Thursday, May 20, 2010

Open, Sesame

Of all the varieties of fats used in cooking, I happen to be most fond of sesame seed oil. On the practical side, it has a high smoke point and tends not to turn rancid. But the real reason I love it is for the wonderful authentic flavor it adds to dishes such as Korean beef and Chinese stir-fry.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares this appreciation. Whenever I’m preparing a steak marinade, another member of my family will wander into the kitchen and declare that something’s burning. One doesn’t care for the end result either. I suspect that it’s an acquired taste. I’ll just have to find more creative ways of using it.