Mediterranean Food Connection: Frita, or Sweet Pepper & Tomato Compote

Published by Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Permalink 0

Mediterranean Food Connection: Frita, or Sweet Pepper & Tomato Compote

Recipe translated from the French and adapted by Jonell Galloway (from the archives)

Original recipe by Christophe Certain

Cliquez ici pour la version française

 

Mediterranean countries each have their own version of sweet pepper and tomato compote. In France, they call it piperade. The Pieds-Noirs — French colonials born in Algeria — call their version of this Mediterranean classic “frita”. Unlike piperade, frita contains no garlic.

Frita is a wonderful thing to have in the fridge, because it can be used in many ways. You can eat it warm as a starter, or cold as a starter. It’s a perfect dish to make ahead for those dinner parties where you’re short on time.

You can also use frita to make bruschetta, or use it as a pizza topping or to make empanadas. If it’s still warm in the pan, you can put eggs on it, cover it and cook over low heat until the eggs are poached.

Algerians often eat frita as a side dish with merguez sausage or grilled meat and fish, such as grilled meat on a skewer or tuna à la plancha.

To make a pizza: Put a layer of frita on a pizza crust. Sprinkle with grated cheese, anchovies in oil and black olives. Bake at 450° to 500° F / 250° C until crust is cooked and well browned.

Recipe

Click here for metric-Imperial recipe conversions.

Ingredients

400 g crushed tomatoes (fresh or canned)
3 red and green bell peppers
3 onions
1 lump of sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cut onions and peppers into think slices.
  2. Heat olive oil in heavy frying pan. Add onions and peppers.
  3. Cook over low heat until onions start to brown.
  4. Add tomatoes and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.
  5. Simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft and form a jam-like substance.
  6. Taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
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Elements of Wine 3: Sugar

Published by Wednesday, July 31, 2013 Permalink 0


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Elements of Wine 3: Sugar

Wine Tasting with James Flewellen

James Flewellen photo, wine tasting expert, The Art of Tasting Wine: James Flewellenby James Flewellen

As mentioned in my previous post on alcohol in wine, sugars accumulate in grapes as they ripen. At harvest time, grapes have a level of what is termed ‘potential alcohol’, that is the alcoholic strength of the future wine should all sugar in it be fermented to alcohol by the action of yeast cells. However, in some cases not all the sugar is fermented, leaving what is termed ‘residual sugar’ in the wine and a noticeable sweetness on the palate.

There are a number of ways to obtain sweetness in wine. The fermentation may be stopped deliberately, perhaps through addition of sulphur dioxide, which kills yeast, or through passing the wine through a membrane filter to remove the yeasts. This results in a wine of lower alcoholic strength and some residual sugar. A classic example is Riesling from the Mosel in Germany, which typically has 7-9% abv (Alcohol By Volume) and varying levels of sweetness depending on the initial level of ripeness of the grapes.

Steep Mosel vineyards in Germany, photo by http://lastingimpressionswineblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/german-wine-wineblog-20/

Steep vineyards of the Mosel vineyards in Germany

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In other cases, there may be too much sugar for the yeast to convert it all to alcohol. Somewhere around 13-15% abv yeast stops being able to effectively ferment sugar to alcohol and naturally dies off. Super-ripe grapes will thus result in a wine with relatively high levels of alcohol and some residual sweetness. This sweetness can be quite subtle, or it can be syrupy and luscious – as found in dessert wines, which have very high concentrations of sugar in the harvested fruit.

Tasting sugar in wine is a difficult process. We can usually tell if something is ‘moderately sweet’; however it’s very hard to estimate the sweetness level in full-blown dessert wines. Wines with a little bit of residual sugar often have their sweetness masked by acidity and flavour compounds.

Sweet/Dry Wine Chart, Creative Commons photo by http://www.primermagazine.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweetness in wine should be matched by a refreshing acidity for balance. This is especially true for dessert wines, which can come across as cloying without sufficient acidity. On the other hand, a touch of residual sugar, while not tasteable to most people, can give a welcome sense of roundness to a sharply acidic wine.

