Final Delights Before the Frost

　　
　　Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
FALL BOUNTY The apples, cider and pumpkins at Hindinger Farm, in Hamden, are typical of the late-season offerings available at farms and orchards throughout the state.
The air may be a bit nippier, but it is not too late to enjoy the fruits of the fall harvest at local farms. At this time of year that means apples (and apple cider), along with pumpkins, squashes, gourds — and pies. These three orchards are representative of what is available at many farms around the state.
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　　Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
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　　Christopher Capozziello for The New York Times
Sharon
The three views from Ellsworth Hill Orchard’s retail store very much reflect what this farm is about. One is of the rolling hills where its apple orchards and berry patches thrive. Another overlooks its corn maze. The third is through a plate glass window into the cider-making room.
If the weather remains mild, the orchard will continue to be open for pick-your-own apples. In the event of heavy frost, many types will be available in the store, including Empire, Honeycrisp, Gala, Cortland, Northern Spy, Macintosh, Idared, Golden Delicious and Macoun ($1.89 to $2.29 a pound, prepicked). “The later varieties are getting sweeter over time,” Michael Bozzi, the owner, said.
Mr. Bozzi, a former landscaper, bought the business 11 years ago. Under his direction, Ellsworth Hill added blueberries, cherries, peaches, plums, fall raspberries and Asian pears ($3 a pound), an autumn specialty. In a bit of landscaping ingenuity, the corn maze is keyed to a sheet of crossword-puzzle-style clues designed to lead participants through it. Like the orchard, it should be open through November ($5 to $7 per person, free for children 5 and under).
Whatever the weather, this is the season for apple cider ($2 a cup, $4 a half-gallon), made on the premises and sold unpasteurized and preservative-free. In addition to the cider mill, the farm store has a kitchen that produces spiced cider doughnuts ($5 a half-dozen), muffins ($4 for two) and three kinds of pies: apple, pumpkin and fruits of the farm ($14.50 each). “With all that fresh baking,” Mr. Bozzi said, “it smells pretty nice here in the fall.”
Ellsworth Hill Orchard and Berry Farm, 461 Cornwall Bridge Road (Route 4), Sharon; ellsworthfarm.com or (860) 364-0025. Open daily, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cash only.
Hamden
The sign in front of Hindinger Farm reads, “A family tradition of quality since 1893.” With goats frolicking in a pen to the left of the retail store and cornstalks and hay bales out front, a good part of that tradition is easy to imagine.
Hindinger sells crackers for feeding the goats (50 cents for a small bag), but the bulk of its business is in people food. The farm stand carries a large range of fresh produce, much of it grown on the property. That includes an array of apples — Ginger Gold, Honeycrisp and Empire, all at $1.75 a pound — and Bosc pears. Cool-weather crops of broccoli ($1.75 a pound), white and savoy cabbages (40 to 60 cents a pound) and sundry winter squashes (75 cents a pound for acorn, butternut and spaghetti) should last through Thanksgiving.
Hindinger also offers more than a dozen preserves, jellies and fruit butters; several kinds of salsa; salad dressings and barbecue sauces; preserved peaches; marinated mushrooms; peppers; beans; even pickled beef balls ($5 to $7 for most 20-ounce jars).
Then there is the distinctive selection of pumpkins — warted, peanut, one-too-many, cheese, fairytale and blue jarrandale ($11 apiece) — and gourds, both the green gooseneck variety ($8 each) and colorful miniatures ($1.50 a pound). A decorative combination of a few will last far beyond jack-o’-lantern season.
Hindinger Farm, 835 Dunbar Hill Road, Hamden; hindingersfarm.com or (203) 288-0700. Open Tuesday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Shelton
In spite of its name, Beardsley’s Cider Mill and Orchard is not just about freshly crushed apple cider. It may seem that way, however, should you visit on a weekend, when production in the cider room, at one end of the retail store, gets under way.
There are roughly 5,000 apple trees at Beardsley’s, spread over 27 acres. Between the wet summer and Tropical Storm Irene, the farm lost an estimated 15 percent of its crop, but there are still plenty of apples — more than 30 varieties are grown at the farm ($9 a half-peck, or $1 per apple).
While all of its apples are fine for eating or baking, Beardsley’s prefers to use Winesap, Northern Spy, Russet and Baldwin for cider production, with a minimum of three varieties going into a batch ($5.50 a gallon). Unfortunately, the mix will be light on Baldwins this year since deer ate most of them. “They’re very impudent, taking the better ones and munching on them right in front of us,” said Dave Beardsley, who ran the farm for many years before his son, Dan, took over.
Baked goods are another Beardsley’s specialty. More than a dozen pies, including sugarless apple, can be purchased throughout the week ($14), and fried dough, dusted with sugar and cinnamon, is featured on weekends ($4). There are cider doughnuts too, with bits of apple inside ($1 each), fruit breads ($6 a loaf), cookies ($3 for three) and pumpkin cheesecake ($21).
Most of the jarred goods are made for the farm by an outside vendor. One notable exception is the honey ($7.25 for a one-pound jar), which is produced by the same bees that help pollinate Beardsley’s apple trees.
Beardsley’s Cider Mill and Orchard, 278 Leavenworth Road (Route 110), Shelton; beardsleyscidermill.com or (203) 926-1098. Open daily, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Last Chance Foods: The Weird World of Mushrooms

