Cuban Chicken with Mango Salsa and Olive Oil Lemon Curd Recipes, Spotlight on Calamansi Vinegar and Vinegar as Home Remedy

Vinegar Essentials, Part IV: Calamansi Vinegar

My goals in introducing you to craft vinegars are to elevate your cooking and delight your palate.  This newsletter’s featured vinegar is also one that will completely surprise you: calamansi vinegar. You may never have heard of it, much less experienced it, but the bouquet and taste are exquisite. And you may find yourself reaching for it whenever lemon is called for. To show you just how versatile it is, enjoy these two recipes, the first a main dish and the second a dessert!

Cuban Chicken with Mango Salsa

• Mojo Chicken With Avocado & Mango Salsa

  The following recipe features a marinade of mojo, the Cuban classic built on a base of olive oil, citrus, and garlic. I like to double the salsa ingredients to have some as a dip for chips or for another dish the next day.

  Ingredients

  For the marinade:

  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
  • 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs

  For the salsa:

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

  Directions

  Step 1

  Marinate the chicken: In a food processor, pulse the cumin, garlic, jalapeño, and salt into a paste, and then drizzle in the olive oil, the juices, and vinegar. Place the chicken in a large bowl, pour in the marinade, rotate it to distribute the marinade, and cover. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

  Step 2

  An hour before you’re ready to grill the chicken, prepare the salsa. In a medium saucepan, whisk the oil, vinegar, juice, zests, honey, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Place the mangos and avocados in a bowl and drizzle with the reduced sauce. Gently fold to coat the fruits, and then sprinkle with the cilantro; set aside.

  Step 3

  Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a platter and spoon on half the salsa, serving the rest on the side.

  Yields 4-6 servings.

Olive Oil Lemon Curd

• Olive Oil Lemon Curd

  Extra virgin olive oil gives classic lemon curd all the silkiness of butter without the saturated fat. It’s delicious spooned over Greek yogurt and topped with berries—serve it in a champagne glass for an indulgent yet good-for-you dessert. You can also use it to make a lemon tart—fill a baked and cooled 8″ tart shell with the chilled curd, and top with dollops of whipped cream.

  Ingredients

  • 3 large or 5 small lemons
  • 2 large eggs, plus 1 yolk
  • 10 tablespoons sugar 
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla paste
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons mild extra virgin olive oil 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Rinse the lemons, dry them thoroughly, and then zest them with a microplane grater. You should have a generous tablespoon of zest. Juice the lemons. You should have a generous cup of juice. Some pulp is fine to include, but remove any seeds.

  Step 2

  In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, use a silicone whisk to blend the eggs thoroughly, and then whisk in one ingredient at a time in this order: sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, and salt—this will give you the silkiest results without needing to strain the mixture after cooking.

  Step 3

  Place the pan over medium heat and continue to whisk as you bring the mixture to a very low boil. Cook for two minutes (this activates the cornstarch), lowering the heat if necessary to prevent a rapid boil. The curd should be thick enough to coat the whisk.

  Step 4

  Off the heat, slowly whisk in the olive oil until it’s completely blended in. Pour the curd into a glass pitcher or jar and allow it to come to room temperature before covering and placing it in the fridge to thicken further.

  Yields 1-¾ cups.

Spotlight on Calamansi Vinegar

A taste sensation unlike any other

Just what is a calamansi? It’s a citrus fruit often described as a cross between a kumquat and a mandarin orange, though its taste makes me think of exotic yuzu enhanced with a blend of traditional citrus—orange, lemon, and lime. Which of these fruits a calamansi’s skin color most resembles is an indication of ripeness: Green is underripe, yellow is ripe, and orange is overripe. Also called a calamondin or Philippine lime (where it’s now primarily grown), the calamansi is native to many countries in Southeast and East Asia, such as Indonesia and (southern) China, and it’s a staple of many cuisines in these regions. 

