Salt is always a nice addition to food if it;s used moderately and carefully. Seasoned salts are even better and wine salts add an entirely new dimension to dishes. Combining wine and sea salt creates a totally different flavor yet one that can enhance meats and vegetables.
The creation was the subject of today's Good Appetite Column in the New York Times Dining section. Melissa Clark decided to try this interesting combination of salt and a good vintage. She got the recipe from the man who basically created it, Chef John Eisenhart of Pazzo, in Portland Oregon. Chef Eisenhart has come up with an interesting rub or sprinkle for almost any meat , from fish to poultry to beef and lamb. He even has used it on squash. His earliest creations involved a darker wine mixed with sugar (along with spices and sugar)> Unfortunately making it with a dark red results in purple salt. It works better with a good fruity white such as gewurtztraminer.
Is it easy to create this tasty blend? It is. All you need is two cups of a fruity white wine along with the dry ingredients of thyme and lemon zest. A cup of sugar is also added to balance out the saltiness and probably to bring out the wine's fruitiness.The wine has to be reduced to a syrup , cooked over a low flame for twenty to thirty minutes.This reduction is then added with the dry ingredients to a food processor where it's pulsed two or three times. When it becomes the consistency of wet sand then take the wine salts and place them on a baking sheet. Leave out to dry overnight. Ms. Clark slathers the salt over pork loins before grilling but you can try the salt on a roast chicken as well. She also plans on sprinkling some on veggies such as tomatoes along with grilled swordfish
Wine and salt together may sound strange together. Yet combined to create a new seasoning they mesh perfectly.Make a batch today to add zest and flavor to your late summer barbecues.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Festival Time
September is the time for all sorts of festivals.There are church feasts and street fairs , along with those celebrating the end of summer or the beginning of fall.These are filled with all sorts of tasty dishes and treats. Some are handmade , some are typical festival fare but all are delicious.
The biggest feast this month happens in Lower Manhattan. San Gennaro is one of the largest and oldest street festivals in the country.It started in 1926 and has long been known for its' tasty dishes it's The feast, celebrating Neapolitan Saint Gennaro , has spawned other festivals from the Hamptons to Los Angeles with Las Vegas in between.It's a chance to sample the fried doughy treats known as zeppoli, which are pizza dough puffs deep fried in oil and then coated in confectioner's sugar. Any feast will have some yummy sandwiches such as sausage and peppers or a meatball sub. Antipasto is also sold if you're lookinjg for lighter fare.
Street fairs in any of the major cities and smaller towns also come up in September. Again there are some delicious foods to be found. Smaller town or church fairs have the various women's groups and congregations cook and bake for them. Food choices vary from a zucchini bake and chicken stew to Streusel cakes and snickerdoodles for dessert. Street fairs also offer a wide variety of dishes from French crepes to Indonesian satays. Fairs are also a time to try those fun treats such as fried Oreos, potato chips on a stick along with the classics of Sno Cones, candy apples and cotton candy.
Beach weather may be over but it's time to enjoy the many festivals and fairs. These get togethers are great places to savor traditional foods like zeppoli and sausage and peppers. They;re also great to indulge in international fare such as a fruit crepe or enjoy a fun classic like a grape Sno Cone. festivals are just a neat way to have fun during the still warm days of late summer.
The biggest feast this month happens in Lower Manhattan. San Gennaro is one of the largest and oldest street festivals in the country.It started in 1926 and has long been known for its' tasty dishes it's The feast, celebrating Neapolitan Saint Gennaro , has spawned other festivals from the Hamptons to Los Angeles with Las Vegas in between.It's a chance to sample the fried doughy treats known as zeppoli, which are pizza dough puffs deep fried in oil and then coated in confectioner's sugar. Any feast will have some yummy sandwiches such as sausage and peppers or a meatball sub. Antipasto is also sold if you're lookinjg for lighter fare.
Street fairs in any of the major cities and smaller towns also come up in September. Again there are some delicious foods to be found. Smaller town or church fairs have the various women's groups and congregations cook and bake for them. Food choices vary from a zucchini bake and chicken stew to Streusel cakes and snickerdoodles for dessert. Street fairs also offer a wide variety of dishes from French crepes to Indonesian satays. Fairs are also a time to try those fun treats such as fried Oreos, potato chips on a stick along with the classics of Sno Cones, candy apples and cotton candy.
