Fresh Spinach
Spinach is available year round, but is especially sweet and tender in the late spring, when growing conditions are perfect.
Spinach is so versatile; you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert! In Tuscany, the leaves are baked into a pie with almonds, sugar, and candied lemon peel called torta co’bischeri agli spinaci. Leave it to the Italians to create a spinach dessert.
http://www.npr.org/2013/03/28/175478107/tuscan-pie-a-sweet-springtime-take-on-spinach
When shopping for spinach the leaves should be crisp and free of moisture. Avoid spinach with broken or bruised leaves.
If you purchase bagged greens (yes, I know there is a big controversy on bagged greens) they will most likely last twice as long as the leafy bundles. Bagged spinach is handled less and exposed to less moisture. Make sure to check the “best by” date to use the leaves when they are at their peek. If they are dark or clump together, just pass them by.
Spinach grows in sandy soil, so if you by bundled spinach it most definitely won’t be prewashed. Just give the leaves a generous soak in cold water, changing it out once or twice, until there is no more grit in the bottom of the bowl.
To Prepare Spinach (1 Pound): Wash and drain. Remove stems and tear into pieces (12 cups torn).
Conventional Cooking Directions: Cook, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until tender. Begin timing when steam foams. OR steam for 3 to 5 minutes. Microwave cooking is not recommended.
How To Store: Rinse leaves in cold water and thoroughly dry. Place leaves in a storage container with a paper towel and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Baby Spinach isn’t actually immature flat-leaf spinach, but a different variety entirely.
Flat-Leaf Spinach has large leaves that turn silky once slow cooked. They have an earthy flavor that tastes great in dishes like lasagna or soup.
It takes 8 cups of raw spinach to make just 1 cup of cooked. Make sure that you have enough spinach for your recipe.
Raw spinach has 33 percent more folate and 187 percent more vitamin C than cooked, since those nutrients are vulnerable to heat. On the flip side, cooking spinach deactivates oxalic acid, a compound that prevents the absorption of certain nutrients, so you get 32 percent more iron and nearly 40 percent more calcium than raw. Have a salad today and sauté tomorrow.
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen All Rights Reserved
One thing that impressed me about Eataly was the nice assortment of cheeses. Everything looked so good that I wanted to buy one of each.
The best Eataly that I’ve been to was in Rome, but the one in New York City is nice too. It’s usually full of tourists taking photos, but it’s still fun to take a little trip to see what products are available. Today I was there looking for a special Italian salami that, unfortunately, they didn’t have. May of the fresh items looked delicious and the breads are made on premises.
“Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Joy is not in things, joy is in us.”
From Old Recipe To Mustard Girl!
An 80 year old Wisconsin farmer’s recipe for a particularly tangy mustard has become big business thanks to Jennifer Connor, who love it as a college student, got the recipe and began producing it as Mustard Girl. A variety of flavors is now sold nationwide, but the star is the original Sweet N’ Spicy Honey: Mustard Girl All American Mustards, which retail at $3.00 (for 12 ounces).
“I believe everyone has a unique mustard seed to be shared with the world to make it a better place, I hope to inspire others to believe in themselves too, and to not give up, so together we can spread a whole lot of sunshine in the world.” – Jennifer Connor
www.mustardgirl.com
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
I hadn’t seen this little empanada cart before. It was near the main library on 5th Avenue and oh so cute. I couldn’t believe that the empanadas were only $2. That’s a bargain for New York City!
Spreadable sausage from Norwalk, Iowa? The culinary creativity across the country never ceases to amaze me. Nduja is a spreadable sausage that comes from Calabria in southern Italy. My husband is Calabrian so it goes without saying that I love all things from Calabria. La Quercia, the cured meat producer in Iowa has introduced its American-made version, which is a mix of prosciutto, speck, and red chili peppers. It comes in five ounce links and is extremely versatile. Use it in pasta sauce, grilled cheese, BLTs, egg salad, burgers, pizza, crostini, or tacos. It’s also wonderful slathered on warm bread or crackers.
If you’re in New York City you may find it at Fairway, Amish Market, or Murray’s Cheese. If you’re in other parts of the country then go to La Quercia’s website for store locations. http://laquercia.us
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
“If we had no winter,the spring would not be so pleasant.” – Anne Bradstreet
Storing Baked Goods
Always allow baked goods to cool completely (preferably on a wire rack) before wrapping and storing. If they are wrapped before they are thoroughly cooled, pastries will steam, turning their nice crisp surfaces soggy and limp. The texture and flavor of most baked goods fare best when stored, well wrapped, in a cool dry location for a couple of days. However, those that are particularly high in moisture will be safest stored in the refrigerator.
“Work With What You Got!”
© Victoria Hart Glavin Tiny New York Kitchen
