Diario della Cucina di Shandra

Brasato

2011-05-01T04:56:00.000-07:00

Brasato mean braised in wine. In this case beef braised in wine. It is so easy and you can do so many beautiful things with the leftovers. It is a staple in our house. You start with beef that is good for slow cooking. If you are in Italy you tell them you are making Brasato and the butcher will know which kind of beef to give you. If you are in the grocery store in America I've found the guys working in the back rooms don't really know that much cooking. In Italy being a butcher can be rather prestigious. There is this one famous butcher in a town called Greve that sings opera, yells at people and spreads lard on bread with glasses of wine for the customers as they come in. He definitely knows what to do when he cuts up a side of beef.

Anyway lately here in America I'm using a Chuck roast and I'm happy with the results. Get together the following ingredients:

Chuck Roast

Red Wine (2 or so cups)

salt

pepper

garlic

carrot or two

celery

onion

bay leaf

rosemary

thyme

bit of beef stock

Heat some oil with the garlic in a tegame if you are in Italy or in a heavy pot you can transfer to the oven for slow roasting. Sprinkle the beef with salt and pepper. Put a couple of skinned whole cloves of garlic in some oil in the pan and when hot sear beef on all sides. Remove from pan.

Chop the "holy trinity" of Italy (1/2 onion, 1 celery, 1 carrot) and add saute them in the hot oil you seared the been in. After a few minutes add the beef and the rest of the fresh herbs. Fill the pot with wine and half a cup of beef stock to just shy of covering the roast.

Transfer to a 350 degree oven and cook for 2 1/2 or 3 hours depending on the size of the roast. Serve with polenta, mashed potatoes or roasted potatoes for a secondo.

Bon Appetit!

Bruschetta

2010-11-17T21:47:00.000-08:00

For those of you who know that I recently left my "homeland" in Italy and landed in Orlando, this is a big deal that I'm blogging here again. It has just been too painful to think about all the things I made weekly in Italy and how difficult that is here. We have mainly been surviving on Chipotle burritos since we arrived. However, if I am really going to put all my recipes in a cookbook for an American audience then I might as well be in the same boat as my readers and figure out how to make my passion for authentic Italian food work here.

So my boys are in an english as a second language program given that they've never attended school in english. It's a little strange being American and all but I like it. A few weeks ago the director for the ELL program calls and says "we are having an international food fair, would you like to bring something authentic from Italy." I agree, hang up the phone and ask Shad if he wants to help me make Bruschetta for the ELL food fair. He snaps to and says, "Mom, we are so going to win" To his disappointment I inform him that it isn't a contest, but I can't stop smiling thinking how great it is that he loves my food and is such a fan. A small tiny flame starts to flicker inside me. My boys need me to keep cooking Italian food.

So this how you make Bruschetta. It is really so simple that I would have never thought to write about it, but at the ELL food fair I have to say it created quite a stir. One of Shad's teachers who tried it said, "Oh my God this is so good." Another woman almost dropped it out of shock. I was pleased to see the look on her face. One said that she made it but hers didn't taste like this. When I asked her how she made it she explained that she just put it all together and put it in the oven. Oh, I guess if you hadn't grown up seeing it done, that would make sense. So for all the women who asked me for the recipe, here it is. The first thing you have to know is that it isn't pronounced brushetta with a shhh sound. I've had American's argue with me about this despite the fact that I speak Italian and they don't. I don't know why this is important to me but it is, so if you don't want to seriously tick me off say Brus-che-tta with a "k" sound in the middle.

So now on how to make Bruschetta with Pomodoro (Tomatoes)

The first step: You absolutely have to find tomatoes that have flavor. They can be cherry tomatoes or tomatoes that you seed and chop. This was easy in Italy. Very difficult where I am currently living. None of the grocery stores carry them, I have to drive to a vegetable market 20 minutes away. If you can just grow them yourself.

Second: If they are cherry tomatoes, cut them in fourths and put them in a bowl. Drizzle with a decent amount of extra virgin olive oil, add fresh basil, and sprinkle with salt. Stop. Don't try anything fancy.

Third: Buy bread that is fairly dense and you probably have to slice yourself. Something like pugliese or even ciabatta works. NOT french. It is to light and airy.

Fourth: Grill the bread. The best way to do this is in a fireplace over wood but the bbq works and for now I have to resort to a grill pan. It still works. As soon as the bread it browned on both sides pull it off and rub it with a split clove of garlic while it is still warm.

Last top the bread with the tomato mixture and if you want drizzle a little more oil on top if it is top quality. Do this right before serving, otherwise put it on a platter with the tomatoes in the middle and have guests serve themselves.

In Tuscany, meals often start with an assortment of Bruschetta or Crostini as they may be called. Tomato is always present but also tuscan beans (see previous post), and chicken liver pate' are staples. Here you might use an olive tapanade instead of liver pate' as it takes a bit of effort and well l haven't been able to find chicken livers yet.

Baci

Maionese

2010-06-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a recipe for mayonnaise. Now let me just start by saying that I've never really liked mayonnaise. For most of my life, I've prided myself in not touching the stuff. But that was before our visit to Laura's family seaside home where I encountered homemade mayo for the first time. We had this amazing weekend with them and we ate like kings.

One evening after an afternoon on the beach, there was this thick golden bowl of mayonnaise to accompany the meal. Usually they serve it with fresh tomatoes, boiled chicken or fish, but honesty I can't remember what else was served because it was so good that all I wanted to do was pick up my spoon and eat the whole bowl of it! I did eat an embarrassing amount and vowed to learn how to make it. Laura explained that it is basically just egg and the best quality olive oil. How easy is that! I tried it the very next week but without success. My first attempt ended in a liquidity mess. One time it looked liked Laura's but had this bitter edge. Too much lemon juice? Finally, I called Laura and said I'm coming over and you are going to show me how to do this.

