The Soup of Seville -- via Sheboygan!

The Generalife Gardens at the Alhambra Palace near Granada, Spain are a splendid sight. Verdant, lush vegetation covers hillsides and terraced, level areas. In the geometric, structured gardens, archways are covered with roses of many colors. Their exotic scents blend and waft through the air.

Birds flutter overhead, attracted to the beauty, twittering to each other in a flurry of activity. Water, including river and streams and fountains, babbles everywhere. Tourists from around the world smile and murmur in delight.

The Moorish emirs of Granada wanted to recreate the Garden of Eden at this location. They diverted a river to provide water and set in place a garden of visual, olfactory and culinary delights. Generations of visitors have been appreciative of their efforts.

In this corner of Spain, today’s Andalusians continue to recreate the Garden of Eden – in a soup bowl! Gazpacho is Andalusia’s best-known dish and probably originated in a different format (no tomatoes or peppers, which came to Spain after Columbus “sailed the ocean blue” to the “New World”) during the time when Spain was part of the Islamic world in the Middle Ages.

Today, the most-familiar versions of gazpacho are probably those from Seville and Cordoba. However, most cities and towns throughout southern Spain’s Andalusian region have their own, slightly-different versions. The common, distinctive ingredient among all the versions was, and is, bread. Originally, like so many wonderful dishes, gazpacho was peasant food. It was eaten by workers in the fields: vineyards, olive plantations, citrus groves, wheat fields and cork (tree) farms. It was field-travel friendly – and still is today!

Gazpacho was popularized outside of the Andalusian region in the 19th century and finally worked its way to popularity in northern Spain around 1930. It became quite fashionable there and continued its wanderings worldwide as the 20th century progressed. How many of us, after visiting Andalusia, return home with visions of hillsides in our hearts and yearnings for gazpacho in our taste buds? The Ingredient Sleuth, for one.

The following “gazpacho interlude” comes from the wonderful, new book BIRO: EUROPEAN-INSPIRED CUISINE by Marcel Biro and Shannon Kring Biro (Gibbs Smith, Publisher, 2005):

"Marcel Biró’s Gazpacho

Originally a laborers’ dish, Gazpacho was the standard fare of Andalusian muleteers who carried it in earthen pots on their travels. Today the soup contains vegetables and differs from city to city within Andalusia—each version claiming to be the original. Arguably, the first recipe came from Córdoba and consisted of bread, garlic, olive oil, and water. Today Córdoban Gazpacho is thickened with cream and cornmeal. In Jerez it is garnished with raw onion rings, and in Malaga it is made with veal bouillon and sometimes garnished with grapes and almonds. In Cadiz Gazpacho is served hot in the winter, and in Segovia it is flavored with cumin, basil, and aïoli.
This recipe is inspired by that of Seville, a city that, of course, also lays claim as home of Gazpacho.

Serves 6

1 pound vine ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
½ cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 cups tomato juice
½ teaspoon dried leaf marjoram
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Purée all ingredients in a food processor or blender. You may need to process it in two batches. Blend until the soup is the consistency you favor. Some people prefer chunks, others a completely smooth soup. I prefer my Gazpacho somewhere in between: with some bite and the consistency of heavy cream.
2. Pour the soup into a large stainless bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When the soup is well chilled, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Presentation
Gazpacho is traditionally served with a selection of garnishes including chopped hard-boiled eggs, chopped cucumber, chopped onion, chopped green and black olives, and diced green bell pepper. This soup is therefore best served family style, and I prefer to use earthenware dishes, as the recipe was originally prepared in clay bowls.

Quick Tip: Other uses for Gazpacho
I’ve used Gazpacho leftovers as a pizza sauce, a warm pasta sauce, a sauce for a goat cheese tarte flambée, a cold and warm garnish, and even as a cocktail sauce by adding a bit of horseradish. Be inventive with this versatile soup and know that the longer you keep it, the more complex and intense the flavor will become."

*Copyright Note*: Marcel and Shannon Biro specifically authorized this excerpt and recipe reprint, by the Ingredient Sleuth, in this posting.

A huge part of the pleasure of any travel experience is the representative food of the visited location. This book steps right up and puts the know-how to recreate those dishes into the reader’s hands.

For me, this gazpacho is filled with my memories of Andalusia. As I taste the soup's bright, fresh and snappy flavor, I am transported to Alhambran gardens and striking hillsides and flamenco performances with bright, fresh and snappy music – sometimes I even jump up and do a little fancy footwork of my own in celebration!

