Back in the kitchen

So this isn't really a recipe post. I'm making Sunday dinner for friends who ran a half marathon today. On tap are some short ribs braised in red wine from my new subscription to Bon Appetit (Thank you Mom and Dad!), mashed potatoes, salad with roasted garlic vinaigrette and some bread. The last two items (the dressing and the bread) came from a new book: Ratio. I've just started reading this book but it's right up my alley. It takes the basic items of cooking: bread, pasta, cake, mayonaise etc. and breaks it down to their base in terms of ratios of the ingredients. And then from there you can add flavours and change the final form as you see fit.

The bread I made to day was a simple 5:3 ratio (by weight) of flour to water plus a bit of salt and yeast. Knead, let rise and then play. I'm making two rustic breads (no fancy forming into shapes) one with roasted garlic and rosemary with olive oil worked into the surface and the other just olive oil and kosher salt.

The chapter in Ratio on vinaigrettes is short and sweet and points out two things that I think are important. One is the ratio: 3:1 oil (fat) to vinegar (acid). That's the starting point. Changing the oil or fat from regular oil to olive oil or to warm bacon fat will change the taste. Same with the vinegar: red or white wine vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice (fresh squeezed of course) to balsamic vinegar. Follow the ratio and you're golden. The second thing was the guide on adding other flavours. The book advises combining everything (the Dijon mustard, salt and pepper, garlic, herbs, etc.) with the vinegar first, then adding the oil. My dressing today is equal parts red wine and balsamic vinegar, a small amount of mustard, a pinch of salt, a touch of pepper, several cloves of roasted garlic and olive oil.