bostonzest

Tag: canning

  • ‘Tis The Season to Make Caponata

    Caponata, Capunata, Capunatina, however you spell it, each cook has his or her own version. 

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    Some refer to it as a sweet & sour version of ratatouille. Most recipes call for the best of this harvest season. After all, this relish was made to preserve the food for the winter months.

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    Eggplant is the main ingredient. Tomato, onion, vinegar, garlic, raisins, olives, pine nuts, capers, and olive oil seem pretty standard. Then come individual additions that vary by cook, region, or family. These include fennel, peppers, celery, and zucchini to name a few.

    The cook’s choice of seasonings might include red pepper flakes, anchovies, sugar, oregano, mint, or basil. In other words, thrifty cooks made this from whatever the garden or market had in abundance on a given day.

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    History of Caponata

    Like many Mediterranean foods, this Sicilian antipasto relish with its sweet and sour base, dried fruit, and pine nuts probably has its origins in the Middle East.

    Food historian Clifford Wright traces it back to a food served on sailing vessels. The vinegar was a preservative and he notes that a version of it was served as a mariner’s breakfast.

    On his website, Wright cites Sicilian food authority Pino Correnti who, “… believes that the dish is derived from the Catalan word caponata, meaning a similar kind of relish, and says it first appears in a Sicilian etymology of 1709.”

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    My Caponata

    My version is lighter than most. I brush the eggplant with olive oil and roast or grill it, instead of frying, and sauté the other vegetable in a minimum amount of oil. I also use what’s on hand rather than follow a strict recipe.

    I cook the ingredients separately (using my favorite pan) and mix them later. This lets me ensure each vegetable is cooked properly and that nothing gets too mushy. I like my caponata a bit al dente.

    Recipes

    Here are a few recipes for those of you who prefer to follow one.

    Here's Clifford Wright's Caponata recipe

    Sicilian Eggplant Caponata from Eating Well

    Epicurious Classic Caponata with comments

    Canning Caution

    I mentioned preserving this for the winter season. With that, the question of a water bath or pressure canning comes up. Since I’m not an expert on preserving, I would give a nod to the advice of Eugenia Bone, author of the book Well-Preserved. She writes, “If you have ANY doubts about the pH of your recipe, then pressure can.”

    What's on your Food Lover's Shopping List? Click over to Amazon from here and they will put a few coins in our tip jar.

     

    Details:

    Words: Penny Cherubino (Adapted for BostonZest from one of her Fresh & Local newspaper columns.)

    Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino 

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  • Learn How to Cook on a Continuum with The Kitchen Ecosystem by Eugenia Bone

    Cooking meals on a daily basis can be daunting or it can be relaxing depending on your approach. I recently discovered the book The Kitchen Ecosystem. Author Eugenia Bone helped me see why it might be easier for longtime cooks to prepare daily meals while the same task could be stressful for the occasional cook.

    Small Kitchen ecosystem jpg

    Having Stuff on Hand

    One crisper drawer in my refrigerator is devoted to my cooking basics: celery, carrots, parsley, cabbage, lemons, and apples. With the stocks in my freezer and the onions and garlic in my pantry, I have the beginning of many soups, stews, braises, and salads.

    The Kitchen Ecosystem is arranged by 40 common ingredients. For each one, the author provides recipes for dishes that star that ingredient and follows with ideas on what you can make to add to your pantry with not only the leftovers, but also the scraps. (e.g., Who knew that apple peel stock could be handy to have when you need a bit more pectin in a jelly or jam?)

    Preserving foods by fermenting, canning, and freezing are part of the author's repertoire. But even if you're not ready to make your own sauerkraut or can chicken, you can make stocks to freeze and prepare a dish that will let you turn the leftovers into a sequence of meals.

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    Tired of Leftovers?

    If you or your family quickly tire of the same food after a day or two, think about preparing a basic version of something and then creating variations on a theme. I do this all the time with chicken soup. I’ll make a big pot of simple chicken soup and then serve it at future meals with different starches like rice, pasta, noodles, dumplings, barley, grains, cubes, etc. In the photo above, I used polenta cubes.

    Whenever I have leftover, falling apart, tender meat from a pot roast or braised lamb shanks, I’ll shred the meat and turn it and the braising liquid into a chili by adding beans, chilies, and seasoning then simmering until the flavors blend.

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    Repurpose

    When I make chicken soup, I use enough chicken to have extra poached chicken. This can become the curried chicken salad you see above. That's a cool, crisp, spicy change of pace.

    Every few weeks, I make a big batch of homemade dog food for my Westie Poppy. The recipe I use calls for a wide assortment of vegetables and there’s always half a cauliflower, half a cabbage, and a few other things left when I’m done. These become a soup for the human members of the family. One version is the cabbage and kielbasa soup shown below.

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    If you shy away from buying a whole head of broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower because you’ll only eat part of it and waste the rest, consider soup on day two. It can be vegetarian or you can add meat or sausage to the mix. You might even consider making the soup on one burner while you’re cooking the meal that will have cauliflower as a side dish on the others. Most soups taste better on day two when the flavors have had an opportunity to harmonize.

    The Boston Public Library has a copy of The Kitchen Ecosystem that you might want to borrow to start thinking about cooking on a continuum. The book is also available in an ebook format. 

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

       

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino. Cover art courtesy of the publisher, Clarkson Potter.

