Tag: cuisine

We hope there is minestrone … it is on sale at Sale & Pepe in August – Italian Cuisine

Calvari, four souls and a bell tower, in the immediate hinterland of Genoa and a view overlooking the valley Bisagno. Around, a dense vegetation and other small hamlets of the municipality of Davagna, an area from which a certain origin came Battino Maragliano: a first-class bandit who, in the 1600s, preferred war to prison by becoming captain of fortune and distinguishing himself for his courage.

Don't ask me if he was an ancestor of mine, I don't know, but I like to imagine an adventurous past. Here among chestnut woods, flourishing vegetable gardens, vines and fruit trees, I lived with my cousins part of themy summer holidays, in the house still belonging to the great-grandfather. To mark the days there were snacks, lunches is dinners who mixed Ligurian cuisine with that of Rome, where her grandmother had lived for years. The highlight was in the evening.

Sitting on a small bench next to a strategic window, from which you could observe who came from Genoa by bus, my cousin Simonetta and I spied on the pots, terrified of running into the "no" dinner: the evening "soup", which was not the trivial one with the nut, but what in Genoa is called "ruffiani", with eggs, parmesan and persa (marjoram), and in Rome stracciatella.

All the other dinners were "yes", from deviled chicken to stuffed vegetables, from trofie to pesto to amatriciana, even if the wait was for Genovese soup. A poem of aromas and flavors that grandmother knew how to orchestrate properly with the rules that this dish dictates. Because its characteristic is density and can only be reached with slow cooking: three, even four, hours.

Ancient recipes report that it cooked from morning to night, still resulting better if the pot was placed on a wood fire. Precisely for this reason the minestrone needs care, it can never be abandoned. It did not suffer from animal fat or fat, but according to the nineteenth-century tradition two parmesan crusts well scraped together with the vegetables as soon as the liquid boils (about two liters of water for a kilo and a half of diced vegetables).

Inevitable the pesto, but made on purpose, without pine nuts, and added at the end to release all the scent of the King's herb. Finally the pasta, 30 g per head, to be thrown when the minestrone is already creamy, excellent taggien (taglierini) even if tradition requires brichetti (i.e. matches), large spaghetti reduced to a height of 2 cm or scuccuzzu, semolina grains halfway between couscous and fregola.

Lukewarm minestrone is perfect, cold is great and the next day even better. It should be served in capable holsters xatte, where, the last rule says that, sinking the spoon, this must remain standing, because that's how you measure it consistency. For me and Simonetta the test of the spoon became a game and the grandmother laughed sly knowing already that he would remain perfectly upright.

Laura Maragliano
Salt & Pepper of August 2020

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How to store aromatic herbs for the winter? – Italian Cuisine

We have several options: dry them, freeze them, salt them or make a great pesto!

A summer longer than usual, a particularly lucky green thumb and loving care have ensured that your herbs, in pots or on the ground, are still beautiful and luxuriant, but are you afraid that they will not survive the first colds?
Here are some ideas for keep them for the winter.

herbal-aromatic-Winter

Do you love aromatic herbs in the kitchen? It will be wonderful to release its flavors, aromas and memories into sauces, soups, roasts and all the warmer and tastier you will want to cook in the months that separate us from next spring; even more beautiful to make it a decorative bouquet to set up your table.

How to store aromatic herbs for the winter

1. Dry
Dried aromatic herbs are perfect in the kitchen, as a flavor to integrate (and try to reduce) sea salt both in cooked and raw preparations, but also as infusions or packaged in small gifts
To dry and preserve the aromatic herbs, once you have collected the desired sprigs, wash them well, dry them (preferably with the help of a centrifuge) and then hang them upside down in a warm place (the proximity of a radiator is perfect), indicatively for a couple of days, but a lot depends on the humidity of the room, so check periodically to understand when they are ready. When the leaves are dry, remove them from their twig and store them in paper or natural fabric bags, or in glass jars. For the herbs you plan to use in infusions or decoctions (mint, linden, mallow …) you can keep whole flowers and leaves; for those you prefer as a condiment (marjoram, oregano …) it is better to crumble the leaves after detaching them from the twig so that they are already perfectly ready for use.

2. In salt
The simplest secret for a soup that you smell in summer is a fresh basil leaf. It is just as simple to have it always available: gently wash and dry your basil leaves and place them in a jar alternating them with a layer of fine sea salt.
Even sage and rosemary, combined with salt, are fragrant comfort seasonings for the winter. In this case we prepare a flavored salt and the recipe is very simple as well as super customizable (you can mix the herbs you prefer, in the quantities you prefer): you have to wash and dry the leaves very well, cut them with a sharp crescent and place them in a jar with salt and ground pepper. To be kept in the refrigerator, or to be given away at Christmas!

DIY flavored salt

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3. Freeze
The fastest and most functional technique, and two herbs above all for which it lends itself perfectly: chives and parsley. Wash the leaves, dry them very well and cut them finely with a scissors or a sharp knife and then put them in the freezer in a plastic or glass food container or, if you need to save space, in a food bag. If necessary, you can use them in cooking directly from the freezer or, always frozen, as a seasoning or final garnish of any hot dish depending on your taste.

How and where to use parsley

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4. Frozen in oil
Rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano and all aromatic herbs with a more structured leaf can be stored in oil (or in broth) in the freezer for later use during cooking.
The quickest technique is to wash and roughly cut the herbs and then insert them in the ice cubes, which will be filled – each one – for two thirds with the desired herb and for the remaining third with the oil. Left to freeze in the freezer overnight, the flavored cubes can then be extracted from the tray and placed in space-saving bags (to be labeled with the name of the herb inserted). Each cube can contain a single variety of grass, or you can invent your favorite bouquets and combinations. All those herbs that plan to use raw or at the end of cooking do not lend themselves very well to this preservation technique.

