BULLETIN BOARD

Kevin Wambura/UNON/NBO/UNO
07/31/2007 03:35 PM





Subject:
Cuisine & Culture For August 07

90 Miscellaneous
.
Cuisine & Culture
8/07/07
www.geocities.com/tangweihua_un

From Geneva with Cuisine & Culture again! Colleagues and friends Cuisine & Culture is thrilled to launch this issue here at Palais des Nations, Geneva, on Italian cuisine as a sequel to its 2006 Geneva special which was dedicated to the virtues of an essential Swiss staple—cheese served up in a great variety of fondues epitomizing perhaps the pinnacle of Swiss cuisine.

Swiss cuisine, however, is not complete without its Italian cousin, and as a matter of fact is often sidelined by its Italian counterpart. Italians who make up a third of the Swiss population know well and do better at mixing food with fun. In a city where history, culture and cuisine abound and at the fabled Vieille-Ville along its well maintained cobblestones Italian culinary establishments often stand out with their religious clinging to tradition coupled though with brilliant touches of innovations to form a perfect fusion—a powerful draw of patrons.

Our UNOG colleagues no doubt know well Grana Padano, the world’s first “hard” cheese, and San Daniele Prosciutto, the world renowned air-cued Italian ham. To enjoy a chunk of Grana Padano is to enjoy the very best nature provides: the product of grass, grain, cow’s milk and patience of man. And a slice of San Daniele Prosciutto simply melts in your mouth with a flavor all its own imparted by the air unique to the region where it’s perfected—the soft and salty breezes of the Adriatic mix with the fresh, cool winds draining from the Alps to form an ideal low-humidity climate for air curing that is unlike any and unrivaled in the world. Here the heritage of both Grana and San is as extraordinary as their tastes.

With that Cuisine & Culture could not wait to bring the exciting Italian cuisine right into your kitchen. As we’re gripped with heat waives at most parts of the globe Cuisine & Culture presents some great Italian menu ideas to make cooking a breeze. Let’s see if the following scrumptious Italian bite-sized treats filled with fresh ingredients are good enough for a perfect outdoor summer gathering.

Tomato bites

Ingredients: 2 pints of cherry tomatoes, 12 black olives, halved, 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 sprigs of thyme, minced, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preparation: Wash and dry the cherry tomatoes and peel them in ½. Top each tomato with ½ a black olive. In a bowl, combine the olive oil and thyme and season with slat and pepper. Brush the tomatoes with the olive oil mixture. Arrange the tomato bites on a platter and serve.

Shrimp boats

5 medium zucchini, 3 table spoons extra-virgin olive oil, ½ pound mushrooms, thinly sliced, 1 cup stock, ½ breadcrumbs, 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, 2 cloves garlic, minced, salt and freshly ground pepper, 3 sprigs parsley, chopped, ½ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and boiled

Preparation: preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the zucchini boats: trim the zucchini and cut each into 3 equal parts widthwise. Scoop out the center and the seeds, leaving 1/3-inch border on both sides. Set aside. In a skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the stock, breadcrumbs, scallions and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and the parsley. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 more minutes to let the flavor combine. Fill each of the zucchini boats with some of the shrimp-mushroom mixture and arrange on a baking sheet. Transfer to the oven to bake until the zucchini is soft and the filling is golden. Serve and entertain.

Pink grapefruit and cantaloupe salad

Ingredients: 2 medium cantaloupes, 2 pink grapefruit, ¾ bottle sweet desert wine, fresh mint leaves, minced for garnish

Preparation: Cut the cantaloupes in ½ and remove the seeds. Using a sharp knife, peel the cantaloupes. Cut the melon into thin slices and set aside. Peel the grapefruit and remove any remaining bitter white pith and membrane. Cut them into segments, removing any remaining membrane. Arrange the cantaloupe slices and the grapefruit segments on a serving platter in a circular pattern. Alternate the fruits, starting with the cantaloupe slices in the center. Drizzle with the wine and garnish with the mint leaves. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour. Serve and enjoy.

Bacon-wrapped chicken wings

12 chicken wings, 5 table spoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 sprig rosemary, minced, 3 sprigs parsley, minced, 5 basil leaves, minced, ¼ pound bacon, thinly sliced, salt and freshly ground pepper.

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the wings at the joints to make 36 pieces. Set them aside. In a bowl, combine the olive oil with the rosemary, parsley, and basil. Mix well. Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil-herb mixture. Wrap each wing with slice of bacon and season lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to the oven to bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve and enjoy.


Fruit skewers

1 pint strawberries, halved, ½ seedless grapes, ½ pineapple, cubed, ½ pound honeydew, cubed; ½ pound of cantaloupe, cubed.

Preparation: Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat. Thread the fruit onto skewers, alternating with pieces of fruit. Transfer the skewers to the grill and cook until lightly caramelized. Serve and entertain.



From the Editor:
Cuisine & Culture obtains its materials both online and off line with sources omitted for reason of simplicity but can be provided upon request. Certain materials come in languages other than English which Cuisine & Culture renders into English to the best of its ability. Cuisine & Culture is not in a position to verify the veracity of the materials obtained online/off line and provided herein. Reader’s discretion is kindly advised.

A Special Acknowledgement of Thanks from Cuisine & Culture

Cuisine & Culture wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to Yawtsong Lee, a veteran interpreter at UN headquarters, now retired and Kevin Wambura of the ICTS team here at UNON in Nairobi for their technical advice and assistance and is hereby extremely pleased to retain them as Technical Advisors to Cuisine & Culture.

Cuisine & Culture

Weihua Tang/Editor
UNON/DCS
Ext.1024/Rm.CW205



















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