Now Laura is my amica del cuore (friend closest to my heart). Even though she grew up in Florence, and I in Montana, we see eye to eye on most everything in life. Every once in awhile, however, she will say something and I see a cultural chasm open up between us as big as the grand canyon. This was one of those days. We started out with the freshest of eggs for the mayonnaise. As I carefully washed the egg and dried it, Laura explained to me that actually making mayo is a very delicate process. You must stay calm and the egg must be very fresh and at room temperature. Oh and you shouldn't touch the egg if you are having stomach problems or having your menstrual cycle or it will impazzire. I search the archives of my brain for the meaning of impazzire. Finally it comes to me but it doesn't make sense, "You mean it will go crazy?" Yes yes she says, it will go crazy. I stop what I'm doing and turn and look at her. She is absolutely serious. Seeing my blank stare she continued to explain that is why she wasn't touching the egg. Chasm. I had been thinking, I hope I don't kill my family by serving them mayo made with raw egg, which apparently Italian's never worry about. I force myself to keep a straight face as we continued the process and sure enough it came out perfectly.

I am not one to blindly believe what I am told so at home the next week I decide to test this theory. It was "that time of the month" for me and so I buy my fresh eggs from the market and rush home to try it. I'm in a hurry but I make sure that the egg gets a lot of touching as I wash it then break it into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, dash of vinegar and start to add the stream of oil just as Laura showed me. It looked like it was going to set up and then what do you know, it "went crazy". The egg and the oil separated and it was this horrible inedible mess. What a waste of good olive oil. I waited a week. I calmly place the egg on the counter a couple of hours in advance to let it come to room temperature. Calmly I add salt, vinegar and start the process. It works!! I finally did it. Maybe it's not such a crazy idea after all.

Here is exactly what you need to do to make it. You will need: a mixing wand, a small container to mix it in that isn't too wide at the bottom (mixing bowl or tall container), a pinch of salt, dash of white wine vinegar (red wine will work too), a couple of teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, a very fresh organic egg at room temperature, 3 or more tablespoons high quality vegetable oil, about a cup of extra virgin olive oil. Use the best olive oil you can as it obviously affects the flavor.

Add the lemon juice to the olive oil before you begin and whisk together. Put the egg in the mixing container, add a pinch of sea salt, and dash of vinegar. Whisk this together with a fork and then take a deep breath and begin adding the vegetable oil while mixing with the wand. Keep pumping the wand up and down and if it looks like it is starting to thicken go ahead and begin adding the olive oil in a small stream. Keep adding in a small stream while mixing until the olive oil is finished. Taste and adjust the salt. If everything works you will have a thick golden bowl of mayonnaise. Eat within 2 or 3 days. Keep refrigerated obviously.

Note: ok, about the raw eggs. Here in Italy at the market you can buy fresh eggs from these adorable little farm stands that say "uova da bere". Literally "eggs to drink". Now I've never wanted to drink fresh eggs but apparently it would be safe to do so and definitely safe to make mayonnaise. I know this isn't the mindset in America but I've eaten raw eggs in various dishes here in Italy for 9 years now and have never had a problem. As far as I can tell they think we are crazy for worrying about it. I always wash the outside and dry it because oftentimes if there are dangerous bacteria it would come from the outside of the egg. I'd better write a disclaimer just to appease my lawyers in case something happens. So here it is: If you are pregnant, nursing, an infant, have a weak immune system, weak stomach, do not use raw eggs.

Lemon Chicken

2010-04-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

Well, my friend Charmaine just called and asked again for this recipe and said, "By the way, it's been since January! Time to blog." Indeed it is. This recipe is for Charmaine who, after having it at my house, made it for some American guests who were stunned by how good it was. They kept asking, "Is this chicken?" It could be partly due to the quality of the chickens here in Italy which far surpass most of what I used to buy in the States so, if you can, spend a little more to get a better quality bird. It is a fantastic secondo (second dish) to risotto or pasta and it has a secret ingredient called gremolata which is a mixture of chopped parsley, garlic and lemon zest. Once you get the hang of making gremolata you will dazzle your guests by sprinkling it on seafood, pasta or using it the traditional way as an accompaniment to veal or Ossobucco. One of my favorite chef's begins each day by chopping parsley and garlic together to use throughout the day and when he doesn't know what to cook, he begins chopping parsley and garlic and by the time he is finished he has figured it out.

This recipe for the chicken originally came from Martha Stewart but since I've made it for 14 years now it feels like mine. To start combine in a bowl:

1/3 cup coarse (grosso) sea salt
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Loosen the skin of the chicken from the flesh and rub/pour the lemon/salt mixture under the skin and in the cavity of the chicken. For the best flavor and texture, marinate the chicken for a few hours or even the day before you roast it, but if you've only a half an hour it is still worth the effort. When done marinatiing, rinse the salt off the chicken and prepare the gremolata. I'll give you some measurments but it really is a personal preference how much garlic to use.

1 bunch parsley
2-5 cloves garlic
zest of 1 or 2 lemons

Chop the parsley, garlic and lemon zest together and voila' you have gremolata. Mix the gremolata with six tablespoons soft butter and spread under the skin of the chicken and in the cavity. Add a few quarters of lemons and bay leaves to the cavity of the chicken and roast at 180 celsius (350 f) for 45 min to an hour, just until the juices run clear. Overcooking chicken of course is a shame so if you want it just right use a meat thermometer. I can't live without my instant read thermometer and I test it a couple of times until it reaches 160-165 f.

