Preparazione: 30 minuti
Cottura: 60 minti

INGREDIENTI

Per 4 persone

320g di ziti
1 cespo di catalogna
100g di fave secche
1 spicchio d’aglio
30g di pecorino romano
6 cucchiai di olio extravergine d’oliva
1 peperoncino essiccato
1 bustina di zafferano
sale

———————
Sciacquate le fave sotto l’acqua corrente, mettetele in una pentola, copritele con 1,2 litri di acqua fredda e cuocetele per 45 minuti dal momento dell’ebollizione; pulite la catalogna, tagliatela a tocchetti e scottatela per 2-3 minuti in acqua salata.
Sbucciate l’aglio, tagliatelo a fettine e rosolatelo in padella con 4 cucchiai d’olio; aggiungete la catalogna e un pizzico di peperoncino sbriciolato e lasciate insaporire a fiamma bassa per 3-4 minuti.
Frullate le fave fino a ottenere un composto cremoso e omogeneo, poi unite l’olio rimasto, lo zafferano e una presa di sale.
Lessate gli ziti, dopo averli spezzati, nell’acqua bollente salata.
Scolateli e conditeli con la crema di fave e i 2 terzi della catalogna.
Suddividete la pasta nei piatti e completate con il pecorino a scagliette e la catalogna rimasta.

I always see this dish in restaurants but I never ordered it before. The recipe that I found asked for pancetta but I used prosciutto – Whole Foods was out of pancetta! How is that possible?!

[100% organic]

Ingredients:

• 0.5 lb spaghetti
• 0.5 lb prosciutto (sliced 0.25-inch thick), cut into lardons
• 4 large eggs
• 1 TB garlic, minced
• 1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
• 2 TB EVOO
• 2 TB fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano

Instructions:

1. In a very large skillet, saute the prosciutto lardons in the olive oil over medium heat until it has rendered much of its fat
2. Just before the prosciutto is done, add the minced garlic to the pan and allow to cook until the garlic is golden brown
3. Set the pan aside to cool – allowing the pan to cool some at this point is important, because if the pan is too hot when you add the eggs later, they will immediately scramble, and not gently cook into the creamy sauce that is your ultimate goal
4. Grate the Pecorino Romano cheese and set aside
5. Break the eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk them till smooth
6. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese to the eggs and keep handy
7. Cook the pasta in a separate pot in salted water until al dente, and as soon as it is done, quickly strain it and toss it into the skillet with the prosciutto, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to thin your sauce later if needed
8. Add the cheese and egg mixture to the pasta along with the parsley, and toss to coat. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the eggs, and melt the cheese into a luxuriously rich and smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it
9. To serve, top liberally with freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with some freshly grated Parmesan

*Adapted from Oui, Chef.

Gazpacho pre-blend

By now, it should come as no surprise that vegetables and I do not make a likely pair—I mean I like them well enough when in a way that tastes good to me, but I tend to not openly embrace them.   The events of the past few weeks, however, have encouraged me to embrace change, and after seeing Anne Burrell making what appeared to be a positively delicious looking gazpacho Saturday morning, the idea of having a night of mainly vegetables snuck its way into my head.  While you won’t see me permanently eschewing meat (especially prosciutto), this little foray into vegetarianism was a lovely interlude, and a delicious way to take advantage of the last of the tomatoes available from New Jersey.

Poached Eggs with Garlic/Sherry Vinaigrette and Baguette

The key to Burrell’s gazpacho is adequate seasoning—you want to be able to draw out as much liquid as possible to help the soup become, well, soup-like, and it will allow all of the other vegetables to fuse their flavors together.  It’s what keeps the ingredients from being a simple puree of vegetables into one coherent dish.   For the most part we stuck to Anne’s recipe, but we added a hot pepper and some crushed red pepper to give the soup a little bite.

As for the other dishes, we went with some familiar tapas that we’ve enjoyed in the past, such as my poached eggs with roasted garlic/sherry vinaigrette, some braised leeks that here have been covered by a light shaving of Pecorino cheese, and some slices of Spanish Iberico cheese to add just a little ore substance to the meal.  I insisted on us getting the sherry vinegar that was called for in the gazpacho because I also wanted to use it here (in the past I’ve made it with white balsamic vinegar, which is good, but lacks the flavor to make the dish truly Spanish-inspired) and it really made the difference in the dressing.  The results made the dish into a sort of Spanish eggs Benedict that packed a much richer flavor (at least in my opinion) than the typical Hollandaise, and our eggs looked so pretty (and had perfectly runny yolks) thanks to us following advice from a recent entry on Dinnercraft.

Dinner from Sunday

All in all, it was a nice alternative to meat.  There’s definitely something to be said for being an occasional vegetarian, that’s for sure.

As for the garden of mint, the very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes our spirits, as the taste stirs up our appetite for meat.
~Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD)

This is a little follow up from an earlier pesto post…a variation on a theme.

A perennial flowering herb, mint (genus Mentha) belongs to the family Lamiaceae. Decidedly aromatic, with bright zest on the front end and a cool finish, mint is a culinary one man band—used fresh, but also in sauces, teas, beverages, cocktails, jellies, syrups, candies, and ice creams.

