Ingredients
2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp szechwan peppercorns
2 small dried red chili peppers
1/2 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cup cold water
4 slices fresh ginger
1 tbsp dry sherry
4 cup total of the following in bite-size, pieces:
1 broccoli stems
1 napa cabbage
1 celery
1 cabbage
1 carrots
1 cauliflower
1 daikon
1 green string beans
1 red bell peppers
Directions
In a mixing bowl, combine the salt, peppercorns, chile peppers and
boiling water, and stir until the salt dissolves. Stir in the cold
water, fresh ginger, and vodka or sherry. Put the vegetables of your
choice into a Chinese pickling jar or 2-quart glass jar. If using a
Chinese pickling jar, seal with water according to the instructions.
If using a regular glass jar, simply cover with plastic wrap. Do not
wrap tightly as gas must escape. Allow the pickles to sit,
unrefrigerated, for 24 hours and serve. The pickles will keep for
several days if sealed and in the refrigerator. From The Frugal
Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines, Jeff Smith, Avon, c 1989.
Typed by Terri St.Louis-Woltmon O:).
Makes: 1 qt
Servings: 1 servings
Chinese Brine Pickles Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Asian; Chinese; Vegetable
The History of Recipes
Written recipes as an idea can be observed far back into the distant past, in truth as far back into recorded history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and quite possibly further than that. Interesting though that maybe, sadly, these old recipes were just simple hieroglyphic or cunieform recipes for preparing food.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe in existence, according to Professor Solomon Katz, are some clay tablets in the Sumerian language which recount the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as having made anyone who drank it feel exhilarated. Much later, in Roman times a roman called Apicius created a collection of scripts which described recipes enjoyed by wealthy Romans. In his works, Apicius recounts how the meals were separated into hors d`oeuvres, main meal and desserts, known in latin as `Gustatio, Primae Mensae and Secundae Mensae`. Aspicius tells us how the ancient chefs made use of a wide range of herbs and spices, including some that we all recognise like basil, rue and parsley. Later on, in the 15th century, people returning from the crusades brought us many new foods and spices from Arab countries, including spices like parsley and basil. These new spices and herbs caused an eruption in recipe books, the majority of which are kept safe in private collections. Over the succeeding few hundred years, the upper classes tried to serve the most extravagent banquests, and as a consequence, the best chefs and their recipe collections were highly sought after. Even so, it wasn`t until the 19th century that cookery and cookery books reached a high level of popularity. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Merritt Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to assembling, verifying, and writing down recipes to help cooks of their time. When we get to the twentieth century, cookery books are increasing in popularity as a result of more people being able to read, people having increased free time and being a little richer. The TV revolution gave us celebrity chefs and the demand for the spin-off recipe books. And that brings us to the present day and the invention of computers and the internet, permitting us all to search through thousands of recipes just like those on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chinese Brine Pickles recipe.
