Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 pound 26-30 Shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 each Large Eggs, whites only
2 Tablespoons Shaoshixng wine
2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
¼- ½ cup canola, sunflower oil, or peanut oil
Fresh ginger, peeled cut into 6 each quarter sized pieces
2 each medium Red Bell Peppers, cleaned and cut into ¼” strips
1 each small red onion, cut into ¼” strips
6 each Serrano chilies, remove ribs and seeds, cut lengthwise in quarters. Substituting Thai chilies in place of the Serrano will make a spicier version of the dish
4 Tablespoons fresh Lime Juice (approximately 2 limes)
2 Tablespoons Nam Pla Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
2 Tablespoons Chinkiang Black Vinegar (Gold Plum brand)
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 ½ Tablespoons Vietnamese Fish Sauce
8 each Fresh Lime Leaves
Steamed Rice if desired
Chinese Soy Sauce
Method of Preparation
1. Whisk together the egg whites, rice wine, kosher salt, and cornstarch.
2. Toss the shrimp in the egg white and rice wine mixture. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
3. Drain the liquid from the shrimp 15-20 minutes before cooking. Reserve the drained liquid.
4. Combine the limejuice, chili-garlic sauce, black vinegar, honey and fish sauce. Reserve until needed.
5. Snip the stem ends from the lime leaves then stack them atop one another. Roll the leaves into a tight cylinder then cut across the cylinder to shred the leaves.
6. Place a medium wok on the burner and bring to heat. Add oil to the wok and swirl until hot. Add the garlic and ginger to the oil and stir-fry for 2 minutes until lightly brown but not burned. Remove the ginger/garlic from the oil and reserve. Return wok to heat.
7. Add the drained shrimp to the wok and stir-fry until they just begin to turn pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
8. Add oil to the wok and return to heat. Add the bell peppers, chilies, and onion to the hot oil and quickly stir-fry. Remove to a warm platter and hold.
9. Return the shrimp and stir-fry. Add the garlic and ginger and the lime juice-fish sauce mixture and toss until the shrimp are covered and the mixture begins to boil.
10. Return the vegetables to the wok and toss with the shrimp mixture. Re-whisk the reserved egg white and rice wine mixture to return the cornstarch into solution.
11. Add the egg white-rice wine mixture to the wok and toss. When the mixture thickens remove the wok from the heat. Toss the shredded lime leaves into the shrimp chili mixture and toss through.
12. Serve immediately with rice and soy sauce.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Wine Review
Family Selection
Gallo of Sonoma
2003 Reserve
A very drinkable wine. Note the apple, mango (tropical fruit generally), and pear. The wine has a crisp, clean finish and hints of vanilla in the nose. An excellent choice for grilled or roasted chicken.
Gallo of Sonoma
2003 Reserve
A very drinkable wine. Note the apple, mango (tropical fruit generally), and pear. The wine has a crisp, clean finish and hints of vanilla in the nose. An excellent choice for grilled or roasted chicken.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi
Yield 6 portions
Ingredients
6 ea. , 6-8 ounce portions of mahi-mahi
Marinade Ingredients
1-Tablespoon Coleman’s Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon minced, fresh ginger
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Japanese soy sauce
Marinade Method
1. Combine the dry mustard with a little water to make a paste.
2. Combine the mustard paste with the brown sugar, ginger, onions, garlic and Japanese soy sauce.
3. Add the 6 mahi-mahi portions to the marinade. Cover and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Preparation Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed macadamia nuts
6-8 Tablespoons clarified butter (or substitute vegetable oil)
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 limes (or substitute 3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice)
4 Tablespoons white wine (do not use ‘cooking wine’)
6 Tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons thick soy sauce
Preparation Method
1. Combine the flour and the macadamia nuts and mix together.
2. Remove the mahi-mahi fillets from the marinade and drain slightly.
3. Coat the mahi-mahi with the macadamia/flour mixture. If the mixture does not adhere you may brush the fish with some of the marinade or a small amount of oil.
4. Put the clarified butter and heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the fish to the hot pan and sauté until done and golden brown, turning once. On average fish requires 10 minutes of total cooking time per 1” of thickness.
5. Remove the fish from the pan and place on a warmed platter. Keep the fish hot.
6. Using a paper towel, wipe out the sauté pan and return to heat.
7. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and add the white wine. Bring to a boil and let reduce slightly.
8. Add the cilantro and remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the softened butter and swirl in the pan until the butter melts. The butter sauce should thicken slightly.
9. Pour the sauce over the mahi-mahi fillets. Drizzle the sauce with the thick soy sauce.
Ingredients
6 ea. , 6-8 ounce portions of mahi-mahi
Marinade Ingredients
1-Tablespoon Coleman’s Dry Mustard
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon minced, fresh ginger
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup Japanese soy sauce
Marinade Method
1. Combine the dry mustard with a little water to make a paste.
2. Combine the mustard paste with the brown sugar, ginger, onions, garlic and Japanese soy sauce.
3. Add the 6 mahi-mahi portions to the marinade. Cover and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
Preparation Ingredients
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup crushed macadamia nuts
6-8 Tablespoons clarified butter (or substitute vegetable oil)
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 limes (or substitute 3 tablespoons lime or lemon juice)
4 Tablespoons white wine (do not use ‘cooking wine’)
6 Tablespoons softened, unsalted butter
2 Tablespoons thick soy sauce
Preparation Method
1. Combine the flour and the macadamia nuts and mix together.
2. Remove the mahi-mahi fillets from the marinade and drain slightly.
3. Coat the mahi-mahi with the macadamia/flour mixture. If the mixture does not adhere you may brush the fish with some of the marinade or a small amount of oil.
4. Put the clarified butter and heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the fish to the hot pan and sauté until done and golden brown, turning once. On average fish requires 10 minutes of total cooking time per 1” of thickness.
5. Remove the fish from the pan and place on a warmed platter. Keep the fish hot.
6. Using a paper towel, wipe out the sauté pan and return to heat.
7. Squeeze the lime juice into the pan and add the white wine. Bring to a boil and let reduce slightly.
8. Add the cilantro and remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the softened butter and swirl in the pan until the butter melts. The butter sauce should thicken slightly.
9. Pour the sauce over the mahi-mahi fillets. Drizzle the sauce with the thick soy sauce.
Moutabel
Moutabel is a eggplant spread of Lebanese origin.
Yield: 5 cups
Ingredients
5 Each Eggplants, Large, Quartered Lengthwise
Kosher Salt, as needed
1/3 cup Pure Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Garlic
1-Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Method of Preparation
Toss the quartered eggplant with kosher salt and let them drain for 30 minutes. Blot dry and Rub with olive oil
Grill the eggplants until soft and brown.
Remove skins and excessive seeds, then place in food processor and pulse until semi-smooth.
Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Serve with Crackers, Toasted Pita, Bagel Chips or Crudite
Yield: 5 cups
Ingredients
5 Each Eggplants, Large, Quartered Lengthwise
Kosher Salt, as needed
1/3 cup Pure Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Garlic
1-Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Method of Preparation
Toss the quartered eggplant with kosher salt and let them drain for 30 minutes. Blot dry and Rub with olive oil
Grill the eggplants until soft and brown.
Remove skins and excessive seeds, then place in food processor and pulse until semi-smooth.
Add garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste.
Serve with Crackers, Toasted Pita, Bagel Chips or Crudite
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Hunan Style Pickles
3 # cucumbers, preferably English
2 tsp kosher salt
5 tsp corn or peanut oil
2 tsp chili flakes
2 Tablespoons regular soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Shaoshing (or cider vinegar)
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and excess pulp. Cut into 2 1/2” lengths then cut into ¼” wide strips.
Toss cucumbers with salt and allow to drain for 6 hours to overnight.
After draining press then cucumbers slightly between paper towels until dry.
Heat oil in a wok and add a few chili flakes. When it starts to sizzle, add the remaining chili and the garlic. Do not allow to burn.
When aromatic, add the cucumbers and stir-fry till glazed with oil. Add soy, sugar, vinegar and stir until dissolved. Adjust flavor as desired.
Allow to marinate, covered and refrigerated, overnight.
2 tsp kosher salt
5 tsp corn or peanut oil
2 tsp chili flakes
2 Tablespoons regular soy sauce
2 Tablespoons Shaoshing (or cider vinegar)
Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and excess pulp. Cut into 2 1/2” lengths then cut into ¼” wide strips.
Toss cucumbers with salt and allow to drain for 6 hours to overnight.
After draining press then cucumbers slightly between paper towels until dry.
Heat oil in a wok and add a few chili flakes. When it starts to sizzle, add the remaining chili and the garlic. Do not allow to burn.
When aromatic, add the cucumbers and stir-fry till glazed with oil. Add soy, sugar, vinegar and stir until dissolved. Adjust flavor as desired.
Allow to marinate, covered and refrigerated, overnight.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Tapenade
Yield: 3 cups
Ingredients
2 c black olives, pitted and rinsed
1-3 cloves garlic
1 anchovy fillet (rinsed if salt packed)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
½ cup capers (rinsed)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method of Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined and smooth.
Serve with Crackers, Toasted Pita, Bagel Chips or Crudite
Ingredients
2 c black olives, pitted and rinsed
1-3 cloves garlic
1 anchovy fillet (rinsed if salt packed)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
½ cup capers (rinsed)
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Method of Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined and smooth.
Serve with Crackers, Toasted Pita, Bagel Chips or Crudite
Monday, July 16, 2007
Pan Seared Scallops with Preserved Lemon and Ras el Hanout
*Serve on appetizer or luncheon sized plates
Scallop and Ras El Hanout spice ingredients:
12 ea. 16/20 sized, dry pack sea scallops
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground clove
1/8 cup olive oil
Method:
1. Remove “tendons’ from the side of the scallop. Pat scallops dry and refrigerate.
2. Combine all spices in a dry sauté pan. Stir over moderate heat until the spices are fragrant. Remove.
3. Toss the scallops with spices and olive oil until evenly covered. For a thicker spice coat toss the scallops initially with the oil then press into the spices. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preserved Lemon Salad
2 ea. ripe lemons (preferably Meyer)
1/3 cup Kosher Salt
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup assorted field greens
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup asparagus tips
1 cup traviso or Belgian endive
1 cup fennel
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Preserved Lemon Method:
1. Scrub the lemons and dry well.
2. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges. Toss the lemons with salt and place them in a ½ pint glass jar.
