Texture Principles for Preparing Gourmet Fare
The textures of either the entree or the side dishes or both can be changed.The three food textures at The Gourmet-O-Matic tm are:
Crunchy
Chewy
Creamy
The texture rules are simple:
Side Dishes
To make side dishes crunchier - add the items you want from The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Food Textures Guide. Add them after you have prepared the side dishes and just before serving. This way, the moisture in the side dishes will not soften the crunch.
If you are not going to completely eat the side dish on the same day, only add the crunchy foods to what you will actually consume. Otherwise, the moisture in the side dishes might turn the crunchy foods mushy.
To make side dishes chewier - add the items you want from The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Food Textures Guide. In general, you can add them before and/or after you have prepared the side dishes.
If you are not going to completely eat the side dish on the same day, only add the chewy foods to what you will actually consume. Otherwise, the moisture in the side dishes can turn the chewy foods mushy.
To make side dishes creamier - add the items you want from The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Food Textures Guide. Creamier textures are generally for dressings, since we are not dealing with sauces here. You can usually add them while you are preparing the dressings.
Main Dishes
To make main dishes crunchier - add the items you want from The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Food Textures Guide. You can add them after you have prepared the entree and just before serving or while you are cooking the entree as long as you are using a dry heat method (e.g., baking, not boiling)
To make main dishes chewier - add the items you want from The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Food Textures Guide. In general, you can add them before and/or after you have prepared the entree depending on the cooking method.
To add texture plus - if you are in a particularly creative mood, you can not only add texture, you can add more. For example, you can marinate or spice some of the crunchy items, e.g., nuts, before you add them. If you marinate and they soften, baking the food might restore the crunch. To get spices to stick, spray the food very lightly with an oil or water. If you use water, use a small amount as a larger amount can render a texture mushy.
The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating contains recipes for entrees, sauces, spices and marinades. It also instructs on the different cooking methods and explains standard serving sizes for side dishes and how to calculate your caloric needs based on your current and desired weights.
The strategies used by The Gourmet-O-Matic tm can be found in Dr. Applebaum's meal strategy guide, The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating. That book contains recipes for over 1 trillion (yes, with a "T") meal combinations.
All of Dr. Applebaum's books can be found here.