We start this weeks show with “Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food” by my guest Jeff Potter
Are you the innovative type, the cook who marches to a different drummer — used to expressing your creativity instead of just following recipes? Are you interested in the science behind what happens to food while it’s cooking? Do you want to learn what makes a recipe work so you can improvise and create your own unique dish?
More than just a cookbook, Cooking for Geeks applies your curiosity to discovery, inspiration, and invention in the kitchen. Why is medium-rare steak so popular? Why do we bake some things at 350 F and others at 375 F? And how quickly does a pizza cook if we overclock an oven to 1,000 F? Author and cooking geek Jeff Potter provides the answers and offers a unique take on recipes — from the sweet (a “mean” chocolate chip cookie) to the savory (duck confit sugo).
This book is an excellent and intriguing resource for anyone who wants to experiment with cooking, even if you don’t consider yourself a geek.
In the second half I’ll be talking to Patrick Shebley at the newly opened Gas Lamp Grille and Lounge; 550 N. Rock RoadNorth Rock Road (formerly the Shadow).
Good Life Guy’s Wine of the Week:
2007 Trinchero Napa, Chicken Ranch Merlot
Click here to see Guy’s video reivew
Wine Enthusiast Review – Rated 91
Dry and tannic, a Merlot that’s the opposite of softly luxurious. But it’s extremely elegant with its cherry, red currant and bitter cherryskin flavors, and shows true complexity throughout. Just cries out for a fine steak, in a brown butter, soft cheese and garlic sauce.
Wine Tasting Notes
All of our vineyards yield wines that are distinct and recognizable from year to year. The signature flavors for Chicken Ranch are earth and dried herbs. This is textbook Rutherford Merlot. The color is deep, the nose is ripe and tinged with olives, leather and sage, and the flavors are ripe and lush.