Friday, August 2, 2013

Potato Focaccia con Pomodorini


I have a new post on my new blog you might be interested in!
http://ceratisitaliankitchen.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/potato-focaccia-with-cherry-tomatoes/

The focaccia is made using mashed potatoes. It's lovely because it has an airy texture. The olive oil gives it a buttery taste contrasted with the tartness of the tomatoes and the aromatic perfume of the oregano. Enjoy!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Pollo alla Cacciatora con Verdure

Here is a deconstructed version of the classic "pollo alla cacciatora" I made the other evening. I had only thighs, some zucchini, red chilis, and "pomodorini"from the garden. An economical and quick way to get dinner on the table!


Ingredients

six chicken thighs, skin removed
2 medium-sized zucchini (I had a green and a yellow one)
2 cloves garlic
2-3 fresh red chili peppers
2 Tbl olive oil
1/2 C white wine or chicken broth.

Chicken "cacciatora" is usually cooked on top of the stove, but this time since I had the oven running anyways, I decided to give the chicken and vegetables a good roasting. So...
1. Preheat your oven to 375 or 400 depending on your oven.

2. While the oven heats up, prepare the vegetables. Slice the zucchini in half lengthwise, then cut on the bias. This give a pretty shape and cooks fast. Slice the chili peppers in half, clean out the seeds and white membrane (the element which gives provides the heat), the cut them in slender strips. Smash the garlic with your knife and peel it. Chop coarsely.  Wash the cherry tomatoes and set aside.



3. In a wide oven-proof pan, heat the olive oil and saute' the chicken thighs under a lively flame. Salt and pepper them. Turn briefly and cook until brown on all sides about five minutes.

Add the garlic, saute' for few minutes more. Add the wine or broth. Cook about five minutes, then add the zucchini and the chilis. Stir and turn as needed to get the chicken and vegetables well-coated. Cook about 2-3 more minutes and then add the tomatoes. Turn off the flame and place the pan in the oven for about twenty minutes until the chicken is tender and the tomatoes form a nice roasted crust on the top. Remove from the oven and let the pan sit and rest before serving.

On the side I made Patate al Cartoccio con Broccoli, potatoes cooked in foil with broccoli (I had some leftover broccoli I had steamed the night before). Take four-five potatoes (one per person, plus one!) and scrubbed each well. Prick them with a fork, rub olive oil on each, salt them well and wrap them in foil. Bake them for about an hour. Then gently unwrap them, cut them in half and crosshatch the tops with little deep cuts. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, a little butter and sour cream. Top with leftover cooked broccoli and a handful of white cheddar. Gently close the foil around the potato, but not completely...leave it slightly open. Put on a cookie sheet and return to the oven with the chicken for about 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and turned a light crusty brown.
Buon appetito!

Friday, July 26, 2013

Cipolline in Agrodolce

Check out what I've been working on! Cipolline in Agrodolce, sweet onions in a sweet and sour sauce.



Check this out in my new blog:

http://ceratisitaliankitchen.wordpress.com/

Sunday, February 3, 2013

What Do I Do With This? Romanesco Broccoli

It has been a long time since my last blog....but that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking and thinking about what to share with you all! Last November romanesco broccoli came into the farmer's market and I have wanted to tell you all about it. What about this wierd-looking vegetable that looks like it came from some alien planet with its delicate green spires resembling the headdress of a Hindu dancer? Is it a cauliflower or a broccoli? Let's say a little of both...its flavor is delicate, yet buttery, perfect for all kinds of uses. It reminds me of cold wintery days in Rome where this vegetable reigns supreme with puntarelle and dark leafy spinach bundles. In actual fact this vegetable with the Latin name of Brassica oleracea (and in Italian called Cavolo broccolo romanesco) is a variant form of cauliflower, but tastes more like broccoli. It has a long history dating back to the Roman period establishing it as a staple particularly in the region of Lazio.



I have two of these odd looking heads staring at me. All I can fantasize back is "what am I going to do with you??" I imagine....a nice pasta, steamed lightly and dressed with a little olive oil and mozzarella...
hmmmm....


