Olives

Olives

July 26, 2021

Use a cherry pitter to pit olives. If you don’t have a cherry pitter (or an olive pitter) use a flat meat pounder or the bottom of a small skillet to squash the olive on a work surface, crushing the flesh so that you can remove the pit. There are very few recipes that all for perfectly pitted olives, anyway.

If you’re a martini drinker, toss out the olive brine from the jar, and replace it with dry vermouth. You will improve both your olives and your martinis.

A melon baller can be used to pull olives out of the jar. The small hole on the baller drains the brine, too.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2021 All Rights Reserved

Build An Affordable Cheese Board

December 3, 2020

Cheese Boards are a no-cook, sure-to-please option for any holiday celebration. Build a cheeseboard that’s affordable yet special. Then toast the season with festive cocktails.

A few inexpensive ingredients and simple homemade touches are all you need for a spectacular, special occasion-worthy spread. Here are some smart tips to deck your board with festivity and flavor without breaking the bank.

For a classic, colorful centerpiece, make your own cranberry and herb cheeseball. Start with a container of spreadable cheese and form into a ball. Use a sheet of plastic wrap to avoid messy hands. Roll the ball in a combination of finely chopped dried cranberries, parsley, and chives until thoroughly coated. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

No need to buy expensive cheeses. Inexpensive cheddar is always a crowd pleaser. Skip the pre-cut cubes and cut the block yourself. Orange or white, mild or extra sharp. Cheddar is always a favorite.

Upgrade affordable goat cheese by rolling the log in herbs and spices, like dried thyme, dried oregano, or crushed rainbow peppercorns for a beautiful, flavorful crust. You could also keep it plain and top with jarred pepper jelly or mango chutney.

Instead of mixed nuts, opt for crunchy snack mixes, which are often less expensive and just as delicious. For the board, look for one with little or no seasoning.

Give a budget-friendly feta or mini mozzarella balls a flavor boost by marinating cubes in olive oil with herbs like parsley, oregano, or rosemary, and other seasonings like sliced chilis, crushed garlic, or lemon zest. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.

Round out your cheese board with other delicious items like fresh or dried fruit (dried apricots, figs, grapes, and sliced pears), pitted olives, and plain crackers.

Pair your cheese board with a festive holiday beverage and enjoy!

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Block Feta

May 23, 2020

Feta From The Block

Feta sliced from a block is a bit creamier and less salty than feta crumbles, though you can use either. For a quick appetizer, cut into cubes and toss with herbs, olives, and lots of olive oil.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2020 All Rights Reserved

Building A Charcuterie Board

December 16, 2019

A Charcuterie Board makes entertaining super easy. Whether you call it a charcuterie plate or a charcuterie board, it’s easy to make when you begin with quality smoked, cured, and cooked meats. The perfect charcuterie board will contain at least 3 to 5 types of charcuterie representing different styles and textures, an assortment of cheese, plus something acidic, like pickles and olives, and something sweet like fruit chutney to complement the flavors. Nuts, fresh and dried fruits, bread, and crackers also make wonderful accompaniments.

Start with a wooden board, plate, platter, or piece of slate as the base.

Choose at least 3 to 5 charcuterie items that represent various styles and textures: smoked and meaty, dry-cured and firm, cooked and creamy. Allow two ounces per person, and slice your charcuterie into easily manageable, bite-sized pieces.

Spread the pieces out on the board, leaving space between them for accompaniments.

Add mustard, cornichons, olives, or chutney, so the acidity can balance the fat in the charcuterie.

Fresh fruits like grapes, figs, sliced pears, and apples, and any dried fruits like raisins, currants, apricots, cherries, and pears will round out the board, and add color. Use the fruits as palate cleansers between bites of charcuterie.

Place sliced bread, or various types of crackers, around the edges of the board, or tuck them between sections of charcuterie.

Cheese is a welcome addition to a charcuterie board. Choose 2 to 3 types of different textures to complement the spread.

Add truffle butter, which is especially tasty on a slice of bread with dry-cured meats like saucisson sec.

A hearty red wine makes a good accompaniment, such as Côtes-du-Rhône, Gigondas or Madiran.

Types Of Charcuterie To Consider:
Prosciutto: Probably the most recognizable pork offering on the list. Each region of Italy has its own signature recipe and flavor profile, but the most common are from Parma, Tuscany, and San Daniele. Culatello is a boneless cousin of prosciutto with a higher meat-to-fat ration. If you’d like to avoid the fat, Spanish lomo and Italian lonzaare alternatives made with pork loin.

Soppressata: We like to think of soppressata as the adult pepperoni. This salumi is generally made from dry-cured, coarse ground pork with red pepper flakes from Southern Italy, though regional variations do exist.

Finocchiona: Packed with fennel seeds, this skinny Italian salami was first created during the Renaissance. If you’re not a fan of anise, try French saucisson sec, made with garlic and pepper.

