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Archive for January, 2008

Italians insist upon fresh ingredients in their food, and their herbs are no exception. There are a variety of fresh herbs common in Italian cooking. Most people are familiar with the little bottles of dried herbs from the grocery store, but if you haven’t prepared food with fresh herbs, you really need to give it a try. What’s the distinction between an herb and a spice? Spices are made from the seeds, root, fruit or barks of aromatic plants, while the herbs primarily consist of the leaves and stems. Herb plants contain oils which are very fragrant and add the distinctive aroma and flavor that Italian food is known for. A few of the most common herbs are basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme. Basil is a member of the mint family, and like all mint herbs, it is extremely fragrant when picked fresh. Basil leaves blacken when exposed to metal, therefore it is common in Italy to tear the leaves by hand before throwing the basil into a sauce or onto a dish. Basil is the primary herb for the famous pesto sauce. Oregano is another popular herb in both Italian and Greek food. Most people are familiar with this herb in tomato based pasta sauces and with meats. Italian Parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is readily available in most grocery stores and is easy to distinguish it from the curly variety frequently used as a garnish. Italians favor this parsley for cooking because it has a much better flavor, while the curlier variety is best saved for garnishing your dish. Rosemary is another widely available herb and resembles a little branch from an evergreen tree. This is one of the most fragrant of all the fresh herbs and it will retain its flavor and aroma when dried. It’s excellent with vegetables and is often cooked into the dough of breads like focaccia. Sage has long, broad leaves and is the herb which flavors the traditional Italian Saltimbocca dish. Sage is also very fragrant so be sure you don’t use too much and overwhelm your meal. Thyme is another herb of the mint family, but in contrast to the other mints, it has tiny leaves that can easily be thrown whole into your sauce or dish. I use this herb frequently because its mild flavor goes well with everything and won’t overshadow the rest of your dish. There are some basic rules for cooking with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are more delicate than dried and can lose some of their flavor when cooked too long. For slow cooked sauces and meats, you can add the fresh herbs at the last minute keeping their flavors and aromas intact. On the other hand, the oils in dried herbs are concentrated requiring a smaller amount of than fresh herbs in your recipes. A good general rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs needed in a dish. But remember, cooking is an art and you can use as much or as little as you like. The next time you want to spruce up an everyday meal, throw in some fresh Italian herbs.

Written by Joy Harrison our expert of the day.

Indomunch Lamb Meal & Rice for food is a high quality, highly palatable lamb and rice, it will prepare the taste of lamb, and very healthy. The lamb food is very health, a great looking and a high energy level. Our lamb is grass-fed in lush pastures and will add sunshine to any dinner table; an exquisite gourmet food gift. Your delicious lamb dinners will arrive in elegant gift packaging personalized with your recipient’s name address.

This is the typical manchurian you get in a fancy Indian restaurants, totally different kind of preparation, only some Chinese restaurants in India serve this dish. Usually regular lamb manchurian means lamb dipped in batter deep fried and added to gravy, whereas here…. lamb is mixed with some veggies, made into small kolas(Urundai/dumplings/koftas) , deep fried and then added to the gravy. Sure everyone would love this preparation, quite time consuming but worth a try.

While lamb makes up only a fraction of the meat eaten in the United States, it is used in a myriad of wonderful recipes throughout the world. When lamb is labeled as “spring lamb” it signifies that lamb that was brought to market during the spring and summer months which was formerly the season for fresh lamb. However, lamb is now available throughout the year, and the label “spring lamb” does not necessarily connote additional quality.

Italy is one of the oldest countries in the world, and thanks to the geographical boundaries of the Mediterranean Sea and the Alps it has remained largely unchanged throughout history. Even during the Roman Empire, Italy was set apart. Legions that had been abroad always knew when they had returned to the mother country. Italian food history, however, reaches far beyond the country’s borders.

The spread of Italian food diversity began after the fall of the Roman Empire when individual city states began to uphold separate identities and traditions. Each region began to display its own unique way of cooking, right down to the formation of a meatball to the characteristic cheeses and wine produced in a locale. The north developed Tuscan beef, while black truffles were very popular in Marches. Provolone and mozzarella cheeses developed in the south, as well as a host of interesting citrus fruits.

Even today, the history of this food continues to evolve. Much of the changes now, though, take place beyond the shores of Italy. In America, for example, chefs like Mario Batali have fused classic dishes with American cuisine to come up with dishes that combine the best of both worlds. In cities and towns all over the country, chefs are taking traditional ingredients and combining them in new ways. In what could perhaps be called a full circle journey for pasta, some Italian Asian fusion restaurants are even beginning to evolve.