 

Sign up for Jonell Galloway and James Flewellen’s  “Celebrate the Chartres Festival of Lights & Autumnal Equinox with a Food & Wine Tasting Masterclass” in France from September 19 to 22, 2013.

___________________________

 

About James Flewellen

Dr James Flewellen is a biophysicist at the University of Oxford. James learned his trade in taste through the Oxford Blind Wine Tasting Society, of which he was the President from 2010-2012. During his term, he represented Oxford at many international blind tasting competitions – twice winning the prestigious ‘Top Taster’ Award in the annual Varsity blind tasting match against Cambridge University and captaining winning teams in competitions throughout Europe.

One of James’s goals is to clarify the complex and hard-to-navigate world of wine for both novice and experienced tasters. He applies his scientific training to wine education, illuminating concepts of taste, tannin and terroir in an approachable, entertaining manner. James runs wine education courses in Oxford through the The Oxford Wine Blog and is completing the WSET Professional Diploma in Wine and Spirits. He is the regular wine writer for The Rambling Epicure and is the founder of  The Oxford Wine Blog. He is also currently co-authoring The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting – a book surveying the wine regions of the world and how to blind taste.

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France: How Reducing Food Waste is Part of Fighting Hunger

Published by Tuesday, July 30, 2013 Permalink 0

France: How Reducing Food Waste is Part of Fighting Hunger

An initiative on the part of the French Ministry of Agriculture creates a link between professionals from the agrifood sector and public charities with the aim of reducing food waste and fighting hunger. It is referred to as the French National Pact against Food Waste.

A practical example: the “donation market”

The “donation market” is an initiative from the French Ministry of Agriculture to create a link between professionals from the agrifood sector and public charities. This idea arose out of the fact that professionals and charitable associations both have difficulty finding contacts, and don’t have time to give away food for free or find donors, says the French government. This public Internet platform responds to these difficulties and is easy to implement. Donors propose  the kind of donation they want to make as well as its conditions of use and its transportation on the platform itself. As soon as it is posted on the Internet, all  potential “receivers” are alerted by e-mail and can accept it. Donors can propose either food, equipment, transportation or knowledge on the platform.

 

 

As well as helping connect people and fighting hunger, this platform is also a way of reducing food waste, as it encourages people to give food rather than to throw it away and to offer extra room in transportation, for example.

Origin of Food Waste and Means of Action

In their Agrimonde and Dualine projects, French researchers from CIRAD, the French Agricultural Research for Development,  and INRA, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research, examined possible systems of production and supply to feed the world in 2050. According to them, feeding 9 billion people by 2050 is possible so long as we:

  • increase yield in a sustainable way
  • reduce waste from field to fork
  • manage to change our food habits

They insist on the fact that wasting food also means wasting the energy, soil and water used to produce it, and will in turn be used to destroy the waste. Researchers also make a distinction between food loss, which occurs during the early stage of production (just after the harvest, during the first storage, transport, and first transformation) and which mostly concerns poor countries, and food waste, which is due to consumption habits (at home, in restaurants) or mismanagement of storage in the retail sector. Food waste mostly concerns rich countries. Food waste and food loss of course require different solutions.

 

To reduce food waste by 50% before 2025, the European Commission has proposed guidelines to Member States:

  • to educate people
  • to encourage better labeling and packaging
  • to ask Member States to favor partnership with responsible catering companies

Examples are also provided, such as:

  • to produce a new “sell-by date” label
  • to encourage new sizes of packaging for better preservation of products
  • to teach children good practices for proper use of food

 

 

Key Data

In the European Union, food waste comes from:

  • 42% from domestic use
  • 39% from the food-industry
  • 5% from retailers
  • 14% from the catering sector
  • every individual wastes 394 lbs. per year
  • 89 million metric tons of food are wasted each year in the 27 countries of the EU

To learn more about this subject, here is the French National Pact against Food Waste.