If you’ve never even heard of calamansi the fruit, much less tasted calamansi the vinegar, get ready to experience an explosion of flavor in your mouth! It’s fresh, dynamic, and versatile, and made with the same passion that guides master vinegar vintners. The recipe for the calamansi vinegar in my collection blends fruit pulp with brandy vinegar and pure cane sugar, which both preserve and further enhance the fruit’s intense and unique flavor while imparting just the right note of sweetness. The fruit is sourced through a partner program in the Philippines that ensures a fair price for small farmers and also supports various school projects for children. The cane sugar is also Fair Trade. 

Food Pairings

Enjoying calamansi vinegar

Use it in sweet or savory recipes and in Asian and other ethnic dishes. Drizzle it over seafood dishes, like ceviche and tuna tataki; crudo; vegetable and grain salads; greens (raw or cooked); and roasted vegetables. It’s excellent in a marinade for fish and as a finish for chicken piccata and other recipes with a lemon sauce. Swap it for lemon juice in aioli and homemade mayo and for lime juice in guacamole and salsas. It enhances citrus-based desserts, from a granita to a curd-filled tart, and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks—try a cooler of crushed ice, raspberry purée, and sparkling water or wine. Add it to your favorite caramel recipe, and mix it with honey before drizzling over pound cake or ginger ice cream. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

What’s old is new again

With the current popularity of vinegar, it’s easy to forget that it has been around for 10,000 years, not only as a condiment but also as a means of pickling and preserving other foods. Another way it was used back then, as it is now, is as a home remedy—recognized by none other than Hippocrates, the “Father of Medicine.” Over the centuries, vinegar has served as a digestif (often in the form of a drink diluted with water) and was thought to protect liver health, heal wounds, and combat sore throats, fever, and even hair loss. It took the great microbiologist Louis Pasteur to fully unravel the mystery of acetic fermentation and identify key microbes so that vinegar could be crafted safely as well as deliciously! Recently, vinegar has become a popular ingredient in craft cocktails—what a fun way to tap into its potential healthful properties.

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Vinaigre de Banyuls Red Wine & Olive Oil Vinaigrette and Easy Chimichurri Aioli Recipes, Spotlight on Red Wine Vinegar and My Two Favorite Ways to Cook with Red Wine Vinegar

Vinegar Essentials, Part III: Red Wine Vinegar

From the moment I introduced my Fresh-Pressed Olive Oils, I was asked about the right vinegar to pair them with. I believe in having a full collection of vinegars, from sweet to tart, because this enables you to match the right one to a recipe. One of my favorites is red wine vinegar, and vinaigrette is just the tip of the culinary iceberg when it comes to dishes that it will enhance. To show you what I mean, I’m sharing two very different recipes along with red wine vinegar’s intriguing history.

Red Wine & Olive Oil Vinaigrette

• Red Wine Vinaigrette

  Simple and superb! This sweet and tangy sauce is great on ribs as well as roast chicken—and it makes a terrific topping for your favorite style of burger!

  Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, such as Vinaigre de Banyuls
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/2 small garlic clove, peeled and minced  
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste

  Directions

  Step 1

  In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, honey, the 1/8 teaspoon of salt, and garlic.

  Step 2

  Gradually whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with black pepper and more salt.

  Yields about 1/3 cup

Easy Chimichurri Aioli

• Chimichurri Aioli

  This olive-oil based recipe turns chimichurri into an aioli, a highly flavored, garlicky mayonnaise. It’s great as a veggie dip, a condiment, and even a dressing for cold pasta salad.

  Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup best quality prepared mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
  • 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, such as Vinaigre de Banyuls, plus more to taste 
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 
  • 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, or more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

  Directions

  Step 1

  Combine everything except the olive oil in the bowl of a food processor and process until the garlic and herbs are finely chopped. 

  Step 2

  With the motor running, slowly drizzle the oil through the feed tube until the mixture is smooth. 

  Step 3

  Taste, adding more vinegar or salt as needed. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water and process for a few seconds. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

  Yields about a 1/2 cup 

Spotlight on Red Wine Vinegar

The finest vinegar comes from the finest grapes

The history of red wine vinegar dates back to Roman times, but it was arguably the French who made it a culinary staple when, as legend has it, wine abandoned in the area of Orléans turned to vinegar on its own. The city became the de facto vinegar capital of France, and the Orléans method of barrel-aging was adopted around the world. But the story did not stop there.