Serve on a Vietri Platter with roasted potatoes and the lemons scattered around. Brillante! Wish I had a picture to post as it really is spectacular. Maybe Charmaine will post a picture of hers once she makes it again tonight. Baci!

Arancini

2010-01-19T14:43:00.000-08:00

Arancini are from Sicily and they are fried little packages of rice with a surprise in the middle. We ate them on our vacation in Sicily two years ago and I thought what a fantastic lunch when you are on the go. In fact on further research I discovered that they were taken on hunting trips or long journeys by royal courts and eventually became a tradition for peasants working in the country. Whatever the origin, they seem to be a part of the daily routine of Sicilians now. On our vacation, the old men would show up at all the mom and pop delis for an afternoon snack. They are impressive to serve. Once my friend Carrie was at a dinner party here in Tuscany and when they brought out the arancini for the appetizer everyone made the ohhs and ahhs of a fireworks display.

Despite being mocked by a Sicilian once for making arancini this way, I still think this is the perfect way to use leftover risotto so I'm going to do it. Besides, other Italians do this, just apparently not if you are Sicilian. I once sat by a Sicilian man on the the train from Milan to Florence and he walked me through step by step how to make proper Sicilian Arancini. It took the whole train ride. They were a failure. The ones I made two weeks ago with leftover risotto were perfect and so much easier.

The classic filling is ragu and peas but you can put mozzerella and basil, spinach and mozzerella, just mozzerella. It works out perfect if you have some leftover ragu and you can just pop that in the middle of your leftover risotto! There is really no recipe to write down. You just take a ball of your leftover risotto in your hand and make an indent in the middle. (It helps to wet your hand first) Push your filling in the middle then close the rice around the filling so it is smooth and there are no holes in the risotto casing. Then dip the arancino into beaten egg, flour, back into the egg and then into very fine bread crumbs. You can form them into round balls or into more of a cone shape like the picture below. Deep fry until they are golden all over about 4 minutes. If you have a fear of frying like I do see my tips on the Caponata post. I was so excited when mine turned out that I did a little dance. My boys were not impressed, but they are young teens so I don't even try to impress them right now. I think you, however, will be delighted with the results!

Risotto alla Zucca (Pumpkin)

2010-01-02T23:39:00.000-08:00

I can hardly resist the beautiful pieces of pumpkin during the Fall and Winter as I pass through the markets. When I saw a piece in the market a few weeks ago, instead of thinking about the pasta I usually make with pumpkin, risotto stuck in my mind. This risotto is fantastic served as a first course then with Roast Beef and your favorite side for the second! Personally a big plate of risotto for the main course proves to be a bit much for me and anyway I feel obligated to tell you that it isn't the Italian way.

The fantastic thing about risotto, is that it is so versatile that you can use whatever is in season. In the Fall and Winter: Pumpkin, Cavolo Nero, Radicchio, Porcini Mushrooms, White and Black Truffles, Quail. In the Spring: Asparagus, Artichokes, Sausage and Peas, fava and even nettles! Of course there is the classic Saffron Risotto for anytime along with risotto bianco (with parmesan), then clam, lobster, or shrimp risotto. And finally for a really special occasion (like my husbands birthday which is in 5 days shhhh!) risotto with Barolo wine and Castelmagno cheese (from the Piemonte region). That's enough to keep me cooking for a year!

The other fantastic thing about risotto is that you can use what is leftover to make Arancini. Arancini are from Sicily and they are, like many things from Sicily, fried. They have rice on the outside and are traditionally stuffed with ragu on the inside but I also like mozzarella with basil. It's the perfect snack or appetizer and I'll post the recipe as soon as I'm done with this one so you can use your leftover pumpkin risotto.

Which leads me to why I began this post: Risotto alla Zucca! If you haven't read the post on "About Risotto" it would be helpful to do so before attempting this for the first time.

8-10 cups chicken stock (homemade or very high quality)
3 or more Tablespoons olive oil (or butter if you like)
1 onion (yellow or white) chopped very fine
cerca 2 cups pumpkin flesh grated or chopped
2 cups Vialone Nano Rice or Canaroli are the best (if not then other short grained rice like Arborio)
1/2 cup white wine
Nutmeg (nutmeg grated on top is best)
salt and pepper to taste

Before you start, rid yourself of any stress so the risotto doesn't absorb it. Put your stock on the stove to heat next to your risotto pan. Once it comes to a boil turn it down to a simmer.

Begin with the soffritto. Put a heavy bottomed pan that distributes heat well on a medium high heat. Add your olive oil and when it is sufficiently hot add the onion. After a minute, add half of the pumpkin. Cook about 5 minutes but don't let the mixture brown, just soften. IF needed add a little more oil.

Next the tostatura. Add the rice and stir around to "toast". After a minute or so when the rice has heated and turned started to turn translucent on the edges, add the wine. Let evaporate completely.

Now start adding the hot stock a ladleful at a time while stirring the rice calmly. When each ladleful of stock is almost evaporated, add the next. After about 10 minutes add the rest of the pumpkin. Keep adding stock and stirring. This whole process should take around 17-20 minutes. At the end of this time period, add smaller portions of stock and start tasting. When it is still a little al dente (firm to the bite) pull it off the heat and let it rest while you get the cold butter out of the fridge.

Now you are ready for the mancatura. Beat the butter and grated parmesan cheese into the risotto while pulling the pan vigorously towards you. If it is too dry add more stock. If it is too wet, well then, there is always next time.

