Cheddar

The English Encyclopedia of Practical Cookery says:
Cheddar cheese is one of the kings of cheese; it is pale coloured, mellow, salvy, and, when good, resembling a hazelnut in flavour. The Cheddar principle pervades the whole cheesemaking districts of America, Canada and New Zealand, but no cheese imported into England can equal the Cheddar Cheeses of Somerset and the West of Scotland.

Named for a village near Bristol where farmer Joseph Harding first manufactured it, the best is still called Farmhouse Cheddar, but in America we have practically none of this. Farmhouse Cheddar must be ripened at least nine months to a mellowness, and little of our American cheese gets as much as that. Back in 1695 John Houghton wrote that it "contended in goodness (if kept from two to five years, according to magnitude) with any cheese in England."

Today it is called "England's second-best cheese," second after Stilton,of course.

In early days a large cheese sufficed for a year or two of family feeding, according to this old note: "A big Cheddar can be kept for two years in excellent condition if kept in a cool room and turned over every other day."

But in old England some were harder to preserve: "In Bath... I asked one lady of the larder how she kept Cheddar cheese. Her eyes twinkled: 'We don't keep cheese; we eats it.'"

- Robert Carlton Brown, The Complete Book of Cheese

Papa Al Couscous

Reprinted from
Easy Exotic with permission of Hyperion, New York, New York.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 to 40 Minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
5 whole garlic cloves, smashed
2 (about 3/4 pound) zucchini, cubed
4 medium-large tomatoes, or 8 large (about 2 pounds) plum tomatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
Salt and pepper to taste
4 1/2 to 5 cups water
3 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes
2 bay leaves
1 cup couscous
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Instructions:

In a casserole set over moderate heat, warm the olive oil until it is hot. Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until golden. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the tomatoes, oregano, lemon pepper, Herbes de Provence, and salt and pepper to taste, and cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more. Add the water, bouillon cubes, bay leaves and additional salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and simmer the mixture, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes. Add the couscous and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until it reaches porridge-like consistency - about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the lemon juice and parsley. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the couscous drizzled with the extra-virgin olive oil and dusted with freshly grated pepper.

(Per Serving) Calories: 332; Protein: 10g; Fat: 8g; Carbohydrates: 57g; Cholesterol: 0 mg.; Sodium: 1006 mg.

Cooking Perfect Pasta

Use a good quality pasta. It will not stick or clump. Don't add oil to the cooking water, it only makes the pasta slippery and prevents the the sauce from adhering to the pasta.
Follow the cooking times on the package. To cook it al dente it should be soft on the outside and still a little hard on the inside. Taste the pasta before you drain it in a large collander and toss gently to remove excess liquid. DON'T rinse it unless you want to use it for some kind of pasta salad. Pasta should be served hot.
Speciality Pastas from Italy

Baked Ziti American-Style

Fast and easy; 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

16 ounces Ziti
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups milk
4 tomatoes
1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Cook Ziti as directed; drain and set aside.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, salt, pepper and oregano; cook 1 minute or until bubbly. Gradually stir in milk. Cook 2-3 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Peel, seed and chop 3 tomatoes. Slice remaining tomato; set aside.
Combine bread crumbs and olive oil in a small cup and set aside.
Stir together pasta, white sauce, chopped tomatoes, cheese and basil in a large bowl.
Put pasta mixture in a baking dish; arrange tomato slices on top and sprinkle with bread crumbs.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Cinnamon Ricotta and Coriander Honey

Great Recipes
Recipe reprinted from Seasons: A Year of Great Tastes with permission of DK publishing.

Ingredients:
1 lb (450 g) ricotta
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground coriander (optional)
Honey
2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly roasted
12 amaretti cookies, to serve

Instructions:
Put the ricotta in a mixing bowl, add the confectioners’ sugar and ground cinnamon and beat well together. If desired add a few spoonfuls of honey to a bowl and mix in a small pinch of ground coriander

Spoon a small mound of the ricotta mixture on shallow desert dishes, drizzle with the honey, and sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the top. Put two amaretti cookies on each dish and serve

Accompany the cinnamon ricotta with coffee or a small glass of dessert wine, such as an Italian vino santo.

