The Sydney Morning Herald logo
Advertisement

Why is parmesan so stinky? And can I soften butter in the microwave?

Richard Cornish
Richard Cornish

Parmesan is known for its pungent aroma.
Parmesan is known for its pungent aroma.Melissa Adams

Can I soften butter in the microwave? K. Rundle

Sure. If it is for something like garlic butter, no problem. If you're making a cake, no. Warm butter doesn't cream with sugar very well. Microwaves do not heat evenly so some parts of a block of butter will warmer and almost runny and other will still be hard and cold. Soften butter at room temperature for several hours before baking. Cutting it into small cubes will help it soften faster.

I am an aspiring food writer. Which books should I read to improve my career prospects? J. Coulthard

Advertisement

Try Financial Accounting for Non Reporting Entities by Russell, Nash & Lucas. Also consider Potter & Perry's Fundamentals of Nursing Australian Version 5th Ed 2016 by Crisp, Douglas and Rebeiro. Unlike food writing, you will be able to earn a living being a nurse or an accountant. If you want to dedicate yourself to a life of penury, then follow your dream and buy, borrow or shoplift a copy of Larousse Gastronomique. This is a dictionary of food terms, techniques, history and the people behind the dishes. It contains more than 4000 recipes. It is priceless. You need a food history such as The Cambridge World History of Food or Reay Tannahill's Food in History. Get a good book on food science, perhaps by Harold McGee, or Nathan Myhrvold's​ five-volume masterpiece Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking, which sells for around $500. Find your passion. Mine is meat and charcuterie. I have 50 books on the subject. You'll need some works by M.F.K. Fisher or perhaps Elizabeth David – a woman who could list ingredients in order and make them sound like poems. I am sure some of our readers would like to add to this list.

What is in Chinese five spice? M. Baum

A combination of star anise, fennel, cloves, cassia and Sichuan pepper, available ready-mixed at supermarkets and grocers. Some mixtures may also contain ginger and/or cardamom. You can make your own by combining equal amounts of the powdered ingredients and mixing. Use it as a dry rub for pork or add some to salt when making confit duck leg. Try a scant dab with fruit dishes. Keep in a small, tightly sealed jar in a dark place.

What is that smell in pre-grated parmesan cheese? R. Watson.

Who can remember that shiny green cardboard tube with the swing-around lid that contained the small crumbly granules of "parmesan cheese" we would put on spag bol? (Spag bol is like spaghetti bolognese except it can contain any ingredient in the bottom of the fridge and can miraculously feed another several mouths simply by the addition of another tin of tomatoes.) Parmesan from a tin smells of isovaleric acid. It is a short chain fatty acid that develops as the cheese is made. It is also produced by bacteria between your toes and the wrong sort of brettanomyces yeasts in wine. It is found in vomit and is used in the perfume industry.

Send your vexing culinary conundrums to brainfood@richardcornish.com.au or tweet to @Foodcornish.

The best recipes from Australia's leading chefs straight to your inbox.

Sign up
Richard CornishRichard Cornish writes about food, drinks and producers for Good Food.

From our partners

Advertisement
Advertisement