The book’s recipes are representative of the favorite regions in which Marcel Biro has worked: southern Germany, Alsace, Tuscany and Andalusia. The recipes are meant to take you to – or back to – those wonderful destinations as you cook up the wonderful dishes at home.

As one of the youngest chefs in European history to achieve the title Master Chef de Cuisine, he is acclaimed for winning several coveted European awards, for his accomplishments in Michelin-starred restaurants, and for his dedication to demystifying classic cuisine.

As a European Certified Chef Instructor, Biro has fed those with a hunger for professional culinary knowledge throughout France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Spain, Hungary, Italy and the United States. He has worked at internationally acclaimed restaurants and was personal chef to German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

Biro is host of the new national PBS (Public Broadcasting System) reality cooking series “The Kitchens of Biro.” He is also chef/owner of Biro Restaurant and Wine Bar and of O – a Biro Restaurant, both in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. In addition, the Biros (Marcel and Shannon) offer a bonanza of culinary events and activities (see http://www.kitchensofbiro.com/) for culinary enthusiasts. Trips to Europe, cooking classes, entrepreneurial consultation and more are available.

Mr. Biro came to appreciate the value – the precious nature – of good ingredients at a young age, in East Germany. He has based his career on bringing wonderful, healthful ingredients to new heights in dishes that will be available to all. What really warms the heart of the Ingredient Sleuth is the following sentence from the book’s introduction (reprinted with permission) as Biro says:

“Whether you prepare the recipes as outlined or put your own unique spin on them – which I encourage – I hope that you take a moment to really touch the ingredients, to inhale their wondrous scent, and to appreciate their beauty. In my life and career, I have come to fully comprehend the value of freedom and the great privilege I have to work with food. For me, it is an honor never to be taken for granted.”

Aceto Balsamico di Modena

10-Year-Old Balsamic Vinegar from Trader Joe's


“This one is bright and quite sharp, with a definite acidic hit in the back of the mouth,” said Blondielocks. “I will sprinkle it on roasted vegetables and stir-fries and make some tasty marinades, maybe some sweet-and-sour sauces with it.” And Mama Bear agreed.

“Oh, this one is richer, with a sweeter finish,” Blondielocks purred. “It will be perfect for my salad dressings and to deglaze the pan with dark, woodsy juices after searing some lovely, tender meat.” And Papa Bear concurred.

“Oh my, oh my!” Blondielocks crooned. “This one is so thick, dark, full-bodied and sweet that I may have to sip it straight from the bottle! And there is only sweetness, no sharpness at all.” And Baby Bear knew that THIS was the one for him as well. “Hooray, hooray,” he cheered, “let’s put a few, thick drops on ice cream, melon, Parma ham, figs, strawberries and such!”

Blondielocks and the three bears (apologies to Goldilocks, but the usual porridge story just wouldn't do, for THIS table fable!) couldn’t have been more correct and in tune with current tastes. Balsamic vinegars are being tasted and enjoyed far-and-wide today. Just last week, the Ingredient Sleuth was browsing at one of the larger Williams-Sonoma (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/) cookware stores and discovered a tasting bar that offered free samples of a variety of balsamic vinegars (and olive oils too!). There were even bread cubes available to cleanse the palate between tastes! How delightful!

Traditionally, balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) has been made only in and near the small, medieval city of Modena in the northern part of Italy’s Emilia Romagna region. Trebbiano grapes (and sometimes Lambrusco grapes), which are local to the area, are soft-pressed to produce “must” that is filtered, left to stand and then cooked in large pans over open wood fires.

Kept at a simmer for up to twelve hours, the grape sugars begin to caramelize, creating a rich, brown syrup. The syrup is then placed in wooden barrels to begin its aging process. Different woods are used and impart different colors and flavors to the juice; oak, juniper, ash, mulberry and cherry are commonly used.

Every wooden barrel has a small, gauze-covered trap that permits controlled evaporation of the must’s liquid juices. As the liquid inside the barrel reduces, flavors and colors intensify. After about one year, the must is transferred to a smaller barrel and may be mixed with fermenting musts from other, older “batches” of grapes. Unique flavor profiles are obtained by combining batches from earlier harvests. This combination of multiple years’ juices precludes the “dating” of balsamic vinegars, as of a certain year's grape harvest, in the way that wine vintages are dated.

