Perking up wilted veggies
Winter veggies aren't always the best and sometimes we just leave them in the crisper a day or two too long. Before you bin them, try to freshen up those limp vegetables. Drop aging produce into a sink full of ice water and see if that doesn't breath some new life into it. Plants generally wilt due to water loss; ice water penetrates their cells to restore crispness. This technique works well with lettuce, kale, chard, carrots, radish, some herbs, asparagus and even beets.
For optimum storage:
Building an Antipasto Platter
Antipasto, literally means "before the meal." An antipasto plate will bring a relaxed spirit & friendly, casual conversation to your meal. No matter the occasion, serving antipasto is the perfect way to slow things down and savour some great food.
Antipasto plates are simply colourful offerings of marinated vegetables like artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers or pickled garlic and salty olives, rustic artisan breads, deli meats, small bites of seafood delicacies and rich cheeses. Dolmades, available at Well Seasoned, make a great addition to your next platter. Dolmades are delicate little parcels made from grape leaves (also known as vine leaves) stuffed with long-grain rice, fresh herbs and seasonings. They can be served cold or at room temperature.
Keep the antipasto simple so you don’t crowd out the main meal (unless it is the meal!). The fragrance and appearance of the food that you serve is important, blending flavours, aromas & colours will make for the most interesting antipasto plates. Enjoy this dish with family and friends.
Paprika - what to use?
Hot, sweet, smoked, plain, Hungarian or Spanish – what are the differences between types of paprika? Paprika is made from grinding various kinds of peppers. Used for flavour & colour, paprika is the fourth most consumed spice in the world. Most paprika sold in supermarkets is comes from Hungary, Californian or South American. This paprika tends to be really bland in flavour but is a suitable as a garnish for things like devilled eggs when you just want some colour.
Hungarian Paprika is considered the national spice of Hungary & it appears in the country's most celebrated dish, goulash. Hungarian paprika is made from peppers that are harvested, sorted, toasted & blended.
Spanish paprika, although generally less intense that Hungarian paprika, can range from dulce (sweet/mild) to agridulce (bittersweet) to picante (hot), depending on the type of peppers & whether or not the seeds are removed. In Spain farmers harvest & dry the chilies over wood fires, creating smoked paprika or pimentón de La Vera.
Rice wine is a rich-flavoured liquid made from fermented glutinous rice. Aged for ten years or more, rice wine is used both in drinking and cooking (the rice wine used for cooking has a lower alcohol content). Unlike European wine, which is made by fermentation of naturally occurring sugars in sweet grapes, rice wine is made from the fermentation of rice starch that has been converted to sugars. The process is somewhat similar to the mashing process used in beer and whiskey production.
Rice wine is available in Asian specialty stores or sections in supermarkets but avoid buying the ones with added salt if possible. While the flavour is not the same - a dry white wine or sherry can be used as a substitute for Chinese rice wine in marinades & sauces BUT, it is quite inexpensive & store it in your pantry after opening for about a year.
We prefer the Shaoxing brand of rice wine. If you can find it, buy it, it is very good.
Balsamic Reduction
An open bottle, is an empty bottle! Balsamic reduction isn't just for salad. We know you will find a million ways to use this but in case you need a little inspiration;
How many times have you gone to bake cookies or a cake & realized you forgot to take your butter out of the refrigerator & it is rock hard? You are probably incredibly impatient, just like us and end up turning to the microwave and accidentally melting it.
Rather than waiting for it to soften, simple grate the butter on your box grater - the same side you would use to grate your cheddar cheese. Spread out the fluffy shards of butter on a plate and they'll soften up even before you have the rest of your ingredients measured out. If you are making biscuits, scones or a pie crust simply add the frozen grated butter to your recipe for amazing results.
