Gourmet cooking ingredients worth the search (or the money)

[HothouseSalsero]

Actually, I almost never cook any more, but I bought some salt-cured capers today, which might be enough to get me moving again. After trying them, the usual vinegar-laden capers don't seem to taste like much of anything except vinegar. Salt-cured capers actually have some culinary purpose, since they add real flavor.

I originally discovered their existence via an Italian cookbook.

I also just bought some Eden brand rye spiral pasta. I thought it had been discontinued, since I hadn't seen it for years. Rye pasta may be an unlikely idea (though why not?), but it works really well.

[peachexploration]

Cool! :) Any good recipes to share?

[HothouseSalsero]

No recipes for the moment.

Oh, I forgot to say: please feel free to talk about your favorite gourmet ingredients. (I tend to forgot to say "open for discussion," because I just take it for granted that it is.)

These days, when I do cook, my "recipe" looks something like: minced garlic, chopped onion, fresh herbs, vegetables I like to eat (preferably in season), generally julienned, if they can be cut that way, all sauteed in olive oil and mixed with pasta.

Arugala or watercress or dandelion greens salad: greens. 2 parts of olive oil to one part of lemon juice (usually 2 Tbs. olive oil to 1 Tbs. lemon juice, which is a lot of oil, but you don't have to use it all at once, and anyway, whether it is too high in calories depends on the rest of your diet). Salt, pepper, and mustard seeds to taste. The end.

I keep things fairly simple.

(I'm not a vegetarian any more, but I tend to fall back on vegetarian meals when I cook, because that's what I am most familiar with, plus I get enough non-vegetarian stuff in other contexts.)

[peachexploration]

We had a really HOT Summer. :( I did manage to get an herb garden together in early Spring before everything was killed off by heat. To me nothing compliments a gourmet meal like fresh herbs. In my herb garden, I had a chance to enjoy basil, rosemary, thyme, sage and parsley. That's a great pasta dish, Hothouse. Something very elegant about pasta, olive oil with fresh herbs.

I also like to experiement with spices like cumin, nutmeg, coriander, etc.

Coucous is a great gourmet alternative to rice. Made with chicken broth with some added nutmeg is delicious. :)

Great thread. Anyone else?

[HothouseSalsero]

Sounds like we are on the same wavelength as far as seasonings go. Initially I didn't like cumin, but then I found myself wanting to eat it anyway and becoming ambivalent about it ("I'm not sure if I like this or not"), until finally I became a cumin lover. I haven't actually cooked much with it lately (but then I haven't actually cooked much).

I used to sautee onion and turnip and then throw couscous on top and cook the couscous. Really good.

[peachexploration]

The turnip is one of my favorite vegetables. I love bold tastes like turnips, parsnips, rutabegas (sp?).

Another thing to keep in your cupboard to enhance your gourmet meals is flavored olive oils. I also posted this at another site of the forum plexus. Cooking & Food Forums (http://www.cookingandfood.com/viewtopic.php?p=185&highlight=#185)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has many benefits that are supported by extensive studies. A Mediterranean diet low in saturated fats such as butter, lard, and animal fats, but rich in monounsatureated fats such as EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL in addition to grains, fruits and vegetables, helps keep the artery-clogging LDL (Bad cholesterol) LOW, while maintaining healthful levels of HDL (Good cholesterol). In addition, many medical researchers and nutritionists agree that olive oil may protect against cancer and heart disease.

I also love the fact that is has a high smoking point for cooking. Butter tends to burn easily. Flavor enfused are spectacular. Check out these suggestions:

Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, red chilli peppers, bay leaves
Suggested Uses: Perfect for adding a little spice to any dish.

Mixed Spice Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, bay leaves, cloves, whole black pepper, juniper buds, cinnamon, lemon rind.
Suggested Uses: Use this oil to flavor sauces or to pour over grilled meats and cheese.

Rosemary & Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, red chilli peppers, rosemary
Suggested Uses: Great with meat, fish or vegetable stews .

Oregano, Garlic & Chili Pepper Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, red chilli peppers.
Suggested Uses: Spice up your salad, drizzle over pizza, focaccia, meat, etc....