Chicken Liver Mousse: This creamy, butter spread is a nice introduction pâté for those who are new to offal.

Pork Rillette: If you love pulled pork then this is for you. This rillette is slow cooked with spices, cut up, often pounded into a paste and topped off with rendered fat.

Speck: This lightly smoked prosciutto comes from Northern Italy. Also, worth getting is guanciale, cut from the jowl, or a spice-cured fatback called lardo.

Chorizo Picante: A Spanish pork salami, chorizo picante is spiced with hot paprika, not to be confused with the fresh chorizo sausages of Latin America.

Coppa: Short for capocollo, coppa is an Italian and Corsican dry-cured pork neck and shoulder salume (capo is Italian for head, while collo means neck). A spicy version is also available.

Duck Rillette: In this rillette, duck leg confit is shredded before being mixed with spices and Armagnac. It’s then crowned with duck fat, which is more delectable and slightly lower in saturated fats than pork.

Mousse du Périgord: A signature creation of Les Trois Petits Cochons, a famed charcuterie formed in New York City’s Greenwich Village, this blend of chicken and turkey livers is infused with herbs and bits of black truffle. Expect a bite that’s silky and smooth, with a top layer of aspic, a meat jelly.

Jamón Ibérico de Bellota: This is where jamon reaches its peak. It’s a Spanish ham where the pigs are allowed to graze acorns and herbs freely, which gives the meat a very unique aroma. A more affordable version is jamón serrano. For a woodsy addition, Bauernschinken is a similar option that’s smoked with juniper.

Bresaola: An air-dried beef round from Northern Italy’s Lombardy region.

Black Truffle Salami: Creminelli offers a tartufo salami that’s delicious. It’s embedded with summer truffles whose flavors and aroma integrate beautifully with the pork.

Rabbit Rillette: Versions of this rillette can be perfumed with juniper, mace and/or thyme. Rabbits aren’t as fatty as other animals, so these are often topped with duck fat.

Pâté de Campagne: Country pâté can be tough for some people because of its visible parts of offal and fat. Trust in a high-quality pâté that showcases beautiful chunks of ham. For an impressive upgrade, try pâté en croûte, a rustic loaf of pâté wrapped in pastry.

Tips For Serving:
Charcuterie can be enjoyed as an appetizer or a meal. If you want prosciutto for breakfast, go for it. For entertaining, charcuterie is a popular option because it can be put together ahead of time and covered with plastic wrap.

Remove all inedible material like twine, cloth, and tough salami casing before slicing.

Cubes are fine for cheese and cold cuts, but chunky charcuterie might be hard to bite or deliver too much salt per portion. Salted cured meats are best sliced thin and served immediately.

When you place charcuterie, drape each slice like you just shaved it yourself. Not only does it look attractive, it keeps each piece separated so that guests won’t struggle to peel them apart.

Choose a flat board or platter so everything can get picked up with tongs or a fork. It’s especially important if anything needs to be sliced, like a loaf of pâté.

Lipped, round serving trays are great if there are jars, small bowls, or ramekins that may be prone to slipping. To prevent small containers from sliding, wet a small cocktail napkin and fold it so it is hidden beneath the container.

Eat sliced meats with your hands, forks, or toothpicks. Don’t forget a knife for the pâté and rillettes.

Have fun with thin sliced meats by wrapping them around melon, asparagus, batons of cheese or grissini.

Since charcuterie tends to be in the red-brown range of the color spectrum, lay down a bed of sturdy greens like arugula as a base. In addition to being visually impressive, it makes cleaning much easier.

Invite cultured butter and cheese to the party. Let butter soften to room temperature so it’s easy to spread. Cheese from the same regions as your meats will complement each other nicely.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2019 All Rights Reserved

Meal In A Bowl

March 18, 2019

Eating well just got easier. Use one or more ingredients from each of the five categories. Stick with one international flavor profile. Find a sauce in your market’s global-foods section: ssamjang, chutney, hot sauce, salsa, pesto, chimichurri, romesco, aioli, tahini, or peanut sauce. Save money by using leftovers. Save time by using prechopped fresh vegetables.

CHOOSE A BASE INGREDIENT
1/2 Cup
Cooked Brown Rice, Quinoa, Millet, Bulgur, Farro, Barley, Whole Grain Pasta

CHOOSE A LEAN PROTEIN
3 To 4 Ounces
Cooked Meat, Poultry, Seafood, Legumes, Eggs, Tofu

CHOOSE VEGETABLES
1 To 2 Cups
Vary Colors And Textures

CHOOSE A SAUCE
1 To 3 Tablespoons
Sriracha, Harissa, Soy, Sweet Chili, Ssamjang, Chutney, Hot Sauce, Salsa, Pesto, Chimichurri, Romesco, Aioli, Tahini, Peanut Sauce

Bowl Ideas
Korean: Cooked noodles or rice, shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, sliced daikon radish, bean sprouts, sliced grilled beef, runny fried egg, ssamjang, kimchi