Based on press release from the French Ministry of Agriculture

 

 

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Simon Says: Daily Food Quote, July 29, 2013

Published by Monday, July 29, 2013 Permalink 0


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Simon de Swaan, Simon Says, The Rambling Epicure, Switzerlandby Simón de Swaan

However humble it may be, a meal has a definite plot, the intention of which is to intrigue, stimulate and satisfy.–Margaret Visser

 

Margaret Visser writes on the history, anthropology, and mythology of everyday life. She lives between Toronto, Paris and Southwest France.

Her most recent book is The Gift of Thanks. “Her previous books, Much Depends on Dinner, The Rituals of Dinner, The Way We Are, and The Geometry of Love, have all been best sellers and have won major international awards, including the Glenfiddich Award for Foodbook of the Year in Britain in 1989, the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ Literary Food Writing Award, and the Jane Grigson Award,” she says on her site.

_________________

Simon de Swaan is Food and Beverage Director at the Four Seasons hotel in New York City. He studied at the Culinary Institute of America and has an incredible collection of antique cookbooks and books about food and eating, from which he often posts interesting and unusual quotes. In his column Simon Says, he gives us daily food quotes from his tomes.

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O subjetivo na escrita culinária: revisitando M.F.K. Fisher

Published by Sunday, July 28, 2013 Permalink 0


O subjetivo na escrita culinária: revisitando M.F.K. Fisher         Betina Mariante Cardoso

Betina Mariante Cardoso

Soon to be translated from the Portuguese to the English

Para mim, a leitura da obra de M.F.K. Fisher (Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher) ultrapassa o prazer literário provocado por sua escrita: trata-se de um profundo enriquecimento pessoal. Meu livro favorito desta autora? É difícil escolher, mas atravessar as linhas de The Gastronomical Me foi um fenômeno transformador.

The Gastronomical Me. by MFK Fisher, photo courtesy of http://www.chanticleerbooks.com/shop/chanticleer/20267.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Em uma tradução ligeira, o título é:  “O Eu Gastronômico”.  Sim,  ligeira,  pois há grande força e  simbolismo nas  fibras  deste título.  Apesar de  Mary Frances  explorar  suas histórias e  perspectivas  subjetivas nos textos,  ao ler com  atenção, percebo que  cada um de  nós, para quem o ato  culinário é  precioso, poderia  ocupar a    identidade deste ‘Eu Gastronômico’, deste “Me”, no idioma inglês. Aliás, qualquer um de nós poderia ocupar esta identidade, pois temas como o ‘comer’ e a ‘fome’, também tratados por ela, respondem ao nosso Humano mais profundo.

Na minha leitura, são textos em que a narradora nos empresta seu lugar, seu ponto de vista, para que possamos experimentar suas vivências, como se estivéssemos em seu papel, em sua ‘primeira pessoa’, nos sabores que descobre. Esta característica dá grande força aos seus  textos, através do uso desta narrativa em primeira pessoa do singular.  Ler-nos em suas sensações, percepções, vicissitudes  é aceitar que a autora  nos conduza em uma viagem para dentro de nossas próprias narrativas. Um passeio autobiográfico, então.  E pergunto: cozinhar não é também uma autobiografia, um ‘contar de si’?

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

‘Dip’ agridoce de tomates, para aperitivo- receita minha

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bom, há vários focos de encanto, no conjunto desta obra, que, sem aviso, despertam o leitor para a reflexão. Sou pega de surpresa já pelo trecho de abertura:

[Para ser feliz, você deve ter conhecido a dimensão de suas forças, experimentado as frutas de sua paixão e aprendido qual é seu lugar no mundo]- Santayana

(Tradução livre- Betina MC)

