Last week, I came across some lovely baby artichokes, from Italy. They were a beauty, fresh, tender and full of flavour. When the artichokes are this tender, you can eat them raw in salad, they taste great just like that.

This time I’ve decided to pickle them to preserve them for the winter.

I started by cleaning them. I normally take off the outer dark leaves, then I cut the tip, about 1 cm in.

Next, cut the artichokes in half and with a small, sharp knife and take off the “beard” in the heart of the artichokes. It’s a time consuming job, but worthwhile.

Next thing to do, is to pickle the artichokes.

Bring to a boil half a litre of water and half a litre of vinegar. In this case I used red wine vinegar but you can use any kind of vinegar. I also add black peppercorn, salt and bay leaves.

Once the mix is boiling, pour the artichokes in and cook for 3 minutes.

I like to keep the artichokes crunchy, but if you boil them for 1 or 2 minutes more you can get them softer.

Once cooked, drain and allow to cool on a kitchen cloth, to get rid of most of the water.

Once the artichokes are cold, it’s time to pour them in jars.

Clean the jars and sterilize them. You can put the jar in an oven at 90OC for 4 min. or boil the jar for 3 min to allow cooling.

Pour the artichokes in the jar and push them in a bit so you can fit more in to it.

Now it’s time to cover them with olive oil.

You can just pour good olive oil on it or aromatize the olive oil.

I normally cut a couple of fresh chillies in half and add a few garlic cloves and some peppercorns.

I heat a bit of olive oil up and fry the ingredients quickly. Allow to cool and mix with the rest of the olive oil.

Pour the olive oil in the jar to cover the artichokes. Close the lid tightly and put a sticker with the date.

Enjoy it!

She comes from the Emme Valley in the Canton of Bern. While we were there she organised for me to go and see the village cheesemaker of Suederen-Oberei deep in the Emmental region just above Thun.

Emmental is made from Cows milk and matured for at least two months up to a maximum of fourteen months. The milk comes from the farmers in the surrounding area on a daily basis.

The Cheesemaker was called Christian Aeschlimann , and he has been a Cheesemaker for the last 37 years!

He normally gets between 4000 and 6000 lt. of milk on a daily basis. He produces about 5 Emmentals each about 100 kg and also yoghurt, Gruyer and other local cheeses.

There is a tradition in Switzerland that the cheese maker grows his own on bacteria, to use with the animal rennet to make the cheeses. This bacteria is responsible for the creation of the classic holes in the Emmental.

Every Cheesemaker in Switzerland has his own code, (the post code of the village) that its used to identify where the cheese comes from exactly. It works like a traceability code.

In this case, Christians code is 3218.

His place is small and it looks like a normal house from the outside. There is a shop and in the back there is the room where they make cheeses, yogurt and butter.

First the milk is heated to 32° C and stirred continually. When the milk reaches the desired temperature, rennet and bacteria are added to the milk to curdle it, and the stirring stops.

The curdling process takes around 40 minutes, and results in a pudding-like mixture that is cut into pieces using a cheese harp. The stirring continues and as the pieces become smaller, they produce a watery liquid (whey). The mixture is heated to between 52° C – 54° to remove even more of the whey.

The mixture is transferred to cheese forms and cheesecloth and labelled with  the registration number and date. The cheese is then pressed for 20 hours with a hydraulic press with pressure reaching up to two tons.

The cheese wheels are placed in a brine bath for 2 days where they lose water, absorb salt, and rind forms.

The next step is cellaring the cheese in the cool brine cellars kept at 12° C – 16° C (54° F – 61° F) for 5-20 days.

After the cool brine cellar period, the cheese goes to the warm fermentation cellars kept at 19° C – 24° C to sweat the cheese, and are turned frequently during the next 6-8 weeks.

The cheese is cleaned, placed in the storage cellars kept at 11° C – 14°  for maturation, and turned once per week during this 2-month process. The cheese can then be sold onto the market or matured for a longer period of time.

