Putting a Freeze on Tradition

When I think about codfish, my thought process goes like this: How healthy are the populations? Where is it ranked on the ocean-friendly fish cards from Chefs partners and friends like the Blue Ocean Institute? And finally, how does it taste?

But I rarely consider the culture surrounding the preparation of cod. A recent New York Times article reminds us that as industrialization progresses and artisanal food preparation methods decline, we stand to lose something equally as important: tradition.

In Portugal, salt cod, known as bacalhau, is the foundation of the cuisine, with over 1,000 recipes for its use. Preparing it is a time-intensive process that depends on knowledge accumulated or handed down over time. Today, this culinary tradition is eroding as dietary habits are changing, cod is becoming more scarce and more expensive–and the method is being replaced by something some traditions can’t touch: convenience.

The frozen bacalhau industry is on the rise in Portugal, and according to at least one industry executive, “traditional cod will soon be a thing of the past.”

Framed as progress, this is troubling. What do we have to lose from freezing bacalhau? For one thing, energy. Salting as a preservation method is a sustainable technique that doesn’t require massive amounts of energy. Just salt.

We also stand to lose flavor, amibiance (imagine tapas spots replacing those attractive hanging strips of cod with dangling boxes of frozen fish?)–and the sense of fulfillment we experience when engaging in a rich culinary tradition. On the other hand, we’ll still have convenience.

Giddy Up For Chocolates With A Kick

Cowgirl Chocolates of Moscow, is known for its sweets that turn up the heat. The company adds chiles, pepper, and other spices to its chocolates, caramels, and candy treats for a fiery taste.
Its newest products follow that theme. We’ll use our patented scale of 1 to 10 lip-smackers on them, with 1 being the “Bleh, save your money’’ far end of the spectrum; 5 being the “I’m not sure I’d buy it, but if it was just there, I might nibble some’’ middle-of-the-road response; and 10 being the “My gawd, I could die now and never be happier, because this is the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth’’ supreme ranking.

Cowgirl Chocolates Roasted Hazelnut Toffee: This is hard, teeth-sticking toffee bark with hazelnuts, that’s covered in chocolate. The toffee is so good on its own that I don’t think you really need the subtle spicy note at the end. It proves more of a distraction. An 8-ounce package is $16.50. Rating: 6 lip-smackers.

Cowgirl Chocolates Caramel Nut Clusters: Crunchy pecans, almonds, and cashews are enveloped in dark chocolate. They look like most any nut clusters, but bite into one, and at the very end, your tongue will be on fire. This one packs quite the wallop. A 4-ounce package is $12.95. Rating: 5 lip-smackers.

Cowgirl Chocolates Pumpkin Spice Caramel Corn: If you took the streusel from streusel pumpkin coffeecake and mixed it with caramel corn, this is what you would get. And that’s a good thing. A very good thing. This is a winning combination of flavors and textures, without any burn. Folks in my office couldn’t stop eating it. A 6-ounce package is $8.95. Rating: 9 lip-smackers.