Welcome to series 3 of the Culinary Alphabet A-Z…Where the middle letter is P

So what’s in store? In this series the A, B, C, etc will be the middle letter, for example, Jarlsberg, Korma, Apple and Tursu a variety of Turkish pickled vegetables… how easy that will be who knows I am sure some of the letters of the alphabet could cause the grey matter to rebel or implode…haha…I also don’t want to use plurals to form a word as I may need that word for another letter and it’s sort of cheating I think…unless of course I really get stuck…which I am sure will happen…P is not so easy as some but I’m sure it will get harder as we near the end of the alphabet…

Today it is words where the middle letter is P.

Let’s go and see what I have found…

Apple…It also happens to be National Apple Month in the US…Apples... I think most of us took it for granted that we always had a fruit bowl full of apples to grab as we passed by on our way to school or work or even had an old gnarled apple tree in our gardens…

 

We all looked forward to the apple harvest when our mothers and grandmothers canned them, pureed them, made pies and puddings with them…we did Apple bobbing on Halloween … our mums made toffee apples of which I can still conjure up the taste in my imagination…the stuff of dreams and memories…

Aspic…Aspic is savoury meat gelatin made from consommé, clarified stock, or bone broth. It gets its jiggly texture when the consommé cools…aspic jelly brings back memories of my grandmother and although I wasn’t a fussy child and ate almost everything aspic jelly I could not stand it…I hated it…it’s been around since the 1300s and I think it should have stayed there …it is suitable for vegetarians if you avoid using gelatin…

Aspic is used to set foods into a mould. The moulded foods could be meats, vegetables, or eggs. The aspic mould is chilled, sliced, and served.

Antipasto…Antipasto means “before the meal.”  Typically, this dish would be served on special occasions or during the holidays. In rural Italy years ago every family had a pig, which was killed each year so that different cuts of cured meat would be available in the larder (pantry). The family also made numerous jars of preserved vegetables and their own cheese. All this produce would be carefully assembled to be enjoyed as an antipasto or starter.”

An antipasto platter is a delicious combination of cheeses, vegetables and meats, usually served with good wines. It’s a great way to start an evening with friends and is very easy to put together.

Caper…Capers are something I came to love in later life when I realised just what difference they made to some recipes…they are the small flower buds of the Capparis shrub that grows in the Mediterranean. As they’re picked by hand, they’re fairly pricey, but they’re a versatile storecupboard ingredient that’s ideal for adding a distinctive sour/salty flavour to many savoury dishes.

Capon…Ahhhhh…my mother always served a Capon at Christmas I have now discovered what a capon really is…suffice to say I will not be eating or cooking another capon…Caponization can be done by surgically removing the bird’s testes, or may also be accomplished through the use of estrogen implants. With either method, the male sex hormones normally present are no longer effective…it seems that if surgically done anyone can do it, unlike cats and dogs who have to be done by a qualified veterinary person…secondly I don’t wish to eat anything which has had estrogen implants…

Champagne…I love a glass of champagne…it is also said that 3 glasses a day keeps the doctor away…apparently, the results of the research were dramatic and tests are to be carried out on 60 pensioners who will be asked to drink champagne for three years…I missed that one ladies some of you kept that quiet…lol

Chapati…is an unleavened flatbread originating from the Indian subcontinent…Chapatis are made of whole-wheat flour known as atta, mixed into a dough with water, oil and optional salt in a mixing utensil called a parat, and are cooked on a tava (flat skillet).

Crampfish…commonly called torpedo fish it can shock humans but the common torpedo fish is edible…not sure I would want to try it… have you?

Maple Syrup…In addition to being free from artificial additives or sweeteners, pure maple syrup boasts many nutritional benefits and contains up to 24 different antioxidants. It is rich in vitamins and minerals such as manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, riboflavin, phosphorus and iron.

Not only is maple syrup delicious on pancakes…it is lovely brushed over bacon while it is cooking, whisked into a salad dressing, drizzling over your roasted veggies while they are cooking. making maple butter and maple mustard is divine so many uses for this healthy syrup.

Peppers…from mild to smoking hot peppers can tantalise our taste buds…Peppers thrive in the summertime when they can soak up the heat and enjoy dry weather. They like to live in heat, produce heat, and bring the heat to our kitchens. They can be eaten raw, cooked, roasted, canned and pickled…they can be used in sweet and savoury dishes…think chilli and chocolate or jalapeno poppers…

Pumpkin…It’s National Pumpkin month in the USA…Pumpkins are a huge part of American culture, so much that every year about 655,765 US tons of them are produced. They’re great for tossing contests, carving contests, and Halloween decorations. Pumpkins are also good for your health? Full of vitamins and minerals like Potassium, beta carotene and antioxidants they are low in fat and sugar and full of fibre…

Pumpkins come in all sizes and colours some are absolutely huge and others like these are quite small in comparison but hollowed out they make lovely bowls for soup…

Saltpetre…Saltpetre (Potassium/Sodium Nitrate ) is used as an ingredient for curing meats and to give the characteristic pink colour to bacon and hams. Can be used either for dry curing or as a brine solution. Salt brining does not kill all bacteria but it is a proven fact that overconsumption of processed meats can cause cancer…I use saltpetre when brining my ham and bacon However we do not consume anywhere near the recommended guidelines for ham/bacon and I made the conscious decision that for the amount and frequency that I used and we ate bacon/ham it was far better than not using and take the chance of contracting botulism which is a very real and deadly consequence of not brining meat correctly…this is my opinion on why I use it.

Snapper…White, red, grey or black the snapper is a beautiful fish…salt-crusted or steamed with lots of herbs …a beautiful white-fleshed fish high in Omega 3 fatty acids.

Strapacky…Strapacky(Slovakia) or Sztrapacska (Hungary) is a boiled potato dumpling dish with sour cabbage and onion with fried bacon and fresh chives.

Tempura…a popular light Japanese batter for fish/meat or vegetables …

This light crispy batter complements prawns/shrimp perfectly as well as beautiful tempura vegetables.

That’s all for the letter P…Thank you for joining me today I hope you have found something new and some of your favourites…in two weeks it will be the letter Q, for example, Bisques and Bouquet Garni…xx

Until tomorrow, where I will be back in my kitchen cooking from scratch, have a lovely day xx