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[Scepticalscribe]

Homemade Tomato Soup accompanied by a prosciutto crudo sandwich with 3 cheese on buttered brioche bread and strawberry jam.

Homemade tomato soup will always find a welcome home on my table - I love it.

And one cannot go wrong with a prosciutto crudo (sliced so thinly that it is almost translucent) sandwich, which is culinary perfection, and should serve as a model to other culinary cultures that this is how one should serve such a treat.

Three cheeses? Yum. Buttered brioche bread and strawberry jam? Also yum.

What were they, might one enquire?

 

[yaxomoxay]

Homemade tomato soup will always find a welcome home on my table - I love it.

And one cannot go wrong with a prosciutto crudo (sliced so thinly that it is almost translucent) sandwich, which is culinary perfection, and should serve as a model to other culinary cultures that this is how one should serve such a treat.

Three cheeses? Yum. Buttered brioche bread and strawberry jam? Also yum.

What were they, might one enquire?

Last time I used what I had: sharp cheddar, provolone, American cheese. To be honest, any cheese goes well in this quick meal/accompaniment. I even used aged Asiago once or twice. The key is the buttered brioche bread (toasted in a pan, on both sides) and the jam which provides a sugary contrast to the salty prosciutto and the strong flavor from cheese. So simple yet so effective.

I also wholeheartedly agree with you assessment of prosciutto crudo.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Last time I used what I had: sharp cheddar, provolone, American cheese. To be honest, any cheese goes well in this quick meal/accompaniment. I even used aged Asiago once or twice. The key is the buttered brioche bread (toasted in a pan, on both sides) and the jam which provides a sugary contrast to the salty prosciutto and the strong flavor from cheese. So simple yet so effective.

I also wholeheartedly agree with you assessment of prosciutto crudo.

Ah, yes.

Agreed.

Honey (in that perfect state somewhere between what was liquid and is not yet quite solid) also works well in that sort of sandwich in lieu of strawberry jam.

And I have also found that apricot jam (a good French or Italian brand, with a high fruit content) is simply superb when used imaginatively in such sandwiches, and works well in both a savoury and a sweet setting.

Re cheese: My sense is that a creamy Gorgonzola (a ripe and runny Gorgonzola Cremosa), would also work exceedingly well, as would a perfectly ripe Taleggio.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Ah, yes.

Agreed.

Honey (in that perfect state somewhere between what was liquid and is not yet quite solid) also works well in that sort of sandwich in lieu of strawberry jam.

And I have also found that apricot jam (a good French or Italian brand, with a high fruit content) is simply superb when used imaginatively in such sandwiches, and works well in both a savoury and a sweet setting.

Re cheese: My sense is that a creamy Gorgonzola (a ripe and runny Gorgonzola Cremosa), would also work exceedingly well, as would a perfectly ripe Taleggio.

Honey!!! I never thought of it!!! I’ll try it next time I prepare this sandwich to be served with the tomato soup. I’ll probably need to be careful with the dosage as good honey can be strong and I don’t want it to overwhelm the prosciutto, but the idea of prosciutto, bread, and honey seems… angelic.

I am not a great fan of taleggio, but Gorgonzola will certainly work. One of the advantages of cheese is that a few varieties work in multiple ways and combinations.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Honey!!! I never thought of it!!! I’ll try it next time I prepare this sandwich to be served with the tomato soup. I’ll probably need to be careful with the dosage as good honey can be strong and I don’t want it to overwhelm the prosciutto, but the idea of prosciutto, bread, and honey seems… angelic.

I am not a great fan of taleggio, but Gorgonzola will certainly work. One of the advantages of cheese is that a few varieties work in multiple ways and combinations.

Get a mild honey (such as acacia honey); that should work well.

Agree re the strong honeys; some of them can overpower everything that they are served with.

Actually, (and my cheesemonger introduced me to this concept, - serving honey with cheese - I had assumed it was Italian, for he used Italian honey - from the excellent Prunotto company, and several years ago, a private visit was arranged so that I could visit their honey farm in Piedmont - to demonstrate the concept), drizzling a little honey on sharp cheeses (such as Cheddar, or some of the Spanish hard cheeses), or on a goat's cheese, is a superlative combination of taste sensations, the proverbial 'match made in some culinary heaven'. And yes, it works well with blue cheeses, also.

 

[yaxomoxay]

Get a mild honey (such as acacia honey); that should work well.

Agree re the strong honeys; some of them can overpower everything that they are served with.

