Tag: spices

Italian sausage day

Today is international Italian sausage day.

Well, it could be if someone decided to make it thus. So, I just did.

Today, I am making Italian sausage, from scratch. I found a pair of really good home cooks on YT yesterday, who are Italian, and just started on YT last year. Their channel is Cooking with the Coias, where Ivo, and his wife Laura Coias, both in their late 60’s, or early 70’s, show one how to cook different Italian dishes, step by step. Fortunately, for me, they made, wait for it, Italian sausage.

Almost 7 pounds of pork butt, a jar of red and orange bell peppers that I preserved a year ago in salt water, and the required spices. Yum

So, I have gathered up all of the spices, and, of course, the pork needed to make this deliciousness, and, am, currently, whilst I type this missive, defrosting the pork. When it is done defrosting, I will grind the pork through our amazing multitasking Kitchen Aid appliance, and make sausage.

It slices, it dices, it spews forth ground meats, grated cheeses, planed vegetables, handmade pastas, you name it; it does it all. (Of course, you have to have the requisite attachments, which, fortunately I do. They were, of course, birthday, and Christmas presents to myself. 😉

Recently, I have been so hungry for Italian sausage, or things made with it, that I searched the internet for recipes to make said sausage. We can buy it from Simply Sausages™ here, as you may remember, but it is too costly at the moment; especially since we have everything we need at hand.

So, while I make sausage, you stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones. I will show you how everything turned out. Next time.

Post script: a very happy 21st birthday to our first grandchild, Isaac, whom we love with our entire hearts.

Another update

It has been awhile since I showed you the pantry acquisitions.

I know; not very exciting, but we have not been out of the apartment in at least three weeks, so there has not been much to tell you.

Now, however, I am at whits end; looking for something interesting to write about. I have chosen to tell you about the pantry. Lucky you.

The top two shelves are holding our Mexican cookware, and the bottom two shelves contain our dried herbs, and spices. The middle row has some of the empty Bell jars, waiting to be filled with something fun.

Up close and personal with our dried chiles. We have acquired ten different chiles so far. They are as follows: (of course they are alphabetical), ancho chile, chile de árbol, cascabel, chile chilhuacle, New Mexico chile, (dried Hatch chiles), below are chile chipotle, guajillo, morita, pasilla, and puya.
I have tried to keep the type of chile and the Scoville Heat Units they each contain, on the side of each jar, though the liquid chalk does not stay on very long. This way, while I am learning to cook Mexican sauces, I will be able to choose the correct amount of heat, and flavors I want.
These are some whole spices we have been collecting; comino, whole stems of oregano, tomillo (thyme), anis, and dried verdolagas (purslane).
Here we have, in the back, mejorana, (marjoram), hojas de aguacate, (avocado leaves), epazote, and flor de Jamaica, (hibiscus flowers). In the front are anis estrella, (star anis), pimienta gorda, (whole allspice), and sal de la mesa, (table salt).
Beans, black tea, perejil, (parsley), romeritos, (rosemary).

That brings this exciting episode to a close. I am learning different combinations of the leaves, herbs, and spices, making more interesting foods than I have ever made before. Thankfully. I need more time to master any of them as there are only two of us to eat whatever I make.

Ivan has been very encouraging, too. He helps me by telling me if he thinks it needs another little bit of this, or that. Usually, however, I just need to add more salt. Fine by me. There is rarely anything left on his plate when we are finished eating; always a good sign.

All of this plus the homemade tortillas, or bread, beans, and Mexican rice; a complete meal, homemade, start to finish. I love being retired.

Until next we meet, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.