So where does one begin to prepare it? Looking at it, one wouldn't know where to start! Last week a lady at the farmer's market thought it might be wonderful to steam the whole head and serve it on a platter with a little melted butter. True, that may produce a dramatic presentation, but I'm not sure it would be that practical, nor would it bring out the best in flavor and texture of the vegetable. To start, unfortunately you have to break it apart. It just kills me to cut the head in half because I feel like I'm defiling a beautiful sculpture! Coraggio, cut it in half and then begin to cut each flowerette from the bottom of the stem. Go around and around the head until all the flowerettes have been removed. As I go, I cut the stalk into smaller pieces and I cut the larger flowerettes in half lengthwise. The smaller ones I leave whole because they look so bizarrely cool.



I cook them briefly, 2-3 minutes at the most, in a pot of boiling, salted water. Drain and allow them to steam off. At this point you can do a number of things. The most simple is to serve them warm with a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar or lemon, salt and pepper. Yum! Or...make a pasta. And there are two basic ways to make this.

  Pasta con Romanesco Broccoli


There are two basic ways of making this pasta depending on the ingredients you have on hand or, simply, personal taste. I like them both!

You will need for either recipe:

1 lb. Mezzi Rigatoni (or any short pasta)
1 head romanesco broccoli (steamed or boiled)

Con Aglio, Olio e Acciughe

¼ Cup olive oil
2-3 spicchi (cloves) of garlic finely chopped
pepperonicino or red pepper flakes (optional)
2-3 (or more) filets of good quality anchovies (or one jar of the Talatta brand)


Here it is on its side! I'm having a hard time rotating the image!

. Begin by putting the water for the pasta on to boil.


2. Heat a frying pan (a fairly large one because you will finish off the pasta in it) and gently add the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook gently until golden and the aroma has filled the kitchen! Add the anchovies and stir until they have practically melted away. Add the broccoli and stir. Lower the heat.

3. When the water in the pot is boiling, add salt, and throw in the pasta to cook according to the package instructions. Leave the pasta somewhat al dente because you will finish it off in the pan.

4. Before the pasta is ready to drain, take a ladle of the water and add it to the pan with the broccoli. Drain the pasta and add to the pan, stir quickly. Add freshly grated parmigiano cheese and serve!

Pasta con Guanciale

This type of pasta is made with guanciale or jowl bacon. I find it at the farmer’s market, but if you can’t find it readily, you may substitute it with pancetta. This recipe is fairly similar except you are using butter, onions…a “sweeter” flavor than the other more “piccante” one.

Use this instead:

1 Cup onions chopped
2 Tbls. olive oil
2 Tbls. Butter
8 oz guanciale or pancetta chopped

Like in the previous recipe, begin by adding the olive oil and butter to the heated pan. Add the onions and saute’ them gently until softened, about ten minutes. Add the guanciale and cook until golden. If you want to drain some of the fat, you can…but not too much or you will lose some of the flavor. Add the cooked broccoli, add a little water from the pasta, and take it from there!


                                                      Buon appetito!



Saturday, November 10, 2012

Indian Summer





 We have had a magnificent October, an Indian Summer with crisp fresh mornings, warm summer-like evenings, it is no wonder that we have been lulled into believing that summer is still with us. A quick trip around the Davis Farmer's Market last Saturday gave a few hints that change is in the air!



                                        And look at the size of these pomegranetes! Huge!



But even with these changes coming about, I can't help by try to linger on the warmth of the summer shedding its last glow. We still can find beautiful peppers in all colors, peperoni di tutti i colori, melanzane - eggplants, the very last of them.......I even bought the last of the cranberry beans and grabbed a pound of romanos. I am having a hard time letting go of the beautiful bounty the summer has provided. In celebration of the season, thought I might tarry a bit on this last fantasia of the summer.



Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Basics: Tomato Sauce or Sugo di Pomodoro!

 Viva Tomatoes!!!


It is that time of year when tomatoes are at their very best!

Richly ripe and ruby red, abundant in all their glory! Now is the time to use all the bounty the garden has to offer and what better way than to make a good sauce? I am asked frequently about how Italians make a good basic sauce. So here it is... everything you may have wanted to know about a basic tomato sauce and its variations, Italian style.