Beach weather may be over but it's time to enjoy the many festivals and fairs. These get togethers are great places to savor traditional foods like zeppoli and sausage and peppers. They;re also great to indulge in international fare such as a fruit crepe or enjoy a fun classic like a grape Sno Cone. festivals are just a neat way to have fun during the still warm days of late summer.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Happy Labor Day
Today is Labor Day and it's a time to thank and even provide an extra dollar in your tip or support for all those who take care of your food.
Enjoy this last special day of"summer(actually we have three more weekss of it) with freinds and family. Grill, party , clambake do what you have to to prolong those lazy , tasty days of the season.
Enjoy this last special day of"summer(actually we have three more weekss of it) with freinds and family. Grill, party , clambake do what you have to to prolong those lazy , tasty days of the season.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Laboring For Food
With this being the Labor Day weekend , it's time to thanks all those who cook our food, tend our food and clean up after we've eaten our food. Not enough gratitude is given for anyone in the industry. Sadly enough we do take them for granted - which should not be the case.
It all starts with our grocery stores, whether they be a small family owned one or a large chain. It's no joke to stock shelves or stay on your feet for eight hours a day. Those are the easiest tasks. There's also the ones who run the meat and deli department along with baking those yummy breads and cakes . The meat, fish and deli sections sometimes can be dangerous thanks to those wickedly sharp knives and slicers that are used almost every minute. Then there's those clean ups on Aisles five.(or whatever aisle).>It's an entire procedure to clean up everything from spilled milk to an exploded soda bottle.There's the threat of broken glass and a slippery as ice floor that has to be dealt with when these accident happen.
Also give gratitude to all those restaurants and diner workers. They make sure that whatever meal you eat is not only tasty but cooked in clean conditions. Many privately owned eateries start way before dawn to peel potatoes and slice veggies and fruit. They have to haggle with all sorts of salesmen as well as come up with tasty recipes for their customers.The wait staff has it no better along with the busboys. The first has to deal with every kind from surly and grumpy eaters to whiny kids. Busboys have to clean up the messes we leave and some aren't pretty. Imagine handling chewed bones and lobster shells day after day for very little.
This Labor Day while you're enjoying your meals or shopping for food,l stop and actually thank those involved with your eating. They'd appreciate the thanks . Even more they'd appreciate the feeling that goes with it.
It all starts with our grocery stores, whether they be a small family owned one or a large chain. It's no joke to stock shelves or stay on your feet for eight hours a day. Those are the easiest tasks. There's also the ones who run the meat and deli department along with baking those yummy breads and cakes . The meat, fish and deli sections sometimes can be dangerous thanks to those wickedly sharp knives and slicers that are used almost every minute. Then there's those clean ups on Aisles five.(or whatever aisle).>It's an entire procedure to clean up everything from spilled milk to an exploded soda bottle.There's the threat of broken glass and a slippery as ice floor that has to be dealt with when these accident happen.
Also give gratitude to all those restaurants and diner workers. They make sure that whatever meal you eat is not only tasty but cooked in clean conditions. Many privately owned eateries start way before dawn to peel potatoes and slice veggies and fruit. They have to haggle with all sorts of salesmen as well as come up with tasty recipes for their customers.The wait staff has it no better along with the busboys. The first has to deal with every kind from surly and grumpy eaters to whiny kids. Busboys have to clean up the messes we leave and some aren't pretty. Imagine handling chewed bones and lobster shells day after day for very little.
This Labor Day while you're enjoying your meals or shopping for food,l stop and actually thank those involved with your eating. They'd appreciate the thanks . Even more they'd appreciate the feeling that goes with it.
Friday, August 31, 2012
You Still Can Grill
Even though it's the Labor Day weekend, it's still grilling season and still summer. What's even better is that some of the early harvests of raspberries and apples can figure into a lot of recipes. Another aspect of continued barbecuing is like holding onto the hot weather and vacation.Students from Pre-K to college seniors would love to chow down on an outdoor cooked meal.
