New at Dairy Fresh Candies

Dried Chestnuts—castagne secche--are dried in Italy using a smoking technique which renders them a bit sweeter, a tad smoky, and less floury in texture than regular roasted chestnuts--albeit not as flavorful. They do, however, make a great shortcut in recipes where they are to be added to other ingredients, such as in stuffings. Reconstitute dried chestnuts like any dried bean or legume by soaking them in water for least an hour, or even overnight, before cooking with them. After they've been reconstituted, you may use them in quantities equal to those called for with fresh chestnuts. Store them in an airtight container.

Dried Fruits—an incredible selection of dried fruits have arrived: peaches, apricots (Turkish and Californian), plums, mangoes, cantaloupes, figs, pears, apples, pineapples, cranberries, tart cherries, golden and dark Thompson raisins, currants, prunes, dates (Medjool, Algerian and Iraqi), figs (Greek, Californian and Turkish), and sun-dried tomatoes. Not only are all of the above great for baking and cooking, but they also make nutritious snacks.

Vanilla Caramel—yes: soft, already-made caramel! Slice and eat as is--like I’ve been doing--or melt in a microwave to coat apples, pears, little mounds of nuts (like turtles) or even marshmallows.

Silver and Gold Confetti—whole almonds coated in sugar and dipped in thin layers of real gold or silver, traditionally used for weddings and anniversaries or any celebratory event. Silver Dragees—metallic silver candy balls (non-toxic, but the FDA still recommends they be used only for decoration) that add a beautiful touch of elegance to cakes, cookies and candies.

Pumpkin Fudge—often better than pumpkin pie, especially when the crust gets soggy! This autumnal fudge tastes like sweetened pumpkin with a just a hint of seasonal spices. Try it; you might forgo the pie entirely!

DAIRY FRESH CANDIES
57 Salem Street at Cross; 617-742-2639, or mail order
through www.dairyfreshcandies.com and 800-336-5536

New at At Alba Produce

Melagrane—pomegranates--one of my favorite fall fruits. Remove the ruby-red, glassy seeds to enjoy their delicious, tangy flavor--all on their own, or sprinkled in/on almost anything to enhance flavor and garnish appearance: on salads, with meat or poultry, on soups, in desserts... Pomegranate seeds add texture, spectacular color, bright flavor, and are incredibly high in anti-oxidants. (For more info on pomegranates, see Ask Michele.)

Cachi (pronounced "kah-kee")—persimmons--you’ll usually find one or the other of two different types of these glossy red-orange fruits in American markets. The most common variety is Hachiya, with fruit that is oblong, conical, and looks somewhat like a giant, orange acorn. The Hachiya persimmon is very astringent and powerfully bitter until fully ripe. When it becomes squishy soft, cut the stem top off, and eat the fruit with a spoon to enjoy its sweet, luscious flavor. The Fuyu variety is smaller, more rounded and tomato-shaped. Because the Fuyu is tannin-free, it will be non-astringent and conversely may be eaten while still quite firm. Enjoy persimmons--cachi--in sweet or savory ways: sliced in salads, in desserts, or simply eaten out of hand.

Fichi d’India—prickly pears, cactus pears--this egg/pear-shaped fruit is actually the berry of a prickly pear cactus. In the United States, the fruit skin ranges from green to dark magenta. Most of the fruit in our market has been mechanically de-prickled, but beware of some invisible stinging hairs. With a knife, remove the tough double layers of thick skin to reveal the red-violet interior. Serve chilled, peeled, whole fruits for dessert (with a fork and knife.) Inside the fruit will be tiny black seeds--too hard to chew--simply swallow them. You will be rewarded with a delicate-flavored, sweet, refreshing fruit that is low in calories and rich in fiber.

Castagne—chestnuts--these beautiful, brown, shiny nuts are in once again from Italy. Score chestnuts on their flat side and roast in a 350°F oven for about 20 minutes. The shell will curl back, revealing the sweet, starchy nut inside--don’t burn your fingers! Eat and enjoy. Chestnuts may also be boiled in milk or broth, and used in many other preparations from savory to sweet.

