Chocolāt /Chocolate
Saturday, 25 June 2011
Chocolāt
Saturday, 18 June 2011
French Foods And Delicacies
France has an international reputation for delicacies and fine dining but finding the right restaurant is very important. The best advice for the best cuisine would be to eat where the locals eat as there are many restaurants, brasseries or bistros that serve a virtually standardised menu and could be well below par. Try looking through reliable local guides or try specific local restaurants like "crêperies" in Brittany (or in the Montparnasse area of Paris) or "bouchons lyonnais" in Lyons.
There is lots of ethnic food available throughout France including North African, Greek, Italian and Chinese takeaways and restaurants. If you're feeling like something familiar, hamburger eateries are also available.
Booking in advance is advisable, as it is compulsory in many restaurants. You may be turned away without a reservation even if the restaurant appears to have room. Also, not all restaurants are open for lunch and dinner and some only open at specific times of the year. Weekend dining is near impossible unless you stick to the tourist areas.
When eating out in France, your tip is included in the bill. The breakdown is as follows: 19.6 per cent of the total is tax plus a service charge, usually around 15% is added on top. French people do occasionally leave one or two coins if they are really happy with the service and it is considered an extra tip.
If you want water in a cafe or restaurant, ask for a carafe d'eau otherwise the waiter will try to sell you mineral water (Thonon, Évian) or sparkling water (Perrier, Badoit) at a high premium.
There are two common formats for restaurants, either fixed price menus (prix fixe) or à la carte. Each option in the fixed price menu is comprised of three courses, usually of the following:
1. Appetiser (also called hors d'œuvres or entrées)
2. Main (also called plat)
3. Dessert (typical dessert) or cheese (fromage)
If you do not want the full three courses, some restaurants offer the option of having only two of the three courses at a reduced price.
A French tradition is to finish the meal with coffee. Try to avoid ordering coffee during the meal as it would be considered quite strange.
Regional foods
What makes food in France so interesting is the variety you find as you travel around the country. Each region has its own dishes which differ depending on the kinds of foods that thrive there.
Fondue Savoyarde (in the central Alps)
Hot or melted cheese with alcohol
Choucroute aka sauerkraut (in Alsace)
Stripped fermented cabbage and pork.
Raclette (in the central Alps)
Melted cheese with potatoes or meat.
Fondue Bourguignonne (in Burgundy)
Pieces of Beef in boiled oil served with various sauces.
Boeuf Bourguignon (in Burgundy)
Slow cooked beef flavoured with garlic, onions and carrots and garnished with onions and mushrooms.
Pot-au-feu ("pot on the fire")
Boiled beef and vegetables served with spices, course salt and strong dijon mustard.
Aligot (in Auvergne)
A puree of potatoes mixed with melted cheese.
Gratin dauphinois (in Rhone-Alpes)
Oven roasted slices of potatoes.
Confit de Canard (in Landes and Gascony)
Duck Confit. Consists of duck legs and wings bathing in fat.
Foie Gras (in Landes)
The liver of a goose or duck. Usually quite expensive but is enjoyed by many around the holiday season.
Bouillabaisse (in Marseille and the French Riviera)
Fish and saffron. Requires lots of fish and therefore is a costly dish.
Tartiflette (in Savoie)
Pork or bacon with potatoes and reblochon cheese.
Cassoulet (in the south west)
Duck, beans, pork and sausages.
There is lots of ethnic food available throughout France including North African, Greek, Italian and Chinese takeaways and restaurants. If you're feeling like something familiar, hamburger eateries are also available.
Booking in advance is advisable, as it is compulsory in many restaurants. You may be turned away without a reservation even if the restaurant appears to have room. Also, not all restaurants are open for lunch and dinner and some only open at specific times of the year. Weekend dining is near impossible unless you stick to the tourist areas.
When eating out in France, your tip is included in the bill. The breakdown is as follows: 19.6 per cent of the total is tax plus a service charge, usually around 15% is added on top. French people do occasionally leave one or two coins if they are really happy with the service and it is considered an extra tip.
If you want water in a cafe or restaurant, ask for a carafe d'eau otherwise the waiter will try to sell you mineral water (Thonon, Évian) or sparkling water (Perrier, Badoit) at a high premium.
There are two common formats for restaurants, either fixed price menus (prix fixe) or à la carte. Each option in the fixed price menu is comprised of three courses, usually of the following:
1. Appetiser (also called hors d'œuvres or entrées)
2. Main (also called plat)
3. Dessert (typical dessert) or cheese (fromage)
If you do not want the full three courses, some restaurants offer the option of having only two of the three courses at a reduced price.
A French tradition is to finish the meal with coffee. Try to avoid ordering coffee during the meal as it would be considered quite strange.
Regional foods
What makes food in France so interesting is the variety you find as you travel around the country. Each region has its own dishes which differ depending on the kinds of foods that thrive there.
Fondue Savoyarde (in the central Alps)
Hot or melted cheese with alcohol
Choucroute aka sauerkraut (in Alsace)
Stripped fermented cabbage and pork.
Raclette (in the central Alps)
Melted cheese with potatoes or meat.
Fondue Bourguignonne (in Burgundy)
Pieces of Beef in boiled oil served with various sauces.
Boeuf Bourguignon (in Burgundy)
Slow cooked beef flavoured with garlic, onions and carrots and garnished with onions and mushrooms.
Pot-au-feu ("pot on the fire")
Boiled beef and vegetables served with spices, course salt and strong dijon mustard.
Aligot (in Auvergne)
A puree of potatoes mixed with melted cheese.
