Italian traditional food as prepared by a typical country housewife. Organic, rustic home cooking at its best. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/preparation_and_sterilisation_of_fruit.html Continuing the short article on preserving and bottling fruit. Some useful tips on the preparation and sterilisation of fruit. Apricots are usually left whole but large ones may be halved. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/preparation_and_sterilisation_of_fruit.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/baccala_offers_unexpected_variety.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/baccala_offers_unexpected_variety.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/sterilising_jars.html Continuing the short article on preserving and bottling of fruit. Sterilising:There are two main methods of sterilising and bottling: the hot water bath method and the oven method. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/sterilising_jars.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_jam.html Learning how to make jam. Jams may be divided into two categories, ordinary jam which is made basically from sugar and fresh fruit boiled together until thick. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_jam.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_puff_pastry_2.html Continuing the article on how to make puff pastry. Rolling out the dough. The method of rolling is also important and differs slightly from the usual way. Always roll the dough away from you. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_puff_pastry_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_jam_2.html Equipment for jam or jelly making. Preserving pans. The most important piece of equipment is, of course, the preserving pan which may be enamelled, of aluminium or copper. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_jam_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/preserving_and_bottling_fruit.html Preserving and bottling fruit is almost a lost art. By bottling fresh fruit when it is cheap and plentiful, fruit pies, flans and salads can be enjoyed all the year round. Preserving fruit. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/preserving_and_bottling_fruit.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/all_about_barbecues.html Discovering barbeques. Equipment for outdoor cooking ranges from simple portable barbecues costing very little to elaborate barbecue trolleys. Portable camping equipment. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/all_about_barbecues.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/choosing_a_sink.html What to consider when choosing a sink. With the cooker, it is the sink that makes a room into a kitchen. If at all possible, there should be at least 18 inches of draining board or counter space. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/choosing_a_sink.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs_3.html Continuing the short article (Page 3) on growing, drying and using herbs. The following are more unusual herbs. Balm, the aromatic foliage of this perennial plant smells of lemon. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs_3.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/choosing_a_sink_2.html Continuing the short article on choosing a sink. It is probably more important to choose a sink unit which has been properly designed from the functional point of view. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/choosing_a_sink_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_puff_pastry.html When learning how to make puff pastry there are three basic points to remember. First, the conditions in which you make puff pastry: everything must be cool - ingredients, mixing bowl, pastry board. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_puff_pastry.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/cruet_sets.html Collecting cruet sets. Collecting items of tableware on a limited budget has its problems, but it's worth considering such things as mustard pots, cruet bottles and sugar casters. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/cruet_sets.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs_2.html Continuing the short article (Page 2) on growing, drying and using herbs. The most usual and common herb of all is parsley, called in earlier days the herb of health. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs.html Herbs have a real use in the kitchen, but they must be treated with respect, for many are strong and pungent in flavour. When using them, you should remember that they are an addition. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/growing,_drying_and_using_herbs.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_2.html Coffee is imported from most of the main growing areas, notably Brazil, Colombia and Kenya. As the flavour of the coffee depends on where it is grown as well as how it is roasted. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/soups.html Many cooks fight shy of making their own soups because they feel this will be expensive and time-consuming. In fact, it's quite the opposite. Soups are a good standby for everyday meals. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/soups.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_whisked_sponges.html Whisked sponges are the lightest of all cakes. They contain only a small proportion of flour and their texture depends almost entirely on the amount of air beaten in with the eggs. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/how_to_make_whisked_sponges.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon.html Of all the animals used in the kitchen, the pig is the most versatile. Pork and bacon joints look and taste entirely different, and methods of cooking cover a wide range of dishes. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_makers_2.html Vacuum coffee makers consists of two glass bowls with a centre funnel. Coffee is put in the top bowl, cold water in the lower one, and the machine put on the heat. When the water boils. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_makers_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon_2.html Continuing the short article on pork and bacon. Cooking a bacon joint. All joints benefit from being soaked in cold water before cooking to remove excess salt. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee.html Coffee is a matter of taste. Everyone wants it fresh and fragrant, but after that personal choice takes over. One person may like a full-flavoured, mellow coffee, another will prefer a bland one. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon_3.html Continuing the short article on pork and bacon. Other bacon joints are: Collar: Weighs between 5 and 6 lb and is an excellent boiling joint as it is evenly streaked with fat. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/pork_and_bacon_3.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/waste_disposal_units.html Electric waste disposal units that fit into the sink outlet and grind up scraps of food cut out all that messy business of pedal-bins and soggy, newspaper-wrapped bundles destined for the dustbin. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/waste_disposal_units.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/waste_disposal_units_2.html All waste disposal units are noisy - some rather more than others. But the operating time need not be long - a continuous model will grind up about three pound of waste in a couple of minutes. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/waste_disposal_units_2.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_makers.html Drip or filter coffee makers consist of two containers - a jug and a top filter for the coffee grounds. Some have a centre basket/strainer (ususally for coarse-ground coffee). http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/coffee_makers.html http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/have_you_heard_of_treen.html The word "treen" is used to describe those small household objects that are turned and carved from wood - from bobbins to butter pats and salt boxes to Welsh love spoons. http://www.italiantraditionalfood.com/have_you_heard_of_treen.html