The process of removal of the fermenting must to smaller and smaller barrels (sometimes of different woods), and the combining with different batches, is repeated year after year. As time passes, the vinegar becomes thicker and heavier.

To obtain the status of “tradizionale” and be certified as meeting the requirements of the Modena consortium governing balsamic vinegar, the aging must complete at least twelve years. Given the inability to date the vinegar as a certain year’s vintage, this consortium-controlled rating allows the purchaser to be ensured that the youngest must contained within the vinegar will be at least twelve years old.

Tradizionale at 12 years of age, and extra vecchio which may be as much as 25 or 50 years old, are the ultimate in balsamic vinegars. Rich and silky (and expensive), the thickest of them coating a spoon like honey, they are not an everyday condiment but are used sparingly, sometimes dispensed drop-by-drop.

For hundreds of years in Italy, and as recently as the mid 1900s, balsamic vinegar was produced in rural homes around Modena, each family storing enough for its own use in the attic (the Modena climate producing just the right temperatures in the attic to enhance the fermentation). Often, the precious vinegar was part of a bride’s marriage-dowry. One begins to wonder if pre-engagement balsamic tastings were part of the courtship process!

It was only in the 1980s that balsamic vinegar became a fashionable ingredient worldwide. The demand for it continues to grow. Recently, another area of the Emilia Romagna region has begun to produce its own balsamic vinegar, thereby creating the inevitable food-angst between Italian towns (an Italian “food fight,” as it were). Reggio, the balsamico newcomer to the west of Modena, offers its vinegar under the term aceto balsamico tradizionale di Reggio Emilia. In response, Modena’s producers are now fighting to receive Protected Geographic Indication (IGP, as it is termed in Italy) from the government for the process.

Although few of us will have the opportunity to taste such rarity on a regular basis, the attention garnered by this top-of-the-line version of balsamic vinegar seems to be raising the profile (and quality) of the “lesser” versions as well. Termed aceto balsamico di Modena (without the tradizionale or extra vecchio designations), they are made in much the same manner, but the barrels are larger, wine vinegar is added before the fermentation and the aging process is shorter, with no transfer from one barrel to another. Cheaper balsamics are matured for up to 12 months, mid-priced versions for up to 18 months and higher-end varieties for up to four years.

Increasingly, nicely-aged vinegars are showing up at quite-reasonable prices. The vinegar in the accompanying photo, in fact, is routinely available at Trader Joe’s stores. It is from Modena, Italy and has been aged for 10 years. For the Ingredient Sleuth’s money (and you know how carefully she shops!), this vinegar is delicious in a great breadth of dishes and works very nicely in the higher-end scenarios as well.

The word "balsamic" itself, used to describe this vinegar, is a derivation of a word meaning "balm" and "restorative." Over the centuries, balsamic vinegar has been viewed as an aid to digestion as an enhancer of appetite. (Whose eating experience WOULDN'T be improved when it just tastes so good?)

So, if the ideas in Blondielocks’ techniques with balsamic vinegar appeal to you – or better yet, if they strike you as something strange from another world – the sleuth encourages you to give them a try. There are brave new worlds of tasting to be attempted and savored. Already, Blondielocks and the three bears are on-board!

Bon appetit!

Cool as a Cucumber, Even in August!

Hothouse Cucumber





"I say, old chap, have you had your cucumber sandwiches today?" A quick glance at the clock indicated that, indeed, it was almost past the normal tea time.

"Rather, on such a warm day, it would be exceedingly lovely to pop over to the pub, don't you agree?" was the reply.

Hmmm, tea time or pub time. Cucumber sandwiches with tea OR chips with a pint of ale. How to choose -- on a scorching summer day in England's countryside.

In days of old, this decision dilemma may have prompted a lengthy discussion of the merits of each approach, followed by the ultimate selection of one or the other alternative. It seems reasonable to conclude that cucumber sandwiches' popularity may have suffered in the process! In today's world of fusion cooking (and eating), cucumbers have become mainstream. They MAY even be found, in their cucumber-sandwich format, in the very same establishment that offers pints of ale.

Hothouse cucumbers, in particular, have hit the culinary circuit in a big way. Also called European or English cucumbers, they have crisp, juicy flesh and thin, edible skin. They have only a few (or no) tiny seeds and are typically 12 to 24 inches in length. Some people report that hothouse cucumbers are easier to digest (as a result of the lack of seeds) than regular cucumbers.