In Greek mythology, Minthe was a beautiful naiad (river nymph) who was obsessively charmed by Hades, the stern ruler of the Underworld and husband of the goddess Persephone. Minthe and Hades succumbed to their carnal urges and engaged in an illicit—but far from discreet—affair. The spurned wife took revenge on her husband’s mistress by savagely kicking Minthe repeatedly, transforming her into a pungently sweet mint plant. With each blow from Persephone’s foot, the plant countered by releasing her delightful aroma.

A garden caveat: the root growth of mint is aggressive, vigorous and expansive. Left to its own devices, mint will spread quickly and become a Medusa-like nuisance, so consider planting the starters in a can or bucket first before introducing it to your garden.

A beloved summer aside, mint-basil pesto mates especially well with grilled lamb, chicken and fish.

MINT-BASIL PESTO

2 C fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 C fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
4 fresh, plump garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1/4 C pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted
Pinch of sea salt

1/4 C parmigiano-reggiano, grated
1/4 C pecorino-romano, grated

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Put the mint, basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process in pulses into a paste. Add the olive oil and process further until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the cheeses and add more oil if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Preparazione: 10 minuti
Cottura: 25 minuti

INGREDIENTI

Per 4 persone

320g di fusilli
300g di taccole verdi
50g di pancetta affumicata
40g di pecorino romano grattugiato
2-3 cucchiai di misto per soffritto surgelato
olio extravergine d’oliva
4-5 cucchiai di vino bianco
sale e pepe

—————
Lavate le taccole , asciugatele con carta da cucina o con un telo, spuntatele con le forbici ed eliminate gli ventuali fili.
Riducete le taccole a losanghe usando sempre le forbici.
Lessatele in abbondante acqua bollente salata per 5 minuti.
Trasferitele in una ciotola con un mestolo forato e conservate l’acqua di cottura, che vi servirà per cuocere la pasta.
Tagliate la pancetta affumicata a dadini.
Rosolatela con 3 cucchiai di olio per 3-4 minuti.
Unite il misto per soffritto e cuocete per altri 4-5 minuti.
Sfumate con il vino bianco e proseguite la cottura ancora per 2-3 minuti.
Riportate a bollore l’acqua in cui avete lessato le taccole.
Cuocete la pasta al dente, per il tempo indicato sulla confezione.
Tenete da parte 4-5 cucchiai di acqua di cottura.
Scolate i fusilli e trasferiteli nella padella con il sugo.
Aggiungete l’acqua di cottura e le taccole.
Mescolate e lasciate insaporire per 1-2 minuti.
Spegnete il fuoco, unite il pecorino grattugiato, spolverizzate con il pepe e servite subito.

So usually you’re supposed to use this particular Fit and Fresh container for breakfast items. Cereal in the top (notice the handy spoon) and then the milk goes in the bottom with a nice cold ring that keeps everything cool. But I decided today to make pasta and thought this would be a great container to store it in.

Pasta in the top, sauce in the milk cup and then it’ll all get dumped in the bowl and warmed up. Yummy!

And let me tell you about the sauce I’m eating today. It’s my absolute favorite pasta sauce in the whole world. And it’s from a jar. Yeah – I know! But it’s Wegmans Italian Classics Sauce, Puttanesca. So good…

Apparently it’s Mr. Wegman’s (I guess that’s his name) favorite:

Product Details:

Gluten free. Savor the taste of Italy. A savory sauce with Kalamata olives, portabella mushrooms, artichoke hearts and capers. My favorite! Experience the savory kick of olives, capers and Pecorino Romano. This thick sauce rivals the best homemade recipes. Remember, your satisfaction is always guaranteed with Wegmans brand products. Buon Appetito! – The Wegmans Family.

Ingredients:

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste, Citric Acid), Diced Tomatoes, Portabello Mushrooms, Artichoke Hearts, Kalamata Olives (Kalamata Olives, Water, Salt, Red Wine Vinegar), Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Chablis Cooking Wine, Anchovy Paste (Anchovies, Salt, Olive Oil), Capers, Parsley, Pecorino Romano Cheese (Sheep’s Milk, Rennet, Salt), Salt, Garlic, Spices.

I got the inspiration for this dish by a recent post from Heidi from 101 Cookbooks.  When I read her recipe I realized I had most the necessary ingredients waiting for me in my kitchen.  And what I didn’t have, I would substitute and improvise…

I had received a couple of great zucchinis from my CSA box that I was wondering how to cook…  Heidi and her recipe came to the rescue.  Thanks a lot.

