What's the difference between a sardine and an anchovy?
What's the difference between a sardine and an anchovy?
Though they are both small saltwater fish with soft bones and Mediterranean origins, the sardine and the anchovy are not the same fish.
Sardine is an imprecise term for any number of small, silvery saltwater fish related to the herring and found throughout the world. They tend to travel in large schools close to the water's surface and are harvested fresh in the summer.
In the U.S., sardines are mostly found canned in oil or sauce, salted or smoked. In Europe, larger sardines are also eaten fresh, roasted in the oven or cooked on the grill either whole or in fillets. The name "sardine" may be a reference to the Sardinian coast, where pilchards were one of the first fish to be packed in oil. The sardine is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and is generally considered to be a brain food.
Anchovy refers to a family of small fish found in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Anchovies are sold flat or rolled, filleted and either salt-cured or oil-packed. In Europe, however, marinated fresh anchovies are eaten frequently, available in restaurants and Spanish, Greek and Italian groceries.
Known mostly for their strong flavor (and aroma), anchovies can be soaked in water to remove excess brininess. Anchovies are used in everything from Caesar salad dressing, bagna cauda, Worcestershire sauce and English "gentleman's relish."
Recipe: Radicchio And White Bean Salad With Anchovy Vinaigrette (Cookthink)
Recipe: Italian Green Sauce (Cookthink)
Bagna càuda means "hot bath" in Italian.
It's the name of a convivial dish from the Piedmont region of Italy that dates back to the 16th century, in which a "bath" of olive oil, butter, mashed garlic and anchovy fillets (plus white truffles if you're in Italy and they are in season) is heated up and used as a fondue-like dip for raw vegetables.
Bagna càuda can include fennel, celery, peppers, cauliflower, cabbage, radishes, artichokes, cardoons and pretty much any other vegetable that strikes your fancy.
Tapenade is an olive-based Provençal condiment.
To make it, you pound together olives, capers and anchovies with a mortar and pestle (or a food processor), plus olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and a possible drop of Cognac. The end result is a slightly chunky paste you can spread on toasted baguette slices or scoop up with raw vegetables. Tapenade can also be spread on fish before baking, blended with roasted vegetables or served as an accompaniment to grilled meats.
Reference: What's the difference between a sardine and an anchovy? (Cookthink)
Reference: What are herbes de Provence? (Cookthink)
Recipe: Pan-Seared Chicken With Two-Olive Tapenade And Sun-Dried Tomato Cream (hogwash)
How to make green goddess dressing
How to make green goddess dressing
There's a reason this recipe is called green goddess dressing--it's simply divine. So if you're ready for a heavenly touch to your greens, check out this video by Handmade TV and you'll be on your way.
Pasta alla Puttanesca is an Italian pasta dish invented in the 1960s that was named after the whores of Naples. Whether its racy name is a result of its hot, spicy taste, pungent aroma or the fact that it was a cheap dish that working girls could down between customers is anyone's guess.
Pasta the way a whore -- not your mama -- would make it includes ingredients such as garlic, olive oil, hot dried peperoncino peppers, anchovies, tomatoes, capers and smashed up olives. The dish is garnished with parsley. Sugo alla puttanesca is usually served over spaghetti, but is a willing partner for pasta of any shape or size.
A pescetarian is somebody who eats fish or other creatures of the sea (excluding mammals) but otherwise does not eat meat.
Pescetarians are sometimes called pesco-vegetarians, but they are not strictly vegetarians. Some pescetarians eat eggs and dairy.