Marzipan

(Picture shows Marzipan fruit)



Some history and facts on this delicious holiday confection.

Although it is believed to have originated in Persia (present-day Iran) and to have been introduced to Europe through the Turks, there is some dispute between Hungary and Italy over its origin. Marzipan became a specialty of the Baltic Sea region of Germany. In particular, the city of Lübeck has a proud tradition of marzipan manufacture (Lübecker Marzipan). The city's manufacturers like Niederegger still guarantee their Marzipan to contain two thirds almonds by weight, which results in a juicy, bright yellow product.

Another possible geographic origin is Toledo, Spain (850-900 though more probably 1150 during Alfonso VII period, then known as Postre Regio instead of Mazapán) and Sicily (1193, known as panis martius or marzapane, i.e. March Bread). In both cases, there is a reason to believe that there is an Arabic influence. It is also mentioned in The Book of One Thousand and One Nights as an almond paste eaten during Ramadan and as an aphrodisiac. Other sources establish the origin of marzipan in China, from where the recipe moved on to the Middle East and then to Europe through Al-Andalus. In Toledo, Marzipan (Mazapán) is also one of the city's products. Almonds have to be at least 50% of the total weight, following the directives of Mazapan de Toledo regulator counseil.

Historically, the city of Königsberg in East Prussia was renowned for its Marzipan production. Today, the term Königsberger Marzipan refers to a special type of Marzipan in Germany.

Under EU law, marzipan must have a minimum almond oil content of 14% and a maximum moisture content of 8.5%. Optional additional ingredients are rosewater, honey, pistachios, preservatives, and sometimes hazelnut. In the U.S., marzipan must include at least a quarter almonds by weight, otherwise it is considered to be almond paste. However, in Sweden and Finland "almond paste" refers to a marzipan that contains 50% ground almonds, i.e. a much higher quality than regular marzipan.

Marzipan is a confection consisting primarily of ground almonds and sugar that derives its characteristic flavour from bitter almonds, which constitute 4% to 6% of total almond content by weight. Some marzipan is also flavoured with rosewater. A similar but inferior product is Persipan. The almonds are replaced by apricot kernels.

Marzipan is often made into sweets: common uses are marzipan-filled chocolate and small marzipan imitations of fruits and vegetables. It is also rolled into thin sheets and glazed for icing cakes and is traditionally used in wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, and Stollen. In some countries marzipan is shaped into small figures of animals, such as pigs, as a traditional treat for New Year's Day. Marzipan is also used in Tortell, and in some versions of king cake eaten during the Carnival season.

In Italy, particularly in Palermo, marzipan (marzapane) is often shaped and painted with food colours to resemble fruit — Frutta martorana — especially during the Christmas season. In Portugal, traditional marzipan (maçapão) fruit shaped sweets made in the Algarve region are called morgadinhos. There are other regions, as Toledo in Spain in which Marzipan is shaped into simple animal shapes, and usually filled in with egg yolk and sugar (yema).

Cinnamon Stars

This one has become a holiday tradition. Makes about 2 dozen.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup egg whites (about 2 eggs)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unblanched ground almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup sifted confectioners sugar (sift before measuring)

Directions:

In a small bowl of electric mixer let egg whites warm to room temperature (about 1 hour).
Beat egg whites with electric mixer at medium speed until soft peaks form when the beater is slowly raised.
Gradually add 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar to egg whites, 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until egg whites are very thick and glossy and stiff peaks form when beaters are slowly raised (about 10 minutes).
In medium bowl, combine the almonds with cinnamon. Stir in egg-white mixture; mix to combine well. Refrigerate covered dough overnight. To roll out, sprinkle pastry cloth evenly with 2 tablespoons flour mixed with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
Roll out dough 1/4 inch thick with a stockinette-covered rolling pin, one half at a time. Cut out 12 cookies using a 3-inch star cookie cutter. Place, 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets. Repeat. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 300F. Bake cookies 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Mix confectioners' sugar with 2 tablespoons water until smooth. Use to brush cookies; bake 5 minutes longer; cool slightly. The surface will be crusty. Let cookies cool several minutes. With spatula, remove cookies carefully to wire racks to cool completely.
Stored in a tightly covered tin, with waxed paper between layers, the cookies will keep well for several weeks.