I hope you enjoy the pictures, the Cheese was delicious!

Until next time

PB

We have 2 big passions at Ed’s: Our Josper oven and the gorgeous top quality rare breed meat we use for our critically acclaimed steaks and burgers. We imported our Josper oven from Spain when we opened the restaurant in May 2010. This indoor bbq uses the highest quality charcoal and cooks at 500 degrees. All the meat and fish cooked in the Josper sears immediately, keeping all the juices and flavours sealed in and ensuring all our steaks stay tender and succulent with a rich meaty taste.

An amazing and unique oven like the Josper deserves only the top quality meat to cook in it so we get all our meat for our steaks and burgers from The Rare Breed Meat Company in Coggeshall in Essex.  The father and son team Howard and George rear cattle, poultry and sheep that are not the usual breeds you see in the supermarket meat aisles. Since WWII there has been a dramatic change in British agriculture, giving rise to the high yield farming and intensive methods we see today. This has inevitably compromised the variety and quality of the meat on the consumer’s table. The Rare Breed Meat Company fervently believe (and so does every chef, critic and customer!) that the meat from animals reared in this totally free range environment and fed only natural food (free from growth promoters) ensures a dining experience of exceptional quality. The steaks on our menus at Locale are also rare breed meat and we’re very proud of their provenance.

Visiting the farm and seeing all the free roaming geese, turkeys, sheep and cows was really great and to know exactly where the meat we serve comes from made us all even more proud of the food we serve at our restaurants.

We were lucky enough to be shown around the whole farm, even where the meat is hung and butchered. I was a little squeamish and also a rather embarrassed about the obligatory white suits but Paolo was loving it, being a trained butcher you could see how much he wanted to get a big cleaver and start on one of the hanging carcasses!

Our day was brilliant, educational and inspirational. It was just so good to see the guys working hard to keep British heritage farming methods and traditional breeds alive that were in danger of dying out and being lost forever. To find out more about rare breeds check out The Rare Breeds Survival Trust’s website and also Slow Food (started in Italy!) which sings the praises of a more thoughtful and conscientious way of producing and preparing food.

Hope to see you in one of our restaurants soon to come and sample the food we are so proud of

While a was in the area of Jerez in Andalucia, I went for a visit to a small but traditional sherry producer.

I went to Bodegas Tradicion on a hot early afternoon, for a tour of the winery and a tasting.

This bodegas has an art gallery/ private collection as well, which was quite interesting.

Based in the old centre of Jerez De La Frontera , this impressive Bodega produces 4 kinds of sherry, Palo Cortado ,  Oloroso, Amontillado and Pedro Ximenez. They also produce 2 different kinds of brandy – gold and platinum.

It all begins towards the end of August or beginning of September when the harvest commences, it is a hot period when the grapes are to the point of full maturity and the sugar and acid content is ideal for producing Sherries.

After they are picked, the grapes are taken to the “lagares” or pressing area to be picked-over and pressed. For the grapes that come from the best parcels and that will be destined for the best wines, the mosto de yema or first run must is permitted to drain free, that is to say, obtaining the grape must simply by the pressure from its own weight and not from hydraulic pressure.

This is the purest, most elegant and aromatic of all the musts and it will be used for the highest quality wines. After this first phase, a gentle pressing of the grapes will also obtain a very good must that will probably be destined for very fine wines. The majority of the must that results from the later pressings will be destined for “Olorosos” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oloroso.

After the fermentation of the must into wine, we have a 12 – 13% alcohol wine (still known in Jerez as “must”) and it will be clarified in a tank. This is called the deslío or the settling of the lees to the bottom of the tank, which normally takes places towards the end of December, after which it will have its first classification. This is where the vital differences with the rest of the world’s wines commence.

