What's in Season: Peaches & Nectarines

Peaches. There is nothing that tastes like summer than biting into a recently picked, perfectly ripe peach that when you bite into it, juice just oozes down your chin and drips down your arm. Pure pleasure.

I am allergic to peaches - they are related to the almond family - so I generally stay away from them. Plus I always thought they weren't that great, a little tasteless and not sweet enough. I thought that I was less allergic when they were a bit hard and under-ripe. However, my interest peaked as everyone at the farmers market started asking about the arrival of the peaches and how they were their favorite part of summer. So when they finally came in season, I couldn't resist to biting into one. Minus the incredibly itchy fuzz which makes me maniacally scratch, they definitely are delicious when juicy and ripe with the juice running down your chin and all over your arms as you try to wipe it off.

Buying: Peaches are either clingstone or free-stone. Clingstone are ones where the flesh is pretty securely attached to the flesh and are usually sent to the canning industry whereas free-stone peaches have pits that hang about the flesh pretty freely. There are a lot of different varieties of peaches and nectarines but realistically, they can be interchangeable. Pay attention to the smell of the fruit as well as the background color. Red, although appealing, doesn't not equate with ripeness or maturity, but with with variety of the fruit.  You can tell the type of peach by looking at the ribbed shoulder on the top of the peach - the little strip will be yellow-orange for a yellow fleshed peach and a lighter yellow for a white flesh skin. Look for pieces of fruit that have an orange or golden, not green, hue to their background. Like tomatoes, always trust your nose and smell your fruit - should be peachy keen!

Storing: If you want to keep peaches for longer, keep them in the refrigerator after they have begun to ripen (do not put under-ripe fruit in the fridge as it will dry out the flesh and turn mealy). If you're looking to eat them sooner, leave them out at room temperature. If you want to eat it even sooner, place it in a brown paper bag with a banana (or any fruit that exudes ethylene) and it will expedite the ripening process. They are very fragile and delicate, any damage or bruising will cause them to start decomposing which is why farmers markets may have boxes of "canning" peaches and nectarines. The juices will cause the other fruits to start to rot prematurely as well so they are separated. These are often ready to eat, fallen, bruised, split-pit, even ugly fruits that are perfect for canning, obviously, or making jams, pies, and tarts. Peaches and nectarines, like tomatoes, are climacteric, which means they will continue to ripen after they are picked. So, if you buy a peach or nectarine from the farmers market that is pretty hard, it is because the farmer knows that you might not eat it right away, so leave it on the counter and it will be excellent to eat in a couple days. I'm not quite sure what to answer when people ask me if the fruit will ripen and become softer....what do you think? It will stay hard or just get harder? Of course it will ripen. However, if you go pick your own peaches and nectarines, follow your nose to find the fruit picked off the tree that is just bursting with liquid sugary syrup that will drip down your arm as you take that first bite......

Split Pits

"she obviously has a lot of respect for you. none of our friends know what a split pit is, let alone be able to talk about it for hours."

What's the difference between a peach and a nectarine? Not too much. 
Fact: peaches and nectarines are so closely related that sometimes a peach seed will germinate a nectarine tree and a nectarine seed with grow a peach tree! There is just one differentiating gene. Because peaches have hair on their surface - which causes all sorts of uncomfortable itching for me - they are considered to be "pubescent" whereas nectarines have no fuzz, just a smooth surface. Although preferred by some, nectarines are firmer than peaches so they don't have that melt-in-your-mouth effect and therefore don't really fall apart messily all over your hand, half in your mouth like a ripe peach often does.

Medical: Lots of Vitamin A & C and potassium. They are virtually fat-free (less than 1 gram), very low in calories (about 40) and the skin is a good source of fiber!

I AM ITCHINIGLY INCREDIBLY ALLERGIC TO PEACH FUZZ! 

....hours of itching at work....

Cooking: When cooking peaches, peel the skin as they will easily peel away throughout the cooking process, however, nectarines do not need to be peeled. To easily peel a peach, put an X with a sharp knife at the bottom of the peach and pop in boiling water to blanch for a couple seconds and then quickly put into a bowl of ice water. The ice water will stop the peach from continuing to cook and the skin will easily peel away. If the fruit is incredibly ripe, blanching is probably not necessary.