Ao folhear este livro, encontro diversos capítulos de mesmo nome, escritos em datas diversas e entremeados com textos  de títulos diferentes.”The Measure of my powers” (‘A dimensão de minhas forças‘), repete-se uma série de vezes, trazendo à tona a menção ao trecho de abertura, de Santayana; a repetição deste título específico, contudo, dá o tom autobiográfico e intimista de “The Gastronomical Me”.  Sinto, ao percorrer as páginas, a profundidade com que a autora conta de suas histórias culinárias, suas descobertas e reflexões. É como se, a cada um dos capítulos que intitula ‘A dimensão de minhas forças’, ela respondesse ao trecho inicial, contando de sua busca pela dita felicidade.  “Para ser feliz, você deve ter conhecido a dimensão de suas forças”, diz o trecho, e Mary Frances trata de retomar esta ‘ordem’, nos capítulos do livro, mantendo a busca como linha condutora de sua escrita subjetiva.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Mercado Público: convite aos sentidos…

Se a tônica me parece estar no ‘ser feliz’, há, nas entrelinhas, uma procura ainda mais profunda: a procura pela sua identidade, por suas ‘forças’ e potenciais, por sua essência, facetas de si que ela traduz por sua relação com o universo do ‘comer’e do ‘fazer culinário’.  Para mim, é neste aspecto  que seu ‘eu‘, primeira pessoa do singular, pluraliza-se  e torna-se ‘nós‘; é neste aspecto que o título do livro, “The Gastronomical Me” (“O ‘Eu’ Gastronômico”) destina-se a um plural de sujeitos que se identificam com as sensações, vivências e sentimentos escritos pela autora. Sujeitos em qualquer parte do mundo. É neste aspecto que ela empresta seu pronome ‘Me’ ao leitor, emprestando, também, seus sentidos para que possamos experimentar, em palavras, os sabores, aromas, texturas, sons, gostos e cores de suas cenas. É possível, ainda, ir além desta compreensão: ao abordar a dimensão de suas forças, ou ao exprimir emoções e memórias no conjunto de textos deste livro, a autora não apenas nos empresta sua fome, mas a partilha conosco, seus leitores. Fome que nós, humanos, sentimos.

Fome?

Esta é a palavra-chave da famosa introdução desta obra, em que ela responde por que escreve sobre  comida, e não sobre a luta pelo poder, pela segurança, ou sobre o amor ou sobre a guerra. “A resposta mais fácil é dizer que, como a maioria dos Humanos, eu sinto fome“. E acrescenta, com maestria, que, quando escreve sobre fome, na verdade está escrevendo sobre o amor e a fome por este, sobre o afeto e o amor por este e a fome por este…”Conto sobre mim mesma (…), e acontece, sem que eu queira, que estou contando também sobre aqueles que estão comigo, e sobre sua necessidade mais profunda pelo amor e pela felicidade.”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Cocada: doce brasileiro de coco, tradicional e saboroso

Sendo o alimento parte essencial da vida de todos nós, bem como as emoções e percepções através dos sentidos, cada indivíduo está presente no texto desta autora; suas experiências coincidem com as nossas próprias lembranças.  Temos em comum a humanidade e, como ela refere, a ‘fome’. Por instantes, nos sentimos personagens de sua autoria; noutras vezes, nos sentimos o ‘Eu Gastronômico’ que escreve as histórias. As fomes são as mesmas.

E, então, a  beleza do último parágrafo deste prefácio está na partilha de sua emoção, com o leitor: “Há uma comunhão para além dos nossos corpos, quando o pão é partido e o vinho é bebido. E esta é minha resposta, quando as pessoas me perguntam: ‘por que você escreve sobre fome, e não sobre guerras ou amor?‘”

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Partilha do meu pão de salame e funcho, no primeiro dia de 2013…

Seja ao ver sua avó fazendo geléias, seja ao partilhar uma refeição com sua irmã e seu pai, seja ao olhar com atenção um cardápio e escolher seu desejo, pela primeira vez: em cada história contada, há algo de nós. Porque, se as emoções são tão diversas em nossa subjetividade, há um ponto em comum em nós, humanos, e que nos torna co-autores destes textos: comemos, sentimos o sabor (ou a falta dele), temos fome, preparamos o alimento, sentimos prazer(aceso ou apagado)…Em qualquer tempo e geografia, comida e emoção nos despertam ou adormecem, nos satisfazem ou nos incompletam, nos nutrem ou nos destroem; seja como for, comida e emoção respondem à nossa necessidade primordial, a fome. Esta, de que Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher fala com tanta profundidade.