POTATO ZUCHINNI GRATIN

3 medium russet potatoes, washed well and peeled

1 medium sized zucchini

¼ teaspoon of sea salt

About 1 ½ tbs of basil/parsley oil

About ¼ cup of grated parmesan cheese

About ¼ cup of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Canola Oil Spray

About 2 tbs of fresh whole wheat breadcrumbs

Some additional sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Spray a medium-sized pyrex dish with canola oil spray and sprinkle with about 1 tbs of breadcrumbs.  Shake the pyrex so the breadcrumbs coat the dish as much as possible… just as if you were flouring a pan to bake a cake…  Set aside.
2. Using a mandoline, slice as thinly as possible the zucchini.  Place in a colander and sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of sea salt and let them drain some if its moisture out. 
3. 
4. Using the same mandoline, slice as thinly as possible the potatoes. 
5. 
6. Place in a bowl and add the basil/parsley oil, the grated parmesan cheese, the Pecorino Romano, some salt and pepper.  
7.  After about 5 minutes after salting the zucchini, squeeze them to release as much moisture as possible.  Using a paper towel pat them dry.  And add them to the bowl with the potatoes.  Toss well to combine potatoes, zucchini and seasonings.
8. Place the seasoned veggies into the breaded pyrex dish.  Place them with your hands trying to create layers after layers of potato and zucchini.  It does not need to be perfect, but try to lay them all flat.
9. 
10. Sprinkle some added breadcrumbs over the top and add a bit more parmesan and Pecorino Romano cheese to create a nice crust on top.
11. Because I do this in a toaster oven, I never preheat… but place it in a 400F oven for about 30-45 minutes – the perfect amount of time to allow you to take a shower and meditate.

I had this with some goat cheese toasts on the side… The potatoes cook well and the zucchini tastes perfect in it.  It was super good. 

Thanks again to Heidi at 101 Cookbooks… this will definitely be a go-to recipe from now on…

When I read books I tend to read every title by a particular author in sequence. Perhaps this is an OCD condition or perhaps there is virtue in fully absorbing the life’s work of a talented scribe. Whatever the case, it feels very rewarding to have a theme to guide me. In food, it is not much different. For many years I was a pasta whore (and continue to be an enthusiast). I sought out every possible recipe and ate pasta night after night. Thank goodness for my metabolism and genes. I couldn’t pull that off today!

Spaghetti

There may be no other venue that inspires chefs as much as pasta. The myriad of variations and interpretations is staggering. One could easily make a life’s mission out of studying pasta in all of its forms. That person would likely be obese. Yet, for all of the variations and interpretations, it is often the simplest creations that elicit my awe. I’ve given you my perfect spaghetti with tomato sauce which uses subtle techniques but is ultimately incredibly simple . I’m gonna drop some super easy ricotta gnocchi on you before the summer is up. But today we’re going really lo-fi: Roman-style Caccio e Pepe.

One of my favorite non sequitors of all time came from the documentary “When We Were Kings”, which chronicled the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. George Plimpton was musing about Ali’s genius as a poet and said:

Here he was delivering a lecture, senior class day with these 1,000, 2,000 Harvard graduates, and…he had these little cards in front of him. He gave this wonderful speech about he hadn’t had the opportunity but they had and they should use that to make the world a better place. It was moving and funny, and a great roar of appreciation at the end. Then someone shouted out, “Give us a poem!” And everybody quieted down. Now, the shortest poem according to Bartlett’s Quotations is called ”On the Antiquity of Microbes” and the poem is “Adam had ‘em.” Pretty short. But Muhammad Ali’s poem was ”Me, whee.” Two words. I wrote Bartlett’s Quotations and I said, “Look, that’s shorter.” It stands for something more than the poem itself. ”Me, whee.” What a fighter he was. And what a man.

Ali and Plimpton

What I love about this tidbit is how much punch comes from such a small package. It says so much about Ali, his character and his fierce intellect. To me, Caccio e Pepe pays homage to the “Me, whee” mentality. In it’s simplest form, it says look, I am pasta, but what a pasta I am!

I may be painfully repetitive, but I must restate for my new readers that my recipes are concepts versus strict directions. As you get familiar with the ingredients and objectives, you may find there are better paths to the results. Luckily, this is as easy as it gets.

Boil some spaghetti, spaghettini or bucatini (with a hole in the middle to absorb sauce) in a large pot of heavily salted water. Don’t be shy, salt in water = flavor in pasta. Cook until just shy of al dente. This means don’t be afraid of a little bite or crunch. It’s hard to express what al dente means to a neophyte, but there really is no other way to enjoy pasta. The crunch provides a textural contrast to the sauce. It’s just proper. Don’t dump your water, as we’ll need a little.

When the pasta is ready, transfer it to a saute pan with a little butter and / or olive oil. Here is a point of interpretation. I like the blend of both. You can have all of either / or depending on your preference. Just use quality product in either case. Fruity olive oil or a European-style butter will make a great difference.

Next, add a little of the pasta water, a small ladle or so. If you want a more creamy dish, you could substitute milk or cream here. I prefer the water, as the nature gluten in the pasta shines through and blends well with the fats. Add about half of the planned fresh cracked pepper and a little cheese. Here is another point of preference. Pecorino Romano is the tradition in Rome, but might be a little sharp for some. You could easily substitute Parmigiano Reggiano or create a mix of both. The objective is to get some nuttiness and creaminess, that plays right against the spicy pepper.

