May 22, 2005

IMBB #15-Gelatin

Gelo Many thanks to Elise over at Simply Recipes for hosting this go round of Is My Blog Burning "Jelled".  Dishes prepared with gelatin, jello, agar, and other jelling agents.  Round-up can be found here.

Gelatin dishes rose to fame in school cafeterias, at ladies' luncheons, and at children's birthday parties.

Gelatin use in the food industry is probably best recognized in gelatin desserts and confectioneries such as gum drops, lozenges, marshmallows, gummy bears and those "fruit leathers" that only children seem to enjoy. It is also used as a binding and/or glazing agent in meats and aspics; as a stabilizer in the processing of dairy products such as ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, and cottage cheese.

Aquarium_024 Interestingly, a new and major application for gelatin is in the paintball industry. The classic-style "war games" are played out using projectiles constructed of gelatin. Some of us even attempted odd non-food creations such as the aquarium pictured here.

For this IMBB participation I chose a variation on gelo di melone ("watermelon pudding") a smooth and refreshing summertime staple in Palermo that is rarely found outside the region. Historically it is always served on the Feast Day of St. Rosalie, the city's patron saint. In other parts of the island August 15, Feast of the Assumption is when the watermelons are rolled out.  This particularly recipe is a variation because I needed to use gelatin instead of cornstarch which the standard recipe calls for.  In this capital city it is garnished with chopped pistachios and shaved chocolate with a fresh jasmine flower as garnish. 

Gelo di Melone
Making my first "jello" from scratch was an eye-opening experience.  The possibilities with the fresh tastes of summer fruit seem endless.

6 cups coarsely chopped seeded watermelon (from a 4 1/2-lb piece, discard rind) 1 1/2 tablespoons gelatin (this is several envelopes--it's best to measure it out)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon anise seeds
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

Garnish

Shelled, chopped pistachios

Shaved Italian chocolate

Purée watermelon in a blender until smooth, then pour through a fine-mesh sieve into a 2-quart saucepan, pressing on pulp and then discarding any remaining solids.

Ladle about 1/4 cup watermelon juice into a small bowl and stir in gelatin until smooth.

Bring remaining watermelon juice to a boil with 1/2 cup sugar and anise seeds, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Stir gelatin mixture again, then whisk into boiling juice. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice.

Pour mixture through a clean sieve into a bowl, then transfer to a wide 1-quart serving dish or 6 small ramekins.  Chill, uncovered, until cold, about 30 minutes. Cover loosely and leave in fridge until set, at least 3 hours. Can be made can be prepared up to 1 day.

Garnish with pistachios and chocolate before serving.

May 22, 2005 7:46:00 PM | IMBB

The comments to this entry are closed.

NEXT POST
Say it with Flowers When we plan a special meal taking the care to find the best ingredients, place the good dinnerware on the fine linen tablecloth we often don't think twice about the floral centerpiece. Many of us buy flowers without considering if we could do one better in this area. Conventionally grown flowers are bought by us because, well they are pretty and often near perfect looking. The farmers that raise these high-value crops use a huge amount of pesticides to yield consistent growths. Another consideration is this, 70 percent of cut flowers sold in the U.S. are imported from countries like Ecuador and Colombia, where labor is cheap and pesticide regulations are less stringent. So what's a host or hostess to do? Why not buy organic or locally grown blooms, or plan ahead for next year and grow them yourself. And often times they last just as long or even longer than standard cut flowers. According to the Organic Trade Association sustainably grown flowers are continue to bud and are having an impact on the $16 billion U.S. floral industry. In the States alone, the newly emerging organic floral market reach $8 million in 2003--that's a 52 per cent increase over 2002 and continuing to grow at an annual 13 per cent through 2008. One of the easiest and smartest ways through the online florist Organic Bouquet. The company's mission is to set a new standard for the floral industry by upholding the well being of farm workers, protecting the ecosystem...
PREVIOUS POST
Organic Pudding While pulling together material for yesterday's IMBB event I learned a few things related to gelatin. First I came across "It's Pudding!" which is a new organic and new pudding line available on the market. While the name is a bit odd to me--say, "No Kidding!" they will be offering flavors including chocolate, vanilla, rice, tapioca, and banana this summer. It's also certified Kosher OU. It will be sold in 4-ounce containers as 4- packs. for around $3.99. "It's Pudding!" is made with all natural ingredients and no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. It will be available in the coming months in the refrigerated section of natural food stores and specialty sections of supermarkets nationwide. The puddings are made by Lifeway. The company was named as Forbes' 38th best small business and Fortune Small Business' 47th Fastest Growing Small Business. The company is also America's leading supplier of the cultured dairy product known as kefir. Kefir is a milk-based beverage that contains ten types of "friendly," active probiotic cultures. The liquid is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your insides. It's more nutritious than yogurt as it supplys complete proteins, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. In the course of my research I also cleared up a long held food belief that gelatin is made from horses hooves. While it's no longer common I'm not certain knowing where it is from is making me feel any better. And the best thing I learned? Any time...

jeannebee

what happens to the hole when the donut is gone?

Joy
Alicefeiring
The Typepad Team

Search

Recent Comments