If you are using cut fruit, sprinkle some sugar over it to stop it from browning as the exposure to air will cause enzymatic browning.

Recipes:

Peach Bellini
The Bellini is a popular drink in Italy made famous from Harry's Bar in Venice, owned by Giuseppi Cipriani. I always wanted to meet a Giuseppi while I was living in Italy. Anyways, a Bellini is a long drink cocktail served without ice. It is two parts (100mL) prosecco, one part (50mL) white peach puree. The peach puree can be made by blanching a peach to remove the skins, then blending it with a dash of prosecco (a lot of recipes will call for water and lemon juice, but why not prosecco?!). The puree is then added to the glass and topped off with prosecco. A virgin version can be made also by using club soda instead (with the water and lemon juice in the blender).


Tomato Peach and Basil Salad
4 Tomatoes (or to match the amount of peaches, depending on the size)
4 Peaches (2 yellow, 2 white)
Basil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1-2 teaspoons dark brown sugar, optional
2 cloves chopped garlic
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup quality extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard

Roughly cut the tomatoes and peaches into bite size pieces. Tear basil into the salad. Whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the vinaigrette. Gently toss and fold into the salad.


Grilled Peach Salad
Dressing:
2 1/2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Salt and Pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice from 1 lemon
1 oz Parmesean, freshly grated

2 large peaches, halved, pits removed
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
2 frisee or endive leaves, washed and dried
small bunch of fresh mint leaves

Put the goat cheese in a pestle and mortar with sea salt and pepper - easy on the salt because the cheese will already be salty. Add the olive oil and lemon juice and mix. Add the parmesean and mix again, but not for too long. 

Roasted Strawberries.

Mum recently went on a short trip to Chicago and brought me back the Edible Chicago magazine. I love this magazine. The main reason was for a recipe for roasted strawberries - curiously sounds delicious! Thanks Mum!

8 ounces strawberries, hulled aka take the tops off
1 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablesppoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 fine grain sea salt
1/2 tablespoon port wine
a few drops of good balsamic vinegar

preheat the oven to 350 F

use a rimmed baking sheet or large baking dish lined with parchment paper - you don't want the juices running off the sheet onto the oven floor.

cut each strawberry in half or into quarters if larger. add the berries to a mixing bowl. in a separate bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, olive oil, and salt and pour over the strawberries. Toss very gently to coat. arrange the strawberries in a single layer on your prepared baking sheet.

roast for about 40 minutes, just long enough for the berry juices to thicken, but not burn - watch the edges of the pan in particular.

while still warm, scrape the berries and juices from the pan into a small bowl. stir in the port and baslamic. use immeditaly or let cool. can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.


...Adapted by Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day

ok just as I posted this, Mum came down with a bowl of roasted strawberries - way ahead of me!  I just changed the amounts of the syrups in the recipe to half as the original recipe tastes a bit too much of maple syrup and not so much of strawberries - still sweet, the strawberries shrunk and the seeds add a bit of crunch but interesting recipe nonetheless!!

The best part of the magazine was one article titled ChicaGrows....very appropriate for Mum being in Chicago - with her Irish accent she pronounces it like Chicargo. I wonder if she ate any gray-Ham crackers while there ;)

click here for the Edible White Mountains link aka NH

At the Newburyport Farmers Market on Sunday I recommended this recipe to the chef of Enzo in Tannery Marketplace who shops there every Sunday to make a Farmers Market Menu out of what she finds that day and she said this recipe would be better for California strawberries, or those that don't have as much flavour and need the balsamic and syrups and roasting to bring out the juices whereas fresh, peak of the season strawberries are best eaten as they are, in their naturally goodness state. There's only a little less than a week of strawberry season left, so....I agree.

What's in Season: Fava Beans

Follow up to previous post...

Fava beans are also called broad beans, but the fava part comes from the Latin name faba.
Buying:

Storing: Can be kept in a bag for up to a week. Fava beans also freeze well, if washed then blanched for 3 minutes, they can be stored for up to 12 months.

