Carmine Giardini's Cooking Tips

coffee | artichokes | olive oil | cheese | honey | salt | apples | lemon grass | flour

COFFEE...is your morning coffee bitter? stale? burnt? smoky? strong? Perhaps there's something you can do about it. Here's some pointers:

1) Buy a coffee grinder. Purchasing beans is the best way to go - coffee begins to loose it's potency 30 minutes after it is ground. Grind as you need it, not before.
2) Keep your coffee maker clean. Use the dishwasher daily to remove buildup of coffee oils on the pot, lid, and filter holder. Use a coffee machine cleaning solution (now available at most grocery stores) or a solution of white vinegar and water to clean the water chamber. Run the solution through several cycles.
3) Always start with cold water. Heated water lacks oxygen. Oxygen helps develop the flavors during the brewing process. Experiment with bottled water - depending on what part of the country you live, tap water can have a devastating impact on flavor.
4) Use the proper ratio of coffee to water. Not enough coffee to water can cause over extraction of the grounds creating bitterness - in other words, you "work" the coffee too hard. Depending on personal preference, we recommend 1.25 to 1.75 ounces of grounds per quart of water (these measurements are by weight, not measure).
5) Check the brewing temperature of the water. Buy a probe thermometer and check the water as it hits the filter basket. Proper temperature is 195 to 205 degrees F. If lower, the flavor compounds will not dissolve, resulting in weak coffee. If higher, the organic material decomposes, resulting in a burned taste.
6) Experiment with different levels of grinding - very fine powder-like grounds produce a very strong heavy bodied coffee: whereas, coarse grounds produce a fresh, light cup of coffee.
7) And if all else fails, it might be the roast time. The darker and more oily the coffee beans, the longer the roast which results in a stronger flavor. From strongest roast to weakest, the terminology is:

TURKISH ROAST
ESPRESSO
FRENCH ROAST
VIENNA ROAST
CINNAMON
AMERICAN
LIGHT

ARTICHOKES...Hmmm, the artichokes look beautiful today, but what do I do with them?

BUYING: Winter artichokes (Nov. thru Mar.) should look rounded with solid, tightly closed, bright green leaves. If bronzed at the edge, it may be frost damaged. Summer artichokes (June thru Oct.) are more cone-shaped with loose, spreading bright green leaves. Brown edges are an indication of age.

EATING:

1) pull off outer leaves one at a time.
2) dip base of leaf into sauce or melted butter.
3) pull the leaf through your teeth to remove its soft, tender base.
4) continue until all leaves have been removed; when you reach the artichoke's central core of inner leaves, lift off and discard.
5) spoon out the fuzzy center at the base and discard.
6) the bottom, or heart, is entirely edible; cut into small pieces and dip into sauce.

BASIC PREPARATION:

1) Rinse the artichokes under running water or in a sink of cold water.
2) Cut the stem off at the base of the artichoke.
3) Place enough water into a stainless steel or glass pan to nearly cover the artichokes. Flavor the water with lemon juice, garlic cloves or your special seasoning. Do not put the artichokes into the water yet. Bring water to boil.
4)Place the artichokes into water and bring back to boil. Partially cover and boil gently for about 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Test an artichoke for doneness after 10 minutes by poking a toothpick into the base where the stem is cut. If the toothpick goes in with little resistance (somewhat as it would go into a baked potato) the artichoke is done.
5) Drain. Serve hot or cold with your favorite dipping concoction.

SERVE NO WINE...Don't waste good wine if artichokes are being served - they contain a chemical called "cynarin" which stimulates the sweetness receptors in your tastebuds. The result is that everything you eat or drink with it will taste sweet. Drink water and hold the wine for the main course!

OLIVE OIL...which olive oil do I use when?

Italy is the second largest producer of olive oil in the world, producing over 900,000 tons each year. This is an amazing yield when you consider that most of the 3,000,000 acres of land devoted to this crop consists of hilly slopes!

THE PRESSING PROCESS: Once the "almost ripe" olives are picked, they are transported to olive mills where they are turned into pulp by rotating millstones. The pulp is then spread onto mats which are laid one on top of the other and pressed by hydraulic presses. What comes out is a layered liquid consisting of water, impurities, and oil.

THE GRADING PROCESS: Grading is done by evaluating the acidity of the oil. The acidity level is affected by age of the olive when picked, bruising done by transporting to the mill, and by heat.

EXTRA VIRGIN - Extra virgin olive oil is the best of the best! The olives are picked when very young, picking is done by hand to prevent bruising, and pressing is done in a cold environment. The oil which is captured at the beginning of the pressing process is the purest and of the highest grade. Extra virgin oil should be used as a cold dressing so that it's rich and complex flavor is not altered or masked.