É de cada um de nós que a autora conta, quando escreve um texto que intitula: ‘A dimensão de minhas forças’. Você pode não desejar cozinhar, nem desejar escrever sobre a comida ou sobre o ato culinário; entretanto, a leitura desta obra é um passo firme, e prazeroso, na trajetória do comer consciente. E, com certeza, também na trajetória da conscientização de nossa fome pelo amor, pelo afeto, pela segurança, pela felicidade.

bolinhos para o dia dos namorados

Bolo para celebrar o amor!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Minha leitura? A busca é, no fim das contas, pela ‘dimensão de nossas forças‘ e pelo saciar de nossas fomes, quanto mais buscamos conhecer a nós mesmos. Lendo ou cozinhando, descobrimos trechos de nosso subjetivo, experimentamos nossos sentidos e sentimentos. Somos nós, ali, refletidos em temperos ou em palavras. Basta nossa fome pela descoberta.

Obrigada pela visita!

Com afeto,

Betina MC.

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Sobre mim, Betina Mariante Cardoso

Sou Betina Mariante Cardoso, brasileira, trinta e poucos anos. Nasci e moro  em Porto Alegre, no Sul do Brasil, cidade que amo de coração e onde  vivencio o apego, o calor da família e a constância, virtudes necessárias na  minha vida. Paradoxo, tenho encantos por viajar, romper a linearidade  rotineira, esquecer o mapa no hotel e perder-me pelas ruas dos lugares que  visito. Por quê? Para ter a chance de conhecer aquela confeitaria antiga na  rua lateral, coisa que só o acaso permite.  Tenho uma ligação forte com o conforto do cotidiano mas, quando me torno viajante, parto em busca das descobertas, do desconhecido. É quando  me entrego à Serendipity que as viagens propiciam. E é com este mesmo estado anímico que venho para a cozinha: trazendo comigo a aventura, a curiosidade, o ímpeto pelo novo. Gosto de criar minhas receitas, mas sou também fã dos cadernos culinários, escritos à mão e com manchas de vida em suas páginas. Outro paradoxo. 

Agradam-me os livros, as revistas, os blogs de forno-e-fogão. E tenho verdadeiro encanto pelas ‘Histórias do como-se-faz’, as narrativas orais que transmitem o conhecimento empírico, prático e caseiro, de geração a geração. Escutar uma história de cozinha é, para mim, uma riqueza única, porque faz parte de uma conversa, de uma partilha entre as pessoas. Sou médica psiquiatra e psicoterapeuta, profissão que exerço com amor e dedicação, e que dispara meu olhar para o subjetivo de nossas entrelinhas. Minha segunda atividade profissional é como proprietária de uma pequena editora, a Casa Editorial Luminara, ligação entre  trabalho e espaço de liberdade.

No tempo livre, meu hobby principal é a culinária, desde a infância. Hoje, com a descoberta da ‘food writing‘, realizar a escrita culinária é, para mim, uma prática tão lúdica quanto cozinhar. Realizo algo que chamo de ‘cozinha perceptiva’. Nesta, escrita e a fotografia são ferramentas, pois ampliam a percepção e a descrição dos detalhes do ato culinário, ampliando também a exploração sensorial e a atenção ao presente, com benefícios para o autoconhecimento. Escrever, curiosar, ler, fazer colagens, blogar, viajar e  fotografar são também experiências prazerosas para mim, com altas doses de felicidade.

Espero você nos próximos textos!

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Recipes: Dairy-Free Switzerland

Published by Saturday, July 27, 2013 Permalink 0

Recipes: Dairy-Free Switzerland

I’ve just discovered , dedicated to making traditional Swiss and other recipes dairy-free.

Dairy Free Symbol, image by http://www.americaseatingstrategist.com/2013/04/10/gone-dairy-free-here-are-some-ways-to-optimize-your-diet/

 

Heddi started her site in 2012 to face up to the daily task of cooking for her son, who has multiple allergies, including milk allergies.