Caccio e Pepe

Take a warm dish and swirl a pile of the spaghetti nice and high. Grate a nice pile of cheese on top and then top that with a good shot of more cracked pepper. That’s it! As you can see it’s really all about the cheese, the pepper and the pasta. If done properly, you’ll get a balance of flavors that all play well together but each brings a distinct present to the party. Nutty, spicy, creamy, bitey, rich, yet light – it’s an everyman dish. Simple, yet complex. Me, whee!

Just for shits and grins, I’m gonna send you off with my favorite Ali poem:

I done wrassled with an aligator, tussled with a whale,
handcuffed lightening, thrown thunder in jail,
Just last week I  murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick.
I’m so mean I make medicine sick.

Campanelle is a flower shaped pasta that is perfect for hearty and chunky sauces which makes it the ideal for this rustic sauce. The pesto is definitely key to taste of this dish. So make it fresh and store enough for future use. If you have the sun dried tomato pesto pre-made, this pasta takes under 15 minutes to make! 

Sun dried tomato pesto

This is my variation of pesto which turned out to be a keeper!

1 1/2 cups + 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, roughly chopped (drain most of the oil- keep 1 tbsp to add in the pesto) 
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1/2 cup pecarino cheese, grated or shredded
 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 small shallot, roughly chopped
1 tbsp large capers
1 tbsp pine nuts
6-8 large garlic cloves
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a food processor or blender. Pulse a few seconds until all the ingredients combine together coarsely. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue pulsing until you get a thick coarse paste. Add the remaining 1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes and mix it in to keep it chunky and to give a bite to the otherwise smooth dish.

For the Pasta

1 pound campanelle pasta (substitute: fusili, gemelli or shells)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pound asparagus, the thick bottom part snapped off
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp crushed red peppers 
1/2 cup sun dried tomato pesto
1/2 cup light cream
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp salt 

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for 7-8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat and add sliced onions and crushed red peppers. Saute until the onions are cooked(they turn translucent). Add the asparagus, salt and cook for 5 minutes. 

Add the sun dried tomato pesto, mix and just after a minute stir in the cream, remaining basil and shut the heat off. 

Add the cooked pasta mix well and serve. I served it with shaved pecarino cheese on top and side of my favorite roasted garlic sourdough bread.

I’ve never been a real fan of eggs.  I tend to view them as an ingredient (e.g. custards, mayo, pancakes) and not something to eat on its own.  Growing up I ate my eggs hard-fried and in the Army I ate omelettes, but have almost never eaten eggs since.  I’m now trying new things, so I decided to try carbonara.

There’s not really a recipe here, just a general direction.  After cooking the pasta, I removed it to a bowl and poached the egg in the pasta water.  Meanwhile, I added some of the pasta water, sharp Romano cheese, Pecorino-Romano and fresh basil to the pasta.  Once it was cooked, I placed the egg on top and then added bacon bits, Panko, crumbled Chevre and dried parsley.  It turned out pretty good, although my egg was a little over done (i.e. the yolk was mostly  set).  What can I say, I’ve never poached an egg before.

I served my carbonara with some pan-steamed asparagus.  Overall, it’s worth repeating.

We’re not ashamed to admit that it can feel good to sleep on a full stomach.  Maybe some of you are prone to heart burn and indigestion.  If that is the case, save this for a meal before 9:00 pm.  We don’t condone this kind of eating all the time, but if the meal is worth it, it’s worth it.  There was no reason for us to fry pasta on a Friday night, dollop each bite with cheesy, nutty sauce, and then proceed to eat said pasta at 1:30 am with a glass of wine.  But again, it was worth it.  Think of it as dinner for the night owl.  A very full and satisfied night owl.

When Foodbuzz dropped off a box of Buitoni Riserva Wild Mushroom Angnolotti, we tossed around a few sauce ideas and settled on a pesto.  Not one item in this dish was purchased for the purpose of this meal.  It was just a bunch of stuff we had in the kitchen that went into from food processor to the pan and then the plate.  You don’t have to fry these babies if you don’t want to, but it was so good.  Oh so good.  This made a very tasty meal for two, but you could easily serve these as appetizers for a slightly larger party of four.

Fried Ravioli with Mint Parsley Pesto -Serves 2 to 4
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 cup mint, chopped
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
1/3 cup olive oil
Zest of 1/2 lemon, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 package Buitoni Riserva Wild Mushroom Angnolotti
2 tablespoons butter
Grapeseed oil

1. Add lemon juice, zest, parsley, mint, pine nuts, half of garlic and olive oil in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Salt to taste and set aside.

2. In a shallow pan, heat remaining garlic and shallots in butter. Lower heat and add cream. Stir to combine.

3. Add pesto, stir and allow to cook over very low heat.

4. As sauce cooks, start heating a layer of grapeseed oil in a large pan.

5. As oil heats, whisk the egg with milk. In a separate bowl, mix the red pepper flakes into the breadcrumbs. Dip ravioli in egg wash, coating both sides. Dredge in breadcrumbs.

