Pork, often ribs, that have been braised or roasted very slowly over a prolonged period of time until the meat is practically disintegrating and then scraped or pulled from the bone with a fork. It is usually done with cheap cuts which have good flavour when cooked slowly.
Pullet carpet shell clams are common on the coasts of Britain and Ireland, France and into the Bay of Biscay, where they are staple, traditional fare. It is an oval, bivalve shell that reaches 5 cm (2”) in length. The exterior is sculptured with concentric ridges and faint radiating lines. White, cream or grey in colour, it sometimes has purple or brown markings.
Pulses are a healthy and nutritious food group including peas and beans, lentils and so on, dried or fresh. Beans originated in the Americas, except soya beans which originally came from China. Peas, lentils and chickpeas (US: garbanzo beans) were originally cultivated in the fertile crescent and peanuts, cowpeas and so on in Africa.
A citrus fruit similar in appearance to a grapefruit with one slightly pointed end. Once the thick skin is peeled the segments need to have the tough leathery coating pulled away. Inside, the flesh can be deliciously sweet and juicy. It is better left for a few days after picking before it is eaten. There are pink and white versions. The peel is candied and eaten as a delicacy. This is one of my favourite fruits.
A pumpkin is generally a very large pumpkin with orange flesh used principally in soups. It is the basis for Hallowe’en masks. However, ones does hear pumpkin used to describe the less memorable green marrow which is like an overgrown courgette (US: zucchini). In North America it is famously used in pumpkin pie. In the North East of Italy it is popularly served as a stuffed pasta dish, but I find it a bit sweet for my taste.
