olive oil, typical of all the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea and which have been exported to some American countries. In Latin American cuisine, which I am most familiar with, it is a sauce of tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, garlic, onions and herbs. In Cuban cuisine, it is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including ropa vieja and picadillo. The main components for Cuban sofrito are onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers. Chorizo, tocino (bacon), and ham are added for specific recipes, like beans. Other secondary components include, but are not limited to, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cilantro.

"The Trinity," is a Cajun vegetable combination using equal parts bell peppers, celery, and onion. It is most commonly used to flavor soups, stews, and sauces. Its French counterpart, known as Mirepoix, is equal parts carrots, celery, and onions.

Tasteful Knowledge

Monday, February 22, 2010

Tasteful Knowledge History

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