　　
　　Call them creepy, poisonous, delicious, or beautiful — what is certain about mushrooms is that they are essential to a functioning planet. Fungi comprise approximately 25 percent of the world’s biomass, yet they exist in a strange category that is neither plant nor animal, explains Eugenia Bone, the author of the new book, Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms.
A food writer and co-president of the New York Mycological Society, Bone notes that fungi are integrated into almost every aspect of life on the planet. From a culinary perspective, edible mushrooms provide an enormous range of flavors and deliver an umami-packed punch.
Mushrooms also are prized — and lucrative — finds for foragers. By some estimates, wild mushroom harvesting represents the largest legal cash crop in the country. This year’s wet weather, in particular, has brought a bounty of mushrooms such as black trumpets.
“We’re moving toward the end of the season, but it’s been unbelievable,” says Bone, whose book is out this week from Rodale. “I guess, the silver lining of hurricane Irene was all of these mushrooms.”
While wild varieties like oyster mushrooms and hen-of-the-woods claim a prized spot on menus at high-end restaurants, white button

　　mushrooms also have their place in the kitchen.
“I think those white mushrooms can taste pretty good actually,” Bone says. “The white button mushroom and the cremini, little brown one, and the portobello are all the same species. It’s all the same mushroom. They’re just selected for color, and a porchini is just a grown-up cremini.”
One advantage of store-bought mushrooms is that they don’t really need to be washed. They’re grown in sterile soil, so Bone just cuts off any dirty parts. Mushrooms should only be rinsed right before use, and there’s no need to painstakingly wipe each one with a damp cloth. Don’t soak the mushrooms, but be sure to give wild mushrooms a thorough rinse.
Most importantly: Cook all mushrooms.
The main reason for that piece of advice is because mushrooms aren’t very digestible in raw form. “Mushroom cell walls are made of chitin, the same thing that shrimp shells are made from,” says Bone. “It’s one of the things that makes scientists say that mushrooms are closer to us on the evolutionary scale than they are to plants.”

　　In particular, wild mushrooms should also be cooked because microorganisms might be lurking the cracks and crevices. To put it simply — if indelicately — uncooked wild mushrooms have the potential for giving people worms.
White truffles, however, are an exception to the cooking rule. Bone explains that the chemicals that give truffles their rich, musky flavor are gases that dissipate within a few days and with heat. That is why it’s traditional in Italian cuisine to shave raw truffles over pasta.
When it comes to the much-touted truffle oil, Bone has some bad news: Almost all of it is synthetic. A chemical is synthesized to replicate the flavor of the fungi.
“A few droplets [of the chemical] are put into some olive oil, and it’s poured into a tall skinny beautiful bottle,” Bone says. “Then you pay a fortune for it, but it’s probably 40 cents worth of product in the bottle.”
Try Bone’s recipes for prochini salt and porchini butter. Both are good ways to use mushrooms throughout the year.

Week on the web: Ice Cream Sandwich looks delicious

　　
　　How I learned to stop worrying and love the App Store: Apple's locked-down app store has attracted the ire of Android and free software partisans for its restrictions on user freedom. But app stores can be good for users—so long as they are made more transparent and accountable.
Bitcoin implodes, falls more than 90 percent from June peak: Bitcoin, the world's first peer-to-peer digital currency, has had a wild year. After rising to more than $30 in June, it fell below $3 on Monday. Is the crypto-currency doomed?
Google and Samsung unveil Galaxy Nexus, Android 4 at event: Google and Samsung announced the Galaxy Nexus smartphone at an event in Hong Kong and unveiled Android 4, codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich, the new version of Google's mobile operating system.
Can AMD survive Bulldozer's disappointing debut?: AMD has bet its next few years of CPU building on the brand-new Bulldozer architecture, but benchmarks of the new chips have been downright disappointing. AMD has been through this before, though; here's how the situation might improve.
Apple and Android, the slow pall bearers to RIM's eventual demise: RIM lost much of its credibility last week with an outage lasting several days, but the company was already in trouble. Long a trusted name in the enterprise, RIM is being left in the dust by the consumerization of IT.
Droid Razr smartphone makes its debut with a host of new services: Motorola has introduced the Droid Razr, a 7.1 millimeter-thick 4G LTE smartphone with 9 hours of battery life, as well as a new workout-monitoring smartphone and a streaming service for the company's phones.
Stunning "ISAM" live tour combines 3D sets, CG visuals, and crazy math: Amon Tobin's multimedia extravaganza "ISAM" is one of the most dizzying live audio-visual concerts that a person can experience, thanks to sophisticated computer imagery and projection.
Under FCC pressure, mobile carriers adopt "bill shock" warnings: The four major US wireless carriers have agreed to provide consumers with notifications designed to ward off "bill shock"—large, unexpected charges that show up on mobile phone bills.
ARM's new Cortex A7 is tailor-made for Android superphones: ARM's latest CPU, the A7, is the result of ARM's study of how the Android OS utilizes existing ARM chips during normal usage. The result is a CPU that the chipmaker claims will offer double the performance of its predecessor.
A deep-dive tour of Ice Cream Sandwich with Android's chief engineer: Google invited us to its Mountain View campus for hands-on time with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, the flagship device on which the new Android OS will launch sometime in November.

