Italian Cooking.

[Olan Giech]

Which basically boils down to cooking simple ingredients in simple ways.

I cook this meal two or three times a week, and is so simple it could be added to the 'Drunken Delights' thread.

Chicken breast & salad.

Chicken breast fillet.
Lashings of Extra Vigin Olive Oil
Mixed salad washed
Fresh Mozzarella
Small can of maize/corn
Fresh crusty bread
Salt 'n pepper

Place a non-stick pan over a medium flame and sprinkle a generous layer of salt in the pan.
DO NOT ADD THE OIL.
DO NOT ADD THE OIL.
This method of cooking requires no oil.
The oil is for afterwards.

Take the fillets of chicken and lay them in the pan to cover the base, do not cover chicken with chicken.
After 5-10 minutes you should be able to see the flesh start to change colour, at this point turn the chicken over and cook for a further 5-10 minutes.
When cooked, place the meat on a plate and generously pour the oil over the chicken to the extent that my Granny would describe as "swimming in oil".
Chuck the salad into a large enough bowl, add salt and pepper to taste, wash the corn and add that, then taking a pair of scissors cut the salad directly in the bowl. I use scissors a lot in the kitchen as it saves on washing up. Cut the mozzarella into small pieces and add to the salad, then add the oil to the salad.
I don't use vinegar because my woman doesn't like it, otherwise I'd add a dash of Balsamic vinegar.
Salad and chicken on the same plate wid the crusty bread.

Takes about fifteen minutes, and from extensive experience the time it takes for the chicken to cook on one side is the same time it takes to relieve oneself after the pub.

Nowthen, a few tips on cooking italian, because the chicken is not fried in oil, and is quickly pan-roasted it remains soft and tender and full of flavour.

Extra Virgin olive oil, is not the best oil for cooking with, if I'm frying I use a sunflower seed oil or peanut oil.
If it's a casserole I'll use an ordinary olive oil, and only if it's a 'cold' dish ie one that has been cooked or needs no cooking will I add the Extra Virgin, and finally if it's pesto or a similar sauce then I use first-press olive oil that's so dark you can't even see through it so 'rough' infact that it almost tastes of chilli.

[OldFart]

I'll pass that on to the "Cookery" dept (Mrs O/F)

Fresh mushrooms too ?

Managed to pick some yesterday......they were yummy

[Olan Giech]

Originally posted by OldFart
Fresh mushrooms too ?

Managed to pick some yesterday......they were yummy

in butter is best, with a whole garlic uncrushed or sliced just whole.

What did you find?

My favourite is young puff-balls sliced or shaggy ink-caps.

(waits for inuendo) :scratchchin:

[OldFart]

Originally posted by Olan Giech




What did you find?

Flat tops, longish stalks, and dark underneath

I'm still 'ere so must've been ok

[Olan Giech]

Originally posted by OldFart



Flat tops, longish stalks, and dark underneath

I'm still 'ere so must've been ok

If they looked like a kind of wilder version of the large mushroom you can get from the market then they were probably Horse Mushrooms.
However, I reccommend you get Collins Field Guide to Mushrooms, as there are a number which have the above description and not all are edible.
For example the Yellow Staining mushroom is very similar to the Horse mushroom and differs only slightly when cut in that the flesh turns a slight yellow.
They are some people, like my Pa, who can eat these till the cows come home, and then there are those, like myself, who suffer from 'projectile-vomitting' within twenty minutes of eating them so get the guide.

[Spacemutt]

Sounds good. My dad is currently the head chef at the local Italian restaurant, so you never know, he might add that to the menu.

I'd like to get a mushroom book. I've seen a few mushrooms lately and I'd like to know what ones will kill you. I know there are only a couple of bad ones, but I'd rather not find out the hard way.

[OldFart]

Fungi and Scotland's Wild Mushroom Code.

Scotland’s wealth of woodlands and grasslands provides one of the most attractive habitats in the world for fungi. Although many fungi species still remain unstudied, of the 2,500 larger fungi known in the UK, two thirds are found in Scotland and it is estimated that there six times more fungi in the British Isles than flowering plants. (image L Gill SNH - Chantarelle.)