6. Once oil is hot, lay ravioli in and cook until brown, approx. 2 minutes on each side.

7. Serve ravioli with pesto cream sauce. Sprinkle with a little extra lemon zest, chopped parsley, mint and cheese.

Click HERE for the printable recipe.

My single most favorite spice is black pepper, specifically tellicherry peppercorn (with cumin closely at second). So when I saw the recipe for the classic Roman cacio e pepe (cheese and pepper) pasta, I knew it would be a winner in my (recipe) book. I mainly cook for myself, or a few non-cooking friends who almost consider me a real cook (that’s why I cook for them), so I like to toy with recipes by first following it strictly, and then attempting it again adding or replacing ingredients. I have to admit that, most of the time, the existing recipes are better than my tweaked ones. There are, however, anomalies to that scenario–my modified cacio e pepe pasta being one of them.

This picture doesn’t do the dish justice since I was so eager to taste it that I snapped the photo with no intentions.

I took a classic cacio e pepe recipe and found that I already had all the ingredients readily at hand. Here are a few things I modified to see if it could add more flavor.

First, I toasted the crushed peppercorns for a minute, then added olive oil and butter and cooked it for another couple of minutes. Then the whole pepper/oil/butter mixture is poured over the cooked pasta. Secondly, I substituted linguine for spaghetti, or in Mario’s case, bavette. Wanting a little meat, I added prosciutto cotto slices and pan fried until brown and caramelized. Then I added some frozen peas for some sweetness to balance the saltiness from the pecorino romano and prosciutto cotto. Topped with a little fresh basil and flat leaf parsley, the result was beyond my expectation.

Since making my modified version, I have looked up other cacio e pepe recipes, and found that many others do the infusing of olive oil with the pepper first instead of just grinding the pepper over the pasta. This one I found posted a version that is much creamier than mine. Her picture of the dish definitely looks much more enticing than mine.

Nonetheless, this is a must try recipe whether you like it authentic or modified. It’s spicy, salty, flavorful, not to mention easy and economical (even cheaper if you skip the prosciutto). Your taste buds, and/or friends, will thank you, just like mine did.

Recently, my friend AnnieMariel and I were bored and took a plane to spend a weekend in NYC…  during this visit we had lunch at Co., a new pizza restaurant in Chelsea. 

When we were talking about our travels and dining experiences to our French class friends, they asked us to please recreate for them the pizzas we had at Co.  They just though they sounded as delicious as we thought they tasted.  We described them in such detail they just could not be left out in the dark.

We gathered at the house of another friend, which meant I had to transport everything to her house to make the pizzas.  And since I am not dexterous in the bread-making department as you already know… I decided to make these pizzas on Pita bread.  Pita bread is perfect and super reliable t make quick pizzas at home and are in the round shape people expect.  You already saw the version I did for my “nieces” when we were traveling in Vermont.

Here is what you will need to make this spinach-lover pizza…

POPEYE PITA PIZZA

Makes 1 personal pizza

 1 whole-wheat pita bread, the larger the better

About 1 tsp olive oil

About 1 tbs gruyere cheese, grated

About 1 tbs pecorino romano cheese, grated

 3 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese – make sure it’s the fresh kind, not the part-skim processed kind

About 2 handfuls of fresh baby spinach, washed and dried in a salad spinner

Garlic salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1. Pre-heat your oven to 450 F.
2. Place pita bread in a parchment lined baking sheet.  Drizzle a bit of the olive oil and spread it all over the bread.  Grate the gruyere and the pecorino cheeses on top of the pita bread.  Place the slices of mozzarella on top.  Sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper.
3. Now place as much spinach as you can on top of the pizza.  Try to accommodate as much of those 2 handfuls of spinach as possible, because it will cook down a lot.  Drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with additional salt and fresh pepper.
4. Place in the oven and bake until the edges of the pita bread start to toast.
5. Take out of the oven and let it cool off a bit.  After about 3 minutes, cut into 4 slices using a pizza wheel slicer.

The girls could not believe how good this pizza was… they were raving all about it for days.  My mom had a chance to try it too the next day.  She was also impressed at the flavors and the look.

Originally published in June 2006.

This particular recipe was born when Nevia No, the brilliant and inspired owner of Yuno’s Farm in Princeton, New Jersey (who by the way has a stand at our beloved Piermont Farmer’s Market all summer long – not to be missed!), dropped off a bag bursting with her scrumptious veggies.

Amongst the abundant display of collard greens, red spinach (something new and OH…. so delicious!), tender fresh asparagus and just-picked strawberries, was a big bunch of spunky arugula.

The obvious choice would have been to make a salad with it, but I wanted to let my creative juices flow that day. So I came up with an arugula pesto. The arugula gives the pesto a tangy and very “green” taste. The pecorino Romano adds a bit of saltiness and depth to it.

The results were encouraging: both my husband and I kept dipping our spoons straight into the sauce! And then it came to me that to make the dish complete I should serve it with warmed cherry tomatoes sautéed with garlic, chives and a touch of lemon. A perfect summer meal!