Travel about 475 miles south to Banyuls-sur-Mer, one the western side of the Mediterranean, the birthplace of spectacular red wines and of the spectacular red wine vinegar called Vinaigre de Banyuls. This is where the Pyrénées mountain range meets the sea, where groves are planted in terraces on slopes, going from the seaside inland to the base of valleys. This approach maximizes what little rain the region gets. Even more awe-inspiring, these vineyards have existed for more than 2,600 years, from the time of the Phoenicians. Over the course of centuries, the Greeks, the Celts, and the Romans added their knowhow to the way the grapes were cultivated, passing down their secrets from generation to generation. In the 13th century, the Knights Templar arrived and introduced outdoor barrel aging to the wine-making process to impart even greater aromatic richness. It’s the combination of long aging outdoors and then indoors that helps give character to Banyuls wines and, in turn, to their vinegars. 

Similar to the Italian designation accorded to Modena, this region has been granted the French certification of appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC) or controlled designation of origin. Growers must follow set standards designed to ensure their grapes will have certain unique characteristics based on terroir, the French term that comes from the word terre, or land. It’s used to describe the impact on a crop—most often grapes—of the climate and temperature, the soil and topography, other environmental conditions, and farming techniques. For wine in general, these elements all greatly, and often uniquely, impact aroma and flavor. For Banyuls in particular, both the wine and the vinegar made from it, the terroir imparts a distinctive sweetness. 

To create the Vinaigre de Banyuls included in my new vinegar collection, naturally sweet Banyuls wine is first slowly aged under the hot Mediterranean sun for three years in barrels the French call demi-muids. Then comes the acetification process—when the mother is added to the wine to turn it into vinegar. The resulting vinegar is then aged for two more years in small French oak barrels in the vinegar cellar to achieve its perfect aromatic palette. 

Food Pairings

Enjoying red wine vinegar

Red wine vinegar enhances seasonal mixed greens and salads with fruits or with Roquefort and other blue cheeses; warm potato salad; grilled vegetables; cooked greens like kale; and assorted melons. Use it in a vinaigrette to dress antipasto to balance the fattiness of the meats, salade Niçoise, and a Lyonnaise-inspired salad with lardons, frisée, and eggs. It also brightens braises and stews, and is great for quick pickled onions or other vegetables. 

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Versatile vinegar

Vinegar is exceptional in so much more than salads. Here are two of my favorite ways to cook with red wine vinegar:

Deglazing. Use vinegar instead of (or even in addition to) wine to deglaze a pan and turn the fond—those dark, flavorful bits that collect on the bottom—into a rich and quick sauce.

Marinating. Because vinegar is acidic, it helps break down and tenderize protein fibers for juicier grilled meat.

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Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts and Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potato Recipes, Spotlight on Purple Potatoes and Sweet Spices for Savory Dishes

Thanksgiving sides really make the meal. I love tasting a little bit of this and a little bit of that, filling my plate with as many different foods as it will hold. When I’m doing the cooking, I like to go bold, as you’ll see from my twists on Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. They’ll become favorites at your gatherings, as they are at mine! I’m also sharing some food for thought on exercise—great fuel for your dinner table conversation. 

Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts

• Sweet and Spicy Brussels Sprouts

  This variation on Kung Pao sauce has a surprising kick. 

  Ingredients

  • 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 3–4 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, depending on your preference
  • 4 tablespoons rice wine
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted, roasted peanuts

  Directions

  Step 1

  Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place the Brussels sprouts on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with the olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Roast, turning once, until tender and lightly browned on the edges, 20 to 25 minutes. 

  Step 2

  While the Brussels sprouts are roasting, prepare the sauce. In a medium saucepan, stir together the chili garlic sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, and brown sugar and heat through.

  Step 3

  When the Brussels sprouts are cooked, transfer them to a large bowl, toss with the sauce, and top with the peanuts.

  Yields 4-6 servings

Roasted Cinnamon Sweets

• Roasted Cinnamon Sweet Potatoes

  Skip the “fluff” and let the potatoes be the star of this dish—they turn crispy outside while staying creamy inside.

