Apricots. Photo: Domenica Marchetti for NPR

Post by Domenica Marchetti, Kitchen Window at NPR Food (6/19/13)

Get recipes for Strawberry-Apricot Pie, Broiled Apricots With Honey Mascarpone, Apricot-Anise Jam and Cheryl’s Apricot Frangipane Galette.

Apricots are the finest of summer’s fruits, with dense, juicy flesh and delicate, velvety skins. Piled in baskets in farmers market stalls, they seem to glow in the early morning light. The prettiest ones have a celestial blush and a sweet, floral fragrance.

That’s why it is so disheartening when you bite into one only to find it is mealy and flavorless. I can’t count the number of times this apricot lover has been the victim of just such an injustice. You probably have been, too.

I grew up eating apricots by the kilo during summers spent in Italy. I could not get enough of their intense flavor, of prying them open and biting into their sweet-tart meaty interiors. I liked them better than I liked gelato (OK — maybe that’s a stretch, but not by much).

Finding worthy apricots this side of the Atlantic has been a challenge, especially since I am not in California, the source of about 95 percent of commercially grown U.S. apricots. By the time they make their way over to Virginia, where I live, I suspect any celestial qualities have been jostled out of them. Having been burned many times, I am now reluctant to pay upwards of $6 a pound at fancy grocery stores for apricots that don’t deliver.

In recent years I’ve had some luck at my weekly farmers market, where the locally grown apricots, in season in late June and early July, are flavorful and juicy, if not quite as spectacular as those I remember from my childhood.

It took the apricot a long time — centuries — to get to my market. It’s an ancient fruit, the origins of which can be traced back to pre-biblical times. It was first cultivated in the mountains of Northeastern China as early as 2200 B.C., according to food historian Waverly Root. From there it traveled to Mesopotamia (it was said to grow in the hanging gardens of Babylon) and the Mediterranean. Spanish missionaries are credited with bringing the apricot to California in the 18th century.

Apricot trees require a temperate climate to thrive, Root says, with a cool winter allowing for a dormant period. However, the tree blooms early and is highly susceptible to frost, which can make it difficult to cultivate.

There are many varieties of apricots, with colorful names such as Lorna, Ambercot, Blenheim and Goldbar. Some are large and plush and uniformly orange-colored and some are small, with a rosy cast. Then there are the new hybrids such as red velvet, with its near-black skin — actually a cross between an apricot and a plum.

Apricots are best when picked ripe from the tree. While it’s easy to tell if an apricot is ripe, it can be tough to tell whether it’s good. Look for fruits that have a deep orange-gold color rather than those that are pale orange or yellow. They should be plump and firm, with just a little softness to them. If they’re hard, they’re not ripe; if they’re squishy, they’ve gone too far. Ripe apricots have a lovely, unmistakable floral fragrance, so give it the sniff test.

Having said all that, there have been times, usually in grocery stores, where I thought I was buying decent apricots and have been sorely disappointed when I took a bite. You’re likely to have better luck at a farmers market that sells locally grown fruit. Taste a sample if you can; it’s really the only way to know for sure.

Besides being delicious, apricots are packed with nutrition — vitamins A and C, plus fiber and potassium. In the kitchen, they are versatile, and as much as I love them (the good ones) raw, cooking them caramelizes their sugars and deepens their flavor, making them even more delightful. They are as comfortable sidled up to a roast as they are nestled in a sweet pastry crust. In savory dishes they go especially well with lamb, pork and chicken.

But I like them best on the sweet side, in a pie or tart, or cooked down to a thick, glossy jam. The sweet, flowery aroma of that jam cooking on the stove top takes me right back to the carefree days of childhood summer. It’s a good place to be.

Recipe: Strawberry-Apricot Pie

For a brief moment in early summer, strawberry and apricot seasons overlap. That is when you should — must — make this pie. It’s a harmony of sweet and tangy flavors, set off by a buttery crust. Plus, the filling, when baked, is the color of a tropical sunset.

It was not my genius idea to put these two fruits together. For that I must credit the Roches, a trio of folk-singing sisters who, years ago, wrote a song called “The Troubles,” which includes the lyrics, “I hope they have health food in Dublin, and strawberry-apricot pie. If they don’t have those things in Dublin, we’ll probably die.”

A hearty thanks to the Roches for the inspiration.

Strawberry Apricot Pie. Photo: Domenica Marchetti for NPR

Makes one 9-inch pie

Crust


2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour


1 teaspoon fine sea salt


2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces


About 5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Filling

3 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered lengthwise

3 cups diced fresh apricots (no need to peel)


2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice


1 cup sugar


1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour


1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

To make the crust, combine the flour and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse briefly. Scatter the butter around the work bowl and pulse until the mixture has formed coarse crumbs. With the motor running, drizzle in the water and process just until the dough begins to come together.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and pat it into two disks, one slightly larger than the other. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, gently mix together the strawberries, apricots, lemon juice, sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Roll the larger piece into an 11-inch disk and gently press it into a 9-inch pie plate, leaving the overhang. Spoon the filling into the pastry-lined pie plate. Roll the smaller piece of dough into a 10-inch disk and, using a fluted pastry wheel, cut the disk into 10 (3/4-inch-thick) strips. Arrange the strips over the filling in a lattice pattern and trim off the ends. Fold the overhang over and pinch it to seal it and form a decorative rim.

