Sous Vide (a cooking method)

choi

Ian Knauer, Fuss-Free Fish; Once only or pros, the sous-vide method is a foolproof wat to cook seafood -- and easier than you think. Wall Street Journal, Jan 20, 2024, at page D9.
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture ... -you-think-3a357647

Excerpt in the window of print: Most seafood demands quick  cooking just before serving to avoid overcooking -- but not when you use sous vide.

Note:
(a)
(i) photo caption: "LOVE ME TENDER  Slow, low, cooking keeps cod and other delicate fish from overcooking and turning tough."
(ii) The article is free to download.

(b) "DECADES AGO I made a living cooking in New York City. By day, I tested recipes for Gourmet magazine. By night, I supplemented my meager wage by using its test kitchen (without permission) to cater private dinners. One evening, I arrived at a posh apartment to prepare a four-course meal for 20, only to learn that, without warning, the gas had been shut off. Fish was on the menu and I had no way to cook it.   Then I remembered the dishwasher. I popped the filets in zip-lock bags, used a straw to suck the air from inside and placed the sealed packets on the top rack. After 10 minutes on the rinse cycle the fish was perfectly cooked"
(i) Gourmet (magazine)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gourmet_(magazine)
(1941-2009)
(ii) English dictionary:
(A) cater
(vi): "1: to provide a supply of food  <cater for a large party>
2: to supply what is required or desired  <catering to middle-class tastes>
(vt): "to provide food and service for  <catered the banquet>"
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cater
(B) cater (vi or vt): "to provide, and sometimes serve, food
<I'm catering for twelve on Sunday - the whole family is coming.>
<Which firm will be catering at the wedding reception?>
<US  Who catered your party?"
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/cater

• So, you see, the author (Ian Knauer) says "cater private dinners."
The merriam-webster.com has "cater for a large party" and "catered the banquet."
Cambridge dictionary illustrates with "Who catered your party?" (American English). So the preposition for is optional before dinner/ party/ banquet -- but a must before people. However, the latter is for definition to supply food or drink.

• Regarding definition 2 under "vi" in merriam-webster.com, reach further down to read examples under the heading "Recent Examples on the Web":
"<The smooth black leather option caters more to the business traveler, while the chestnut brown suede pick works best for laidback settings.  —Joel Balsam, Travel + Leisure, 12 Jan. 2024
This club caters exclusively to residents of Kukio and Kukio's nearby sister property, Kaupulehu. —Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2023
McDonald's, by contrast, catered some offerings to the French market by introducing add-on items not in its US restaurants, like croissants and a facsimile of the croque-monsieur sandwich. —Liz Alderman, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023>"

Moreover, under this definition there is a difference between American English and British English.
cater (vi)
"1: In British English, to cater for a group of people means to provide all the things that they need or want. In American English, you say you cater to a person or group of people.
<Minorca is the sort of place that caters for families.>  
<We cater to an exclusive clientele.>
2: In British English, to cater for something means to take it into account. In American English, you say you cater to something.
<We have to cater for demand.>  
<...shops that cater for the needs of men.>
<Exercise classes cater to all levels of fitness.>
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/cater
You can see that none of the examples from Collins Dictionary talks about food or drink.