3. Pour lemon juice over the lemons. Closed jar tightly (do not use a metal lid) and let the lemons ripen for 7 days. Place the jar in a cool, dry location and shake each day to distribute the salt and juice.
4. To store top with olive oil and refrigerate for up to 6 months. Rinse lemons before using.
Salad Method:
1. Rinse and discard the flesh of two preserved lemons. Cut into julienne strips.
2. Toss lemons with oil and vinegar. Reserve.
3. Combine all vegetables, toss with preserved lemon vinaigrette for service.
Harissa
6 ea. medium hot dried chilies (New Mexico or Anaheim)
1 ea. hot dried chili (pasilla or ancho)
1 ea. very hot dried chili (arbol)
1 tablespoon coriander seed
½ tablespoon caraway seed
Kosher salt to taste
3 cloves garlic-chopped
Extra Virgin olive oil as needed
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Method:
1. Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 20-30 minutes. When soft drain, seed and discard membranes.
2. Combine the spices and toss in a hot dry pan until fragrant.
3. Grind the spices to powder.
4. Combine spices, chilies, garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and reduce to a smooth paste. The sauce should be very thick but easy to spread.
Method for service:
1. Lightly oil a sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. When hot pan sear the spice scallops until done.
2. Place ¼ of the preserved lemon salad in the center of a plate. Arrange the seared scallops around the greens.
3. Drizzle a small amount of the harissa around the scallops.
4. Serve it forth!
Scallop and Ras El Hanout spice ingredients:
12 ea. 16/20 sized, dry pack sea scallops
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon ground clove
1/8 cup olive oil
Method:
1. Remove “tendons’ from the side of the scallop. Pat scallops dry and refrigerate.
2. Combine all spices in a dry sauté pan. Stir over moderate heat until the spices are fragrant. Remove.
3. Toss the scallops with spices and olive oil until evenly covered. For a thicker spice coat toss the scallops initially with the oil then press into the spices. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preserved Lemon Salad
2 ea. ripe lemons (preferably Meyer)
1/3 cup Kosher Salt
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup assorted field greens
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup asparagus tips
1 cup traviso or Belgian endive
1 cup fennel
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Preserved Lemon Method:
1. Scrub the lemons and dry well.
2. Cut each lemon into 8 wedges. Toss the lemons with salt and place them in a ½ pint glass jar.
3. Pour lemon juice over the lemons. Closed jar tightly (do not use a metal lid) and let the lemons ripen for 7 days. Place the jar in a cool, dry location and shake each day to distribute the salt and juice.
4. To store top with olive oil and refrigerate for up to 6 months. Rinse lemons before using.
Salad Method:
1. Rinse and discard the flesh of two preserved lemons. Cut into julienne strips.
2. Toss lemons with oil and vinegar. Reserve.
3. Combine all vegetables, toss with preserved lemon vinaigrette for service.
Harissa
6 ea. medium hot dried chilies (New Mexico or Anaheim)
1 ea. hot dried chili (pasilla or ancho)
1 ea. very hot dried chili (arbol)
1 tablespoon coriander seed
½ tablespoon caraway seed
Kosher salt to taste
3 cloves garlic-chopped
Extra Virgin olive oil as needed
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Method:
1. Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 20-30 minutes. When soft drain, seed and discard membranes.
2. Combine the spices and toss in a hot dry pan until fragrant.
3. Grind the spices to powder.
4. Combine spices, chilies, garlic and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and reduce to a smooth paste. The sauce should be very thick but easy to spread.
Method for service:
1. Lightly oil a sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. When hot pan sear the spice scallops until done.
2. Place ¼ of the preserved lemon salad in the center of a plate. Arrange the seared scallops around the greens.
3. Drizzle a small amount of the harissa around the scallops.
4. Serve it forth!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Rogan Josh
This is an aromatic lamb curry of Indian/Kashmiri origin. It is quite hot.
Serve with basmati rice.
20 each 1” pieces of peeled ginger: chop
80 cloves garlic, peeled
1.25 gallons water
6.25 cups ghee
20 pounds leg of lamb (or lamb shoulder), 1 inch cubes
100 each Cardamom pods crack lightly and leave whole
20 each Bay Leaves
30 each cloves
½ cup black peppercorns
10 cinnamon sticks
10 large onions, finely chopped
50 each Thai chilies, slice lengthwise and remove seeds
4 T ground coriander
7 T ground cumin
1-cup paprika
4 T cayenne
4 T Kosher salt
80 ounces tomato paste
4 cups plain, whole milk yogurt
½ cup Garam Masala
Puree together the garlic and ginger with a small amount of the water.
Heat Ghee and sear the lamb until nicely browned. Remove and reserve.
Add cardamom, bay leaves, clove, peppercorns, and cinnamon to the oil and cook until fragrant.
Add onions and caramelize. Add garlic and ginger. Add Thai chilies
Add coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne and salt.
Return the meat to the pan. Add tomato paste and 1 cup of the yogurt, stir until absorbed. Turn the pan to a simmer. Add the Garam Masala.
Add the remaining yogurt and the water. Allow the rogan josh to simmer for 2 hours covered. Stir often, you may need to add additional water. The sauce should form a very thick consistency and the lamb must be very tender.
Taste for proper seasoning.
This recipe was written for a South Indian group. It is quite hot. For more Westernized taste you can easily leave the Thai chilies out.
Serve with basmati rice.
20 each 1” pieces of peeled ginger: chop
80 cloves garlic, peeled
1.25 gallons water
6.25 cups ghee
20 pounds leg of lamb (or lamb shoulder), 1 inch cubes
100 each Cardamom pods crack lightly and leave whole
20 each Bay Leaves
30 each cloves
½ cup black peppercorns
10 cinnamon sticks
10 large onions, finely chopped
50 each Thai chilies, slice lengthwise and remove seeds
4 T ground coriander
7 T ground cumin
1-cup paprika
4 T cayenne
4 T Kosher salt
80 ounces tomato paste
4 cups plain, whole milk yogurt
½ cup Garam Masala
Puree together the garlic and ginger with a small amount of the water.
Heat Ghee and sear the lamb until nicely browned. Remove and reserve.
Add cardamom, bay leaves, clove, peppercorns, and cinnamon to the oil and cook until fragrant.
Add onions and caramelize. Add garlic and ginger. Add Thai chilies
Add coriander, cumin, paprika, and cayenne and salt.
Return the meat to the pan. Add tomato paste and 1 cup of the yogurt, stir until absorbed. Turn the pan to a simmer. Add the Garam Masala.
Add the remaining yogurt and the water. Allow the rogan josh to simmer for 2 hours covered. Stir often, you may need to add additional water. The sauce should form a very thick consistency and the lamb must be very tender.
Taste for proper seasoning.
This recipe was written for a South Indian group. It is quite hot. For more Westernized taste you can easily leave the Thai chilies out.
Grilled Lamb Sosaties on a Blood Orange Salad
Yield: for 6
(Sosaties are a traditional South African skewered meat entree-the word comes from "sate" for spicy sauce and "sesate" meaning skewered meat. The dish is of Cape Malay origin.)
Lamb Sosaties
Ingredients
1-½ pounds Lamb Leg, cut into ½” cubes
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 each dry chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Curry Powder (prepare as directed or purchased)
1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed, toasted
2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar or tamarind Water
2 Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Dried Apricot, Chopped
4 Lime Leaves, Shredded
¼ Cup Cilantro, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 jalapeno, Sliced
24 whole dried Apricots, soaked in ½ cup Sherry until plumped
Bamboo Skewers
Method of Preparation
1. Combine the butter and the bacon in a saucepan. Cook until the bacon is almost crisp.
2. Add the onion and cook until golden
3. Add the garlic, chilies, coriander, and chilies and cook until fragrant.
4. Add the Vinegar, Red Wine, Curry Powder, and Apricots. Cook until the Apricots are soft. Add water if necessary.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Toss the lamb with the lime leaves, Cilantro, Garlic and Jalapeno. Let rest for 1 hour or overnight.
7. Combine the seasoned lamb with the apricot marinade and let it marinate 3 hours.
8. Skewer the Lamb and Apricots together.
9. Grill to desired doneness
Curry Powder
Yield=1/2 cup
Ingredients
2-½ teaspoons Fenugreek
1 teaspoon Cardamom Seed
3 Tablespoons Coriander Seed
1-Tablespoon Cumin Seed
1 Tablespoon Yellow or Black Mustard Seed
6 each Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick, Broken
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
1 pinch Cayenne
2 Tablespoons Turmeric
Method of Preparation
1. Toast all the spices together in a dry pan. Remove when fragrant and allow to cool.
Grind all spices together. Store in an airtight, lightproof container
Almond, Date and Orange Salad
Ingredients
4 each Oranges
½ cup chopped Italian Parsley
6 dates, pitted and thinly sliced
3 cup Arugula or Wild Greens
¼ cup Almonds, toasted and crushed
3 tablespoons Almond Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
1. Combine greens, vegetable and dates.
2. Separately toss the oranges with the oil and crushed almonds
3. Combine the orange and almond mixture with the greens. Season to taste
Harissa
Yield = 1 cup.
Ingredients
7 each, New Mexico Chilies
5 each Small dried Chilies
5 each cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Cumin, toasted and ground
1 Tablespoon Caraway, toasted and ground
1 ½ stick cinnamon, toasted and ground
1 Tablespoon Coriander, toasted and crushed
½ Tablespoon Dry Mint
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Method of Preparation
1. Stem and seed the dried chilies. Soak in warm water until; soft.
2. Drain and lightly squeeze dry. Retain water.
3. Combine the chilies, garlic, spices and herb in a food processor with the olive oil. Process until smooth. Add additional water or olive oil as needed to adjust consistency
4. Adjust seasoning and add salt as needed.
Method for Service:
Individually plate the salad. Top with the grilled lamb Sosaties and drizzle with Harissa.
(Sosaties are a traditional South African skewered meat entree-the word comes from "sate" for spicy sauce and "sesate" meaning skewered meat. The dish is of Cape Malay origin.)