Gemelli with Arugula Pesto and Warm Cherry Tomatoes

serves 4

For the pesto
4 oz arugula – rinsed and spun dry
1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano
1 large garlic clove – skinned
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the pasta
extra sea salt for the pasta water (about 1 tablespoon)
1 pound gemelli
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 small lemon – peeled (use vegetable hand-peeler) and cut in julienne strips
2 large garlic cloves – skinned and finely chopped
8 oz assorted cherry tomatoes – halved
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small bunch fresh chives – cut in 1/2” pieces (use kitchen scissors)
2 chive blossoms – each floret removed from stem, as garnish (when available)

Step 1: For the arugula pesto, place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a creamy paste, about 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl once. Transfer to a bowl, cover and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Cook’s note: The pesto will keep for about 3 days in the refrigerator, or 1 month in the freezer.
Step 2: Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the salt and the gemelli. Cook pasta according to package instructions, until tender but still al dente. Drain well.
Step 3: While the pasta is boiling, heat a medium heavy bottom skillet over high heat. Add the lemon zest and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until golden and crispy. Add the garlic, and sauté for 30 seconds until the garlic releases its flavor, but doesn’t brown. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and chives. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until the tomatoes are warmed through but not cooked (or the skins will get tough). Remove from heat and set aside.
Step 4: When the pasta is drained, transfer to a large bowl. Spoon the pesto over the pasta and toss well.
Step 5: Spoon pasta in bowls. Garnish with the warm cherry tomatoes, sprinkle with the chive blossoms and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve immediately.

© 2009 viviane bauquet farre – food & style NY LLC

This recipe was inspired by Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Magazine December 2008 issue… 

This issue had a section that highlighted pantry staples and how they can shine and help you in many quick weekday dishes.  This recipe highlighted onions and I already has a batch of caramelized onions in the fridge from making my French Onion dip, so I decided to give this recipe a try.

I switched things a bit to accommodate what I had in MY pantry at the time, so this is my very own version of…

CARMELIZED ONION FETTUCCINI

¼ pack of whole-grain fettuccini

2 tbs of butter

1/3 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese

Half of this caramelized onion recipe

Salt and Pepper to taste, optional

1. Boil pasta according to package directions in a big pot with boiling salted water.
2. When pasta is done, drain the pasta while reserving 1 cup of the water used to boil.  Return the pasta to the pot, add the butter and caramelized onions.  Mix well to combine and to warm up the onions if they were refrigerated.
3. Add some of the pasta water to loosen the mix and create a “sauce”.  Add half of the cheese and continue combining it all. Continue adding pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency… mine is that all the pasta is lightly coated with a medium thickness sauce.  Add some additional salt or pepper according to your taste… you might not even need to add anything else.
4. Plate and sprinkle the remaining cheese onto your plated pasta.

If you do the onions ahead of time, this recipe will take you about the time it takes to boil the pasta… if you make the onions for this dish in particular, it should be ready in approximately 40 minutes according to Everyday Food. 

Make a large batch of the onions and see how many recipes you can incorporate them in… I can give you some others besides this one already:

French Onion Soup

French Quesadillas

Stuffed Brie

Product Description
By the time she was a teenager, Sara Jenkins had lived all over the Mediterranean, from Italy and France to Spain, Lebanon, and Cyprus, in cosmopolitan cities and in rural hamlets. The family eventually put down roots in a ramshackle farmhouse in a small Tuscan village, where she learned how to make ragu and handmade pasta at the elbow of her Italian “grandmother” on the nearby farm. Meals came from the garden and the surrounding pastures, not the supermarket, and Jenkins grew up schooled in the tradition of cooking from what was on hand.

In Olives & Oranges, Jenkins shares the simple, striking dishes she learned at the source. Many, like Peppery Braised Short Ribs and Classic Tuscan Eggplant Parmesan, are favorites from childhood. Others, like Short Pasta with Mushrooms and Mint and Spicy Lemon–Chocolate Ganache Tart, have a contemporary sensibility. Jenkins shows how understanding the Mediterranean “language of flavor” can help you follow your instincts and make your own great meals based on what you have, too. You’ll see how salt and lemon juice bring out the natural sugar in Carrot Salad with Lemon, Sea Salt, Parsley, and Olive Oil, and how to use the same technique with lime, salt, and a Moroccan condiment called harissa for a completely different effect in Tunisian Raw Turnip Salad.

The daughter of the noted food authority Nancy Harmon Jenkins, SARA JENKINS has earned raves at all the New York restaurants where she has been the chef, including 50 Carmine, Il Buco, I Coppi, and Patio. Her newest venture, Porchetta, is located in New York City’s East Village. This is her first book.

My breastfed son developed allergic colitis around three months of age. We determined that dairy and egg were the main offenders. Along with soy, I eliminated all dairy and egg products. I’ve been dairy and egg free for over a year.

Aside from those restrictions, I don’t eat red meat or pork. Since I’m breastfeeding, I don’t eat most seafood due to its mercury content. I take fish oil, instead. I do eat wild caught salmon.

So there’s the background on my weird dietary issues.

Last week, my son’s skin-prick allergy tests for dairy and egg were negative. I get to eat dairy and egg again!

