INGREDIENT CORNER
In this column, we cover an ingredient in depth, from the history to the availability to the usage. Each item is something that is available in most grocery stores, but is generally underutilized. Each ingredients discussion also includes two recipes.
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Clams
by Christopher A. Costantino
Clams are bi-valve mollusks. They do not live attached to a substrate, such as oysters and mussels. Most burrow into the soft substrate to varying depths, while some groups live free on the sea floor...
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June 20
2023
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Lasagna
by Christopher A. Costantino
When I think of a quintessential Italian family meal, I think of lasagna. I've been to Italy many times and have never seen it on a menu there. That got me looking into the origins. Is it like spaghetti and meatballs - an Italian/American creation?
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May 20
2023
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Eggplant
by Christopher A. Costantino
In Italy, it's known as Melanzana, while in England, it's known as Aubergine. Here in America, we call it Eggplant and it is the first topic of my ingredients discussion. A member of the nightshade family, it is related to the...
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March 2
2023
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Cornmeal
by Christopher A. Costantino
The great culinary encyclopedia, Larousse Gastronomique defines maize (or corn) as "A cereal with white, yellow or rust-colored grains, rich in starch, which are attached to a cob, protected by layers...
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June 21
2022
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Wonton Wrappers
by Christopher A. Costantino
Italy has ravioli, while Poland has pierogi and Spain has Empanadas. Nearly every culture has a dish that involves a dough of some sort stuffed with something and baked, boiled or fried...
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August 15
2021
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Pasta
by Christopher A. Costantino
They say there are as many types of pasta as there are towns in Italy. From the classics that most Americans are aware of (fettuccine, spaghetti, linguine and penne) to the more obscure (garganelli, orrechiette, gemelli and...
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October 17
2015
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Butternut Squash
by Christopher A. Costantino
Squash is a quintessential American ingredient. And I mean North and South America - not just the United States. There is evidence of squash being eaten in Mexico as far back as 5500 BC and in South America two thousand years ago...
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July 2
2015
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Brussels Sprouts
by Christopher A. Costantino
Possibly one of the most hated vegetables on the planet, Brassica aleracea, or Brussels sprouts are personally one of my favorites. A cruciferous vegetable in the same family as cabbage, broccoli, kale and kohlrabi, these sprouts are cultivated for their green buds, 2-4 cm in diameter...
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May 11
2015
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