Lamb Sosaties
Ingredients
1-½ pounds Lamb Leg, cut into ½” cubes
2 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
3 slices smoky bacon, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 each dry chilies, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Tablespoons Curry Powder (prepare as directed or purchased)
1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed, toasted
2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar or tamarind Water
2 Cup Red Wine
¼ Cup Dried Apricot, Chopped
4 Lime Leaves, Shredded
¼ Cup Cilantro, Chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, Chopped
1 jalapeno, Sliced
24 whole dried Apricots, soaked in ½ cup Sherry until plumped
Bamboo Skewers
Method of Preparation
1. Combine the butter and the bacon in a saucepan. Cook until the bacon is almost crisp.
2. Add the onion and cook until golden
3. Add the garlic, chilies, coriander, and chilies and cook until fragrant.
4. Add the Vinegar, Red Wine, Curry Powder, and Apricots. Cook until the Apricots are soft. Add water if necessary.
5. Remove from heat and cool.
6. Toss the lamb with the lime leaves, Cilantro, Garlic and Jalapeno. Let rest for 1 hour or overnight.
7. Combine the seasoned lamb with the apricot marinade and let it marinate 3 hours.
8. Skewer the Lamb and Apricots together.
9. Grill to desired doneness
Curry Powder
Yield=1/2 cup
Ingredients
2-½ teaspoons Fenugreek
1 teaspoon Cardamom Seed
3 Tablespoons Coriander Seed
1-Tablespoon Cumin Seed
1 Tablespoon Yellow or Black Mustard Seed
6 each Cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick, Broken
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
1 pinch Cayenne
2 Tablespoons Turmeric
Method of Preparation
1. Toast all the spices together in a dry pan. Remove when fragrant and allow to cool.
Grind all spices together. Store in an airtight, lightproof container
Almond, Date and Orange Salad
Ingredients
4 each Oranges
½ cup chopped Italian Parsley
6 dates, pitted and thinly sliced
3 cup Arugula or Wild Greens
¼ cup Almonds, toasted and crushed
3 tablespoons Almond Oil
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
Method of Preparation
1. Combine greens, vegetable and dates.
2. Separately toss the oranges with the oil and crushed almonds
3. Combine the orange and almond mixture with the greens. Season to taste
Harissa
Yield = 1 cup.
Ingredients
7 each, New Mexico Chilies
5 each Small dried Chilies
5 each cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Cumin, toasted and ground
1 Tablespoon Caraway, toasted and ground
1 ½ stick cinnamon, toasted and ground
1 Tablespoon Coriander, toasted and crushed
½ Tablespoon Dry Mint
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher Salt
Method of Preparation
1. Stem and seed the dried chilies. Soak in warm water until; soft.
2. Drain and lightly squeeze dry. Retain water.
3. Combine the chilies, garlic, spices and herb in a food processor with the olive oil. Process until smooth. Add additional water or olive oil as needed to adjust consistency
4. Adjust seasoning and add salt as needed.
Method for Service:
Individually plate the salad. Top with the grilled lamb Sosaties and drizzle with Harissa.
Snapper with Honey and Garlic Chili with a Thai Pesto
Honey and Chili Garlic Snapper
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds Fresh Snapper Filets (skin-on, approximately 6 ounces per person for an entree)
½ Cup Honey
½ Cup Rice Vinegar
¼ Cup Chili Garlic Sauce
½ Cup Roasted Peanuts, Roughly Chopped
2 each Limes, cut into thin wedges.
½ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
¼ Cup light vegetable oil
Method of Preparation
1. Toss the snapper with oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Combine the Honey, Vinegar, and Chili Garlic Sauce in a small saucepan and reduce by ½.
3. Grill or Pan Sear the Snapper, turn once and continually brush with the glaze.
4. Garnish with Chopped Peanuts, Cilantro and Limes when assembling the final dish.
Green Papaya Salad
Ingredients
2 Green Papayas, peeled and thinly sliced
2 English Cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
4 Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves chopped garlic
4 tablespoons Chopped Italian Parsley
2-teaspoon sugar
Juice from 4 limes
Zest from 4 limes
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Method of Preparation
1. Lightly salt the cucumber slices and allow to drain in a colander for ½ hour.
2. Combine the limejuice and sugar, stir till dissolved, add the garlic and mash into the dressing.
3. Combine the papaya, cucumber, carrot, parsley, and zest. Toss together
4. Season to taste and reserve.
Thai Pesto
Ingredients
1-cup fresh basil leaves
2 cups fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh mint
2 Tablespoons Freshly Chopped Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Toasted Macadamia Nuts
2 Tablespoons light oil or fragrant nut oil.
1 bottle Chinese Chili Oil
Method of Preparation
1. Combine the herbs, garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Process to a paste.
3. Add the oil to form and pesto consistency
4. Add the nuts and pulse until chopped.
To Serve:
1. Place the grilled snapper atop portions of the papaya salad.
2. Drizzle with the Thai Pesto and Chili Oil.
Ingredients
1 ½ pounds Fresh Snapper Filets (skin-on, approximately 6 ounces per person for an entree)
½ Cup Honey
½ Cup Rice Vinegar
¼ Cup Chili Garlic Sauce
½ Cup Roasted Peanuts, Roughly Chopped
2 each Limes, cut into thin wedges.
½ Cup Chopped Cilantro
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste
¼ Cup light vegetable oil
Method of Preparation
1. Toss the snapper with oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Combine the Honey, Vinegar, and Chili Garlic Sauce in a small saucepan and reduce by ½.
3. Grill or Pan Sear the Snapper, turn once and continually brush with the glaze.
4. Garnish with Chopped Peanuts, Cilantro and Limes when assembling the final dish.
Green Papaya Salad
Ingredients
2 Green Papayas, peeled and thinly sliced
2 English Cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
4 Carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves chopped garlic
4 tablespoons Chopped Italian Parsley
2-teaspoon sugar
Juice from 4 limes
Zest from 4 limes
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to Taste
Method of Preparation
1. Lightly salt the cucumber slices and allow to drain in a colander for ½ hour.
2. Combine the limejuice and sugar, stir till dissolved, add the garlic and mash into the dressing.
3. Combine the papaya, cucumber, carrot, parsley, and zest. Toss together
4. Season to taste and reserve.
Thai Pesto
Ingredients
1-cup fresh basil leaves
2 cups fresh cilantro
¼ cup fresh mint
2 Tablespoons Freshly Chopped Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic
3 Tablespoons Toasted Macadamia Nuts
2 Tablespoons light oil or fragrant nut oil.
1 bottle Chinese Chili Oil
Method of Preparation
1. Combine the herbs, garlic and ginger in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Process to a paste.
3. Add the oil to form and pesto consistency
4. Add the nuts and pulse until chopped.
To Serve:
1. Place the grilled snapper atop portions of the papaya salad.
2. Drizzle with the Thai Pesto and Chili Oil.
How to make a Chelada/Michelada
Salt the rim of a highball then fill the glass with ice. Add 2 fingers of fresh lime juice then pour in a Pilsner style beer (ideally Mexican). A Michelada is made by adding 2 bashes of Worschestire sauce and 2 dashes of Tabasco.
Varieties of Oranges...sweet and sour
Varieties of sweet oranges include the following:
Bahianinha is an exotic cousin to the Washington navel. This variety, which is exported from Brazil, is second only to the common sweet orange in commercial citrus importance. It is smaller with a thinner rind than the Washington navel, but it is dimpled and easy to peel and easy to segment. The crisp deep orange pulp has a sweet flavor and is usually seedless, making it a popular orange. This variety makes up about 30% of Brazil's citrus crop, and is grown mainly around São Paulo.
Berna is a moderately sweet orange, excellent for cooking and having virtually no seeds. It is grown mainly in Spain, from where it is thought to have originated. However, it is waning in popularity in favor of the Valencia. The Berna is a medium-sized fruit with ten to twelve segments, a yellow-orange rind, golden pulp, and a unique pear-like aftertaste.
Blonde are pale-skinned winter oranges that include Jaffa and Shamouti varieties, native to Israel. The large fruit have thick skins that are easy to peel, and the flesh is crisp and juicy.
Blood (Maltese) are small and are the best oranges to use for sorbets and dessert where colour is important. They are the essential ingredient of the Maltaise sauce, an orange-flavoured mayonnaise, which takes its name from the sour, but juicy, Maltese blood orange. Their flavour has an interesting mix of oranges, raspberries, and concord grapes. Its pulp ranges from red to reddish purple, and its rind from an orange to an orange deeply suffused with red. The branches of the tree are covered with thorns, which could also have contributed to the name and not just the colour of the fruit. It is generally thought to have originated in Italy as a mutation, and has been cultivated there for centuries. It is also extensively grown in southern Spain and Malta, although the Maltese claim origin. Blood oranges are also raised on a small scale in California which is raising more awareness of its existence in North America.
Cara Cara is also known as the Red Navel and is likely the product of a Washington and the Brazilian Bahai navel union. The fruit and juice are a dark red colour and extremely sweet with a low acid content. It originated at the Hacienda de Cara Cara in Valencia, Venezuela. It is a medium-sized round fruit with ten to twelve segments and few, if any, seeds. The yellowish orange rind and rich red pulp make it quite distinguishable and its appeal increases because of its cherry-flavoured overtones.
Dream Navel is known for its easy peeling and separation; but it is also a sweet, juicy, less acidic orange than most other navels. It is a round shape, with nine to twelve segments, and is often seedless. The Dream is small to medium-sized with a pale orange rind, light orange pulp, and a pleasant ripe-mango aroma. The Dream Navel, a name patented in 1944, was discovered in Orlando, Florida, which gave rise to such other dream makers as Walt Disney.
Hamlin originated as a chance seedling in a grove near Glenwood, Florida, owned by A. G. Hamlin, and has become the most widely grown orange variety in Florida. It survived the great freeze of 1894-1895, which made it a greater rival of the Parson Brown. This medium to small globular fruit is bright orange when mature at harvest between October and January. Its thin rind has a very fleshy pulp, making it one of the most productive oranges for processing. It has a sweet flavour lacking in acid and usually with few seeds.
Jaffa and another fruit of the genus Joppa are seedlings from the Israel Beledi tree, which also produced the Shamouti. The Jaffa was first introduced to Florida in the 1880s as a potentially cold-tolerant, high quality, midseason species, and soon became popular for its flavour enjoyed as juice or in cooking. The Jaffa orange is also very popular in Great Britain, where Richard the Lion-Hearted spent the winter of 1191 in the citrus groves of Jaffa during his crusades. The fruit is oblique-shaped, with a slightly rough, light orange rind. The flesh is a pale orange, with only ten segments and a few seeds.
Jincheng is the most popular orange in China, and was introduced to the US by the USDA for development. It is a round, smallish fruit with generally only ten segments and some seeds. It has a thick, easy to peel rind and a sweet light orange pulp that has a hint of lime.
