Food Notes: 4/15

Sicilian citrus salad, baked spaghetti, Cabury Creme eggs, and more

The winter citrus season is almost over, but I'm in Florida for spring break so I had one last chance to enjoy the tasty, orange-y, acidic flavors.

It was about this time last year when I wrote up a history of Sicilian citrus salad, where I wrote about the increasing popularity of the dish. I like making simple versions with oranges, oil, and red pepper, but there are lots of ways of making citrus salad more complex.

My mother-in-law was hosting a dinner party and asked for side dish suggestions. I offered to make a citrus salad that merges the sweetness of oranges with the bitterness of radicchio. The acid is a great way to balance out creamy fats, so it was the perfect foil to the cheese and ham field chicken cordon bleu.

Pistachios add texture and the green olives introduce a salty brine. I like to add crushed red pepper to add a bit of heat. My wife describes this as like a plate of shishito peppers where one of them is spicy but you don't know which one. However, my father-in-law is less enthusiastic about the heat, so I left it out.

Other variations on this include dicing up fresh fennel, although in this case I left it out.

The real secret is not being shy with the olive oil. The acid will cut down the fattiness, and the oil will help bring out the flavors of the fruit.

I sliced medallions of oranges and laid them on a platter, topping them with a splash of oil. Then added the radicchio, shallots, and olives. I topped the last of this with pistachios just before serving so they don't get soggy.

Here's how I made this one, but there's no fixed rule:

Ingredients:

• 2 blood oranges

• 2 navel or cara cara oranges

• 1 head of radicchio

• 10 green olives

• 1 shallot

• A handful of roasted salted pistachios.

• Olive Oil

• Salt

• Pepper

Instructions:

• Slice the peel off the oranges and slice medallions

• Arrange oranges on a platter

• Top with olive oil and black pepper (add red pepper flakes for heat)

• Slice shallots into longer pieces

• Cut green olives into circular shapes

• Combine with radicchio in a bowl

• Dress with oil, pepper, salt

• Arrange on top of oranges

• Top with pistachios before serving.

The Latest

Baked Spaghetti

Salon’s Ashlie D. Stevens dives into the history of baked spaghetti, a dish common in Appalachia and the midwest. I of course offer some expert background on Italian American cuisine.

Ginger

Over at Gastro Obscura, Andrew Coletti takes a look into the various gingers of the world. Ginger, as it turns out, has been cultivated for so long you won’t find it in the wild. Personally, I love ginger, and keep some candied ginger on hand for treating motion sickness, especially on the open sea. MythBusters proved ginger the most reliable seasickness cure back in 2005.

Gruyère Life

Bon Appétit travels to Switzerland to explore the world of Gruyère. Switzerland produces 700 varieties of cheese, and only a few with holes. Gruyère is protected under an AOP, though American courts allow the term gruyere on cheeses from outside the zone.

Cadbury Creme Eggs

Eater takes a look at the history Cadbury Creme eggs. There’s definitely a joke here about the price of eggs, but I can’t seem to find it this afternoon. But its worth noting that as good as the creme eggs are, they are even better outside the US where they are actually made by Cadbury. In the US, Hershey’s has the license, which might explain why they aren’t as good.

Cheese Heist

Luxury foods, especially artisan products, are big business. The Guardian takes a look at the rise in cheese crimes involving expensive, high-end cheese and the potential for fraud.

Bananas, Now Less Brown

One of the worst things about bananas is that they brown when exposed to the air. A new variety with edited genes will brown more slowly, over 12 hours rather than just a few minutes. I’m not sure this will make it any less messy when a toddler squeezes it into their mouth.

Pizza Tasting Chronicles

Like everyone else who eats food in New York City, I have started my own pizza review, the Pizza Tasting Chronicles, available right here every Wednesday. Don’t worry, I won’t be clogging up your inbox with weekly updates.

Eating In Miami: Lira

Back in February we did a quick business trip to Miami and had a chance to eat at Lira, a Lebanese restaurant.