Set the pie on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the crust is golden-brown and the filling is bubbly and thick. Serve warm with a little cold heavy cream poured over each slice or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Recipe: Broiled Apricots With Honey Mascarpone

This is the dish to trot out when you have no time to make dessert but still want to serve one. It takes less than 10 minutes to assemble from start to finish but I can assure you no one will be disappointed. Broiling the apricots concentrates their sweet-tart flavor. A dollop of honey mascarpone on top adds just a touch of richness. If restraint is your thing, use non-fat Greek yogurt in place of the mascarpone.

Broiled Apricots. Photo: Domenica Marchetti for NPR

Makes 4 servings

8 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons honey

6 ripe apricots

2 tablespoons butter, cut into 12 pieces

2 tablespoons sugar

Dash of cinnamon

Position an oven rack 4 inches from the broiler and turn the broiler on.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mascarpone and honey until well-blended. Set aside.

Gently pry the apricots in half or use a paring knife to split them open. Remove and discard the pits.

Set the apricot halves, cut side up, on a small, rimmed baking sheet or shallow broiler pan. Place a piece of butter in each of the apricot cavities. Sprinkle the sugar on the apricot halves and sprinkle a little cinnamon over each half.

Broil the apricot halves for 3 minutes, or until the sugar begins to caramelize and the apricots are just beginning to char around the edges. Remove from the oven.

Spoon the apricots, three halves per person, into dessert bowls and top each serving with a dollop of honey mascarpone. Serve while still warm.

Recipe: Apricot-Anise Jam

If you are new to jam making, apricots are a great fruit to start with. You don’t have to peel them as their thin skin melts away during cooking. And there is no need to add the jelling agent pectin, since the fruit thickens nicely on its own. The optional addition of aniseed in this recipe imparts a delicate licorice note to the sweet-tart flavor of the apricots. Spread this jam on your morning toast, or use it to make jam cookies, a jam tart or, on the savory side, to glaze a pork roast.

Apricot Anise Jam. Photo: Domenica Marchetti for NPR

Makes about 1 pint (2 cups)

1 1/2 pounds ripe apricots (12-14 medium)

3/4 to 1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons orange or lemon juice

3 small strips of lemon peel

1/2 teaspoon aniseed

A 3-inch-by-3-inch square of cheesecloth

Cut the apricots in half and remove the pits. Cut each half into 4 pieces and put the pieces in a heavy-bottomed nonreactive pot. (I use an enamel-coated cast-iron pot.) Sprinkle 3/4 cup sugar over the apricots and add the orange or lemon juice and the lemon peel. Gently stir to combine.

Mound the aniseed on the square of cheesecloth and tie it into a bundle with kitchen string. Toss the bundle into the pot.

Set the pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until most of the fruit has broken down and the mixture has begun to thicken. Taste and add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar if the mixture is too tart. Cook, stirring, for an additional 10 minutes or until thickened to a jam-like consistency. (Reduce the heat to medium-low if the mixture is sputtering too much.)

To test for doneness, spoon a small amount of the mixture into a small bowl or plate and set in the freezer for 5 minutes. Tilt the bowl. If the jam is thick and stays mounded, it is done. If it is runny, continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, until sufficiently thickened.

Remove the pot from the heat and let the jam cool slightly. Retrieve and discard the cheesecloth bundle. You can fish out the lemon peel as well if you like, but I usually just leave it in (it’s hard to locate). Ladle the jam into two clean 1/2-pint jars. Cap the jars and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Note: You can process the jam for a longer shelf life: Ladle the hot jam into 2 sterilized glass jars. Cap the jars with sterilized lids and rings and process in a boiling-water bath for 10 minutes. Store the jars in a cool, dark place for up to 1 year.

Recipe: Cheryl’s Apricot Frangipane Galette

Cheryl Sternman Rule is the creator of the award-winning blog 5 Second Rule and author of the cookbook Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables (Running Press, 2012). The recipe for this rustic, almond-spiked tart is adapted from her book. The rich, delicate crust is spread with a thick, creamy layer of almond filling and then topped with apricot slices. It’s baked in a hot oven just until the natural sugars in the apricots caramelize and the slices of fruit turn juicy, with barely singed tips.

Apricot Frangipane Galette. Photo: Domenica Marchetti for NPR

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Crust

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1/4 cup almond meal (also called almond flour)

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

9 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pieces

3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 tablespoons ice water

Almond Frangipane

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup sugar

4 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

1 large egg, separated

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Pinch of kosher salt

Fruit

4-5 apricots (about 10 ounces), pitted and quartered

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

For the crust, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, almond meal, salt, sugar and cold butter on low speed until clumps begin to form, about 1 minute. Add the almond extract and ice water and continue mixing until the dough comes together in a mass, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a large sheet of plastic wrap, flatten into a 4 1/2-inch disk, wrap tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the frangipane in the same bowl. Beat the almond meal, sugar, butter, egg yolk (reserve the egg white for brushing on the pastry later), almond extract and salt on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Refrigerate, covered, until the crust is ready.