Kona is a type of Valencia orange introduced to Hawaii in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver, whose ship's surgeon and naturalist, Archibald Menzies, raised the seedlings on board and gave them to several Hawaiian chefs. In Kailua-Kona, some of this original stock still bears fruit. For several decades in the 19th century, these oranges were the leading export from the Kona district on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kona has a sweet acid balance reminiscent of pineapple. Its juicy pulp is divided into ten to thirteen segments.
Late Navel is named for its January to March harvest season, considered late for a navel orange. Like other navels, however, it has a crisp, succulent flavour. This round fruit has twelve segments with six to eight seeds located in its brilliant orange flesh that tastes somewhat like a honeydew melon. The rind is smooth, a bright orange, and easy to peel.
Moro is a "blood" orange, so named for its dark burgundy colour of its rind. Originally from Sicily, it is common throughout Italy, and quite versatile fresh or cooked. This medium-sized fruit has a relatively long harvest, lasting from December through to April. The orange has ten to twelve segments and is almost seedless. The flavour is unequaled, ranging from sweet to tart with berrylike overtones. The Moro is now known as the "connoisseur's citrus".
Moro Tarocco is Italy's finest orange variety and among the best of the Mediterranean fruit, having the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity. The ovoid shape resembles that of the tangelo or Minneola. It is a medium-sized seedless fruit with a rich, juicy, raspberry flavour, which is excellent for juicing or cooking. The original mutation occurred in the 17th century in Sicily, creating the striking caramel-toned endocarp. This colour is the result of the pigment called anthocarpium, not usually found in citrus, but is common in other red fruits and flowers.
Navel and Navelina are seedless oranges that take their names from the navel protuberance at the end, which contains a tiny embryonic fruit. They have thick, pebbly skins and very sweet juicy flesh. The skin is particularly good for making preserves or as candied peel. The navel oranges thrive in such subtropical climates as the Mediterranean, and grown extensively in Spain, Morocco, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, California, Florida, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. It was certainly the Brazilian navel orange called Bahia that was introduced to the US in 1870 to fill the need for a good early variety. Navels are seedless and propoagate by cuttings and were imported by the USDA in Washington, who distributed them to growers in Florida and California, and thus acquiring the name of Washington Navel (see below).
Parson Brown is an orange developed in Florida from a seedling taken to Savannah, Georgia, from China. The resulting fruit was named after the Reverend N. L. Brown of Wester, Florida, who discovered the chance seedling in his grove around 1856. Although small and productive, the fruit is very seedy, but is recognized for its thick, pebbly, orange rind and dull yellow pulp that holds an abundance of juice with low sugar and acidity. It is better suited to recipes that call for citrus as it has a plum-like character and taste.
Pera is popular in the Brazilian citrus-producing industry, yielding 7.5 million tons per year. It is a light orange in colour, having a firm, tough, rough texture, which makes it difficult to eat out of hand. While the juice is vibrant and plentiful, it lacks richness. It is a small, oval fruit with only ten segments and many seeds.
Rhode Red is a Valencia orange, but has a more highly coloured flesh, more juice, and less acidity than the Valencia. It also has less Vitamin C. It was discovered in 1955 in a grove near Sebring, Florida, by Paul Rhode when a budwood was put on sour orange stock. The result was a large, vigourous, productive tree. In 1974, five trees were accepted into the Citrus Budwood Registration Program, and the rest is history. This round, medium to large fruit has few seeds, and a deep orange colour with juicy flesh that tastes like an apple.
Roble was first shipped from Madrid, Spain, in 1851 by Joseph Roble to his homestead in what is now Roble's Park in Tampa, Florida. It is a highly recommended sweet orange of superior quality, and contains 15% more sugar than any other early or midseason variety. The Roble is a light orange in colour, of medium size, has ten to twelve segments, and has a brilliant orange, very juicy pulp.
Salustianas are a very rare, seedless, and juicy orange.
Sanguinelli is cultivated in Sicily and is actually a mutant of the Doble Fina. It was discovered in 1929 at Almenara, in the Castellón province of Spain. It has a well-balanced flavour, with a hint of plums. Its oblong shape, golden yellow rind, and succulent red blush pulp make it an interesting looking fruit, as well as a delicious one. The Sanguinelli is common in the Mediterranean, where it is commonly called a blood orange. The complex burgundy red colour of the pulp needs cool to cold weather to develop. It makes an excellent juice.
Shamouti, Jaffa is a mutation of an earlier and inferior Palestinian variety, dating from around 1850. The tree is beautiful, however, with its dense foliage, large leaves, and no thorns. The fruit rivals a fine perfume, and its brilliant orange flesh is absent of seeds. The thick rind is somewhat dimpled and easily peeled. The Shamouti is harvested in Israel from December through May.
Valencia is the most important commercial variety in the world, living up to its nickname of the "King of Juice Oranges". Valencia accounts for 50% of the total Florida fruit crop and the principal variety used for processing into juice. The Valencia originated in China and taken to Europe by Portuguese or Spanish voyagers. The Englishman, Thomas Rivers, brought plants from the Azores to Florida in 1870, where it was first cultivated as the Brown "orange", but later renamed Hart's Tardiff, Hart, and Hart Late, and rapidly became Florida's premier sweet orange cultivar. The Valencia is perfect for the tropics, even though colour development may vary when the weather is hot. It has a thin and slightly pebbly rind. The flesh is bright orange and extremely juicy and nearly seedless. Valencia is a late orange, which has a smooth, thin skin, and contains few if any seeds, pale flesh, a sharp flavour, and is very juicy.
Washington Navel, California Navel is orginally a mutant from Bahia, Brazil, arriving in North America via a missionary who was so impressed with the rich flavour and its seedlessness, that she sent twelve nursery-sized trees to the USDA, who propagated them and offered them to anyone who cared to give the species a try. In 1873, Eliza Tibbets of Riverside, California, asked for a few and soon launched the industry in the Western US. The fruit is large and the rind easily removed. It is not very juicy, but the flavour is excellent. Today, the fruit is commercially grown, not only in Brazil and California, but also in Paraguay, Spain, South Africa, Australia, and Japan.
Varieties of sour oranges include the following:
African sour orange has a thick, pale orange rind with a green cap. It is small to medium in size and normally has ten segments. The flesh is golden orange, with up to six seeds per fruit.
Argentine sour orange has a thick, loose rind that surrounds sinewy segments. The pulp has a lemon-lime flavour, and contains numerous seeds. In a cross-section, the Argentine orange resembles a grapefruit.
Bergamot oranges (Citrus bergamia) are from a rare variety of bitter orange grown in Calabria and Sicily for making fragrant oil used mainly in perfumery, but also used for its distinctive flavour in Earl Grey Tea. These are inedible, but the peel can be candied or made into unusual marmalade. The flavour of the peel defies description, and is so highly-scented that only minute amounts are needed to flavour puddings and confections. Needless to say, it is so rare and expensive that few have the opportunity to sample its taste. It is all but unknown in North America, and should not be confused with the "false bergamot", which is only vaguely reminiscent of the true flavour. The false bergamot, also known as Oswego-tea, fragrant balm, and bee balm, is derived from the plant Monarda didyma (Family Labiatae), a type of mint indigenous to the New World, and also used to flavour certain types of tea.
Bigaradier Apepu was originally carried to France by the Crusaders; and, by 1322, Nice had begun cultivating and trading them. They were also the fruit planted in the orangeries of Versailles and Paris, making them a member of the citrus nobility. This large globose fruit has a medium-thick orange rind, twelve segments, and many seeds, with a flavour tasting like a combination of orange and lime.
Bittersweet, Daidai (Japanese) is the Spanish principal variety of sour orange. It has clusters of fruit with very seedy endocarp (pulp) enclosed in a thick orange rind. The segment walls of this oblong fruit are tough, with an open center. The fruit is much too bitter and acidic to be eaten fresh, but is used in marmalades, juice, and for its essential oil. When the leaves are crushed, they have a pleasant and distinctive aroma. This variety is grown in Japan and in Florida's Indian River area. The pectin and acid levels of the Bittersweet variety are ideal for preserving.
Chinotto is a beautiful fruit, with a golden orange rind and deep orange flesh. It is often used as a centerpiece or an ornamental for which it has become famous in Italy. It is also prized in the candy-making industry. The Chinotto ranks with apricots and cherries as the most famous crystallized fruits from Apt, France, (near Avignon). The Chinotto leaf is used in the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. The small fruit grows in clusters and has many large seeds.
Gou Tou is from China, and has many of the characteristics of the grapefruit, including its distinctive yellow skin. The fruit is oblate, with a thick rind, sinewy segments, and many large seeds. The sparse juice tastes slightly like lime. Researchers are now suggesting that it may become a significant disease-resistant rootstock.
Seville is the tree that traveled to Spain with the Moors. Commercial groves exist now in most areas of the Mediterranean, with the major industry around Seville, Spain. It is an attractive orange, with a radiant golden colour in both its rind and flesh. It is of medium size, with ten large segments and many seeds. The pulp is tender but highly acidic. The Seville's sour flavour has a distinctive bitterness, making it superior for marmalade. The juice of the sour orange is often used as a marinade in Latin American countries, where the trees are common. A classic Cuban mojo or marinade is made with equal parts of sour orange and olive oil, along with garlic and onions.
Tunis is a Citrus aurantium hybrid. Its full name is the "Tunisian sour orange". The country of origin, and after which it is named, produces 500 acres of it yearly. The fruit has a thick orange-coloured rind and a seedy, pale orange flesh. Makrand is one of the most popular Tunisian sweets, using this sour orange peel with dates, cinnamon, and peanuts.
Bahianinha is an exotic cousin to the Washington navel. This variety, which is exported from Brazil, is second only to the common sweet orange in commercial citrus importance. It is smaller with a thinner rind than the Washington navel, but it is dimpled and easy to peel and easy to segment. The crisp deep orange pulp has a sweet flavor and is usually seedless, making it a popular orange. This variety makes up about 30% of Brazil's citrus crop, and is grown mainly around São Paulo.
Berna is a moderately sweet orange, excellent for cooking and having virtually no seeds. It is grown mainly in Spain, from where it is thought to have originated. However, it is waning in popularity in favor of the Valencia. The Berna is a medium-sized fruit with ten to twelve segments, a yellow-orange rind, golden pulp, and a unique pear-like aftertaste.
Blonde are pale-skinned winter oranges that include Jaffa and Shamouti varieties, native to Israel. The large fruit have thick skins that are easy to peel, and the flesh is crisp and juicy.