Gratin dauphinois (in Rhone-Alpes)
Oven roasted slices of potatoes.
Confit de Canard (in Landes and Gascony)
Duck Confit. Consists of duck legs and wings bathing in fat.
Foie Gras (in Landes)
The liver of a goose or duck. Usually quite expensive but is enjoyed by many around the holiday season.
Bouillabaisse (in Marseille and the French Riviera)
Fish and saffron. Requires lots of fish and therefore is a costly dish.
Tartiflette (in Savoie)
Pork or bacon with potatoes and reblochon cheese.
Cassoulet (in the south west)
Duck, beans, pork and sausages.
Friday, 10 June 2011
Roasted chicken breast with pancetta, leeks and thyme
Roasted chicken breast with pancetta, leeks and thyme
Method-
Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 6 or 7 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.• from Cook With Jamie Make this recipe for one in a snug-fitting baking dish or to save on washing-up, a little tinfoil tray.Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Put 1 chicken breast, skin removed, in a bowl. Trim and wash a large leek, remove the outer leaves, then slice it into 0.5cm/¼ inch pieces. Add these to the bowl with the leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme, a good glug of olive oil, small knob of butter, a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and a small swig of white wine and toss together. Place your leek and flavourings from the bowl into the tray, then wrap the chicken breast in 6 or 7 slices of pancetta. This will not only flavour the chicken but also protect it while it cooks. Try and bend the sides of the tray in towards the chicken so the leeks don't burn during cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, place a couple of whole thyme sprigs on top and cook in the middle of the oven for 25 to 35 minutes.
Saturday, 4 June 2011
Ancient Roman cuisine
Ancient Roman cuisine changed over the long duration of this ancient civilization. Dietary habits were affected by the influence of Greek culture, the political changes from kingdom to republic to empire, and empire's enormous expansion, which exposed Romans to many new, provincial culinary habits and cooking techniques. In the beginning, the differences between social classes were not very great, but disparities developed with the empire's growth.
Meals
Apicius: De re coquinaria, frontispiece of 1709
Traditionally in the morning, a breakfast called the ientaculum [1], was served; at dawn, Romans ate a small lunch, and in the evening, they consumed the cena [2] , the main meal of the day. Due to the influence of the Greeks and the increased importation and consumption of foreign foods, the cena increased in size and diversity and was consumed in the afternoon. The vesperna [3], a light supper in the evening, was abandoned, and a second breakfast was introduced around noon, the prandium.
In the lower strata of society, the old routine was preserved, because it corresponded more closely to the daily rhythms of manual labor.
Originally flat, round loaves made of emmer, (a cereal grain closely related to wheat) with a bit of salt were eaten; among the upper classes, eggs, cheese, and honey, along with milk and fruit were also consumed. In the Imperial period, around the beginning of the Christian era, bread made of wheat was introduced; with time, more and more wheaten foods began to replace emmer bread. The bread was sometimes dipped in wine and eaten with olives, cheese, crackers, and grapes. They also ate wild boar, beef, sausage and pork.
Cena
Among the members of the upper classes, who did not engage in manual labor, it became customary to schedule all business obligations in the morning. After the prandium, the last responsibilities would be discharged, and a visit would be made to the baths. Around 2:00 pm. [4], the cena would begin. This meal could last until late in the night, especially if guests were invited, and would often be followed by a comissatio (a round of drinks).
In the period of the kings and the early republic, but also in later periods (for the working classes), the cena essentially consisted of a kind of porridge, the puls. The simplest kind would be made from emmer, water, salt and fat. The more sophisticated kind was made with olive oil, with an accompaniment of assorted vegetables when available. The richer classes ate their puls with eggs, cheese, and honey and (only occasionally) with meat or fish.
Over the course of the Republican period, the cena developed into 2 courses: a main course and a dessert with fruit and seafood (e.g. molluscs, shrimp). By the end of the Republic, it was usual for the meal to be served in 3 parts: 1st course (gustatio), main course (primae mensae), and dessert (secundae mensae).
Table culture
From 301 BC, Greek customs started to influence the culture of higher class Romans. Growing wealth led to ever larger and more sophisticated meals. Nutritional value was not regarded as important: on the contrary, the gourmets preferred food with low food energy and nutrients. Easily digestible foods and diuretic stimulants were highly regarded.
The dinner was consumed in a special dining room, which later was to be called triclinium. Here one would lie down on a specially designed couch, the lectus triclinaris. Around the round table, the mensa, three of these lecti were arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, so that slaves could easily serve, and a maximum of three diners would recline at each lectus. During the kingdom and early republic, the only people allowed a place on a lectus were men. By the late republic and imperial times, and especially among the aristocracy, women were permitted to recline during meals. Traditionally, women would dine sitting upright across from their husbands or fathers in chairs. More tables for the beverages stood beside the couches. All heads were oriented towards the central table, with left elbows propped on a cushion and feet at the outside of the dinnercouch. In this fashion at most nine people could dine together at one table. Further guests had to sit on chairs. Slaves normally had to stand.
Feet and hands were washed before the cena. The food would be taken with the fingertips and two kinds of spoons, the larger ligula and the smaller cochlear with a needle thin grip, which was used as a prong when eating snails and molluscs, in practice substituting for the modern fork. At the table, larger pieces would be cut up to be served on smaller plates. After each course the fingers were washed again and napkins (mappae) were customary to wipe one's mouth. Guests could also bring their own mappae to take home the leftovers from the meal or small gifts (the apophoreta). Everything that could not be eaten (e.g. bones and shells) was thrown onto the floor, from where it was swept away by a slave.
