WHAT IS PASTA MISTA? This blend of cuts first started as a mix of leftover odds and ends from other pastas. Traditionally this blend would have 5 different cuts of pasta. However this mix was confined to short cuts, not the longer 10 inch (26 cm) pastas like spaghetti. Also this pasta groups together cuts […]
GOURMET ARCHAEOLOGY
This section provides an introduction to the various ingredients that go into our everyday foods!
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Tagliatelle
WHAT IS TAGLIATELLE? From the Italian tagliare or “to cut”, this pasta is from that family of wide ribbon pastas. Often the dough is made with nothing more then eggs and flour. This pasta is easy to quickly cut up with a knife. And if you mistakenly cut the strips too wide, just tell everyone […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Strozzapreti
WHAT IS STROZZAPRETI? It is the taller cousin of cavatelli and the gangsta of the pasta family. Strozzapreti ‘s name literally means “Priest Stranglers.” Yes, in the Middle Ages this pasta was designed to choke priests to death right in front of you as you were having dinner. The Heimlich maneuver hadn’t been invented yet. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Cloves
WHAT ARE CLOVES? Originally from Indonesia, this spice is popular both in savory and sweet recipes. The crimson flower buds of a clove evergreen tree are dried and ground into a powder. In some French recipes, instead of grinding the buds their hard, sharp stalks are used to pierce a whole onion or fresh fruit […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF HERBS & SPICES – Garlic
WHAT IS GARLIC? This plant is a bit confusing when deciding if it’s a spice or an herb. Garlic has leaves and so could qualify as an herb. However it’s the bulb that is actually used, making this a spice! Technically a vegetable, it is thought to have originated in Siberia over 5,000 years ago. […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Vacherin
WHAT IS VACHERIN? This fromage is known as Vacherin Mont d’Or or Vacherin du Haut-Doubs. It is a cow’s milk, washed rind cheese that is in the brie family. A creamy cheese, when mature and at room temperature Vacherin can almost be eaten like a fondue. Today this cheese is made in both France and […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Garrotxa
WHAT IS GARROTXA? This semi-hard queso is made from the pasteurized milk of Murciana goats (though cow’s milk is sometimes used as well). Garrotxa is aged on average for 1 to 2 months in the Pyrenees mountains. The rind has a light grey mold covering a creamy and crumbly interior. Think of this cheese as […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF PASTA – Fagottini
WHAT IS FAGOTTINI? Also known as sacchetti or fiochetti, fagottini are a member of the pasta ripiena (stuffed pasta) family. These little purses look like the pasta version of burrata cheese. The edges of a square cut of fresh pasta dough are pulled up and tied off into a bundle with string. This creates a […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Delice de Bourgogne
WHAT IS DELICE DE BOURGOGNE? Delice is a triple creme French cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk with fresh cream. It is a newcomer to the European cheese scene having been invented in 1975 from Fromagerie Lincet. A soft-ripened cheese, it has the same bloomy white fleurie (Penicilium Candidum) as brie. Unlike most brie which […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Chevrot
WHAT IS CHEVROT? This delicious, creamy dream is a goat cheese that is made from both raw and pasteurized (for Americans) milk. Geotricum is introduced into the rind which gives it a bizarrely cerebral look. As chevrot ages the chalky heart eventually breaks down into a soupy mess that delights the tongue. This used to […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Cornbread
WHAT IS CORNBREAD? Having a self-explanatory name doesn’t make it any less tasty. This Native American delicacy is a gluten-free leavened bread (though the yeast is optional). Today this food more then any other is an icon of southern cuisine in the United States. Dry corn kernels are ground into a coarse meal that are […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Bruschetta
WHAT IS A BRUSCHETTA? What pain perdu (French toast) is to bread recycling in France, bruschetta is to Italy. This more savory take is an antipasto (appetizer) that is is rubbed with olive oil and garlic and then grilled. Then a variety of simple toppings are added and much like a Spanish tapas, served as […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Ezekiel Sprouted Wheat
WHAT IS EZEKIEL SPROUTED WHEAT? Ezekiel bread is based on a Biblical recipe named after the Jewish prophet of the same name. Around 600 B.C. he spent a year planning the siege of Jerusalem while eating only this bread. “Take also unto thee wheat, and barley, and beans, and lentils and millet, and spelt and […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Baguette
WHAT IS A BAGUETTE? This long, thin loaf of bread is famous for having a nice hard crust with a chewy interior. It’s second only to cheese in being an icon of French food. The word itself means “stick” or “wand”. However by European standards the baguette is a relatively recent fad. Prior to the […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Pita
WHAT IS A PITA? This whole wheat flatbread has been a Middle Eastern favorite for over 4,000 years! While often described as unleavened, it’s actually a yeast leavened bread. That combined with the water turning to steam is what gives the pita its hollow pocket. In the Middle Ages it was what sliced bread is […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Pretzel
WHAT IS A PRETZEL? This is, simply put, one of the most awesome inventions in the history of mankind. Yes people can’t stop raving about fire, religion, the wheel, the printing press, or penicillin. Blah, blah, blah. Those are all life-changing inventions, but don’t let the humble nature of the pretzel fool you! vs. Fire […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Wholemeal Rye
WHAT IS WHOLEMEAL RYE BREAD? Along with wheat and barley, rye is one of the three types of grains that contain gluten. Wholemeal means that both the softer inner portion of the grain head (endosperm) and the harder protective outer layer are processed. Unlike wheat, rye is capable of surviving much colder climates. However it […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Roti / Chapati
WHAT IS A CHAPATI? Also known as Indian flatbread, this recipe is made with unleavened dough that’s cooked on a skillet. In Hindi the name translates as “slap flat” which is how the dough is formed. The names chapati and roti are used interchangeably though purists would argue that rotis can be as thick as […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF BREAD – Sourdough
WHAT IS SOURDOUGH BREAD? It is about as basic as bread can get. The only ingredients are the starter (flour and water) along with salt and more flour! The wild yeast here is all natural and already present as a bacteria in the wheat flour. The same process that makes your yogurt deliciously sour also […]
ARCHAEOLOGY OF CHEESE – Bitto
WHAT IS BITTO? This cow’s milk cheese is made from summer milk in mountain dairies that border the Bitto valley. A small amount of goat’s milk is added along with some calf rennet (an enzyme scraped off the lining of the animal’s stomach that causes milk to clump into curds). The rind is a pale […]
