Calabrian Heat and Ethnic Cravings

  Last week marked the second study trip of my university studies. We spent a week in Calabria viewing pasta, beer,and honey productions, to name a few. Even though I had an excellent time and loved being able to swim in the Mediterranean, my lasting memory of this place will always be that of heat. There has been such a dearth of spice in my neck of the woods that I almost forgot the taste sensation entirely. Fear not! Between hot peppers, sun burn, throbbing bug bites, and swollen bruises, I got the hot, hot heat back in my life. As a side note, being in the South made my desire for ethnic food even stronger, so I made falafel tonight. Recipe to follow.

Calabria

150 year old orange grove 

Mulberries!

Unfiltered honey

Dairy farm

Artichokes in bloom

Vineyard view

Licorice root

Just some donkeys, livin the dream

     Make-shift Falafel 

     To make these tasty lil pucks of joy, start by soaking your chick peas overnight. After they have soaked, add them to a blender or food processor. Saute the garlic and ginger in oil and add to the machine. Add the herbs and spices. Pulse everything together into a coarse mixture. Add in two tablespoons of water if the mixture is too loose. Pour the crumb into a bowl and add the onions and flour and mix by hand. Let this mixture chill for an hour to set up a bit before frying on a medium-low heat. Fry until well browned and season with salt immediately after frying.

     I served mine on multi-grain focaccia smeared with ricotta. After I added some carrots and cucumber, I was ready to smash my face into the plate. I ate both of these sandwiches and it was a mistake. A delicious mistake.

Recipe

Adapted from the blog Tomato Blues

1 c chick peas, soaked overnight 

1 small onion, finely diced

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tsp ginger root, minced

1/2 c loosely packed parsley, chopped

1/4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp flour

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

   

     Kale: Italy needs to know

     During my sophomore year of college, I lived next to an Asian super market and became the closest thing to vegan that I will ever be (except for that time senior year that I was actually just poor and vegan)...I digress. The market had wicked cheap tofu and all the fresh veg. There are two greens that I got twice a week that whole year: kale and bok choy. I still can't eat the latter. Kale, however, was up in my face all day, er'day. One relentless Brassica. I decided that the mature thing to do was just learn how to eat the green again instead of throwing someone's massaged kale salad out of my apartment window. An easy way to introduce a food back into your diet is by completely hiding it. I mean, that's what all the moms do now who cannot otherwise encourage their children to eat vegetables. Hint: You're not trying hard enough. In all seriousness, kale is an excellent vegetable to hide, in say, a pesto. You can use it as a filler if you're low on basil and the pesto will take on the benefit of added nutrition to boot. This pesto has our own kale, basil, and parsley. We're working on growing our own hazelnut tree, relax. 

Kale-Hazelnut Pesto 

      Start by lightly toasting the hazelnuts in a pan for about 5 minutes. Make sure to move them around so they don't burn. Meanwhile, add the kale, basil, and parsley into the blender. You don't have to chop the kale, but we did because our blender is pretty heinous. Next, mince the garlic and add to the blender along with the parmesan cheese. Again, grate the cheese first if your blender/food processor is not the best. Lastly, add the salt, pepper, and oil and blend until everything is smooth. Add the hazelnuts at this point, blend, and adjust the seasonings. We have been keeping ours in a jar in the fridge and eating it on everything. A bit of homemade pesto goes a long way, and is so much cheaper. 

I have yet to receive any postcards...I'll be waiting. 

Recipe

4 cups loosely packed kale

1 c loosely packed basil

1/2 c loosely packed parsley

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 oz parmesan cheese, grated

1/2 c hazelnuts, toasted and chopped

1 c extra virgin olive oil, additional may be needed

salt and pepper, to taste 

     Pen & Fork Pals

     Then she got an idea...the girl got a wonderful, awful idea! The idea goes something like this:

    

     I would love for you readers (if you are in fact people/dogs, and not robots/cats) to send me a postcard from where ever you may be. Whatever you choose to write is up to you, however, there is one rule that must be followed. The postcard must have a depiction of food on it in some shape or form. After I receive the card, I will create my own interpretation of the pictured food and will include you in the post. As an example, Nicole, a friend from the states, sent me a lovely postcard with ice cream cones on it. Here's what I whipped up.

     Cherry Coconut Ice Pops

     Unfortunately, not all of the fruit here is always ripe. When that happens, I smack some sugar down on that jawn and a fruity treat is born. To start, I sauteed the sliced and pitted cherries with the sugar until they became thick and glossy. I added a tiny pinch of salt and let them cool for a bit before scooping them into the blender. I then added the coconut and soy milk to the mix. Blend the fruit mixture until there are no large specks of skin left. Place in the molds of your choosing and freeze for 4-6 hours or overnight. This batch made eight pops in total. 

     So, do the right thing. Send me some mail. 

Università degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche Kelsey FC 15 Via Amedeo di Savoia, 8 12042 Pollenzo, Bra (CN) Italy

Recipe

3 c of cherries, pitted and sliced

1/3 c sugar

1 small pinch of salt

1/2 c coconut milk

1/2 c soy milk (unsweetened) 

     Jars on Jars

     When moving to far, distant lands for only a short period of time, one must make a few compromises. Ask yourself this: do I really need an iron (yes)...is that tenth color of nail polish necessary (always)...should I invest in new cups because Italy doesn't believe in proper-sized drinking vessels? NO! When I first encountered this issue, I must say, I was tempted to run out to the nearest IKEA and ravage the kitchen section. Instead, I thought it would be better to invest in jars. "Why jars?" a plebeian may ponder. Jars are more multi-functional than Lady Gaga's stage get-ups. You can use them to store hot things without the fear of chemicals leaching from it like plastic. They are also fantastic to store cold beverages in; if you pierce the lid, you can even add a straw. Lastly, jars are best at doing exactly what they were made for: holding a myriad of scrummytown foods. Here are two ideas for putting your jars to WERK. 

Strawberry Lemonade (Freckled Lemonade)

     As you can see, I punched a small hole into the top of the lid, giving access to a straw. I find that this is a good method if you'll be traveling with your drank. I typically do this with iced coffee and I get judged by Italians real hard in the mornings. I 'spect they have never tried the glory that is iced coffee. In due time.

     To make the lemonade, first place the sugar (or honey, whateva) in the bottom of your jar with the quartered strawberries. Add the lemon juice and shake the jar around until the sugar has dissolved. Add the water and give one final shake. The lemonade here is pretty young. If you want a darker color and stronger berry flavor, plan on making the mix a day in advance. Ginger and mint would be great additions if you have them on hand.

Cardamom Scented Apricot Jam

     Awwww man, do I enjoy making lazy jams, and I'm not talking about the kind J-babes gets paid mad money for *wink*. Grandpa jokes, I'll be here all day, folks. To make this jam, start by dicing the apricots and adding them to a pan with water. Turn the heat to medium and let the apricots begin to cook down. After about 10 minutes, add the sugar, salt and the cardamom. Cook for another 20 minutes or until the apricots have turned to a soft-set consistency. Pour your cooled mixture into a sterilized jar, cap it, and store it in the fridge. You can sterilize the jar by heating it in the washing machine (jokes, Italy), or, you can heat a pot of water to a simmer, add your jar and cap, and leave them to dry on a clean dish towel.

Recipes

Strawberry Lemonade (serves four)

3 large lemons, juiced

1/4 c sugar

1/2 c strawberries, quartered 

.75 l of water

Cardamom Scented Apricot Jam

appr. 15 apricots, unpeeled and diced

1- 1 1/2 c water

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp cardamom powder

a small pinch of salt