Mayuri: Where we get our spices

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Uwajimaya is one of our favorite places to pick up all kinds of produce, but when we need an exotic spice or two, we head over to Mayuri, an Indian grocery store near The Cooking Lab in Bellevue, Washington.

The spice aisles at Indian grocers can be daunting at first, but they become easier to navigate if you know what you’re looking for.
Spices come in bags, in jars, and in bulk. Cardamom, black onion seeds, and mace are all important to Indian cooking.
Pomegranate seeds are delicious with lamb!
Certain products may vary in their spellings, reflecting common usage in the region in which they were grown. Ajowan, ajwan, and ajwain are all popular spellings of the same seed we like to sprinkle on our caramelized carrot soup.
A little research goes a long way. Look up alternative names and spellings while making your grocery list.
You can often find vinegars, oils, and fragrant waters not found in chain grocery stores when you explore ethnic markets.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help! We found our aloe juice in the refrigerator!
Tamarind, an important ingredient in Indian cuisine, can come in many forms. Make sure you know what type of product is best for the dish you are making.
You can find ghee in many grocery stores these days, but if you want variety, it’s at an Indian grocer!

Tickets to See Nathan at the JBF Include a Signed Copy of MC!

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The James Beard Foundation in New York City is hosting a special event featuring Modernist Cuisine author Nathan Myhrvold on Wednesday, November 16, at 6:30 p.m. A ticket admits both you and a guest to a champagne reception with Dr. Myhrvold at the Beard House, a presentation on the revolution underway in the culinary arts, and a signed copy of the six-volume book and display case, including shipping to your home. A portion of the $650 all-inclusive ticket price will benefit the James Beard Foundation.

For tickets and more information, call 212.627.2308 or click here.

New Recipe & Video: Caramelized Carrot Soup

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Caramelized carrot soup plated with coconut chutney foam, ajowan seeds, fresh tarragon, and baby carrots.

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy our caramelized carrot soup, though once you’ve tried it, you’ll probably find yourself making it year-round. Head over to our Recipe Library to check out the recipe. Watch the video and follow the tips to create amazing bowls of carrot soup your family, friends, or neighbors will love.

Chris Young to Speak at Chicago Ideas Week

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MC coauthor Chris Young will speak at Chicago Ideas Week about a topic we have a lot of ideas about: food. Even more fittingly, he will be presenting the Modernist Cuisine perspective at Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Chris will discuss how food “shapes our cities, our culture, and our bodies.” The line-up of speakers includes:

  • Colin Archipley: Co-Owner & CEO, Archi’s Acres
  • Karen Archipley: Co-Owner & Marketing Director, Archi’s Acres
  • Faith D’Aluisio: Former Award-Winning Television News Producer
  • Peter Menzel: Photojournalist, What I Eat: Around the World in 80 Diets
  • Kevin Pang: Reporter, Chicago Tribune
  • Ryan Poli: Executive Chef/Partner, Tavernita
  • Chris Young: Chef-Scientist & Coauthor, Modernist Cuisine

The event is Saturday, October 15, 2011, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Click here for tickets and more information.

For information about other MC events and appearances by the authors, head over to our events page.

And the Nominees Are…

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We are pleased to announce that Modernist Cuisine author Nathan Myhrvold has been nominated for an innovation award at this year’s StarChefs.com International Chefs Congress in the category for contribution to American cuisine.

While it’s always an honor just to be nominated, we are especially proud considering the steep competition. The full list of nominees includes:

John Besh
Daniel Boulud
Nathan Myhrvold
Marcus Samuelsson
Alice Waters

Wish us luck! And if you are going to this year’s Congress, be sure to check out MC coauthor Chris Young’s presentation on Monday, October 3, at 4:30 p.m.

A Visit to Uwajimaya

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Recently, we took a camera with us on a trip to Uwajimaya, a local Asian grocery store (the one in Bellevue, WA is pictured at right). Most urban or suburban areas have myriad specialty ethnic markets where all sorts of great food can be found. Here, we have focused on the produce, some of which is seasonal.

Yes, green mangoes really are different than regular mangoes!

 

You can get kabocha squashes elsewhere, but can you beat this price?

 

Get your zucchini blossoms for beignets (see page 5·153) while you still can!

 

Kaffir and makrud lime leaves are the same thing.

 

Young ginger and curry leaves are musts for many of our recipes.

 

Our recipe for barbecued eel with whipped caramel (see page 4·283) calls for store-bought barbecued eel.

 

We found an assortment of hot peppers, both fresh and dried.

 

A few of our recipes call for Tokyo negi, such as yakitori (see page 3·201).

How to Hyperdecant Your Wine

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MC author Nathan Myhrvold has an article in this week’s issue of Bloomberg Businessweek, which features their first annual “How To” guide. The topic: how to “hyperdecant” wine with a blender.

It may strike traditionalists as a little nuts, but as explained in more detail in Modernist Cuisine (see pages 4·342-344), a quick pass through a blender can bring out the best of even a fine 1982 Château Margaux. In the article, Nathan also explains how to set up a proper “blind” taste test so that you can judge the results for yourself.

See Us in Action!

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Maxime Bilet, Chris Young, and Nathan Myhrvold.

With so many upcoming talks, presentations, classes, and demonstrations, we’ve added an Events page. We’ll also blog about events as we add author appearances to the schedule.

Today, we’re happy to announce that MC coauthors Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet will be appearing at The Restaurant Show in London on Monday, October 10, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. GST. Click here for more details.

We also have two new events with Sur La Table coming up. At the first, Nathan will turn up at the Sur La Table stall at the Los Angeles Farmers Market on Thursday, October 20. The second event, on Monday, November 14, will feature both Nathan and Max at Sur La Table’s SoHo location in New York City.