02.28.09

Two Words

Posted in Other Fun at 3:44 pm by Chef Matt

Socrates ain’t got nothing on my philosophizing! “I just drank WHAT?!?…”

Another pseudo-philosophical question has crossed my mind when I was cooking the other day. I had set aside some beef that I had browned for a stir-fry, and was cooking the vegetables. The smell coming off the collective piles of food was just heavenly. My mouth was beginning to salivate in anticipation of my favorite moment of preparing any stir-fry - the moment when I can add the meat back into the pan.

It’s a sublime moment for several reasons. First off, it means you’re almost done! Secondly, you can begin to shape the sauce in the pan into something heavenly. But the real fun of it is the moment those lovely accumulated juices in the bottom of the plate storing the meat hit that hot pan, and erupt in a sizzle that just seems to scream out, “You bet your ass I’m cooking now!”

It almost seems impossible to me that there are people who actually don’t use those accumulated juices. They are one of the great elements to all cookery. If you are one of those people who wash them down the drain, I tell you what - put them in a Ziploc bag, and mail them to me instead. I’ll put them to good use.

“Duck fat” - such a great combo, they are tattoo-worthy.

Murmuring to myself about “accumulated juices” (yes, I do this) the following thought came into my head: “Are the words ‘accumulated juices’ the greatest two-word combo in the culinary lexicon?” What two words in direct juxtaposition elicit the best image, concept or feeling with relation to food? As I gave it some more thought, I came up with some other contenders:

• “Duck Fat”
  
• “Extra Butter”
  
• “Foie Gras” (OK, that’s cheating…)
  
• “Artisanal Bacon”
  
• “Beer Braised”
  
• “Chocolate Covered”
  
• “Bourbon Glazed”
  
• “Bacon Wrapped” (from my wife)
  
• “Free Sample” (ha)
  

Chef Matt

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