Serve immediamente with grated nutmeg on top.

About Risotto

2009-12-14T01:22:00.000-08:00

For some reason, the desire to learn to make perfect risotto hit me while walking through the market a few weeks ago. It began when I saw a beautiful piece of bright orange pumpkin and from then on I could think of nothing else but the creamy/chewy taste of pumpkin risotto in my mouth.

The first time I had risotto was while we were still living in Slovenia, which borders northern Italy from which risotto originated. I had ordered seafood risotto not really knowing what it was but wanting seafood. After one bite I was so impressed, I asked the waiter more about it. He said, "It's mice" Seeing my expression, Sean leaned over and said, "I think he means rice". "Rice!", I said, "its not possible. Rice is boring and steamed, this is chewy, yet creamy with such amazing depth of flavour." That was 12 years ago and I have been a fan ever since. Sadly, I had never quite achieved what I tasted from Italian cooks.

After much reflection and research on my failure, I realized that mainly two things were stopping me from my goal: patience (of which I have very little); and my aversion to using butter in cooking. In Tuscany we pride ourselves in mainly using olive oil in our kitchens (except for desserts). Risotto comes from the North of Italy which has less olive trees and alas uses more butter in their cooking. Furthermore, I don't like the affect butter has on my body and so generally tend to avoid using it. You can start Risotto off with olive oil but you have to beat 5 tablespoons of cold butter into the risotto at the end to emulsify it and achieve the desired texture. I had been sort of skipping this step.

The patience part comes from the need to stir continually and apparently slowly to create the perfect texture. You can't abandon risotto or rush it. As you stir, the starch is knocked off the rice and is key to "building up" the dish. An Italian once said to me, "The risotto will feel your stress and absorb it". Perfect. Stress is my middle name. Usually I have a few kids running around saying "mom, I need" and a plethora of other things vying for my attention during the meal preparation. But maybe I could manage, now that the boys are older, to announce, "I'm making risotto!", close the kitchen doors, start with a little prayer, pour a glass of wine and commence without stress. Hmmm, that could work!

So, apart from patience and butter, I think I had all the other important elements of risotto mastered. Actually a lot can be said about risotto but I will try to keep it to a minimum. Just make sure, in addition to the following elements, that you have good quality fresh ingredients.

Rice. You must use a short grained rice. If you use long grain rice it isn't Risotto. For years I used Arborio but then I took a cooking class and the unanimous consent was that Vialone Nano is what they use "up North" where Risotto originates. Here in Italy you always go back to the original, traditional recipe to get it right. You can also use Canaroli. The important thing about these rices is they have the proper combination of starch to achieve the creaminess of Risotto and yet an inner core that will stay intact.

Brodo (stock). The hot stock of course is added a ladlefull at a time and needs to be good quality. Italians usually make chicken brodo by throwing a cut up chicken in a pot with an onion, couple of carrots, a few celery stalks with leaves, bay leaf, and peppercorns. There are slightly more complicated brodo's which involve roasting the meat for 15 minutes first with a bit of tomato paste brushed on but the simple version seems to work fine. I've also learned to make fantastic vegetable brodo which is sometimes needed instead of chicken broth, from Giorgio Locatelli's cookbook which is deserving of a recipe entry all by itself. I usually keep some in the freezer for making risotto so I have this step already done when I start.

Soffritto- This is the aromatic flavor base of the risotto and usually involves sweating onions or shallots in olive oil (or butter/olive oil combo) until they are soft but not brown. Sometimes other things are added like porcini mushrooms or sausage at this stage but needs to be able to withstand the cooking time at a fairly high heat.

Tostatura- This is the toasting of the rice in the pan which comes after the soffritto and lasts for about 3 minutes.

Mancatura- This is the part I had been skipping. Once the rice reaches the al dente stage after about 17-20 minutes you pull it off the heat and beat in cold butter and parmesan cheese. This achieves the perfect creaminess while maintaining the body and texture of the dish.

So with all this said, I will begin posting my recent risotto recipes which I must say have not disappointed me anymore! Make sure the table is set and the family notified when you start stirring the risotto because it must be served immediately once it is finished.

Carbonara

2009-12-09T05:18:00.000-08:00

I had been on the quest of learning to make real Carbonara when I met Michele. Michele is a cocky, young chef from Calabria that lived above us last year when he was working in the kitchen of San Michele, a hotel in Fiesole that charges 1500-3000 euro a night. During the summer when we were eating in our very small yard, he would lean out the window and mock my cooking. "You call that Carbonara?"he'd say as I set the plates of pasta down for the family. Or he'd shake his finger at me and say "Non va bene". Finally I put my hands on my hips and said in my best italian, "If you're so smart get down here and show me how to do it!" To my delight, when he wasn't working or chasing young girls he would show up at our door and ask, "What do you have in the kitchen?" The first time, it was the ingredients for "the perfect pasta" which I will share with you later. The second time I made sure I had fresh eggs, pancetta, red onion, and parmeggiano so we could make La Carbonara. I also had panna (cream) in the refrigerator which he wound up using but which I think is a cop out. What does he know about real Carbonara anyway, he is from Calabria. Real Carbonara comes from Rome and doesn't usually include cream. The American version's I've seen is nothing like Roman Carbonara as it is mostly cream so you might as call it pasta with cream sauce rather than Carbonara.

This is not an easy dish to make even though it only has 4 ingredients in the sauce. If you aren't careful you will wind up with scrambled eggs and bacon in pasta which is so far from what this dish can be it makes me cry to think about it. If done right it has a silky creamy texture without the heaviness of cream.