In summer, it was popular to eat outside. Many houses in Pompeii had stone couches at a particularly beautiful spot in the garden for just that purpose. People lay down to eat only on formal occasions. If the meal was routine, they ate while seated or even standing.
Entertainment
During a dinner for guests, musicians, acrobats, poets or dancers would perform and dinner conversation played an important role. Dances were not usual, as it was considered improper and would not mix well with table manners, although during the comissatio this habit was often disregarded. To leave the table for bodily functions was considered inappropriate and restraining oneself was considered good manners. After the main course, during a pause, an offering was made to the Lares, the spirits of the house. This offering normally consisted of meat, cake and wine. The cake was usually colored with saffron.
Typical dishes
The starter
This part of the meal was called gustatio or promulsis. It generally consisted of light, appetizing dishes. The usual drink was mulsum (a mixture of wine and honey). At large feasts several starter dishes were served one after another.
The usual salad and vegetable plants were:
Often, an intermediate dish was served before the real caput cenae which was the dinner. The decoration of this dish could be more important than the actual ingredients.
The main dish usually consisted of meat. The most common dishes were:
Beef was not very popular. Cattle were working animals, used for such tasks as ploughing or pulling carts, so their meat was usually very tough and had to be cooked for a long time to make it edible. Even calf meat was unpopular, with only a few recipes for it being known. Pork was the most usually eaten and best liked meat. All parts of the pig were eaten, and more unusual parts like the breasts and uteruses of young sows were considered specialties. Pig's ears were also a delicacy.
Geese were bred and sometimes fattened. The technique of force-feeding was already known, and the liver of force-fed geese was a special delicacy, as it is today. Chicken was more expensive than duck. Other birds like Pavonem- Peacock and swans were eaten on special occasions. Capons and poulards (spayed hens) were considered specialties. In 161 BCE the consul C. Fannius prohibited the consumption of poulards, though the ban was ignored. Sausages, farcimen, were made of beef and pork according to an astonishing diversity of recipes and types. Particularly widespread was the botulus, a blood sausage somewhat like black pudding, and which was sold on the streets. The most popular type of sausage was the lucanica, a short, fat, rustic pork sausage, the recipe for which is still used today.
For special effects, whole pigs were stuffed with sausages and fruit, roasted and then served on their feet. When cut, the sausages would spill from the animal like entrails. Such a pig was called a porcus Troianus ("Trojan pig"), a humorous reference to the Trojan Horse.
Hares and rabbits were bred, the former with little success, making them as much as four times more expensive than rabbits. Hares therefore were regarded as a luxury; shoulder of hare was especially favoured. Newborn rabbits or rabbit fetuses, known as laurices, were considered a delicacy.
Fish was served only in earlier periods, and it remained more expensive than simpler meat types. Breeding was attempted in freshwater and saltwater ponds, but some kinds of fish could not be fattened in captivity. Among these was the most popular, mullus, the goatfish. At a certain time this fish was considered the epitome of luxury, above all because its scales exhibit a bright red color when it dies out of water. For this reason these fish were occasionally allowed to die slowly at the table. There even was a recipe where this would take place in garo, in the sauce. At the beginning of the imperial era, however, this custom suddenly came to an end, which is why mullus in the feast of Trimalchio (see the Satyricon) could be shown as a characteristic of the parvenu, who bores his guests with an unfashionable display of dying fish.
There were no side dishes or accompaniments in today's sense, although bread was consumed by all classes following the introduction of wheat. Thereafter only the poorest, with no access to an oven, had to continue eating puls. Bread, which existed in a large number of different varieties, quickly became exceptionally popular and public bakeries were established in Rome from 270 AD.
Garum, also known as liquamen, was the universal sauce added to everything. It was prepared by subjecting salted fish, in particular mackerel intestines, to a very slow thermal process. Over the course of two to three months, in an enzymatic process stimulated by heating, usually by exposure to the sun, the protein-laden fish parts decomposed almost entirely. The resulting mass was then filtered and the liquid traded as garum, the remaining solids as alec - a kind of savoury spread. Because of the smell it produced, the production of garum within the city was banned. Garum, supplied in small sealed amphorae, was used throughout the Empire and totally replaced salt as a condiment. Today similar sauces are produced in Southeast Asia, usually sold abroad under the description "fish sauce", or nam pla.
Spices, especially pepper, but hundreds of other kinds too, were imported on a large scale and used copiously. One very popular spice was silphium; however, as it could not be cultivated it finally became extinct through overcropping of the wild plant. The inherent flavours of vegetables and meat were completely masked by the heavy use of garum and other seasonings. It was considered an indication of the highest achievement in culinary art if a gourmet could tell neither by sight, nor smell, nor taste what the ingredients of a dish were.
Dessert
Still life with fruit basket and vases (Pompeii, ca. A.D. 70)
Among fruits, grapes were the most preferred. The Romans distinguished between grapes for wine-making and grapes as food. Raisins were also produced. After grapes, figs and dates played a major part and pomegranates were eaten in many varieties. Quinces, figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates, various types of apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, pears, plums, currants, strawberries, blackberries, medlars, elderberries, mulberries, azaroles, citron, raspberries, and melons were grown. Lemons were known from the 1st century AD, but not cultivated extensively. The Romans ate walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, chestnuts and pine nuts. Roman bakers were famous for the many varieties of breads, rolls, fruit tarts, sweet buns and cakes.
Cold clams and oysters (bred on a large scale), which were originally dessert dishes, later became starters.
Cakes, made of wheat and usually soaked in honey, played a big part. Certain kinds of nuts were also available, and they were thrown at festivals much as sweets are today.
