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Greetings Food Lovers!
This is the second edition of "The Conscious Palate," my new bi-monthly newsletter from LA CUCINA di TERRESA!
For those who might have had the first edition swallowed by their spam software (hopefully I've resolved the problem),
I'm sending this little introduction one more time... I'm excited to share with you my thoughts on food as well as
simple, seasonal, plant-based recipes, often inspired by the rich heritage of Italian cuisine's love affair with our
majestic vegetable kingdom. My wish is to provide you with not only an array of savory recipes, but also much
"food for thought" concerning such topics as the benefits of eating local, in season, organically grown produce
and the significance of where, when, and how food is grown and harvested. We can enjoy our food with far more gusto knowing that our gastronomic pleasure was accompanied by a commitment to agricultural practices that are respectful
to the earth and indeed all life on the planet!
If you don’t wish to receive this newsletter, just send me an email.
If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to write me.
(Pour ceux entre vous qui ne lisent pas l’anglais, je m'excuse, mais pour l'instant ce newsletter n'est pas encore traduit
en français. Bientôt, j'espère...)
Enjoy! Theresa Murphy |
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July 27, 2008 Blancmange is one of my favorite desserts, wonderfully light and refreshing on hot summer days. It's somewhat
like Italy's panna cotta (cooked milk), except that it is made with almond milk - and I thicken it with agar-agar. I'm
always excited when I find scrumptious desserts that haven't the ubiquitous egg-milk combination. It makes for a nice
change. As for toppings, given its mild nutty flavor, just about anything that stirs the imagination goes wonderfully
with it. I sometimes top it with a dark chocolate syrup, a blackberry or strawberry coulis, even a basil coulis. Along
with spice cake, Blancmange (white food in English) is considered to be one of the oldest desserts in France. Grimod
de La Reynière (a literary epicure from the 18th century) said that it originated in Langeudoc in the early Middle Ages,
though its true origin remains unclear. It is thought that the introduction of almonds in Europe by the Arabs is
at its origin. In the beginning it was a white meat jelly made from pounded chicken or veal, almond milk, rice, sugar,
rosewater, and a thickener. Sometime in the 17th century, blancmange became the white pudding that we know it
as today. It arrived in Italy during the 12th century and curiously became a typical dessert in two of its most distant
regions: Sicily and Val d'Aosta. In Sicily, it is traditionally cooked with lemon zest and cinnamon and each mold
is served on a lemon-tree leaf.
Recently, a few friends have sent me articles on buying and eating local fruits and vegetables. It's amazing how this movement has sprung up and taken root, from CSA (community sustained agriculture) in the States (it's equal in France
is AMAP - association pour le maintien d'agriculture paysanne) to actually having someone plant and tend a vegetable garden right in your own backyard. I thought I'd pass on these articles: Cutting Out the Middlemen, Shoppers Buy Slices of Farms and A Locally Grown Diet With Fuss but No Muss. Earlier this year, I also read a wonderful article on Amy Franceschini and her Victory Gardens project in edible San Francisco. It was very inspiring. Wow, that's
a lot of links! Well, enjoy any or all!
Wine note: You might try a Moscato Passito di Pantelleria, from Sicily, or a Moscato d'Asti with this blancmange. The recipe is below. |
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Peach Blancmange (serves 8) 450 gr (1 lb) sweet almonds, or 1liter (4 1/4 cups) unsweetened almond milk
20 bitter almonds or 8 drops of almond extract or essence
4 tsp agar-agar flakes
125 gr (1/2 cup) cane sugar To make almond milk:
Blanche sweet almonds and bitter almonds in boiling water for 1 minute. (If using almond extract, simply add it
to the almond milk). Drain and let cool just long enough to be able to handle. Remove skins by squeezing one end
of almond between fingers. Let them soak in a bowl of cold water for 15 minutes to render them whiter. Liquidize
the blanched almonds with 1 liter (4 1/4 cups) hot water. When the liquid is milky and the almonds very fine, strain
mixture through muslin or a fine strainer, squeezing or pressing down to retrieve all the liquid. The almond milk
can be made the day before. To make blancmange:
Add the agar-agar to the almond milk (let the almond milk if you have just made it) and let stand for 10 minutes. Bring
to boil over medium heat with cane sugar, stirring frequently. When sugar and agar-agar are dissolved (5-10 minutes)
remove from heat. (If the agar-agar doesn’t dissolve completely, strain mixture). Pour the almond blancmange into
a large mould or small individual ramekins (they will set faster). Leave aside to cool then refrigerate until firmly set.
Note: You can also blend a mixture of blanched nuts to make the nut milk, for example: 225 gr (1/2 lb) each
of almonds and hazel nuts, or 400 gr (14 oz) almonds and 60 gr (1/2 cup) raw pistachios. Fresh peach topping:
8 medium-sized ripe peaches
1 cup cane sugar
2 tsp (or 2 large pinches) fresh thyme leaves
1 handful blanched almonds, roasted, cooled, and cut into slivers Mix sugar and peaches together and set aside to marinate for 2 hours. Then bring to a boil and cook over medium heat
for 12 minutes. Ladle off the foam that has collected on the top. Remove from heat and stir in thyme. Let cool before
garnishing the blancmange. Sprinkle blancmange with roasted almond slivers
Note: The peach topping can be made 2-3 days ahead of time. |
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