The best thing about Carbonara is that my boys love it and I can get protein in the pasta dish if I'm not making a secondo (meat course). I love the smiles on their faces when I say I'm making La Carbonara!

Here is the recipe. Let me know if you achieve the creamy texture or scrambled eggs. I have a weakness for leeks so sometimes I substitute them for the red onion but try the traditional way first.

140 grams Pancetta chopped (bacon in the States)
Half a red onion minced
4 to 5 eggs (actually 1 egg per person and if over 5 people increase other ingredients
parmesan cheese (as you like but I put about 1/2 cup grated)
500 grams of spaghetti
pasta water

Put the water on the boil for the pasta (make sure you salt the water) Saute' the pancetta and onion in olive oil until it starts to brown a bit. Add a little pasta water as needed if it starts to stick to pan.

Break the eggs in a bowl and beat. Add the parmesan and then when you cook the spaghetti a 1/4 to a 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Don't salt the eggs at this point as it will cause them to "cook" too fast. If you want to you can add a little cream to this but the authentic way is just with eggs.

Cook the spaghetti al dente. Take it off the heat when it is still a little firm drain it then put it back into the pot. Immediately put a little olive oil on the pasta, add the cooked pancetta and onion, give it a stir and then add the eggs all at once. If you add the eggs before everything else they will scramble. Add more pasta water if needed.

Stir the spaghetti to incorporate everything and then put it back on very low heat and keep stirring until it reaches the right consistency. Should be a smooth slightly runny sauce but not too runny. The slight heat will firm it up to just the right consistency as you stir. DON't cook too much! Add salt and pepper and more parmesan on top and chopped fresh parsley if you want!

Mulled Cranberry Sauce

2009-11-24T11:02:00.000-08:00

I found this recipe in a Bon Appetit magazine. I didn't know that cranberries were indiginous to the U.S. until I lived in Europe. Thankfully I'm able to talk someone into hand carrying a bag over in the Fall so that I can freeze them and use them for Thanksgiving. This isn't Italian, obviously because of the cranberrys, but I'm sure if Italians did anything with cranberrys they would cook them in wine! It is so good that I could sit down and eat a bowl of it.

1 12 once bag cranberries
1 1/2 cups fruity red wine
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1/3 crystallized ginger
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring until sugar dissolves. The recipe says to "reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid is reduced to 2 2/3 cups, stirring occasionally about 12 minutes" but it takes a little longer for me it seems and I don't measure but just watch until it starts to look thicker. It will thicken more as it cools. Transfer suace to bowl. Refrigerate until cold, about 3 hours. Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover, keep chilled.

Porcini, Chestnut Stuffing

2009-11-23T11:32:00.000-08:00

This isn't technically an italian recipe, but I created it while living here because of my love for porcini and chestnuts which are in season in Tuscany in the Fall. I love having our Italian friends over for Thanksgiving. Their response is always the same when we invite them, "We've only seen it in the movies". Whole turkeys are an anomaly and none of our Italian friends have ever seen a whole roasted turkey before. They take pictures and ooh and ahh over everything. It is the only proud moment with American cuisine that I have so I live it up. Here is my favorite stuffing recipe.

1 1/2 loaves of bread (tuscan or rustic NOT sliced bread) torn or cut into 1 inch pieces (20 cups) Dried
1/2 stick (2 oz) butter
1/4 cup olive oil ( for sauteing)
4 1/2 cups boiling water
2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
10 oz fresh mushrooms (whatever you like)
roasted chestnuts (you decide how many)
1 onion
4 shallots, quartered
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 carrots, halved then sliced crosswise
3 garlic cloved, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt q.b. (means quante basta)
pepper q.b.

Pour hot water over dried porcini and soak 20 minutes, then drain, squeezing porcini and reserving soaking liquid. Rinse porcini under cold water to remove any grit, then squeeze out water and chop.

Heat butter and oil in skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides then cook fresh mushrooms, onion, and shallots until golden 10 minutes.

Add celery, carrots, garlic, porcini, chestnuts and cook, stirring another 5 minutes or so. Stir in thyme, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Stir cooked mixture together with the bread and add 1 cup reserved porcini-soaking liquid to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat while scraping up browned bits. Add remaining soaking liquid and pour over bread mixture. Adjust seasonings and toss to coat evenly.

Spread stuffing in a baking dish which has been coated with butter and cover tightly with buttered foil then bake in upper third of oven until heated through about 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake stuffing until top is browned 10 minutes more. If stuffing becomes too dry add vegetable or turkey stock to moisten.

Can be made two days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.

Caponata

2009-11-18T04:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever met a food that was perfect for you? You wonder where it has been all your life? It finally happened to me last year. It was love at first bite. For a week after we met I could think of nothing else but when we could meet again. My husband Sean called me from work to check in. "I'm head over heels in love" I say. "With who?" he asks. "With Caponata" I say. Sean, "Wierd". Me, "I know, but I can't help it I've never felt this way before." Click.

I had admired Caponata from afar but had never learned to make the real Sicilian version because for a long time I harbored a secret fear of......frying. There are may versions of Caponata but to make real Sicilian Caponata, the kind I fell in love with, you need to first deep fry the eggplant. My fear stemmed from a couple of things. First, the mess that it always seems to create and secondly, the effect that it would have on my body to consume deep fried foods.

As with all my fears, they are best faced with a friend and in this case it was Michele who showed up at my door and agreed to show me how to make it. I cowered behind him as he cubed, floured and fried the eggplant and when he was done my fear had disappeared. It never fails to amaze me how bringing our fears to others rather than keeping them in the dark helps put the proper perspective on the matter.