Recipes from Winy’s kitchen: Fall food & Halloween Treats

　　Winy Chen, registered dietitian at Beach Cities Health District’s Center for Health & Fitness shares a few of her favorite recipes for fall and for good-cookin’ Halloween fun.
Black bean and corn pitas

　　Black Bean and Corn Pitas. Photo courtesy Vitality Cities
Servings: 8 Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 0 min Level: Easy
Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can low-sodium black beans
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 cup fresh or no salt added canned tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste
2 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon chili powder
3 medium whole-wheat pita pockets, quarter
1/3 cup shredded part-skim Mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Drain and rinse beans.
In a medium bowl, combine beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and garlic.
Add parsley, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and chili powder.
Cut pita bread in quarters and serve.
Nutrition per serving:
170 calories, 5 g fat, 8 g protein, 8 g fiber
Halloween Tips
Halloween conjures up fond memories of carving pumpkins, dressing up in the perfect costume and of course trick-or-treating. As a dietitian who also loves to celebrate this tradition with my children, here are my 5 pieces of advice for parents.
Relax and lighten up. Indulging in candy treats on this one special night ( and maybe a handful of days after) is not going to undermine the everyday healthy habits you’re trying to nurture in your children. The more your focus you put on forbidding children to have candy, the stronger their desire to have it.
Shift children’s focus away from candy by: decorating the house with spooky décor, visiting a local fall festival or pumpkin patch, reading, writing scary Halloween stories, doing arts & crafts such as carving the pumpkin or making masks out of paper plates.
Make good use of Halloween theme cookie cutters to make sandwiches and fruits look more ghoulishly delicious.
Offer healthier trick-or treat giveaways like tattoos, stickers, and small toys like eyeballs and skeletons. If you prefer offering food treats, consider like high quality chocolates, chocolate covered raisins or almonds, pretzel, or fruit puree roll-ups.
Encourage your children to savor the candy one bite at a time. Such treat is be to savored and not gobbled up mindlessly. The practice of mindful eating can even allow your children to eat less as a result.
If you don’t make the candy a major issue, it’s likely your children won’t either. Keep Halloween in perspective. Take the pressure off of your kids and yourself – and enjoy this delightful, guilt-free day!
Fun and Healthy Recipe Ideas
Mummy Bones:
Wrap banana in a whole wheat tortilla with Nutella spread
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

　　photo from SewCraftyMeg
1 pumpkin
Salt totaste
1) Carve the pumpkin as a family activity.
2) Remove the seeds from the strings. Do not wash
3) Place seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle a little salt to season
4) Baked at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until seeds turn a light golden color.
Carrot Finger with Pumpkin Dip
3 Tb canned pumpkin
1 cup low fat Greek yogurt
1 Tb honey
1 Tb orange juice
½ tsp cinnamon
1) Mix all ingredients together.
2) Put dabs of dip onto the top of carrot sticks. Stick almond slivers on top to make carrot fingernails.
Black Bean Soup
2 ( 15 oz) cans drained black beans
1 ( 14 ½ oz) can low salt chicken broth
½ cup salsa
1 Tb chili powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1) Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat through. Simmer for 20-30 min until thickens.
2) Serve with sour cream, lime slices, and whole grain tortilla chips if desired.

Molten Lava Cakes

One of my m0st favorite desserts to make for Valentine’s Day or special occasions are molten lava cakes. If you’re not familiar with these special chocolate cakes you’re in for a real treat.

Each cake is baked in individual cups (or cupcake tin) and served warm with a melt in your mouth chocolate liquid center (lava).

Don’t let the photo intimidate you from making these miniature decadent chocolate cakes from heaven.

This recipe is really easy, quick to prepare and bake, forgiving, and will make you look like a rock-star.

