Tuesday, November 13, 2007 

Salt and Vinegar: Two Extreme Flavors

With these two precious ingredients we enter the dominion of fire. They both are the most pleasant substances in gastronomy, we cannot do without salt, but we do not have to forget that they dry up and burn food. Think of the preservation of food under salt; it is a precious technique, but it will never equal the capacity of the sun in this field. No meat dried under salt will ever have scents and flavors comparable to sun dried meat. No cod under salt will ever compare to fish dried by the air. Also, prosciutto are better when they are produced through adequate ageing, rather than an excess of salt. Salt and vinegar represent the extreme limits in the range of flavors, an analogous extremity, since vinegar also has a salted background flavor. This background flavor is clearly perceived in fish soups with vinegar. In the dish you will not perceive the vinegar, but a salted accent instead.

We use them sparingly

These extreme flavors can be overwhelming to some palates, and to their honor I propose the beef steak with salt and vinegar: grill the meat and dress it with romarin, balsamic aceto, and coarse salt before serving. A good culinary rule of thumb, however, holds that salt and vinegar must be used sparingly. Their flavor should lend strength to a dish, but never dominate it. Too much of either can ruin a meal, so err on the side of caution because you can always add more later. If you feel your dish lacks flavor, use other spices and herbs to help flesh it out.

Salt: fine or coarse

Too often the quality of salt and vinegar are neglected and two different products are assumed to be the same. This is a big mistake. The flavor of salt varies if crude or refined, its yield in a dish varies depending on its grain size. French ocean salt, rather moist, is surely the best one to give flavor to raw dishes, but it is not always easy to find in our stores. To cook instead it is better to use a more refined salt, very dry, since it is saltier and small amounts are enough. On salads less refined salt is recommended.

Salt, a precious good

Salt is one of the most diffused minerals on the planet, but the difficulties connected to supplying it in ancient times, rendered it a precious good to which were attributed symbolic and important meanings. Hospitality, one of the most sacred practices, was made legitimate by the ritual of the partitioning of the salt with the host in all of Mediterranean East, Japan and ancient Greece. Still today it is a widely held belief that spilling salt brings misfortune. A pinch of salt is then thrown over the left shoulder, in order to hit the demons who are behind the back. Leonardo da Vinci painted a salt container turned upside down under the elbow of Judas in his painting, the Last supper.

Vinegar

When speaking of quality, vinegar is the big unknown. The product of wine fermentation, but also of fruit, cereal, malt and honey, vinegar is often made with the poorest raw materials like, for example, wine gone bad. This is a big mistake, especially considering that vinegar is not a necessary food for a balanced diet, but a condiment of pleasant and particular feelings. Therefore it must be of good or excellent quality. It cannot be made with poor wine, since the flavor of the wine remains in the vinegar. Fortunately, some manufacturers have understood it and very good vinegars can be found in the markets. The balsamic vinegars fermented naturally and aged for five years in small barrels of various woods, one for every year of aging; chestnut, cherry, mulberry, ash and often juniper to confer the characteristic scent, are a good example. Other vinegars are based on the extraordinary quality of the starting wine to become true gastronomic wonders. Also interesting are the aromatized vinegars: raspberry, blueberry, apple, scallion, and many the others. To be good these need excellent raw materials, fruits and herbs perfumed, not to be aromatized with extracts, therefore the good ones are relatively expensive. But if you like to use vinegar choose a good bottle, or banish it from your kitchen.

No vinegar on salads

Do not put vinegar on green salad since it cooks it and takes away all of its scent. Abandon this bad habit. Take a tender green salad and season it with a fruity olive oil and you will taste the difference. Vinegar must be used mainly for sauces. Always make it to evaporate well so that the best aroma is felt. In salads vinegar is used when it recalls the flavor of one of the ingredients, as an example only put some drops of a raspberry aromatized vinegar in a salad containing raspberries. Pure acetic acid on a salad or, even worse, on tomatoes that are already acidic in their own right, ruins a gift of nature.

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Tips for Photographing Wildlife

To capture those rare moments in the camera is an art and the trick to learn them is by practicing them and it is always better to practice on your cats and on birds in my yard or local parks and the with that basic training you are armed with the essential knowledge of photography!

I can provide you with some tips that would come handy for you to get the best shots of animals and birds in the wild.

Start by targeting moving targets that would make you respond efficiently to those dramatic photographs with a sense of speed.

Always keep your camera handy and set up for unexpected encounters and also replace camera batteries from time to time and make sure that you have plenty of film or memory.

Its always better to have at least homework done in the sense that you should be aware of what kinds of animals and birds are commonly found there. This would be helpful for you to know where to look to find them and what kinds of behavior to expect.

Apply common sense and dont do anything that your action startles or threatens the animal. Learn to walk and move quietly and practice freezing your position so that your presence is not known to them.

Be vigilant of everything around you using all your senses and with little practice you will gain the ability to be aware of small movements, unusual colors or sounds, even smells that can tip you off to the presence of an animal or bird even when they are well camouflaged.

For wildlife photography telephoto lenses are basically a must, though the use of a tripod is not always mandatory. They give a closer and fine view of the animals without bearing the fear of going close to the scary creatures!

When you photograph animals and birds, make sure the focus is sharpest on their eyes. Shoot small animals from a lower angle.

You will get best photographs early in the mornings and just before dark. This is when wildlife is usually most active and the light is the most dramatic. Try to keep the sun at your back so that the light falls directly on your subject.

And Practice makes a man perfect hold true here also!

Jakob Culver is founder of the website Outdoor And Travel . Com and has an solid background in the areas of travel and the outdoors.Free Public Police Records
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