Alcoholic drinks
See also: Ancient Rome and wine
A modern re-creation of Conditum Paradoxum
A re-creation of the Moretum recipe Wine was normally mixed with water immediately before drinking, since the fermentation was not controlled and the alcohol grade was high. Wine was sometimes adjusted and "improved" by its makers: instructions survive for making white wine from red and vice versa, as well as for rescuing wine that is turning to vinegar. Wine was also variously flavoured. For example, there was passum, a strong and sweet raisin wine, for which the earliest known recipe is of Carthaginian origin; mulsum, a freshly made mixture of wine and honey; and conditum, a mixture of wine, honey and spices made in advance and matured. One specific recipe, Conditum Paradoxum, is for a mixture of wine, honey, pepper, laurel, dates, mastic, and saffron, cooked and stored for later use. Another recipe called for the addition of seawater, pitch and rosin to the wine. A Greek traveler reported that the beverage was apparently an acquired taste.[5] Beer (cervesa) was known but considered vulgar. Sour wine mixed with water and herbs (posca) was a popular drink for the lower classes and a staple part of the Roman soldier's ration
Meals
Apicius: De re coquinaria, frontispiece of 1709
Traditionally in the morning, a breakfast called the ientaculum [1], was served; at dawn, Romans ate a small lunch, and in the evening, they consumed the cena [2] , the main meal of the day. Due to the influence of the Greeks and the increased importation and consumption of foreign foods, the cena increased in size and diversity and was consumed in the afternoon. The vesperna [3], a light supper in the evening, was abandoned, and a second breakfast was introduced around noon, the prandium.
In the lower strata of society, the old routine was preserved, because it corresponded more closely to the daily rhythms of manual labor.
Originally flat, round loaves made of emmer, (a cereal grain closely related to wheat) with a bit of salt were eaten; among the upper classes, eggs, cheese, and honey, along with milk and fruit were also consumed. In the Imperial period, around the beginning of the Christian era, bread made of wheat was introduced; with time, more and more wheaten foods began to replace emmer bread. The bread was sometimes dipped in wine and eaten with olives, cheese, crackers, and grapes. They also ate wild boar, beef, sausage and pork.
Cena
Among the members of the upper classes, who did not engage in manual labor, it became customary to schedule all business obligations in the morning. After the prandium, the last responsibilities would be discharged, and a visit would be made to the baths. Around 2:00 pm. [4], the cena would begin. This meal could last until late in the night, especially if guests were invited, and would often be followed by a comissatio (a round of drinks).
In the period of the kings and the early republic, but also in later periods (for the working classes), the cena essentially consisted of a kind of porridge, the puls. The simplest kind would be made from emmer, water, salt and fat. The more sophisticated kind was made with olive oil, with an accompaniment of assorted vegetables when available. The richer classes ate their puls with eggs, cheese, and honey and (only occasionally) with meat or fish.
Over the course of the Republican period, the cena developed into 2 courses: a main course and a dessert with fruit and seafood (e.g. molluscs, shrimp). By the end of the Republic, it was usual for the meal to be served in 3 parts: 1st course (gustatio), main course (primae mensae), and dessert (secundae mensae).
Table culture
From 301 BC, Greek customs started to influence the culture of higher class Romans. Growing wealth led to ever larger and more sophisticated meals. Nutritional value was not regarded as important: on the contrary, the gourmets preferred food with low food energy and nutrients. Easily digestible foods and diuretic stimulants were highly regarded.
The dinner was consumed in a special dining room, which later was to be called triclinium. Here one would lie down on a specially designed couch, the lectus triclinaris. Around the round table, the mensa, three of these lecti were arranged in the shape of a horseshoe, so that slaves could easily serve, and a maximum of three diners would recline at each lectus. During the kingdom and early republic, the only people allowed a place on a lectus were men. By the late republic and imperial times, and especially among the aristocracy, women were permitted to recline during meals. Traditionally, women would dine sitting upright across from their husbands or fathers in chairs. More tables for the beverages stood beside the couches. All heads were oriented towards the central table, with left elbows propped on a cushion and feet at the outside of the dinnercouch. In this fashion at most nine people could dine together at one table. Further guests had to sit on chairs. Slaves normally had to stand.
Feet and hands were washed before the cena. The food would be taken with the fingertips and two kinds of spoons, the larger ligula and the smaller cochlear with a needle thin grip, which was used as a prong when eating snails and molluscs, in practice substituting for the modern fork. At the table, larger pieces would be cut up to be served on smaller plates. After each course the fingers were washed again and napkins (mappae) were customary to wipe one's mouth. Guests could also bring their own mappae to take home the leftovers from the meal or small gifts (the apophoreta). Everything that could not be eaten (e.g. bones and shells) was thrown onto the floor, from where it was swept away by a slave.
In summer, it was popular to eat outside. Many houses in Pompeii had stone couches at a particularly beautiful spot in the garden for just that purpose. People lay down to eat only on formal occasions. If the meal was routine, they ate while seated or even standing.
Entertainment
During a dinner for guests, musicians, acrobats, poets or dancers would perform and dinner conversation played an important role. Dances were not usual, as it was considered improper and would not mix well with table manners, although during the comissatio this habit was often disregarded. To leave the table for bodily functions was considered inappropriate and restraining oneself was considered good manners. After the main course, during a pause, an offering was made to the Lares, the spirits of the house. This offering normally consisted of meat, cake and wine. The cake was usually colored with saffron.
Typical dishes
The starter
This part of the meal was called gustatio or promulsis. It generally consisted of light, appetizing dishes. The usual drink was mulsum (a mixture of wine and honey). At large feasts several starter dishes were served one after another.