Cooking: They are a pain in the butt to shell - like de-vaining shrimp, the worst! - but they are worth it. They are delicate and tender with a slightly nutty flavour. Fava beans look a bit like shell peas but are much larger and the beans inside are flat, almost like lima beans. They need to be added to boiled water, then re-boiled for a few minutes. Once they have been drained and cooled - drop them in a bowl of ice water if you want - the outer waxy film around the beans needs to be discarded - they will be bitter and fibrous. It is labour-intensive, but grab some friends and hang out in the kitchen for a while!

Medical: Lots of fiber, iron, potassium, Vitamin E and C. Low in cholesterol and sodium.

Fact: beans have a superstitious, uncertain past. They were often associated with the dead with the thought that the souls of dead people are within the beans. This may have something to do with beans causing people to pass wind.....but the real problem is favism, which a very small amount of people are susceptible to in which eating beans causing a slight poisoning - anaemia or jaundice.

What's in Season: Radishes

Easter Egg radishes (above) are a beautiful bundle of colour - they really do look like little Easter eggs. Red, purple, white, and pink on the outside, but white flesh on the inside. They are rather mild and add colour to any salads or veggie tray. 

d'Avignon radishes are long with sprays of bright pink and white with long leafy greens. They are a variety of French breakfast radishes which makes them one of the most mild radishes. 

Red Rover radishes (below) are the most typical red radishes with the spice you'd want from a radish. They are part of the mustard family and the degree of hotness comes from how old the radish is - a longer length of growing time and/or if they are deprived or overwhelmed with weather conditions will make them hotter. They should be bright red with a translucent white flesh. Red rover red rover, send these radishes over!

Storage: twist off the greens. keep unwashed radishes in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. only wash them as you use them as the radishes will absorb the water causing them to deteriorate quickly. 

use within a week, two max. 

Buying: Radishes should be firm.

Handling: When ready to eat, wash radishes and scrub off any of the earth's dirt in the crevices. The tops and roots should be cut off.

Medical: Radishes are low in calories and high in Vitamin C! They are known to relieve indigestion and flatulence. 

Tips: Radishes can be eaten unpeeled, but apparently most of the kick is within the skins, so if they are too spicy, peel them. 

When cutting off the greens, leave about an inch to use as a "handle" or easy to grab top. 

Leave them in a bowl of ice water for about an hour for some extra crispness.

Recipe: Radishes are great eaten raw or slightly grilled with some butter and salt - a great pairing for their peppery kick! (thanks, John Evenlyn)

The leaves can be cooked like spinach. 

Radishes can be eaten whole, raw, shredded or sliced. 

Substitute radish for mustard in sandwiches. 

Mustardy Potato Salad with Crunchy Radishes and Greens.

1 bag baby red potatoes, scrubbed

2 bunches radishes, thinly sliced

extra virgin vinegar

sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons whole grain mustard - or to taste

salt and pepper

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

radish leaves, julienned

put the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. boil the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. drain the potatoes and let cool, then cut them in quarters. to make the dressing, add the extra virgin olive oil, sherry vinegar, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. add the potatoes and celery and coat to dress. Let the salad come to room temperature before adding the radishes and their greens. 

I haven't made this one yet, but I'm obsessed with my Plenty cookbook by London's Yotam Ottolenghi. It looks great! 

Avocado, quinoa, and fava bean salad

1 cup quinoa

3 cups shelled fava beans

2 lemons

2 ripe avocados

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 bunches radishes, sliced lengthways

1 cup purple radish cress (or purple basil)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes

salt and pepper

place the quinoa in a saucepan with plenty of water and bring to the boil then simmer for 9 minutes. Drain through a fine sieve, rinse under cold water and then leave to dry. 

throw the fava beans into a pan of boiling water, bring back to the boil and then immediately drain in a colander. refresh with cold water and leave to dry. gently press each bean with fingers to remove the skins and discard. 

take the lemons and use a small sharp knife to slice off the top and base. stand each one on a chopping board and cut down the sides, following the natural curve to remove the skin and white pith. over a large mixing bowl, cut in between the membranes to release the individual segments into the bowl. squeeze the juice from the membrane into the bowl with the segments. 

peel and stone the avocados. slice thinly, then add to the bowl and toss to cover in the lemon juice. once the quinoa is dry, transfer it into the bowl. add the fava beans, crushed garlic, radishes, half the radish cress, teh cumin, extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes and some salt and pepper. toss very gently without breaking the avocado. season to taste. plate and garnish with the remaining paste. 