Blood (Maltese) are small and are the best oranges to use for sorbets and dessert where colour is important. They are the essential ingredient of the Maltaise sauce, an orange-flavoured mayonnaise, which takes its name from the sour, but juicy, Maltese blood orange. Their flavour has an interesting mix of oranges, raspberries, and concord grapes. Its pulp ranges from red to reddish purple, and its rind from an orange to an orange deeply suffused with red. The branches of the tree are covered with thorns, which could also have contributed to the name and not just the colour of the fruit. It is generally thought to have originated in Italy as a mutation, and has been cultivated there for centuries. It is also extensively grown in southern Spain and Malta, although the Maltese claim origin. Blood oranges are also raised on a small scale in California which is raising more awareness of its existence in North America.
Cara Cara is also known as the Red Navel and is likely the product of a Washington and the Brazilian Bahai navel union. The fruit and juice are a dark red colour and extremely sweet with a low acid content. It originated at the Hacienda de Cara Cara in Valencia, Venezuela. It is a medium-sized round fruit with ten to twelve segments and few, if any, seeds. The yellowish orange rind and rich red pulp make it quite distinguishable and its appeal increases because of its cherry-flavoured overtones.
Dream Navel is known for its easy peeling and separation; but it is also a sweet, juicy, less acidic orange than most other navels. It is a round shape, with nine to twelve segments, and is often seedless. The Dream is small to medium-sized with a pale orange rind, light orange pulp, and a pleasant ripe-mango aroma. The Dream Navel, a name patented in 1944, was discovered in Orlando, Florida, which gave rise to such other dream makers as Walt Disney.
Hamlin originated as a chance seedling in a grove near Glenwood, Florida, owned by A. G. Hamlin, and has become the most widely grown orange variety in Florida. It survived the great freeze of 1894-1895, which made it a greater rival of the Parson Brown. This medium to small globular fruit is bright orange when mature at harvest between October and January. Its thin rind has a very fleshy pulp, making it one of the most productive oranges for processing. It has a sweet flavour lacking in acid and usually with few seeds.
Jaffa and another fruit of the genus Joppa are seedlings from the Israel Beledi tree, which also produced the Shamouti. The Jaffa was first introduced to Florida in the 1880s as a potentially cold-tolerant, high quality, midseason species, and soon became popular for its flavour enjoyed as juice or in cooking. The Jaffa orange is also very popular in Great Britain, where Richard the Lion-Hearted spent the winter of 1191 in the citrus groves of Jaffa during his crusades. The fruit is oblique-shaped, with a slightly rough, light orange rind. The flesh is a pale orange, with only ten segments and a few seeds.
Jincheng is the most popular orange in China, and was introduced to the US by the USDA for development. It is a round, smallish fruit with generally only ten segments and some seeds. It has a thick, easy to peel rind and a sweet light orange pulp that has a hint of lime.
Kona is a type of Valencia orange introduced to Hawaii in 1792 by Captain George Vancouver, whose ship's surgeon and naturalist, Archibald Menzies, raised the seedlings on board and gave them to several Hawaiian chefs. In Kailua-Kona, some of this original stock still bears fruit. For several decades in the 19th century, these oranges were the leading export from the Kona district on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kona has a sweet acid balance reminiscent of pineapple. Its juicy pulp is divided into ten to thirteen segments.
Late Navel is named for its January to March harvest season, considered late for a navel orange. Like other navels, however, it has a crisp, succulent flavour. This round fruit has twelve segments with six to eight seeds located in its brilliant orange flesh that tastes somewhat like a honeydew melon. The rind is smooth, a bright orange, and easy to peel.
Moro is a "blood" orange, so named for its dark burgundy colour of its rind. Originally from Sicily, it is common throughout Italy, and quite versatile fresh or cooked. This medium-sized fruit has a relatively long harvest, lasting from December through to April. The orange has ten to twelve segments and is almost seedless. The flavour is unequaled, ranging from sweet to tart with berrylike overtones. The Moro is now known as the "connoisseur's citrus".
Moro Tarocco is Italy's finest orange variety and among the best of the Mediterranean fruit, having the perfect balance between sweetness and acidity. The ovoid shape resembles that of the tangelo or Minneola. It is a medium-sized seedless fruit with a rich, juicy, raspberry flavour, which is excellent for juicing or cooking. The original mutation occurred in the 17th century in Sicily, creating the striking caramel-toned endocarp. This colour is the result of the pigment called anthocarpium, not usually found in citrus, but is common in other red fruits and flowers.
Navel and Navelina are seedless oranges that take their names from the navel protuberance at the end, which contains a tiny embryonic fruit. They have thick, pebbly skins and very sweet juicy flesh. The skin is particularly good for making preserves or as candied peel. The navel oranges thrive in such subtropical climates as the Mediterranean, and grown extensively in Spain, Morocco, Turkey, South Africa, Australia, California, Florida, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. It was certainly the Brazilian navel orange called Bahia that was introduced to the US in 1870 to fill the need for a good early variety. Navels are seedless and propoagate by cuttings and were imported by the USDA in Washington, who distributed them to growers in Florida and California, and thus acquiring the name of Washington Navel (see below).
Parson Brown is an orange developed in Florida from a seedling taken to Savannah, Georgia, from China. The resulting fruit was named after the Reverend N. L. Brown of Wester, Florida, who discovered the chance seedling in his grove around 1856. Although small and productive, the fruit is very seedy, but is recognized for its thick, pebbly, orange rind and dull yellow pulp that holds an abundance of juice with low sugar and acidity. It is better suited to recipes that call for citrus as it has a plum-like character and taste.
Pera is popular in the Brazilian citrus-producing industry, yielding 7.5 million tons per year. It is a light orange in colour, having a firm, tough, rough texture, which makes it difficult to eat out of hand. While the juice is vibrant and plentiful, it lacks richness. It is a small, oval fruit with only ten segments and many seeds.
Rhode Red is a Valencia orange, but has a more highly coloured flesh, more juice, and less acidity than the Valencia. It also has less Vitamin C. It was discovered in 1955 in a grove near Sebring, Florida, by Paul Rhode when a budwood was put on sour orange stock. The result was a large, vigourous, productive tree. In 1974, five trees were accepted into the Citrus Budwood Registration Program, and the rest is history. This round, medium to large fruit has few seeds, and a deep orange colour with juicy flesh that tastes like an apple.
Roble was first shipped from Madrid, Spain, in 1851 by Joseph Roble to his homestead in what is now Roble's Park in Tampa, Florida. It is a highly recommended sweet orange of superior quality, and contains 15% more sugar than any other early or midseason variety. The Roble is a light orange in colour, of medium size, has ten to twelve segments, and has a brilliant orange, very juicy pulp.
Salustianas are a very rare, seedless, and juicy orange.
Sanguinelli is cultivated in Sicily and is actually a mutant of the Doble Fina. It was discovered in 1929 at Almenara, in the Castellón province of Spain. It has a well-balanced flavour, with a hint of plums. Its oblong shape, golden yellow rind, and succulent red blush pulp make it an interesting looking fruit, as well as a delicious one. The Sanguinelli is common in the Mediterranean, where it is commonly called a blood orange. The complex burgundy red colour of the pulp needs cool to cold weather to develop. It makes an excellent juice.
Shamouti, Jaffa is a mutation of an earlier and inferior Palestinian variety, dating from around 1850. The tree is beautiful, however, with its dense foliage, large leaves, and no thorns. The fruit rivals a fine perfume, and its brilliant orange flesh is absent of seeds. The thick rind is somewhat dimpled and easily peeled. The Shamouti is harvested in Israel from December through May.
Valencia is the most important commercial variety in the world, living up to its nickname of the "King of Juice Oranges". Valencia accounts for 50% of the total Florida fruit crop and the principal variety used for processing into juice. The Valencia originated in China and taken to Europe by Portuguese or Spanish voyagers. The Englishman, Thomas Rivers, brought plants from the Azores to Florida in 1870, where it was first cultivated as the Brown "orange", but later renamed Hart's Tardiff, Hart, and Hart Late, and rapidly became Florida's premier sweet orange cultivar. The Valencia is perfect for the tropics, even though colour development may vary when the weather is hot. It has a thin and slightly pebbly rind. The flesh is bright orange and extremely juicy and nearly seedless. Valencia is a late orange, which has a smooth, thin skin, and contains few if any seeds, pale flesh, a sharp flavour, and is very juicy.
Washington Navel, California Navel is orginally a mutant from Bahia, Brazil, arriving in North America via a missionary who was so impressed with the rich flavour and its seedlessness, that she sent twelve nursery-sized trees to the USDA, who propagated them and offered them to anyone who cared to give the species a try. In 1873, Eliza Tibbets of Riverside, California, asked for a few and soon launched the industry in the Western US. The fruit is large and the rind easily removed. It is not very juicy, but the flavour is excellent. Today, the fruit is commercially grown, not only in Brazil and California, but also in Paraguay, Spain, South Africa, Australia, and Japan.
Varieties of sour oranges include the following:
African sour orange has a thick, pale orange rind with a green cap. It is small to medium in size and normally has ten segments. The flesh is golden orange, with up to six seeds per fruit.
Argentine sour orange has a thick, loose rind that surrounds sinewy segments. The pulp has a lemon-lime flavour, and contains numerous seeds. In a cross-section, the Argentine orange resembles a grapefruit.
Bergamot oranges (Citrus bergamia) are from a rare variety of bitter orange grown in Calabria and Sicily for making fragrant oil used mainly in perfumery, but also used for its distinctive flavour in Earl Grey Tea. These are inedible, but the peel can be candied or made into unusual marmalade. The flavour of the peel defies description, and is so highly-scented that only minute amounts are needed to flavour puddings and confections. Needless to say, it is so rare and expensive that few have the opportunity to sample its taste. It is all but unknown in North America, and should not be confused with the "false bergamot", which is only vaguely reminiscent of the true flavour. The false bergamot, also known as Oswego-tea, fragrant balm, and bee balm, is derived from the plant Monarda didyma (Family Labiatae), a type of mint indigenous to the New World, and also used to flavour certain types of tea.
Bigaradier Apepu was originally carried to France by the Crusaders; and, by 1322, Nice had begun cultivating and trading them. They were also the fruit planted in the orangeries of Versailles and Paris, making them a member of the citrus nobility. This large globose fruit has a medium-thick orange rind, twelve segments, and many seeds, with a flavour tasting like a combination of orange and lime.