Line a heavy rimmed baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, toss the apricots with the sugar and lemon juice. On a floured countertop, roll out the chilled dough to a rough 11-inch circle. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the frangipane thickly over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Scatter the apricots, cut side up atop the frangipane, scraping any juices from the bowl on top. (Do not pile the apricots in a heap. If they don’t fit, eat any leftover pieces separately.) Fold in the pastry, pleating as you go, leaving a 4- to 5-inch circle of fruit exposed. Freeze on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Whisk the reserved egg white until frothy. Brush it on the exposed pastry border. Bake the galette in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the frangipane is set. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack. Allow the galette to cool to room temperature (at least 30 minutes). Because the pastry is extremely delicate, slice and serve directly from the baking sheet.

About The Author
Domenica Marchetti is the author of five books on Italian cooking, including The Glorious Pasta of Italy and, forthcoming this fall, The Glorious Vegetables of Italy. She is the co-founder of American Food Roots, a website that explores why we eat what we eat. She also blogs about Italian home cooking at domenicacooks.com.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

The sign at Monsanto headquarters in St. Louis. Photo: James Finley/AP

Post by Dan Charles, The Salt at NPR Food (6/19/13)

Ever heard of the World Food Prize? It’s sometimes called the “Nobel Prize for food and agriculture,” but it has struggled to get people’s attention. Prize winners tend to be agricultural insiders, and many are scientists. Last year’s laureate, for instance, was Daniel Hillel, a pioneer of water-saving “micro-irrigation.”

A pioneer in genetically modified crops, Robert Fraley has spent his entire career at Monsanto. He’s now the company’s chief technology officer. Photographer: Brian Schmittgens/Courtesy of the World Food Prize Foundation

Of the three, Fraley is by far the youngest, but also the most pivotal and divisive. He’s spent his entire career at Monsanto. He was hired in 1981 as one of the company’s very first molecular biologists, led the company’s intense drive to sell genetically engineered crops in the 1990s, and is now the company’s chief technology officer. In fact, if there’s a single person who most personifies Monsanto’s controversial role in American agriculture, it’s probably Robb Fraley.

(A bit of self-promotion: I told much of this story in a book about the origins of genetically engineered crops, Lords of the Harvest, published in 2001. During research for the book, I also interviewed Fraley, Van Montagu and Chilton.)

The winners were announced Wednesday at the U.S. State Department, with Secretary of State John Kerry contributing his own remarks. It’s hard to imagine a similar event taking place in Europe, where government authorities have refused to approve the planting or importation of some of these GMO crops.

Today’s event reunited former scientific rivals. Thirty years ago, at a scientific meeting in Miami Beach, each of the award winners separately presented the results of experiments showing their first success in inserting genes into plants.

At the time, Van Montagu was at the University of Ghent, in Belgium, and Mary-Dell Chilton was at Washington University in St. Louis. Both were far more prominent in scientific circles than Fraley. They also later worked with biotech companies (Plant Genetic Systems and Syngenta, respectively), but neither had as much impact in the business world as Fraley.

The World Food Prize Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with its headquarters in Des Moines, Iowa. It was set up in 1986 at the suggestion of Norman Borlaug, who had won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the “green revolution” that increased grain harvests worldwide. Major funding for the prize, which is worth $250,000, was provided by John Ruan, a prominent Des Moines businessman. In its early years, the award was sponsored by General Foods.

The prize has been criticized in the past for close relationships with agribusiness companies. Last year, activist groups opposed to genetically modified food staged an “Occupy World Food Prize” protest during the formal awarding of the prize in Des Moines.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

The martini: international drink of mystery? Photo: iStockphoto.com

Post by April Fulton, The Salt at NPR Food (6/19/13)

There’s no cocktail more distinctly American than the martini. It’s strong, sophisticated and sexy. It’s everything we hope to project while ordering one.

Baltimore-born satirist H.L. Mencken is said to have called the martini “the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet.” But is the martini perfectly American? Maybe not entirely.

So in honor of National Martini Day on Wednesday, we decided to dig into the drink’s muddled past.

The history of the martini is a murky one. As is the case with many alcoholic concoctions through time, things weren’t always written down, and memories got fuzzy from drinking a few of them.

Many historians follow the martini back to a miner who struck gold in California during the Gold Rush. The story goes that a miner walked into a bar and asked for a special drink to celebrate his new fortune. The bartender threw together what he had on hand — fortified wine (vermouth) and gin, and a few other goodies — and called it a Martinez, after the town in which the bar was located.

The Martinez was a hit, according to the city of Martinez’s official website, and word soon spread about the new drink. It was published in the Bartender’s Manual in the 1880s.

And yet, author Barnaby Conrad III, who wrote a book on the drink’s history, asserts that San Francisco is the martini’s true birthplace. Then there’s the claim that a New York bartender created it in 1911.

And wait, there’s more: An Italian vermouth maker started marketing its product under the brand name Martini in 1863.

“Personally … I think the martini may have gotten its name because of Martini & Rossi vermouth,” says Robert Hess, secretary of the Museum of the American Cocktail in New York. “A customer asks for a ‘Martini’ cocktail because it utilized that product, much as they might ask for a ‘sherry’ cocktail in those days if they wanted a cocktail which used sherry. During the 1800s, many drinks were named very simply (gin cocktail, fancy gin cocktail, gin cobbler, gin daisy, etc.),” Hess tells us via email.

