Today I have some links for you, recipes and articles I've spotted recently on the Internet.

 

 

 

Fat is an important part of healthy eating. Together with protein and carbohydrates, fat is one of the three macronutrients which make up the bulk of the food we eat. These are the nutrients we need every day, and in the largest quantities.

Fat is used by your body as an energy source, it also protects the organs inside your body and helps to keep you warm.  Fat is the foundation of many hormones and part of the structure of cells, particularly in the skin and brain. Fats also helps your body absorb and move nutrients around.

We tend to talk of "fats" as though they're one substance, but this isn't true. In nutrition fats are grouped in three categories: saturated, poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated. All of these are present in both animal and plant foods - so the foods we consume contain a combination of types of fat. However most oil and fats tend to be dominated by one group. For example, butter is 80% fat and while it contains both mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids, it's mostly saturated. In contrast, sesame oil also contains all three groups, but is largely made up of poly-unsaturates.

Broadly speaking animal fats tend to be higher in saturates, while plant fats are higher in the mono- and poly-unsatured fatty acid groups.

We shouldn't be avoiding fat altogether, as well as making food delicious it's necessary for health. Instead of cutting out fat it's more important to consider how much of it you eat, the types of fat you consume and what you eat instead of fat.

Almost every savoury dish I make at home starts with a bit of oil. Usually olive, but sometimes sesame or canola. While I usually use only a tablespoon or so this oil is vital to my final dinner.

We use fat in cooking for a number of reasons. Firstly, fat can be heated to a higher temperature than water. While water turns to a gas at 100°C, fats remain in liquid form at temperatures above 200°C, which means cooking in fat can give a crisper texture and more intense flavour. 

 

Compare boiled pumpkin, to roasted and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about. Roasted pumpkin has a stronger, sweeter, almost caramelised flavour. It shrinks in size and gains crispy edges. While boiled pumpkin is softer, with a more subtle flavour and watery texture.

In baking, fat lightens bread, helping it rise and increase in volume - it's part of what gives bread a light, fluffy, spongy texture. When making cakes fat helps trap bubbles of air in the mixture, ensuring the cake rises.

When making salads, adding oil to a dressing gives it a more viscous texture, meaning the dressing will coat each element of the salad and evenly distribute flavour.
 

Basically using fat in cooking intensifies and adds flavour, while smoothing texture and moistening the food you're about to eat.

Photograph by Churl.