Tag: Clean

Cilento, free coffee for those who clean the beach – Italian Cuisine

In establishments that use Cilento coffee, just go to the bar with a bag of garbage collected on the beach to receive a glass of coffee in exchange

A "prize" for those who contribute to keeping the beach clean: those who collect waste left on the coast are entitled to a free glass of coffee. It is the initiative, launched for the second consecutive year, by the Coffee Roasting Cilento, active for years in Laurito, in the province of Salerno: the "Clean Cilento" project it was created to sensitize bathers to take care of the beach.

On the other hand, according to the investigation Beachlitter by Legambiente, on every meter of sand of the 93 beaches examined are located almost 10 waste, and plastic alone accounts for 81%. But what is visible to our eyes on the beach is only 15% of the waste entering the marine ecosystem: the remaining 15% float on the surface of the sea and 70% remain suspended in the water column or sink. Among the 10 most found wastes there are pieces of plastic and polystyrene (and it is worrying because they are the "precursors" of microplastics, irreversible and incalculable pollution), the caps and lids of drinks – one for each meter of beach is found -, cigarette butts (the equivalent of 359 packets has been found of cigarettes in just 9 kilometers), cotton swabs (7.4% of all waste monitored) and construction material (with over 4,000 wastes linked to illegal spills on the beach). There are also 45 plastic bottles every 100 meters and 34 plastic dishes such as plates, glasses, cutlery and straws, every 100 meters.

To sensitize all swimmers, Caffè Cilento will distribute i leaflets which indicate how long it takes for the various materials to decompose. In the bathing establishments that use the Caffè Cilento brand, just go at the bar with a garbage bag collected on the beach to receive a glass of coffee in exchange. Which, of course, won't be plastic.

Cucumber: how to choose it, clean it and cook it – Italian Cuisine

The cucumber it belongs to the cucurbitaceae family and is native to Asia, where it has been cultivated since 3000 BC.

In practice it is the fruit of an annual herbaceous plant, from the same family of watermelon and melon.

There are many varieties of different sizes, more or less rounded at the end, with smooth or lumpy skin. Some grow well even in the mountains, others in warm areas, as long as they are not arid.

Cucumber contains a lot of water (96%) and needs well-hydrated soils. In Italy it has always been cultivated in Lazio, Veneto, Puglia, Sicily, Calabria and Emilia Romagna.

VARIETY OF CUCUMBER

The most common cucumbers have green color and cylindrical shape: the length can range from 15-20 cm in the most common types on our markets, up to 30-40 cm in the Dutch varieties. There are then only 4-5 cm cucumbers, used for pickled preservation.

They are not yet fully ripe: the pulp, firm and crunchy, contains numerous seeds, more abundant in less fresh cucumbers.

Then there are the so-called "carousel" cucumbers: short, rounded and crossed by thin vertical grooves, they can be intense or light green, uniform or streaked. Their pulp is more digestible than that of common cucumbers.

HOW TO CLEAN THE CUCUMBER

To make it more digestible, peel it and peel it with an arched potato peeler, then cut it in half lengthwise and eliminate the seeds, passing a scoop along the central part with the seeds.

To remove the bitter taste of the cucumber, put the sliced vegetable in a colander, sprinkle with salt and put a weight on it; rinse them after 30 minutes.

Or remove the 2 ends and rub them on the freshly cut pulp to extract the white foam.

RECIPES FOR COOKING CUCUMBER

In our tradition it is used to slice it thinly to mix it with mixed salads. Cut into sticks, diced or chopped, it is the protagonist of great dishes of Mediterranean cuisine, from Gazpacho Spanish allo tzatziki Greek or a characteristic Bulgarian soup, datta tarator, in which it is mixed with yogurt.

EXCELLENT FOR HEALTH AND BEAUTY

Cucumber is refreshing and diuretic, has very few calories but contains fiber, potassium, magnesium, vitamins.

And it is excellent for beauty: two thick slices placed on the eyes for 10-15 minutes cause the capillaries to contract and thus reduce the swelling of the eyes.

Barbara Roncarolo
June 2020

Panocchie: how to clean and cook them – Italian Cuisine

Call them panocchie, canocchie or squid: from the seabed to the table, here's how to prepare them and serve them in 4 simple recipes

The panocchie, also known as shrimp or sea cicadas, are crustaceans that live on sandy and muddy bottoms between 20 and 50 meters deep. It is easy to find them and catch them especially after heavy storms because they are more easily caught outside the destroyed dens.

How to clean pancakes

To clean the canocchie There are different methods and depending on the use you want to do, you proceed differently.
In any case, we must wash them still alive under running water paying attention to the spiny tail.
Enough to prepare sauces or soups cut them into pieces with kitchen scissors.
Instead, to cook them whole you have to practice a cut along the back, so that the pulp is more easily flavored during cooking.
Finally, to use only the pulp, dip them for a few minutes in one pot full of boiling water and then remove the shell.
Now that you understand how to clean them, all you have to do is choose the recipe that's right for you among the ones we offer.

Gratinated pancakes

This is perhaps the most famous recipe and also the easiest to prepare.
It is a very tasty and quick second course because it is sufficient to cut the panacchie's armor to stuff the meat with a mix of breadcrumbs, parsley and garlic. Baking is in the oven at 180 ° for about 15 minutes.

Corncobs sauce

This condiment is perfect with either a short pasta dish, such as half-sleeves or a calamarata, which is as long as the spaghetti.
Cut the panocchie with scissors eliminating the head and tail and then cook them in a pan with oil and shallots first, sprinkle with white wine and then add the chopped tomato.

Lemon

For a light and super light cooking we suggest you to cook the steamed pancakes and then season them with oil and lemon or with a kind of green sauce prepared by blending the parsley with oil, lemon, garlic and salt.

broth

When you really want to enjoy a fish dinner, prepare a broth: it is good, easy and super delicious especially if accompanied with toasted bread seasoned with oil and rubbed with garlic.
In the brodetto you can put all the types of fish and shellfish you want, but we suggest you, in addition to panocchie, small monkfish tails, sole, gurnard, hake, cuttlefish, prawns and scampi.
To prepare it, sauté with garlic and slowly cook the fish and shellfish starting with those that have a longer cooking time, cuttlefish and squid. Then add the others and the tomato and if you want also some peppers as from Marche recipe.