A dairy-free version of many traditional Swiss recipes for lactose-intolerant people. Switzerland is a land of milk and cheese, so this is a difficult task. Bravo for her efforts.

 

 

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Elements of Wine 2: Alcohol

Published by Saturday, July 27, 2013 Permalink 0


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James Flewellen photo, wine tasting expert, The Art of Tasting Wine: James FlewellenElements of Wine 2: Alcohol

Wine Tasting with James Flewellen

by James Flewellen

As grapes ripen, they accumulate sugars. At optimal ripeness, the grapes are harvested and sent to the winery for fermentation. Fermentation sees the pressed or crushed grape juice inoculated with yeasts that convert sugar to ethanol – the alcohol that ends up in our wine.

Red Wine Fermenting
Red wine fermenting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The alcoholic strength of a wine thus depends on the initial sugar levels present in the harvested grapes. Grapes grown in cooler climates accumulate sugars more slowly than those grown in hot climes, thus we expect, in general, lower alcohol wines to come from cooler sites. Most dry, unfortified wines fall between 11% and 15% alcohol by volume. A wine may have lower alcohol than this, but with some residual sugar – that is to say not all the available sugars in the grape have been converted to alcohol.

It is legal in some regions of the EU (and certainly throughout the rest of the world) to add sugar to the pressed grape juice prior to fermentation in order to boost the alcoholic strength of the resulting wine. This is called ‘chaptalisation’ (after M. Chaptal, then French Minister of Culture) and is frequently practised in cold vintages in northern Europe. The type of sugar used here is inconsequential as it is all converted to ethanol and contributes nothing to the flavour of the resulting wine.

Focused on wine
Let Ideas Compete / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In tasting, alcohol provides the main component of the ‘body’ of the wine – how the wine feels in the mouth. It dissolves certain chemicals found in food much better than water does (capsacain from chillies for instance) and also carries many of the aroma and flavour compounds that are less soluble in pure water. And of course, alcohol provides the intoxication that has been associated with the pleasures of drinking wine for millennia!

Greeny Goodness
sgs_1019 / Foter / CC BY-NC-SA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alcohol levels can be assessed by aerating the wine as it is held in your mouth. Try this by breathing in over a small amount of liquid. Highly alcoholic wines will register a burning sensation on the back of your throat. As with all structural elements in wine, balance is key. The alcohol should be sufficient to support the flavours of the wine yet not so overpowering as to be the only noticeable feature in the wine. Wines with high levels of alcohol (14%+) can still work, yet they need to matched with a robust body and flavour profile.

Sign up for Jonell Galloway and James Flewellen’s  “Celebrate the Chartres Festival of Lights & Autumnal Equinox with a Food & Wine Tasting Masterclass” in France from September 19 to 22, 2013.

___________________________

 

About James Flewellen

Dr James Flewellen is a biophysicist at the University of Oxford. James learned his trade in taste through the Oxford Blind Wine Tasting Society, of which he was the President from 2010-2012. During his term, he represented Oxford at many international blind tasting competitions – twice winning the prestigious ‘Top Taster’ Award in the annual Varsity blind tasting match against Cambridge University and captaining winning teams in competitions throughout Europe.

One of James’s goals is to clarify the complex and hard-to-navigate world of wine for both novice and experienced tasters. He applies his scientific training to wine education, illuminating concepts of taste, tannin and terroir in an approachable, entertaining manner. James runs wine education courses in Oxford through the Oxford Wine Academy and is completing the WSET Professional Diploma in Wine and Spirits. He is the regular wine writer for The Rambling Epicure and is the founder of  The Oxford Wine Blog. He is also currently co-authoring The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting – a book surveying the wine regions of the world and how to blind taste.

 

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Spontaneous Cuisine: Swiss Easy Fennel and Raclette Potato Salad Recipe

Published by Saturday, July 27, 2013 Permalink 0

Spontaneous Cuisine: Swiss Easy Fennel and Raclette Potato Salad Recipe

by Jonell Galloway

 
 
Photo courtesy of Five Prime.

