THE NIBBLE BLOG: Products, Recipes & Trends In Specialty Foods


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Sour Salt: Amplify The Flavor Of Your Cooking

Attention home cooks: Do you have a jar of sour salt?

Sour Salt is the secret weapon of chefs and home cooks alike, says Pereg Gourmet Spices.

The jar gives you the power of pure citric acid (also called citric salt), ready to brighten, balance, and boost the flavors in all your favorite dishes.

This all-natural flavor enhancer is commonly used as a substitute for a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, providing a tart, piquant flavor with only a few grains of the salt.

It’s a natural acidic ingredient found in all citrus fruits, including lemons, limes, and oranges.

Sour Salt isn’t just about pucker power. More than just sour, it adds a delightful tang that awakens the taste buds and elevates other flavors in foods and beverages.

Sour salt is a common substance used to add flavor to food products, from canned items to fresh sausages to Picholine olives to soft drinks.

It’s also used as a salt substitute by people on low-sodium diets.
 
 
HOW TO USE SOUR SALT

Create a flavor explosion and unleash the tang in everything from borscht to pickles to lemon cheesecake!

Use just a sprinkle adds a boost:

  • Add zest to guacamole
  • Amplify the flavor of berries or other fruit that isn’t sweet
  • Brighten the taste of heavy dishes
  • Bring a subtle new flavor to your cocktails
  • Deepen the vibrancy of ceviche
  • Enjoy zestier vegetables
  • Grill mouthwatering fish
  • Heighten the flavor or mac and cheese sauce
  • Throw a pinch into a boring beer
  • Use a pinch to offset overly sweet jam and preserves
  • And so much more!
  •  
    It’s a wonderful product to have in the kitchen!

    (And tuck this away for holiday season: It’s a great stocking stuffer for home cooks.)
     
     
    GET YOUR SOUR SALT

    Head to Pereg-Gourmet.com.

    There’s even a version that’s kosher for Passover.

    All Pereg products are certified OU Kosher.
     
     
    MORE TO PERUSE

    > The different types of salt.

    > The history of salt.

    > The history of lemons.

    > The different types of lemons.

     

    A jar of Sour Salt or Citric Acid
    [1] Sour salt is an asset in the kitchen (photos #1 and #2 © Pereg.

    A jar of Sour Salt or Citric Acid
    [2] A dish of sour salt. Keep it with the salt and pepper for anyone who wants a pinch of tang.

    A bowl of macaroni and cheese
    [3] Add zip to mac and cheese sauce (photo © Kraft).

    A bowl of guacamole
    [4] Deepen the flavor of your guacamole (photo © Good Eggs).

     

     
     

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    Classic Peach Cobbler Recipe For National Peach Cobbler Day

    A pan of peach cobbler, with two individual dishes a la mode
    [1] Classic peach cobbler with sugar-topped biscuits (photos #1, #3, #4, and #5 © King Arthur Baking).

    Whole & Sliced Peaches
    [2] When peaches are out of season, you can use frozen peaches or substitute fresh mango (photo © Good Eggs).

    King Arthur Baking brand vanilla extract
    [3] Always use pure vanilla extract. Imitation vanilla extract (vanillin) is less expensive, and tastes it (think of imitation maple syrup).

    A Bag Of King Arthur Baking's All Purpose Flour
    [4] You can use pastry flour or all-purpose flour.

    A ramekin of Coarse Sparkling Sugar, a garnish for cookies and other baked goods
    [5] Coarse sparkling sugar, a garnish for cookies and other baked goods. See the different types of sugar.

     

    April 13th is National Peach Cobbler Day. Yes, you can make peach cobbler from frozen peaches—which is what you’d have to do right now, because peaches are summer fruits.

    If you use frozen peaches, be sure they’re thawed and at room temperature.

    Below:

    > Classic peach cobbler recipe.

    > More cobbler recipes.

    > The history of peaches.

    > The history of cobbler.

    > The difference between cobbler, crumble, crisp, betty, buckle, grunt, pandowdy, slump, and other baked fruit dishes.

    > The different types of pies and pastries: a photo glossary.
     
     
    RECIPE: CLASSIC PEACH COBBLER

    Prep time is 15 minutes and bake time is 45 to 50 minutes.

    Thanks to King Arthur Baking for this recipe. Another tip from King Arthur:

    > How to peel peaches without a knife.

     
    Ingredients For 12 Servings

    For The Filling

  • 5 to 6 ripe peaches (about 908g unpeeled), peeled, pitted, and sliced; or 4 heaping cups (908g) frozen sliced peaches, thawed to room temperature
  • 2/3 cup (132g) granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons (28g) lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup (35g) Pie Filling Enhancer (*or, see the substitute below)
  • 1/8 teaspoon table salt
  •  
    For The Topping

  • 2 cups (226g) King Arthur Pastry Flour Blend or 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (or substitute)
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 1 to 1-1/4 cups (227g to 283g) heavy cream, enough to make a cohesive dough
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons (14g to 28g) milk or melted butter, for brushing on top
  • Optional: coarse sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top
  • Optional: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for topping
  •  
    Preparation
     
    1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9″ round pans.