Nothing could be more basic than the classic sugo or salsa di pomodoro and no dish has more variations and subtle differences in taste and texture. My mother’s sugo is slightly differently from mine as well my sisters’, my cousin’s, my grandmothers’ and so it goes.  Much of this variation has to do not only with the tomatoes, the olive oil or butter, but how long one cooks the sauce, a pinch of this or that, the love one lavishes upon its creation!  I fondly remember my grandfather’s maid/cook, Anna, a country girl from the Veneto region whose sauce was beloved by all. In fact in my family, we used to call it il sugo di Anna as if it had a special place of honor. We looked forward to Sunday dinners, pranzi, eating her spaghetti because it was so distinctive with its finely diced carrots and celery and buttery taste. Yet it was so simple! I have tried to reproduce it, having cooked it alongside her hundreds of times, yet it is never quite the same.

 It is important to have a good go-to sugo di pomodoro that fits the need of whatever particular dish you are preparing. One type of sugo cannot be replaced with another type. For example, you cannot or should not substitute a sugo di pomodoro al burro (with butter) in a Pasta alla Norma that requires garlic and olive oil. It changes the nature and flavor of the dish! Believe it or not, some basic rules apply to the type of tomato sauces you create.
  1. Tomato sauces fall into two basic categories: One with garlic and olive oil, the other with onion, butter, and olive oil. The two are distinctive in flavor and purpose. Yes, I understand that sometimes garlic and onion can be cooked together in the same sauce and be delicious, but the end result does not complement the type of pasta or the other flavors in the dish. It’s confusing to the palate!
  2. Always remember the rule of three! That means three spices…and that includes salt and pepper. Simplicity is at the heart of a good sugo di pomodoro. Avoid overloading with too many conflicting flavors! Choose basil or oregano…but not both.
  3. Keep it light! Be careful not to overload with too much butter or oil. A little goes a long way, especially if you using the sauce in a dish that has other components like lasagne.
  4. Don’t overcook. Most sauces require 10-20 minutes at the most – or as long as it takes to get the pot of water boiling and the pasta cooked! Caramelization, the browning of the sugars in the sauce, gives the sauce its robustness and depth. You want to reduce the sauce until it browns a bit before you add more water to gain the right consistency. This is what gives my sauce a different flavor than my sister’s.
  5. Use good ingredients, yes. But that does not have to mean expensive or rare. Sometimes using canned tomatoes is preferable to fresh ones simply because you have more control over acidity, water content, flavor and texture. An heirloom tomato does not give much flavor because it has a high water content and it disintegrates into nothing. In fact, in Italy certain tomatoes are designated for cooking, such as a San Marzano (which has solid pulp), and others for insalata (generally unripe ones with green overtones), or eating in a salad. Lastly, avoid store-bought tomatoes altogether as they have no flavor at all.


Simplicity is the key point in making a good sauce that will complement whatever dish, pasta type, or other ingredients. Ok – having said all that, let’s have a go at all the different types of tomato sauces that form the basis of many dishes in Italian cuisine.

Prepping the Tomatoes

Before you start cooking, decide what kind of texture you desire, chunky or smooth. My husband doesn’t like the chunky texture, so I puree the tomatoes in my food processor ahead of time before adding them to the pan. If you are using fresh tomatoes, you may want to take the skins off when you are prepping your ingredients. Bring some water in a pan to boiling or almost boiling and turn off the heat. With a sharp knife make a small X on the bottom of the tomatoes and drop them in for 10-20 seconds or until you see the skin begin to peel back. Scoop the tomatoes out of the water and don’t allow them to cool. Work fast to core, peel, then cut the tomatoes in half. Gently squeeze the seeds and dice them finely or coarsely according to your need. Now you are ready to use them as you wish!

Sugo Veloce - Aglio, Olio, e Pomodoro  (Garlic, Oil, and Tomatoes)

Nothing can be simpler or faster (veloce) than this sauce for people on the go. In fact, the even simpler version to leave the tomatoes out completely (and so the sauce becomes aglio, olio e peperoncino!)..so fast that this is what Italians make with spaghetti for an impromptu feast at midnight with friends.