Actually, (and my cheesemonger introduced me to this concept, - serving honey with cheese - I had assumed it was Italian, for he used Italian honey - from the excellent Prunotto company, and several years ago, a private visit was arranged so that I could visit their honey farm in Piedmont - to demonstrate the concept), drizzling a little honey on sharp cheeses (such as Cheddar, or some of the Spanish hard cheeses), or on a goat's cheese, is a superlative combination of taste sensations, the proverbial 'match made in some culinary heaven'. And yes, it works well with blue cheeses, also.

I bet that it was a memorable, unique experience and I do envy you.

Sometimes - and here I go on the proverbial soapbox - I wonder why cooking at home has a bad reputation, at least in the US. Personally, I find my kitchen one of the most reassuring, comfortable places on earth. Yet, most people see cooking at home as a demeaning menial task. I firmly believe that there is nothing that tastes like a good, homemade dish made with love. I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman, a trained cook a-la Gordon Ramsey or just a low level amateur like me, it just tastes better at home. There is certainly a learning curve, but even a simple spaghetti al pomodoro plate can be made insanely delicious at home with minimal effort. I say this because just the other day a (woman) friend was surprised, if not shocked, that I (an husband) am the one that cooks on most days. Of course neither she or her husband cook ever if not on the occasional night, which means they order food most of the times. It took some effort to explain that cooking IS the art of survival and at the same time one of the deepest, most important expressions of love and appreciation (also, and very importantly, contrary to my wife, I spend my work day in front of computer screens or documents, so I can’t wait at night to do something that has nothing to do with technology and therefore I need something requires manual work).

 

[Scepticalscribe]

I bet that it was a memorable, unique experience and I do envy you.

It was.

I have long admired (been a fan of?) the Prunotto company: Their jams (superb), tomato sauce, and - obviously - their honey, a small, excellent, family owned business where they produce excellent stuff, make a decent (not an obscene) living from it, and take a wonderful pride in it.

Anyway, one of the years I visited the Cheese festival in Bra, Piedmont, (which is also where the Slow Food Movement came into being), knowing my admiration for Prunotto, a private visit was arranged for me to their honey farm (which is located in a different location, a separate place, to where they produce their tomato based products) and I was given a private tour.

They explained how they ran their honey farm: The bees were not kept longer than three years, and each queen was marked (on her back) with a dab of colour, colour coded (red, blue and green, I seem to recall) to tell you how old she was, as different colours were assigned for each year.

The bee hives were not stationary, in that they did not spend their entire year in Piedmont; instead, they travelled, starting at the 'toe' or 'heel' of Italy in early spring, and making their way up the spine of the penninsula as the year progressed, following the flowers. Of course, this meant that each region - each type of flower - produced different honeys.

For my part, I loved their citrus blossom honey, (which is rarely exported,alas) and their acacia honey is a wonderfully mild honey that goes with everything. The only honey I did not care for was the chestnut honey; while I don't mind strong honeys, that particular one did not appeal to me, which surprised me, as I liked (in varying degrees) everything else.

At the conclusion of the visit, (and one was allowed to don the bee-keeping gear, which was wonderful, as I had only ever done that once before in France, when spending some time as a teenager with my Parisian friends, who had a country house around 20 km from Chartres where they kept bees and produced their own honey, and showed me the entire process, fascinating) a member of the family that owned the Prunotto farm very kindly drove me back to Bra, which was around 30-40 minutes away by car.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sometimes - and here I go on the proverbial soapbox - I wonder why cooking at home has a bad reputation, at least in the US. Personally, I find my kitchen one of the most reassuring, comfortable places on earth. Yet, most people see cooking at home as a demeaning menial task. I firmly believe that there is nothing that tastes like a good, homemade dish made with love. I don’t care if you’re a man or a woman, a trained cook a-la Gordon Ramsey or just a low level amateur like me, it just tastes better at home. There is certainly a learning curve, but even a simple spaghetti al pomodoro plate can be made insanely delicious at home with minimal effort. I say this because just the other day a (woman) friend was surprised, if not shocked, that I (an husband) am the one that cooks on most days. Of course neither she or her husband cook ever if not on the occasional night, which means they order food most of the times. It took some effort to explain that cooking IS the art of survival and at the same time one of the deepest, most important expressions of love and appreciation (also, and very importantly, contrary to my wife, I spend my work day in front of computer screens or documents, so I can’t wait at night to do something that has nothing to do with technology and therefore I need something requires manual work).

Agree completely, and both very well said and beautifully expressed.

But, for this, too, you need very good quality (basic) ingredients, and this is one area where Italy excels.