VIRGIN - Virgin olive oil is pressed from a more mature olive which, in turn, produces a higher yield. For this reason, you will find that the price is a bit lower than extra virgin. The acid level is higher due to the maturity of the olive. Use this one for light cooking in which the heat is kept lower and for a shorter period of time...heat damages the protein which in turn affects the flavor.

OLIVE OIL - This oil is hot pressed. The pulp which is left over after the pressing of the extra virgin olive oil is pressed further to extract the very last of the oil. This olive oil maintains it"s qualities when heated to a high temperature, so it is better suited for frying and sauteing than the extra virgin or the virgin. You will also find that this oil is priced lower than the others.

CUTTING SOFT CHEESE...If you want a nice clean-cut wedge and you don't want to deal with all the shavings that collect on your knife, try using dental floss. Pull the floss tight with both hands and glide it smoothly thru the cheese...works on cheesecake as well!

HONEY...When using honey as a substitute when baking:

a) reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey
b) add ½ tsp. baking soda for each cup of honey
c) reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F to prevent over browning

Coat your measuring container with non-stick spray before filling with honey - the honey will slide out.

Never refrigerate honey - it will crystallize ( turn gritty). To correct this:

a) place the jar in very warm water, or
b) microwave the jar for 2 - 3 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds

Never feed honey to a baby under 1 year of age - honey contains botulism spores that adults and older children come in contact with on a regular basis, but infants systems are not ready to deal with it.

Use honey as a hair conditioner - ½ cup honey + ¼ cup olive oil. Work into the hair with your fingertips Cover with a shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes. Remove the cap and shampoo and rinse.

Use honey to make your hair shine - 1 tsp. honey + 4 cups warm water. Pour through your hair. Do not rinse. Dry as usual.

...thanks to the National Honey Board for the information...

SALT...Who would have thought that even salt has an interesting story! I noticed the other day that all of our chefs use Kosher Salt, so I decided to ask them why.

* TABLE SALT.... this salt is most widely used in our country. It is inexpensive and readily available. It comes from mined rock salt deposits. Because salt has a tendency to attract moisture from the air, additives are used to keep it from clumping. Iodine is also added, although you can buy it without. It has the strongest flavor of all the salts, but the downside is that it often has a bitter aftertaste.

* KOSHER SALT...like table salt, it too comes from mined rock salt. The difference is that it is purified, contains no additives, and is coarser in texture. It is only half as "salty" as table salt, has a purer flavor, and dissolves twice as fast as table salt.

* SEA SALT........ usually course in texture, but can be found in a fine grain. Sea salt is just as it says...from the sea. It is made by evaporating sea water. The flavor is pure and does not have the bitterness that table salt has.

* FLEUR DE SEL..a very costly product due to its processing. Coming from Brittany, France, it is thought of as "flowers of salt". It is harvested by hand during the summer months when the weather turns hot and windy. A thin deposit forms on the top of saline ponds. These deposits resemble delicate flowers when looked at with a magnifier. Its flavor is as delicate as its texture and is therefore most often used at the table instead of during the cooking process.

Carmine Giardini's Gourmet Market carries a variety of these wonderful salts which can be purchased through our toll free line 1-877-MAILFOOD or by fax 1-561-776-1468. We highly recommend:

La Baleine Iodized Sea Salt
Drogheria Alimentari Mediterranean Sea Salt
Ducros Sea Salt with Cardamom flavor
De Camargue Rosee des Salins

APPLES...Who said that apples were just for keeping the doctor away?

Mr. Todaro, our Produce Specialist, tells us that if you place one apple into your potato bag with your potatoes, the potatoes will stay fresh longer and will not develop sprouts.
Also, to ripen very hard avocados within 2 or 3 days, place holes in a paper bag and add one apple and the avocados. Close the bag . Return in 2 or 3 days to find avocadoes that are ready to eat!

LEMON GRASS...How do I use Lemon Grass?

Our recipe section contains a wonderful soup that has lemon grass as an ingredient. We Americans are now beginning to discover what wonderful flavors we can get from lemon grass. Although it looks like dry straw, there is a soft area in the center that can be diced or minced for use in marinades. Don't discard the dry outer "leaves"...they can be placed in steeping tea or soup for flavor.

FLOUR...Use you imagination instead of using flour to prevent sticking!

Rolling out cookie dough on a floured surface leaves a residue on the cookie which burns and/or dries out the cookie. Try using granulated sugar instead. It tastes good, it's invisible, and it doesn't dry the cookies out.

Flouring a greased cake pan when making chocolate cake leaves a white dust on the under surface and edges of the layer. Instead of flour, try using cocoa.

Need some help? Have a tip you want to share? Contact us!