Bittersweet, Daidai (Japanese) is the Spanish principal variety of sour orange. It has clusters of fruit with very seedy endocarp (pulp) enclosed in a thick orange rind. The segment walls of this oblong fruit are tough, with an open center. The fruit is much too bitter and acidic to be eaten fresh, but is used in marmalades, juice, and for its essential oil. When the leaves are crushed, they have a pleasant and distinctive aroma. This variety is grown in Japan and in Florida's Indian River area. The pectin and acid levels of the Bittersweet variety are ideal for preserving.
Chinotto is a beautiful fruit, with a golden orange rind and deep orange flesh. It is often used as a centerpiece or an ornamental for which it has become famous in Italy. It is also prized in the candy-making industry. The Chinotto ranks with apricots and cherries as the most famous crystallized fruits from Apt, France, (near Avignon). The Chinotto leaf is used in the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. The small fruit grows in clusters and has many large seeds.
Gou Tou is from China, and has many of the characteristics of the grapefruit, including its distinctive yellow skin. The fruit is oblate, with a thick rind, sinewy segments, and many large seeds. The sparse juice tastes slightly like lime. Researchers are now suggesting that it may become a significant disease-resistant rootstock.
Seville is the tree that traveled to Spain with the Moors. Commercial groves exist now in most areas of the Mediterranean, with the major industry around Seville, Spain. It is an attractive orange, with a radiant golden colour in both its rind and flesh. It is of medium size, with ten large segments and many seeds. The pulp is tender but highly acidic. The Seville's sour flavour has a distinctive bitterness, making it superior for marmalade. The juice of the sour orange is often used as a marinade in Latin American countries, where the trees are common. A classic Cuban mojo or marinade is made with equal parts of sour orange and olive oil, along with garlic and onions.
Tunis is a Citrus aurantium hybrid. Its full name is the "Tunisian sour orange". The country of origin, and after which it is named, produces 500 acres of it yearly. The fruit has a thick orange-coloured rind and a seedy, pale orange flesh. Makrand is one of the most popular Tunisian sweets, using this sour orange peel with dates, cinnamon, and peanuts.
Beverages of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Germany
The Czech Republic:
In the divorce, Slovakia got the vineyards (2/3). However there has been somewhat more investment on the Czech side in recent years. The grape varieties are largely the same in each area. Mostly whites (75%) but there are some good reds (St-Laurent, Frankova). The whites are more exciting, look for Irsay Oliver, Gruner Vetliner from the CR. There is also Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer (Tramin), Leanyka, Sylvaner and Neuberger.
Solvakia also has some Tokay vineyards (this area also produces Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat Ottonel.
The Czech Republic has no tradition of exporting its wines so it’s wines are little known to the world market.
The Czech region has, like Bavaria, been known for beer.
Absinthe: Absinthe was a favorite of Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Hemingway. It has long been associated with a “Bohemian” lifestyle, which was one of the factors with led to it’s being banned in many countries in the 1900s. The original Pernod was an absinthe; it contained angelica, aniseed, fennel, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg and wormwood. Today Pernod is a pastis. Absinthe is again being produced in France and the Czech Republic.
Beer Types:
The area around Munich has no recognized wine regions. It is beer country.
There are over 700 breweries in Bavaria.
The Bavarian drinking song: Ein Prosit ein Prosit gemudlichkeit, Ein Prosit ein Prosit gemutlichkeit…ein, zwei, drei, suffa!
Biergartens: You are expected to order food if you sit at the cloth covered tables or you can sit at the communal benches and just drink. Don’t sit at the reserved tables (Stammtisch).
Beer Food:
Radish (radi)
Balck Bread
Cheese
Cucumbers
Pretzels
Roasted Pig Knuckles
Stecklerfish (smoked mackerel)
Obatzer: a mixture of butter, Camembert, onion, and paprika.
The Reinheitsgebot purity law (decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV in 1516) states that only four ingredients are allowed in the beer brewing process: water, hops, yeast and barley. Of the over 40 varieties in Bavaria they belong to only two types: Lager and ale.
Lager: This was invented in the 19th century in Pilzen in the Czech Republic (Pilsner). It is laagered (stored) and during fermentation the yeast settles on the bottom.
Ale: This is the oldest type of beer. It is top fermented
Popular Munich Styles:
· Helles: This lager contains 5% alcohol and is gold in color. It is considered a warm weather beer and in Bavaria it is served in a 0.5 liter glass.
· Pils/Pilsner: Same color as hellles and slightly bitter.
· Dunkles: this is a dark lager. It has a sweet flavor and is only 4.3% alcohol.
· Weizen/Hefeweizen: Also called weissbier. It has a sweet flavour. It should always be drunk from the glass as the bottle needed to be stirred up to activate the flavor and form the head.
· Starkbier Bock and Doppelbock: These are the strongest Munich beers. The range from 6-9% alcohol with a dark amber color and a strong malty flavor. Kulmbach is said to be the strongest at 9.2%. These beers are also known at “starkbeers” which originated with the Paulner monks who brewed it during Lenten “Starkbierzeit” or strong beer time.
o Most famous starkbeer is “Salvator”. It is the starkbier that is made year-round.
The German Wine Bottle:
German Wine Classification:
On a bottle the first word is the village, the second word is the vineyard. German wine is minutely classified however there is a problem with large areas (grosslagen) that sound like single vineyards. The best choice is always for a single vineyard wine. Some producers will have the word “Bereiche” appended to name of the most famous vineyard in the region (as in Bereich Bernkastel). The quality will be worlds apart. Always go with the single vineyard.
Tafelwein: basic table wine, usually low quality. Deutscher Tafelwein must be German, EU Tafelwein can be blended from anything produced in the EU (avoid).
Landwein: Similar in quality to the French Vin de Pays, not very interesting.
Qualitatswein bestimmer Anbaugebiete (QbA): A quality wine from a designated region, the equivalent of the French AC. Generally a safe choice.
Qualitatswein mi Pradikat (QmP): A true jump in quality from the QmP, thee are six levels, each level is steadily rarer, sweeter and more expensive.
· Kabinett: wine from ripe grapes. The driest and lightest of the QmPs. It will be semi-sweet unless the label says “Halbtrocken” or half-dry or “Trocken” meaning dry.
· Spatlese: Wine from late picked grapes. Usually sweet but you may see the ‘trocken’ or ‘halbtrocken’ verbiage here as well.
· Auslese: From selected extra ripe grapes and some years may contain some noble rot (this is a good thing). It can be quite sweet.
· Beerenauslese: made from individually selected grapes. The ywill be nobly rotten. The wine is very sweet.
· Trockenbeernauslese: Made from individually selected grapes that have shriveled with noble rot. Intensely sweet and long-lived. Very expensive.
· Eiswein: made from grapes that have frozen on the vine. The grapes are pressed while frozen and the water is left behind so only the sugar packed juice is vinified. Truly wonderful…with a price to match.
In the divorce, Slovakia got the vineyards (2/3). However there has been somewhat more investment on the Czech side in recent years. The grape varieties are largely the same in each area. Mostly whites (75%) but there are some good reds (St-Laurent, Frankova). The whites are more exciting, look for Irsay Oliver, Gruner Vetliner from the CR. There is also Riesling, Muller-Thurgau, Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer (Tramin), Leanyka, Sylvaner and Neuberger.
Solvakia also has some Tokay vineyards (this area also produces Furmint, Harslevelu and Muscat Ottonel.
The Czech Republic has no tradition of exporting its wines so it’s wines are little known to the world market.
The Czech region has, like Bavaria, been known for beer.
Absinthe: Absinthe was a favorite of Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso and Hemingway. It has long been associated with a “Bohemian” lifestyle, which was one of the factors with led to it’s being banned in many countries in the 1900s. The original Pernod was an absinthe; it contained angelica, aniseed, fennel, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg and wormwood. Today Pernod is a pastis. Absinthe is again being produced in France and the Czech Republic.
Beer Types:
The area around Munich has no recognized wine regions. It is beer country.
There are over 700 breweries in Bavaria.
The Bavarian drinking song: Ein Prosit ein Prosit gemudlichkeit, Ein Prosit ein Prosit gemutlichkeit…ein, zwei, drei, suffa!
Biergartens: You are expected to order food if you sit at the cloth covered tables or you can sit at the communal benches and just drink. Don’t sit at the reserved tables (Stammtisch).
Beer Food:
Radish (radi)
Balck Bread
Cheese
Cucumbers
Pretzels
Roasted Pig Knuckles
Stecklerfish (smoked mackerel)
Obatzer: a mixture of butter, Camembert, onion, and paprika.
The Reinheitsgebot purity law (decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV in 1516) states that only four ingredients are allowed in the beer brewing process: water, hops, yeast and barley. Of the over 40 varieties in Bavaria they belong to only two types: Lager and ale.
Lager: This was invented in the 19th century in Pilzen in the Czech Republic (Pilsner). It is laagered (stored) and during fermentation the yeast settles on the bottom.
Ale: This is the oldest type of beer. It is top fermented
Popular Munich Styles:
· Helles: This lager contains 5% alcohol and is gold in color. It is considered a warm weather beer and in Bavaria it is served in a 0.5 liter glass.
· Pils/Pilsner: Same color as hellles and slightly bitter.
· Dunkles: this is a dark lager. It has a sweet flavor and is only 4.3% alcohol.
· Weizen/Hefeweizen: Also called weissbier. It has a sweet flavour. It should always be drunk from the glass as the bottle needed to be stirred up to activate the flavor and form the head.
· Starkbier Bock and Doppelbock: These are the strongest Munich beers. The range from 6-9% alcohol with a dark amber color and a strong malty flavor. Kulmbach is said to be the strongest at 9.2%. These beers are also known at “starkbeers” which originated with the Paulner monks who brewed it during Lenten “Starkbierzeit” or strong beer time.
o Most famous starkbeer is “Salvator”. It is the starkbier that is made year-round.
The German Wine Bottle:
German Wine Classification:
On a bottle the first word is the village, the second word is the vineyard. German wine is minutely classified however there is a problem with large areas (grosslagen) that sound like single vineyards. The best choice is always for a single vineyard wine. Some producers will have the word “Bereiche” appended to name of the most famous vineyard in the region (as in Bereich Bernkastel). The quality will be worlds apart. Always go with the single vineyard.
Tafelwein: basic table wine, usually low quality. Deutscher Tafelwein must be German, EU Tafelwein can be blended from anything produced in the EU (avoid).