L’ Ammogghiu Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, red chilli peppers.
Suggested Uses: To flavor pasta, meat, fish or simply for a dipping oil with bread.

Rosemary Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, rosemary
Use with meat or fish, potatoes or vegetable stews and bean soups.

Pepolio Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, whole and ground black pepper
Suggested Uses: With red meat, over goat cheese or to add a peppery flavor to any dish.

Basil Oil
Ingredients: extra virgin olive oil, basil.
Suggested Uses: Great with hot or cold veggetables, in dressing, over fresh Mozarella cheese, etc....

[salsachinita]

Woohoo :banana: !!! Our very own Gourmet Foodie's Corner right here at SF!!!

Back to the salt-cured capers, they have a permenant spot in my pantry (and on my shopping list). I use them for simple oil-based pasta sauses a lot.

Simply saute them with chilli, garlic & onion in good olive oil, then toss a handful of chopped dill (I have them growing on my balcony 8) ). Then stir this through freshly cooked pasta & serve with the best smoked salmon you can find, with a twist of lime. Yummmmm.

The other one I do very often is with brocolli. Briefly blanch brocolli florets, then toss through the saute mixture of above plus some anchovy fillets (which should dissolve into the sauce). Then I serve this with some freshly cooked orecchette (dried imported Italian ones are best), finished with some shaved grana padano or pecorino......

[HothouseSalsero]

Okay, I think we should have a rotating international dinner party. This week we are all going to salsachinita's.

[esa negrita...]

I wanna play too! I just got my hands on some meyer lemon juice and am having a blast. AMAZING for marinades and citrus sauces.

[AndrewD]

At home we had been experimenting with North African food and had to buy some pickled lemons and rose harrissa[spelling?] for some recipes.

Now both are permanent additions to our food cupboards - I'm a big fan of hot foot and instead of chilli sauce, now add harrissa to nearly everything.

[HothouseSalsero]

I wanna play too! I just got my hands on some meyer lemon juice and am having a blast. AMAZING for marinades and citrus sauces.

Lemon juice is great. How about suggestions for using lime juice? I like it, but have never used it much in cooking.

[esa negrita...]

Being a Floridian, I'm a big fan of the key lime. I keep a container of the juice in my fridge for marinating and grilling. If you get it from a store, make sure there's no citric acid in it. There are only a couple of brands that don't use it.

It makes a KILLER (very easy) pie. I just used it this weekend on some grilled yellowfin and shrimp and it was great. I just let the tuna and shrimp sit in a mixture of the lime juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper for 10-15 min and poured some over occasionally while it was cooking. I've used it in a coconut lime sorbet too which is a great summer dessert.

I've also heard it's good in salad dressings, cakes, drinks, you name it. Thai recipes use it and the leaves (I think they use kaffir limes though) in soups. It's a great fruit.

[Claude]

It makes a KILLER (very easy) pie.

a piece of pie!!! :D

[esa negrita...]

LOL...I love Mambo;)

[peachexploration]

I wanna play too! I just got my hands on some meyer lemon juice and am having a blast. AMAZING for marinades and citrus sauces.

Lemon juice is great. How about suggestions for using lime juice? I like it, but have never used it much in cooking.

Here's a good Ceviche recipe: Original recipe at Daisycooks.com. This is my variation. :)

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 pounds bay scallops
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 thinly sliced small red onion
1 small bunch coarsely chopped cilantro, about 1/2 cup
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3 small jalapeno peppers seeded and minced
2 cups of chopped fresh pineapple
12 lemons
8 limes
4 oranges

1. Toss the shrimp, yellow and red pepper, onion, cilantro, salt and chili pepper together in a bowl to mix them evenly and place in a 2-quart glass jar. Squeeze the citrus, strain out any seeds and pour over the shrimp and vegetables. There should be enough juice to cover the shrimp and vegetables, if not add more. Seal the jar tightyly and refrigerate until the shrimp and scallops are opaque, 12 hours to one day.

