Food ages gracefully

Mia — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 01:15:59 +0000

“If salami is the blog of cured meats, then prosciutto is the great novel.” - Christine Muhlke (NY Times)

Wine, cheese, vinegar, meats, fish, vegetables are some examples of foods that are aged. My original post idea was to write a post on prosciutto and go on and on about its complex, faintly saltiness and how it dissolves into richness on the tongue. But, there are so many other foods that are aged. They each have their own characteristics that make them dance on your palate. I included a list of some different foods that are aged and some examples………..yes, I know that I just list a few, but did not want a mile long post.

Beef – Dry age beef, Corned beef, Bresaola

Pork - Prosciutto, Ham, Jamón serrano, Coppa, Lardo, Bacon, Pancetta, Speck, Guanciale

Sausage - Salami, Pepperoni, Chorizo, Linguiça

Fish - Anchovy, Salt cod, Lox (salmon), Bottarge

Cured vegetables – Sauerkraut, Kimchi, Pickled cucumbers, Pickled beets, Olives, Tofu, Lemons

Cheese – Asiago, Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Aged Gouda, Pecorino Toscano, Blue, Cheddar, Swiss

Wine (popular)
Red - Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Burgundy
White - Chardonnay, Blanc, Riesling, Chablis, Rhine

Vinegar – White Wine, Red Wine, Balsamic, Sherry, Rice, Apple, Malt

This is a recipe that includes aged vinegar, meat and cheese. (I shared this salad recipe before, but it covered the topic so well that I am including a different rendition.)

Apple & 3 aged Salad

Serves 4

Salad
4 slices of prosciutto, sliced into bite size
1 Fuji apple, cored & thinly sliced
4 large hand fulls of field greens, any type
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, thinly shaved, use veggie peeler

Vinaigrette
1/4 cup Sherry vinegar (Desoto brand)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large pinches of salt (Maldon brand)
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

The vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
The salad, put ingredients in bowl, top with vinaigrette and toss to combine.

(This is how I make the salad. The salad could be served in a beautiful presentation on individual plates. William Sonoma and Sur La Table sell the salt and vinegar. The food items can only be purchased in the stores.)

Persimmon Salad

Mia — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:59:19 +0000

Happy New Year to you all!

When Hachiya persimmons first came into season my fruit guy, at the farmers market, tried to convince me that I needed to buy some. I turned up my nose and told him they were too sweet and not for me. He smiled gently, gave me a recipe to bake with the pulp and told me I need to try a dry one. I did try the dried fruit and they were ok, but not some thing I would reach for. I, shhhh, threw away the recipes. They went out of season! I happily moved on.

Oh no,here we go again…………. I show up at the Saturday farmers market and the fruit guy is telling me I need to try a Fuyu persimmon. He tells that it is a firm fruit, more like an apple and it is not mushy when you eat it. It kind of caught my attention, but I declined.

On Wednesday, of that same week, my sweet heart and I tried out a new restaurant call Palate Food + Wine, where everything is miraculously below $20. The cuisine is simple and sophisticated, robust and nuanced, infused with a Mediterranean sensibility and made with the best local and artisanal ingredients. The cellar is stocked with handmade, regional wines. They offer a vast selection of wines by the glass. Ok, enough about the restaurant. There was a persimmon salad on the menu. I looked my sweetheart and said, “It’s a sign, I just have to try it.” When the salad arrived it included the following things: persimmon (of course), field greens, pistachio nuts, prosciutto and Asiago cheese. It was topped with a sherry vinaigrette and the salad was arranged in an appealing presentation. I took my first bite and my palate shivered with excitement. A touch of salt from the prosciutto married with the sweet of the persimmon and the crunch of the pistachio…..a culinary masterpiece and the simplicity of the vinaigrette just made it all dance. I have included a definition for the two types of persimmons that I discussed in this post.

Hachiya - Large, oblong-conical fruit Skin glossy, deep orange. Flesh dark yellow. Sweet and rich. Good for drying. Ripens mid-season to late. Tree vigorous, upright-spreading. Prolific in California.

Fuyu (Fuyugaki) - Medium-large oblate fruit, faintly four-sided. Skin deep orange. Flesh light orange, sweet and mild. Ripens late. Keeps well and is an excellent packer and shipper. Tree vigorous, spreading, productive. Most popular non-astringent cultivar in Japan.

Persimmon Salad
serves 4

(I pieced this recipe together from memory and my taste.)

Salad

4 slices of prosciutto, sliced into bite sizes
2 persimmons, sliced
field greens, any type of greens, 4 large hand fulls
1/2 cup pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Asiago cheese, generous, thinly shaved

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup Sherry vinegar (Desoto brand at Williams Sonoma)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large pinches of salt (Maldon brand at Williams Sonoma or Sur La Table)
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

The vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk well to combine.
The salad, combine all of the ingredients and top with dressing. Toss to combine.
(This is how I make the salad. The restaurant served the salad in a beautiful presentation on individual plates. I listed Williams Sonoma and Sur La Table as an option for the salt and vinegar. The food item can only be purchased in the stores.)

It is delicious.

Enjoy

Mia Cucina Su Cucina » Williams Sonoma

Food ages gracefully

Persimmon Salad