  Ingredients

  • 8 unpeeled sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds, cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling 
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

  Directions

  Step 1

  Preheat your oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the potatoes on the parchment and toss with the rest of the ingredients. 

  Step 2

  Spread them out into a single layer and roast until the centers are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 40 minutes, depending on your oven. 

  Step 3

  Flip them over once at the midway point.

  Yields 6-8 servings

Healthy Ingredient Spotlight

The Power of Purple

Ready to really shake things up this Thanksgiving? Try exotic purple sweet potatoes, now readily available at many markets. Murasaki sweet potatoes, also known as Japanese sweet potatoes, are dark purple on the outside with white flesh. Hawaiian sweet potatoes, also known as Okinawan, are the reverse with a whitish peel and purple interior. Charleston purple yams are also an intense purple inside, with a light-brown peel. Besides serving up great taste, these potatoes are chock-full of healthful antioxidants, the source of their deep pigmentation.

Healthy Kitchen Nugget

Spice So Nice

Sweet spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice can add great flavor to savory dishes and allow you to cut down on sugar, so don’t save them for your pumpkin spice lattes! While you already know that a Microplane is great for grating nutmeg, it also works on stick cinnamon, creating light shavings rather than a powder. 

For Your Best Health

The Truth About Nondairy Milks

“Plant-based milk alternatives have been growing in popularity, but there’s not a lot known about the mineral content of these products, especially in the US,” says Ben Redan, PhD, research chemist at the FDA and principal investigator of a research project that analyzed dozens of milk alternatives for their mineral content. “Although they can be voluntarily declared, from a regulatory perspective, these minerals are not always required to be on the Nutrition Facts label.” 

Dr. Redan did the study with Lauren Jackson, PhD, his colleague at the Institute for Food Safety and Health, a research consortium that includes the Illinois Institute of Technology, the FDA and the food industry. They decided to measure the amount of four essential minerals—magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium—in plant-based milk alternatives. “Essential” means that the body can’t make them on its own, and we must get them from our diet. All four are found in dairy milk, so it’s important to know if you’re missing out when making the switch to nondairy alternatives. 

Drs. Redan and Jackson analyzed 85 plant-based beverages in all, each made from a single base ingredient such as almond, cashew, coconut, hemp, oat, pea, rice, or soy. Using a technique called inductively coupled-mass spectrometry to quantify the minerals along with statistical analyses, they found that mineral content varied significantly across different product types and between brands of the same type of product. Only pea- and soy-based drinks had higher levels of the four essential minerals than cow’s milk, with pea-based drinks containing about 50% more phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. On average, the soy drinks had the highest amounts of magnesium. 

“These plant-based milk alternatives could be important sources of these micronutrients if you’re trying to reach the recommended dietary allowances for them,” Dr. Redan says. “That’s why these data points are important to get out to the public.” The findings were presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society.  

Fitness Flash

The Value of Variety

New findings on leisure-time activities from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study underscore the importance of engaging in activities that you enjoy and will stick with. The study, led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute, looked at questionnaires filled out by 272,550 adults between the ages of 59 and 82 to determine whether participating in equivalent amounts of seven different exercise and recreational activities—running, cycling, swimming, other aerobic exercise, racquet sports, golf, and walking for exercise—was associated with a lowered risk of death.

They found that achieving the recommended amount of physical activity per week—2.5 to 5 hours at moderate intensity or 1.25 to 2.5 hours at vigorous intensity—through any combination of these activities was associated with a 13 percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to not participating in any of the activities studied. When they looked at the role of each activity individually, playing racquet sports was associated with a 16 percent reduction in risk and running with a 15 percent reduction. However, all the activities were linked with lower risks of death. Even people who did some recreational activity, though less than the recommended amount, had a 5 percent reduction in risk of death than those who did not participate in any of them at all.

In terms of a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, playing racquet sports was associated with the greatest reduction at 27 percent, while running was associated with the greatest reduction in risk of cancer death at 19 percent. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.

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