I have never felt healthier and was a little leery about eating dairy again. I’ve decided to eat dairy in moderation. For example, no pizza but butter on toast is fine. I may have a slice of pizza in the not so distant future, though.

I really missed good cheeses. Good aged Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, blue-veined cheeses, and goat cheese are some of my favorites. Some dishes just aren’t the same without the cheese. Like risotto.

I’ll also add that some dishes aren’t the same without butter. Real butter.

Like risotto.

I made risotto last night. With real butter and good aged Parmigiano Reggiano. It was perfect.

I love making risotto and it’s one of my favorite dishes to make.

Here’s how I made it…

3/4 cup diced red onion
3 garlic cloves finely diced
1 lb Sweet Italian Turkey sausage (casings removed) – could use pork
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed with back of spoon
1 3/4 cup Arborio rice
Small head of escarole, tough stems removed, washed and torn.
3-4 cup hot water
1/2 cup madiera or sherry wine
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup grated aged Parmigiano Reggiano
1 TBSP olive oil
large pinch salt, or to taste
Ground pepper, to taste

Here’s what I did:

Over med-high heat, melt all but 2 TBSP butter with olive oil and saute onion with some salt until it becomes very soft and begins to brown.
While onion is sauteing, prepare mushrooms. Boil 3 cups water and pour over mushrooms. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes. Strain mushroom stock through a coffee filter, squeezing as much liquid as possible from the mushrooms and reserving the stock for later use. Thoroughly rinse mushrooms to remove all grit. Chop mushrooms.

Add sausage and garlic. Cook over med-high heat until meat is cooked through. Add fennel seeds, mushrooms, and rice. Stir and add wine. Stir and saute until wine is absorbed, about 2-3 minutes. Add hot mushroom stock by ladling 1/2 cup or so into rice mixture. Mix and stir until liquid is absorbed. Add more stock and stir. After about 10 minutes, add the escarole. Continue adding stock and stirring until rice is firm but tender. Use hot water, if the stock runs out. This should take about 25 minutes – taste for doneness. Once rice is tender and has a creamy consistency, remove from heat. Add 2 TBSP butter, ground pepper, and grated cheese. Taste for salt and add if necessary. Add chopped flat-leaf parsley and extra cheese, if you like. This makes enough for 4 hearty entrees or 8 appetizer size portions. Serve with a green salad with a light vinaigrette and crusty bread.

Note: Can easily be a vegetarian dish by simply omitting the sausage.

I swear this recipe is a masterpiece. Try it with a syrah/Shiraz or red Rhone,  Sangiovese/Chianti,  or a red Zinfandel.  A dry rose would be a good match, too.

Appena tornato dall’Italia, la mia meta’ mi racconta un’altra di quelle storie tutte indiane da sbellicarsi.

A Gurgaon c’e’ un supermercato che si chiama Spencer’s, e non e’ affatto male. C’e’ un reparto international food dove si trovano alcune marche di pasta, passate di pomodori, olio d’oliva, aceto e qualcos’altro, un’altro dove fanno pane fresco e focaccine varie e un’altro ancora che vende vini, birre, ecc…

Una delle tante grosse falle, finora, era stata sempre quella relativa ai formaggi: cheddar, cheddar e nient’altro che cheddar. In sottilette, a fettine, a mezzelune, a formaggini, a pezzettini, ma sempre e solo cheddar. E che palle ’sto cheddar!

Ma poi accade l’ennesimo cambiamento, aprono un banco dei formaggi! TAH DAH! Ma che bello, finalmente il pecorino romano, il gorgonzola, il brie, il parmigiano.

E allora la mia gentile signora cosa fa? E cosa volete che faccia? Se la trotta fino al banco formaggi e chiede 200 gr. di pecorino romano, insostituibile per l’amatriciana.

NOTA: l’amatriciana e’ il mio piatto raddrizza-giornata. Quando ho avuto una giornata di cacca in ufficio, chiamo casa e ordino il bucatino.

E, ovviamente, nel chiedere 200 gr. di pecorino iniziano i problemi. Ma facciamo la blogocronaca e, nel farlo, vi ricordo che caratteri quali *#@%$#%@ corrispondono a qualcosa detto in lingua Hindi.

MOGLIE: “Vorrei 200 gr. di pecorino…”

BANCONISTI: “Yes madame”.

MOGLIE: “Ue’, aspetta un attimo, non vorrai tagliarlo a mani nude, con quelle manaccie zozze che ti ritrovi, in particolare quella sinistra??” (ndr, mano sinistra = mano impura, che svolge funzione di carta igienica).

BANCONISTI: “Yes madame”. Poi rivolto all’altro: “$&#^*&$%#*%”, che tradotto significa “dove cazzo li trovo i guanti adesso, che qua nessuno ci aveva pensato?”.

MOGLIE: “Li avete al banco verdure, vai a prendere 2 guanti la’!!”.

BANCONISTI: “Yes madame”.

Presi i guanti, l’amico Fritz, inizia a tagliare. Taglia e pesa: 300 gr… “Madame #&$^*&$#* 300 ^#%^E%$, ok?”.

