Late August brings about many harvests, tomatoes, eggplants and of course basil,It's one of the most prolific plants with each plant sprouting hundreds of leaves. What's great about it, is that basil is so easy and addictive to use.It can add punch and flavor to everything from pizzas to pastas.
Basil is one of the most ancient herbs, originating in India over 5,000 years ago.It was the Greeks, however to name it,,from basilius, the king and has been associated with the Feast of The Cross,in the Greek Orthodox religion.It refers to St Helena's Emperor Constantine's mother's pilgrimage to Jerusalem,According to some, it could have been used to perfume ancient royal oils and baths. Many chefs consider the king of herbs.The plant is a staple in Italian cooking but also is popular in Southeastern Asian cuisine too,Italians use the sweet or Genovese kind while Thais, Laotians and Vietnamese cook with Thai basil.The last has a spicier taste, perfect for rounding out red and green curries along with drunken noodles.The herb's benefits are bountiful.It's high in Vitamin K, essential for blood clotting, along with Vitamin A and beta carotene. The leaves are also loaded in such minerals as iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese Vitamin C and potassium,It's volatile oils such as estagole and myrcene give it antibacterial qualities too, which are important in restricting the growth of harmful bacteria.It's best to use freshly picked leaves to take advantage of all it has to give.
Basil gives so much flavor to various dishes . One of the most famous is pesto sauce, originating in the Northern Italian seaport of Genoa. The basic recipe is two cups of fresh leaves pureed with Parmigiano or Romano cheese ,extra virgin olive oil, and pine nuts. Garlic cloves and fresh ground pepper are also added to round out the sauce. It works well with any kind of pasta, but it great served with ravioli or tortellini, It can also be used on toasted Italian bread as alternative to garlic bread or even as a green pizza. Basil does have a strong, herbal taste that may be too overwhelming at first.You may just want to use it sparingly at first. Try chiffonading the leaves. You can do it with one individual leaf or a pile of stacked (I prefer individual). Tightly roll the leaves - think little cigars., and then using a sharp kitchen knife.slice the roll into four pieces . The result is pretty bright green ribbons that go well in a tomato salad or addg oomph to a Margherita style pizza. Basil gives a fresh "green" flavor to tomato sauces, whether salsa crudo or a mellowed one that's been on the stove for an hour. Basil can be easily frozen too.It's just snipping off the stems , then washing and drying them before putting them in freezer bags.They can last up to a year, hile stile maintaining their distinctive flavor.
Take advantage of the basil harvest right now. The leaves are great to use in fresh or cooked dishes, adding color and flavor. Celebrate this royal plant in a number of ways.
Showing posts with label chiffonade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chiffonade. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Know Your Knives
Home chefs have to have as many skills as their professional counterparts. One of the most important is good knife skills. Not having them can result in many accidents that can be avoided by just brushing up on techniques. Yes, a good sharpened knife helps but also a good grip is vital too.
Julia Moskin covered this in today's New York Times Food section. Ms. Moskin herself, a renown chef , and who has countless meals under her belt was chopping all wrong.She and most home chefs may have had the knife in what;s called a"death grip". a too tight grasp on the hilt or handle. Try to relax and let the blade do the work.The hand holding the knife is called the cutting hand while the other, is the helping hand. The last should be curled in a bear claw position with the fingertips curled under and the knuckles pressing down on the ingredient being cut to prevent any sliding or rolling.This prevents any fingers getting sliced. Another way is to bunch the fingertips together and rest the pads on top of the ingredient. There are different types of slicing and cutting. The most common is dicing , using done to onions and peppers. which is done in a grid to produce uniformly sized pieces. Julienne is used for some salad ingredients and potatoes.It's slicing lengthwise to produce long , slender pieces. Then there are chiffonades usually done for leafy ingredients such as basil. The leaves are rolled cigar tlike and the knife cuts them in a rocking back and forth There is also the roll cut used for carrots and larger vegetables. I involves as imagined rolling and cutting into irregular wedges.
What knives should be in a kitchen?. One of the most important is the chef's knife. It has a broad, tapering blade , sharp tip and chunky handle.Ms. Moskin recommends practicing with one to make for a better cook. Home chefs should start with an eight inch knife with a plastic blade and then graduate to a ten inch one. Remember to buy ones with comfortable handles and blades thicker than at the base than at the tip. The second most important knife is a utility. Since they're in constant use in home kitchens, it pays to have three or four.Their short handles, usually three to four inches long , make for easy gripping and easy control.They are best used on small ingredients such as shallots, mushrooms and peaches.. The plastic handled ones are the best choice and since they're so inexpensive, there's no guilt when they go dull and have to be thrown out. A serrated knife is the third knife home chefs should have in their arsenal.A ten inch serrated blade is not only great for slicing through baguettes and loaves but also for butternut squash, lemons and watermelons along with soft skinned veggies like tomatoes and eggplants. Remember that all knives have to be honed and sharpened , ideally on a daily basis but once a week is good too.
Knives are a vital tool in creating good meals and desserts. Have the necessary ones to do just this along with good cutting skills. It will make for easy prepping and cooking.
Julia Moskin covered this in today's New York Times Food section. Ms. Moskin herself, a renown chef , and who has countless meals under her belt was chopping all wrong.She and most home chefs may have had the knife in what;s called a"death grip". a too tight grasp on the hilt or handle. Try to relax and let the blade do the work.The hand holding the knife is called the cutting hand while the other, is the helping hand. The last should be curled in a bear claw position with the fingertips curled under and the knuckles pressing down on the ingredient being cut to prevent any sliding or rolling.This prevents any fingers getting sliced. Another way is to bunch the fingertips together and rest the pads on top of the ingredient. There are different types of slicing and cutting. The most common is dicing , using done to onions and peppers. which is done in a grid to produce uniformly sized pieces. Julienne is used for some salad ingredients and potatoes.It's slicing lengthwise to produce long , slender pieces. Then there are chiffonades usually done for leafy ingredients such as basil. The leaves are rolled cigar tlike and the knife cuts them in a rocking back and forth There is also the roll cut used for carrots and larger vegetables. I involves as imagined rolling and cutting into irregular wedges.
What knives should be in a kitchen?. One of the most important is the chef's knife. It has a broad, tapering blade , sharp tip and chunky handle.Ms. Moskin recommends practicing with one to make for a better cook. Home chefs should start with an eight inch knife with a plastic blade and then graduate to a ten inch one. Remember to buy ones with comfortable handles and blades thicker than at the base than at the tip. The second most important knife is a utility. Since they're in constant use in home kitchens, it pays to have three or four.Their short handles, usually three to four inches long , make for easy gripping and easy control.They are best used on small ingredients such as shallots, mushrooms and peaches.. The plastic handled ones are the best choice and since they're so inexpensive, there's no guilt when they go dull and have to be thrown out. A serrated knife is the third knife home chefs should have in their arsenal.A ten inch serrated blade is not only great for slicing through baguettes and loaves but also for butternut squash, lemons and watermelons along with soft skinned veggies like tomatoes and eggplants. Remember that all knives have to be honed and sharpened , ideally on a daily basis but once a week is good too.
Knives are a vital tool in creating good meals and desserts. Have the necessary ones to do just this along with good cutting skills. It will make for easy prepping and cooking.
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