Over the years, the drink’s fame has grown, as its ingredients (Butterscotch? Seriously?), the ratio of spirits to vermouth, and even its name changed (try saying Martinez three times fast). And there are people who prefer drier versions of a martini, vodka instead of gin, and shaken instead of stirred.

But where does that all-important olive garnish come in?

Nobody knows for sure, but our far-flung correspondent Deborah Amos may have a lead.

Last year, she tells The Salt, she was interviewing a Dr. Ammar Martini, a member of the Syrian Red Crescent, at a Syrian rehab hospital on the Turkish border.

“As we were chatting, I said, ‘Hmmm, Martini, that’s an unusual Arab name, no?’ And he said, ‘There are a lot of Martinis in northern Syria. In fact, my grandfather gave the name to a famous drink in the West,’ ” Amos recalls.

And how did that happen? she asked. Martini said that after the French left Syria (they occupied it from 1920-1946), his grandfather went to Paris and ran a bar and a café.

“His contribution to the famous drink, according to his grandson, was to put an olive in the glass — and he did so because Idlib province in Syria [where he was from] is famous for olives — and so the drink was called Martini after its Syrian inventor,” she tells us.

While it’s a great story, “unfortunately, this particular one doesn’t hold up when you realize that the martini cocktail existed pre-1900,” Hess says.

It seems that everyone wants to take credit for this famous cocktail.

Extra Credit: In 1935, Mencken wrote an essay called How to Drink Like a Gentleman: The Things to Do and the Things Not To, as Learned in 30 Years’ Extensive Research, which contains some surprisingly modern advice about how best to enjoy alcohol and some sharp passages on the state of American education.

“Drinking with skill and taste is no more a natural art than love; either it must be learned by the onerous process of trial and error, or it must be taught,” he writes. The essay was recently republished here by Gawker.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

Post by Bill Chappell, The Two-Way, at NPR (6/17/13)

President Obama will be advised to veto a multi-year farm bill slated to be discussed in the House this week, the White House says. The administration issued a statement on the legislation Monday afternoon, criticizing it for cutting food programs for the poor.

At more than 575 pages, the bipartisan bill was introduced by Reps. Frank Lucas, R-Okla., and Collin Peterson, D-Minn., the chairman and ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture.

When it was released in early May, Rep. Lucas called the bill, officially titled the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, “a responsible and balanced bill that addresses Americans’ concerns about federal spending and reforms farm and nutrition policy to improve efficiency and accountability.”

The Obama administration doesn’t agree, saying today that the “bill makes unacceptable deep cuts in SNAP, which could increase hunger among millions of Americans who are struggling to make ends meet, including families with children and senior citizens.”

The White House added that if the bill’s sponsors want to make budget cuts, they ought to reduce federal subsidies, such as crop insurance.

“Rather than reducing crop insurance subsidies by $11.7 billion over 10 years, as proposed in the President’s Budget,” the statement reads, “H.R. 1947 would increase reference prices for farmers by roughly 45 percent and increase already generous crop insurance subsidies at a cost of nearly $9 billion over 10 years to the Nation’s taxpayers.”

A summary of the bill released by the House Agriculture Committee says the legislation will “eliminate or consolidate over 100 programs,” in addition to enacting the “first reforms to SNAP since the welfare reforms of 1996, saving more than $20 billion.”

Among those changes, Republicans say, are two moves to keep states from adding more people to the food program than the law was meant to allow. Earlier today, Lucas tweeted a photo of a chart listing those reforms.

When the farm bill was released, Rep. Peterson said he believes “there are more responsible ways to reform nutrition programs,” but he added that “the bottom line is that this is the first step in the process and it is past time to pass a five-year farm bill.”

Copyright 2013 NPR.

Delicious — in moderation, folks. Photo: Randy Bayne/Flicker Creative Commons

Listen to the Story on Morning Edition

Post by Allison Aubrey, The Salt at NPR Food (6/18/13)

You’ve likely heard about the link between sugar consumption and Type 2 diabetes. But fresh research ties another dietary pattern to increased risk of the disease, too: eating too much red meat.

It’s not that we are trying to pick on meat (I’m a meat-eater, in moderation), but the recent studies linking carnivorous habits to health problems seem to be piling up. We’ve had Salami Suicide and Death By Bacon. Now, there’s a study that links red meat consumption to an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

The researchers tracked what happens after people changed their meat-eating habits, using data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and the Nurses’ Health Study, which include about 100,000 people. Diet was assessed by food frequency questionnaires.

“Some people [in the study] increased their red meat consumption and other people decreased their consumption,” says Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard School of Public Health, one of the co-authors of the paper, which appears in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study found that among those who started eating more red meat, about 3.5 servings more per week, the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes during four years of follow-up increased by almost 50 percent, which Hu describes as “a really large increase.”

As with previous studies linking red meat to health concerns, the researchers found that processed red meats such as hot dogs and bacon were more strongly associated with the risk of diabetes.

Among those who starting eating less red meat, the risk of developing diabetes dropped by about 14 percent during a 10-year follow-up period.

Now, to put this study in context, it’s important to point out that the most significant driver of Type 2 diabetes is body weight. People who are overweight and obese are much more likely to develop the condition.

Since red meat is typically high in calories and fat, some experts say that it’s likely these factors that create the link between heavy red meat consumption and and increased risk of diabetes.