2. To serve: Drain, discard most of the liquid and pile the shrimp and vegetables in a serving bowl. Serve in individual martini glasses for an elegant flair. Yummy and very healthy. :)

And Salsa of course:

1 Medium pineapple, cored and diced
1 Large papaya, seeded and diced
2 Mangos, diced
2 Cucumbers, diced
1 Red onion, diced
3 Limes, juiced (add more if needed to taste)
2 Jalapeno peppers, minced
1 Tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 Cup of cilantro coarsley chopped

Toss together ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate for about an hour for best flavor. Use on grilled or broiled meats, chicken and fish. I love it this recipe. :)

[salsachinita]

Okay, I think we should have a rotating international dinner party. This week we are all going to salsachinita's.

:D excellent idea!! Com'on down here....!!

Now, fresh limes also have a permenant spot in my kitchen. There is a marinade which is our all time favourite:

Lime & Chilli Marinade for Chicken Wings & Lamb Cutlets (Pork Chops work well too)

Juice of 2 limes
3 small chillies, seeds removed, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 tbs olive oil
1 kg Chicken Wings or Lamb Cutlet etc.....
*optional: add some chopped garlic or herbs, a pinch of paprika and/or tumeric*

Mix it all up & marinade for at least 2 hrs.

Cook 'em any way you like (pan fired to seal & 20 mins in moderate oven, or grill). Delicious on a BBQ!!!

[peachexploration]

..... also just bought some Eden brand rye spiral pasta. I thought it had been discontinued, since I hadn't seen it for years. Rye pasta may be an unlikely idea (though why not?), but it works really well.Hmm...anyone know off hand a place to purchase rare pastas like Hothouse mentioned? That enriched stuff that you find in most grocery stores is not good for you according to Dr. Oz.

Also, I'm looking for a good Tabouleh recipe. Any ideas? :D

[AndrewD]

This is from the belazu website and is the recipe we use - it's a lovely summer dish, a perfect accompaniment to grilled meat.

Tabbouleh
Serves 4

150g fine burghul (or barley couscous)
2 spring onions
2 tomatoes
6 green olives with chilli
1 pickled lemon
2 bunches parsley
1 bunch mint
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Rinse the burghul, then soak in cold water and cover for one hour until swollen.

Finely chop the spring onions. Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze out and discard the seeds and juice, and cut the remaining flesh into small dice. Finely chop the green olives. Rinse the pickled lemon (discard the flesh if salty) and finely slice the rind.

Pick off the parsley and mint leaves, wash and dry them thoroughly, then roughly chop the leaves.

Drain the burghul and squeeze dry. Toss with the parsley, mint, spring onions, tomato, green olives and pickled lemon. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne and sea salt, and pour over the salad. Toss well, and serve.

[peachexploration]

Thanks AndrewD! :) I don't think I've seen pickled lemon at my grocer. I'll look again. Is there a substitute if I can't find it? Thanks again, sounds yummy. :)

[HothouseSalsero]

Last night I had a pizza with kalamata olives delivered to me. Do I get any credit for that?

peach, I've seen Eden pasta in the big chain "health food stores" (like Whole Foods), although I haven't seen that particular flavor. I really like their soba and udon noodles. (I always get the two confused. One is buckwheat and one is whole wheat, I think. I find buckwheat really soothing when I'm feeling run down. Unfortunately, when I'm feeling run down I tend not to cook, so I don't always end up eating what would be good for me.)

[peachexploration]

Thanks Hothouse. I'm changing my diet again. Feeling quite sluggish lately and I know for a fact it's too many processed and enriched food products, etc. along with the added stress. As for gourmet foods being worth the money, I think it can be a bit expensive but they're often times very healthy so I think definitely worth the money.

PS: We'll give you credit for the Kalamato olives. ;) Speaking of olives, I saw this in my internet travels:

From foodsubs.com

Olives, a staple of Mediterranean cuisines, olives are most often eaten out of hand, though cooks also use them to flavor everything from pizzas to martinis. Raw olives must be cured before they can be eaten, and the curing medium--usually lye, brine, or salt--affects their flavor and texture. So too does the olive's degree of ripeness when it's picked. Green olives are picked while unripe, which makes them denser and more bitter than brown or black olives, which stay on the tree until fully ripened. Olives become bitter if they're cooked too long, so always add them to hot dishes at the last minute. Opened cans or jars of olives should be refrigerated, but some olives can be stored at room temperature if they're submerged in brine or olive oil.

