My instructor yesterday on spice, herb, grain and bean identification was Jay Weinstein, author of The Ethical Gourmet. Class was mostly just discussing and learning the details of herbs and spices, their applications and discussion of whole grain and bean properties and preparations.
Among the revelations:
Beans older than a year in your cupboard probably have lost all their water content so no matter how long you cook them, they might never get soft. Nicole, could this have been the issue with your chili a few weeks ago? Even dried beans are 20% water when they are fresh, so rotate them out if they're old.
Buy dried spices in small quantities because they really lose their potency after a year. Better yet, buy them whole and grind them as you need. Whole spices should keep for about 2 years. Keep them in a cupboard and away from your oven/stove so the essential oils aren't activated.
Chef Jay's area of focus is sustainable and ethical food and his book is interesting and controversial in it's discussion of genetically modified food systems. We had a healthy discussion about seafood business and fish farms. This website has a cool breakdown about sustainable seafood for anyone who is interested http://www.blueocean.org/
OK! Off to the gym!
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