But in this study, the link held up even after the researchers controlled for the role of weight gain. And this suggests that there’s an independent effect of red meat consumption increasing the risk of diabetes.

It’s not clear what’s happening in the body, but there are a few theories. It’s possible that heavy red meat consumption can lead to iron overload, which sets the stage for insulin resistance.

It’s also possible that compounds called nitrosamines play a role.

“Our understanding is that, especially [when they occur in] processed meats, these nitrosamines can cause inflammation,” explains Dr. David Nathan, who directs the diabetes center at Massachusetts General Hospital.

And there’s also some evidence that nitrosamines can damage the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. But experts say more research is needed to understand these connections.

In the meantime, Nathan says his advice is to pay attention to the big picture. If you like the occasional hot dog, that’s OK. It’s the overall pattern of eating and maintaining a healthy weight that’s most important.

“Red meat should be considered in the setting of a balanced diet,” says Nathan.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

Thousands of students from around the world flock to courses near Bologna, in central Italy, at the headquarters of Carpigiani, the leading global manufacturer of gelato-making machines. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

Listen to the Story on All Things Considered

Post by Sylvia Poggioli, The Salt at NPR Food (6/17/13)

Italy has secured its place in the global diet with the likes of espresso, cappuccino, pasta and pizza.

The latest addition to the culinary lexicon is … gelato, the Italian version of ice cream.

And despite tough economic times, gelato-making is a booming business.

At Anzola dell’Emilia, a short drive from the Italian city of Bologna, people from all over the world are lining up for courses in gelato-making.

This is the headquarters of Carpigiani, the world’s biggest gelato machine. Next door are the Carpigiani Gelato University and Museum of Gelato Culture and Technology.

A guide explains that gelato has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia, where mountain snow was mixed with fruit and beer for refreshment. She then points to a medieval document, the first written recipe for shrb, the Arabic word from which sherbet derives.

Creamy gelato can be dated to 16th century Florence, where it was invented by an alchemist in the court of the powerful Medici family. Catherine de Medici introduced the delicacy in France after she married into the French royal family.

The museum wall is covered with quotes on the joys of gelato — the French philosopher Voltaire said it’s so sublime, it’s a wonder it’s not illegal.

Gelato-making machines through the centuries are on display at the Carpigiani Gelato museum. Photo: Sylvia Poggioli/NPR

“Gelato was a symbol of … power,” says Valentina Righi, vice president of the Carpigiani Foundation. “Only rich people or aristocrats had ice cellars in their houses, in their palaces, to store the ice during the warm season.”

It wasn’t until the arrival of electricity in the 19th century that frozen desserts became available to all. And modern technology is making artisanal gelato-making fully democratic.

The walls of the Gelato University classrooms are lined with shiny stainless steel gelato-making machines. Students wearing white smocks listen attentively to instructor Christian Bonfiglioli give the morning assignment:

“We’re going to start with four sorbets. You can make 6 kilograms total for each recipe,” he tells the students. “We have, of course, to prepare also the variegato” — a gelato of one flavor striped with another — “so we’re going to mix together white chocolate, hazelnut paste and pistachio bean.”

The students get to work, mixing the basic gelato ingredients — milk, eggs and sugar — with a variety of nuts, fruits or chocolate. And then the machines start to hum as they blend and cool the mixtures.

At Carpigiani, the words “ice cream” are taboo. The most important difference is fat content: zero in sorbet, 8 percent in a tiramisu or chocolate gelato, compared with 20 to 30 percent fat in industrial ice cream.

Gelato has a higher density than ice cream, which is pumped with air, and serving gelato at a slightly warmer temperature than ice cream enhances its taste as it melts in your mouth.

Students prepare ice cream during a course at the Gelato University of Carpigiani in Bologna, Italy, in 2011. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

The secret of great gelato, we’re told, is using the best ingredients and making small batches, so it’s always fresh.

Instructor Alice Vignoli travels all over the world giving courses and spreading the gelato gospel.

“My grandmother do gelato, my mother do gelato, and I always live for gelato,” she says. “And for me, gelato is a passion, is not only a job. When I prepare gelato, I have a smile. [It] is a creative job, and you have the possibility to put your soul in your gelato.”

Since the university was founded in 2003, nearly 7,000 students — more foreigners than Italians — have taken courses ranging from a week to become a gelato maker, to four weeks to earn the title of gelato master.

And artisanal gelato, says Righi, is good business.

“To make 1 kilogram of gelato,” she says, “you spend in raw materials between 2 and 3 euros every kilogram. And you sell it in Italy minimum at 15-20 euros. So you have got minimum 75 percent of profit margin.”

Some students, like Haller Alziati, are victims of Europe’s economic crisis. He lost his job as a manager at an Italian TV station.

“I’m taking the two-day full immersion course,” he says. “I have a big family, six children, and I need to restart my life quickly.”

Raynold Chan has come to improve his skills for his father’s gelato shops in Hong Kong and mainland China.

“He sent me over to learn more about gelato,” Chan says, “so hopefully, I can introduce the real gelato to the Chinese area.”

Other students are at a midlife crossroads.

Cezar Lima, a 50-year-old engineer, and his wife, a dentist, have come from Brazil. “Me and her, we would like to do something different in the future — career change,” he says, “and we would like to change our regular life, to be the owners and have the direction of our lives.”

