This article originally appeared at The Daily Meal
By Deborah Hartz-Seeley, Special Contributor
Nostalgia figures deeply into what we eat and cook no matter the cultural climate. Whether it’s due to the economy, environmental consciousness or the copying of vintage fashions, we’ve noticed that out-of-vogue cooking methods have found their way back in gourmet kitchens.
It’s a long way from the sous-vide and molecular gastronomy techniques found in many cutting-edge kitchens, but for these chefs, perfecting the past is a great way to be creative.
Slideshow
8 Techniques Brought Back from the Dead
Star chef Eric Ripert, for example, is working wonders with the toaster oven -- the same appliance long favored by college students cooking in dorm rooms. It’s rarely found in restaurant kitchens, but today, Ripert is blogging and making videos about how to prepare such upscale dishes as Mission Figs Wrapped in Bacon, Raspberry Clafouti and Goat Cheese Truffles.
And they are all made in a toaster oven. Seriously.
Other chefs are turning to such garage sale staples as pressure cookers, rice cookers, fondue pots and slow cookers, better known as Crock Pots. But forget your Mom’s recipes. There’s no gray meat or sauce on the ceiling as chefs and cookbook writers discover what these pots can do well.
Even chefs who grew up in foreign countries are revisiting their traditions. New York chef Tadashi Ono is taking another look at hot pots and re-creating this Japanese comfort food for today’s kitchens.
And it’s not just cooking appliances and pots from yesterday that are making a comeback. Gadgets are getting a new life too.
For example, ice pop molds, those Tupperware party favorites, are being returned to the freezer. This time the pops are decked-out with ripe fresh fruits, suspended ingredients and hand-dipped coatings.
Come see how chefs are rediscovering retro favorites and using them to advantage. They may surprise you.
Comments
To Whom Ever Wrote This Most Inaccurate Article:
I'm not quite sure WHERE you've been, but these cooking techniques have never gone away. Fondue? Still a favorite of 20 something, 30 something hipsters with great wines and cocktails, where have you been? Crock Pots have never gone away, EVER, nor will they, way to convenient.
As a classically trained Executive Chef this is such a bad piece of fluff it is making me crazy. Why do you guys do this? Write something that is a crock of crap? Not a crock pot of pork shoulder? Do you really think people in the business are incapable of READING?
May 26, 2011 at 4:02 PM
My, my, my...what a 'crock' (no pun intended) of nonsense in the article about cooking techniques and utensils. I still own and use my three fondue pots. Two are smaller for desserts. The third one is large for cubes of chicken, meat or veggies dipped into hot, clear, beef or vegetable broth.
The primary difference between the fondue recipes of the 60's,70's and 80's is healthier recipes. Lower sodium, less fat and limitless varieties of exotic seasonings. Another flaw in the article is not mentioning my all time favorite buffet party large 'chafing-dish' (actually a large heavy and fancy copper or silver deep skillet).
May 28, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Seriously? Fondue, raclette grills, toaster ovens. Have you never been to the Melting Pot restaurant? Have you not traveled overseas? Have you not ever lived in a barracks or apartment? These are not only common, but in some cases, staple items.
Jun 10, 2011 at 6:13 PM
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