4. Pesto
A great classic for storing herbs, and basil in particular, is basil pesto. Covered with oil in a closed jar, it will keep perfectly in the refrigerator, but if you prefer to stock up for the winter, you can also freeze it. The ideal in this case is to portion it fresh so as to thaw only the necessary from time to time, an excellent way to do it is once again that of the ice trays, from which a cube or more will be extracted from time to time depending on the amount of seasoning needed.

How to store tomatoes – Italian Cuisine

Small tips to appreciate as long as possible that unmistakable taste of tomato that refers to the Mediterranean, to summer, to the carefree time of the holiday.

The tomato it is among the most loved vegetables, especially in the summer season when we can choose from dozens of quality and we can count on its freshness and its unmistakable summer scent. But after August and September, finding good tomatoes becomes impossible so it is important to start stocking up now. And we don't throw anything away from tomatoes: from the seeds, which you can keep and sow for the next season, up to the peel. Here are the preparations for storing tomatoes all year round.

The classic sauce

How many of you remember grandmothers and mothers struggling with the famous salsa at the end of August? Made strictly with San Marzano tomatoes it is easy to prepare, even if with due care when sterilizing the vessels.

Then wash the cans with water and place them inside a large pot, better put a tea towel between the jars so as not to move them during the boiling. Fill the pot with water and boil for 30 minutes. Once cooled, they must be pulled out of the water and allowed to drip upside down.
Separately, cut the tomatoes into small pieces and cook them without adding flavorings (at least a few basil leaves) and a handful of salt, turning them often. Cover them and cook (with the lid open) for about 40 minutes.
Pass the tomatoes with the vegetable mill, fill the jars directly, close them with the lids and turn them upside down.
The pots must be laid back in the first pan with the tea towels and left to boil for another 30 minutes. Once completely cooled they can be turned and placed in a pantry in a dark place. To test the success of the sterilization it is necessary to check the vacuum, if pressing the cap in the center it will turn out flat then everything is successful, otherwise the sterilization must be repeated.
If you like, you can avoid the passage with the vegetable mill and put the tomatoes in pieces.

Dry tomatoes

What extra touch do the dry tomatoes canapés, salads or fish sauces?

Preparing them is easy, you just need a little patience. Different varieties can be used: the Ciliegini, the Piccadilly or the San Marzano. A word of advice: the smaller they are, the better the result.

Tomatoes should be washed, cut in half or quarters, if they are larger, and dusted with salt. They should then be placed on grills, such as those used for barbecuing, and left in the sun for two or three weeks. Remember to turn them at least once a day, so that they dry on both sides evenly. At night they should be stored in an airy place. Together with the tomatoes you can dry onions or garlic in thin slices.
When dried, they can be kept in tightly closed containers for a few months.

Dried Tomatoes in Oil

For an even more delicious result, dried tomatoes can be put in oil. In this case, put an equal amount of water and vinegar in a saucepan and boil them for a few minutes. After draining them, dry them with paper towels and place them inside sterilized jars, pressing them well, so that no air bubbles form. Cover everything with extra virgin olive oil, remembering to leave a centimeter of space between the cap and the food. To flavor them, you can add capers, thyme, garlic cloves and oregano.

Finally, sterilize the cans with tomatoes in boiling water for about an hour: after this time, turn them upside down leaving them in this position until they have cooled down. To make sure that the vacuum, press on the cap, making sure that a notch has been created and that pressing does not make you feel the classic click-clack. If it should feel, the vacuum has failed.

After two weeks, the tomatoes are ready to be enjoyed.

Confit tomatoes

Appetizing and surprising, confit cherry tomatoes can be eaten alone or as a side dish for various dishes. The technique, imported from France, consists of long and low temperature cooking. The most suitable tomato for this preparation is the cherry: cut in half and place on the side of the pulp on a baking tray covered with parchment paper. The cherry tomatoes are sprinkled with a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt, and, if desired, they can be covered with thin strips of garlic. Bake everything at 150 degrees for about two hours: once ready, sprinkle with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and cover with basil or oregano leaves. They can be kept in the refrigerator, in a tightly closed jar, for a few weeks.

Tomato powder

As we said: nothing is thrown away from tomatoes! If you have cooked San Marzano chili, you will have a kitchen full of tomato peels to throw away … but no! All the skins that the vegetable mill will discard must be collected and distributed on the baking trays and left to dry in the oven at 60 ° for at least 4 hours. When they are dry, beat them with a mortar and store the powder obtained in airtight jars.
It will be useful in winter, when you want to give perfume to your pasta or character to stewed meat dishes.

Tomato water

If you watch the cooking programs or like to wander among the starred restaurants you will have seen that among the trends of gourmet dishes there has been tomato water for some years: fresh and acidic, it allows us to pretend to be chefs for a day adding originality to the dishes.
It goes well with spaghetti and Sorbillo knows that it cooks his own, with tomato, a concentrate of flavor, but it is also suitable for other preparations, jellied and added to the salad, perhaps octopus or used instead of juice. tomato for a Bloody Mary in transparency.
How is tomato water obtained?
As we said, nothing is thrown away from the tomato and while you are preparing a pasta, the tomato water is already beautiful: cut the perini in half, squeeze them, emptying them of liquid and seeds and filter the liquid with a dense mesh strainer. Otherwise you can peel and cut the tomatoes and put them in the mixer, then place the pulp on a towel suspended on a bowl and after 12 hours collect all the liquid.

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