September is the season for raspberries and apples. Both can be used in summery recipes along with giving dishes their flavorful tastes. Raspberries are usually made into jam however you can crush them and mix them into a salad dressing. They add a nice fruity taste especially to a grilled chicken salad. Just blend the pureed fruit into a simple vinaigrette. Raspberries can also be used in a barbecue sauce to impart sweetness as well.Most recipes call for a raspberry jam but you can use freshly crushed ones in your marinade. Apples are starting to appear too and they're good grilled as well. Served them with pork or on their own with vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce.
Grilling can be extended well into October. There's nothing as comforting as a hot dog or a cheeseburger to a kid starting school.It's a nice way of prolonging those summery days of just having fun. You can even have a welcome back barbecue by inviting school mates over for for not only sandwiches but also for an evening filled with s'mores . Invite parents too and if you're friendly with them, ask them to bring some of their favorite salads or easy desserts. For those parents who now have an empty house thanks to the kids going off to college., think of a romantic barbecue. Try a salmon or sliced duck along with grilled veggies for a sophisticated meal under the stars. Uncork a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and enjoy good food and blessed quiet.
It may be Labor Day but you still have two more months of grilling . Take advantage of it by putting the fruits of the season on the fire. Don't put away that grill!It's wayyyyy too early!
September is the season for raspberries and apples. Both can be used in summery recipes along with giving dishes their flavorful tastes. Raspberries are usually made into jam however you can crush them and mix them into a salad dressing. They add a nice fruity taste especially to a grilled chicken salad. Just blend the pureed fruit into a simple vinaigrette. Raspberries can also be used in a barbecue sauce to impart sweetness as well.Most recipes call for a raspberry jam but you can use freshly crushed ones in your marinade. Apples are starting to appear too and they're good grilled as well. Served them with pork or on their own with vanilla ice cream and a caramel sauce.
Grilling can be extended well into October. There's nothing as comforting as a hot dog or a cheeseburger to a kid starting school.It's a nice way of prolonging those summery days of just having fun. You can even have a welcome back barbecue by inviting school mates over for for not only sandwiches but also for an evening filled with s'mores . Invite parents too and if you're friendly with them, ask them to bring some of their favorite salads or easy desserts. For those parents who now have an empty house thanks to the kids going off to college., think of a romantic barbecue. Try a salmon or sliced duck along with grilled veggies for a sophisticated meal under the stars. Uncork a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and enjoy good food and blessed quiet.
It may be Labor Day but you still have two more months of grilling . Take advantage of it by putting the fruits of the season on the fire. Don't put away that grill!It's wayyyyy too early!
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Fig Time
This is the time of year, late August and early September, when figs are abundant. Trees are laden with the ripe, juicy fruits , just waiting for tempting dishes. The best part about figs is that they are versatile . They can be served as a dessert or with main meals.
Melissa Clark explored various fig recipes in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.Her column, A Good Appetite covered all aspects of the fruit. She grows them in her Brooklyn backyard where she has easy access..Mostly Southern Italians and Sicilians raise them, with figs being indigenous to the lush warm landscape. However a lot of urban New Yorkers are discovering the figs trees. charms. They take well to the city landscape, enjoying ambient heat from the brick buildings(the urban heat island effect ) and the buildings protect them from the elements. Come winter, they just need to be wrapped in burlap to protect them from the elements.
Figs are good on their own and most like them accompany a good ripe cheese for dessert. However figs can be made into delicate cookies or cooked into kabobs. Ms. Clark's offers us both. There is a recipe for financiers , a merengue like cookie with a fig sliced baked in the middle. These would be nice as a Sunday dinner dessert with vin Santo,/ She also gives us a tasty lamb and fig shish kabobs that have been doused with honey and rosemary.This is a more Middle Eastern nod thanks to the addition of mint and lamb. Figs are also a Middle Eastern staple too and any recipe from there could work with figs.
Figs are a late summer treat that can be made a variety of ways.Try them in a dessert or as part of the meal. Their lush , sweet flavor is good any way and a nice introduction to the fall harvest.
