Thanks for your question Matthew. I think you mean anchovies for salt. But both anchovies and sardines fish swim abundantly in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean and have been used in Italian cooking and the cooking of bordering countries since time immemorial. The Romans fermented anchovies to make a fish sauce/condiment called garum and pasta con sarde (semolina pasta with sardines, wild fennel, raisins) is one of the defining dishes of Sicilian cuisine. Up north Milanese folk eat Bagna Cauda, a hot bath of olive anchovies melted into olive oil served with a grand platter of raw vegetables. The list goes on...
I appreciate the suggestion to first work the herbs one by one with the mortar and pestle, then blend them. My inclination is to save time by pounding everything together. As ever, the message for me with preparing my best food is to slow down.
I will share all of this info with the other pesto fanatics in my life!
Such a colorful story, nice thought for the sardines for salt. Where do sardines originate in the Italian cuisine?
Thanks for your question Matthew. I think you mean anchovies for salt. But both anchovies and sardines fish swim abundantly in the Adriatic and the Mediterranean and have been used in Italian cooking and the cooking of bordering countries since time immemorial. The Romans fermented anchovies to make a fish sauce/condiment called garum and pasta con sarde (semolina pasta with sardines, wild fennel, raisins) is one of the defining dishes of Sicilian cuisine. Up north Milanese folk eat Bagna Cauda, a hot bath of olive anchovies melted into olive oil served with a grand platter of raw vegetables. The list goes on...
I appreciate the suggestion to first work the herbs one by one with the mortar and pestle, then blend them. My inclination is to save time by pounding everything together. As ever, the message for me with preparing my best food is to slow down.
I will share all of this info with the other pesto fanatics in my life!
thanks Allison for you comments and the share!