Some of the most famous and tastiest herbs in the world come from Italy. Some of the best cuisines come from Italy and are well known in part for their herbs. Growing your own herbs in an Italian herb garden provides a massive quantity of potential.
Basil is a well know Italian herb and useful in many Italian recipes. Basil will not only add flavor to many Italian cuisines, it is useful in the garden to other plants. Planting basil next to your peppers and tomatoes will actually improve their flavor. Plus, basil will also keep at bay those pesky flies and mosquitoes.
Parsley is a relatively hard herb plant to grow. It is useful not only in Italian dishes but many other types of cuisines. Many generations ago before their were breath mints it was found that eating fresh, raw parsley after a meal eliminated the bad breath left over from enjoying a savory cuisine. The tradition arose to serve parsley on a small dish after the meal. The custom lives today by using parsley as a garnish on an assortment of meals.
Oregano is as decorative as it is flavorful. When it is fully mature it will sprout pretty little purple flowers. Oregano should not be harvested until it has flowered because this is when the plant is at most flavorful.
Fennel is famous for its seeds that grace and enhance the flavors of Italian sausage. The interesting thing about fennel is that the plant looses its flavor as it matures. It is a perennial plant that should be divided and replanted every few years to savor its flavor.
Like basil, Rosemary is an Italian herb that is beneficial to the garden. It grows into a large shrub that spouts pretty little blue flowers. It helps the garden by attracting bees. Although it is a tough evergreen perennial, it is sensitive to frost.
Garlic is probably the herb that is most used in Italian cooking. No Italian herb garden would be complete without this useful herb. Garlic gloves can be planted and will flourish in just about any garden with very little attention. They can be stored to be used at a later date after they are harvested. Freezing them or pickling them to be stored in the refrigerator is some of the methods used.
Sage is used in a variety of Italian dishes from meats to salads. New shoots of the plant contain the most flavors. It is recommended not to let sage plants to get to woody by keeping them trimmed. New shoots will be encouraged to grow if you keep the sage trimmed. Sage can be harvested after it blooms.
There are many more herbs that you can include in your Italian herb garden. You do need to consider what kinds of herbs you wish to use and the growing conditions for the herbs you have selected to put in your garden. Make sure you are able to meet then needs of the herbs you have chosen for your Italian herb garden.
Italian herbs add wonderful flavors to food, but also offer so much more. Italian herbs make and incredible addition to landscaping designs. They can be shown for their spectacular colors and enjoyed for the tantalizing aromas the herbs release. By planting Italian herbs amid other plants, you will be graced with the sweet aromas straight from Italy.
By: Paul Zeman
The Italian Herb Garden – A Culinary Delight
February 7th, 2010 by admin No comments »Seniors – From Grandma’s Kitchen – A Culinary Memory Book
February 6th, 2010 by admin No comments »
There are two things I remember most vividly from grandma’s house: the little presents that always lay waiting for me under the coffee table in the den… and grandma’s goulash. It’s funny though, looking back on it. I can’t ever seem to remember what those presents were, but boy do I remember the taste and smell of that goulash- all that aromatic tomato sauce, onion, and noodles.
I vividly remember the image of grandma preparing it in the kitchen. She’d have me chop things and set the table with her beautiful red linens and shiny silverware. To go with the goulash, she toasted pita bread in the oven, spread with butter and garlic salt. It was my job to watch as the pita turned brown and turn them over.
Along with my love for grandma’s goulash, there was the love for grandma’s green peas, grandma’s cookies, and grandma’s “fried mush”. I know what you’re thinking– fried mush? Potato pancakes cooked on the skittle and covered in maple syrup. The stuff is to die for.
All these fond memories of grandma’s cooking make me just want to kick myself for not having collected all her recipes. Not just recipes, but photographs too; all sorts of memorabilia that reminds me of those special meals.
Scrapbook-making is a hot hobby right now, and there are plenty of stores with all kinds of different books, pages, stickers, and stamps. I’m starting to think that the best way to preserve your recipes for your children and grandchildren, or the other way around, is to begin filling one of those books with all your culinary memories. Take pictures of wonderful meals with wonderful friends, and encapsulate them for posterity-recipes included! Make a photo album cookbook.
Write notes and tips alongside the recipes, if you can’t keep a secret. Put stickers, photographs, magazine pictures, anything that brings back the experience of that wonderful food.
Every year for 4th of July my extended family goes up to the mountains to celebrate, and every year my uncle picks one morning to make his special pancakes. But these aren’t your average pancakes, these are works of art. He makes pictures with the batter, spelling out people’s names, drawing pictures, and sometimes creating whole landscapes of dough. One summer my special pancake was in the shape of a giraffe eating from a tree!
Each year these specially designed pancakes are photographed next to their proud recipient. All of those photographs are now in a book that expands with each year. When I flip through that book, I’m reminded of all the smiling faces, the taste of the buttery maple syrup, and most importantly, reminded of a culinary tradition that has brought me joy since childhood.
By: Raymond Degg
Hawaiian Organic Honey – A Culinary Treasure Of The Big Island
February 5th, 2010 by admin No comments »
Rarity is often enough to add significant value to an item, especially in the case of art, jewellery and similar collectibles. In many cases, the rarity of an item is closely associated with the location from which it came. Over the course of many years there have been instances when this combination also applied to food and drink; for example, fine wines or a rare sort of animal or plant that is considered edible (and has become desirable).
However, there is one additional factor to consider – quality in workmanship, natural appearance or, in the case of food and drink, taste. Standing alone among specialty food items in the modern market, because of both its rarity and overall quality, is tropical honey from the nectar of Kiawe flowers.
A unique combination of geography, natural irrigation and atmospheric conditions creates a habitat on the Big Island of Hawaii ideal for the cultivation of raw honey. Beekeepers have harvested excellent honey from the islands for some time, with nearly a million pounds of honey coming from the area known as the Puako Forest annually. But in recent years, particular attention to selection of the raw honey results in a product that is literally unrivalled in its purity, texture and overall taste.
For some, it may be enough that this tropical honey comes only from a small section of a very special part of the world. That alone would separate it, in quality and taste, from much of the honey produced around the globe. But beginning with an exquisite raw honey just may not be sufficient to get this special condiment to those who appreciate its organic purity. Something else is necessary – meticulous attention to detail during the entire post-harvest process.
Harvesting Kiawe honey involves timing, a factor critical in most honey processes. Raw honey taken too early may ferment in the jar, but if it is taken too late it crystallizes in the comb. If the honey is handpicked at just the correct time, and put into containers correctly, it will manifest a superior white, smooth texture in just a few days.
Taking the combs at just the right moment would be enough to separate the final product from other honey. Yet there is one more step to consider, or in this case, a step to leave out. Raw Kiawe honey is a living food. Experienced producers know that cold-bottling honey retains its wonderful texture and preserves healthy, natural enzymes. While leaving heat out of the process produces an ideal tropical honey, the viscosity (thickness) does slow down processing, again contributing to the rarity of the finished product.
Connoisseurs know there are some excellent raw honey sources around the world, and that fine honey is available on every continent. But a growing number of aficionados consider Kiawe tropical honey from the Big Island of Hawaii to be a natural treasure with few, if any, culinary peers.
By: Casey Markee