Middle Eastern: Cooked bulgur, roasted eggplant, roasted cauliflower, sautéed spinach, cooked chickpeas, grilled chicken, minted yogurt sauce, roasted pumpkin seeds, za’atar spice blend

Italian: Cooked faro, sautéed zucchini, sautéed kale, roasted red peppers, roasted cherry tomatoes, tuna, pesto, olives, marinated artichoke hearts, pine nuts

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2019 All Rights Reserved

Olive Oil

March 1, 2018

Olive oil is rich in unsaturated fat and is also an anti-inflammatory, but all olive oils aren’t created equally. As you may have heard, not all imported olive oil is 100% pure olive oil because it’s mixed with other types of oils. It’s important to know what type of olive oil you’re purchasing. To avoid spoilage make sure to store olive oil away from heat, air, and light. Here is a quick guide on selecting oil for all of your cooking needs.

EXTRA VIRGIN
Extra virgin olive oil comes from the olive’s first cold press. The highest quality unrefined oil available; EVOO has a pure, fruity flavor and is best used for drizzling on salads, vegetables, and proteins and dipping bread into.

ORGANIC
Organic olive oil is very similar to extra virgin in terms of how it’s made, the quality, and the flavor. The difference is that organic olive oil is made using only certified organic olives.

LIGHT
“Light” refers to flavor, not fat or calories. Light olive oil is a refined oil that has a high smoke point and neutral flavor, so it’s great for frying, sautéing, and baking.

PURE
If you need an all-purpose cooking oil, pure olive oil fits the bill. It’s a blend of virgin and refined oils, leaving it with a neutral taste.

“Work With What You Got!”

©Tiny New York Kitchen © 2018 All Rights Reserved

School Lunches

March 1, 2017

Have school lunches hit a wall? It’s gets tedious for anyone to eat the same thing every day. It may be time to mix it up to keep your kids interested in eating healthy.

You may want to include dry roasted edamame or chickpeas for a salty, crunchy snack with some protein. Individually packed, pitted olives are also a nice alternative to potato chips.

Use cookie cutters to make sandwiches into fun shapes. This also works well for using on fruits and vegetables.

Pack leftovers from dinner the night before to make a great lunch. The bonus is that it’s super easy.

When you’re at the grocery store make sure to pick up some precut fruits and vegetables. This is a big timesaver.

Pack lunch in a bento box to make lunches look exciting and practice portion control.

Get them involved in shopping for and packing their own lunch.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2017 All Rights Reserved

Things You Can Do With An Egg Slicer

January 6, 2017

Making precise slices of softer, smaller foods in a snap, literally, with this tool designed to hold slippery, hard-cooked eggs in its cradle as the wires cut through. Cleanup is just as speedy – use a kitchen brush and warm, soapy water.

It can quick slice soft fruits and vegetables such as peeled kiwis, hulled strawberries, white or cremini mushrooms, and pitted olives.

Create perfect rounds from soft cheeses, like fresh mozzarella balls and goat cheese.

Make even pats from a stick of butter.

Be creative and try using an egg slicer on soft foods that you’re preparing. The possibilities are endless.

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2017 All Rights Reserved

Rosh Hashanah

October 1, 2016

Rosh Hashanah

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year (the first day of the Jewish High Holy Days) and is also known as the Feast of Trumpets. The holiday , which is also a day of remembrance, is at once solemn and festive. Joy comes not only from trust in God’s compassion, but also the anticipation of renewal and fresh starts.

The Rosh Hashanah meal becomes more than mere rejoicing as it is also a form of prayer. The table is transformed into an altar to supplicate God, partaking of symbolic foods: honeyed and sugared treats for a sweet year; round foods for a fulfilled year, unbroken broken by tragedy; foods that grow in profusion at this season and those eaten in abundance, such as rice, signifying hopes for fecundity, prosperity, and a wealth of merits.

Dinner begins with a prayer for a sweet year, dipping challah, or other sweet bread, and apples into fragrant honey. Some start with sugared pomegranates, dates, figs, or quince in rose petal syrup.

It is customary for the first course to be fish, which symbolizes fertility and God’s blessings. Seasonal vegetables like leeks, Swiss chard, black-eyed peas, and pumpkins appear throughout the meal in major and supporting roles. Delicious main dishes follow, and usually two or more sweet desserts (such as a plum tart, honey cake, or noodle kugel) conclude the meal.

A few foods, however, are unwelcome at the Rosh Hashanah table. Many Ashkenazi Jews do not eat nuts (because the numerical value of the Hebrew word for nuts is equal to the value of the word for sin). Others do not eat pickles, horseradish, or other sour foods, while Moroccans avoid foods that are black, like olives and grapes (which are considered bad omens).

“Work With What You Got!”

© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen © 2016 All Rights Reserved

Happiness

November 10, 2014

Happiness is not something you postpone for the future, it is something you design for the present.

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