Pesto is the general name for a (usually thick) sauce used to flavor anything from toasted bread to fish to pasta. You can rub or spoon it over grilled meats and vegetables or you can stir it into soups and stews.
Classic Italian pesto is made with fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic, parmesan and olive oil. You can experiment with the proportions to find your favorite, but here's the general ratio:
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 small clove garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
Purée the first four ingredients together in a food processor and then drizzle in the olive oil while running the machine. Season to taste with salt and pepper and you're done.
Using the proportions above as a starting point, keep in mind the general formula for pesto:
herb + hard cheese + nut + onion/aromatic + oil
Experiment with less classic combinations to make a delicious sauce using whatever you have on hand. Here are a few suggestions:
basil + pecorino + walnuts + olive oil + garlic
parsley + parmesan + pine nuts + olive oil + garlic
cilantro + manchego + almonds + olive oil + garlic
Making and freezing pesto is a great way to use up an abundance of late summer herbs.
Recipe: Mint Pesto (Cookthink)
Recipe: Garlic Scape Pesto (VeganYumYum)
Recipe: Broccoli Pesto (Ann Cooper)
A purée is a thick, soft dish that's made by pressing cooked foods through a sieve, or mixing them in a blender or food processor.
Vegetable purées are either used as a base for soup -- thinned with water or stock -- or eaten as a side dish. Tomato purée, used for sauces and soups, is made by removing seeds from lightly cooked tomatoes and straining the pulp. Fruit purées are used to make sauces, mousses, soufflés and other preparations. Purées can also be made from anchovies, chicken livers, shrimp or salmon, and used as a filling for canapés.
Recipe: Butternut Squash And Banana Puree With Whiskey And Pecans (Cookthink)
Recipe: Parsnip And Orange Puree (Cookthink)
Reference: Tomato paste vs. tomato puree vs. tomato sauce (Cookthink)
How to make fresh herb vinaigrette
How to make fresh herb vinaigrette
This herb vinaigrette with fresh basil, rosemary, and garlic is brimming with flavor. Watch this short instructional video by Handmade TV to see how easy it is to make.
Harissa is a spicy chili paste from North Africa and the Middle East that can be found in Algeria, Libya, Tunisia and Morocco, and is popular in France.
Made with (often smoked) chili peppers, garlic, olive or caraway oil and coriander, it may also contain cumin, dried mint, verbena leaves, tomatoes or rose petals. The ingredients are pounded to a paste, which is left to develop its flavors for at least 12 hours.
Harissa is used to flavor merguez sausage; as a condiment for falafel and other dishes; as a meat rub; and diluted in broth to add spice to couscous, stews and soups. Prepared harissa is available in jars, tubes and cans; homemade harissa can be covered with olive oil and kept in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Meaning "fresh water" in Spanish, agua fresca is a water-based drink infused with fruit, seeds or flowers that is from Mexico but is also popular in Central America and the Caribbean.
The fruit is mixed in a food processor or food mill until smooth. It is then strained through a wide wire mesh and combined with simple syrup, water and often citrus juice.
Agua fresca is flavored with a number of natural ingredients, including papaya, cucumbers, hibiscus flowers, tamarind pods or barley seeds. We love simple agua frescas of fruit and fresh herbs. Watermelon and basil or mint make a refreshing combination.
Recipe: Watermelon Basil Agua Fresca (Coconut & Lime)
Recipe: Strawberry Watermelon Agua Fresca (Simply Recipes)
(Image courtesy of Coconut & Lime.)
Gazpacho, a Spanish chilled soup, makes a quick and healthy dinner on hot summer nights. Learn how to make it by watching this great video by Handmade TV.
Be courageous this holiday season and learn how to make homemade pastry dough for all of those pies you'll be baking. This video by Handmade TV includes a recipe and step-by-step instructions for a crust worthy of any filling.
Potato latkes are considered a traditional Hannukah dish, but they are enjoyed by many cultures year round. This instructional video by Handmade TV shows how to make these crispy potato pancakes in no time at all.
Aïoli is a garlicky Provençal mayonnaise made by pounding garlic with oil, salt and egg yolks until it's emulsified into a thick, creamy sauce. Take out the garlic and add mustard and you have a basic mayonnaise.
You can eat aïoli with vegetables, cold meats, hard-boiled eggs, poached fish or snails. It can also be spread on baguette croutons and eaten with Provençal fish soup. Australians eat it with fries. Aïoli is served at room temperature.
Spanish allioli is a similar sauce that was originally made without egg yolks, but now usually is.
Caster (or castor) sugar is superfine refined sugar. That makes it finer than granulated sugar but not as fine as confectiones sugar.
Caster sugar dissolves easily and so is used to give baked goods (especially meringues) a lighter texture.
If you don't have any or can't find caster sugar, you can pulse regular granulated sugar in a food processor to help break down the grains.
Recipe: Rhubarb Syllabub (Cook & Eat)
Recipe: Meringue Cookies (Cookthink)
Related Article: Meet the sugars
