Saltfish is just that, salted, dried fish, usually cod fish.  Saltfish is an integral ingredient in Jamaica’s national dish, Ackee and Saltfish.  You can find this salted fish in Caribbean, Italian and Asian markets. Choose pieces with white flesh, rather than yellow, with the skin still attached.

Saltfish should store, wrapped airtight, in a cool, dark place indefinitely.  Before using, soak for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water every 4 to 5 hours. The soaking softens the flesh and each water change reduces the salt. Drain the last batch of soaking water and pour boiling water over the saltfish; cover and allow to soak for about 15 minutes, or until the flesh is soft.

Then enjoy it in ackee or calaloo.

(Image: Kaiton/Flickr)

“Mommy what’s that?”

“It’s ackee kk…”

“Mommy what’s ackee?”

These were the little questions my 4 1/2 year old daughter, asked me the morning I made Ackee and Saltfish for Christmas Day breakfast.

Ackee is a red pear-shaped tropical fruit that contains poisonous seeds inside.  No joke, the flesh of the ackee can be poisonous if it is unripe or overripe or cooked wrong.  The only edible part of this plant is the ripe, yellow fruit. It is ripe when the pod opens showing its beautiful yellow flesh.

Ackee is the national fruit of Jamaica hence it being the country’s national dish, in Ackee and Saltfish.  Even though ackee is regarded as a fruit, Jamaicans often consider it to be a kind of meat that can be served with a staple or carbohydrate.  Due to its popularity, ackee can be found packaged in a can and found in specialty stores.  If you purchase the ackee from a can, make sure you get it from a reliable source. Make sure to always drain the ackee from the can water and rinse. Boil it in fresh water and rinse again. Then you can add it in your dish of choice.  Just beware that canned ackee can be expensive to buy, ranging from $12-$15 a 14 ounce can.

Have you ever tried ackee before?

Parmigiano-Reggiano or otherwise known as parmesan cheese is a hard granular cheese, cooked but not pressed, named after the producing areas of Parma, Reggio Emilia, Modena, and Bologna (all in Emilia-Romagna), and Mantova (in Lombardia), Italy.

Did you know that only cheeses produced in theses areas are the only ones allowed to be labeled as Parmigiano-Reggiano… that’s right its an Italian law.

Parmigiano is the Italian adjective for Parma.  Parmesan, the French word and now used in the English language, came about as being used for cheese imitating Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is made from raw cow’s milk.  The process begins when a part-skim milk mixture that is combined with whey and allowed to heat.  Curdling is then produced and placed in a round mold and pressed into a wheel.  Once the cheese is stamped with the Parmigiano-Reggiano name it is then placed in salt water or  brine for a month.  This produces its salty flavor.

The cheese is then aged at least one year, but many versions are aged for longer periods of time.  A chief feature of Parmigiano Reggiano is the presence of small white crystals which are indicative of the lengthy ripening period, an average of 24 months.

Parmigiano-Reggiano’s flavor is one that cannot be forgotten, with the combination of saltiness, mild, and nutty flavor it is the perfect addition to soups, stews, and especially pastas.

Here are just a few recipes that use Parmigiano-Reggiano:

• Chicken Parmigiana

• Seafood Lasagna

• Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce

• Shrimp Scampi Pizza

(Image by Williams-Sonoma)

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Did you know that these delicious, sweet minty sticks of pure sugar began as a simple little white stick candy for children to enjoy. It wasn’t until the mid- 17th century that candy canes spread all throughout Europe, which at the time were used to decorate Yule trees and other food items.

In North America, the the first documented example of the use of candy canes to celebrate Christmas occurred in 1847, when August Imgard, a German-Swedish immigrant, hung the candy canes on the branches of a christmas tree.  From that point on the use of candy canes hanging from christmas trees just became tradition.

Candy canes are traditionally red and white striped peppermint flavored candies that are shaped with a hanging hook.  They are also made in a variety of other flavors and may be decorated with different colored stripes and thickness.

When I think of Christmas the first thing that comes to mind are candy canes….

How about you…

Do you like candy canes?

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It’s fall and its this time of year sweet potatoes are everywhere.  Especially with Thanksgiving coming around, there is no other vegetable that is used more than the sweet potato.

Do you have a special sweet potatoe recipe that you would love to share with us?  if so please do at the end

Sweet potatoes are native to the tropical parts of South America, and were domesticated there at least 5000 years ago.  Sweet potatoes are considered a staple in many countries and have been cultivated in Southern states since the 16th century.  Sweet potatoes have a yellowish orange flesh and are coated by a thin skin that can be white, yellow, orange, red, or purple.  Sweet potatoes grow best in abundant sunlight with warm temperatures.

Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin A and a good source of potassium and vitamin C, B6, riboflavin, copper, pantothetic acid and folic acid.  When buying sweet potatoes, choose firm ones with no cracks or bruises.  Their shelf life should last for two weeks or more if stored in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place and handled with care.

They are best enjoyed sweet or savory, or in baked desserts, breads, puddings and custards, especially casseroles.

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Ooeeeyyy Gooeeeyyyyy Condensed milk…

A thick, sticky-creamy, heavenly substance that drips off your spoon and into your mouth as you swallow the delightful cream known as Condensed milk.

Sweetened condensed milk is a mixture of whole milk and about 40 to 45 percent sugar, which is heated until about 60 percent of the water evaporates.  Condensed milk is often used in baked goods and desserts such as candies, puddings, and pies, as well as a substitute for cream and sugar in coffee drinks.

As a child, spending my summers in Jamaica, I would sneak out of my bedroom and creep into the small dark kitchen looking for a clean spoon to use as my accomplice while in search for the glorious tin can with the big red and blue writing… CONDENSED MILK.

Remembering feeling such victory when I would say to myself, “YES! I GOT IT! AND EVERYONE IS SLEEPING!”

Oh how many times did I get caught by my grandfather who would hear little noises outside his bedroom and come chasing out the door thinking it was mice trying to get into my grandmother’s kitchen… HA HA HA!

How I laugh at that long ago memory.

It’s amazing because condensed milk is used in so many things in Jamaica, on hardo bread as a snack, in cornflakes as a substitute for milk, but of course the main thing I used it and still do use it for is in my coffee… not just any coffee though, Jamaican coffee.

There is nothing like some fresh brewed Jamaican Blue Moutain Coffee with condensed milk diving inside of it…. I shudder at the thought of it!

Yummmyyyyyyyyyyy!

Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is not only the best coffee in my opinion, but the tastiest.

It is grown in blue mountains of Jamaica, hence the name, between Kingston to the south and Port Maria to the north.  The blue mountains are some of the highest mountains in the caribbean rising up to 2,300 metres (7,500 ft).  Due to the combination of rich soil and the cool, misty climate, these mountains make it the ideal place for coffee to be grown.

This coffee is my favorite due to its mild and wonderful flavor.  You know how some coffee has a bitter after taste this one doesn’t. Especially when combined with condensed milk nothing is more sublime.

Aahhhhhhhhhhh (BIG SIGH)!

The perfect way to wake up in the morning if you ask me!

Al dente is an Italian term which describes the consistency of pasta cooked to a tender firmness. It literally means “to the tooth.” It also describes vegetables that are cooked to the “tender crisp” phase still retaining a crunch to its bite.

Pasta al dente is considered to be pasta cooked “just right,” when it is slightly resistant as you bite into it, but not soft or overdone.

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Alfalfa sprouts are a member of the pea family which, makes it one of the most cultivated vegetable in the world.  It has the ability to be planted anywhere in the world, harvested and picked in seven days only, and doesn’t hinder on climate or temperatures.

Alfalfa sprouts are derived from alfalfa seeds. They are white and thread-like, with tiny green tops.  Alfalfa sprouts juice tastes mild and can be easily mixed with any other juices. 

Alfalfa sprouts juice contains a myriad of valuable nutrients such as calcium, folic acid, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, sodium, zinc.

Some health benefits:

• Immune booster: Drinking alfalfa sprouts juice on the regular will greatly boost your immune function due to the increase in activity of your natural cells.

• Lower LDL (bad) cholesterol: The active components in alfalfa sprouts have been tested to lower LDL cholesterol that is accumulated in the liver.

• High blood pressure: This plant will also help lower blood pressure.

• Arthritis: A compound in alfalfa sprouts inhibits inflammation, making this plant highly beneficial for arthritis sufferers.

• Leukemia: Recent studies have suggested that an amino-acid called L-canavanine, may be a natural agent that is effective to help fight against leukemia.

Are the smallest in the onion family.  They are referred to only in the plural, because they grow in clumps rather than as individual plants.  

Chives are excellent in savoury omelettes, and may be chopped and boiled with potatoes that are to be mashed, or chopped fresh and sprinkled, just before serving, on mashed potatoes, both as a garnish and flavoring.

 They can be added to any salads and/ or soups.

Image: kthread/Flickr