CyberSlag5k
Cook
A very good read and quite interesting. Thank you for sharing, and I look forward to your next post of italiant insight.
urmaniac13 said:Firstly, a few example of general practice in Italian kitchens... many of the recipes are surprisingly simple with relatively few ingredients. They focus more on freshness and the quality, and make sure you can enjoy the flavour of the each item to the full extent.
In proper dinner, there are usually 5 courses, antipasti(appetizer), primi(first course, pasta, risotto etc) then secondi (fish or meat), contorni (vegetable side dishes) then either fruit or dessert.
My best friend (moved from India about a decade ago) said, though, that this was because you have to use a Tandoor oven to bake naan and that was why they don't eat it at home. Is this right? It's just a matter of having the right equipment?Yakuta said:Naan's are strictly limited to restaurants.
Yakuta said:Greetings Veloholic, yes tandoor is not found widely in people's homes so that is one reason.
I personally like South Indian snacks (like Dosas and Idlis) but I prefer North Indian curries and tandoori dishes. I guess a lot depends on what you were brought up on. I am not a great fan of spicy food and yes I am Indian but I prefer milder more flavorful than just a gush of chilli flavors in my mouth.
Yakuta said:Hi urmaniac, tandoori chicken traditionally is not made with chicken breasts. Those are chicken tikka and yes they can be cooked in the tandoor as well.
If you are looking to make tandoori chicken the traditional way it's best to use legs and thigh attached peices. The meat is more juicer and less drier this way.
There are two catches to making a good tandoori chicken. First is the technique and then the appliance. If you don't have a tandoor or can't use an outdoor grill than use an oven or a stovetop grill pan to cook it.
If you use an oven cook the chicken covered first until it's tender. Then turn on the broiler and let it cook for 2 -5 minutes on each side. It will give a grilled and charbroiled taste.
If you put the chicken straight in the broiler, it will be dry and not properly cooked.
As far as the technique goes, ensure that you marinate the chicken overnight in 2 tsp of ginger, 2 tsp of garlic, salt, lemon juice, plain yogurt and spices of your choice (I like to use cumin and corrainder powder, freshly roasted and ground) and 1 or 2 tsp of red chilli powder. To get a red color add a pinch of food color.
I also use a similar technique for fish. I don't marinate it overnight but just a couple of hours and cook it the same way and it tastes really good. Plus there is no oil at all which makes it amazingly healthy.
Finally if you want to use chicken breasts and cut them into cubes and make chicken tikka's. You can use a similar marinade (I would suggest using a touch of cream in the marinade so that the tikkas stay moist). I would skewer them and cook them in the oven. Then once cooked. Remove them from skewers, put them in a flat pan and place them under the broiler to finish off.
urmaniac13 said:Ciao again!! As I have mentioned a few times, living in Italy I came to realise there are some big gaps between the Italian cuisine which are actually made in Italy and what are believed as "Italian foods" outside the country.
urmaniac13 said:Firstly, a few example of general practice in Italian kitchens... many of the recipes are surprisingly simple with relatively few ingredients. They focus more on freshness and the quality, and make sure you can enjoy the flavour of the each item to the full extent.
urmaniac13 said:Each servings of pasta is much smaller than that of foreign measure,
urmaniac13 said:because the pasta is only "primi", the first course, there are the "secondi", other plates to follow.
urmaniac13 said:In proper dinner, there are usually 5 courses, antipasti(appetizer), primi(first course, pasta, risotto etc) then secondi (fish or meat), contorni (vegetable side dishes) then either fruit or dessert. In everyday supper/tea, it is often shortened to primi-secondi-fruits/dessert.
-"Spaghetti Meatballs".... Many folks do like Ragu, bolognese sauce, or meat sauce, but throwing "meatballs" (or polpetti) into spaghetti is not a very appealing idea to the Italians, as "spaghetti" is considered as the first course, and "meatballs" are considered a part of "second course", the two just don't mix like this...
-"Marinara Sauce"... They do exist, but they are sauces with seafood, as "marinara" indicates something to deal with ocean. "Marinara sauce" as you guys know is simply referred to "Sugo pomodoro" (Tomato sauce), or just simply "Sugo".
Just a few curious facts and "food for thought" for the day... I hope some of you find it interesting!!
yankeefaninseattle said:it's about pasta not sticking if you use a large enough pot??? Please elaborate, altho I think I know why, it's the starch, right??
And, if the pasta names have been 'Americanized", then why is it we purchase the pastas made in Italy with the AMericanized names??
And, did Americans make up the concept of whole wheat pasta, or is there some relation to the pasta in Italy as well??
And, how do you pronounce Bruschetta? B.