The usual salad and vegetable plants were:
- Pulses such as fava beans, chick peas, peas and lupins, although these were only appreciated by peasants, smiths, legionaries and gladiators; only lentils imported from Egypt were liked by the upper class.
- Several kinds of vegetables were usually enjoyed with vinegar, kale was cooked in saltpetre, and both the green and the white parts of chard were used.
- The leaves of many shrubs and weeds were cooked to a mush and strongly spiced; examples are elder, mallow, orache, fenugreek, nettles and sorrel.
- Pickled fruit and vegetables such as escarole, zucchini, olives, chicory, chard, cardoons, mallows, broccoli, asparagus, artichokes, leeks, carrots, turnips, parsnips, beets, peas, green beans, radishes, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuces and field greens, onions, cucumbers, fennel, melons, capers and cress were called acetaria and were thought to be appetising. Spinach and eggplant were not known until the 9th century. Tomatoes were not available.
- Mushrooms, such as boletus, field mushroom and truffles.
- Stewed and salted snails, raw or cooked clams, sea urchins and small fish.
- After the Republican period, light meat dishes were also served as starters. One example is dormice, which were bred in special enclosures before being fattened-up in clay pots called gliraria. Small birds like thrushes were also served.
Often, an intermediate dish was served before the real caput cenae which was the dinner. The decoration of this dish could be more important than the actual ingredients.
The main dish usually consisted of meat. The most common dishes were:
Beef was not very popular. Cattle were working animals, used for such tasks as ploughing or pulling carts, so their meat was usually very tough and had to be cooked for a long time to make it edible. Even calf meat was unpopular, with only a few recipes for it being known. Pork was the most usually eaten and best liked meat. All parts of the pig were eaten, and more unusual parts like the breasts and uteruses of young sows were considered specialties. Pig's ears were also a delicacy.
Geese were bred and sometimes fattened. The technique of force-feeding was already known, and the liver of force-fed geese was a special delicacy, as it is today. Chicken was more expensive than duck. Other birds like Pavonem- Peacock and swans were eaten on special occasions. Capons and poulards (spayed hens) were considered specialties. In 161 BCE the consul C. Fannius prohibited the consumption of poulards, though the ban was ignored. Sausages, farcimen, were made of beef and pork according to an astonishing diversity of recipes and types. Particularly widespread was the botulus, a blood sausage somewhat like black pudding, and which was sold on the streets. The most popular type of sausage was the lucanica, a short, fat, rustic pork sausage, the recipe for which is still used today.
For special effects, whole pigs were stuffed with sausages and fruit, roasted and then served on their feet. When cut, the sausages would spill from the animal like entrails. Such a pig was called a porcus Troianus ("Trojan pig"), a humorous reference to the Trojan Horse.
Hares and rabbits were bred, the former with little success, making them as much as four times more expensive than rabbits. Hares therefore were regarded as a luxury; shoulder of hare was especially favoured. Newborn rabbits or rabbit fetuses, known as laurices, were considered a delicacy.
Fish was served only in earlier periods, and it remained more expensive than simpler meat types. Breeding was attempted in freshwater and saltwater ponds, but some kinds of fish could not be fattened in captivity. Among these was the most popular, mullus, the goatfish. At a certain time this fish was considered the epitome of luxury, above all because its scales exhibit a bright red color when it dies out of water. For this reason these fish were occasionally allowed to die slowly at the table. There even was a recipe where this would take place in garo, in the sauce. At the beginning of the imperial era, however, this custom suddenly came to an end, which is why mullus in the feast of Trimalchio (see the Satyricon) could be shown as a characteristic of the parvenu, who bores his guests with an unfashionable display of dying fish.
There were no side dishes or accompaniments in today's sense, although bread was consumed by all classes following the introduction of wheat. Thereafter only the poorest, with no access to an oven, had to continue eating puls. Bread, which existed in a large number of different varieties, quickly became exceptionally popular and public bakeries were established in Rome from 270 AD.
Garum, also known as liquamen, was the universal sauce added to everything. It was prepared by subjecting salted fish, in particular mackerel intestines, to a very slow thermal process. Over the course of two to three months, in an enzymatic process stimulated by heating, usually by exposure to the sun, the protein-laden fish parts decomposed almost entirely. The resulting mass was then filtered and the liquid traded as garum, the remaining solids as alec - a kind of savoury spread. Because of the smell it produced, the production of garum within the city was banned. Garum, supplied in small sealed amphorae, was used throughout the Empire and totally replaced salt as a condiment. Today similar sauces are produced in Southeast Asia, usually sold abroad under the description "fish sauce", or nam pla.
Spices, especially pepper, but hundreds of other kinds too, were imported on a large scale and used copiously. One very popular spice was silphium; however, as it could not be cultivated it finally became extinct through overcropping of the wild plant. The inherent flavours of vegetables and meat were completely masked by the heavy use of garum and other seasonings. It was considered an indication of the highest achievement in culinary art if a gourmet could tell neither by sight, nor smell, nor taste what the ingredients of a dish were.
Dessert
Still life with fruit basket and vases (Pompeii, ca. A.D. 70)
Among fruits, grapes were the most preferred. The Romans distinguished between grapes for wine-making and grapes as food. Raisins were also produced. After grapes, figs and dates played a major part and pomegranates were eaten in many varieties. Quinces, figs, dates, grapes, pomegranates, various types of apples, apricots, peaches, cherries, pears, plums, currants, strawberries, blackberries, medlars, elderberries, mulberries, azaroles, citron, raspberries, and melons were grown. Lemons were known from the 1st century AD, but not cultivated extensively. The Romans ate walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, chestnuts and pine nuts. Roman bakers were famous for the many varieties of breads, rolls, fruit tarts, sweet buns and cakes.