Nearly 7,000 students have taken courses at the Gelato University since it was founded in 2003. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/AFP/Getty Images

Americans Kerri Bancke and her husband, David Rasmussen, plan to open a gelato shop in North Carolina, because they’re tired of being constantly on the road working for the Department of Homeland Security. And besides, they just love gelato.

“American ice cream is very industrialized. This is more of an art than just food,” says Bancke.

Rasmussen adds, “The experience we’ve had eating gelato here, we’d like to share that experience. Not many people get the chance to just hop on a plane and come over to Italy and try some gelato. … And for the people who have visited Italy — they’ll be able to remember that experience by coming and eating our gelato.”

Alumni have opened shops all over the world, from Austin, Texas, to Jakarta, Indonesia. And Carpigiani is organizing a World Gelato Tour competition — reaching the U.S. in August and September. The winner in each world region will compete at the grand finale in September 2014 for the title of World’s Best Artisan Gelato.

Before leaving the Gelato University, we taste some of the students’ class work: white coffee and bacio (kiss), which combines chocolate and hazelnut — creamy and simply scrumptious.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

Raw, green coffee beans. To roast or not? Photo: Aidan/ via Flickr

Post by Michaeleen Doucleff, The Salt at NPR Food (6/14/13)

The diet world has a new golden child: green coffee extract.

A “miracle fat burner!” “One of the most important discoveries made” in weight loss science, the heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz said about the little pills — which are produced by grinding up raw, unroasted coffee, and then soaking the result in alcohol to pull out the antioxidants.

But alas, the history of dieting is littered with failed concoctions and potions. And now, a study in mice casts doubts on green coffee’s weight-loss benefits — and even offers some preliminary evidence that it could be harmful.

The main ingredient in green coffee extract — an antioxidant called chlorogenic acid — didn’t help obese mice shed the pounds over a 12-week period, scientists at the University of Western Australia reported in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Instead, the compound gave the little rodents the early symptoms of diabetes: The animals were less sensitive to insulin and had higher blood-sugar levels between meals, compared with their overweight comrades who didn’t get the antioxidant.

Of course, mice aren’t people. And such experiments don’t prove that green coffee extract isn’t safe. But even in people, the evidence that the supplement melts off pounds is, well, slim.

A meta-analysis a few years ago combined the results from three small, short-term trials. The authors found that green coffee extract was associated with losing about 5 pounds. But this slimming effect vanished when the authors analyzed the two studies that used the type of supplement recommended by Dr. Oz — green coffee extract enriched with chlorogenic acid.

More recently, Oz himself jumped into the research realm and offered his own evidence that green coffee isn’t a fraud, as he puts it.

Oz had about 100 women from his audience run an experiment. He sent half of them pills with green coffee extract and the other half placebos. “We found that taking green coffee extract doubles your weight loss,” Oz said on his TV show in September.

Sounds fantastic. But let’s take a closer look at the study. It lasted two weeks. And on average, the women who took the coffee extract dropped 2 pounds, while those who got the placebo lost an average of 1 pound. Was the difference statistically significant? We don’t know. Oz hasn’t published the experiment, and his people didn’t respond to our request for comment.

But here’s the kicker: Both groups also kept journals recording their diets. And there’s strong evidence that keeping track of your diet does improve weight loss.

And a journal is cheaper than green coffee pills. Even Oz admits that. “I know $30 a day costs a lot,” he said on his show. “If that’s too much for you, the free option is a food journal.”

Copyright 2013 NPR.

At left: Beyond Eggs’ egg-substitute product, a powder made of pulverized plant-based compounds. Right: Mother Nature’s version. Photo: Cody Pickens/Beyond Eggs

Listen to the Story on All Things Considered

Post by Allison Aubrey, The Salt at NPR Food (6/13/13)

The egg of the future may not involve a chicken at all. In fact, in the high-tech food lab at Hampton Creek Foods in San Francisco, the chicken-less egg substitute has already been hatched.

“We’re trying to take the animal totally out of the equation,” Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO of Hampton Creek Foods, told me.

Hampton Creek’s egg substitute product is called Beyond Eggs. It’s made from bits of ground-up peas, sorghum and a few other ingredients, and it’s attracting the attention of high-tech investors including Bill Gates.

If you listen to my story on All Things Considered, you’ll hear that it’s pretty hard to distinguish between cookies made with Beyond Eggs and those made traditionally with real eggs. The company has also developed an eggless mayonnaise and salad dressing using its egg substitute.

And why does this matter? Well, investors like Gates are betting that our planet can’t sustain the current rate of growth in animal-based foods for too much longer.

In 2000, the global demand for eggs was about 14 million tons, according to the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization. By 2030, that’s expected to climb to 38 million tons.

Hampton Creek founder Josh Tetrick is hot on the trail of the chicken-less egg. Photo: Cody Pickens/Beyond Eggs

“Raising meat takes a great deal of land and water and has a substantial environmental impact,” Gates writes. (Note: The Gates Foundation is a funder of NPR’s coverage of global health). “Put simply, there’s no way to produce enough meat for 9 billion people,” Gates concludes.

