Share your recipes

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Seppia
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Here's a very simple and quick recipe to make a great aromatic salt for marinades, or to just use to spice up your steaks/soups/etc.

Take some sage and rosemary.
They have to be fresh

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Take the branches off the rosemary, mix the leaves and chop them up using the right tool (a big knife will do if you know how to use it).

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This is how I like it, in therms of thinness.

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I am perfectly aware this looks like weed, but trust me it's not.

Next, take some fine salt.
The mix I like is approx 1:1 in terms of volume.

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This is how it looks in the end

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It is VERY important that you mix it when the herbs are still "green" (as in: not dry).
The salt will suck out the moisture from the herbs and take up much more flavor than if you just mixed salt with dry herbs.
It is night and day.
In the first couple days the mix will smell a bit like chlorophyll, it will go away quickly. Also note that the chlorophyll will not be felt in the taste.

Here's a typical use (I think I gave the recipe for this earlier), I marinate chicken breasts for a full night with this salt and a tiny bit of olive oil, then throw them on the grill

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Last edited by Seppia on Sun Aug 13, 2017 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.

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jennypenny
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by jennypenny »

@Seppia -- Is that just table salt or something like sea salt or kosher salt? Do you keep it in a closed or open container? In the fridge or cupboard?

Sorry for the questions ... it looks delicious and I want to try it.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

No problems at all this is what this thread is for :)

I use regular fine sea salt, not sure how you call this in the USA but it's the type that tends to feel a bit "moist".
Basically simple raw sea salt.
I never understood in my 6 years in the USA how "kosher" salt is different.
So basically any salt :)
The first two three days I leave the salt in a cup, out in the cupboard, and stir it from time to time.
It just helps speed up the process of losing the"green" (chlorophyll) smell.
Then I put it in a closed jar (I use used marmalade pots).

I try not to do too much because it will lose part of its flavor with time (or after three months).
It's still great, but not as great as when fresh.

The best is when it's a week old.

BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

kosher salt simply refers to the bigger grain size.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Thanks BRUTE
I guess any fine salt will do then, including kosher.

BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

bigger grain size != fine

Miss Lonelyhearts
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Miss Lonelyhearts »

I've made seasoned salts with kosher salt before, and it still works despite the larger grain size. The pertinent adjustment to be aware of is that the same measure of kosher salt will contain less NaCl and more air than a finer salt (table salt, fine sea salt), just as sand will pack more densely than pebbles. See Cook's Illustrated: Salt Types and Measurements for precise conversions. But a seasoned salt doesn't need precise measurements, and can be made to taste after you've done it once or twice.

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Seppia
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

BRUTE wrote:
Sun Aug 13, 2017 5:49 pm
bigger grain size != fine
I thought it was meant as
Larger than regular fine salt, but still on the fine side.

Cooking is far from binary :)

All these are ok for the purpose of making the above aromatic salt (pic borrowed from the net):

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This is not ok

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By the way, this last one is the salt that should be used to salt the water where you boil pasta.

BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

interesting. brute's kosher salt looks more like the latter type. it has large, round, granules. brute uses it to salt steak. it would most likely not work for aromatic salts. maybe there are several types of kosher salt.

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

I decided to go full-on grandma today, and did peach and lemon jam.
Marmalade is one of those foods where the difference between store bought and home made is the most striking.

It is completely night and day.

What you need for 6 pots:

2kg (approx 4.5 lbs) peaches
Three big non-treated lemons
1kg (2lbs) sugar
6 glass pots of 0.25l (8.8oz) capacity
6 new caps
Water
Time
An oven
A flame
A pot
A mixer (not mandatory)

For the side quest:
1l (1 quart) 190 proof alcohol
0.5kg (1 lb) fresh ginger

Clean the peaches and chop them up in small pieces
Add half the weight of the cleaned peaches in sugar and mix.
Set aside

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Side quest intermission:

Clean the ginger, take away all the skin and chop in small pieces.
Peel the lemons, trying to peel away only the yellow part of the skin (as little white as possible)
Separate the 190 proof alcohol in two bottles.
Toss the cleaned ginger and the lemon skins in the bottles.

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Store for 40 days in a dark place.
More on the side quest in 40 days.

Back to the jam

Cut the lemons in small pieces, REMOVE ALL PITS.
Toss into a cup with abundant water for a minimum of two hours.

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Two hours later drain the lemons

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And boil them for 10 minutes minimum in fresh water

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Then drain them again

These steps are mandatory or the lemons will taste super bitter.

Now the peaches should look like this, as the sugar has taken out some of the water inside:

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Throw everything into a pot:

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Add a bit of water and start boiling on low heat.
Turn often to avoid sticking to the pot and burning.

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After anywhere between one and two hours it will look like this:

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Turn the flame off and let cool a bit.

Place the cleaned jars into the oven at 125C (that's 260F for you barbarians)

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When the jam is not flaming hot, mix it to obtain this consistency and put the flame back on minimum for another half hour or so.

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The marmalade is ready when it very slowly moves down a vertical ceramic plate.