Our Last Meal Together

Before we left, we had one last Colorno dinner together. It was most appropriate that we cooked together, ate together, and drank together as that's what we've done for the last 10 months. And even more appropriate, to have red wine from Parma, artisinal beer from Colorno, and Diana's infamously favourite radicchio lasagna. I will miss these dinners - the ease of getting together, the creativity of dishes, the deliciousness of food, the shared plates and utensils, the rearranging tables and squeezed in chairs, the flowing wine, the erupting laughter, the photos taken, the warmth of our homes, piles of leftover dishes and flour dust, taking turns cleaning, and barely ever having any leftovers. 

The Last Weekend.

Before we left for winter holidays, 18 of us rented a house in Piemonte and spent the last weekend there together. Along tiny winding roads in the dark, with the Pole Star and an old fashioned map to guide us (GPS what?) with instructions that noted "keep going up is always the correct way" we finally made it to this gorgeous house on top of a hill. Everyone brought all their leftover food and I think all we did was cook and eat. Very appropriate for ending our UNISG year. 

 We played football until we ran out of breath (3 minutes later), 

  took a walk until we saw the snow covered Alps in the distance, 

 tried unsuccessfully to visit a Robiola di Roccaverano DOP cheese maker, ate snow, 

laughed, cried, smoked out the pizza oven, 

 ate some more (just some of the food that was brought), cooked some more, 

 ate Polly's Pancakes from NH (hello, Erns), made bread, 

 my bread was incredibly edible, 

 played cards and solitaire,

 ate some more,

 drank Piemonte wine and Irish coffees, 

 "Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat."— Alex Levine

 danced, reminisced, played dj,

  wrote Tuscany reports, tried not to get shot by hunters,

 ate, drank and laughed all weekend.

xoxox

Massimo Bottura: "Keep your feet grounded but your mind open. Don't let them cut your wings. If you grow up too fast the wind will blow you away."

One of our last classes before the end of the year and one of our favourites, was taught by Chef Massimo Bottura who owns Osteria Francescana in Modena - voted by San Pelligrino as the best restaurant in Italy and #6 in the world. He taught us that dishes are chef's answers, they are expressions about creation that should spark interest, passion, and emotion that cry and speak to the soul not the palate. His philosophy of cooking is more about the expression, not the technique - although I'm pretty sure he's got the technique down to utter perfection. This artistic influence he believes in is essential for humanity he says because it is a means of communication. It's quite unsurprising that in 2000, Time Magazine supposedly named one of his creations one of the top 10 dishes that changed modern cuisine. His dish, ice cream foie gras terrine, was a block of his homemade foie gras, delicately carved out to be filled with 45 year old balsamic vinegar, then dipped and dressed in Napoli almonds and Piemonte hazelnuts. It is then put on a small wooden stick to imitate an ice cream bar. like a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar...but not pink.   

 While he was making this, he passed around his family's own 45 year old balsamic vinegar, which is good for digestion, and we were instructed to "chew" to incorporate the air and this way it won't feel acidic even though it is 7% acidity.

 Then we got to taste the foie gras...

"feeding hungry minds, not empty bellies"

 Next, he made a recreation of bollito misto, a typical Northern Italian dish meaning boiled mixed meats. He was inspired by the 59th Street playground in New York City where he was playing with his young son. The meat, vacuum cooked instead of boiled to keep the flavours, represented the skyscrapers, the parsley air foam was the tree tops, and the salted capers and anchovies were the people on the street. Imagine having that creativity. I wish skyscrapers motivated me to create a masterpiece.

photo thanks to Diana

He was interested in us and teaching us and his enthusiasm, passion, energy, generosity, and talent were nothing short of inspiring. 