MOGLIE: “Eh ok… che ti devo dire? Io capisco che e’ la prima volta in vita tua che tagli un pezzo di formaggio, e non hai la piu’ pallida idea di quanto siano 200 gr. Lascia, la’…”.

BANCONISTA: “Yes madame”.

A questo punto, il pover’uomo pretende di piazzare il formaggio in mano alla mia signora cosi’ come si trova, nudo e crudo!

MOGLIE: “Lo devi incartare! Dove vado col formaggio cosi’??”.

BANCONISTA: “Yes madame”, e poi rivolto all’altro: “#$^%$#^%$^#%^”, che significa “dove cazzo la trovo la carta adesso, che qua in India non la usiamo nemmeno per pulirci le terga?”. “Passami quel foglio la’”.

Quel foglio la’, era un lercissimo pezzo di giornale, su cui avevano probabilmente cagato 8 cani e 15 scimmie…

MOGLIE: “Ma che fai?? Incartalo in un pezzo di carta decente, zozzone!”.

BANCONISTI: “Yes madame”, e poi rivolto all’altro: “#&*%^$*&#%$”, che significa “mettilo in quella carta cerata li’!”.

Allora l’altro avvolge, incarta, mette il nastro adesivo e piazza il pacchetto in mano alla mia meta’.

MOGLIE: “E bravo fesso! Hai fatto un bel lavoro, hai incartato, hai messo lo scotch… peccato che i guanti ce li aveva il tuo amico, zozzone pure tu!”.

Ma tanto e’, e alla fine il pecorino e’ arrivato a casa. Ma non lo useremo, perche’ tornando dall’Italia ne ho portato una forma da due chili! Tie’, alla facciaccia delle manaccie nere!

INGREDIENTI

Per 4 persone

320g di pipe rigate
500g di zucchine
200g di robiola
40g di pecorino romano grattugiato
3 cipollotti
1 ciuffo di basilico
30g di pinoli
3 cucchiai di olio d’oliva
sale e pepe

————————————–
Lavate le zucchine, asciugatele, spuntatele e tagliatele a rondelle sottili.
Pulite i cipollotti, eliminate le radici e la parte finale verde, affettateli e fateli rosolare in una padella con l’olio.
Aggiungete le zucchine, regolate di sale e di pepe, e cuocete per 7-8 minuti a fuoco medio.
Staccate le foglie di basilico, lavatele, asciugatele e frullatele nel mixer con 2/3 del mix di zucchine e cipollotti.
Aggiungete metà del pecorino e la robiola alla crema di zucchine e frullate di nuovo fino ad ottenere una crema omogenea.
Lessate la pasta in una capace pentola con abbondante acqua bollente salata, scolatela a metà cottura e conditela con la salsa di zucchine, un filo di olio a crudo e le zucchine tenute da parte.
Mescolate delicatamente perchè gli ingredienti si amalgamino bene.
Ungete leggermente di olio una pirofila, versatevi la pasta, livellate la superficie e cospargetela con i pinoli e il pecorino rimasto.Trasferite la pasta nel forno già caldo a 180°C e cuocetela per 35 minuti, finchè la superficie sarà dorata.
Sfornate la teglia, lasciate raffreddare per qualche minuto prima di servire.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana (sort of)

I’m not quite sure how I’ve been able to do it, but evidently I’ve managed to (temporarily, at least) get Michael to embrace pasta quite a bit over the past two weeks.  This particular dish, though, I can at least explain:  with a newly-acquired wedge of pecorino fresco sitting in the fridge from Fairway, how could one not fantasize making something classically Roman, like spaghetti all’amatriciana?  For hours the images of onions, tomatoes and pancetta cubes tangled in a lump of pasta tortured me; I couldn’t wait to make dinner that night.

There was only one problem:  the deli beneath us doesn’t sell pancetta, and I had no idea where else to go.

I frantically wandered through the Appletree, asking the guys at the deli if they had it in the case, as well as scouring the tiny meat section to see if any hidden gems lay beneath stacks of smoked (and therefore unusable) American and Canadian bacon.  No dice.  It was getting later in the evening and at the time I had no knowledge of the closest Italian shop that might carry it, so I turned to a very frustrated Michael (who by this point was sick of me pacing back and forth in indecision, as well as my disbelief that the Appletree was in fact not Romeo & Ceseare’s) and acquiesced to his suggestion of using pork sausage in lieu of the bacon.  It was a far more preferable solution than going out into the neighborhood hungry and frantically looking for pancetta, even if it meant we were no longer having the true dish anymore.  Besides:  the Italians are all about using what you have immediately available anyway.

Stuffed Mushrooms

The mushrooms were a last-minute addition because I felt like we should have something else, but not cutlets or thighs or chops.  Seeing a package of plain button mushrooms, I suggested them to Michael, and wonders of wonders, he agreed.  There was actually a little leftover stuffing and  mushroom stems by the time we were done, but leave it to him to figure out a novel way of using them all up.  How so?  Stay tuned…