As a warning, if you dust them with a little powdered sugar, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla or mint ice cream, you may earn a reputation as a “Dessert Diva” and will be required to make these every time company comes over. And if you are a guy making this for your sweetie… trust me on this, chocolate is the way to a woman’s heart.

These cakes are as good as the ones you order in fancy restaurants not to mention for a lot less expensive.

So if you’re looking for a great easy chocolate cake dessert to serve for your next romantic dinner or dinner may I suggest these molten lava cakes?
Enjoy!

Molten Lava Cakes Recipe
5.0 from 1 reviewsPrint
Recipe type: Dessert
Author: Savory Sweet Life
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 6
Molten Lava Cakes adapted from Paula Deen’s Home Cooking
Ingredients
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
8 oz (1 cup) chocolate chips (any type of chocolate chips will work but I recommend semi-sweet or a combination of bitter and semi-sweet)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
OPTIONAL : 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (Kahlua) OR 1 tsp. instant coffee powder

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 6 -6 ounce custard (ramekin) cups or cupcake tin. In a medium microwavable bowl, melt chocolate chips and butter in the microwave for 60 seconds and then in 30 second increments until smooth (about 1.5-2 minutes total). Add flour and sugar to chocolate/butter sauce. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth.

Add vanilla and coffee liqueur/instant coffee and mix everything until combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the each cups. Place cups on top of a cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny.

Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates or you can serve each molten lava cake still in the cup.

Notes

Some optional “finishing” ideas are: sprinkle powdered sugar on top, add a dollop of whipped cream of ice cream, add raspberries or strawberries, or any combination of the above. Enjoy!

Pavlova

We eat a lot of birthday cake at the office. Almost daily, songs break out, people flock, and a decadent dessert is devoured in record time. This week was Lesia’s turn. Nothing says “it’s that time of year again already?” like a homemade treat and a song.

Pavlova is the other birthday cake in my house. (I married an Australian.) It’s a really simple dessert that you can do in advance. It’s light, delicious, and versatile – practically perfect (like marrying an Australian). Consider it the dessert equivalent of a pair of Groove Pants.

If channeling your inner domestic goddess is on your list of things to do this year (or you’re hosting an Oscar party in the not-too-distant future), I recommend mastering this simple recipe. I modified this one from Gourmet magazine, courtesy of my favourite and yours, epicurious.com. Follow it to the letter and achieve amazing results.
before you begin

There are tricks to making it the best it can be. Remember these simple yet important things.

Meringue and humidity don’t get along. I’ll spare you the scientific explanation. Bottom line is you won’t get great results. If it’s humid where you are, pick another dessert.

Room temperature is best. Your egg whites will whip up better if they’re at room temperature. (Don’t have time to wait? Put those chilly eggs in a bowl with lukewarm water to speed up the process.)
Keep it clean. Egg whites have a reputation for being high maintenance. Make sure there is zero egg yolk mingling with the whites and ensure your egg beaters and bowl are squeaky clean.
Look but don’t touch. It’s best to keep the oven door closed as much as possible. Spy on your masterpiece through that handy window.
tools of the trade
Besides the obvious (oven, electric mixer, baking sheet, parchment paper and your fearless self), here are some things that are nice to have when making pavlova.

A piping bag and large open star tip. You can simply spoon the meringue onto parchment to create a carefully disheveled nest or you can pipe your meringue for extra glamour and appeal. Both are lovely. (It’s like lip gloss versus lipstick.)

A long offset spatula. It has a million uses, one being getting that beautiful meringue off the parchment in one easy swipe.
A Microplane zester. It’s my favourite gift for my soon-to-be-foodie friends. It makes zesting lemons (and grating hard cheeses, chocolate and spices) a breeze.

one more thing

Need more reasons to quickly make pavlova for a special occasion?
It’s easy to make. If you have a standing mixer like this sexy one, you’ll be laughing.
It’s easy to dress up. Pipe single serving nests or bite-sized ones for a fete. Watch this video at the 2:00 mark to see it done.

It’s easy to fix mistakes. It didn’t work? Grab a martini glass, crumble the meringue, layer on some lemon curd and berries and voila!

You’re a genius.
It’s easy to sweat off. OK, there’s a bit of whipping cream, but life is about balance and it’s really light compared to many desserts. (Training for a marathon? You’ve probably earned an extra slice anyways.)

German chocolate cake

For those watching out for calories, stay away.

For those looking for absolute pleasure, here's a German chocolate cake recipe and frosting that you can't miss. Either as a dessert or a birthday party cake, this recipe never fails any occasion. An extremely easy to make recipe, this cake is a total indulgent sin.

