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Is it time to turn the Christmas lights on already?
Friday, November 12th, 2010 Bonjour chers lecteurs! As I... |
In season:: Jerusalem artichokes
Friday, November 12th, 2010
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Time to try something new this weekend! Have a go at cooking lovely Jerusalem artichokes, which have appeared on the vegetable stalls this month. Despite its name the Jerusalem artichoke is confusingly neither a type of artichoke nor connected to Jerusalem as its name would suggest. It originally hails from North America and its white flesh has a deliciously sweet and nutty mild flavour. Its taste has been likened to that of a globe artichoke, which is likely to be responsible for this part of its name. TheJerusalem part is thought to be derived from girasole, the Italian for sunflower to which they are related. In appearance the knobbly root looks more like a ginger root than an artichoke. Because Jerusalem artichokes are hardy and grow readily in cold climates they are available in abundance between November and March. Jerusalem artichokes are packed with vitamin C, phosphorous, potassium and are an excellent source of thiamine, niacin and iron. They also contain probiotic properties so are excellent for intestinal health. Although beware, these health benefits do come at a price as too much of the food can cause some embarrassing excess wind! With a similar consistency to potatoes and parsnips the artichoke can be cooked in a variety of ways, including roasting (try roasting them wrapped in bacon!), sautéing or steaming. Unlike potatoes though it can also be eaten raw, finely sliced or shredded in salads. The carbohydrates present in the tuber give the artichoke a tendency to become soft and mushy when boiled so steaming is a better option to retain their texture. When buying, look for roots which are pale brown without any dark or soft patches. The artichoke should be firm and fresh. Knobbles and unevenness are unavoidable but choosing the smoother, rounder ones makes preparation easier. A good scrub or rub will remove enough of the skin. For very knobbly roots it is easier to peel them once cooked, although the skin is edible and packed with nutritional benefits. It is also important to remember that if cutting or removing the skin the artichoke flesh will darken when exposed to air so they need to stored in acidulated water. Jerusalem artichokes are not renowned for their long shelf-life, however they should keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge or a cool, dark place. Fabulous Jerusalem artichoke recipes include: Jerusalem artichoke velouté with curry and a touch of honey Glazed Turbot fillet with jerusalem artichokes purée and crunchy grapes |
The environmental impact and ethics of beef production and what we can do about it
Friday, November 12th, 2010
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Did you know that producing 1 Kg (2.2lb) of beef releases as much carbon dioxide as driving a car for three hours? Global demand for beef has exploded in recent years and huge, confined animal feeding operations have proliferated around the world. These consume enormous amounts of energy, pollute water supplies, generate significant greenhouse gases and require ever-increasing amounts of corn, soy and other grains. Eating meat is indeed much less energy-efficient than having a vegetarian diet, as about two to five times more grain is required to produce the same amount of calories through livestock as through direct grain consumption. As a result, livestock production is now estimated to generate nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation. The United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization estimates 30% of ice-free land around the world is now directly or indirectly linked to meat production, which is also responsible for large-scale deforestation. In addition to its environmental impact, intensive cattle farming often means poor welfare conditions for the animals, who live stressful lives in very crowded space and are fed exclusively on grains and supplemented feeds to enable cheap, year round meat production and quick fattening. Now what can we do about all this? If, like me, you cannot consider becoming a complete vegetarian, there are still various ways you can adjust your consumption to be more environmentally friendly and encourage the respect of animal welfare: 1. Eat less meat. There are plenty of other sources of proteins to draw from, including pulses, eggs, fish and legumes. 2. Eat British meat. This means less energy spent in transportation and most likely better welfare standards, as UK beef production is less intensive than in the rest of Europe, with only 15 to 20% coming from intensively farmed cattle 3. Look for the Freedom Food label. This label was set up by RSPCA in 1994 and its welfare standards are far above the UK legal minimum requirements and other standard quality assurance schemes. 4. Favour grass-fed meat: animals are allowed to grow at a natural pace, live natural low stress lives, and are less susceptible to diseases, hence less likely to have received antibiotic treatment. As a bonus, the meat also has a more intense flavour and is leaner. 5. If you can fork the price, consider buying organic meat: the organic label means no routine drugs, growth promoters, GMO, animal offal or any other additives fed to animals; At least 70% of animal feed must he grown to organic standards; and no artificial fertilisers or pesticides can be used on feed crops or grass. |
Is whole, crushed, or chopped garlic all the same?