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	coffee \| artichokes \| olive oil \| cheese \| honey \| salt \| apples \| lemon grass \| flour COFFEE...is your morning coffee bitter? stale? burnt? smoky? strong? Perhaps there's something you can do about it. Here's some pointers: 1) Buy a coffee grinder. Purchasing beans is the best way to go - coffee begins to loose it's potency 30 minutes after it is ground. Grind as you need it, not before. 2) Keep your coffee maker clean. Use the dishwasher daily to remove buildup of coffee oils on the pot, lid, and filter holder. Use a coffee machine cleaning solution (now available at most grocery stores) or a solution of white vinegar and water to clean the water chamber. Run the solution through several cycles. 3) Always start with cold water. Heated water lacks oxygen. Oxygen helps develop the flavors during the brewing process. Experiment with bottled water - depending on what part of the country you live, tap water can have a devastating impact on flavor. 4) Use the proper ratio of coffee to water. Not enough coffee to water can cause over extraction of the grounds creating bitterness - in other words, you "work" the coffee too hard. Depending on personal preference, we recommend 1.25 to 1.75 ounces of grounds per quart of water (these measurements are by weight, not measure). 5) Check the brewing temperature of the water. Buy a probe thermometer and check the water as it hits the filter basket. Proper temperature is 195 to 205 degrees F. If lower, the flavor compounds will not dissolve, resulting in weak coffee. If higher, the organic material decomposes, resulting in a burned taste. 6) Experiment with different levels of grinding - very fine powder-like grounds produce a very strong heavy bodied coffee: whereas, coarse grounds produce a fresh, light cup of coffee. 7) And if all else fails, it might be the roast time. The darker and more oily the coffee beans, the longer the roast which results in a stronger flavor. From strongest roast to weakest, the terminology is: TURKISH ROAST ESPRESSO FRENCH ROAST VIENNA ROAST CINNAMON AMERICAN LIGHT



	ARTICHOKES...Hmmm, the artichokes look beautiful today, but what do I do with them? BUYING: Winter artichokes (Nov. thru Mar.) should look rounded with solid, tightly closed, bright green leaves. If bronzed at the edge, it may be frost damaged. Summer artichokes (June thru Oct.) are more cone-shaped with loose, spreading bright green leaves. Brown edges are an indication of age. EATING: 1) pull off outer leaves one at a time. 2) dip base of leaf into sauce or melted butter. 3) pull the leaf through your teeth to remove its soft, tender base. 4) continue until all leaves have been removed; when you reach the artichoke's central core of inner leaves, lift off and discard. 5) spoon out the fuzzy center at the base and discard. 6) the bottom, or heart, is entirely edible; cut into small pieces and dip into sauce. BASIC PREPARATION: 1) Rinse the artichokes under running water or in a sink of cold water. 2) Cut the stem off at the base of the artichoke. 3) Place enough water into a stainless steel or glass pan to nearly cover the artichokes. Flavor the water with lemon juice, garlic cloves or your special seasoning. Do not put the artichokes into the water yet. Bring water to boil. 4)Place the artichokes into water and bring back to boil. Partially cover and boil gently for about 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Test an artichoke for doneness after 10 minutes by poking a toothpick into the base where the stem is cut. If the toothpick goes in with little resistance (somewhat as it would go into a baked potato) the artichoke is done. 5) Drain. Serve hot or cold with your favorite dipping concoction. SERVE NO WINE...Don't waste good wine if artichokes are being served - they contain a chemical called "cynarin" which stimulates the sweetness receptors in your tastebuds. The result is that everything you eat or drink with it will taste sweet. Drink water and hold the wine for the main course!



	OLIVE OIL...which olive oil do I use when? Italy is the second largest producer of olive oil in the world, producing over 900,000 tons each year. This is an amazing yield when you consider that most of the 3,000,000 acres of land devoted to this crop consists of hilly slopes! THE PRESSING PROCESS: Once the "almost ripe" olives are picked, they are transported to olive mills where they are turned into pulp by rotating millstones. The pulp is then spread onto mats which are laid one on top of the other and pressed by hydraulic presses. What comes out is a layered liquid consisting of water, impurities, and oil. THE GRADING PROCESS: Grading is done by evaluating the acidity of the oil. The acidity level is affected by age of the olive when picked, bruising done by transporting to the mill, and by heat. EXTRA VIRGIN - Extra virgin olive oil is the best of the best! The olives are picked when very young, picking is done by hand to prevent bruising, and pressing is done in a cold environment. The oil which is captured at the beginning of the pressing process is the purest and of the highest grade. Extra virgin oil should be used as a cold dressing so that it's rich and complex flavor is not altered or masked. VIRGIN - Virgin olive oil is pressed from a more mature olive which, in turn, produces a higher yield. For this reason, you will find that the price is a bit lower than extra virgin. The acid level is higher due to the maturity of the olive. Use this one for light cooking in which the heat is kept lower and for a shorter period of time...heat damages the protein which in turn affects the flavor. OLIVE OIL - This oil is hot pressed. The pulp which is left over after the pressing of the extra virgin olive oil is pressed further to extract the very last of the oil. This olive oil maintains it"s qualities when heated to a high temperature, so it is better suited for frying and sauteing than the extra virgin or the virgin. You will also find that this oil is priced lower than the others.