Cold clams and oysters (bred on a large scale), which were originally dessert dishes, later became starters.
Cakes, made of wheat and usually soaked in honey, played a big part. Certain kinds of nuts were also available, and they were thrown at festivals much as sweets are today.
Alcoholic drinks
See also: Ancient Rome and wine
A modern re-creation of Conditum Paradoxum
A re-creation of the Moretum recipe Wine was normally mixed with water immediately before drinking, since the fermentation was not controlled and the alcohol grade was high. Wine was sometimes adjusted and "improved" by its makers: instructions survive for making white wine from red and vice versa, as well as for rescuing wine that is turning to vinegar. Wine was also variously flavoured. For example, there was passum, a strong and sweet raisin wine, for which the earliest known recipe is of Carthaginian origin; mulsum, a freshly made mixture of wine and honey; and conditum, a mixture of wine, honey and spices made in advance and matured. One specific recipe, Conditum Paradoxum, is for a mixture of wine, honey, pepper, laurel, dates, mastic, and saffron, cooked and stored for later use. Another recipe called for the addition of seawater, pitch and rosin to the wine. A Greek traveler reported that the beverage was apparently an acquired taste.[5] Beer (cervesa) was known but considered vulgar. Sour wine mixed with water and herbs (posca) was a popular drink for the lower classes and a staple part of the Roman soldier's ration
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Meatballs Recipe -- Italian Meatballs (Polpette) and Catalan Meat balls (Mediterranean cuisine from Catalonia)
| Italian Meatballs (Polpette) |
This dish is one variation of Italian meatballs cooked in sauce, and served as a main course. I formed my meatballs into patties so they actually are more like individual meat loaves. They are cooked in a tasty tomato sauce that can be served separately over pasta allowing this dish to become a complete meal. Because you are combining ground meet with other moist ingredients, and then are cooking the meatballs in sauce, they are very tender and moist even if you use such lean meats as ground turkey or ground sirloin as I used in my photos. Use good quality chopped tomatoes for the sauce such as Pomi or Muir Glen brands. I used Muir Glen fire roasted tomatoes in my sauce which gave it a nice smokey flavor. Serves 4 to 6 Tomato Sauce: 1 28oz. Can Chopped Tomatoes 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onion 3 Cloves Garlic, Peeled & Minced 4 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Basil Salt & Pepper Meatballs: 1 Pound Ground Meat Of Choice (Turkey, Beef, Pork, or Veal work well) 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 3/4 Cup Finely Chopped Onions 3/4 Cup Pine Nuts 1 Cup Mushrooms, Finely Chopped (Button Or Baby Bella) 3 Garlic Cloves, Peeled & Minced 1/2 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped 2/3 Cup Fresh Breadcrumbs 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese 1 Large Egg 1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese 1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest, Minced Heat the oil in a large shallow saucepan, and add onions. Cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer while you prepare the meat. In a frying pan, heat the remaining olive oil. Add the onion, mushrooms, and pine nuts and cook until the pine nuts begin to turn brown. Add the garlic, stir well, and remove from heat. Combine the remaining ingredients with the onion mixture and mix until well blended. Form the meatballs into 6 separate patties, and brown in the frying pan used to cook the onion mixture until the meatballs are browned on both sides, turning carefully as needed. Gently place the meatballs into the saucepan holding the sauce and cover. Continue to cook the meatballs in the simmering sauce for 25 minutes more. Remove the meatballs and serve hot with a little sauce, using the remaining sauce to top your choice of pasta. Buon Appetito! Catalan Meat balls (Mediterranean cuisine from Catalonia) |
Catalan food is at once rustic and refined. This Catalonian meatballs recipe is the perfect example of that; it is a dish you would expect to find at an out-of-the-way country inn or a Michelin-star restaurant. Try serving it over hot rice or just-cooked couscous to soak up the delicious, red sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1/2-lb ground pork
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
* 1 large egg, beaten
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 2 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
* Sauce:
* 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup pitted green olives
* 2 ounces cured ham, finely chopped
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/16 teaspoon (pinch) ground cayenne
* 3 cups hot, cooked rice (optional)
* 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh parsley
Preparation:
Gently mix the ground beef and pork together with the garlic, egg, salt, pepper, and breadcrumbs. Form 1-inch meatballs with the mixture and set them aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the chopped bacon in the oil until it turns crisp. Transfer the cooked bacon to a cloth-lined plate to drain. Add the meatballs, in batches, and sauté them until they turn brown. Transfer the browned meatballs to a Dutch oven.
Add the chopped onions to the skillet and sauté them for 5 minutes, until they turn soft and light brown. Sprinkle the flour over the onions, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour the water over the onions and the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth. Add the reserved bacon, olives, ham, tomato paste, cinnamon, and ground cayenne to the sauce.
Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the Dutch oven. Cover with the lid and cook the mixture over low heat for 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and the juices run clear. Serve the meatballs and pan sauce over rice, sprinkled with parsley.
This Catalonian meatballs recipe make 6 servings.
Introduction to the 10 Most Popular Cuisines in the World
Introduction to the 10 Most Popular Cuisines in the World
10. Lebanese Cuisine
The Lebanese cuisine is the place where you can taste all the goodness the Middle East has to offer. Foods are generally Mediterranean, high on vegetables, little meat and full of flavors. Perhaps the most famous dish worldwide is the appetizer mezze – a selection of dips, pickles, salads and nibbles with Arabic bread. It also includes an abundance of fruit, fresh fish and seafood and little animal fat. The country is also famous for the Arabic sweets, Tripoli being referred to as the “Sweet Capital” of Lebanon.