Melissa Clark explored various fig recipes in yesterday's New York Times Dining section.Her column, A Good Appetite covered all aspects of the fruit. She grows them in her Brooklyn backyard where she has easy access..Mostly Southern Italians and Sicilians raise them, with figs being indigenous to the lush warm landscape. However a lot of urban New Yorkers are discovering the figs trees. charms. They take well to the city landscape, enjoying ambient heat from the brick buildings(the urban heat island effect ) and the buildings protect them from the elements. Come winter, they just need to be wrapped in burlap to protect them from the elements.
Figs are good on their own and most like them accompany a good ripe cheese for dessert. However figs can be made into delicate cookies or cooked into kabobs. Ms. Clark's offers us both. There is a recipe for financiers , a merengue like cookie with a fig sliced baked in the middle. These would be nice as a Sunday dinner dessert with vin Santo,/ She also gives us a tasty lamb and fig shish kabobs that have been doused with honey and rosemary.This is a more Middle Eastern nod thanks to the addition of mint and lamb. Figs are also a Middle Eastern staple too and any recipe from there could work with figs.
Figs are a late summer treat that can be made a variety of ways.Try them in a dessert or as part of the meal. Their lush , sweet flavor is good any way and a nice introduction to the fall harvest.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The Delicacy Of Sea Salt
Sea salt is now one of the most ubiquitous food items on the table nowadays.It went from being a gourmet prize to an almost everyday must. Many don't know that it was started in France and there are a dozen variations there. It is still considered gourmet there despite its' commonality.
Fleur de sel was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. It was a dispatch from Elaine Sciolino and her Letters From Paris column. She is lucky to rent a summer house on the Ile de Re, an island of the western coast of France. She was able to visit a salt farm where the Bay of Biscay's lush waters feed clay pools and create amazing salts.Seawater collects in ponds and breezes dry them. This is the seasoning that chefs the world over clamor for it.Ile de Re is one of the most used and most fragrant sel in the world.
The salt is created by the air drying the ponds. Fleur e sel is a mineral rich salt full of potassium, magnesium, iron an zinc an the taste is far from reflecting them.It has a sweet flavor and an aroma like violets. It's harvested slushlike and placed in wheelbarrows for extra drying. Most salt ponds are coated over with an icelike crust of salt. Salicorne or sea asparagus ,an edible green sea plant also grows along the ponds as well and is harvested too. It's also sold in French fish markets and greengrocers. Most slats are sol in cooperatives to be bought fresh. Some "rebels" sell their own privately mixing the salt with hot peppers for a neat spin. The salt is good for anything but also for crusting baked fish.It leaves behin a sweet, tender flesh.
Sea salt, despite its' popularity is still a gourmet item.It's a delightful gift from the sea that should be savored and enjoyed. Fleur de sel is what it is a true flower of the sea.
Fleur de sel was the subject of an article in today's New York Times Dining section. It was a dispatch from Elaine Sciolino and her Letters From Paris column. She is lucky to rent a summer house on the Ile de Re, an island of the western coast of France. She was able to visit a salt farm where the Bay of Biscay's lush waters feed clay pools and create amazing salts.Seawater collects in ponds and breezes dry them. This is the seasoning that chefs the world over clamor for it.Ile de Re is one of the most used and most fragrant sel in the world.
The salt is created by the air drying the ponds. Fleur e sel is a mineral rich salt full of potassium, magnesium, iron an zinc an the taste is far from reflecting them.It has a sweet flavor and an aroma like violets. It's harvested slushlike and placed in wheelbarrows for extra drying. Most salt ponds are coated over with an icelike crust of salt. Salicorne or sea asparagus ,an edible green sea plant also grows along the ponds as well and is harvested too. It's also sold in French fish markets and greengrocers. Most slats are sol in cooperatives to be bought fresh. Some "rebels" sell their own privately mixing the salt with hot peppers for a neat spin. The salt is good for anything but also for crusting baked fish.It leaves behin a sweet, tender flesh.
Sea salt, despite its' popularity is still a gourmet item.It's a delightful gift from the sea that should be savored and enjoyed. Fleur de sel is what it is a true flower of the sea.
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