Almost ready:

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Ready:

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Now prepare a cutting board with a few napkins/towels on top.
The idea is to have a surface that's not too hard, because 260F hot glass has a tendency to shatter easily.

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Now take the jars out of the oven one by one and fill them like so:

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For sanitary reasons you want to fill the jars one by one, taking them out with the oven still on, smoking hot.
This will help sterilization

Put the cap on (better if new, and just washed) and turn the jar upside down.

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Repeat and win.

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Once cooled down, the caps should not "click" as the hot should have created a vacuum that will help preservation.

Keep the extra jam that did not fit in the fridge, it's good for a few days

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BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

Seppia wrote:
Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:41 pm
Place the cleaned jars into the oven at 125C (that's 260F for you barbarians)
hey, at least they teach the controversy here..

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Seppia
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

I hope it was clear I was joking, if not, I'm really sorry.
Did not mean to offend any inferior-system user* :)

* I'm joking again but yes, the metric system is so much simpler to me with the 1-10-100-1000 scale

EdithKeeler
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by EdithKeeler »

I was craving one of my favorite super budget meals tonight, so thought I'd post the recipe as I sit here with a happily full belly. It's sort of a not real measure-y recipe--I don't measure much. Sorry. But it's very forgiving.

"Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole" ----basically deconstructed stuffed cabbage that's MUCH less work.

1 1/2 lbs of ground chicken breast (I'm working on my diet--feel free to use ground beef, goat, pork, buffalo, deer, elk or whatever floats your boat)
Onion--i used a smallish to medium onion, chopped
small to medium head of cabbage, chopped pretty finely
2 cups of cooked rice or other grain. Tonight I used a bulgur, spelt, rice, something mix I had in the cupboard
2 to 3 regular (14 oz?) cans of diced tomatoes. Feel free to substitute fresh if you have them.
garlic if you like

Brown the meat in a large, deep skillet with a lid (I have a wok/skillet thing that's perfect for this) and break it up finely, throw in the rest of the ingedients, add salt and pepper, stir. Cover the skillet, put the heat on low (you may need to add a bit of water) and let it cook until the cabbage wilts down (I usually give it a stir or two as it's cooking).

When it's done I taste for salt and then I'll add a little dash of rice vinegar on top. Not required.

I just love this stuff and it's total comfort food for me. Plus it makes a TON. I bought my ingredients tonight at Fresh Market, which is way too expensive, but on my way home from work. i can't believe I paid $1.49 a can for tomatoes!! Anyway, total cost for everything was about $14, but it could have been cheaper with Aldi ingredients or whatever. I bet it made 10 pretty generous helpings though.

I didn't post pics as I forgot to take as I cooked, and frankly, the one thing that's wrong with this dish is that it doesn't look really appetizing. But it's good. Really.

BRUTE
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by BRUTE »

brute's recipe for delicious meat:

1.purchase of 1lb ground beef
2.heating of pan on stove
3.adding some amount of butter into hot pan
4.important - waiting until butter becomes golden brown and stops foaming, this means all the water has cooked out
5.dumping of the 1lb of ground beef into pan
6.adding some salt and pepper to taste
7.occasional stirring until desired Maillard reaction has been achieved (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maillard_reaction)
8.delicious meat is delicious

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

For those of you located in the USA, do not settle for average canned tomatoes, buy these:
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It's called Alta Cucina by Stanislaus, and it's completely night and day compared to any diced tomatoes you can buy. Even here back in Italy only the high end stuff compares well with this product.

Not known at all among the masses, as they do not sell on the consumer market, but they are a legend in the Foodservice business.
The company is located in California, so I'm not being an Italian homer :)

You can find them at Jetro - Restaurant Depot (a cash and carry found across all USA), or any pizzeria will be able to order some for you if you know them or give them cash in advance.

It sells for around $25-30 for a case of 6x6.5lbs, so plenty cheap by regular consumer standards.
I have no affiliation with this company, but I know the market very well as I used to work for an Italian food company that is very strong in the high end Foodservice market in the US.

Try it and get back to me :)

halfmoon
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by halfmoon »

EdithKeeler wrote:
Wed Aug 23, 2017 8:08 pm
I was craving one of my favorite super budget meals tonight, so thought I'd post the recipe as I sit here with a happily full belly. It's sort of a not real measure-y recipe--I don't measure much. Sorry. But it's very forgiving.

"Unstuffed Cabbage Casserole" ----basically deconstructed stuffed cabbage that's MUCH less work.
Now, this is my idea of FOOD. I would probably use more cabbage because I'm addicted to the stuff and it seems to disappear when you cook it. :cry:

What I need at the moment is something appetizing to do with zucchini that are taking over the universe. I make sandwiches out of the slices, grate them for salads, fry them and top with parmesan, dry them as chips...I'm losing the war. Zucchini bread isn't an option because it doesn't use enough (and I'll be the only one eating it and looking like a pumpkin).