Eggplant is a bit moody. It you treat it wrong you will be sorry. When I first tried to cook with it years ago it would just end up an oily soggy mess. Then I tried salting it with sea salt first to get the moisture out, but made the mistake of rinsing off the salt instead of brushing it off and you might as well just throw it away rather than cooking it at that point. There is a season for eggplant which in Italy is more in the spring and summer than right now, but I made it anyway last night because I had promised to introduce my friend Charmaine to Caponata. Turns out she also has had a fear of frying.

Ecco la ricetta- La Caponata:

1 Eggplant
1 red onion cut in half and sliced
3 or so whole garlic
around a half cup green olives-whole are fine
around 1/4 to 1/2 cup capers
5-6 anchoveys (the kind in oil)
a can of chopped tomatoes
handful of chopped parsley

If you've never had a fear of frying skip this next part but for those of you with my disease I will include a few tips on frying. To start, choose your cooking oil carefully. Peanut, safflower, sunflower or canola are best as they don't break down at high temperatures. Choose a deep, very heavy skillet to fry with. Add oil to the cold pan, leaving a headspace, or space at the top of the pan, of at least two inches. It is very important that food that is fried must be dry so this can be tricky with eggplant. It is a good idea to flour it and let it sit on a wire rack for 20 minutes to ensure this. Heat the oil until a cube of white bread browns in 60 seconds, about 350-375 degrees. Don't add too much of the eggplant at once or the oil temperature will drop and will absorb fat instead of instantly searing.

So with that said, heat oil, add cubed, floured, dry eggplant in batches and drain on a paper towel. Meanwhile in a big skillet heat a few tablespoons of olive oil and saute the onion and whole garlic for a few minutes. Add the capers, smashing them in your hand as you put them in along with some of the liquid from the jar. Saute a couple of minutes then add olives and a ladel of water to keep everything from sticking. Finally add the tomatoes and saute' 15 to 20 minutes adding more water if needed. Turn off the heat and add the fried eggplant and parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil before serving in bowls as an appetizer or on bread.

Ecco La Caponata. My true love.

By the way, the cooking demonstration was accomplished with two dogs and 6 young kids running around the house trying to wrestle my very tall 13 year old to the ground, cooking in a kitchen the size of a closet. No blood, no burns, full tummies. Let's see Gorden Ramsey do that without cussing. Who are the real Top Chefs? Us mom's!

Lasagna

2009-11-15T06:53:00.000-08:00

My first encounter with Lasagna in Italy was similar to a conversion experience. I swear I heard the refrain from that famous hymn, no turning back...no turning back. When I put the first bite in my mouth, it actually melted. I just sat there thinking where did it go? You see there is a HUGE difference between using those dried lasagna noodles that turn kind of rubbery when cooked and fresh past sheets. Fresh pasta just melts in your mouth. I will never go back to old way of living using rubbery lasagna noodles, I am a new person!

In addition to fresh pasta, in real Bolognese Lasagna (lasagna originally comes from Bologna, Italy) you use beciamella sauce which is creamy velvet texture unlike that the ricotta which many recipes in the States use. Another difference is that like all Italian pasta dishes, the pasta is the star. So that means you use lots of layers of fresh pasta with thin layers of sauce and cheese rather than the other way around.

Don't let the length of this post scare you. All you really need is fresh pasta sheets which are really easy to make or if you live in a city like Portland, Oregon there are stores called Pasta Works that can help you out. I won't give the recipe for making the fresh pasta as I of course buy it for a couple of euro's at my local casa della pasta. Then you need a good Bolognese meat sauce, beciamella and mozzerella for the top. I suggest making the meat sauce the day before then it doesn't seem so difficult to put it all together.

Lasagna:

One batch Bolognese Ragu' (see below for recipe)
Besciamella (recipe below)
2 balls fresh Mozzerella Cheese for the top (if you don't have fresh then about a cup and a half of grated to sprinkle on top)
2 cups grated (fresh) parmesan cheese

Bolognese Ragu' (meat sauce, NOT associated with the American brand name Ragu)

This is from my friend Tricia who is currently living in Bologna, so it is the real thing. Her Italian neighbor assures her that instead of chicken livers, they use pancetta (a type of bacon) so don't feel any pressure to go the traditional route. I use various types of meat sauce so if you have a favorite use it instead.

1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
These should be minced very fine.

1 Tbsp. butter
8 oz. ground lean pork
8 oz. ground lean beef
2 chicken livers, finely chopped, or 100 grams of pancetta, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
13 oz. or 400 grams canned tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste (at least 2 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper)

Saute the minced vegetables in butter for 5-7 minutes, until very tender. Add the pork, beef and chicken livers or pancetta, saute for 2-3 minutes, until redness is gone (from livers). Slowly add the wine to moisten and cook until it has evaporated. Stir in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cover and leave to simmer gently for at least one hour, stirring frequently. Do not allow the sauce to stick to the bottom of the pan. If sauce is too soupy after one hour, continue to cook longer. If too dry, add a little water 1/4 cup at a time, until the right consistency is reached. Best if cooked 4 hours.

I would make extra and freeze it for tossing on Tagliatelle pasta, or spooning on top of Polenta which are other traditional ways to serve this meat sauce.

After you have the Meat sauce you need the Beciamella.

Beciamella (White Sauce):

1 liter milk
a sprig of fresh parsley
a pinch of nutmeg
1/2 an onion, peeled and sliced
6 black peppercorns
80 grams or 2 3/4 oz butter
65 grams or 2 1/4 oz flour
150 g freshly grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the milk, parsley, nutmeg, onion and black peppercorns into a pan and bring gently to a boil. Melt the butter in a second pan and add the flour. Mix well, then strain the hot milk and add it a ladleful at a time, whisking well until you have a thick smooth white sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes while stirring then take off the heat, add the parmesan and season well.