Agrinion olive: This is a large, green Greek olive with very tender flesh.

Aleppo olive: This is a black, dry-cured Middle Eastern olive that's hard to find in the United States.

Alphonso olive: This large Chilean olive is cured in a wine or wine vinegar solution, which gives it a beautiful dark purple color and tart flavor. Its flesh is very tender and slightly bitter.

Amphissa olive = Amfisa olive Notes: These are dark purple Greek olives that are hard to find in the U.S. They're great for snacking.

Arauco olive Notes: These are large green Spanish olives flavored with rosemary.

Arbequina olive Notes: These are tiny green Spanish olives with a mild, smoky flavor. They're hard to find in the U.S.

Atalanta olive = Atalanti olive Notes: This is a muddy-green Greek olive with soft flesh.

Bella di Cerignola black olives = ripe olives Notes: These are olives that have been allowed to ripen on the tree. American recipes that call for black olives are probably referring to the Mission olive. Other varieties of black olives are the Aleppo, Alphonso, Amphissa, black Cerignola, Gaeta, black Greek, Kalamata, Ligurian, Lugano, Moroccan dry-cured, Niçoise, Nyons, Ponentine, and Royal.

Bella di Cerignola Notes: These Italian olives are very large and have a sweet flavor. Black Cerignolas are softer than green Cerignolas.

Cracked Provencal = cracked Provençal Pronunciation: proh-vahn-SAL Notes: These aromatic green olives are marinated in a solution with herbes de Provence.

Empeltre olive Notes: These Spanish black olives are soaked in sherry.

Gaeta olive = Gyeta olive Notes: These are small, black Italian olives are either dry-cured (making them black and wrinkled) or brine-cured (making them dark purple and smooth-skinned). Substitutes: Kalamata olives (as a substitute for brine-cured Gaetas)

Greek black olives Notes: A generic black Greek olive is large, dark purple and brine-cured. Popular varieties include Kalamata, Amphissa, and Royal.

Greek green olives Notes: Napfilion and Ionian olives are the most common types of green Greek olives.

green olives Notes: Green olives are picked from the tree before they're completely ripened. The most common variety is the Manzanilla olive, which is often pitted and stuffed. Other green olives varieties include the Agrinion, Arauco, Arbequina, Atalanta, green Cerignola, cracked Provençal, Kura, Lucque, Nafplion, Picholine, Sevillano, and Sicilian. Substitutes: black olives (usually softer in texture) OR caper berries (as a garnish for martinis) OR cocktail onions (This turns a martini into a Gibson.)
Hondroelia olive Notes: This is a juicy, meaty olive.

Kalamata olive = Calamata olive Notes: You can find these popular Greek black olives in most large supermarkets. They're salty and very flavorful. Substitutes: Gaeta olive (This is smaller than a Kalamata.) OR Amphissa

Kura olive Notes: This Middle Eastern cracked green olive is hard to find in the U.S. Substitutes: Nafplion olives (not as bitter)

Ligurian olive Notes: These small Italian black olives are brine-cured. Substitutes: Niçoise olives (very similar)

Lucque olive Notes: These green olives are brine-cured.

Lugano olive Notes: These are salty Italian black olives.

Manzanilla olive = Spanish olive Notes: These green olives are available in most supermarkets. They're often pitted and stuffed with pimento or garlic. These are the olives that are often put into martinis. Substitutes: caper berries (These are also used to garnish martinis.)

Mission olive Notes: These are the common black ones that are ubiquitous in supermarkets, pizza parlors, and salad bars. They don't have as much character as European black olives. Substitutes: Kalamatas (more flavorful)

Moroccan dry-cured olive = Moroccan oil-cured olive = Moroccan salt-cured olive Notes: These are shriveled black olives that are somewhat bitter. They're best used for cooking rather than snacking.

