Part I.
Homemade herbal salts
Celtic sea salt tastes like the ocean, is pale green and moist in texture. Himalaya salt is pink in color, has a distinct mineral-like flavor and the grains are very hard. Fleur de sel and Maldon salt are light and flaky. Making herbal salts with them is simple since the salt grains are soft. Experiment with different kinds of salt combined with aromatic herbs, doubling or tripling the recipes below. Herbal salts keep well for months when kept in glass jars with a well-fitted lids. Continue reading
Where sweet and pungent go together, honey and garlic make for an interesting contrast of flavors. Raw garlic cloves caramelize when infused with honey. The process of blending the ingredients is a short one, while the results improve with time. Garlic infused honey is one of my cupboard essentials, discovered while experimenting in the kitchen. I like to keep a jar of it in the pantry, available for immediate use drizzled over baked cheeses, fresh figs, or on grilled red capsicum peppers.
The artichoke is such a versatile and inspiring vegetable, I feel compelled to write an additional note on how further to prepare it. As a post scriptum to the recipe for globe artichokes with flat leaf parsley and garlic, consider bringing the artichokes to the table stuffed with an aromatic soffritto, made of a lightly sautéed mixture of shallots, celery, carrots and rosemary.
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