	CUTTING SOFT CHEESE...If you want a nice clean-cut wedge and you don't want to deal with all the shavings that collect on your knife, try using dental floss. Pull the floss tight with both hands and glide it smoothly thru the cheese...works on cheesecake as well!



	HONEY...When using honey as a substitute when baking: a) reduce the liquid in the recipe by ¼ cup for each cup of honey b) add ½ tsp. baking soda for each cup of honey c) reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees F to prevent over browning Coat your measuring container with non-stick spray before filling with honey - the honey will slide out. Never refrigerate honey - it will crystallize ( turn gritty). To correct this: a) place the jar in very warm water, or b) microwave the jar for 2 - 3 minutes, stopping to stir every 30 seconds Never feed honey to a baby under 1 year of age - honey contains botulism spores that adults and older children come in contact with on a regular basis, but infants systems are not ready to deal with it. Use honey as a hair conditioner - ½ cup honey + ¼ cup olive oil. Work into the hair with your fingertips Cover with a shower cap and leave on for 30 minutes. Remove the cap and shampoo and rinse. Use honey to make your hair shine - 1 tsp. honey + 4 cups warm water. Pour through your hair. Do not rinse. Dry as usual. ...thanks to the National Honey Board for the information...



	SALT...Who would have thought that even salt has an interesting story! I noticed the other day that all of our chefs use Kosher Salt, so I decided to ask them why. * TABLE SALT.... this salt is most widely used in our country. It is inexpensive and readily available. It comes from mined rock salt deposits. Because salt has a tendency to attract moisture from the air, additives are used to keep it from clumping. Iodine is also added, although you can buy it without. It has the strongest flavor of all the salts, but the downside is that it often has a bitter aftertaste. * KOSHER SALT...like table salt, it too comes from mined rock salt. The difference is that it is purified, contains no additives, and is coarser in texture. It is only half as "salty" as table salt, has a purer flavor, and dissolves twice as fast as table salt. * SEA SALT........ usually course in texture, but can be found in a fine grain. Sea salt is just as it says...from the sea. It is made by evaporating sea water. The flavor is pure and does not have the bitterness that table salt has. * FLEUR DE SEL..a very costly product due to its processing. Coming from Brittany, France, it is thought of as "flowers of salt". It is harvested by hand during the summer months when the weather turns hot and windy. A thin deposit forms on the top of saline ponds. These deposits resemble delicate flowers when looked at with a magnifier. Its flavor is as delicate as its texture and is therefore most often used at the table instead of during the cooking process. Carmine Giardini's Gourmet Market carries a variety of these wonderful salts which can be purchased through our toll free line 1-877-MAILFOOD or by fax 1-561-776-1468. We highly recommend: La Baleine Iodized Sea Salt Drogheria Alimentari Mediterranean Sea Salt Ducros Sea Salt with Cardamom flavor De Camargue Rosee des Salins



	APPLES...Who said that apples were just for keeping the doctor away? Mr. Todaro, our Produce Specialist, tells us that if you place one apple into your potato bag with your potatoes, the potatoes will stay fresh longer and will not develop sprouts. Also, to ripen very hard avocados within 2 or 3 days, place holes in a paper bag and add one apple and the avocados. Close the bag . Return in 2 or 3 days to find avocadoes that are ready to eat!



	LEMON GRASS...How do I use Lemon Grass? Our recipe section contains a wonderful soup that has lemon grass as an ingredient. We Americans are now beginning to discover what wonderful flavors we can get from lemon grass. Although it looks like dry straw, there is a soft area in the center that can be diced or minced for use in marinades. Don't discard the dry outer "leaves"...they can be placed in steeping tea or soup for flavor.



	FLOUR...Use you imagination instead of using flour to prevent sticking! Rolling out cookie dough on a floured surface leaves a residue on the cookie which burns and/or dries out the cookie. Try using granulated sugar instead. It tastes good, it's invisible, and it doesn't dry the cookies out. Flouring a greased cake pan when making chocolate cake leaves a white dust on the under surface and edges of the layer. Instead of flour, try using cocoa.

	Need some help? Have a tip you want to share? Contact us!

	About us \| Gift Baskets \| Signature Products \| Menus \| Locations \| Recipes \| Cooking Tips \| Register \| Contact Us \| Home