[Sca-cooks] mongolian meat cakes

[lilinah at earthlink.net]

First, as far as i can tell, toasted sesame oil is not really used as 
a basic cooking oil in East Asian cooking. It seems to me it is more 
of a flavoring, generally added near or at the end of cooking, or 
used for something that doesn't take long to cook.

Second, the sesame oil used in Near and Middle Eastern cooking is 
from untoasted sesame seeds.

Third, purchasing:
I recommend Spectrum brand which i get at "health food" stores. They 
make several versions. The organic cold-pressed unrefined has the 
very best delicious earthy sesame flavor, but is more expensive than 
the others. The unrefined and the refined are both good and less 
expensive. Get what you can afford. I just noticed that it is also 
sold by Amazon.com, of all places, but i'd expect shipping to be a 
bit pricey.

I have purchased sesame oil at a local Middle Eastern market and 
found it an inferior product, at least the brand i bought.  But if 
it's all you can find, it is tolerable. I found it greasy feeling, 
bitter, and having an almost rancid quality. I suspect that the way 
the oil is extracted is affecting the flavor, as well, perhaps, as 
the way it had been stored and shipped. In any case, what i tried i 
found to be barely acceptable. But it sure was cheaper than the 
Spectrum.

Of course, once you open a bottle of oil, it MUST be kept in the 
fridge, unless you will be using it all up rapidly. An opened bottle 
sitting on the counter, and especially if it's getting sunlight or 
near the stove, will oxidize, i.e., turn rancid. This will adversely 
affect the flavor of the food cooked with it.

Olive oil doesn't do well in the fridge - since part will solidify - 
but keeping it in a cool dark place will prolong its life. However, 
if you rarely use it, keeping it in the fridge won't be bad, just be 
sure to take it out long enough ahead of time so it can reach room 
temperature and liquify.

I also want to stress that the quality of ingredients one uses really 
has an effect on the flavor of dishes. For example, when yogurt is 
called for, i use whole milk yogurt without added stabilizers (no 
gelatin, no gums, no carrageenan, etc.) - and i'd use sheep's milk 
yogurt for Middle Eastern dishes if it weren't so darn expensive.

When i'm cooking feasts, i have to make some compromises based on my 
budget, but i weigh them carefully. Sesame oil affects the flavor of 
the dishes that call for it, and i've found that spending an extra 
couple dollars for the good stuff was not a budget breaker.

-- 
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita