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Food Science

Coffee making equipment
Spring 2021

Brewing the perfect cup of coffee

Coffee is both simple—just ground beans and hot water—and complex, with hundreds of volatile compounds that give each roast its unique flavor. Really good coffee is something special, even sublime. And, with so many of us spending more time at home during the persisting novel coronavirus pandemic, a cup of hot, delicious coffee seems especially comforting.

When preparing your favorite style of coffee, here are several points to consider.

The cup—Size and shape do matter. Big wide-rimmed mugs hold a lot, but also cool coffee quickly. Porcelain and ceramic surfaces influence the temperature and taste of the coffee. Both are neutral so you … » More …

Jar of jelly
Spring 2021

Food preservation and the pandemic

Stephanie Smith is a statewide consumer food safety specialist at Washington State University. She performs food safety research, writes a monthly food safety column in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News, and provides technical support and training for WSU’s food safety specialists in more than thirty counties statewide. She also provides technical expertise and training to retail food businesses and workers, and very small food processors and growers.

How has the pandemic impacted WSU’s county-based food specialists?

The county offices have been mostly shut down because of the pandemic. They’re still returning calls and emails, trying to do what they can. In general, there … » More …

Roast lamb with mint
Spring 2021

Colleen Taugher cooks lamb

Her go-to preparation features hand-ground anchovy-herb paste.

But don’t worry: the anchovies don’t come across as tasting fishy. They simply add a salty, savory flavor that beautifully blends with the distinctive-tasting lamb meat.

Colleen Taugher, co-owner of the 85-acre Mellifera Farm in Troy, Idaho, and recently retired director for global research and engagement in the Office of International Programs at Washington State University Pullman, typically makes the paste with rosemary.

That’s how she prepared it when she served her farm-raised Iceland lamb to a delegation of 18 student journalists from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia. They were visiting WSU in summer 2019 … » More …

Roast lamb with mint
Spring 2021

Lamb and mint recipes

Unlike your grandma’s store-bought neon green mint jelly, scratch-made mint jelly is naturally golden-hued. Make your own at home to pair with lamb and consider these other lamb-and-mint recipes, too.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Fresh Mint Vinaigrette

from Linda Burner Augustine (’83 Home Econ., Honors)

via ayearatthetable.com

Roasting a rack of lamb is easier than you might think. The key is to begin with a high-quality rack of lamb purchased at a reliable meat department or butcher. Most lamb racks have eight bones in them which means eight chops. They are usually “frenched,” and this simply means the meat has been … » More …

Summer 2020

Sweet heat

Betsy Burlingame dries them, pickles them, stuffs them, makes marmalade with them—and more.

The avid WSU Clallam County Master Gardener loves peppers for their flavor-packed punch and has been growing her own in her Sequim greenhouse for years.

Here, she shares some of her go-to pepper recipes.

 

Jalapeño Poppers

4 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/3 cup minced green onions

3 tablespoon shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon lime juice

12 to 15 fresh jalapeño peppers of equal size

1 egg

1 cup panko … » More …

Spring healthy food. on wooden background
Spring 2020

Go wild for these greens

Whether you forage them yourself or find them at the farmer’s market, wild spring greens pack a nutritious—and flavorful—punch.

Here are a few recipes to go wild for:

nettle

Nettles
Try puréed nettles in soup or pesto.

Croatian blitva, traditional and hearty peasant fare from the Dalmatian Coast, is traditionally made with Swiss chard and potatoes, garlic and olive oil. Why not try subbing one leafy green for another? Try this recipe with nettles. And, for extra flavor, … » More …