In this first classification of the wine in the tank, the winery foreman or capataz, together with the oenologist, will use their olfactory and gustatory skills to decide the type of ageing that each wine needs. If they find that the wine is subtle, elegant and light, it will be designated to be aged as a Fino (or Manzanilla in Sanlúcar). However, if they find that the wine has more body, is more potent and aromatic, it will be destined for ageing as an Oloroso.

Fortification:

Next comes a very important part of the vinification process of Sherry, the fortification. A wine is fortified by adding a wine spirit to raise the alcohol content. The origin of this practice seems to stem from former necessity to stabilize the wines so that they could withstand a long voyage, but in the present it forms a part of the legacy of knowledge that permits the characteristic ageing of Sherry.

For example, those wines that are going to become Fino (or Manzanilla), will be fortified to 15.5% from its original 12-13%, at which point the ideal environment is achieved for the proliferation of the yeast of the velo de flor, or veil of yeast.

THE FLOR OF THE WINE

Returning to the moment of fortification, if the ageing of an Oloroso is desired, it must be fortified to 17-18% alcohol. There can be no biological activity in the wine at that strength; therefore the ageing will be through oxidation.

Once the fortification process is finished, the first months of ageing begin. This is still considered part of the vinification phase in Jerez, called the sobretablas or on the planks phase, where the wine is put into barrels known as botas, or butts, in Jerez. The sobretablas phase lasts between 6 months and a year, after which a second classification will take place. In the crianza, or ageing phase, which some compare to the raising of a human being, the wines will be directed down one road or another according to their potential and with the goal to bring out their best traits.

The most basic plan for a system of criaderas and soleras for three year-old wines, the youngest wines permitted to be bottled in Sherry region, is the following:

•1/3 of the content of the solera (the oldest wine) is bottled

•The solera is refilled, or rociado, with 1/3 of the content of the first criadera

•The first criadera is refilled with 1/3 of the second criadera

•The second criadera is refilled with all of the wine in the sobretablas phase. Normally, instead of doing this once a year using the 1/3 proportion, it is done is lesser proportions to avoid abrupt changes in the wine.

This is the most basic system for three year-old wines, but as we will see further ahead in the allocation system, the older the wine, greater is the number of steps needed for a smaller proportion of wine to be extracted and refilled.

The Vintages

In Bodegas Tradición, we have rescued various vintage butts from different years and different types of Sherry. As previously mentioned, Olorosos and Palo Cortados are the only types of Sherry permitted by the Regulating Council to be classified as vintage. The reason is simple; Finos and Manzanillas cannot be aged without being refreshed by younger wines making it impossible to establish a vintage date. This would also apply to Amontillados since they are a product of Finos or Manzanillas.

A few weeks ago, I went to southern Spain around Andalucía, for a few days for a foodie trip and to see the Moto GP. Beside the weather being great, I really enjoy the food around there.

I spent a few days in Cadiz, a beautiful old town on the west coast of Spain. There is a lot of history in Cadiz; apparently it’s the oldest town in Europe. The architecture of the place is amazing, with buildings dating back to different historical times.

But let’s talk about one of my favourite topics: the food! Food in Cádiz, and generally in Andalucía, is great! Lots of seafood, and with the fact the Cádiz lay on the Atlantic Ocean and not far from the Mediterranean Sea, there was a lot of different influences.

One thing that really left me speechless is the general market, in the centre of town.

I really whished that I had an apartment with a kitchen that I could use! On the perimeter of the market, there are all the different butchers, where you can get almost everything! From chicken to beef to offal and lots of charcuteries and classic Spanish hamon.

MOUTH WATERING!

The fruit and vegetables stalls, were equally great. A beautiful display of colours and variety.

Strawberries were large and ripe, we had some clementine’s which were large and very sweet.

Dulcis in fundo, I had a look at the fish market. It was amazing.! I have not seen that variety and quality of fish , in a very long time! It actually looked better than London Billingsgate. There a huge variety of fish, from baby squid to tuna.

