Vacuum packing for the home cook
I was reading about culinary trends of 2005 over at starchefs.com when a little bit of information ragarding sous vide cooking struck my eye, Slow and Low: Sous Vide Goes Mainstream. Sous vide is French for "under vacuum" and refers to a process by which chefs vacuum-seal a product and then simmer the product in its pouch in a water bath at a low temperature. While the results have been yummy, the process seemed overly complicated for a home cook, and I anticipated a prohibitive cost. Then this quote from the above-referenced article:
The term sous vide was actually coined more than 30 years ago in France, to describe a technique widely used in the commercial food industry -- mostly to package frozen food products. But in 2005 the technique went mainstream, as chefs across the country realized that they didn't need to invest in expensive commercial-grade Cryovac machines. A simple countertop FoodSaver machine is really all you need.
Really?! Quick, to Amazon! Where, voila, a FoodSaver Premier Series V1205 Vacuum Sealing Kit can be yours for $129.99, and there's free shipping! Now not only can you buy a bunch of meats and things at Costco and stock up, filling your freezer with vacuum-packed cuts of whatever, when you thaw them, you can cook them like a pro! If in 2005 sous vide when mainstream in restaurant kitchens, then perhaps 2006 will be the year sous vide hits it even bigger in home kitchens!
Posted on March 2, 2006
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