Collecting.
Increasing numbers of people are visiting the Scottish countryside to gather edible mushrooms like the chanterelle and penny bun each autumn, often inspired by cookery and travel programmes (Olan take note). Many pickers supply commercial businesses who sell gourmet products, while others take to the woods to pick their own for the pot. But fungi sites can be damaged by gatherers trampling them, as this collapses the air spaces in the soil and destroys mycelium – the fungal cells which thrive underground most of the year and have a symbiotic relationship with plants and trees.

Lynne Farrell, a senior botanist at Scottish Natural Heritage said: “It is great that more people are going out into the woods to pick their own mushrooms and discover these magical places, but please do remember to take care with these special organisms. Mushrooms and other fungi are some of the most ancient growth forms in nature and are fundamental to the existence of trees, plants and wildlife in general. We hope that mushroom gatherers will follow these simple rules of responsible behaviour to protect themselves from poisonous species and allow mushrooms and all that thrive on them to flourish undisturbed.”

The code.
The Scottish wild mushroom code (below) urges gatherers to follow nine key rules of responsible behaviour, including avoiding trampling the area, only pick the part of the mushroom which grows above the surface, and scatter any trimmings around the site. It also covers safety issues and urges pickers on National Nature Reserves to check first with the reserve manager, since there may be conservation implications.

Sustainability.
Fungi are not usually damaged through simply picking the fruit body, as this often stimulates further growth. However, if they are picked too early, before the cap has opened, or delicate cells are disturbed beneath the surface, the organism is threatened. It is also difficult to correctly identify immature specimens.

Alison Dyke facilitator of the Scottish Wild Mushroom Code, said: “Unlike mainland Europe, where mushroom picking is a well-loved family activity, there has been little tradition of this in Scotland. Slowly people are beginning to venture into the woods to gather their own, for personal or commercial use, but it is a relatively new area in terms of the access, safety and wildlife implications. The code is as much about building up an understanding between harvesters, landowners and conservation organisations and to pre-empt conflict between these different interests, as to promote sustainable harvesting and management practices.”


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The Scottish Wild Mushroom Code
The countryside is a working landscape. Please be aware of safety and follow the countryside and access codes. In accordance with these codes, and as a matter of courtesy, you are advised to ask for permission before you pick mushrooms.

By respecting the natural environment you can help to manage and conserve the countryside. When picking mushrooms for any purpose, please consider the following points:

Wildlife, especially insects, need mushrooms too, so only pick what you will use.
Do not pick mushrooms until the cap has opened out and leave those that are past their best.
The main part of the mushroom is below the surface; take care not to damage or trample it and not to disturb its surroundings.
Scatter trimmings discreetly in the same area as the mushroom came from.
Some mushrooms are poisonous and others rare and should not be picked – only pick what you know and take a field guide with you to identify mushrooms where you find them.
Before you collect mushrooms at a nature reserve please always seek advice from the manager, as special conditions may apply.
If you own or manage land
Be aware that your management activities may affect mushrooms.
If you run a foray or collect for scientific purposes remember to:
Ensure the safety of your party, obtain permission in writing.
Give a record of what you have found to the landowner or manager and explain the significance of your findings.
This code was created by: the Scottish Wild Mushroom Forum, a group consisting of representatives of conservation organisations, landowners, public land owning bodies, mushroom buyers and mushroom packers.

.................................................. .................................................. .....

One of O/F's personal favourites is the chanterelle......

[Spacemutt]

How about morrelles? A bargain at about £150 a kilo.


Olan. My dad is changing the menu soon, and the owner of the restaurant doens't really know Italian food! Do you have any suggestions for good, real Itallian food that he could do? It needs to be something authentic, but also quick and easy to cook real time (the customers outside and waiting time ).

Cheers.

[siggy]

Pizziola


Some decent beef steak
potatos
passata
olive oil
oregano
garlic
water



place olive oil in bottom of pot
place in beef steak
peel chop up potatos
place in pot
peel chop up garlic
pour in all passata
add oregano
pour water on to cover meat and potato's

cook on stove for 1 hour


how about that????