Ingredients

1-2 cloves garlic
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, or enough to coat the bottom of the saucepan
1 8 oz can diced or finely diced tomatoes or 1-1 ½ Cups fresh
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

I like to use a wide-brimmed pan such as an 8-9 inch sauté pan with a 1-1 ½  inch side rather than a regular 2 quart sauce pan. I learned this from my mother who told me the sauce would cook faster and more evenly. I also like to drain the pasta slightly undercooked and throw it into the sauté pan to give it another minute or two of cooking with the sauce.

1. Heat the pan and add the olive oil. Coat the bottom, 2-3 tablespoons – or how you like it. Optional: Add some red pepper flakes to unleash the favor. Let them sizzle slightly.

2. Add the garlic. Now here is where Italians differ in their approach. If you like the taste of garlic, chop it finely and add it to the heated oil. Many Italians don’t like to taste the garlic so heavily and some dishes require no obvious presence of it. In this case, add the whole clove (or cloves), allow it to turn golden, squeeze it a bit with a fork to release its flavor, then discard it. Whatever you choose to do, don’t burn the garlic!

3. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, about half a cup of water and cook at medium high heat for about 10-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and let it caramelize a bit, adding a little additional water if you see it drying out or if you need the sauce to cook a little more. The sauce is done when it has a fairly thick consistency, making sure there isn’t a watery residue. The resulting sauce should not look like it has been poured out of a can. And it should not be overcooked either by looking too dark and bitter tasting.

Serves 4-5 or 1 lb of pasta.

Well…What kind of pasta?

This is a good question. The garlic-based sugo originally came from the South of Italy where pasta was primarily made from durum wheat. Sauces are generally simple and sometimes spicy with the addition of the peperoncino. Generally speaking, the garlic-based tomato sauce works best with short and thin pastas like penne (but not rigatoni – too thick) or spaghetti. Egg-based pastas like tagliatelle or fettuccine all’uovo are not appropriate for this type of sauce. The aglio-olio-pomodoro sugo  pairs well with vegetables, olives, light cheeses such as mozzarella and ricotta, and fish or shellfish, not heavy cheeses like gorgonzola and fontina (Northern cheeses) or beef.

Here I've added some mozzarella and basil!


Sugo Semplice - Burro, Cipolla e Pomodoro (Butter, Onion and Tomato)

The other classic tomato sauce- made with butter, onion, and tomato – is used as a foundation to so many dishes such as lasagne, pasta al forno, and so on. I never was more confused than when I came to the States and heard the term “marinara”. This means “having to do with the sea” or seafood….If you order Pasta alla Marinara in Italy, you will get a seafood pasta with shellfish. Here is another basic sauce, one that is so simple, versatile, and quick.

Ingredients

1 medium sized onion or ¾ Cup finely diced onion
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1 8 oz can diced or finely diced tomatoes or 1-1 ½ Cups fresh
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: fresh or dried basil

1. Heat the pan and add the olive oil. Coat the bottom, 2-3 tablespoons – or how you like it. Add the butter and melt quickly with a sizzle.

2. Add the onions and sauté lightly until golden brown. Once the onions have become golden, add the tomatoes (diced or pureed), stir, add half a cup of water, salt and pepper. During the winter months, add dried basil if you like the taste. Lower the heat to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add water if the sauce becomes too dry and needs more time to reduce. 
The sauce should look something like this.

Optional: In the summer months, julienne some fresh basil and add it to the sauce once the cooking is completed, otherwise it will turn black and lose its flavor.

Serves 4-5 people or “condisce” (sauces) 1 lb of pasta.

Try this sugo with the following recipe which brings back all kinds of memories of eating this at home, at the beach on summer evenings, or coming home from school. with my family and children in general. It is called Pasta alla Nasona, “nasona” meaning big nose. I’m not quite sure why it is called this way except to think that because the cheese in this dish runs loose and stringy, well… you get the picture!

Pasta alla Nasona

1 lb pound of rigatoni
8 oz fresh mozzarella diced or shredded Monterey Jack
Optional: fresh basil


Bring a large pot of fresh water to boil. In the meantime, make the sauce. When the water begins to boil, add salt (be generous), and bring the water to a boil again before throwing in the pasta. Cook until “al dente”, drain the pasta retaining half a cup of the cooking water. Place in a large bowl, add the sauce and the cheese and stir until the cheese begins to melt. Add the water a little at a time as needed. Add basil if desired, give it one more stir, and serve. Pass the parmigiano around to those who want an extra zip to the dish!