ALBA PRODUCE
22 Parmenter Street between Hanover and Salem

New at Salumeria Italiana

Tartufi Bianchi e Neri—white and black truffles, flown in fresh from Italy; the most prized (and costliest) Italian food product. White truffles are thinly sliced and eaten raw, usually topping preparations of fettuccine, risotto, scaloppine and fonduta. Black truffles are more often used as a supporting flavor ingredient in longer-cooked dishes, versus the condiment (but starring!) role white truffles assume. Create a celebration, indulge yourselves, and--please invite me!

da rosario - Miele al Tartufo—honey infused with the scent and flavor of truffle, courtesy of the whole piece inside each jar. Although black and white truffles are found in Italy, the most precious of all are the white fungi/tubers from the Piemonte region. Their aroma has been described as a perfect marriage between a clove of garlic and a wedge of well-aged Parmigiano-Reggiano. Some uses include: drizzling over Gorgonzola or Taleggio cheeses; warming a thick slice of Pecorino Fresco cheese under the broiler before topping with this deeply scented honey; basting game birds such as quail, guinea hen or pheasant; dribbling a spoonful over cheesy polenta, or stirring into a vinaigrette for a composed salad of field greens, fowl, walnuts and blue cheese. A jar of this honey and a chunk of great cheese make the perfect hostess gift!

Cotecchino—(variously spelled Cotechino, Cotecchino, Coteghino, etc.) It’s been a recurring question from tour participants with northern Italian roots: “What about Cotecchino--where can we find it?” It’s here, I’ve tasted it, and it’s yummy! Both the domestic and imported styles have that classic, slightly sticky, incomparably delicious flavor. And--since both styles come pre-cooked--they don't need the typical 3-hour soaking/1-hour cooking time usually called for when starting from scratch with a fresh, raw, homemade sausage. Cotecchino, a specialty from the Modena area, is a large fresh sausage consisting of pork rind (cotenna), lean pork meat, fatback and seasonings. The pork rind turns a bit gelatinous as it cooks. An essential ingredient of the renowned Piemontese dish bollito misto, Cotecchino may also be served sliced as an antipasto, or with mashed potatoes and lentils, or else sauerkraut and polenta, as a first course.

Bottarga di Tonno - grattugiata—this specialty, often called Sicilian caviar, consists of roe from the female tuna that's been salted, pressed and dried before being grated. Although bottarga is most often sold whole or in solid pieces resembling a chunk of flat brown sausage (or an odd-looking dried tongue of some sort--the entire flattened roe sac) this particular preparation comes already finely grated and packaged in a 50 gram glass jar, ready for sprinkling over cooked pasta that's been sauced with a splash of butter and cream. [Tip: Ease up on the salt when using bottarga, salting again if necessary before serving; the briny flavor bottarga brings to dishes is delectable but considerable.] The exporting company, Callipo, is from Calabria, and they also happen to produce the only brand of tuna I find worth eating!

Panna da Cucina—Italian heavy cream in an aseptic tetra pak (looks like a juice box); shelf-stable with an expiration date usually 2 to 4 months into the future. Requiring no refrigeration until opened, panna only lasts a day or two after that, but you'll use the whole box each time, anyway, so.... Thick and spoonable, this is the ingredient most Italians cannot live without when they emigrate to the U.S.; it's the only way they know how to make such heavenly creamed pasta sauces. Panna is not something that can be turned into fully whipped cream for sweetening and dessert use, however--it will always stay the approximate consistency of clotted cream.

Lievito Pane degli Angeli—Italian baking powder with a hint of vanilla. Very difficult to find in the U.S., so I almost always bring some back from Italy. Use it in the same proportion as our traditional baking powder, but the addition of powdered vanilla negates that chemical flavor. You’ll love it!

SALUMERIA ITALIANA
151 Richmond Street at Hanover; 617-523-8743, or mail order through www.SalumeriaItaliana.com and 800-400-5916