Thursday, November 11th, 2010
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Did you notice some recipes call for whole garlic, some for crushed garlic, while others require chopped garlic? Do you think it is all the same? Well, not really. Garlic is made of thousands of tiny cells containing a compound called alliin. When the walls of these cells are ruptured by cutting into a clove for instance, alliin reacts with oxygen in the air and enzymes located outside the cells to produce the pungent taste and aroma so characteristic of garlic. The more ruptured cell walls, the more reactions are triggered and the stronger the taste. For this reason the strength spectrum of garlic follows this order, from subtle to strong: whole clove, chopped, crushed, puréed. Also note that heat has an impact on the taste and pungency of garlic. Cooked garlic is mellower than raw garlic, and burnt garlic develops a strong bitter taste which can ruin a dish. This is why, when sautéing food, you should always add garlic toward the end of cooking rather than at the beginning to prevent any burning in hot oil. As I am a garlic fanatic I tend to use a lot of it, crushed with my garlic press for maximum flavour and added at the end of cooking so it keeps all its piquant. If you don't have a garlic press and like me enjoy a strong flavour, crush your garlic by hand. It is very easy and much faster than chopping. Home economist and friend Cathrin Cochrane taught me the technique on how to do this, which I am sharing with you here: 1.Place an unpeeled garlic clove on a chopping board. Using the flat edge of a wide knife blade press down with the palm of your hand to loosen the skin 2.Discard the skin and roughly chop the garlic into small pieces 3.Sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of salt and place the knife blade flat on top of one edge of the chopped garlic 4.Press down with the blade and make short, sharp scraping motions against the board to crush the garlic. Continue until all the garlic is crushed. After you have transferred the garlic to the dish, add a bit more salt on the chopping board to recuperate any remaining garlic juice, and sprinkle into the dish. Voilà !! |
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Carrot and lime crecy soup
Thursday, November 11th, 2010 Recipe by: Adapted from French blog La Cuisine du jardin Busy: 10 min Total prep time: 50 min Serves: 4 to 6 Peel, trim the ends off and... |
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Pain d’Ă©pices fait-maison
Thursday, November 11th, 2010 Recipe by: Lilo at fabulous French blog Cuisine Campagne Busy: 15 min Total prep time: 1 hour Serves: 6-8 Preheat the oven to 180... |
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Quick assembly Parmentier of pea and cauliflower purée with curried beef
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 Recipe by: Anne Laure at Tasty Diaries Busy: 25 min Total prep time: 25 min Serves: 4 Preheat the oven to maximum... |
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Jerusalem artichoke velouté with curry and a touch of honey
Wednesday, November 10th, 2010 Recipe by: adapted from blog La cuisine de Mercotte Busy: 10 min Total prep time: 40 min Serves: 4 Wash the artichokes and peel... |
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Yahoo, pumpkin time!
Thursday, October 28th, 2010 Bonjour tout le monde! As you... |
do meet your microwave again for greener cooking
Thursday, October 28th, 2010
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A microwave oven can reduce energy use by roughly two thirds compared to a conventional oven, so if you have one, think of using it in other ways than for simply reheating food or making popcorn. Use it to melt food when baking such as butter or chocolate. Play with the wattage. Just because your microwave goes up to 1200 watts doesn't mean you have to leave it on high power. (If you only used your oven at 260°C, it wouldn't always cook too well, either.) Some foods respond better to lower wattage, for longer times. Think about steaming. Anything you can steam, you can microwave. Squash, artichokes, and spinach are all pretty safe bets.Go halfway. Microwaves cook efficiently, but food tends to remain limp. For anything that needs a bit of crisping--say, the skin on baked potatoes, start it in the microwave, then finish it under a broiler. This will save both time and energy, while retaining a great taste (adapted from Serous Eats, Saving Energy By Using The Microwave |
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