Tag: ingredients
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Durum Wheat Semolina
Semolina is made from a mix of wheat kernel middlings. Wheat middlings are parts of the wheat kernel that are removed from the kernel to get to the endosperm (the inside of the kernel) the purest parts of which are used to make the fine flour we bake bread and cakes with (source information from Wikipedia 2018).
Durum wheat is a wheat cultivar with a very hard kernel. Durum semolina is course and pale yellow (other softer wheat cultivars with softer kernels make a white semolina akin to coarse grade flour).
It is high in proteins, minerals, vitamins and fats and also contains some starch. Durum semolina makes for a softer binding (less elastic), easily shaped dough that is used in pizza, bread , gnocchi and puddings.
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians and vegans.
Enjoy,
PK
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Fennel
Fennel is the seed of a tall perenial plant that was initially native to the Mediterranean coastline. It is in the same family as parsley and coriander.
There is also one cultivar, Florence fennel, that is grown for it’s bulb. It makes for an amazing fennel and lemon salad. It is sometimes sold as an ‘anise bulb’ but anise is a different species that has a similar flavour to fennel.
You can use the seeds whole or ground as a cooking ingredient, garnish and even as a mouth freshener. They are a key ingredient in many masalas and spice pastes. It is a must have spice in many pork dishes and products.
I have some more recipes using fennel for you in the links below. 🙂
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
This particular cooking ingredient is in PK’s Essential Pantry Cupboard Contents.
Enjoy,
PK
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MORE ON USING FENNEL
INDIAN CUISINE
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Semolina Flatbread: Rougag
This was my first time making flat bread and I am not much of a baker to begin with so I was stoked with the result. This has to be the oldest form of bread making (that long history in itself is exciting) and you are going need a lot of elbow grease and a bit of practice.
I tend to be drawn to dishes where the simplicity of the ingredients give no hint to the joy that the final product makes you feel. It is what compels me to cook and share my experiences with you.
Steps
- Making the dough
- Kneading the dough
- Cooking the bread
Ingredients (for 3 pieces)
- 100g wheat semolina (preferably from durum wheat and yellow colour)
- 1 tsp salt (I don’t use salt in the rest of my cooking so this was perfect, reduce if needed)
- Cold water
- Plain white flour, to dust work surfaces and hands
- Olive oil to coat fry pan each time
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 rolling pin
- 1 fry pan
Making the dough
- Put the semolina and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Add a tiny bit of cold water and mix with your hands.
- Keep adding cold water and mixing until the dough is elastic and smooth.
Kneading the dough
- Knead the dough for about 15 minutes (if like me you are new to this I have included an external youtube video with a great technique).
- Let the dough sit for 15 minutes and then break into balls (100g of semolina should about get you 3 balls).
- Sprinkle your work surface with some plain white flour and roll the balls out into very flat discs.
Cooking the bread
- Oil your fry pan and bring to a medium low heat.
- Cook one side of the bread, then the other, waiting for it to bubble before flipping.
- Turn the heat down a bit if you find the bread is burning before it is ready to be flipped.
- Wipe the pan clean.
- Repeat steps 1 to 4 for each piece of bread.
Serving
I roughly tore the bread and added them to a Moroccan Style Chickpea Stew With Lamb (ala Chakhchoukha) that I was trying to reverse engineer. It was the perfect taste and texture addition to the meal.
I even used it as a ‘spoon’ to get the last of the sauce from the bowl. A good sign of success and a use of the bread that I understand was probably the whole point mists of time.
Enjoy and please feel free to help me improve my bread making,
PK
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Dhanna Dal
Dhanna Dal is the inner core of a coriander seed. You can get them at your local Indian grocer.
They have a warm zingy nutty taste with citrus tones, are very morish and have a pleasant crunch. Dry-roasting them reduces the warm zingy taste and brings out the nutty flavour making it earthier and less lemony.
You can snack on them by themselves and they are traditionally used in India to aid digestion. They go great in curries and I dry-roast them before adding to Mukhwa (an Indian mix of fennel and other spices, served after dinner as a breath freshener and digestive).
Just when I thought I couldn’t love coriander more. 🙂
Enjoy,
PK
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White Wine Vinegar
White wine vinegar has very pronounced aromas and multi-layered flavours, it is more than simply sour.
It is great in salad dressings, mayonnaises, marinades and dips. You can swap it in and out with apple cider vinegar and like other clear vinegars it won’t change the colour of the dish.
The flavours can range and mellow based on:
- The type and quality of the wine.
- The production method eg aged in oak vs commercial methods.
- The age of the product.
There is a wide price range and quality. It is often many times more expensive than white vinegar though.
