What's New In The North End Markets

dal mercato ...

HIGH GEAR
Yes, I know that this is a jewelry store, but...they have a fabulous new line of baubles made from Tagua, a seed from a palm tree only found along the Pacific Coast of South America. It has acquired the name of "Vegetable Ivory" because when it dries it acquires the same properties as Ivory. Also part of fair-trade and eco-friendly!
High Gear
204 Hanover St.
tel-617-523-5804

DAIRY FRESH CANDIES
Torrone Fratelli Oliviero from Avellino - a nougat candy made from honey, sugar, egg whites and nuts. The soft variety is available with almonds in vanilla, chocolate and pistachio flavors, plain and chocolate covered. Also from Avellino, Torrone Di Gennaro, a soft morbido and hard friabile variety chocolate covered and layered with pan di spagna. The region of Abruzzo is also represented with the brand Properzi.

Croccante -nut brittle, is back - look for almond, mixed nuts, sesame and mixed nut with coconut varieties. This croccante is European style - lots of nuts held together with just a small amount of caramel!

Cedro - candied citron - these incredibly large citrus fruits are used in most Italian holiday cakes, breads and sweets.
Dairy Fresh Candies
57 Salem St
617-742-2639
www.dairyfreshcandies.com

POLCARI COFFEE
With the cool crisp air and holidays approaching - cinnamon comes to mind. Whether mulled in cider, hot coffee, an ingredient in your baking, or in your Sicilian tomato sauce...definitely try the true soft Ceylon cinnamon and you will never go back to those cassia hard sticks again!

Chestnuts are in from Italy - you can find them also at Alba Produce. Score the nut on its flat side and roast in a 350°F oven for about 20 min. The shell will curl back, revealing the sweet, starchy nut inside - don't burn your fingers - eat - enjoy! Chestnuts can also be boiled in milk or broth and used in many other preparations from savory to sweet.

Fig Jam from Lebanon - A great accompaniment to salty sheep's milk cheeses!

Dried lavender flowers are not just for potpourri. Many chefs are now infusing lavender in pastry cream, budino's and gelati. Mix lavender with sea salt and use to season grilled lamb chops!

Pure oils of anise, lemon, orange, clove and cinnamon to use in your holiday baking. And for a fun present for yourself, try making your own liqueurs with the tiny bottles of flavorings.
Polcari's Coffee
105 Salem St.
617-227-0786

ALBA PRODUCE
Our favorite fall fruits are now available -

Pomegranates - melagrana - - remove the ruby-red glassy seeds and enjoy the delicious tangy flavor on their own or simply sprinkle them to both enhance and garnish almost anything - salads, meat or poultry, soups, desserts. They add texture, spectacular color and are incredibly high in antioxidants. (see ask Michele)

Persimmons - cachi (pronounced kaki) You'll usually find 2 types of these glossy red-orange fruit. The most common variety is Hachiya and is oblong, conical and looks somewhat like a giant orange acorn. The Hachiya is very astringent and powerfully bitter until fully ripe. When it is squishy soft, cut the stem top off and eat it with a spoon to enjoy its sweet luscious flavor. The Fuyu variety is smaller, rounded and tomato shaped. Because the Fuyu is tannin-free it will be non-astringent and can be eaten while still firm. Enjoy it in salads, sweet and savory, in desserts, or just eat it out of hand.

Prickly pears, cactus fruit - fichi d'India- 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 seeds, too hard to chew,, simply swallow them. You will be rewarded with a delicate flavored, sweet, refreshing fruit, low in calories and very rich in fiber.
Alba Produce
18 Parmenter St.


SALUMERIA ITALIANA
It's back - Setaro pasta - this artisanal pasta has been made in Naples for 3 generations, since 1939. It rough exterior will hold your sauce and the fine durum hard wheat and spring water will give it an exceptional flavor and chew. The slow drying method preserves the nutritional value and taste.

Colatura - The essence of anchovy in its purest form. The Romans packed anchovies with salt in large wooden barrels, and allowed them to ferment for several months. The clear golden liquid drained from the bottom of the barrel was known to them as "Garum". Excellent on linguine or spaghetti with a little garlic, crushed red chili flakes and a squeeze of lemon. Colatura is also wonderful in a Caesar Salad dressing, to replace the anchovies.


Columbus artisanal salume. This San Fransisco company has been making cured meats since 1917, using old family recipes with only the finest ingredients. Their artisan products, which are different than their supermarket brands, are so authentically "Italian" in flavor that
tasting them is like taking a trip to Italy without a passport!
Salumeria Italiana
151 Richmond St.
1-800-400-5916
www.salumeriaitaliana.com

V. CIRACE & SONS LIQUORS
Jeff and Lisa have just imported several exceptional (rarely if ever seen in this country) liqueurs. All from Maurizio Russo, they offer new and interesting flavors for after the meal. Mandisa, is like golden honeydew ambrosia in a bottle. Tentazione, combines creamy chocolate with spicy peperoncini. Nocino, a walnut liqueur, is made while the walnuts are still green, before the shell hardens. And Finnet, flavored with wild fennel, invokes the flavors of the sunny Mediterranean. These are sure to create lots of lively conversation at your next dinner party!
V.Cirace & Son, Inc.
173 North St.
617-227-3093
www.vcirace.com