The impressive chocolate cake, gets a delectable flavor of rich caramel, laced with coconut on top. The bare sides of the cake, allows you to see what lies beneath and in between. So, let's take a look at the German chocolate cake recipe and frosting recipe. Read more on cake recipes.

German Chocolate Cake Recipe and Frosting Recipe

Ingredients for the Cake

Buttermilk, ¾ cup
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Yolk of eggs, 5 medium
Sugar, 2 cups
Egg whites, 5 medium
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Baking soda, 1 teaspoon
Sifted cake flour, 2 ½ cups
Warm milk, ¼ cup
Butter, 1 cup (2 sticks)
Sweet dark chocolate, 4 ounces
Ingredients for the Frosting
Warm milk, ¼ cup
Finely ground pecans, walnuts, or almonds, 1 ½ cups
Fresh or frozen and thawed grated coconut, 10 ounces
Vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon
Butter, ½ cup (1 stick)
Evaporated milk, 1 cup
Egg yolks, 4 medium
Sugar, 1 cup
Directions
Preheat the oven at 350º F.

Begin by preparing the dark chocolate by melting it in a double boiler. Stir it till it smoothens out. Add ½ stick of butter and stir it, once again, till it's completely blended with the chocolate. Now pour ¼ cup of warm milk in the chocolate-butter mixture, stir till smooth and set aside for cooling.
Grease the cake pans with butter and lightly dust the base of the pan with flour.

Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together.

In a large bowl beat the egg whites till they are frothy and fluffy.
In another bowl, blend the remaining 1 ½ sticks of butter and sugar. Slowly, add the egg yolks as well. Once the mixture is fluffy, add the cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla extract and mix well.

With the mixer on the low, stir buttermilk and flour mixture. Do this by adding the flour to the buttermilk slowly. Now add the egg white batter to the buttermilk mixture and stir the mixture once again, to get rid of the lumps.
Now mix all the batter together and divide them into pans. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes.

You will know the cake is done when it will start pulling away from the sides of the pan. Once the cake is done and cooled, run a knife around the edges of each pan and turn the layers of the cake onto wire racks.
Directions for Frosting

To make the frosting, combine milk, egg yolks and sugar on top of a double boiler. Stir the mixture till it's totally blended and add the butter. Place this mixture over simmering water and bring to boil. Stir the mixture till it thickens.

Add the nuts, pecans, coconut and vanilla. Allow it to cool to begin frosting. Place the cake on a cake stand and frost each layer completely including the tops and the sides. For a better taste, poke the layers on top for the frosting to seep inside.For making the frosting easier, use grated coconut.
This will allow you to spread the frosting much more easily, without disrupting the top layer of the cake.
 
The quantity mentioned in this recipe will serve 12. I hope you found this German chocolate cake recipe and frosting easy to make. Bon appétit!

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits are very well-known for their flavor, fragrance and juiciness. This may be because of the presence of citric acid, flavonoids and limonoids. These fruits are very much rich in Vitamin C content.

Citrus fruits which are also called acid fruits have many therapeutic benefits due to their detoxifying nature. Citrus fruits belong to the family called Rutaceae. Citrus fruit trees are also called ornamental trees as they give rise to the citrus fruits of various forms and sizes ranging from small to large and round to oval.
Though the exact location of origin of citrus fruits is not known, it is believed that they originated around 8000 years ago somewhere near South-East Asia. Now these fruits are produced in many countries and rank first in international fresh citrus fruits trade. Spain is one of the leading countries known for supplying these fruits.
Types of Citrus Fruits
There are innumerable types of citrus fruits ranging from small to large ones. It's not possible to list out all of them, but most common ones are listed below.
Lemon-It is one of the most common citrus fruits, which is oval or round in shape, yellow or green in color and having a juicy acidic flesh. Lemons are very much rich in vitamins and are used in many soft drinks like lemonade.
Orange-It is round in shape, reddish-yellow in color with a thick skin. It is high in citric acid and vitamins. Oranges can be consumed fresh, used in soft drinks or made into a juice.
Lime-It is an oval-shaped, small bright green citrus fruit rich in acidic and vitamin content. It is also used in many summer drinks.
Leech Lime-It is an oval-shaped, yellow or green colored citrus fruit slightly bigger than lime. Leech lime juice can be drunk by mixing it with water and sugar.
Grapefruit-It is a round-shaped, large yellow citrus fruit with acid juicy pulp. It can be eaten raw or used in preparing marmalade.
Citron - It is a yellowish-green colored, large lemon-like citrus fruit with a thick peel. The preserved and candied citron peel is used in fruitcakes, cookery and confectionery.
Kumquat-It is a small, oval-shaped, orange-yellow citrus fruit with thin sweet edible peel and acidic flesh. It can be eaten fresh or even eaten raw with the edible peel.
Mandarin Orange-It is a small, reddish-orange colored, loose-skinned citrus fruit. It can be eaten fresh or used as a sweetener in grapefruit juices.
Pummelo - It is large, pear-shaped, yellow colored citrus fruit with coarse dry pulp. It is similar to grapefruit and is called father of grapefruits due to its large size.
Citrus fruits have several medicinal and nutritive properties, which help in treating or fighting against several diseases. Citrus fruits like lemons may help in reducing the pain caused due to bee stings. Some types of citrus fruits may help in reducing the risk of cancers and heart diseases. Orange, which is a rich source of vitamin C can prevent scurvy, caused due to vitamin C deficiency.
Tangerine-It is a type of mandarin orange having an orange-red color and citrus taste.
Health Benefits of Citrus Fruits
Citrus fruits are consumed not only because of their taste but also because of the beneficial effects they have on the health. There are various health benefits associated with the consumption of citrus fruits, as they are low in fat, free of cholesterol and sodium.
Citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C content, acidic content and are good sources of minerals, carbohydrates and fibers. They also contain essential nutrients like calcium, copper, folate, potassium, magnesium, niacin and vitamin B6 required for the proper functioning of the body.
Some types of citrus fruits are sources of essential oils, which are used in perfumes and other cosmetic products.
Citrus fruits don't have any negative effects on the health, but should be avoided if you are suffering from cold and flu as they can make you sicker. Also, some people may have problems with the consumption of citrus fruits due to the presence of acidic content.