In short white vinegar differs from white wine vinegar in that the former is made from fermenting distilled alcohol not wine. Because white vinegar is much cheaper and more acidic, you find it being used in larger quantities and not just for cooking.
Vinegar is a very mild acid and has been used for thousands of years as a preservative and flavour enhancer. It is in PK’s Essential Pantry Cupboard Contents.
Enjoy,
PK
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Prosciutto Crudo
Prosciutto crudo is made from a pork ham that has been salt cured and then air dried. It differs from hams that have been salt brined and then cooked (called prosciutto cotto).
Prosciutto crudo is finely sliced and is often eaten uncooked in antipasto, tasting plates, salads and the like.
Cooked, it can be found in several traditional pasta dishes and is often used to wrap other ingredients such as cheese, vegetables and meat. Baked ricotta with wrapped in prosciutto is a perfect example of this technique.
Uncooked it has a pleasingly chewy texture and whilst you can taste the salt it also has a underlying sweetness to it.
Melon with prosciutto:
Enjoy,
PK
Here are some more posts about salumi and Italian cusine:
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Jamie Oliver’s Egg Mayonnaise
Growing up, traditional egg mayonnaise took on an almost mythical status. No salad cream for us.
We bought Heinz Whole Egg Mayonnaise exclusively.
They stopped making it in Australia for a while so we would stock up when we travelled. We even requested care packages from people overseas.
So you understand what it means to me when I say Jamie’s version is every bit as magical!
I also however have a new nemesis in my life, the egg yolk that refuses to thicken. 😮
If that happens try this fix from Kelly the Kitchen Kop’s blog.Steps
- Whisking, lots of whisking
Ingredients*
* reduced from original, to make smaller amounts
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup olive oil
- A tiny splash of white wine vinegar
- A very generous squirt of fresh lemon juice
- Table salt to taste
Equipment
- 1 slotted spoon or egg yolk separator
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 serving bowl
Whisking, lots of whisking
- Separate the egg yolk and whisk it in a bowl.
- Add the mustard and whisk together.
- Slowly add half the olive oil, whisking continuously until the mixture thickens.
- Now whisk in a tiny splash of white wine vinegar
- Slowly add the rest of the olive oil, whisking continuously.
- Add salt to taste and also a big slug of lemon juice.
- You could optionally add a tiny bit of raw sugar (my little addition)
Enjoy,
PK
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Cheese: Taleggio Cheese
I love Taleggio for its smell and tangy fruity taste. This cheese has a real presence and it is one of the most pungent cheeses I have tried. I actually like the smell and encourage you to try this cheese and if you don’t like the smell be assured it doesn’t taste like it smells.
Milk
Cow
Origin
Italy
Aged
6 to 10 weeks
Aroma
Very discernible but I wouldn’t say off the nose. Grassy.
Taste
Luxuriously smooth, tangy and fruity with a buttery finish. Rind is thin and edible.
Texture
Semi-soft and creamy. Melts and grills very well.
Look
Pale yellow and smooth. The thin edible rind is the colour of straw.
Serving
I have recently made both the most amazing bruschetta and the creamiest grilled cheese on toast you can imagine with it. I love it smeared on water crackers or rye biscuits/bread just as much though.
If you aren’t cooking with it, don’t forget to bring it to room temperature b
Manufacturing and Salting Method
This is a type of washed rind cheese called smear-ripened. Artisanal tradition dictates storing the cheese in the caves of the northern Italian city of Val Taleggio. After smearing the cheeses with good bacteria, the cheeses are washed weekly with seawater to inhibit mould.Wine
I am not a wine paring expert but the team at cheese.com say to try this with your favourite reds or white.
Enjoy,
PK
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Porcini Mushrooms
As a recently born again mushroom addict I am making up for lost time. I am always on the look out for new varieties to try and Porcini are my current favourite. 🙂
I buy them dried from France as they don’t grow wild in Australia and they have resisted domestication. When you open the packet you are rewarded with a lovely nutty umami smell. They taste just as good and I use them as a flavour base in my stews, casseroles and soups.
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Fresh they look stunning and I would love to get my hands on some.
Try them in my PK’s Slow Cooked Beef Bourguignon.
Enjoy,
PK
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Lentils
Lentils have been with us from very early in agricultural history. There are many different types. They are a legume (just like peas and beans) that can be sprouted, fried, baked and cooked.
They are very nutritious, a great source of protein and are low GI. I think they are a great ingredient in their own right but they also make a great substitute for meat. Check out PK Makes Michelle Bridges’ Lentil Shepherds Pie.
Guess where most of them are grown. Wikipedia says Canada! Wow. 🙂
Dietary Info: Great for vegetarians, vegans and is gluten free.
Enjoy,
PK
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THE FULL GICICI INGREDIENTS LIST
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