Apples

There’s no doubt that cooler days and autumn evenings signal the start to the apple season. Ever since Adam bit into the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, apples have been the world’s most favorite fruit. There is evidence to suggest that the Stone Age man was partial to the apple, and apples were the first fruits cultivated in the fertile valleys of Asia minor over 3,000 years ago. With over 7500 varieties grown throughout the world and 2500 varieties grown in the United States, the crabapple is the only apple native to North America and the Lady apple is one of the oldest in existence. Second to oranges, apples are the most valuable fruit grown in America. Italy is Europe’s largest producer of this juicy fruit and the third largest in the world after China and the United States. The apple variety ‘Delicious' is the most widely grown in the United States but fortunately we are now seeing many so called lost apple varieties in the marketplace. These exceptionally tasty, heirloom varieties were previously abandoned because the fruit did not ship well or were too ugly for fussy people to put in their fruit baskets.

No matter what variety you choose, look for firm, fragrant fruit. Don’t be seduced by the skin color of an apple; those gorgeous-looking specimens with thick red, waxy skins often have mealy, tasteless flesh. If you plan on eating them within a day or two, they’ll be fine on the counter. Since apples ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated, it is best to store them in the refrigerator’s crisper in a plastic bag away from other vegetables. As they ripen, apples give off ethylene gas, which shortens the life of some other vegetables.

One medium unpeeled apple has only 80 calories, 5 grams of cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber and no fat or sodium. Apples are also rich in flavonoids and other polyphenols. Their complex carbohydrates provide plenty of slow-release energy. Don't peel your apple. Two-thirds of the fiber and lots of antioxidants are found in the peel. If you’ve ever bobbed for apples and wondered why they float, 25 percent of an apple's volume is air.

Apples are very versatile. Some apples are suitable for eating raw, but most can be baked in the oven or microwave, the centers filled with dried fruit and nuts; they can be sliced and baked in pies, crumbles, strudels and tarts; they can be cooked to a puree for applesauce, to be served solo or added to desserts. Aromatic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom and cloves highlight their flavor as well as rosemary, sage, lemon and honey. Tart apples make an excellent accompaniment for game birds, sausages, and rich meats like pork, duck and goose. Apples also provide bursts of sweetness to savory salads, cabbage dishes and even lentil soup. They also offset a range of cheeses, particularly aged cow’s milk cheeses, pungent washed rind cheeses and many blue cheeses.

Delicious as they may be, no store-bought apples can ever beat the flavor and crisp texture of local apples that have been freshly picked. So, pack up the family and head out to a local orchard to feast on the season’s nutritious, convenient snack.


BAKED APPLES
To prevent apples from bursting open, peel about a third of the skin from the top of the apple. Using a small melon baller, scoop out the stem and core, leaving the bottom intact. After choosing one of the fillings described below, place apples in a baking dish containing about half an inch of liquid – sweet or dry wine, fruit juice, apple cider or water. Bake for about an hour at 350°F, until tender.
• chopped walnuts, honey and a pinch of ground cardamom
• crushed amaretti cookies, Marsala wine and butter
• raisins, pistachios and honey
• dried cranberries, sugar and grated orange peel
• brown sugar, cinnamon, pecans, raisins, brandy and butter
Serve warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream, softly whipped heavy cream, crème fraiche or mascarpone cheese.

TORTA DI MELE ALL’OLIO SERVES 8-10
This rustic, slightly sweet, moist cake is from Anna Del Conte, a well published Italian cookbook writer. Enjoy it for breakfast or at the end of a meal with a dollop of cream. It is one of a few cakes made with olive oil instead of butter has become one of my favorites.
3/4 cup golden raisins
2/3 cup olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 1/3 cups Italian OO flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb apples (3 large), peeled and diced small
grated rind of 1 lemon

Soak the raisins in warm water for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Pour the olive oil into a bowl, add the sugar and beat until the oil and sugar become homogenized. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until the mixture has increased in volume and looks like thin mayonnaise.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the oil and sugar mixture, folding them in with a wooden spoon. Mix thoroughly and then add the diced apples and lemon rind.
Drain and dry the raisins and add to the mixture. Mix very thoroughly. The mixture will be quite stiff at this stage.
Butter and flour an 8 in springform cake pan. Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for about 1 hr and 15 min., until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out dry. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a wire rack.

MELE CON MIELE E GRAPPA
Simple, quick and elegant. Serves 2

3 T. melted butter
2 large eating apples
2-3 T. grappa
2 T. honey

Core the apples and then slice each apple into about 6 rings.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat Add the apples to the pan and sauté for about 2-3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned and softened. Pour over the grappa and allow to flame briefly to burn off the alcohol. Remove the apples from the pan and keep them warm.
Add the honey to the pan and heat through until bubbling hot, stirring it into the apple and Grappa residue. Pour the honey over the hot apples and serve at once with cream or ice cream.

previously published in the North End News