Brisket Braised with Bourbon and Apricots

　　“MEAT SPAGHETTI!”

That’s what my boyfriend shouted across the room when he saw me lift up a piece of 7 hour braised brisket from the slow cooker. This is proper Sunday cooking: a big piece of cow, slung in a pot and allowed to cook down until the meat falls apart with so much as a sideways glance from hungry eyes.
I’ve been experimenting with brisket on the BBQ over the summer and I almost got it right – almost. It’s hard to achieve still-moist brisket complete with proper smoke ring on a small home BBQ but I’ll get there, next year. Now it’s all about the patient braising in my shiny new slow-cooking Crock Pot.
The 1.2 kg hunk of brisket sure did look cosy coddled in that pot with some home-made beef stock and a good slug of bourbon. I added dried apricots for sweetness, which plumped up and gradually broke down leaving little amber nuggets clinging to the meat. Man, was I proud when I served this up (and I don’t mind saying so myself); so rich and tender it made me want to give myself a big ol’ pat on my smug-ass back.
After I’d finished with the patting, my thoughts turned to the leftovers. The Sandwich. A really generous portion of warmed brisket packed against coleslaw, sliced pickles, Frank’s Hot Sauce and French’s mustard. I think it’s fair to say I was in a state of mind approaching ecstasy when I sat down to consume this beautiful behemoth. She was big, she was messy and she was filthy in a good way. So worth the wait.
Seven-Hour Brisket Braised with Bourbon and Apricots (fed 2 people for 3 meals, generously)
1.195kg brisket (look, that’s what it weighed – I’m not taking the piss)
10 dried apricots
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled
A slosh of Frank’s Hot Sauce (or other hot sauce, or chilli flakes)
2 bay leaves
150ml bourbon
About 400ml good quality beef stock (I made mine)
Put the brisket in the slow cooker and add the onion, garlic, Frank’s, bay leaves, apricots, bourbon and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Add about half of the stock or whatever your slow cooker can take. I added half then topped it up halfway through cooking time.
Set the cooker to low and cook for seven hours, or until the meat is falling apart. As I say, you’ll need to top up with stock half way through (makes sure you warm it up first). When the meat is ready, remove it and shred it. Set aside.

In a saucepan over a high heat, reduce the sauce by about half then add the meat back into it. Serve with slaw and sourdough. Beans would also be nice. Make sure you save some for the sandwich. I mean that.