Ingredients

1 large fennel
3 medium-size raclette or new potatoes

Juice of one blood orange or regular orange, if not available
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons Country Potato spice* OR aniseed/fennel seeds
  1. Preheat grill or broiler.
  2. Cut stalk end of fennel out, then slice thinly in the lengthwise direction.
  3. Scrub potatoes, but do not skin. Slice thinly.
  4. Spread fennel and potatoes onto a heavy roasting tin, in a single layer. Brush both sides with olive oil.
  5. Grill under broiler until nice and brown. Remove tin from oven, and use a metal spatula to turn them, taking care to still have a single layer.
  6. Put back under broiler. When cooked but not yet brown, add spices. Stir well and put back under broiler. When golden brown, remove from oven.
  7. Put mixture into a mixing bowl. Pour juice of one blood orange over mixture. Mix gently but thoroughly, so that the vegetables absorb the juice.
  8. Set aside for 5 minutes so that all the flavors blend together.
  9. Serve warm, either as a salad or side dish. It is a perfect accompaniment to grilled cod or  salmon, and why not chicken?
*Country Potato spice is readily available in Switzerland, but if you don’t have access to it, you can make your own. It’s great on oven fries, chicken breast, and all sorts of other bland dishes you just want to liven up. It is a mixture of curcuma, cumin, coriander, ground manioc, fenugreek, garlic, salt, fennel seeds, chili powder, pepper, paprika, marjoram, ginger, garlic and a touch of sugar.

Continue Reading…

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Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”

Published by Thursday, July 25, 2013 Permalink 0


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Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”: Healthy, Homemade Meals Delivered to Your Door, Geneva

The TRE Quality Label

The TRE Quality Label

Introducing our new “TRE Quality Label”

In this complex world of industrial food, where even organic food is sold by agro food conglomerates, it is important to know the quality and origin of what we eat. Thus the importance of a quality label that has been tested by people like us who are experienced in the real-food business. When we give the TRE Quality Label, we know where the ingredients came from, we know how the food was processed and treated — and most of it is entirely local,  allowing you too to eat locally. We also know how it tastes, because we’ve tasted it all.

All the important criteria make up part of the TRE Quality Label: quality, origin, and taste. You can be sure of what you’re buying if it has a TRE Quality Label.

Today, we’d like to introduce the first product to which we’re giving our label: panbeh, a Geneva grassroots operation that makes every attempt to meet all these criteria, and to put something healthy, natural and tasty on your plate.

panbeh‘s meals are delivered straight to your door in Geneva. Most of the ingredients are from Geneva or nearby in the countryside.

It is the perfect solution for those who are home bound and for the elderly, as well as for those who simply don’t have the time to do the shopping required to cook a healthy, well-balanced meal. It’s great for those weeks when your work schedule is heavy, and ensures that you’ll get a home-cooked, healthy meal every day, delivered straight to your door.

Geneva: Healthy, Homemade Meals Delivered to Your Door by panbeh

panbeh describes itself:

panbeh means “pure cotton” in Farsi: the purity of a healthy, home-cooked meal

Panbeh's very own cotton plant in Geneva, Switzerland

Panbeh’s very own cotton plant in Geneva, Switzerland

As we all know, what we eat is important for our daily activity and well-being, so we are introducing our new concept: the pleasure of eating healthy, natural, homemade food while fully enjoying the taste of what you eat, delivered right to your door.

No additives and no pesticides, no hormones and no chemicals — only the real, natural flavor of top quality, artisanal ingredients, the origin of which we systematically list. And you benefit from the real taste of the whole, untreated, unprocessed food, prepared fresh every day in a high-fiber, low-fat manner.

Whenever possible, we use only organic ingredients.

We propose a daily lunch menu and will deliver it to you at your home or your office, free of charge. Please find below are our daily menus for the month of July.

Delivery to your home or office
Order the night before (before 6 pm) for next day’s lunch, or order for the whole week
Orders are delivered between 12 and 1 pm

Order by email:
panbeh@servge.ch
or by phone:
076 630 79 56

 
Free delivery for Petit-Saconnex, Grand-Saconnex, Grand-Pré and Nations.
 