Now that you have the pasta, meat sauce and beciamella sauce you are ready to assemble the lasagna. Start with a little extra virgin olive oil drizzled in the pan, 1 or more sheets of fresh pasta to cover the pan to the edges, then a layer of meat ragu (see the bolognese sauce recipe below), then white sauce (besciamella, also below), then a sprinkling of Parmesan and repeat until you run out of room in your pan and have around 5 to 7 layers. Keep back enough white sauce for a final layer, then top with white sauce and mozzerella, (fresh mozzerella if possible). Sprinkle chopped fresh sage on top and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes or until it is brown on top and all the cheese is melted.

Tuscan Beans

2009-11-14T08:29:00.000-08:00

I never thought that I would be eating beans in Italy. I thought only of pasta and pizza as local cuisine before I moved here. Tuscan's, however, are famous for eating beans. There is a peasant feel to the food as so many Tuscan's were farmers originally. My first bite was a revelation. I never knew beans could taste so good.

You can use these beans for making Ribollita, as a side dish with your best olive oil poured on top, and as a topping for bruschetta, but the best "marriage" is with Tuscan or Italian sausage. The Italians I talk to call pairings of food that are perfect together a good marriage. I love that. What they literally say is a beautiful marriage (bel matrimonio) but in America we usually use words like right and wrong, good and bad instead of beautiful (bello and ugly (brutto. Peccato.

As with most things, the Italian way of saying this best captures the essence of the idea. There is a glint in their eye when they say a bel matrimonio that hints of passion, love, emotion, sex. If you've never associated food with these things before, then it is time to try tuscan beans with sausage, gorgonzola with marscapone, Brunello wine with bistecca Fiorentina and say un bel matrimonio!

There is nothing hard about making tuscan beans with sausage besides perhaps finding good sausage where you live. The sausage we buy is hand delivered on Thursdays to our favorite deli and so fresh that Marco behind the counter squeezes it out on a cracker for a treat as we wait. Mom, if you are reading this, I know that you told me never to eat raw meat and that I could die from the "t" word that I can't spell but what a way to go. It is amazing, but please don't try it in America where the art of hand made cuisine has been lost, only at Marco's where it is hand delivered by the same guy who made it. Anyway, once the beans are made, we just pour olive oil on top along with the grilled sausages. The beans almost have a creaminess to them if they are cooked right and balance the bold flavors and fat of the sausage.

Tuscan Beans

* 2 1/2 cups dried white beans. Tondini are smaller than canneloni beans and I find them to be the best.
* 10 cups cold water
* 2 fresh sage sprigs
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 head of garlic, cloves separated and skins removed
* 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

* Accompaniment: fine-quality extra-virgin olive oil, (freshly pressed new oil if you can even get it is heaven).

* Special equipment: a 5-quart terra-cotta bean pot or heavy saucepan

Put beans, cold water, sage, bay leaf, and separated garlic cloves in a terracotta pot or bean pot if you have one. If not then the heaviest saucepan you have. Cover and bring to a simmer over the lowest heat possible. Cook for about 2 to 2 1/2 hours until the beans are tender but not mushy. Remove from heat and stir in sea salt.

When ready to use, drain almost all cooking liquid from beans (reserve for making soup if desired) and adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper to taste. Now for the fantastic part, drizzle on top a good amount of new oil or the best quality olive oil you can get your hands on.

Laura's Schiacciata

2009-11-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

Around 5:00 it is essential to have a merenda (snack) ready for the kids and whoever else happens to be around. My friend Laura always has warm schiacciata (literally smashed bread) and is famous for it among my group of mom’s. I have found it to be a recipe I can’t live without as I make it for any gathering of children and adults and it is a hit with everyone. I will give you Laura’s recipe and then add the changes I make at the end.

1 cup of water
1 cup of milk- (you can use less milk and more water or rice/soy with equally good results)
One square of fresh yeast (lievito)
½ teaspoon salt
1Tablespoon oil
500-800 grams of flour
Sea salt and rosemary for the top

Heat water and milk together until tepid. Remove from the heat and stir the yeast into the liquid until dissolved. Add ½ t. salt, oil and 500 grams of flour. Keep adding flour until it becomes a consistency that you can handle and begin to knead. Knead for 5-10 minutes and then put in an oiled bowl to let rise until double for about 45 min. I say about because when I’m rushed I just use the time I have and it always turns out fine.
Punch the dough down and spread it out in a large pan that has been covered with olive oil. I use a 35-42 cm pan (14 by 17). Drizzle on olive oil and sprinkle salt on top. Let it rise about 10 min then in rows press the dough down every 5 or so inches so there are even indentations. At this point you can sprinkle on fresh or dried rosemary, olives or add slices of potato or tomato. For merenda I usually just do rosemary. Bake at 200c(400f) for 30 minutes or until brown on top.

Shandra’s changes: I use half whole-wheat flour and lessen the amount of milk to ½ or 1 cup. I also use soymilk because of Shad.

Passata del Vedure

2009-11-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

The name of this recipe is best in Italian and I really don't know how to translate it well so feel free to jump in and help. It isn't really a soup, and certainly puree of vegetable doesn't do it justice. Perhaps a velute' of vegetables? It is creamy without having cream and has subtle spice with the curry and garlic. I usually make this with broccoli and not only I love it but my kids gobble it up too. Once my son's friend Davis came over and he ate two bowls. Loved it. Later his mom called and said, How did you get my son to eat broccoli? He has never eaten broccoli."