The Lebanese cuisine is the place where you can taste all the goodness the Middle East has to offer. Foods are generally Mediterranean, high on vegetables, little meat and full of flavors. Perhaps the most famous dish worldwide is the appetizer mezze – a selection of dips, pickles, salads and nibbles with Arabic bread. It also includes an abundance of fruit, fresh fish and seafood and little animal fat. The country is also famous for the Arabic sweets, Tripoli being referred to as the “Sweet Capital” of Lebanon.
With a significant influence from the Turkish and Italian cuisine, the Greek cuisine is a focused around olive oil, vegetables and herbs specific to the Mediterranean region. Eating in Greece is a different experience from Greek restaurants in other countries – gyros for example is considered by Greeks junk food. Restaurants now offer an authentic eating experience, being up to date with the latest culinary trends and stocked up with regional specialties. The Taverna and Estiatorio are widespread, being the places where you can find affordable authentic cuisine.
8. Spanish Cuisine
For a lighter approach on food, we turn to the Spanish cuisine, containing a variety of meat and fish, as well as vegetables. It is also influenced by the seafood available from the surrounding waters. Spanish cuisine uses the most oil among all Western and Central European cuisines. One of the most popular drinks in Spain that goes perfectly with its national dishes is sangria, a drink made of wine and fruits.
7. Japanese Cuisine
Known for its seasonality of food, aspect and quality of ingredients, the Japanese cuisine is rapidly becoming a trend worldwide. White rice and soybeans are the ingredients you should expect to find in almost any dish. According to Michelin Guide that ranks cities worldwide for their restaurants, Tokyo is the most delicious city, with 150 top-ranked restaurants, as opposed to Paris and London that have 148. Apart from its capital, it is fascinating to uncover the local cuisine throughout Japan.
6. Mexican Cuisine
Known for its varied flavors and spices, Mexican Cuisine is a result of the Spanish conquistadores’ interaction with the Aztec culture. Most of the Mexican food we eat today is a delicious combination of ancient traditions, Aztec, Mayan and Spanish. The French also had their part in the story, adding baked goods such as sweet breads and the bolillo. You can easily choose the restaurant you are going to eat in by popularity: restaurants with good food usually attract all the customers. There are also exotic options for your menu, such as iguana, insects, rattlesnake, deer and even spider monkey.
5. Thai Cuisine
Many people say Thai food alone, with its balanced mix of hot, sour, bitter and sweet, is a good enough reason to visit the country. The foods are characterized by the use of fresh herbs and flavors, such as lime juice, lemon grass and fresh coriander. Similar to many Asian cuisines, rice is the main component in Thai foods as well. You will often come across nam pla, a strong fish sauce, shrimp paste and noodles. If you’re looking to get a kick of out your lunch, you should try the raw beef, fermented fish paste or deep fried insect larvae mostly present in the Northeast, where eating insects in fairly common.
4. Indian Cuisine
One of the world’s most sophisticated and diverse cuisines, only one part of the Indian cuisine is known to the world. The Indian food served in restaurants worldwide is North Indian, also known as Mughlai or Punjabi. There are other 3 categories of Indian cuisine: South, East and West. The foods are mostly vegetarian, but many include lamb, goat, chicken meat and even fish. Indian cuisine is usually very spicy so in order to enjoy the food, start slowly and in a few weeks you’ll get accustomed to the flavors. Meals are usually eaten without cutlery, while seated on the floor, but these traditions are starting to change for the restaurants oriented to the Europe or the US.
3. Chinese Cuisine
Originated in various parts of China and now spread throughout the world, Chinese cuisine is now eaten by a third of the world’s population every day. The cuisine is easy to create, economical and tasty. Most of the food is prepared in bite-sized pieces because the Chinese culture regards knives and forks as weapons. Usually, every person at the table is given a bowl of rice while the other dishes are shared by everyone at the table. Some dishes are cooked from endangered species, such as facai moss while others from meat you would want to avoid such as dog.
2. Italian Cuisine
Perhaps one of the oldest in the world, the Italian cuisine can be traced back to the 4th century BC. It became what is today along with the discovery of the New World, that brought potatoes, tomatoes pepper or maize on the list of ingredients. An Italian meal is structured into several sections: antipasto (the appetizer), primo (pasta or rice dish), secondo (meat course), dolce (dessert). Italy is also famous for over 400 kinds of cheese, including the famous Parmigianino Reggiano, and 300 types of sausages.
1. French Cuisine
Starting with the Middle Ages that brought rich banquets to the French Revolution, where refined techniques were used, French Cuisine can be called in the 21st century “haute cuisine”. It is as popular as the poetry or French arts, a meal at a restaurant comparing to “a sort of theatre you can eat”. Pastries are a large part of French cooking. Cheese and wine are also a major part of the cuisine, being perhaps the most famous of all. The modern restaurant has its roots in French culture so restaurants are bountiful, but as for recommendation before deciding on one. In Paris alone, there are over 5,000 places to eat, with prices and menus to suit anyone’s taste.
Foie gras is a popular and well-known delicacy in French cuisine. Its flavor is described as rich, buttery, and delicate, unlike that of a regular duck or goose liver. Foie gras is sold whole, or is prepared into mousse, parfait, or pâté (the lowest quality), and may also be served as an accompaniment to another food item, such as steak. French law states that "Foie gras belongs to the protected cultural and gastronomical heritage of France."[3] Another European cuisine employs fattened goose liver almost to the extent as in France; in Hungary, libamáj (lit. 'goose liver') is produced, as in France, both at the small farm and larger commercial levels, and is consumed both plain and in cooking by all levels of society. As with French foie gras, tinned libamáj is exported and can be purchased around Europe and North America.