The butter-based sugo di pomodoro is the heart and soul of many dishes such as Melanzane alla Parmigiana, but it is not the only way the sugo is prepared. Remember Anna’s sugo? Here it is!

Sugo di Anna

1 medium sized onion or ¾ Cup finely diced onion
1 large carrot diced finely
1 celery diced finely
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1-2 Tablespoons butter
1 8 oz can diced or finely diced tomatoes or 1-1 ½ Cups fresh
salt and pepper to taste

Begin with a classic mirepoix!


1. Begin as you would in the recipe with butter and onions, only add the carrots and celery once the onion is slightly golden.  Proceed in the same way with the rest. The resulting sauce is sweet and buttery because of the carrots and celery. Delicious on thin spaghetti with plenty of grated parmigiano!

Here is a variation of the sauce above. This one is convenient when you have a bumper crop of fresh tomatoes. My cousin Marianna makes her sauce this way because it keeps well and contains practically no fat. It is always ready for all kinds of uses.

Salsa di Pomodoro 

2 lbs of fresh tomatoes, unpeeled and cut into quarters
1 large carrot peeled and chopped in chunks
1 -2 stalks celery chopped
1 medium onion peeled and cut into chunks
a drizzle of olive oil
salt

Take all the vegetables and put them all at once in a pot with tall sides, salt lightly, add half a cup of water, and drizzle with a little olive oil. Cook over medium heat until all the vegetables have softened and reduced, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cool until easy to manage. Pass the sauce through a sieve or food mill until smooth and silky. At this point you can add basil. Use the sauce with spaghetti or short pasta like rigatoni. Or you can use the sauce for other dishes – top spinach and ricotta-filled crepes, fried eggplant slices, zucchini boats…the list goes on!

Salsa Cruda (Raw)

And lastly, one of my family’s favorite! This sauce made with fresh, raw tomatoes has a rich history and has become popular with all sorts of variations in the United States. Spaghetti made with this sauce became known in my area as Spaghetti alla Petrolini after a famous Roman comedian who probably was the first to make this dish popular. In our family as I was growing up, it became known as Spaghetti alla Mondezzara, or “Garbage-style” as it was infamously dubbed by one of our family friends by the name of Gaetano, an incredibly thin doctor with a hilarious sense of humor. Eating uncooked tomatoes in pasta was something of a novelty back in the late sixties….the notion of putting raw tomatoes, basil, and olive oil together as a sauce probably struck Gaetano as a funny way to cook and serve spaghetti. But he loved it as we did! I don’t know how many kilos of pasta we ate in those days!

Ingredients

For this sugo, you must use only fresh tomatoes from the garden or farmer’s market. The tomatoes need to be ripe, a dark red, preferably firm.

1-2 lbs. tomatoes (5-6 medium)
3 or more! garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
1-1 ½ cups olive oil
A handful of fresh basil, julienned
Salt and pepper
1 lb thick spaghetti

Ideally this sauce should be made early in the day so the flavors can blend and marinate. However, I have made it at the last moment and it works well . Quickly peel the tomatoes after you have put them in a bath of hot water and then gently squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and put them in a large bowl. Add the garlic, basil, olive oil, salt, and pepper. When you add the olive oil, go easy, stirring the tomatoes, crushing them slightly. The olive oil should be enough to coat the pasta well, but not be too greasy (so you may not need as much as I stated above). Add plenty of salt (start with a teaspoon) and pepper. The tomatoes have a tendency to water down the flavor – so don’t be afraid to season the sauce well. Cover the bowl and let the ingredients marinate. Cook the spaghetti according to package instructions, drain well, and add to the bowl. Stir and serve! Absolutely delicious cold the next day...


At our beach villa in Terracina, my mother would serve 2-3 pounds of spaghetti made in this way. We would sit at a long table of eighteen people or more, most of us ravenous teenagers sunburned from a day of sea and sun. This dish reminds me of those beautiful summer dinners on the piazzalino – our sun-drenched veranda facing a glass-surfaced ocean reflecting the rose-tinted sunset.



Buon appetito e buone cose!