Something such as San Marzano (tinned) tomatoes, garlic, gunaciale, olive oil, and a very good quality pasta will allow you to produce a really good spaghetti al pomodoro, or a really good pasta All'Amatriciana.

This winter, I have been treating myself quite a lot - most weeks - to my homemade Pasta Carbonara, made with eggs (free range, organic, etc), Pecorino Romano, guanciale, and pasta; I don't know why I had thought it was difficult to prepare; it's not, just ensure that you have the correct ingredients.

 

[Apple fanboy]

It was.

I have long admired (been a fan of?) the Prunotto company: Their jams (superb), tomato sauce, and - obviously - their honey, a small, excellent, family owned business where they produce excellent stuff, make a decent (not an obscene) living from it, and take a wonderful pride in it.

Anyway, one of the years I visited the Cheese festival in Bra, Piedmont, (which is also where the Slow Food Movement came into being), knowing my admiration for Prunotto, a private visit was arranged for me to their honey farm (which is located in a different location, a separate place, to where tey produce their tomato based products) and I was given a private tour.

They explained how they ran their honey farm: The bees were not kept longer than three years, and each queen was marked (on her back) with a dab of colour, colour coded (red, blue and green, I seem to recall) to tell you how old she was, as different colours were assigned for each year.

The bee hives were not stationary, in that they did not spend their entire year in Piedmont; instead, they travelled, starting at the 'toe' or 'heel' of Italy in early spring, and making their way up the spine of the penninsula as the year progressed, following the flowers. Of course, this meant that each region - each type of flower - produced different honeys.

For my part, I loved their citrus blossom honey, (which is rarely exported,alas) and their acacia honey is a wonderfully mild honey that goes with everything. The only honey I did not care for was the chestnut honey; while I don't mind strong honeys, that particular one did not appeal to me, which surprised me, as I liked (in varying degrees) everything else.

At the conclusion of the visit, (and one was allowed to don the bee-keeping gear, which was wonderful, as I had only ever done that once before in France, when spending some time as a teenager with my Parisian friends, who had a country house around 20 km from Chartres where they kept bees and produced their own honey, and showed me the entire process, fascinating) a member of the family that owned the Prunotto farm very kindly drove me back to Bra, which was around 30-40 minutes away by car.

My Dad took up bee keeping about 5 years ago. He sells his honey in the local pub.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

My Dad took up bee keeping about 5 years ago. He sells his honey in the local pub.

Fantastic.

What a wonderful idea.

Honey varies by the season (as it depends on the pollen available in flowers); that sounds brilliant, and I would be surprised if it didn't sell well.

Has he ever given you any to try?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Fantastic.

What a wonderful idea.

Honey varies by the season (as it depends on the pollen available in flowers); that sounds brilliant, and I would be surprised if it didn't sell well.

Has he ever given you any to try?

Sadly no. I’ve only seen him a couple of times in those years.
We have someone in our village who sells it though.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sadly no. I’ve only seen him a couple of times in those years.
We have someone in our village who sells it though.

Someone in your village who sells your father's honey?

Or, someone in the village who sells their own honey?

Wonderful.

Have you ever tried it? Ever treated yourself to it?

I try to buy locally produced honey whenever I can.

Now that the various stalls in the farmers' market are slowly returning, acquiring locally produced honey is a lot easier.

 

[chown33]

And you wouldn't believe which succulent it smells like!

Smells like...

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/bacon.61613/

 

[Clix Pix]

I was gonna say, "smells like teen spirit...."

 

[Apple fanboy]

Someone in your village who sells your father's honey?

Or, someone in the village who sells their own honey?

Wonderful.

Have you ever tried it? Ever treated yourself to it?

I try to buy locally produced honey whenever I can.

Now that the various stalls in the farmers' market are slowly returning, acquiring locally produced honey is a lot easier.

Sells their own honey. No I haven’t tried it. I don’t really eat a lot of honey. I like it but as I don’t really eat bread, there isn’t a lot of call for it.
I know you can use it in cooking etc, but probably not a good idea for Mrs AFB.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sells their own honey. No I haven’t tried it. I don’t really eat a lot of honey. I like it but as I don’t really eat bread, there isn’t a lot of call for it.
I know you can use it in cooking etc, but probably not a good idea for Mrs AFB.

I think that honey (which is certainly a natural antiseptic) is supposed to be fairly easy to digest.

Personally, in addition to simply spooning it from the jar occasionally, sometimes, I tend to use it on toast, (instead of marmalade, or jam), and, sometimes, in a hot drink, (it is nice with some teas, and lovely in a hot lemon drink), sometimes when cooking (instead of sugar) or when making a French dressing; it is very versatile, and also very healthy.