Grown in a controlled, greenhouse environment, the fruit of the hothouse cucumber develops without need for pollination of the vine's blossoms. This is the reason that few seeds form within the fruit. Of course, in no time at all, this methodology could be quite limiting to the future existence of the variety! Seeds are still needed to plant new vines!

In order to produce seeds for future hothouse cucumbers, growers partition a selected group of vines that will be raised specifically for seed production. Flowers on these vines ARE pollinated. While the resulting cucumbers will not be of the same high flavor and crispness as the un-pollinated fruits, the bounty of seeds they yield will produce vines capable of producing the very same high-quality, unseeded cucumbers when grown in greenhouse conditions.

At harvest, hothouse cucumbers are packaged immediately in transparent, plastic film in order to retain their moisture, crispness and flavor. This method, rather than the application of wax approach taken with most cucumbers, allows the skin to be used -- no peeling required -- and significantly extends the usable, tasty shelf life of the cucumber.

Preparation options for hothouse cucumbers are also extensive. They are excellent for use raw, in salads, sandwiches, salsas, drinks, sushi and hors d'oeuvres -- and as refreshing dippables -- because of their crispness and eye-appeal (thanks to that usable border of thin, dark-green skin).

Because of their firm texture and subtle flavor, hothouse cucumbers also are well-suited to cooking and are often used in a similar manner to zucchini. Their delicate flavor when cooked pairs especially well with fish and poultry. Braising, sauteing and steaming are common preparation methods. They may also be halved and hollowed out to form"boats" and filled with meat, vegetables or breadcrumb stuffing before baking in a bit of stock or broth. The mild flavor of cooked cucumbers blends well with a post-cooking addition of herbs such as dill, mint, tarragon or basil.

As August begins, the Ingredient Sleuth is happy to provide a recipe for a spectacular chilled cucumber soup. It comes from the equally-spectacular new book, COOKING AT HOME ON RUE TATIN, Harper Collins Publishers, June 2005, by Susan Herrmann Loomis.

This great new cookbook carries on Ms. Loomis' reputation for delicious cooking that manages to be down-to-earth sensible at the same time as elegant. How DOES she DO that? Many people make the trip to her home-based cooking classes in the town of Louviers, France, on Rue Tatin (Tatin Street), to find the answer to that very question. Others are simply thankful that she puts pen to paper, hands to computer keyboard, to share her culinary thinking with all of us who read her books from afar.

In COOKING AT HOME ON RUE TATIN, Ms. Loomis provides much more than ingredients with associated assembly instructions. Recipes are paired with brief stories that relate to people, places and events from her own town and regions throughout France. As we read, we glimpse the interactions with merchants, growers, farmers, fishermen -- and most rewardingly, friends in all these categories -- that have inspired each dish and contributed to its enjoyment. We peek into the interrelationships that produce great food and good friends -- enhancing the entire food experience.

For more info about the book, Ms. Loomis' cooking courses and her other books, see http://www.onruetatin.com/.

THE CUCUMBER SOUP OF SUMMER

6 servings

· 2 long firm European or Asian cucumbers (about 2-1/4 pounds; 1kg 120g total), chilled, peeled, halved lengthwise, any seeds removed, and coarsely chopped
· 4 small fresh onions, or 6 scallions, white part only
· 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream or half-and-half, preferably not ultrapasteurized
· Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
· ¼ cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves
· 6 fresh mint leaves

1. Place the cucumber in food processor fit with a steel blade, and process.
2. Add the onion and process until the mixture is a frothy puree. Add the cream and process to blend. Transfer to a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Mince the parsley and mint together and stir them into the soup. Cover the soup and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, and up to overnight (8 hours).

*Copyright Note*: Susan Herrmann Loomis specifically authorized this recipe reprint, by the Ingredient Sleuth, in this posting.

In a word, this soup is COOL! This is true in both the literal sense of the word and in today's lighthearted vernacular (as in "that's way cool soup, dude!"). Each and every ingredient has a cool and refreshing flavor component; the exquisite combination of the ingredients is brightly-refreshing and smooth, all at the same time.

Ms. Loomis says that the soup was inspired by a friend who readily admits that she doesn't like to cook -- but LOVES to eat! The recipe is simple, delicious and won't work up any extra heat in the preparation. Now THAT'S COOL!

Bon appetit!