• Minorca (disambiguation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minorca_(disambiguation)
("Minorca is the older English name for Menorca, one of the Balearic Islands located in the Mediterranean Sea and belonging to Spain")
(iii) In the quotation above, what does "pick" means in "chestnut brown suede pick"?  (Otherwise, you can see black leather versus suede is about shoes or boots made of these materials.
(A) Joel Balsam, The 13 Best Loafers for Men of 2024; You can never go wrong with a versatile pair of loafers. Travel + Leisure, Jan 12, 2024
https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-loafers-for-men-8424975
("If you're looking for a fashionable slip-on travel shoe, look no further than the humble loafer. A classic style for more than a century, loafers are the perfect travel shoes because they're so versatile * * * Loafers typically feature leather or suede designs with either tassels, a bow, or a simple strap over the tongue. * * * Read on to see our top picks for every type of traveler")
(B) slip-on shoe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slip-on_shoe
("known as a loafer * * * in American culture")
(C) The noun loafer (meaning shoes, not persons; in this (American) use since 1937, according to Online Etymology Dictionary
https://www.etymonline.com/word/loafer
) came from the verb loaf, and is "a type of shoe with stitches around the top and without shoelaces (= strings used to tie shoes)."
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/loafer
(iv) Do Dishwashers Use Hot Water?  Maytag, undated
https://www.maytag.com/blog/kitc ... -use-hot-water.html
(A) Quote: "Dishwashers are connected to your home's hot water connection. Your dishwasher likely also has a heating element that is usually located at the base of the tub. The heating element can heat the water to an even hotter temperature than the water from your faucet.   The water should be about 120℉ [48.89℃] when it enters the dishwasher. Your dishwasher's heating element can then heat the water over 155℉ [68.33℃]. Due to the high temperatures of the water, certain items should not be placed in the dishwasher.
(B) sectional heading: Can you run a dishwasher with cold water?
(C) Maytag
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maytag
("On April 1, 2006, Whirlpool completed its acquisition of Maytag Corporation. In May 2006, Whirlpool announced plans to close the former Maytag headquarters office in Newton [30 miles east of Des Moines], Iowa * * * Following the Maytag headquarters closure, all brand administration was transferred to Whirlpool's headquarters in Benton Harbor, Michigan")


(c)
(i) The second bullet point in previous Note (b)(ii)(B) mentions "croque-monsieur sandwich"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croque_monsieur
, which confuses a reader like me (because it makes no sense).

From the French verb croque crunch descends a French food croquette, a word English borrowed from French.
(ii) Search this term with Google and the return at the top is
How Did le Croque-Monsieur Get Its Name?  Colleen's Paris, Jan 15, 2022
https://www.colleensparis.com/20 ... le-croque-monsieur/
("It is toasted [hence hot, not cold] * * * The legendary croque-monsieur was born in Paris at the brasserie on Boulevard des Capucines in 1910. The legend began with Michel Lunarca, a bistro owner. Having no more baguette for his crusty sandwich of the day, Monsieur Lunarca decided to bake a loaf of 'pain de mie.' Lightly baked, the bread keeps the crustiness of the baguette. When one of his customers asked about the origin of the ham, he responded, 'Cést la "viande de monsieur"!' ('It's that guys' [sic; should be guy's] ham!'–probably referring to the local butcher or farmer.) Et Voilà!   One well known brand of 'pain de mie' is Poilâne. Poilâne's signature loaf is made of 4 ingredients: sourdough, stoneground wheat flour, water and sea salt from Guérande")

Colleen
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colleen
(iii) From this origin, in French (therefore in English also) there is croque-madame.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/croque-madame
Read both English and French definitions.
(iv) Bistros, Brasseries & Cafes Demystified. Paris Insiders Guide, undated
https://www.parisinsidersguide.com/paris-bistros.html

Quote:

(A) "Contrasting the large, luxurious spaces of the grands restaurants, bistros are small, casual places where hearty food is served simply, but deliciously. Typically, a bistro is frequented by locals and might not even be very well known outside its quartier, or neighborhood.

(B) "Brasserie means brewery and, as you might guess, most of the brasseries of Paris were initially based around beer. Since beer is the traditional drink in the part of France closest to Germany, you can still find a distinctly Alsatian flavor in brasseries, with dishes featuring sauerkraut and sausages, although nowadays they offer some of the classic French dishes, from blanquette de veau and pot-au-feu to confit de canard.

"In brasseries you can expect a bit more formality than in bistros, typically they feature white linen and uniformed servers. The famous brasseries of Paris are decorated with brass, stained glass, all done in a sort of Art Deco style.

(C) "Cafés are the most casual of all. It's where you have a glass of rosé on one of those round tables and do a little Paris people watching on the avenue, rue, or boulevard.


