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AN ITALIAN EXPERIENCE - FOOD - Primi
PASTA with FENNEL
Back at home, Dino wants me to heat up the sugo from yesterday's pasta and serve it with rice. While we're eating he asks me, "Don't you want to write down what you did to make this sauce? It is really remarkable!" So of course I will right here. It's really an invention based on things I had at hand. Do you remember that late last summer we made a roux of fresh basil and lemon juice and olive oil and put the mixture into ice cube trays and froze it? Well, three of the cubes are an important ingredient in our recipe. If you don't have basil and lemon cubes sitting in your freezer, perhaps you can substitute fresh basil and lemon juice and add a little extra olive oil...
1/3 head fennel, sliced thin Sautée slices of fennel in olive oil just until they lose their crunchiness. Add pepperoncini, basil cubes, tomatoes and a pinch of sugar. If you like, add meatballs that have been browned in a separate pan. Put a pot of water on to boil, adding a tbsp. of olive oil and a pinch of salt. When boiling, add pappardelle, or your favorite, long pasta or noodles. When the pasta is al dente (firm to the taste), add it to the sauce with a little of the water from the pasta if the sauce looks too thick. The sauce is even better the second day. Enjoy.
EGGS, SCRAMBLED WITH PROSCIUTTO In the top of a double boiler, add the butter. While it is melting, whisk the eggs, cottage cheese and snipped chives together in a bowl. Add the prosciutto and parmesan cheese and stir. When the butter has melted, add the egg mixture. While it is cooking, stir with the whisk and add a few grindings of pepper. When the consistency feels creamy, you can add a little salt. Do not add salt before or during cooking, or the eggs will taste rubbery. Serve on warm plates and enjoy!
FRENCH TOAST, BAKED
Preparation: Slip the slices of bread into a nonstick baking pan of cookie sheet, making sure not to overlap them. Place small pieces of butter here and there on top of the bread (optional). Cover the pan with plastic wrap and keep it in the refrigerator until ready to cook. 20 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Melt the maple syrup in a small pan. For an extra rich taste, add a little butter. Take the plastic wrap off the pan and place the pan in the preheated oven until the bread has a nice crispy looking top.Take the pan out of the oven and serve the slices on warm plates with syrup on top.
RICOTTA AND SAFFRON FLAN
Preparation: Soak the saffron in the wine for 30 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and blend in the ricotta, Parmesan, butter, herbs, salt, pepper, wine and saffron. Mix thoroughly. Put the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 30 - 40 minutes, until golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.
TOMATO TARTLETS, ROASTED
Ingredients:
Preparation: Mix together the flour, sesame seeds and salt, then make a well in the centre. Add the egg and olive oil and mix to a soft dough, adding water as necessary. Divide mixture into six equal parts and shape to line six 4-in. individual tarts pans; this is more of a dough than a pastry and is easiest to mould into shape with your fingers. Chill the tart shells for at least 30 minutes while preparing the filling. Cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil with the thyme and the bay leaves for 30 to 40 minutes, until well softened and reduced. Season to taste with salt and pepper; then remove the herbs. Fill the tart shells with the onion mixture then top with the tomatoes, overlapping the slices and brushing them lightly with olive oil. Season well, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the dough is crisp and the tomatoes are just starting to blacken. Serve hot or cold with a small salad of mixed greens.
CHICK PEA SOUP - PASTA E CECI
Preparation: Drain and rinse the beans. When ready to use, put them in a pot with 8 cups of water. Add the carrot, celery, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until cooked. Meanwhile, heat 3 Tbsp. olive oil in a large saucepan, and add garlic, cooking until the garlic is golden. Remove the garlic. Add the tomato puree and rosemary, stir and cook for about three minutes. Take off the heat. When the chick peas are cooked, drain them, reserving the cooking liquid, discarding the peppercorns, bay leaves, celery and carrot. Put half of the chick peas in a food processor with a cup of their cooking liquid and puree. Put the rest of the chickpeas, the pureed chickpeas and the rest of the reserved liquid in a pot. Add the herbs and tomato puree and bring the liquid to a boil. Add the pasta, lower the temperature and cook until the pasta is al dente. Taste for salt and pepper. Drizzle with good quality olive oil, or a small handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese. It's said to be better the second day, but there is never any left over from the first serving at our house. If you find the soup too thick, add a small amount of boiling water near the end of the cooking process.
