Sunday, August 20, 2006

Rose and Mary - The Perfect Liaison

No, I'm not referring to people, I'm talking about the herb - rosemary. According to Cooking-Dictionary by cooksrecipe.com, rosmary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a herb with silver-green, needle-shaped leaves, a strong flavor reminiscent of lemon and pine and a strong, sharp camphor-like aroma. Like many herbs, rosemary is also said to contain antioxidants and have antiseptic properties.

Before I start sounding 'medicinal', I must say this is my first time using fresh rosemary. I love using dried rosemary leaves, from infusing them into my pasta sauces to sprinkling onto grissini, the aroma never fails to 'intoxicate' me. I managed to get a packet of fresh rosemary from the supermarket, at about fifty cents a sprig. Too bad I don't have 'green fingers', otherwise I could have grown them at home, for a ready supply of my favourite herb.

Used up all the four sprigs for two items. First up - Panmarino, or Potato Rosemary Loaf, recipe from.....where else? The Bread Baker's Apprentice. This loaf has a tender moist crumb due to the use of mashed potato, coupled with a slightly chewy crust and fresh herb flavour.

Next was a tender and juicy rosemary roast chicken. I marinated the chicken overnight to develope the flavours and it was certainly worth the time. I was rewarded with a dozen 'thumbs up' from hubby. I served it with potato salad and sauted sesame green beans.



13 comments:

Little Corner of Mine said...

Yummy meal and a good looking loaf! I like rosemary too, so fragrant.

Cuisine Paradise said...

Hm.... Angie, i do agreed with you Rosemary Chicken is really good and fragrant cos i love them too.... now i learnt another new way to use it from you is to make Rosemary bread.... :)That's great of you to use 1 herbs with many purposes......

Unknown said...

Ching, Ellena, Connie, thanks for your kind compliments :)

Ellena, so we are rosemary 'kakis' *lol*. Sometimes buy fresh herbs quite a headache, use only a little, and the rest will dry up or wither quickly. So this is a good way to use all the four sprigs in the pack ;p

Connie, I still have lots to learn. I love your breads always.

myCoffee said...

Wow Angie, very nice bread and photos! :)

myCoffee said...

Wow, Angie, nice bread and photos!

Gattina Cheung said...

Hey buddy, both your photos and layout are getting better and better! Potato, rustic bread and rosemary... my all-time favorite!

Unknown said...

Mycoffee, thanks a lot!

Gattina, thank you too :) Paiseh sia, I still have lots to learn. Yeah, I know you're a potato and rosemary lover, pal, you can have my loaf, virtually ;p

diddy said...

i agree! Meat and potatos are the perfect combination! Great job! Everything looks yummy

Eva said...

great meal and loaf...yummy yummy.
I'm also like to use herbs for dishes, so fragrant.

Anonymous said...

your bread look very nice and fragrante, compliments

Unknown said...

Diddy, Eva, Francesca, thank for your kind words.

:: Pastry Girl :: said...

first time visiting yr blog angie! great blog!

Unknown said...

Hi Linda, thanks for dropping by!