Cocoa and Lavender: Getting Pickled {a cookbook review)

I am a big fan of preserving fruits, vegetables, cheeses, fish, and meats for future use. One old-fashioned and too-often forgotten method of preservation is pickling.

Schiffer Books offered me a review copy of Pickled Delicacies: In Vinegar, Oil, and Alcohol (Baumgartner, Hauer, Mahriner-Eder, and Obermayr. Schiffer Publishing, Ltd., 2015) and I jumped at the offer because I am always looking for new ways to put up seasonal and local foods.

I opened the book to the middle and started reading. My immediate reaction was to go to the front of the book and find out if this was a translation. Don't get me wrong, the English is perfect. It is simply that the instructions reminded me of the style of European cookbooks, which made me love this book for that reason alone. It is, in fact, translated from German. (Leopold Stocker Verlag, 2008.)

For anyone who spends even a little time in the kitchen, these recipes are just right. They aren't laborious, and are easy to follow.

I like that the book is divided into five kinds of pickling processes, even though only three are listed in the title. Vinegar. Oil. Alcohol. Salt. Sugar. Maybe salt and sugar are assumed, but salt is one of the best preservers available, and sugared items certainly appeal to my sweet tooth. (Not all pickles are sour!)

Pickled Delicacies has a great variety of ideas - from sweet, to sour, to salty, and tipsy - many of which are new to me. Different flavor combinations, such as today's pears in saffron syrup, will really make this book a go-to when I want to create something out of the ordinary. It includes recipes for fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and fish ... and even one for quail eggs. The book has no meat-based recipes (no corned beef, no ham hocks), but I don't find that a detractor.

I think many of the recipes would make wonderful gifts. Note: Whether for yourself or for friends, proper sterilization and sealing of the jars is important, though it isn't covered in too much detail.

I give this book a thumbs up, mostly for its creativity. And, in the introduction, the authors encourage the reader to experiment. These are people who are passionate about their craft, and are encouraging to their readers to discover their personal creativity. No yields were given for these recipes but, with practice, that can be done through the cook's intuition.

Pucker up - it's pickle time!

Pears in Saffron Syrup

My suggestions are in blue.

4 firm pears (I used Bosc)

1 bag of saffron [I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon]

1 tablespoon orange water (boil an orange peel in sugar water)

Wash the pears, peel, quarter, and remove pits and core. Slice the vanilla bean lengthwise, scrape out the pulp, and set aside the pulp for later.

Boil the wine, water, and sugar until the sugar has dissolved. Then add the vanilla pulp and saffron and boil gently for 15 minutes.

Now add the orange water and pear quarters and boil until they are semi-soft. Remove the fruit with a skimmer and place into [sterilized] jars. Pour the [boiling] hot syrup over it [the pears] and add in the vanilla bean. Close tightly and store in a cool place.

Tips: Because of their beautiful color, pears in saffron syrup make a decorative dessert. Serve this delicacy with ice cream or pudding [custard], or use it as an original cake topping. Put a thin layer of jam on a cake and decorate with thinly sliced, well-drained pears. If you don't plan to serve the cake right away, cover the pears with jelly.