Around the corner from the market, there is this restaurant/take away that serve “fritto misto”, mix deep fried seafood. They serve the seafood in an old fashion, paper cone. The seafood there was just amazing and simple. Fresh fish dusted in flour and fried. FOOD FOR KINGS I actually ate there for the 3 days that I was in Cadiz.

I would say that Cádiz and Andalucía in general, is a real “foodie” place.

I hope you enjoy the pictures

Until next time

Paolo Barone

This is on the menu in the restaurants as of now, so I hope you’ll go and check it out!

Until Next time

Paolo Barone

Slow Roasted Tomato, Mozzerella and Broad Bean superfood Summer Salad

Slow Roasted Tomato

Broadbeans

Buffalo Mozzerella

Mixed leaves

Fresh basil

Dressing: Olive oil and lemon juice

The thing about so called ‘super-foods’ is that you don’t need to be gnawing the root of an Incan holy plant whilst deciding the ingredients of your latest spirulina smoothie to get the benefits of all that Mother Nature intended. Perhaps we should be talking more about ‘whole-foods,’ as all the evidence shows that eating seasonal food that is unprocessed and closest to it’s natural form delivers the most essential nutrients.

In this salad we have not only used ‘whole’ foods, but we’ve cunningly combined them and prepared them to maximise the synergy of nutrients that all the latest research shows has the potential to have the greatest impact on your health. And we’ve still only used fresh seasonal ingredients you can get at any market, or even grow in your garden. With the exception of the buffalo mozzarella, but you could always have a go!

Take the tomato for example. Eaten fresh it’s full of vitamin C and anti-oxidants called carotenoids, specifically one called lycopene. These give the tomato it’s rich colour and are known to help prevent against cardiovascular disease.Tomatoes are huge part of the ‘Mediterranean’ diet, which explains why people who live near the Med have very low incidence of cardiovascular disease even though they cane it the rest of the time. Tomatoes also contain vitamin E and this is where it starts to get interesting. Vitamin E is an oil based nutrient and one which is better absorbed by the body when eaten with other oils and fats, such as olive oil and mozzarella. Vitamin E is responsible for many things, from retarding cellular ageing to helping to heal burns and it’s also found in nuts, leafy greens and eggs. But lightly cooking and eating the tomato with olive oil helps the vitamin E to be absorbed and as vitamin E is also an anti-oxidant it also works with the vitamin C and the lycopene in that synergistic way that is so vital to our health.

Lycopene, which is particular to tomatoes, also benefits from some heating up and many studies have shown that the potency of lycopene shoots through the roof when tomatoes are cooked. Lycopene consumption has been linked to low incidences of many cancers, including colorectal, prostate, breast, lung and pancreatic (it’s that Med diet again). As a potent anti-oxidant it literally can help protect your cells from damage, whilst helping to recycle the more usual ones such as vitamin C.

But all that cooking can have a negative impact on vitamin C and that’s why I like to slow roast tomatoes – 2 hrs at 140 degrees with a little olive oil and seasoning is all you need. You can do a whole batch at a time and use them in lots of things, or whizz them into a fantastic healthy soup. Slow roasting gives the vitamin C a fighting chance and also intensifies the flavour of the tomatoes in a quite amazing way. If I told you tomatoes also contain (deep breath in..) vitamins A, K, B1, B6, folate, B3 and B2, the minerals molybdenum, manganese, potassium, copper and phosphate and the ‘happy pill’ amino acid tryptophan, would you still question the ‘superiority’ of the humble tomato?I  think not..

Over to the (not so humble) broad bean. Easier to digest than French or green beans (as they don’t contain lectins), they can be eaten when young and tender, before the outer skin has hardened. They are in abundance now, but you can also keep a stash of them in the freezer, like you would a bag of peas. Low in sodium and rich in potassium, they are good for high blood pressure and fluid retention, and their high folate content makes them good for women who are planning pregnancy. They are also high in vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), which helps the body maintain balanced cholesterol and helps the endocrine system balance hormones. They are also a good source of protein.