(d)
(i)
(A) pain de mie
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain_de_mie
(B) Lionel Poilâne
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Poilâne
(ii) French-English dictionary:
* sous vide (adj or adv)
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sous%20vide
(pronunciation - - the pronunciation that English. And not necessarily French, speakers give)
   ^ sous (preposition; from Latin preposition sub under): "inder"
      https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sous
   ^ vide (noun masculine; from Latin adjective masculine vacuus of the same definitions): "1: (empty) space, 2: vacuum, void"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vide

* pain (noun masculine; from Latin noun masculine pānis bread)
* mie (noun feminine; from Latin [noun feminine] mīca crumb): "soft part (of bread), crumb (of loaf)"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mie
(pronunciation)
* viande (noun feminine; ultimately from Latin verb vīvere to live): "meat"
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/viande
   ^ French has another word for ham: jambon (noun masculine)
      https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jambon
   ^ Spanish has jamón (noun masculine)
      https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/jamón
* voilà ("literally, 'look there.' From vois 'see!, look!,' second-person singular imperative of [verb] voir 'to see, to look' and [adverb] là there [not to be confused with definite article (feminine, singular) la the]")
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/voilà
* Regarding the French noun masculine bistro, "The etymology is unclear."  en.wiktionary.org
* brasserie
https://www.etymonline.com/word/brasserie

choi

-------------------------------wsj
DECADES AGO I made a living cooking in New York City. By day, I tested recipes for Gourmet magazine. By night, I supplemented my meager wage by using its test kitchen (without permission) to cater private dinners. One evening, I arrived at a posh apartment to prepare a four-course meal for 20, only to learn that, without warning, the gas had been shut off. Fish was on the menu and I had no way to cook it.

Then I remembered the dishwasher. I popped the filets in zip-lock bags, used a straw to suck the air from inside and placed the sealed packets on the top rack. After 10 minutes on the rinse cycle the fish was perfectly cooked, the guests were delighted and I had cash to pay my rent.

It might sound like a stunt, but my method was inspired by a technique common in professional kitchens: sous vide. Despite the fancy name, the process simply means sealing food in an airtight container, usually a plastic bag, and cooking it in a precisely-warmed water bath. And it’s still the best, most leisurely way I know to cook fish.

Here’s why it works—and how.  Imagine sticking your hand into a 212-degree oven. It would feel like a sauna. Next, picture sticking your hand into a pot of boiling water—also 212 degrees. Yep, that would really hurt. What makes the difference? Water’s much more efficient ability to transfer heat—to your skin, or in the case of sous-vide cooking, to your food.

Unlike braised dishes, like beef stew, that can be made ahead and reheated, most seafood demands quick cooking just before serving, lest it turn dry and tough. Generally speaking, to keep fish moist and flaky, you want to cook it to 140 degrees or less. The genius of the sous-vide method is that you can program the water bath to stay at 140 degrees indefinitely. That means the fish never gets hotter, no matter how long it cooks—practically guaranteeing perfect results.

The key to sous vide is temperature control.  And the key to that is an immersion circulator, a wandlike motorized device you stick in a pot of water that keeps the water at a specific temperature. Circulators range in price from around $65 to more than $900; I ordered my Inkbird model online for about $80 and it works great. If that’s more than you want to spend and you don’t mind working a bit harder, you can also get the job done by bringing a large pot of water to temperature on your stove, monitoring it with an instant-read thermometer and adjusting as needed to keep it steady.

A vacuum sealer is the most convenient way to bag up ingredients, but resealable plastic and reusable silicone sous-vide bags work as other, less-cheffy options. To “vacuum” the air from the latter, try something called the water displacement method. After you’ve filled your bag, submerge it in a pot of water up to the top, then quickly seal it. The pressure of the water will push out most of the air, ensuring the bag doesn’t float, which would inhibit even cooking.

It really is that simple. From silky cod with carrots and leeks to tender tomato orzo shrimp and seared scallops with bacon and peas, with the tiniest amount of work, you’ll find nearly limitless recipe possibilities. Want a jump-start on the week? Prep, fill and seal your sous-vide bags ahead of time, then stash them in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. Once you are, just drop them into your heated water and relax. Dinner is in the bag.