"God made food; the devil the cooks." — James Joyce (Ulysses)

One of our classes was in the culinary school ALMA taught by Chef Bruno Ruffini. The lesson was based around the architecture of cuisine: stock. Even more basic than knowing have to make a sauce, according to Escoffier, a cook can't do anything serious without knowing a serious stock. Chef Bruno told us that we have to be worried while cooking, almost paranoid because you have to pay attention and be patient throughout the cooking process regardless of your skills. The skills don't matter in the final dish if you haven't the quality ingredients (both cut and choice) in which to make it.

These are necessarily recipes, just some good tips to consider when making stock/broth, sauces and emulsions.

FONDI DI CUCINA

a fondo is a starting point - anything can be enriched with this base.

1. FONDO BIANCO

• use veal bones which include the knees and legs with a little bit of meat attached because the richest part of the bone marrow is in tissue/collagen 
• use 1/3 vegetables to the weight of the bones (300g veg = 1 kilo bones)
• dice the mirapoix vegetables (carrots, celery, onion) into 1cm cuts and cover with cold water. Whole vegetables poked with cloves can be used to create a deeper flavour for a soup broth for example rather than a stock. But cut vegetables simmered for so long will melt and turn the broth cloudy. 
• add a bouquet grain (top leaf of the leek which is most fibrous and last longer than the white part with inside: bay leaf, parsley stems which are more aromatic and won't melt like the leaves, and a thyme sprig) tie a string around it and tie it to the pot handle like a fishing rod. Fine herbs will melt too quickly and will turn the broth bitter.
• bring to boil as fast as possible to kill bacteria (the broth can last longer for use afterwards) then simmer for 3 hours - don't boil - the vegetables need time for extracting the flavours and aromas
• don't mix during the simmering process because you don't want to incorporate the impurities. Instead, skim the top frequently.

1a. FISH FUME

• fish bone (use flat fish like flounder and sole that are delicate and basic), leek, celery, onion, jerusalem artichoke - all white vegetables
• it's better to start basic and enrich along the way to add aromas
• can use a fresh fennel spring that won't melt because it only cooks for 30-40 minutes.

2. FONDO BRUNO

• roast veal bones for 50 minutes at 200C (still the knees and legs). Toasting makes the broth brown by adding colour and a deeper flavour. The roasted bones will also be preserved for longer during cooking. Use smaller cuts because during roasting, the bones will have a protective film around them and the smaller cut will allow the browth to reach and absorb the aromas in the middle of the bones. Add trotters (raw, whole and washed, including the skin and nails for carotene) because they are rich in collagen/tendons.
• melt butter in an already heated pan and add a crushed garlic clove along with the mirapoix (use 1/3 vegetables to the weight of the bones (300g veg = 1 kilo bones)) and roast on high heat. Make sure the vegetables are evenly in a single layer because the water needs room to evaporate otherwise the vegetables will be stewed. This method coats the vegetables with a protective skin so they can cook for longer without melting. Drain on a paper towel and discard the fat. 
• Sear meat with olive oil instead of butter because butter has a lower smoking temperature
• Remember to continuously skim the sides of the pot as the simmering will cause some evaporation. If the impurities stay on the side of the pot, they will dry out, burn (effects the taste) and drop back into the pot (causing a cloudy effect).
• Add cold water (or white broth) to cover. Cold water is better for infusion because there are no alkaloids and non tannins. Can also add extra ice. Bring to a boil as fast as possible them simmer for 6 hours. 

3. GLASSA/GLACE

• After cooking the brown broth for six hours, filter it 4 times. First, with a pasta colander to get rid of the largest pieces. Second, with a china cup. Third, with a sieve. Fourth, with linen/cheese cloth. It's very simple, but requires a lot of attention. 
• Reduce over low heat. 
• Change to a smaller pot during reduction because the larger pot will be too large and burn/turn bitter with a large surface area.

With these three basic stocks, you can start to make sauces! 