My father (who loved good quality natural honey, and always seemed to have been able to source some), used to drizzle it in his (disgustingly healthy) muesli.

 

[Apple fanboy]

I think that honey (which is certainly a natural antiseptic) is supposed to be fairly easy to digest.

Personally, in addition to simply spponing it from the jar occasionally, sometimes, I tend to use it on toast, (instead of marmalade, or jam), and, sometimes, in a hot drink, (it is nice with some teas, and lovely in a hot lemon drink), sometimes when cooking (instead of sugar) or when making a French dressing; it is very versatile, and also very healthy.

My father (who loved good quality natural honey, and always seemed to have been able to source some), used to drizzle it in his (disgustingly healthy) muesli.

These days nothing is easy for her to digest. Every meal carries some side effects at the moment.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

These days nothing is easy for her to digest. Every meal carries some side effects at the moment.

That is awful; if anything, her condition seems to have become even more marked, more pronounced, worse than before, if every meal comes with side effects.

is there anything she can eat without suffering unpleasant consequences?

 

[decafjava]

These days nothing is easy for her to digest. Every meal carries some side effects at the moment.

Sorry to read this, it can be a minefield trying to work out which foods people with digestive issues can handle. We have had students with various problems such as allergies or intolerance to nuts, gluten, lactose etc.

I agree with @Scepticalscribe that honey is a marvellous ingredient. We have terrific natural honey in Europe, here in Switzerland, neighbouring France and I brought back a large jar of pine honey from Northern Greece back with me.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sorry to read this, it can be a minefield trying to work out which foods people with digestive issues can handle. We have had students with various problems such as allergies or intolerance to nuts, gluten, lactose etc.

I agree with @Scepticalscribe that honey is a marvellous ingredient. We have terrific natural honey in Europe, here in Switzerland, neighbouring France and I brought back a large jar of pine honey from Northern Greece back with me.

Yes, some of the honey in Europe (and in the UK and Ireland) is excellent - especially if you can buy it from the people who produce it themselves (or their frends and neighbours, which is the case with some of the market stalls - for they sometimes sell honey produced by near neighbours if they don't have beehives themselves).

The Greeks (and Turks) have a wonderful way of using honey with natural yogurt, (something my parents had picked up on holidays in both countries, brought home with them, and is one of the ways with which I still love to eat natural yogurt).

Outside of the British Isles, (and, at home, I always buy honey produced locally, in the weekly farmers' market), I've bought natural honey at markets in Lithuania, France, Bosnia...among many other places.

 

[Expos of 1969]

Sorry to read this, it can be a minefield trying to work out which foods people with digestive issues can handle. We have had students with various problems such as allergies or intolerance to nuts, gluten, lactose etc.

I agree with @Scepticalscribe that honey is a marvellous ingredient. We have terrific natural honey in Europe, here in Switzerland, neighbouring France and I brought back a large jar of pine honey from Northern Greece back with me.

I was recently in central Mexico and the Yucatan and enjoyed trying a few of the many locally produced honeys. Quite tasty drizzled on natural yogurt at breakfast and on the freshly made warm tortillas.

 

[Apple fanboy]

That is awful; if anything, her condition seems to have become even more marked, more pronounced, worse than before, if every meal comes with side effects.

is there anything she can eat without suffering unpleasant consequences?

Plain boiled rice or lettuce are about it to be 100% safe. Some of the side effects are minor. Some are very unpleasant.

 

[philcourage]

Drinking mate while doing work and thinking about lunch.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Sorry to read this, it can be a minefield trying to work out which foods people with digestive issues can handle. We have had students with various problems such as allergies or intolerance to nuts, gluten, lactose etc.

I agree with @Scepticalscribe that honey is a marvellous ingredient. We have terrific natural honey in Europe, here in Switzerland, neighbouring France and I brought back a large jar of pine honey from Northern Greece back with me.

So every year at work we have a BBQ (or grill as you guys call it). We have Jewish, Muslim, vegetarian, vegan and gluten and nut allergy people. Doesn’t sound too bad, but that’s only about 25 people in total. Makes it fun!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So every year at work we have a BBQ (or grill as you guys call it). We have Jewish, Muslim, vegetarian, vegan and gluten and nut allergy people. Doesn’t sound too bad, but that’s only about 25 people in total. Makes it fun!

Actually, if done properly, that could be amazing; some of the dishes from those cultures are delicious.