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Seppia
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Cut them in half the long way.
Extract the white pulp with a spoon, so that you are left with two half pieces of a tube.
Cut and sautée the white pulp in a pan with garlic, a bit of sausage to add flavor.
When cooked turn off the heat, add an egg and some Parmesan.
The remaining heat will partially cook the egg.
Use this stuffing and put it back in the zucchini shell.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and cook in the oven for 10 mins.
Delicious also cold.

EdithKeeler
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by EdithKeeler »

Now, this is my idea of FOOD. I would probably use more cabbage because I'm addicted to the stuff and it seems to disappear when you cook it. :cry:

What I need at the moment is something appetizing to do with zucchini that are taking over the universe. I make sandwiches out of the slices, grate them for salads, fry them and top with parmesan, dry them as chips...I'm losing the war. Zucchini bread isn't an option because it doesn't use enough (and I'll be the only one eating it and looking like a pumpkin).
Yeah, I love cabbage too. Yumny and good for you. And cheap!

I love aglio olio with zucchini--in GOOD olive oil sauté garlic and sliced zucchini; toss with spaghetti and parm if you like.

There's always "zoodles," zucchini sliced into ribbons, lightly cooked and tossed with a favorite sauce.

Stuffed zucchini boats stuffed with sausage bread and cheese--lots of different recipes on the web.

I saw "weenie in a zucchini" on the Mid Century Menu site. They liked it!
http://www.midcenturymenu.com/2017/08/z ... cipe-test/

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Seppia
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Location: South Florida

Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Last weekend I made leeks and potato soup.
It could sound simple and/or weird but it's delicious.

For about 10 smallish servings you need

4 medium sized potatoes
3 leeks
2 carrots
A minuscule bit of pancetta/bacon/whatever
2 garlic cloves
Some Parmesan crust
Aromatic salt

Potatoes and leeks size for your reference:

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Chop the garlic and the pancetta

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Make a "soffritto", letting them simmer at mid-low heat in some olive oil or other fat for a good 15-20 minutes

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In the meantime, chop all the veggies

Start by putting the leeks only, add a glass of water and close, so that the leeks start to soften up

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Make yourself a margarita (this step not mandatory)

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This is how the leeks look when you can add the remaining veggies

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Now add water, the aromatic salt (you can make yours as described in prior post) and the Parmesan crust.

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Don't overlook the Parmesan crust, and NEVER throw it away when you buy Parmesan.
It's possibly the single best flavor enhancer for soups, it adds depth without being too prominent.
It becomes super soft with the cooking.

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Let cook for a couple hours at least, adding water as needed.

When it looks like this

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Just mix it.

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It's fantastic on its own, you can cook small pasta or rice in it (just add water and some more salt), and it works in hot/cold combinations that can surprise your guests or your SO (try it with a fresh goat ricotta or similar).

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Seppia
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Re: Share your recipes

Post by Seppia »

Today I felt like pretending we're ballers and wanted to have a dinner that tasted like the 0.01%

So I prepared pasta with zucchini and shrimp

You will need:
- a good quality pasta (De Cecco ideal)
- zucchini
- wild shrimp (if you ever thought about eating farm raised shrimp, do some googling. You're welcome)
- garlic
- olive oil

Start as usual by preparing a garlic soffritto.

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Let the garlic go at mid heat for approx 15 minutes.
It's ready when it starts turning just a bit brownish

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Throw the garlic away and keep the flavored oil.
Cut the zucchini thin.
About this thin:

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Put in the pan at mid heat. Don't put too much zucchini in the pan or it will boil. This is the max you can fit into a pan

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Now let cook for a good 15-20 minutes, but you have to monitor the zucchini to avoid any burning.
Don't move them too much, you just have to pay attention they don't burn.
The best use of your time is to make a good Italian aperitivo for you and your SO (this step not mandatory but strongly encouraged).
Pictured here: salame, 30months reggiano, bread and Campari with white wine
Edit: now that I look at this pic, I'm still amazed how my 8 years old zwilling knife still has the sticker on it.
Good knives don't go into the dishwasher, but still. Even the stickers are durable on German stuff (I use it daily)

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When the zucchini are ready, add salt to your liking and set aside.
This is a good cooking status:

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Boil some water

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And prepare the shrimps
This is the size I like

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Boil them exactly for 2 minutes.
I know it feels short. Just do two minutes, trust me.
Drain and set aside to cool down

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Put the pasta water to boil (I used the same pot I used for the shrimp).
Remember: minimum 1 gallon of water every pound of pasta.

This is the amount of salt I put in 3 quarts

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When the water is boiling you can throw the pasta and start cleaning the shrimp.
If you're not and experienced cook I would suggest you clean the shrimp first and start cooking the pasta later.

To clean the shrimp, cut right before the start of the tail

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Then start peeling with your thumb like so:

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End result:

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Chop the shrimp up like so

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Take the now cold zucchini out of the pan

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Drain the pasta 1 minute before your perfect al dente cooking

And toss it into the now empty pan

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Add the zucchini, the shrimp and some oil and sautée for a minute

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Put in plate and garnish with a bit of black pepper and (if you like it), some spicy oil

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Buon appetito!

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