Au Jus

• With the juices from roasted meat, white stock, brown stock, glace, wine or water can be added

Le SALSE

1. DEMI-GLACE

• it is reduced brown stock enriched with roasted veal meat (not added raw). 
• heat pan on low heat then add butter and when it is hot, add the meat in a thin, even layer so that the moisture has room to evaporate. Don't leave empty spaces on the pan because the butter will burn there (if butter is added to a cold pan that is then heated, the butter will melt unevenly and the first melt will burn).
• keep cleaning the sides of the pan to remove any burnt butter
• there is no ratio for meat to glassa - the more meat will be a richer sauce but it is usually 1/2 and 1/2 (i kilo glass for 1 kilo of meat)
• When the meat is just seared, put on a paper towel to drain, absorb and discard the fat. With the seared parts left in the pan, start to deglaze them with the glass (or any) stock - just a spoonful to detach them from the pan and becomes thick enough to cover a spoon. 
• Add this thick sauce to the broth and add the seared meat. The sauce will be ready when the meat is fully cooked
• Remember to skim the sides of the pan!

2. SALSA AL POMODORO

• blanch the tomatoes, peel and collect the seeds to make tomato water (seeds and skins passed through a sieve)
• cut a shallot in brunoise size -> delicately cut lengthwise then crosswise into little cubes. it is very volatile vegetable and you don't want to lose any juice or aromas on the cutting board.
• warm a pot and add extra virgin olive oil, crush garlic (skins will fall off) and the brunoise shallot - let it sweat without colouring - you don't want to roast it. 
• Add cut tomatoes when translucent without colouring, just concentrating the aromas 
• Add 1/3 of the tomato water
• Discard the garlic. 
• Season at the end becasue water will evaporate during cooking and then the salt content ratio will not be correct. 

"it's not their fault if they are out of season"

3. SALSA BéCHAMEL

• 500g fresh milk, 35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• bring milk to a boil in a pot, meanwhile melt the butter to make a roux (equal amounts of butter and flour)
• Roux: white (until melted); blonde (toasted 2-3 minutes longer); dark (clarified butter and cooked for longer - clarified butter because otehrwise it will burn). White roux should be like a paste
• Add heated milk to the roux and whisk to remove lumps. Boil 1-2 minutes and then season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. 

4. SALSA VéLOUTE

• 500g stock, 35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• same, just add stock instead of milk

5. SUPREME

• 500g stock, 250g fresh cream,  35g butter, 35g sifted flour
• After making the Véloute, add fresh cream 
• Can enrich with mushrooms and lemon juice

6. SALSA SPAGNOLA

• 500g brown stock with 1/2 roux (17g butter with 17g sifted flour)
• reduce with a spoonful of reduced tomato sauce (passed through a sieve) and steamed mushroom juice (also passed through a sieve just to get the essence of mushroom)
• let it reduce until it is of a glazed/glasse consistency.

Tip: if you are using frozen stock, reheat it upside down through a cheese cloth. the impurities will be at the bottom of the stock and you can get rid of them before the stock is completely melted.

SALSA EMULSIONATE

1. VINAIGRETTE (citronette)

• unstable. it's all about the balance between vinegar, fat and water (or lemon juice for citronette)
• dissolve salt with vinegar with a whisk (salt needs acid as it won't melt on its own in fat). Add a tip of the spoon of mustard to taste because 1. the French like it and 2. mustard seed powder acts as a stabilizer
• add extra virgin olive oil while whisking, drop by drop, because you have to break the fat. The smaller drops with a stronger/faster whisking motion will create a more stable vinegarette. Continue until it thickens

2. MAYONNAISE

• stable.
• room temperature eggs (natural stabilizer - will last longer if cooked a litte aka "denatured"), acidic water (vinegar or lemon-water), and oil (sunflower oil is preferred because extra virgin has a very strong taste however Ligurian and Garda olive oils are more mild)
• warm vinegar and water and dissolve the salt. add mustard if you like, then the yolk and whisk immediately so there is no coagulation from the water and vinegar. 
• Add the oil to emulsify, but only when the balance is even and not too oily. 
• Rebalance with a little water if it breaks
• Mayo can be mixed with tomato paste, pesto, vegetable puree, herbs, anchovy, olive paste, squid ink.....