It is our right to know where our food comes from:

Bread: Eric Emery bakery, Geneva.
Vegetables, fruits and mountain herbs (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Cheese (organic) : Casa Mozzarella, Geneva.
Salmon: Wild from Alaska or Scotland, sold by Francesco Drago, Halle de Rive covered market, Geneva.
Tomato sauce (organic): Marché a la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Spaghetti (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Rice & Quinoa (organic): Marché de Vie, Geneva
Olive oil: Greece, sold by Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva
Eggs (organic): Marché à la Ferme de Budé, Geneva.
Chicken (organic) : Swiss origin
Wheat (organic) : Swiss origin

 

Bon appétit!

 

MENU for July 2013 (24.00 CHF)

Monday
Mixed salad
Quinoa balls, oven-baked Homemade
panbeh cake

Tuesday
Shirazi salad (tomato, cucumbers, onion, fresh mint)
Indian Tilda rice with safran, berberis (barberries) and chicken, or wild rice with chicken and vegetables
Fresh fruit salad

Wednesday
Potato salad, onion, eggs
Eggplant and tomato sandwich
panbeh homemade crème caramel

Thursday
Tomato & mozzarella & fresh basil
Spaghetti, tomato sauce & mushrooms
Watermelon or melon

Friday
Salad (ricotta & tomato covered with aromatic herbs)
Wild smoked salmon sandwich
Homemade panbeh cake

Large portion of mixed salad: 12.00 CHF

Drinks: kefir, mineral water, or fruit juice.

 

Order by email:
panbeh@servge.ch
or by phone:
076 630 79 56

 

 

 

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Wine and Food Pairing: Lacquered Pork Tenderloin, Roast Potatoes & Ramson Recipe

Published by Thursday, July 25, 2013 Permalink 0

Wine and Food Pairing: Lacquered Pork Tenderloin, Roast Potatoes & Ramson Recipe

by James Flewellen

Pork is a great meat to play with for wine pairing. Depending on the cut of the animal, how it is cooked and the sauce accompanying the dish you have a whole wealth of wines from which to choose.  Red wine, white wine, dry and savoury, off-dry and fruity; there are many options.

 

Lacquered Pork Tenderloin, Roast Potatoes & Ramson Recipe, Spontaneous Cuisine. Recipe by Jonell Galloway, editor of The Rambling Epicure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favourite choices and one I think works very well with this recipe is an Alsatian or New Zealand Pinot Gris. These are full-bodied, rich white wines with a pear and honey bouquet that is the perfect foil for pork in such a sauce. The honey and fruit notes in the wine echo the honey and vanilla flavours in the sauce; the richness of the palate counteracts the piquant mustard and coriander seeds; the body carries enough weight to handle the meatiness of the dish; and the wine brings forth enough acidity to cut through the fat in the fillet and the sauce. Try for a wine with at least 5 years age and you’ll notice truffle and mushroom notes developing to add an additional level of complexity.

Kim Crawford 2006 Pinot Gris

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About James Flewellen

Dr James Flewellen is a biophysicist at the University of Oxford. James learned his trade in taste through the Oxford Blind Wine Tasting Society, of which he was the President from 2010-2012. During his term, he represented Oxford at many international blind tasting competitions – twice winning the prestigious ‘Top Taster’ Award in the annual Varsity blind tasting match against Cambridge University and captaining winning teams in competitions throughout Europe.

One of James’s goals is to clarify the complex and hard-to-navigate world of wine for both novice and experienced tasters. He applies his scientific training to wine education, illuminating concepts of taste, tannin and terroir in an approachable, entertaining manner. James runs wine education courses in Oxford through the Oxford Wine Academy and is completing the WSET Professional Diploma in Wine and Spirits. He is the regular wine writer for The Rambling Epicure and is the founder of The Oxford Wine Blog. He is also currently co-authoring The Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting – a book surveying the wine regions of the world and how to blind taste.

 

 
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