You’ve heard me bang on enough about green leaves, particularly watercress, but basil deserves a special mention. A natural companion to tomato and mozzarella, basil also contains volatile oils that help digestion, prevent flatulence and have an antiseptic property that is thought to be good for acne. It also has a mild tranquillising effect that could be good for insomniacs – who knew that?!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this delicious salad and don’t worry, for all you super-food obsessives, i’ll have gnawing some Incan roots before the year is out.

www.antoniamaguire.com

This is my last blog on my trip to Italy!

I was really fortunate to be a guest at the the Alma catering school.

http://www.alma.scuolacucina.it/en/default.aspx

Alma is one of the top catering school in Italy, run by the world famous chef Gualtiero Marchesi, who was the first Italian chef to win three Michelin stars..

http://www.gualtieromarchesi.it/en/biografia.html

Over the years he has developed his own style and his own “code” during the years, you can even buy the “Marchesi Code” book)

http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2008/09/18/323453/the-master-of-italian-cuisine-gualtiero-marchesi.htm

He started  back in the 70s, with the idea of cooking at very high levels  and using art as inspiration for his dishes. I was lucky enough to have Chef Michel Magada  for the day to show me some of the Marchesi dishes and his philosophy of cooking.

The location is a fantastic old building in the centre of Colorno.

The school is a state of the art! There are lots of different kitchens with all the equipment that you can think of. They run different kitchen and pastry workshop with student coming in from all over the world. Chef Paolo Amadori, showed  me around the school and was available all day, to answer all questions and my curiosity.

They also have a vast selection of wine from all over Italy, and a very nice cellar in the basement.

Until next time!

Paolo Barone

Enjoy!

PB

http://www.aladyinlondon.com/2011/06/locale-restaurant-london-waterloo.html

It has been a while since I wrote the last blog, things have been a bit hectic.

On my trip to Italy a while ago, I went to visit Medici Ermete, a large wine producer from Emilia Romagna.

At medici, together with the production of Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine from Emila Romagna, they also make aceto balsamico the traditional way, mostly as a hobby.

The process starts with the wine in large barrels, left without the cork for a few years in a canteen, to ferment and evaporate. The wine evaporates and it naturally becomes vinegar.

After this process, it’s then decanted into smaller barrels for the aging process and it is moved to the loft. It takes about 15-30 years for the balsamic to be ready

Aging take place in a series of small barrels, all made of different kinds of wood (mulberry, durmat, chestnut, cherry, juniper) and each having decreasing volume. The vinegar takes the colour and the characteristics of the different kinds of wood. That’s one of the reasons it is decanted from large to smaller barrels. By refilling the barrel with the product from a different barrel, all the balsamic gets a different distinct flavour.

The vinegar is decanted in the small barrels and left without a cork for a year, then year after year,

the barrels are filled in, starting with the smaller one. It’s normally done by decanting the balsamic and filling the smaller barrel with balsamic from the next size up. When they get to the bigger of the barrel, they fill it with the “new vinegar”.

Every year, in a special method of decanting, the smallest barrel of the sequence provide a few litres of balsamic vinegar.

In the past, farmers and wine producer, started the production of balsamic as a “dote” for a new born baby. The ideas is that when the new born grows up, they will have the balsamic vinegar for the time that they get married.

Medici sell 3 kind of balsamic, which are part of the consortium:

Red label is aged for a minimum of 18 years. This is normally good for cooking or salad and dressing.

Silver label it is aged for a minimum of 25 years and it s quite strong in flavour, it would be a waste to cook with this one.

Gold label is aged for a minimum of 30 years and is very strong and dense. It would normally be used in single drops with cheeses or fruit.

Enjoy!

Until Next time

Paolo Barone