A big part of the environmental footprint of eggs and meat (as this infographic shows) is the amount of water and land it takes to grow the grain that’s fed to animals used in food production. There’s also the fossil fuel energy needed to produce and transport the products.

So increasingly, innovators are looking to develop plant-based alternatives. For instance, Beyond Meat is producing a meat-substitute product that’s gaining a lot of attention. And there are more companies marketing egg-substitute products, such as Bob’s Red Mill and Ener-G Inc.

“Egg replacements are not something new,” says food scientist and food industry consultant Kantha Shelke of Corvus Blue.

But she says what is new is the growing global demand for plant-based foods.

“Today, having an egg-replacement or non-egg label [on a packaged food] is very appealing in the food industry,” says Shelke.

There are lots of reasons behind the eggless appeal. Fake eggs don’t raise the same food-safety concerns (as we reported, a salmonella outbreak linked to eggs sickened 1,600 people in 2010). And some consumers also worry about food allergies and the cholesterol found in eggs.

So, what’s Tetrick’s next challenge in bringing his plant-based egg one step closer to the real thing? He wants to perfect his version of the scrambled egg. So far, it’s been tough to get the texture right, he says: His eggs tend to crumble into little pieces in the mouth.

If you want to see how Hampton Creek’s eggs scramble up, take a look at this video.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

A farmer holds Monsanto’s Roundup Ready soybean seeds at his family farm in Bunceton, Mo. Photo: Dan Gill/AP

Post by Dan Charles, The Salt at NPR Food (6/12/13)

A federal appeals court slapped down a quixotic legal campaign against Monsanto’s biotech patents this week.

Organic farmers had gone to court to declare those patents invalid. The farmers, according to their lawyers, were “forced to sue preemptively to protect themselves from being accused of patent infringement” if their field became contaminated by Monsanto’s genetically modified seed.

Instead, the judges — echoing the ruling of a lower court — told the farmers that they were imagining a threat that doesn’t exist.

“There is no justiciable case or controversy,” they wrote. Monsanto says that it won’t sue anyone for accidentally growing trace amounts of patented crops, and the organic farmers couldn’t come up with any cases in which this had happened.

The organic farmers, however, declared partial victory, because the court’s decision binds Monsanto to this promise. Up to now, it was just a statement on the company’s website. Now, it’s enshrined in the legal record.

In fact, according to the judges, since the decision to reject the organic farmers’ claims relies explicitly on Monsanto’s policy statements, “those representations are binding.”

The reason is something called “judicial estoppel” — the common-law principle that someone can’t use an argument to win one case and then turn around and argue the opposite in a different case.

Copyright 2013 NPR.

Whole Grilled Red Snapper. Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Post by Peter Ogburn, Kitchen Window at NPR Food (6/12/13)

Get recipes for: Watermelon Salad with Grilled Halloumi, Whole Grilled Red Snapper, Grilled Radicchio and Endive with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette, Grilled Green Beans with Fresh Horseradish, Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream and Balsamic Vinegar

I have vivid memories of my mom going out of town one weekend and my dad feeding me fried bologna sandwiches for three nights in a row. He didn’t make the sandwiches because I liked them; he made them because he can’t cook. He can’t get around a kitchen. He doesn’t know how to chop an onion. He has no idea how to roast a chicken. But the man can grill.

While Mom would put a meal on the table night after night, my dad would come home on Friday night with steaks or burgers and get the grill going. He favored the glory dishes. He liked walking in through our back door with a platter of chops while the family gathered around him like vultures.

While I love a good steak on the fire, you can now push the limits of your grill to places our dads never knew existed. Personally, I grill year-round. When it’s warmer out, I grill three or four times each week. Even in the winter, it’s fun to light the grill and watch the snow melt from its immediate area while you wait for it to heat.

I use a gas grill. I know that some people will call it sacrilege, but I proudly stand by my propane tank. Charcoal grilling tastes better, yes. But the ceremony of getting a charcoal grill up and running can take some time. If I’m using propane, I can decide that I want some grilled chicken, light the grill and be cooking in no time.

Elizabeth Karmel is the author of Taming the Flame: Secrets for Hot-and-Quick Grilling and Low-and-Slow BBQ. Her motto is: “If you can eat it, you can grill it.” I agree. Why go out and get a nice grill if you’re only going to fire it up for special occasions to char burgers, hot dogs and chops?

I asked Karmel for her grilling commandments. “You want to make sure that your grill isn’t too hot,” she says.

Some people assume that since you’re grilling, you just start the fire and put your food on the flame. But it’s more delicate than that. Some foods, which cook quickly, can take the heat of putting it directly over a flame. Others, like large cuts of meat or thick-cut vegetables, need indirect heat. This means you put your food on one part of the grill, while the flame burns on the other side. This ensures that you will cook the food all the way through. Otherwise, you could end up with chicken that is charred on the outside while raw inside.

Karmel’s second commandment: You must have clean cooking grates. “Dirty cooking grates means that food can stick to the grill,” she says.

The best way to achieve clean grates is with a serious grill brush. If you don’t have one, Karmel has a tip. “Take some heavy-duty aluminum foil and ball it up to the size of a baseball,” she says. “When your grill is hot, grab some metal kitchen tongs and put the foil in between them. Then scrub your grill grates with the aluminum.”