Moroccan green olive Substitutes: green olives (rinse off the vinegar brine first)

Nafplion green olive = Nafphlion = Nafpelion = Naphlion Notes: These are green, brine-cured Greek olives. They're somewhat salty. Substitutes: Greek green olives

Nicoise olive = Niçoise olive Pronunciation: nee-SWAHZ Notes: A key ingredient in Salade Niçoise, these small purplish-black olives have a distinctive sour flavor. Substitutes: Kalamata (This works well in a tapenade) OR Gaeta (This also works well in a tapenade)

Nyons olive Notes: These black, slightly wrinkled olives from France are salt-cured.

Picholine olive Notes: Picholines are green, torpedo-shaped olives that are brine-cured. Those made in Provence are marinated with coriander and herbes de Provence, while American picholines are soaked in citric acid. They're great martini olives. Substitutes: green olives OR caper berries (as a garnish for martinis) OR cocktail onions (This turns a martini into a Gibson.)

Ponentine olive Notes: These are mild Italian brine-cured black olives.

Raw green olive Notes: These are for the rare cook who's intrepid enough to cure olives from scratch.

Royal olive = Victoria olive = Royal Victoria olive = Greek royal olive Notes: This is large brown Greek olive is brine-cured. Substitutes: Atalanta olive OR Kalamata olive

Sevillano olive = Queen olive Notes: This is a large, green, brine-cured olive. Substitutes: Manzanillas (not as large and easier to pit than Sevillanos)

Sicilian olive Notes: These are large, green, sour olives that are usually marinated with herbs. They sometimes pitted and stuffed with pimento, garlic, or jalapeño pepper. Substitutes: Manzanillas

:D :D

[AndrewD]

Thanks AndrewD! :) I don't think I've seen pickled lemon at my grocer. I'll look again. Is there a substitute if I can't find it? Thanks again, sounds yummy. :)

A pickled lemon has a much mellower taste than a fresh one, so I think it would be hard to replace. That said you can probably do without it and perhaps add a tiny bit more lemon juice.
It does contribute to the taste, but I suspect its main purpose is as additional colour and texture.

I made a gorgeous bread and butter pudding last night – a great winter dessert! Instead of crème Anglais I served it with a tablespoon of crème fraîche. I need to gain weight – I’ve almost lost a stone since I started dancing :)

Olives!! Now you’re talking! I live in a big Greek/Turkish Cypriot area (affectionately known as Palmers ‘Greek’ rather than ‘Green’ by the locals) and all of the nearby grocers have several olive varieties on offer. I prefer green ones though and kalamata aren’t my favourite. I love all Greek/Turkish food – homous, calamari, taramasalata, kebabs (shish and kofte, not doner), Greek salads (feta cheese!!) and all their flat breads.

I’ve made myself very hungry thinking about all this – thankfully it’s lunchtime :)

[peachexploration]

OK. Good, at least I can use the fresh lemon in a smaller amount to even it out. Thanks AndrewD. :)

I just made Couscous with Steam Salmon and a Sweet Pepper Salad. It was awesome. My mom even ate it. She's not really into new tastes and can't stand fresh Salmon. Although, she will eat it froma can. :? Yuch! Anyways I got her to eat everything. :D The pearl (grande) Couscous is expensive!!! It was $6 for only 20 ounces! :? Well, expensive to me. :lol: The smaller grain is much cheaper. So, I guess you pay extra for grande. :lol:

[HothouseSalsero]

I didn't used to like olives, but the owner of a grocery store I used to go to buy Arabic music on cassette used to get me to try them (kalamata olives, in particular) and eventually I developed a taste for olives in general. (Of course, I think the only olives I came across when I was growing up were the ones out of the jar or can, already pitted, which aren't the same thing at all as a decent quality olive.)

Catalan olives (which are generally very strongly flavored, and hot) kick butt. (Unfortunately, my body doesn't handle them too well, like a lot of the more adventurous foods I like.)

(The salmon sounds good.)