92 Chapter 4 Gastronomic Identity II: Food and Cuisine
TASTING EXERCISE RECIPES
Food Item: Onion Rings
Onions Rings seem simple enough but can come out greasy or quickly become limp. I prefer
floured rings that are well seasoned to battered ones. The addition of cornstarch to this recipe
helps to retain their crispy texture. Add your favorite seasoning salt or herbs as desired.Yield: 6–8 servings (enough for 20–25 tastings)
Ingredients
3 large white onions, peeled and thinly sliced
Frying oil
2 eggs, beaten(^1) / 2 c (120 ml) water or milk
2 c (450 g) flour
(^1) / 2 c (113 g) cornstarch
1 tbsp (14 g) salt
(^1) / 2 tbsp (7 g) black pepper
1 tbsp (14 g) finely chopped parsley
Preparation
Heat the frying oil to 375°F. Combine the beaten
eggs and water in a small bowl. Combine
the flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and
parsley in a shallow pan. Dredge the
onion rings in the flour mixture. Shake
off the excess flour and dip in the egg
wash. Shake off the excess egg wash
and dredge one more time in the flour
mixture. Fry in the hot oil until golden.
Serve immediately.
Food Item: Roasted Garlic
Yield: enough for 20–25 tastings
Ingredients
8 heads garlic
3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oilPreparation
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lay the garlic heads
on their side and cut a small part of the
top off to expose the tips of each garlic
clove. Drizzle the exposed garlic tops
with olive oil. Place garlic heads (tops
facing up) in a baking pan and bake for
30 minutes to 1 hour, until garlic cloves
feel soft when pressed. Squeeze the
roasted cloves from their jackets.
Roasted garlic can be eaten as is, spread
over crostini by itself or with other
ingredients, or incorporated into a batch
of hummus.