FARRO AND TOMATO SOUP
Preparation: Soak the farro with enough cold water to cover by 2 inches for two hours.Drain the beans, rinse and put them in a large stockpot covered by 3 inches of unsalted cold water. Add the ham hock, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, skimming off foam as necessary, 1 to 1.5 hours. If you are using canned beans, omit the beans and cook for 1.5 hours. While the beans are simmering, pour the oil into a large, heavy saute pan and saute the celery, onion, carrot, garlic, sage and marjoram over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, only until the garlic and vegetables are soft buy have not browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, stir to mix in well, and cook gently for 20 to 30 minutes. When the beans are tender (if using canned, use them here), drain them, reserving their cooking water. Cut the meat off the ham hock. Puree the beans and the meat from the ham hock with some of the cooking liquid by whirling them in a processor or blender. Return them to the large stockpot with theremaining cooking water from the beans. Add the drained farro to the pot and cook over very low ehat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the farro is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve with a swirl of extra-virgin olive oil over each portion. The soup will become very thick as it cools, and tastes even better the second day. If you find it too thick, add boiling water to it until it is the consistency you desire. It's a wonderful soup to freeze for a cold and rainy day.
FENNEL AND TOMATO SOUP
Preparation: POTATO AND LEEK SOUP, COLD (VICHYSSOISE)
Ingredients:
Preparation: When they are soft and translucent, transfer them to a saucepan and pour in the stock. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the potatoes are soft. Add half of the potatoes and stock to a food processor and pulse. Remove and finish with the rest of the soup. The soup should not be completely smooth. To finish it, press it through a sieve. Stir in the seasonings, salting liberally. The cold temperature has a tendency to dull the soup's flavor. To serve: Before serving the soup, stir in 1 cup of the heavy cream and taste again for salt. If it seems too thick, add more cream. Pour into cups and garnish with the chives or dill.
TOMATO/GARLIC SOUP WITH GRATED ZUCCHINI, COLD
Ingredients:
Preparation: Add the zucchini to the tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 40 minutes. When the soup is cooked, let it cool. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
To serve:
TOMATO SOUP WITH SALSA, CHILLED I combine it with bean dip and chips for a light pranzo or cena. The soup can also make an easy and impressive first course for a festive meal. Just thinking of it makes my mouth waterá
Soup Ingredients:
Cucumber salsa ingredients:
Preparation: For the cucumber salsa, combine all six ingredients together, keep chilled. Spoon a generous round of salsa into the center of a soup bowl and ladle the soup around the salsa. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle grated parmesan cheese on top.
PUMPKIN AND POTATO SOUP - CREMA DI ZUCCA E PATATE
3 sage leaves, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. ground coriander (optional)
Preparation: Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot and saute the squash and potato over very low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are slightly soft and slightly golden, stirring often to make sure they don't stick to the bottom. Bring the chicken broth to a slow boil an add it carefully to the pan with a pinch of coarse salt. Simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring once in a while. Drain the vegetables, add the sage and coriander (optional) and puree them together in a food mill or processor. Return the puree to the pot with the liquid, add the bouillon cube, being sure it dissolves completely, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes more over a very low fire, mixing well and tasting for seasoning. If the soup lacks the taste you'd like, add more bouillon cube or more salt. if the soup is too think slowly boil it down to the desired consistency. At the end, add the milk, stirring constantly. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley over the top.
PASTA, PENNE WITH YELLOW PEPPERS AND BASIL
Ingredients:
Preparation: Rinse the basil leaves in water, gently pat them dry, rip the larger ones into smaller pieces, wrap them in a paper towel and put them in the refrigerator until ready to use. Choose a saute pan that can accommodate all the peppers without crowding. Add the olive oil and garlic and turn the temperature to medium high. Cook and stir the garlic until it turns a light brown, them remove and discard it. Put the peppers in the pan and continue to cook for another fifteen minutes, stirring frequently. Stop cooking while the peppers are still tender, but not mushy. Add salt, stir and take off the heat. Cook the pasta. When you are almost ready to drain and toss the pasta, melt the butter in a small saucepan at low heat and turn the heat on very low for the sautZ˙ed peppers. Toss the cooked drained pasta with the peppers, then add the melted butter, grated parmesan and basil and toss again before serving at once.
RISOTTO
CREAMY SQUASH-FLAVORED RICE - RISOTTO E ZUCCA
Preparation: Add the rice and stir it for one minute to coat the grains. Add two soup ladles (1 cup) to the pan, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Immediately begin to stir with a wooden spoon. Until the rice is cooked, you'll need to stir the pot often, assuring that the rice does not burn or the liquid does not dry up. After five minutes, add the squash. As the liquid becomes absorbed, add two more ladlefuls of broth, continuing this process until the risotto is al dente and the broth in this pot has been absorbed. That means "to taste", and you'll need to taste a grain now and then until the consistency is just perfect. At that moment, turn off the heat, add the remaining butter and cheese and parsley and serve on warm plates.
RISOTTO, A GENERAL RECIPE I think the secret is the temperature of the burner. When the risotto is cooked on too low a heat, it becomes mushy. If you stand by the pan and make sure the bottom of the pan is never dry, moving your spoon under the rice and across the pan, making sure there is always liquid in the pan, you will be a success. The process should take less than twenty minutes, and it is worth every minute. Bravo!
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