Jhal Muri Express

Last night The Florence pub in Herne Hill held a little gathering of SE London’s best street food traders. Among them, our sweet-toothed Brixton lass Chocstar, Yianni from The (legendary) Meatwagon* and the amazing Angus Denoon, with his Kolkata street food.
Just look at that van. I was like a moth to a neon light. An Aladdin’s Cave, decked out with cosy cushions and flower garlands. Bags of Indian limes hang from the doors; incense and gas stoves burn. Angus sits outside in front of his prep bench, surrounded by steaming pots and garnishes.
It was a freezing evening and nothing appealed more than a carton of warming dahl. Angus lifted the lid on one of the silver containers and portioned out the tender, spiced lentils. But this dahl is all about the garnish. He quickly and skilfully chopped ginger, shallots and coriander. The end of a cucumber was deftly criss-crossed and shaved into tiny chunks. A few thick slices of coconut and a slick of dark tamarind sauce; a squeeze of Indian lime juice. The final topping was a handful of small crunchy bits, which looked like short lengths of fried vermicelli but were actually ‘sev’, made with chickpea (gram) flour. Angus explained that it’s similar to the stuff you get in Bombay Mix but better because it absorbs less oil.
What had started out as quite a plain dahl base was now an in your face mix of textures and bold flavours. It blew my socks off. I’d never tasted anything quite like it.
Angus spends much of his time in Kolkata and he’s made some amazing films there which get down and busy with the streets of the city and the way that food weaves right the way through them, binding communities together. I’ve only watched a few of the short films so far but my favourite is one about chai. The film opens with a shot of a man’s hands forming clay on a wheel – he is making cups, with incredible skill and precision – hundreds and hundreds of identical cups. The film moves on to the streets to see cup after cup filled with hot chai and ends with them smashing on the floor as they are discarded. A fascinating film about an everyday life-cycle in Kolkata.
Angus told me he is planning another screening of his films soon and I urge you to go and watch. You can enjoy his vegetarian street snacks at the same time. I’ve never been to India, but I hear his style is very authentic and it certainly tastes the business. Thank goodness for people like Angus, eh? Going and getting all inspired then bringing it back home to make our lives more exciting.

Wedge salad with blue cheese

　　I just love how the Americans cut a big wedge of iceberg, drench it in blue cheese dressing and then call it a salad. Respect.

I’m rather fond of the poor old iceberg. It doesn’t have any flavour to speak of but as a big ol’ wedge of crunch, no lettuce does it better. So, you take a quarter of the lettuce and drench it; yes, drench it, in a blue cheese and sour cream dressing. Dribble. You’ll need something to offset all that richness and tang though, so why not sprinkle on a handful of sweet ‘n salty pig-candy pieces? Oh yes indeedy. Picture this: kerrrunch down through that wedge; creamy, salty; nuggets of blue cheese sneaking into every layer but then, hang on what’s this? Chewy shards of sticky, streaky candied bacon, that’s what. Salad garnish crack.
Caramelised walnuts would make a lovely alternative to the bacon but I wasn’t allowed to make those because that would have taken up time I could have been using to make more candied bacon.
Wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and candied bacon (serves 4)
1 iceberg lettuce (try to get a nice round one so your wedges look good)
150g blue cheese (I used Roquefort)
200ml sour cream
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus extra just in case; I found I wanted a little more)
1 teaspoon mustard (I used Dijon)
1 tablespoon chives, snipped with scissors
For the candied bacon
8 rashers streaky bacon
1-2 teaspoons of sugar per bacon rasher, depending on size
First candy the bacon by laying the rashers out on a baking tray and sprinkling the sugar evenly over them. Whack them under a hot grill until crisp and caramelised. Wipe the rashers around in the stick juices that have accumulated in the tray, turn them over and cook the other side. Watch them like a hawk once you’ve turned them as they will caramelise extremely fast. Once cooked, remove and let cool on a wire rack. Don’t let the pieces touch each other as they will stick together.
Crush the garlic with a teeny pinch of salt in a pestle and mortar until creamy. Blend the garlic with all the other dressing ingredients together in a bowl. You can do this with a blender if you like but I like my blue cheese dressing quite chunky so I mash it in a bowl to achieve the right consistency; it’s nice to get the odd nugget of cheese. Taste and add salt and pepper if you like; the cheese will already be quite salty. Taste again and add a little more lemon juice if you think it needs it.
Remove any manky outer leaves from your iceberg and quarter it. Wash it. Arrange each wedge on a plate, dollop on the blue cheese dressing. Cut the bacon into pieces and sprinkle over. Serve.

Pork cheek tacos with blood orange and chipotle

　　A slow-cooked meat dish always wants something to offset the richness (beef ragu with gremolata for another example), which is why I thought these pork cheeks would work well in tacos. They need leisurely cooking to melt the fat and render the meat fork-tender. I was thinking along the lines of saucy carnitas.