Landwein: Similar in quality to the French Vin de Pays, not very interesting.
Qualitatswein bestimmer Anbaugebiete (QbA): A quality wine from a designated region, the equivalent of the French AC. Generally a safe choice.
Qualitatswein mi Pradikat (QmP): A true jump in quality from the QmP, thee are six levels, each level is steadily rarer, sweeter and more expensive.
· Kabinett: wine from ripe grapes. The driest and lightest of the QmPs. It will be semi-sweet unless the label says “Halbtrocken” or half-dry or “Trocken” meaning dry.
· Spatlese: Wine from late picked grapes. Usually sweet but you may see the ‘trocken’ or ‘halbtrocken’ verbiage here as well.
· Auslese: From selected extra ripe grapes and some years may contain some noble rot (this is a good thing). It can be quite sweet.
· Beerenauslese: made from individually selected grapes. The ywill be nobly rotten. The wine is very sweet.
· Trockenbeernauslese: Made from individually selected grapes that have shriveled with noble rot. Intensely sweet and long-lived. Very expensive.
· Eiswein: made from grapes that have frozen on the vine. The grapes are pressed while frozen and the water is left behind so only the sugar packed juice is vinified. Truly wonderful…with a price to match.
Chinese Food and Beverage Notes
Notes on the Cuisine and Beverage Practices of Ancient China (with particular reference to the Warring States period (475-221 B.C. to the Qin dynasty 221-206 b.c.).
"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician."(Chinese proverb)
"Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think."(Chinese proverb)"Talk doesn't cook rice."(Chinese Proverb)
"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one."(Ancient Chinese proverb)
"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it."(Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher)
"The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live."(Confucius)
"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content."(Confucius)
"The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue."(Confucius)
"To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven."(Ancient Chinese proverb)
"Tea tempers the spirit, harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens the thought and prevents drowsiness."(Lu Yu, The Classic Art of Tea)
"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table."(Confucius)
"Born to the earth are three kinds of creatures. Some are winged and fly. Some are furred and run. Still others stretch their mouths and talk. All must eat and drink to survive." (Lu Yu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher)
"Coarse rice for food, water to drink, and the bended arm for a pillow - happiness may be enjoyed even in these."(Confucius)
"Cutting stalks at noon time, Perspiration drips to the earth. Know you that your bowl of rice, each grain from hardship comes?"(Cheng Chan-Pao, Chinese philosopher)
· In the time of Shen Nong the emperor tasted and had his clerks classify a range of plants which were considered advantageous for food and medicinal purposes, by 1st century a.d. this list had grown to over 365 plants along with all the “good’ animals from land, sea, and air. All were catalogued with their medicinal and nutritive values. He recorded foods, such as the Chinese dates, sesame seeds, Chinese yams, grapes, walnuts, lily bulbs, fresh ginger, and Job’s tear seeds. During this period, the emperors sent royal physicians on missions to find herbs that would prolong life. Shen Nong had 365 herbs split into three groups: superior, medium and inferior.
The superior herbs consisted of 120 types and they were for the emperor’s use. These herbs were only beneficial and not at all harmful and they could be prepared any style for eating. Due to these qualities, the superior herbs were considered food, and some examples are Chinese dates, ginseng, Job’s tear seeds, wolfberry, poria cocos, etc. The medium herbs also consisted of 120 types and these herbs helped take car of the body. Some of these herbs were poisonous and some were not, and they had special preparation instructions. The medium herbs had medical benefits and some examples are ginger, onion, plum, almond, Chinese angelica, etc. The inferior herbs consisted of 125 types and more or less, they all contained poisons. They couldn’t be used for a long period of time, but they were good for the treatment of diseases. Some examples of the inferior herbs are herba ephedra, cinnamon bark, etc.
· In 1115 B.C. Shuh I was appointed as royal dietitian to Chen Wang. He was chief of four medial officers and his duty was to supervise all details of cooking and serving food.
· Confucius designates to seventy thousand “ages” when mankind still ate their meat raw “clawed from the living animal” as “Cho-fang,” the cook’s holiday. In the second chapter of his Mundane Meditations, he describes how the swine herd; Ho-ti went into the forest to collect food for his pigs. He left his son (Bo-bo) in care of the house. Bo-bo, being fond of playing with fire, accidentally burnt the house down and with it, a litter of nine piglets. Bo-bo, after the fire, reaches down to see if there are any signs of life in the pig, burn his fingers and then inadvertently touches his fingers to his lips. A new flavor, unlike anything he has previously known. He devours the whole thing. From him the habit of roasting spreads to his father then through the countryside…the technique is of course refined from burning down the house to spit-roasting over time.
· The earliest surviving Chinese text, the Shih ching (The book of Songs) describes feasting practices and occasionally food. For the winter, hunting and ice cutting/storing are described, in spring, a rite of expiation, the sacrifice of a lamb (seasoned with garlic and cooked on southernwood). In summer there were plums, cherries, boiled beans, mallows. In the last months before winter, rice wine was set to ferment; rice, beans, and millet are harvested. Finally, “With twin pitchers they hold the village feast, killing for it a young lamb. Up they go into their Lord’s hall; raise the drinking cup of buffalo-horn: “Hurrah for our lord; may he live for ever and ever!””
· There is further information on food in the Lun Yi (Analects); attributed to Confucius, these describe the action of a virtuous man. Among these are not consuming rice, meat, or fish that is un-sound. He must not eat what is overcooked, out of season, or undercooked. He must not eat that which has been cut crookedly or any dish which lacks the proper seasoning. He may consume wine, but not become disorderly. He must eat sparingly of dishes having ginger sprinkled on them. He may not eat dried meat from the market or wine bought from a shop.
· In Li-Chi, a handbook of ritual (202 B.C.), recipes are given for the Eight Delicacies which were to be prepared for the aged on ceremonial occasions. One item was rice and the fat from a wolf’s breast. Another entailed wrapping the liver if a dog in a casing of its own fat, moistening it and roasting it.
· During the Warring States period, a book called “Huang Di Nei Jing” or “The Emperor’s Internal Classics” was written. It contained several food prescriptions that were very effective for the healthcare of the emperor and they were recorded. In this book, it was brought up that if one wanted to diagnose a disease, one had to first ask the patient what they ate, drank, and where they resided because the physicians had to investigate and treat the original cause.
At this time foods became a part of medicine and the Nei Jing emphasized the five grains as the main foods. The five grains are for nourishment, the five fruits are for help, the five meats are for benefit and are subsidiary and the five vegetables are supplements. The physicians considered energy and taste in combination and not individually.
This book also mentioned the foods that are good for certain organs and gave directions on the use of foods in the treatment of related illnesses of these organs. It told of what tastes went with what colors. For example, the colors of the liver system are green and blue, which means sour foods such as small beans, plums and chives should be consumed. The color of the heart system is red, which means spicy foods such as millet, peach and green onions should be consumed. The color of the lung system is white, which means bitter foods such as wheat, lamb and almond should be consumed. The color of the spleen system is yellow, which means sweet foods such as brown rice, dates and sunflower seeds should be consumed. The color of the kidney system is black, which means salty foods such as pork, big beans and chestnuts should be consumed. This showed that in ancient times, the use of food in the treatment of health problems had already gone through rigorous research and use.
· The Chinese vocabulary is particularly rich as relates to food. A polite, traditional greeting is “Have you eaten?” Chinese meals are intended to please both the eyes, the palate and to ensure optimum health. The Chinese people have traditionally eaten almost anything that could be made palatable-there preparation have traditionally been guided by the principles of yin and yang. This principle holds that everything in the universe (and the universe itself) is a reflection of these principles (generically positive and negative). For optimum health and a “harmonious body,” one must consume foods that are harmoniously balanced.
· Yin foods are thin, bland, cooling, and low in richness. Yang foods are rich, spicy, warming…etc. Boiling is a yin technique, frying is yang.
· In traditional Chinese thoughts, there are five food tastes (spicy, bitter, sour, salty, and sweet). Each of these tastes is linked to the five primary elements that make up the cosmos (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth).
· In traditional Chinese thought, foods have direct effect on health. Peppery foods clean the lungs, bitter foods relieve gastroenteritis, sour foods refresh the liver, salty foods strengthen the kidneys, and sweet foods invigorate the spleen. For specific foods, ginger helps invigorate the glands, garlic warms up the body and seaweed reduces inflammation.
· Dining etiquette: one generally arrives quite early to avoid being late; it is customary for the host to serve the first serving of the first course to the guests. Traditionally the host will lead his guests through each course; the most polite person at the table will be the one who touches the food last.
· The maximum number of diners that should be seated at a table is 12. The standard yanhui round table seats this number. During a Chinese banquet, one will generally order one dish per person. A full table will consist of 1-2 cold appetizers, 8-10 middle dishes, and one or two final dishes. The challenge for the host is to demonstrate his knowledge of yin/yang by balancing the dishes and having them arrive in the proper order. In a formal banquet, rice is not served near the end of the meal. In a truly upscale banquet no rice may be served at all as in traditional Chinese culture, rice has the image of cheap food that is eaten by poorer people.
· An interesting test of friendship to the Chinese and appreciation of Chinese culture is to serve the guest a “Pindan,” a 1000 year old egg. They are made by culturing an egg with a coating of lime and clay for 6-10 weeks. The lime soaks through the shell and turns the white to a blue/brown and the yolk to a darn green. The flavor (yes I have had one) has something of a ripe fishy/cheesy character.
· Chopsticks seem to have been developed specifically for use with rice. The Li Chi states that millet (China’s original staple grain) must be eaten with a spoon. The earliest word for chopsticks seems to have been zi, which is related to the root for the word help.
· Chinese cuisine is generally classified into four regional schools:
>Peking: Northern School-this embraces the cooking styles of Shantung, Hunan, Shanxi, Chinese Moslem/Inner Mongolian style, and Shinkiang. As the capital of China it became the culinary center and drew inspiration from the various regions.
Specialties: Peking duck, Lamb fire-pot.
>Shanghai: Northern School-this covers Fukien, Kiangsu, and Anhwei. These areas are called the “Lands of Fish and Rice”
Specialties: White-cut Pork, “Lion’s Heads,”
>Szechwan: Western School-Until recently this area was largely inaccessible and developed a distinct style of cooking. It is richly flavored and piquant.