This recipe is part of a collection from the only cooking class I've taken in Italy. The name of the school was Le Cordon Bleu. I would never have chosen a cooking school with a French name in Florence but my amica del cuore,, Laura wanted me to go with her so I did. Thankfully the teachers were Tuscan and for the most part they stuck to Italian cuisine but I know they had spent time in France because they kept sneaking butter into the recipe's. Tuscan's who have never left Tuscany usually only use olive oil in their cooking. I personally am glad to be living in a region that only uses olive oil because as soon as I start to use butter the seal affect takes over (a layer of fat starts to form under my skin as if my body was preparing for a very cold winter) .

I am diverging but I can't help talking about olive oil because as I write they are picking the olives out my window and I know very very soon I will have the taste of wonderful spicy olive oil hitting the back of my throat. Olio nuovoSigh. It is seriously one of the best things about living in Tuscany. When it is freshly pressed the flavor is so intense and spicy. After a couple of months it fades unless you freeze it.

Anyway back to the recipe. Last night I made this with a vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and califlower and it was amazing. You can use any vegetable you want.

500 grams of vegetables (I usually use just broccoli)
2 or three potatoes
4 big spoons of olive oil
3 or more cups of broth.
1/2 teaspoon of curry
2 cloves of garlic, smashed
white pepper
salt
olive oil, or cream to drizzle on top

Heat the broth. Peal and cut in medium dice the potatoes. Wash and chop in pieces the vegetables.

In a pot heat the oil and add the potatoes. After a few minutes add the garlic and curry and saute for a few more minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and the the broth and boil for about 10 minutes. Puree everything. Reheat and serve what you like on top.

Pumpkin Ravioli with Pecorino Mint Sauce

2009-11-04T04:15:00.001-08:00

I guess the first recipe on this blog should be what inspired me to start my kitchen diary. I discovered this marvelous first course when we went out to eat in our village for some friends going away party. The combination of the sweet pumpkin, sheeps cheese and the the fresh mint which hits you a few seconds after the rest of the flavors almost made me moan. I didn't, thankfully, but when I looked up, I caught the eye of someone else who was also equally delighted so I needn't have worried.

I have to mention the fact that the party was, of course, for American friends who were moving because in the 9 years we've lived here, none of our Italian friends have ever moved away. I mention this because, in a way, it does relate to food. Given that most Italians prefer to stay in the region in which they grew up, you find traditional Tuscan dishes in Tuscany, Sicilian dishes in Sicily and so on throughout all the regions of Italy. These traditional dishes have been passed down from generation to generation and are absolutely treasures. You definitely find nouveau creative Italian cooks in some of the nicer restaurants and on the T.V. but the heart and soul is still the traditional dishes. There isn't the melting pot of people and flavors that you find in most places in America.

I prefer to ask the people I run into in the markets, stores and the Trattoria's for their recipes. That's how I learned to make this dish. I asked the cook at our local Trattoria that night at the going away party and she told me and I went home and made it. I will try to write it down but since I learned a voce don't be too concerned with the exact measurements. In fact, this is the first time I have actually written it down so try it and let me know if it works.

First, I confess, that I usually buy the Pumpkin Ravioli. It makes this so much easier and here, of course, you can buy amazing pasta so inexpensively. If you can't buy it, write me and I can also tell you how to make it.

Once you have the ravioli, you only have to make the sauce. You basically start with a beciamella sauce or white sauce and then add pecorino and fresh mint. I made the white sauce more complicated by adding the parsley, onion, and pepper but you can easily leave it out and just make a basic white sauce. So here it is:

Pecorino Sauce with Mint

1 liter milk
a sprig of fresh parsley
a pinch of nutmeg
1/2 an onion, peeled and sliced
6 black peppercorns
80 grams or 2 3/4oz plain flour
65 grams or 2 1/4oz butter
fresh mint leaves about half a handful?
150 g freshly grated pecorino cheese (fresh sheep's cheese). More or less as you like.
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the milk, parsley, nutmeg, onion and black peppercorns into a pan and bring gently to a simmer. After a bit, not too long, strain the milk and return it to the pot on the stove to keep it warm. Melt the butter in a second pan and add the flour a little at a time whisking well so that no lumps form. As soon as it is all mixed in well start adding the warm milk a ladleful at a time, whisking well until you have a thick smooth white sauce. Add the mint and simmer for a couple of minutes while stirring, then take off the heat, add the pecorino and season well. Cover and set aside. Remove the mint before serving.

Cook the pumpkin ravioli and drain, adding a little of the water to the pecorino sauce if it has gotten too thick. Serve in bowls with the sauce on drizzled on top and a sprig of mint if you have it.

L'Inizio

2009-11-03T06:42:00.000-08:00

While in the States this summer, a friend said to me that one of the best meals of his life had been at my house the year before when he and his family were traveling in Tuscany. Really? I remember the night he and his family ate with us, but for the life of me I couldn’t remember what I had cooked. Che peccato. Seeing my confused look, he reminded me that I had tried something new, pumpkin ravioli with pecorino mint sauce for the primo. I had a moment of panic as I thought, how did I make that? As most of the things I make are passed to me from Italians a voce, if I don’t write them down or cook them again soon, they could be forgotten. After my initial panic subsided at possibly forgetting how I made someones favorite meal, I decided it was time to get serious about taking kitchen notes. Thus, my kitchen journal is starting. Hopefully I can continue through all the glorious seasons of the gastronomic flavors here in Tuscany.