Culinary School of Fort Worth - Week 5 - Starches

Another week with no pictures. Too, busy. But boy, were we in 'Carb Heaven'! I had no idea there were so many ways to cook starches.

"Potatoes, grains (corn, rice, wheat and others) and pastas are collectively known as starches. Some of these foods are vegetables; others are grains. Starches are, for the most part, staple foods that define a cuisine and give it substance. All are high in starchy carbohydrates, low in fat and commonly used as part of a well-balanced meal.

Today's chefs are rediscovering traditional and ethnic dishes that rely on grains seldom used in typical American food service operations. Pasta, made from a variety of grains in numerous shapes and flavors and accompanied by countless sauces and garnishes, now regularly appears on many menus alongside the ubiquitous potato prepared for many classic and modern dishes."

We made mashed potatoes four ways; boiled russets, steamed russets, boiled waxy (red) and steamed waxy. If you want the most potato flavor, steam your potatoes. Generally we don't choose that method simply because it's faster to simmer them. If you ask me what one of my favorite foods is, I will answer you the same way I did in second grade. Mashed potatoes. And being from Idaho, I think mine always taste the best~

We deep fried russets and waxy. Russets are definitely what we are used to in French fries. But I have to say that waxy potatoes hold their shape better. Either way, they are yummy! Pass the fry sauce, please!

We made grits and polenta. What are grits you ask? Can you tell I'm not from the south? They are made by grinding dried hominy, (which is a type of dried corn that has been soaked in hydrated lime or lye. Huh?) These tiny white granules are most likely served as a hot breakfast cereal usually topped with butter or cheese. Polenta is made from cornmeal. Used like mashed potatoes. You can also wait for the polenta to cool (gelatanize) and cut it into shapes and fry or bake.

Corn on the cob: We boiled it, we steamed it, we roasted it with the silk on and roasted it with the silk off. The best tasting corn was the steamed corn and the roasted corn with the silk off. The silk left on left too much of a earthy taste on the corn.

Rice. We made long grain rice in a rice cooker, we simmered it on the stove, we simmered it in the oven (a cool restaurant trick) and we made risotto. Risotto, is....a gift of love. Stir, stir, stir until the threads of the starch in the rice are creamy. Add some cream, some Parmesan, and whatever else sounds yummy, close your eyes and....sigh. Heaven on a plate.

Rice pilaf on the stove and in the oven. We made a delicious Indian rice pilaf. Use the restaurant trick and free your stove top by putting it in the oven.

We made fresh fettuccine noodles. Easy. Yummy. I'm definitely going to try this at home.

Have you ever eaten spaetzle? It's a mixture similar to pancake batter and pushed through something similar to a grater, dropped in boiling water. Little tiny dumplings appear which are then sauteed in brown butter. Mmmm. Different, but Mmmmm.

We soaked and cooked butter beans. A quick way to do beans is to par boil them for 10-15 minutes. Discard the water (which contains all the 'gassy' stuff) and return to the pot and boil at least 60 minutes, or until done.

And last, but not least, we cooked whole oat groats and quinoa (keen wah). These can not only be a delicious breakfast, but can be used in the place of rice as well.

Now you know why I didn't get a chance to take any pictures. At the end of the day, we had a giant tasting of everything to compare and contrast.




Carbohydrate heaven. I just wanted to go home and take a nap. It was a fun day.