Specialties: Tea smoked duck, Chili Chicken
>Canton: Southern School-This has traditionally been the best known style of Chinese food in America due to the large number of immigrants from the province. The style is known for seeking to preserve the inherent flavor of the ingredients.
Specialties: Dim Sum, Cha Shao, Roast Suckling Pig
"He that takes medicine and neglects diet, wastes the skills of the physician."(Chinese proverb)
"Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think."(Chinese proverb)"Talk doesn't cook rice."(Chinese Proverb)
"Better to be deprived of food for three days, than tea for one."(Ancient Chinese proverb)
"Governing a great nation is like cooking a small fish - too much handling will spoil it."(Lao-tzu, Chinese philosopher)
"The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live."(Confucius)
"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content."(Confucius)
"The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue."(Confucius)
"To the ruler, the people are heaven; to the people, food is heaven."(Ancient Chinese proverb)
"Tea tempers the spirit, harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens the thought and prevents drowsiness."(Lu Yu, The Classic Art of Tea)
"The honorable and upright man keeps well away from both the slaughterhouse and the kitchen. And he allows no knives on his table."(Confucius)
"Born to the earth are three kinds of creatures. Some are winged and fly. Some are furred and run. Still others stretch their mouths and talk. All must eat and drink to survive." (Lu Yu, Ancient Chinese Philosopher)
"Coarse rice for food, water to drink, and the bended arm for a pillow - happiness may be enjoyed even in these."(Confucius)
"Cutting stalks at noon time, Perspiration drips to the earth. Know you that your bowl of rice, each grain from hardship comes?"(Cheng Chan-Pao, Chinese philosopher)
· In the time of Shen Nong the emperor tasted and had his clerks classify a range of plants which were considered advantageous for food and medicinal purposes, by 1st century a.d. this list had grown to over 365 plants along with all the “good’ animals from land, sea, and air. All were catalogued with their medicinal and nutritive values. He recorded foods, such as the Chinese dates, sesame seeds, Chinese yams, grapes, walnuts, lily bulbs, fresh ginger, and Job’s tear seeds. During this period, the emperors sent royal physicians on missions to find herbs that would prolong life. Shen Nong had 365 herbs split into three groups: superior, medium and inferior.
The superior herbs consisted of 120 types and they were for the emperor’s use. These herbs were only beneficial and not at all harmful and they could be prepared any style for eating. Due to these qualities, the superior herbs were considered food, and some examples are Chinese dates, ginseng, Job’s tear seeds, wolfberry, poria cocos, etc. The medium herbs also consisted of 120 types and these herbs helped take car of the body. Some of these herbs were poisonous and some were not, and they had special preparation instructions. The medium herbs had medical benefits and some examples are ginger, onion, plum, almond, Chinese angelica, etc. The inferior herbs consisted of 125 types and more or less, they all contained poisons. They couldn’t be used for a long period of time, but they were good for the treatment of diseases. Some examples of the inferior herbs are herba ephedra, cinnamon bark, etc.
· In 1115 B.C. Shuh I was appointed as royal dietitian to Chen Wang. He was chief of four medial officers and his duty was to supervise all details of cooking and serving food.
· Confucius designates to seventy thousand “ages” when mankind still ate their meat raw “clawed from the living animal” as “Cho-fang,” the cook’s holiday. In the second chapter of his Mundane Meditations, he describes how the swine herd; Ho-ti went into the forest to collect food for his pigs. He left his son (Bo-bo) in care of the house. Bo-bo, being fond of playing with fire, accidentally burnt the house down and with it, a litter of nine piglets. Bo-bo, after the fire, reaches down to see if there are any signs of life in the pig, burn his fingers and then inadvertently touches his fingers to his lips. A new flavor, unlike anything he has previously known. He devours the whole thing. From him the habit of roasting spreads to his father then through the countryside…the technique is of course refined from burning down the house to spit-roasting over time.
· The earliest surviving Chinese text, the Shih ching (The book of Songs) describes feasting practices and occasionally food. For the winter, hunting and ice cutting/storing are described, in spring, a rite of expiation, the sacrifice of a lamb (seasoned with garlic and cooked on southernwood). In summer there were plums, cherries, boiled beans, mallows. In the last months before winter, rice wine was set to ferment; rice, beans, and millet are harvested. Finally, “With twin pitchers they hold the village feast, killing for it a young lamb. Up they go into their Lord’s hall; raise the drinking cup of buffalo-horn: “Hurrah for our lord; may he live for ever and ever!””
· There is further information on food in the Lun Yi (Analects); attributed to Confucius, these describe the action of a virtuous man. Among these are not consuming rice, meat, or fish that is un-sound. He must not eat what is overcooked, out of season, or undercooked. He must not eat that which has been cut crookedly or any dish which lacks the proper seasoning. He may consume wine, but not become disorderly. He must eat sparingly of dishes having ginger sprinkled on them. He may not eat dried meat from the market or wine bought from a shop.
· In Li-Chi, a handbook of ritual (202 B.C.), recipes are given for the Eight Delicacies which were to be prepared for the aged on ceremonial occasions. One item was rice and the fat from a wolf’s breast. Another entailed wrapping the liver if a dog in a casing of its own fat, moistening it and roasting it.
· During the Warring States period, a book called “Huang Di Nei Jing” or “The Emperor’s Internal Classics” was written. It contained several food prescriptions that were very effective for the healthcare of the emperor and they were recorded. In this book, it was brought up that if one wanted to diagnose a disease, one had to first ask the patient what they ate, drank, and where they resided because the physicians had to investigate and treat the original cause.
At this time foods became a part of medicine and the Nei Jing emphasized the five grains as the main foods. The five grains are for nourishment, the five fruits are for help, the five meats are for benefit and are subsidiary and the five vegetables are supplements. The physicians considered energy and taste in combination and not individually.
This book also mentioned the foods that are good for certain organs and gave directions on the use of foods in the treatment of related illnesses of these organs. It told of what tastes went with what colors. For example, the colors of the liver system are green and blue, which means sour foods such as small beans, plums and chives should be consumed. The color of the heart system is red, which means spicy foods such as millet, peach and green onions should be consumed. The color of the lung system is white, which means bitter foods such as wheat, lamb and almond should be consumed. The color of the spleen system is yellow, which means sweet foods such as brown rice, dates and sunflower seeds should be consumed. The color of the kidney system is black, which means salty foods such as pork, big beans and chestnuts should be consumed. This showed that in ancient times, the use of food in the treatment of health problems had already gone through rigorous research and use.
· The Chinese vocabulary is particularly rich as relates to food. A polite, traditional greeting is “Have you eaten?” Chinese meals are intended to please both the eyes, the palate and to ensure optimum health. The Chinese people have traditionally eaten almost anything that could be made palatable-there preparation have traditionally been guided by the principles of yin and yang. This principle holds that everything in the universe (and the universe itself) is a reflection of these principles (generically positive and negative). For optimum health and a “harmonious body,” one must consume foods that are harmoniously balanced.
· Yin foods are thin, bland, cooling, and low in richness. Yang foods are rich, spicy, warming…etc. Boiling is a yin technique, frying is yang.
· In traditional Chinese thoughts, there are five food tastes (spicy, bitter, sour, salty, and sweet). Each of these tastes is linked to the five primary elements that make up the cosmos (metal, wood, water, fire, and earth).
· In traditional Chinese thought, foods have direct effect on health. Peppery foods clean the lungs, bitter foods relieve gastroenteritis, sour foods refresh the liver, salty foods strengthen the kidneys, and sweet foods invigorate the spleen. For specific foods, ginger helps invigorate the glands, garlic warms up the body and seaweed reduces inflammation.
· Dining etiquette: one generally arrives quite early to avoid being late; it is customary for the host to serve the first serving of the first course to the guests. Traditionally the host will lead his guests through each course; the most polite person at the table will be the one who touches the food last.
· The maximum number of diners that should be seated at a table is 12. The standard yanhui round table seats this number. During a Chinese banquet, one will generally order one dish per person. A full table will consist of 1-2 cold appetizers, 8-10 middle dishes, and one or two final dishes. The challenge for the host is to demonstrate his knowledge of yin/yang by balancing the dishes and having them arrive in the proper order. In a formal banquet, rice is not served near the end of the meal. In a truly upscale banquet no rice may be served at all as in traditional Chinese culture, rice has the image of cheap food that is eaten by poorer people.
· An interesting test of friendship to the Chinese and appreciation of Chinese culture is to serve the guest a “Pindan,” a 1000 year old egg. They are made by culturing an egg with a coating of lime and clay for 6-10 weeks. The lime soaks through the shell and turns the white to a blue/brown and the yolk to a darn green. The flavor (yes I have had one) has something of a ripe fishy/cheesy character.
· Chopsticks seem to have been developed specifically for use with rice. The Li Chi states that millet (China’s original staple grain) must be eaten with a spoon. The earliest word for chopsticks seems to have been zi, which is related to the root for the word help.
· Chinese cuisine is generally classified into four regional schools:
>Peking: Northern School-this embraces the cooking styles of Shantung, Hunan, Shanxi, Chinese Moslem/Inner Mongolian style, and Shinkiang. As the capital of China it became the culinary center and drew inspiration from the various regions.
Specialties: Peking duck, Lamb fire-pot.
>Shanghai: Northern School-this covers Fukien, Kiangsu, and Anhwei. These areas are called the “Lands of Fish and Rice”
Specialties: White-cut Pork, “Lion’s Heads,”
>Szechwan: Western School-Until recently this area was largely inaccessible and developed a distinct style of cooking. It is richly flavored and piquant.
Specialties: Tea smoked duck, Chili Chicken
>Canton: Southern School-This has traditionally been the best known style of Chinese food in America due to the large number of immigrants from the province. The style is known for seeking to preserve the inherent flavor of the ingredients.
Specialties: Dim Sum, Cha Shao, Roast Suckling Pig
Sunday, July 1, 2007
A quick and easy recipe for grilled fish
2/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (reconstituted if not oil packed); chopped
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup capers
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2# Fresh Fish (particularly Grouper and Snapper)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes (reconstituted if not oil packed); chopped
5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup capers
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2# Fresh Fish (particularly Grouper and Snapper)
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and warm until just simmering; then cool to room temperature, Reserve 1/4 cup. Marinate fish from 2-6 hours.
- Remove fish from marinade and place on a hot grill. Season fish with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Seperately bring marinade to a simmer with 2 tablespoons of water.
- When fish is fully cooked, pour a small amount of the hot marinade on a plate and place the grilled fish atop it.
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