    2. MAKE the filling: Combine all the filling ingredients, and spoon the peach filling into the prepared pan.

    3. MAKE the topping: Whisk or sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.

    4. STIR in enough heavy cream to moisten the dough thoroughly. You’ll probably use about 1 cup in the summer, 1-1/4 cups in the winter, and 1 cup + 2 tablespoons at the turn of the seasons. You want to be able to gather the dough together, squeeze it, and have it hang together, without dry bits falling off.

    5. PAT the dough into a lightly greased 9″ round pan. Use a 2″ round biscuit cutter to cut as many biscuits as you can, leaving them in the pan.

    6. TURN the pan over onto a lightly greased or lightly floured surface, rapping it a few times to make the dough fall out. Lift off the pan, pick up the cut biscuits, and space them atop the peach filling. You’ll have leftover biscuit dough, which you can shape into additional biscuits to bake in that same pan, if desired, when the cobbler is finished.

    7. BRUSH the biscuits with milk or butter, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar.

    8. BAKE the cobbler for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown.

    9. REMOVE the cobbler from the oven, and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes before serving. This allows the filling to set somewhat. Don’t worry, it will still be warm when you serve it.

    10. SCOOP the cobbler into serving dishes, including a biscuit with each serving. Top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.
     
     
    MORE COBBLER & RELATED RECIPES

  • Apple-Pear Brown Betty
  • Best Apples For Apple Crisp
  • Classic Apple Crisp
  • Cherry Cobbler
  • Crumb Top Instead Of Pie Crust
  • Make A Streusel (A.K.A. Crumble, Crisp) Topping
  • Old Fashioned Apple Crisp
  • Pie Dough Crumbles Ice Cream Topping
  •  
    ________________
     
    *King Arthur Baking’s Pie Filling Enhancer is a combination of extra-fine sugar, thickener, and ascorbic acid. It both improves the flavor of the fruit, and provides the necessary thickening. Replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with the sugar before adding to the fruit, if desired. If you make this substitution, increase the sugar in the recipe to 3/4 cup.
     

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    A Spicy Gin & Tonic Recipe For National Gin & Tonic Day

    On October 19th, International Gin and Tonic Day celebrates one of the world’s most famous drinks. But in the U.S., we have a second chance to raise a glass: April 9th is National Gin & Tonic Day.

    Much as we loved the classic Gin & Tonic recipe, this year we decided to try something new: this Spicy Gin and Tonic created by Marshall Minaya of Valerie Restaurant in New York City.

    It’s fusion food, crossing the iconic British cocktail with ancho verde chiles, in the form of Ancho Reyes Verde Chile Poblano Liqueur from Mexico.

    And there’s a bit of America in it, too: Marshall used St. George Terroir Gin, an artisan gin from California.
     
     
    > The history of the Gin & Tonic cocktail.

    > The history of gin.

    > The different styles of gin.

    > The top 12 gin cocktails.

    > The history of tonic water.

    > A year of gin and related holidays.

    > More Gin & Tonic recipes.
     
     
    RECIPE: SPICY GIN & TONIC
     
    Ingredients Per Drink

  • 1-1/2 ounces gin
  • 1/2 ounce Ancho Verde liqueur
  • 2 dashes Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters
  • Q Tonic Water
  • Ice
  • Garnish: red jalapeño wheel
  • Optional Garnish: 1 long cucumber slices
  •  
    Preparation

    1. PLACE the optional long cucumber slice on the inside of the copa goblet, pressing into the wall.

    2. COMBINE the gin, liqueur, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into the glass.

    3. TOP OFF with tonic water, stirring briefly.
     
     
    MORE GIN & TONIC RECIPES

  • Classic Gin & Tonic
  • Classic Gin Cocktails
  • Tax Thyme Gin & Tonic
  •  
     
    ABOUT ANCHO REYES VERDE CHILE LIQUEUR

    For Ancho Reyes Verde, poblano chiles are picked while still green and fire-roasted to harness their fresh, bright, and crisp flavors. They are then sliced, puréed, and macerated for six months.

    The liqueur delivers notes of lightly charred poblano.There is sweetness on the palate along with vegetal notes and hints of citrus. The finish is spicy, but not overwhelmingly hot.

    There’s also Ancho Reyes Original, made with red (ripe) poblano chiles.

    Ancho Reyes Verde is delicious sipped neat or chilled, but it can also be in cocktails with gin, tequila, and vodka, as well as with aged spirits like rum and whiskey.

    > Here’s more about Ancho Reyes liqueurs.

     

    Spicy Gin & Tonic, with Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
    [1] The Spicy G&T is shown in a Copa goblet, a balloon shape designed to trap the aromas of the gin (photo © Valerie Restaurant).

    A bottle of Ancho Reyes Verde, green chile liqueur
    [2] Ancho Reyes Verde Liqueur, made with roasted green poblano chiles (photo © Campari America).

    A bottle of The Bitter Truth Cucumber Bitters
    [3] Cucumber bitters add notes of marinated cucumber and cracked pepper, rosemary, and thyme to many different cocktails and sparkling water (photo © The Bitter Truth).

    3 bottles of Q Tonic Water, a premium brand.
    [4] All-natural Q Tonic Water is worth seeking out (photo © Q Mixers).

     

     
     

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