The blood oranges have hit the shops and so I used some juice to braise the cheeks, combined with Mexican spices and smoky chipotle flakes (you could also add some chipotles en adobo). After 3 hours of bubbling, the meat was coming apart in shreds and the sauce intensely flavoured; it’s probably one of the most delicious slow cooked dishes I’ve ever made. We piled it onto pan-scorched tacos and topped with lime-heavy guacamole, green chilli and Thomasina Miers’ pink onions pickled in citrus juice and herbs.
The leftovers made the largest and most kick ass burrito I’ve ever eaten in my life. I would’ve been embarrassed had anyone actually seen me eating it; meat all over my hands and face. I burnt my cheek with chilli. The sauce left its indelible mark in no less than 3 places on my t-shirt. Totally worth it though, especially considering I bought 10 cheeks for £2.50. Result.
Pork cheeks braised with blood orange and chipotle
10 pork cheeks
Juice of 1 large blood orange
4 cloves
6 allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon crushed chipotle chillies (or to taste)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves
2 carrots, very finely chopped
2 onions, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato purée
1 litre vegetable stock (or enough to comfortably cover the cheeks; the sauce will be reduced at the end)
1 teaspoon sugar
Flour and oil for searing the cheeks
Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy based saucepan. Dust some flour onto a plate and use it to coat the pork cheeks by turning them over on the plate. Once the oil is hot, sear the cheeks a few at a time until brown on all sides then set aside on a plate.
Add the onions and carrots to the pan and cook for 5 minutes or so until softened. Add the spices (in a little bit of muslin if you want to be fancy and make it easy to fish them out later on), orange juice, bay leaves, oregano, tomato purée, sugar and stock, bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Add the pig cheeks back to the pan, put a lid on and cook on the lowest heat possible for 3 hours.
After this time, check the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary. Remove the meat from the sauce; it should be extremely tender and falling apart at the touch. Shred it and set aside. Fish the whole spices from the sauce then reduce it over a high heat by about two thirds. Basically you want enough to coat the meat in a rich sauce. Add the meat back to the sauce and warm through.
Serve on tacos with guacamole and onions lightly pickled in orange and lime juice with herbs. To cut tacos, use a large glass, teacup or knife to make circles from a large fajita wrap and toast lightly in a dry pan.

Spuntino, Soho

　　I rarely write about restaurants these days. Eating out is still something I do several times a week but a restaurant rarely inspires me enough to want to sit down and tell you lot about it. Nopi is a perfect example. I mean yeah, it was okay but something about it feels a little uptight and damn, it’s expensive. Ottolenghi’s books, I find inspiring. His restaurants, not so much.

Anyway I am breaking my fast with Spuntino because it’s simply bloody brilliant. Nestled amongst the neon strip-lit sex shops of Soho sits Russell Norman’s latest project. It’s a small yet beautiful space, which Russell designed himself; on the first day of ownership he beat a pickaxe through the soulless MDF crust of an Indian restaurant to reveal glorious white glazed tiles and mosaics, slightly faded. Most of the seating is at the bar, the stools made in one of the UK’s oldest forgeries in Elephant, the very same which forged the lions in Trafalgar Square. Caged bulbs hang low above our heads; it’s all very basement chic.

　　
　　
　　We start ordering. It’s small plates, just like Polpo and Polpetto, all more than reasonably priced (Ottolenghi could learn a trick or two from Norman). We start with crunchy fingers of smoky aubergine plunged into fennel yoghurt. Brilliant. Then there’s just no stopping us. The modestly named ‘egg and soldiers’ is just that, but the egg is encased in a crunchy crust, golden oozy yolk ripe for the dunking. House pickles were perfect, not to sweet nor sour, the fennel the best of the bunch and something I’ll definitely be trying at home. Lardo on toast was brilliant because it was lardo on toast (properly charred), caperberries the perfect astringent foil. A ground beef slider was seriously beefy, with that richness and depth that comes only from bone marrow. Melted cheese can never hurt, and it didn’t.

　　
　　And then it came: truffled egg toast. Inspired by a dish in a New York caff with limited cooking facilities, the egg is cooked in the centre of fluffy white bread, a layer of melting Fontina in place of the ‘white’. The whole thing is infused with truffle oil. We descend on it like starving gannets, the yolk oozing from the bread with every cut. This is the food of dreams. There’s also a duck ham, pecorino and mint salad, sausage, lentils and radicchio heady with fennel and mustard and my first taste of grits: cheesy and spiked generously with paprika. Really though, it’s all about that truffled egg toast.

　　
　　We still find room for dessert. Liquorice ice cream with carpaccio-ed pineapple arrives first. “It’s like eating a Black Jack!” I say to the barman who trumps me by saying it’s like eating a Black Jack and a Fruit Salad sweet at the same time, which it is. Brilliant fun. The ‘peanut butter and jam sandwich’ however is even better: the ‘bread’ is made from peanut butter ice cream, thick raspberry jam in the middle, crunchy bits and pieces sprinkled all over. Our spoons clash over the final mouthfuls.
The bar is great too. The staff are knowledgeable about both drinks and food and manage to be super trendy yet not annoying. The atmosphere is buzzing and I say more than several times that I could stay all night. In fact the only problem I can see with Spuntino is the urge to eat absolutely everything on the menu, and drink the bar dry. We spent £120 between two but we ate and drank like Kings and Queens. ‘Spuntini’ are priced at £3-£4.50; the average price of other dishes £5-£6. You can buy a shot of Dewar’s Scotch Whisky for £2 due to the ‘wafer thin margin’. Oh just go. Go, go and go again.