The technique of gavage dates as far back as 2500 BC, when the ancient Egyptians began keeping birds for food and deliberately fattened the birds through force-feeding.[4] Today, France is by far the largest producer and consumer of foie gras, though it is produced and consumed worldwide, particularly in other European nations, the United States, and the People's Republic of China.[5]
Gavage-based foie gras production is controversial due to the force feeding procedure used. A number of countries and other jurisdictions have laws against force feeding or the sale of foie gras.
Black pudding, blood pudding or blood sausage is a type of sausage made by cooking blood or dried blood with a filler until it is thick enough to congeal when cooled. The dish exists in various cultures from Asia to America. Pig, cattle, sheep, duck and goat blood can be used depending on different countries.
In Europe, typical fillers include meat, fat, suet, bread, sweet potato, onion, chestnuts, barley, and oatmeal while in Spain and Asia, potato is often replaced by rice.
Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), which translates as "controlled designation of origin", is the French certification granted to certain French geographical indications for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products, all under the auspices of the government bureau Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO).
The origins of AOC date back to the 15th century, when Roquefort was regulated by a parliamentary decree. The first modern law was set on May 6, 1919, when the Law for the Protection of the Place of Origin was passed, specifying the region and commune that a given product must be manufactured in, and has been revised on many occasions since then. On July 30, 1935, the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO), a branch of the French Ministry of Agriculture, was created to manage the administration of the process for wines. In the Rhône wine region Baron Pierre Le Roy Boiseaumarié, a trained lawyer and winegrower from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, successfully obtained legal recognition of the "Côtes du Rhône" appellation of origin in 1937. The AOC seal was created and mandated by French laws in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. On July 2, 1990, the scope of work of the INAO was extended beyond wines to cover other agricultural products.
AOCs vary dramatically in size. Some cover vast expanses with a variety of climatic and soil characteristics, while others are small and highly uniform. For example, the Côtes du Rhône AOC "covers some 400 square kilometres (154 square miles), but within its area lies one of the smallest AOCs, Château-Grillet, which occupies less than 4 hectares (9.8 acres) of land."
Camembert
Camembert is a soft, creamy, surface-ripened cow's milk cheese. It was first made in the late 18th century in Normandy in northern France.
Camembert was reputedly first made in 1791 by Marie Harel, a farmer from Normandy, following advice from a priest who came from Brie.[2]
However, the origin of the cheese known today as Camembert is more likely to rest with the beginnings of the industrialization of the cheesemaking process at the end of the 19th century. In 1890, an engineer, M. Ridel invented the wooden box which was used to carry the cheese and helped to send it for longer distances, in particular to America where it became very popular. These boxes are still used today.
Before fungi were understood, the colour of Camembert rind was a matter of chance, most commonly blue-grey, with brown spots. From the early 20th century onwards, the rind has been more commonly pure white, but it was not until the mid-1970s that pure white became standard.
The cheese was famously issued to French troops during World War I, becoming firmly fixed in French popular culture as a result. It has many other roles in French culture, literature and history. It is now internationally known, and many local varieties are made around the world.
The variety named "Camembert de Normandie" was granted a protected designation of origin in 1992 after the original AOC in 1983.
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Anglo-Indian cuisine - Kedgeree
Kedgeree (or occasionally kitcherie, kitchari or kitchiri) is a dish consisting of cooked, flaked fish (sometimes smoked haddock), boiled rice, parsley, hard-boiled eggs, curry powder, butter or cream and occasionally sultanas.
Kedgeree is thought to have originated with an Indian rice-and-bean or rice-and-lentil dish Khichri, traced back to 1340 or earlier.[1] It is widely believed that the dish was brought to the United Kingdom by returning British colonials who had enjoyed it in India and introduced it to the UK as a breakfast dish in Victorian times, part of the then fashionable Anglo-Indian cuisine.[2] It is one of many breakfast dishes that, in the days before refrigeration, converted yesterday's leftovers into hearty and appealing breakfast dishes, of which bubble and squeak is probably the best known.
Hobson-Jobson cites Ibn Batuta (c. 1340) mentioning a dish of munj (moong) boiled with rice called Kishrī, and cites a recipe for Khichri from Ain-i-Akbari (c. 1590). According to Hobson-Jobson, while fish is eaten with kedgeree, the use of the term for “mess of re-cooked fish ... is inaccurate”.[3]
An alternative view is that the dish originated from Scotland and was taken to India by Scottish troops during the British Raj, where it was adapted and adopted as part of Indian cuisine.[4] The National Trust for Scotland's book The Scottish Kitchen by Christopher Trotter traces the origins for the kedgeree recipe to books by the Malcolms dating back to the year 1790. According to this theory the dish travelled to India then returned to the wider UK.
The first view, that it was and remains an Indian dish, is evidenced by the popularity of the dish throughout the subcontinent today.
The dish can be eaten hot or cold. Other fish can be used instead of haddock such as tuna or salmon,[4] though that is not traditional.
Sunday, 8 May 2011
Francesinha
Francesinha
Francesinha (meaning Little Frenchie or simply Frenchie in Portuguese) is a Portuguese sandwich originally from Porto, made with bread, wet-cured ham, linguiça, fresh sausage like chipolata, steak or roast meat and covered with molten cheese and a hot thick tomato and beer sauce served with french fries
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