Finally, Karmel says that every time you grill, you need to heat your grill on high heat to get it ready to go to work. Once you’ve blasted it on high heat for 15 minutes, drop to your desired temperature and proceed to cook.

As Father’s Day approaches, you can still remind Dad that grilling is the ultimate “dude food,” but you can take it to the next level by trying things other than cheeseburgers.

Watermelon Salad With Grilled Halloumi

Forget what you think when you hear “grilled cheese,” because halloumi is something completely different from buttered bread with a Kraft single in the middle. Halloumi is a very firm cheese that can hold up to intense heat. The salty punch of the cheese truly comes out when it’s cooked, so it’s best to avoid eating it raw. This simple salad comes together quickly and is a great way to welcome summer. You can find halloumi at many supermarkets and specialty food stores.

Watermelon Salad with Grilled Halloumi. Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Makes 4 servings

4 1/2 ounces halloumi cheese, sliced into 1-inch-thick chunks

2 pounds seedless watermelon, cut into small chunks

1 small red chili, finely diced

2 tablespoons fresh mint

2 tablespoons fresh basil

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat grill to high heat. When hot, place halloumi on the grill. Cook for roughly 3 minutes on each side. It will char and leave nice grill marks. Take the cheese off the grill.

In a large bowl, combine watermelon, chili, mint, basil, salt, pepper, olive oil and halloumi. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Recipe: Whole Grilled Red Snapper

Sometimes, the simplest things can be the best. Buy a very fresh fish and don’t handle it too much. This is a beautiful dish to serve to friends and family. Presented on a big platter, you and your guests can dive right into the fish and eat it family style.

Whole Grilled Red Snapper. Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Makes 4 servings

1 whole red snapper (about 2 1/2 pounds, scaled and cleaned)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 lemons, sliced in rounds

Prepare grill on medium heat.

Score the fish with diagonal cuts on both sides of the body. Brush olive oil all over the fish. Season fish with salt and pepper. Be sure to season the inside of the fish’s cavity and press salt and pepper into the diagonal cuts. Repeat the process with garlic and lemon.

Place the fish over direct medium heat on the grill and cook for 30 minutes. You do not need to turn the fish.

Test to make sure the flesh is firm and carefully remove from the grill. Do what you can to keep the fish intact. You want to soak up some of the glory of serving a beautiful whole dish on a platter, don’t you?

Recipe: Grilled Radicchio And Endive With Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette

Grilling greens and lettuces allows you to taste them in an entirely new way. The outside gets nicely grilled and crisped, while the inside gently wilts. The bitterness of the greens calls for a punchy, slightly sweet vinaigrette that balances the dish.

Grilled Radicchio and Endive with Lemon-Honey Vinaigrette Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Makes 4 servings

Dressing

1 teaspoon honey

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

1/2 cup olive oil

1 head radicchio, cut into quarters

1 head endive, cut in half lengthwise

Salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, add the honey and lemon juice and whisk in the olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set the dressing aside.

Preheat grill to high heat.

While grill is heating, drizzle olive oil over radicchio and endive and liberally season with salt and pepper.

Place the radicchio and endive on the grill, cooking and turning until all sides are nicely browned. When done, remove from the grill and arrange on a platter. Dress with lemon-honey vinaigrette and serve warm.

Recipe: Grilled Green Beans With Fresh Horseradish

For this recipe, you’ll need a grill basket or a grill pan. This will allow you to cook smaller food on the grill that would normally slip through the grates. If you don’t have one, you could do this with asparagus. I particularly like the fresh horseradish, which is much different from the stuff you get in a jar. When grated over the beans, it reminds me of wasabi peas.

Grilled Green Beans with Fresh Horseradish. Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Makes 4 servings

1 pound green beans, stem ends picked

1/4 cup olive oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh horseradish root

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, dress the green beans with olive oil, then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Place the beans on grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook, occasionally turning, until beans are tender and somewhat blistered.

Remove beans from the grill and put on medium-sized serving dish. Using a hand-held grater, grate the fresh horseradish root over the hot green beans.

Serve immediately.

Recipe: Grilled Peaches With Vanilla Ice Cream And Balsamic Vinegar

Fruits on the grill are remarkable; the high sugar content allows them to caramelize quickly. As far as I’m concerned, every dessert could use more caramel.

Grilled Peaches with Vanilla Ice Cream and Balsamic Vinegar. Photo: Peter Ogburn for NPR

Makes 4 servings

4 ripe medium-size peaches

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 to 2 pints frozen vanilla ice cream

High-quality balsamic vinegar, if desired

Slice peaches in half lengthwise and remove pit. Cut them lengthwise a second time and toss them in a medium bowl with the vanilla extract and brown sugar. Set aside for at least 15 minutes while you preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Grill skin side down until skin is slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Turn and grill on the other two sides until you get nice grill marks, about 2 minutes on each side. Divide the peaches among four bowls and immediately top with cold vanilla ice cream. If using, lightly drizzle balsamic vinegar on top.

About The Author
Peter Ogburn is a radio and television producer who loves food and cooking for his family. Originally from South Carolina, he has a soft spot for a good biscuit, pork products and his mama. He will go to great lengths to find out why we eat the things we eat. He also enjoys daring his two young sons to eat things they might otherwise find gross. He lives in suburban Maryland with his wife, boys and giant dog.

Copyright 2013 NPR.