    Related articles
    A Busy Season Resource: Our Poached Chicken Links
    Rich and Luscious Lamb Shank Chili
    Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

  • Learn How to Cook on a Continuum with The Kitchen Ecosystem by Eugenia Bone

    Cooking meals on a daily basis can be daunting or it can be relaxing depending on your approach. I recently discovered the book The Kitchen Ecosystem. Author Eugenia Bone helped me see why it might be easier for longtime cooks to prepare daily meals while the same task could be stressful for the occasional cook.

    Small Kitchen ecosystem jpg

    Having Stuff on Hand

    One crisper drawer in my refrigerator is devoted to my cooking basics: celery, carrots, parsley, cabbage, lemons, and apples. With the stocks in my freezer and the onions and garlic in my pantry, I have the beginning of many soups, stews, braises, and salads.

    The Kitchen Ecosystem is arranged by 40 common ingredients. For each one, the author provides recipes for dishes that star that ingredient and follows with ideas on what you can make to add to your pantry with not only the leftovers, but also the scraps. (e.g., Who knew that apple peel stock could be handy to have when you need a bit more pectin in a jelly or jam?)

    Preserving foods by fermenting, canning, and freezing are part of the author's repertoire. But even if you're not ready to make your own sauerkraut or can chicken, you can make stocks to freeze and prepare a dish that will let you turn the leftovers into a sequence of meals.

    6a00e54fc42bb88834010536d47043970c-800wi

    Tired of Leftovers?

    If you or your family quickly tire of the same food after a day or two, think about preparing a basic version of something and then creating variations on a theme. I do this all the time with chicken soup. I’ll make a big pot of simple chicken soup and then serve it at future meals with different starches like rice, pasta, noodles, dumplings, barley, grains, cubes, etc. In the photo above, I used polenta cubes.

    Whenever I have leftover, falling apart, tender meat from a pot roast or braised lamb shanks, I’ll shred the meat and turn it and the braising liquid into a chili by adding beans, chilies, and seasoning then simmering until the flavors blend.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340154388bc473970c-800wi

    Repurpose

    When I make chicken soup, I use enough chicken to have extra poached chicken. This can become the curried chicken salad you see above. That's a cool, crisp, spicy change of pace.

    Every few weeks, I make a big batch of homemade dog food for my Westie Poppy. The recipe I use calls for a wide assortment of vegetables and there’s always half a cauliflower, half a cabbage, and a few other things left when I’m done. These become a soup for the human members of the family. One version is the cabbage and kielbasa soup shown below.

    6a00e54fc42bb888340148c878977a970c-800wi

    If you shy away from buying a whole head of broccoli, cabbage, or cauliflower because you’ll only eat part of it and waste the rest, consider soup on day two. It can be vegetarian or you can add meat or sausage to the mix. You might even consider making the soup on one burner while you’re cooking the meal that will have cauliflower as a side dish on the others. Most soups taste better on day two when the flavors have had an opportunity to harmonize.

    The Boston Public Library has a copy of The Kitchen Ecosystem that you might want to borrow to start thinking about cooking on a continuum. The book is also available in an ebook format. 

    What's on your Food Lover's shopping list?

       

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photos: ©2016 Penny & Ed Cherubino. Cover art courtesy of the publisher, Clarkson Potter.

    Related articles
    A Busy Season Resource: Our Poached Chicken Links
    Rich and Luscious Lamb Shank Chili
    Healthy Alternatives for July 4th Cookouts, Pot Lucks, or Picnics

  • Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

    Over the past week, we've been enjoying this jar of Mama Peter's Orange Marmalade. 

    Mama Peter's MG_3184 - Version 22015-07-26-Mama-peters-blood-orange-marmalade-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    This is not something you can buy in a store (at least not yet). It was a gift to us from our pal Peter when he visited recently.

    Peter and David (since I know the other half of the team may have been part of the effort), thanks for bringing this to us. It is delicious and it's fun to think of you every time we spread some on toast.

    Canning is not part of Penny's kitchen repertoire, so we're always grateful to friends who supply us with homemade jams, pickles, sauces, and other treats.

    If you are fortunate in this way, we have a suggestion to help lower the cost of these treats for those who make them – return the jars! And, if you get a lot of treats from someone, consider buying them some lids and perhaps a few extra canning jars. They might say, "You didn't have to do that." But believe me, they will appreciate your return of the kindness.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

       

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino  

    Related articles
    Welcome Luke's Lobster to Boston
    Champagne Moutard Brut Grande Cuvée, Love at First Sip!
    Water Main Flushing May Mean Rusty Water…

  • Thanks to Friends Who Make Marmalade and Share!

    Over the past week, we've been enjoying this jar of Mama Peter's Orange Marmalade. 

    Mama Peter's MG_3184 - Version 22015-07-26-Mama-peters-blood-orange-marmalade-© 2014 Penny Cherubino

    This is not something you can buy in a store (at least not yet). It was a gift to us from our pal Peter when he visited recently.

    Peter and David (since I know the other half of the team may have been part of the effort), thanks for bringing this to us. It is delicious and it's fun to think of you every time we spread some on toast.

    Canning is not part of Penny's kitchen repertoire, so we're always grateful to friends who supply us with homemade jams, pickles, sauces, and other treats.

    If you are fortunate in this way, we have a suggestion to help lower the cost of these treats for those who make them – return the jars! And, if you get a lot of treats from someone, consider buying them some lids and perhaps a few extra canning jars. They might say, "You didn't have to do that." But believe me, they will appreciate your return of the kindness.

    Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!

       

    Details:

    Words: Penny & Ed Cherubino
    Photography: © 2015 Penny Cherubino  

    Related articles
    Welcome Luke's Lobster to Boston
    Champagne Moutard Brut Grande Cuvée, Love at First Sip!
    Water Main Flushing May Mean Rusty Water…