Kath Ibbetson has
a BS, a diploma in aromatherapy and a certificate in counseling.
But most of all she is a mother and an enthusiastic Italian
cook. Italian food is her passion and she has been cooking it
for 30 years. Visit her site
for more tips.
 The
herb that’s most popularly associated with Italian cuisine
is basil (Basilico). There are several varieties, but you’re
most likely to find sweet basil in the shops—it has large,
aromatic leaves. Cooking with basil, especially if you grew
it yourself, is wonderfully satisfying.
Basil is a small, bushy plant that grows to about two feet
tall. It is a member of the mint family and is very similar
in appearance. With its rich spicy scent, it is said to refresh
the mind, relieve headaches and elevate moods. It is an excellent
source of iron, calcium, potassium and Vitamin C, all of which
are hugely beneficial to one’s health. But perhaps most
of all, it is a wonderful and versatile culinary herb.
Fresh basil is best known for pesto and goes extremely well
with pasta, rice, tomato, zucchini and eggplant. Italians
discovered that basil tends to compliment the taste of tomatoes,
and since tomatoes played such an important role in Italian
cuisine, basil came to be widely used in Italian cooking as
well.
It may be good for you, and the oil from the leaf is distilled
and used for stomach aches in herbal medicine, but one thing
is for certain—it makes your food taste better.
You can store fresh leaves in plastic bags inside the refrigerator,
and also freeze crushed or pureed leaves in ice cubes that
you can drop into your soups and dishes as flavoring. You
can also preserve basil leaves by keeping them in a jar with
olive oil.
Basil became an integral seasoning in Italian cuisine, and
in fact Italians had such appreciation for this herb, that
it became a symbol of love. Cooking with basil induces feelings
of love, passion, mental clarity and harmony into your life.
It is known as the herb of kings, and is a favorite with cooks
around the world, lending its delicious flavor to many ethnic
cuisines.
Pick the leaves as fresh as possible, and tear them rather
than cut them. (Basil leaves blacken when exposed to metal,
therefore it is common in Italy to tear the leaves by hand
before throwing the basil into a sauce or onto a dish.)
These torn leaves are great just added to salads, such as
insalata caprese. You can also cook them, in a simple tomato
sauce for instance, but make sure you add them just before
serving. If they’re cooked too much, they lose their
flavor.
Insalata Caprese Recipe
This is a simple salad from the Italian region of Campania,
made of sliced fresh mozzarella, tomatoes (preferably plum)
and sprinkled with basil. It is traditionally seasoned with
salt, freshly milled black pepper and olive oil.
Ingredients
Four medium tomatoes
8 oz of buffalo mozzarella
Bunch of basil with the leaves torn
Olive oil
Directions
- Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella thickly.
- Arrange alternately on a plate and sprinkle with torn
basil leaves.
- Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper
to your taste.
Source: www.isnare.com
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