Teddy's Tricks of the Trade

Editor's note: Warren resident Frank DeVico has been following his son, Teddy, 15, as Teddy learns about gourmet cooking and fine restaurants. Teddy launched his own blog at teenchefteddy.blogspot.com, and he and Frank will be sharing their experiences in this column.

Readers with questions about cooking, restaurants and new flavors for Frank and Teddy to explore are welcome to email them to john.patten@patch.com, then check back every Friday for the DeVicos' Culinary Quest.

This week, a few pointers on techniques mentioned in recent columns:

How to peel grapes:

Take a pairing knife and hold the grape in your left hand. Using the tip of the pairing knife pull back the skin from one root to the other root carefully. Repeat this process until grape is fully peeled.

How to peel tomatoes:

Cut Xs into the bottom of the tomato. Then blanch the tomato for a few seconds to loosen the skin, and then immediately drop the tomatoes into an ice bath. Peel the tomato in the same manner as the grape.

What is "tuile"?

A tuile is a super thin cookie that is very crisp. It is made by mixing butter, powdered sugar, flour, egg white, and cocoa powder (for chocolate tuiles). The batter is then poured into the mold and baked
until golden brown. After the tuiles are cooked they can be molded on rolling pins to form a beautiful shape.

Favorite seasoning secret (How I come up with a dish):
When planning a dish you always have to have great balance. There needs to be a balance of sweetness, saltiness, umami (savoriness), spice—and fat.
Fats are great holders of flavors and need to be cut by acid; acid cuts the richness and makes the dish feel less heavy, while still being rich. Salt is the most important ingredient in cooking. Salt
makes everything—yes, everything—taste better. This includes sweets as well.

You don't believe me? Take a piece of chocolate and taste it. Then add a sprinkle of kosher or sea salt and you will guarantee like the chocolate with salt better. Salt opens up your taste buds so the
flavor can be more pronounce. Also, adding salt to coffee improves the flavor tremendously by reducing the bitterness.

When composing a dish you have to start with a main ingredient and then think of components that go well with the main component and each other.

Let's say you start with pork chops. Then you think bacon, apple, brussel sprouts, onion, garlic, maple syrup, salt and black pepper. That dish would work if prepared correctly because there is a
balance and cohesiveness throughout.