3. HOLLANDAISE

• same was as mayonnaise but use clarified butter instead of oil. 
• serve and keep warm

4. BERNAISE

• same as above but with a reduction of brunoise shallot, vinegar and tarragon whisked together then add egg yolk, clarified butter and top with fresh tarragon

5. PALOISE 

• same as above but substitute mint for tarragon
• great with goose or lamb

6. FAYOT

• Hollandaise sauce with veal stock added 

7. CHARON

• Hollandaise sauce with tomato paste

8. MALTAISE

• Hollandaise sauce with blood orange juice, topped with juice and zest

9. SCOZZESE 

• Hollandaise sauce with brunoise vegetables mixed in

This class almost makes me want to go to culinary school. But more realistically, grateful and excited for my internship.

"I am a true adorer of life, and if I can’t reach as high as the face of it, I plant my kiss somewhere lower down. Those who understand will require no further explanation" - Saul Bellow.

some photographs a la carte of why i love my UNISG classmates:

they go into the fields to pick tomatoes leftover from the harvest.

they publish books. about food.

we cook together. 

we drink together.

they come to class with daily essentials in their bag, even when all you need is a pen.

they buy pasta machines to make fresh pasta. 

they bake fresh, homemade, delicious, and healthy bread.

we invite our professors over for dinner. 

they have promising potential become professional sommeliers. 

they are strong.

yes. they are strong.

"I like a cook who smiles out loud when he tastes his own work. Let God worry about your modesty; I want to see your enthusiasm." — Robert Farrar Capon

locally caught that day.

i'm quite handy with a hammer.

sheep culling check. we were supposed to see the cows being milked. we were supposed to see some bee hives in action - suits and all. we were supposed to chat with a guy who has an oyster farm. we were supposed to go out on the boat around horn head to catch some lobster and crab. 

it's good to know the locals in a small town where everyone knows everyone. 

however, we didn't do any of the above. luckily though, the fisherman had gone out that morning before the rain and had caught some lobster and crab which he cooked and shared. so, we had a feast. check.

 dilled courgette soup. just caught atlantic sea lobster and crab. melted kerry gold butter with tonsa herbs for dipping. buttload of organic garden vegetable salad. fluffy-floury irish potatoes from the farmer's market with capers and lil' red wine vinegar. 

Rutabaga Fries. Also known as Swede Chips.

what to do with a giant rutabaga? also known here as the swede. i had no idea. it’s supposed to be the low-carb version of the potato, so naturally i made one of my favourite foods: fries. also known here as chips. since they were baked instead of fried, they weren’t as crispy as a good french fry is, but it was still pretty tasty. 

burnt.

preheat the oven to 200C. scrub and peel the swede/rutabaga with a sharp knife - carefully. cut it into 1/2 inch discs following the shape of the base. then cut those into fry-sized pieces. place in a roasting pan. coat with extra virgin olive oil dust with paprika and hot chili powder, then mix around to coat evenly. (throw in some whole unpeeled garlic cloves, because whenever something is roasting, it’s always a good chance to roast some garlic!) cook for about 15 minutes until starting to get crisp  and darker around the edges and give a good mix about with a spatula. then cook for another 5 minutes. but don’t forget to reset the timer before you go off and do something completely different like i did. otherwise they’ll be a little burnt - but still good! the smaller garlic cloves will probably be burnt to an solid-ash-charcoal crisp. peel two of the other larger garlic cloves and mash with a fork in a small dish. add some ketchup and some hot red chili pepper flakes and blend as a chip dip. maybe i just love eating hot food right out of the oven with my fingers, and finger foods with dips especially, but despite it being burnt, it was still good enough to try again!  

it's funny that something as simple as a just-hatched lightly poached egg could make one so happy.

throw in:
a salad of completely organic and picked from the vine/dirt into my hands veggies from the garden just up the hill
a beautiful sky of pinks and blues setting over the ocean in front of me
a table set for one (actually made me smile)
and the iPod on shuffle keeping me company.

the tender skins split after the first ripened tomatoes off the vine were picked as the juices were ready to burst. so soft. i literally couldn't wait to bite into. 

happy.