You may be familiar with Harold McGee from the monthly "The Curious Cook" column he writes for the New York Times, that looks at the science behind cooking. He has explained why adding water adds flavor to coffee and cocktails, why cilantro tastes like soap, for some and how to prolong the life of berries.

Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking is a classic reference and quite wonderful, but frankly a bit geeky. I've been fortunate to hear McGee speak a few times and I've always learned a lot. Last time he mentioned his upcoming book, The Keys to Good Cooking, and told the audience that it would help answer the questions home cooks have about the practical side of kitchen science.

I'll be reviewing the book when it comes out in October but in the meantime I got a peek at a few pages and gleaned these wonderful tips to help you succeed with braising:

Beware of recipes that call for an oven temperature over 180°F/80°C. Never let a braise or stew get hot enough to bubble when the meat is cooking. A closed pot in an oven at any temperature above the boiling point will come to the boil. At oven temperatures above 180°F/80°C, leave the pot open to allow evaporative cooling and produce a lower cooking temperature.

To braise or stew tough cuts of meat in a few hours, heat them at 180°F/80°C. They will develop the dry tenderness of standard braises and stews.

To braise or stew tender cuts quickly, or tough cuts over a day or more to keep them especially moist, heat them at 140-150°F/60-65°C°.

Here are links to my past posts on Harold McGee:

Gastronomic turns 10 with Harold McGee

Harold McGee & Shirley Corriher

I am very happy to be writing for the Epicurious blog, Epilog again. I'm writing twice a week, and will be sharing some posts on intriguing flavor combinations. I hope you will check out my posts and please do leave comments and tell me what you think of my combos and how you would suggest using them. My first post is on the combination of rhubarb, cinnamon and rosewater. Coincidentally, the New York Times published a story about rosewater just yesterday.

I've been very busy lately writing posts for Epilog and for Amy & Amy Between Bites as well as pieces for Cheers magazine and Gastronomica, so hopefully that explains why it's been a little quiet around here lately. I am traveling quite a bit this month, but hope to post here again soon....

cheers,

Amy

For as long as I can remember I've heard that Parmigiano Reggiano was the king of cheeses. It's the cheese I ate in Italy and cooked with as well. It's the cheese I always buy. I knew about Grana Padano, but believed it was inferior to Parmigiano. A substitute. Poor man's Parmigiano. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

First of all, technically you could say Parmigiano is a type of Grana. Grana means grain and refers to the grainy texture of the cheese, and Padano refers to the region where it is produced. Parmigiano is produced in Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Modena. Grana is produced in Piedmont, Lombardy, Piacenza, Veneto, and Trentino. Both cheeses are lactose free and a good source of protein and calcium.

Grana * Produced in a large region * Less expensive than Parmigiano * Made from raw, skim milk * Cows fed grass, cereal & silage * Cows can be treated with antibiotics * Aged from 9 to 24 months and up * Natural preservative, lysozyme

Parmigiano * Produced in a small region * More expensive than Grana * Made from raw skim milk & whole milk * Cows fed grass & cereal * Cows not treated with antibiotics * Aged 24 months or more * Free of preservatives

Because Grana uses more skim milk it is lower in fat and develops flavor more quickly than Parmigiano. I tasted and compared Grana Padano that was aged only 16-20 months and Parmigiano Reggiano that was aged 28-32 months. Here are my tasting notes:

Grana
Buttery, rich, sweet and mildly salty, nutty, creamy with a floral and fruity scent and a flaky, crunchy crystalline texture

Parmigiano
Very salty, rich, nutty, earthy, some crystalline crunchiness

The shocking verdict? I actually preferred the Grana! Because cheese is a natural and seasonal product there will be differences throughout the year. But I encourage you to do your own taste test. I no longer believe Grana is a more popular cheese in Italy only out of price considerations. I will still buy Parmigiano on occasion, but for day to day use, I'll be switching to Grana. Both cheeses can be used as a table cheese, grated over pasta, salad, in traditional risotto dishes and with roasted vegetables.

Recipes using Grana

Recipes using Parmigiano

Notes: I bought the Parmigiano from Rainbow Grocery, the Grana was provided for me and came from Di Palo Selects. The Grana is pictured on the left and the Parmigiano on the right.

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