Ingredients Editor

Charcuterie is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.

St. Patrick's Day
    Irish Soda Bread
    Irish Stew
    Ginger Bread topped with Vanilla Pudding
    Irish Salmon

Gjetost is the cheese that is traditional in a Norwegian breakfast and this sweet red-orange gourmet cheese does have a presence. Gjetost is made from the whey or buttermilk which is heated very slowly until the water has evaporated and the milk sugar forms a kind of brown caramelized paste. At this stage milk or cream may be added to change the fat content of the finished product. LINK

A PEPPER PRIMER

Bell pepper -- Thick-fleshed and sweet, this mild pepper has a vegetable taste to it. Heat: 0.

Jalapeno -- Thick-fleshed and hot, jalapenos are the most commonly used pepper in the United States. Heat: 5.5.

Serrano -- The name is taken from the Spanish for “highland” or “mountain,” and the intense flavor of this pepper makes it ideal for salsas and sauces. Heat: 7.

Pasilla -- Thin-fleshed with undertones of berry, grape and herbaceous flavors. Alone with the ancho and mulato, considered one of the “holy trinity” of chilies used in making mole. Heat: 3-5.

De Arbol -- Closely related to the cayenne chili, has a tannic, smoky and grassy flavor. Heat: 7.5.

Anaheim -- Medium to thick flesh, has a green vegetable flavor that is improved by roasting. Available year-round in California. Heat: 2-3.

Corned Beef -- Old-time butcher shops closed every weekend. Ice, the only refrigerant available, could not dependably hold fresh meat for two days. To keep unsold meat from going to waste, the butcher soaked the meat in a strong brine or covered it with coarse salt to trigger osmosis. The grains of salt were called "corn" in England, and the name "corned beef" stuck with the product.

Food Science--Osmosis, Rita Sorci Planey, "Fine Cooking", Aug/Sep 1994, pp12,13

Scald a pair of wooden butter paddles in boiling water for 30 seconds; chill in ice water. Cut firm butter into 8 to 12 equal portions. Place one butter portion upright on one paddle and “slap” with other. Then holding bottom paddle steady, rotate top paddle quickly to form a textured ball. Drop finished butter ball into ice water. Repeat with remaining butter portions, dipping paddles into ice water before forming additional balls. If butter clings to paddles, dip in hot water then ice water.

Emergency Pantry
Recommended best if used by timeline:

All purpose flour: 10 TO 15 MONTHS

Whole wheat flour: 1-2 MONTHS, FREEZER 6 MONTHS

Whole grains: 2-3 MONTHS, FREEZER ONE YEAR

White rice: INDEFINITELY

Brown rice: UP TO 6 MONTHS, FREEZER 1 YEAR

Dry pasta: ONE YEAR

Bread Crumbs: 3-6 MONTHS, FREEZER 2 YEARS

Coffee: 1-2 WEEKS

Brown Sugar: 4-6 MONTHS

White Sugar: INDEFINITELY

Honey: INDEFINITELY

Maple syrup: REFRIGERATOR 1 YEAR, FREEZER, INDEFINITE

Vegetable oil: 3 MONTHS, FRIDGE 6 MONTHS

Olive oil: 12 TO 18 MONTHS

Vinegar: 6 MONTHS

Mayonnaise: 2 MONTHS

Soy sauce: 1 YEAR

Worcestershire sauce: 12 YEARS

Salsa: UNOPENED 1 YEAR, OPEN 2 WEEKS

Spices: ONE YEAR

Peanut butter: 6 MONTHS

Eggs: 3-5 WEEKS

Pre-grated cheese: 3-4 WEEKS

Potatoes: 1 MONTH

Onions: 1-4 WEEKS

Nuts: 2-3 MONTHS

	Spaghetti: Works with nearly every sauce, though heavier sauces might work better with thicker long pastas such as linguine or fettuccine.
	Manicotti: Large pasta (measuring around 4 inches long) good for stuffing with meat, cheese or vegetables before being baked.
	Ziti: Medium-sized, tubular pasta that holds some sauce or chunks of meat or vegetables but not as much as ridged pasta such as penne rigate.
	Rotelle: Twisted shape holds bits of meat, vegetables or cheese and works with any sauce.
	Wagon wheel: Interesting shape for salads, casseroles and stir-fry dishes. Also is good for soups or simply top with sauce.
	Farfalle: Bow tie-shaped pasta that is thick enough for any sauce or good for salads or soups.
	Fettuccine: Small ribbon pasta that goes well with heavier sauces, such as cheese, meat or thick tomato.
	Gnocchi: Pasta made either with potatoes, flour and egg or semolina flour and egg. Shape makes it good for collecting sauce.
	Penne rigate: Pasta that holds most sauces well in its ridges and inside the tube.
	Shells: Can be stuffed with mixture of cheese, meat or vegetables and used with almost any sauce.
	Rigatoni: Large-grooved pasta good for collecting cream, cheese and chunky meat sauces.
	Elbow pasta: A versatile shape that can be topped with any sauce, baked or put in soups, salads and stir-fry dishes.