Bucatini With Spicy Anchovy Sauce And Dill Bread Crumbs

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Even if anchovies aren't part of your culinary repertoire, the way the sweetness of the onions and the saltiness of the anchovies interact, combined with  the unexpected crunchiness of the bread crumbs, will make you forget that you are eating something you may not be overly fond of.

There are many people who won't touch a dish because it has anchovies as part of the mix of ingredients.  Sometimes they like the dish, particularly something like salade nicoise, but will think nothing of leaving them out.  They have no idea what they are missing  If the spiny little things are what gets in your way, then use anchovy paste.  Anchovies add a certain richness and dimension to a dish, particularly one with a red sauce.  Trust me, when all is said and done, you won't be able to identify the wonderful flavor in your pasta and nobody will be the wiser. I can't tell you the times I have served anchovy flavored dishes to people who swear they can't stand them!

I have played a little with the recipe by adding three cloves of garlic to the oil before you sautee  the bread crumbs and at least another can of anchovies if you are making one pound of spaghetti.  Also make sure you cook the onions until they are caramelized.

This is a great fast dinner for the two during the week or a casual dinner with good friends.  All you need is a green salad, a crusty baguette and an Italian Sangiovese such as  Peppoli.

Yield: Makes 6 servings


Ingredients

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided

3 cloves of garlic mashed and finely chopped

2 cups fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a baguette)

3 garlic cloves smashed and minced

1/4 cup chopped dill

1 pound red onions, thinly sliced (3 cups)

1 to 2 (2-ounce) cans flat anchovy fillets, drained and chopped

1 pound bucatini or perciatelli pasta (long tubular strands)

1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes


Preparation

Heat 1/4 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, add the garlic and sautee for a couple of minutes.  Add the bread crumbs and sautee stirring constantly, until deep golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer bread crumbs to a bowl and toss with dill and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper.

Wipe out skillet, then cook onions with 1/4 teaspoon salt in remaining 1/2 cup oil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until very soft and caramelized, 12 to 15 minutes. Add anchovies and cook, mashing anchovies into onions, until dissolved. Or substitute about 1 tbsp of anchovy paste if you don't want to deal with the little devils.

Meanwhile, cook bucatini in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 5 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Stir red-pepper flakes and reserved water into anchovy sauce, then add pasta and toss to combine. Add about half of bread crumbs* and toss to coat. Serve sprinkled with remaining bread crumbs.


*make sure you add the first half of the bread crumbs when you are ready to serve, otherwise they will become soggy.

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine 2008

Dinner After The Scavenger Hunt...Rigatoni With Eggplant And Pine Nut Crunch

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I've been dying to make this recipe since I saw it and finally last night I had the perfect excuse...a small dinner party for my daughter's friends after the office scavenger hunt to raise money for St. Jude's Children Hospital.  If you need to raise money for a worthwhile cause, this is at the top of my list.

Founded in 1962 by entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude's finds cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. It is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance.

If you are serving dinner to a group of sweaty and tired young people who have spent their sacred Saturday looking for stuff in downtown Atlanta, it better be substantial and filling.  Be prepared for seconds and thirds ...and an early exit.

This pasta recipe was everything I was hoping for and more and it fit the occasion to a tee. The only change I made was using crushed or chopped tomatoes and stirring the cream in and adding finely diced basil and garlic.  I'll do anything to cut down on dirty bowls.  Also make sure you use a good brand of tomatoes like Pomi or Cento.

At the end I sprinkled the pine nut topping first and then the mozzarella which made for a nice golden crust on top.  I don't know if this made a difference but it worked!

This is the perfect main dish for a small and very casual dinner party, particularly if the guests are young adults; or it can be served as part of a buffet on another informal occasion.


Ingredients

•Nonstick vegetable oil spray

•1 unpeeled large eggplant (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch cubes

•2 medium yellow bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch squares

•2 cups grape tomatoes

•3 large garlic cloves, divided

•1/3 cup olive oil

•2 cups (firmly packed) fresh basil leaves, divided

•1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

•1/4 cup pine nuts

•1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice

•1 cup heavy whipping cream

•1 pound rigatoni

•1 pound whole-milk mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (i used shredded)

Preparation

•Preheat oven to 425°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray; add eggplant and peppers. Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise; add to sheet. Using garlic press, squeeze 1 garlic clove onto vegetables. Drizzle vegetables with oil; toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring often, 35 to 45 minutes.

•Combine 2/3 cup basil, 1/2 cup Parmesan, pine nuts, and 1 garlic clove in mini processor. Blend until crumbly. Season topping with salt.

•Blend tomatoes with juice, cream, 1 1/3 cups basil, and 1 garlic clove in processor until smooth. Season sauce with salt and pepper.*

•Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally; drain. Return to pot. Toss with vegetables, sauce, and 1/2 cup Parmesan. Transfer to 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella and pine nut topping.

•Bake pasta until heated through, 25 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes and serve.


Adapted from Bon Appetit

Simple Dinners...Minestrone Di Romagna

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Right about this time of the year I dig deep into my recipe box and pull out my recipe for Minestrone.  I also spend a good ten minutes searching inside my freezer for that old rind of Parmesan cheese I put away in the summer.  The soup really doesn' t need a recipe, I know well what goes into it, but at my age, I just don't trust myself to remember all the extra goodies that I have added in the past to make it my own.

There is no right or wrong minestrone...there is just good minestrone.  In the north of Italy you will find rice in your soup, in the south, beans, or pasta and tomatoes.  The only constants are staples like carrots, celery, onions and potatoes.  At the end what you want is a dense and mellow soup that recalls no vegetable in particular, but all of them at once.  Don't leave out the potato, it gives it depth and helps to thicken the soup to its right consistency.

I prefer to use beef broth rather than chicken.  I also encourage you to make your own broth out of flank or another inexpensive cut of beef.  It makes a tremendous difference and it doesn't take long.  I usually keep some in the freezer for making soups in the winter.

The things that will make this soup especial and not just good are:

Homemade beef stock
San Marzano tomatoes
Old rind of good Parmigiano Reggiano

This soup is better the next day so plan ahead. It's also a great way to clean your refrigerator after the holidays!  It will keep in your refrigerator for 1 week.  Although I have never done it, it should freeze well.


Serves 6

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil

3 Tbs butter

1 cup thinly sliced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 cups peeled, diced potatoes

1 1/2 cups canned cannellini beans.**

2 cups diced zucchini (about 2 medium zucchini)

1 cup diced green beans

3 cups shredded cabbage, preferable Savoy cabbage

6 cups homemade meat broth or 2 cups canned beef broth mixed with 4 cups of water

The crust of a 2 to 4 inch long piece of Parmesan cheese scraped clean (optional, but well worth it!)

2/3 cup canned  San Marzano Italian tomatoes with their juice

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Handful of chopped fresh chopped basil leaves for garnish.(optional, best in summer)



Preparation

Choose a stockpot large enough for all ingredients. Put in oil, butter and the sliced onion and cook over medium-low heat until the onion wilts and is pale gold in color, but not browned. Add the diced carrots and cook for 2 to 3 minutes , stirring once or twice. Repeat this procedure in sequence with the celery, potatoes,  zucchini, and green beans, cooking each one a few minutes and stirring. Then add the shredded cabbage and cook for about 6 minutes giving pot the occasional stir.

Add the broth, the cheese crust, the tomatoes and their juice and a little bit of salt. (Careful with salt if using canned broth). Cover and cook at a very slow boil for at least 3 hours. If necessary, you can stop the cooking at any time and resume later. Minestrone must never be thin and watery, so cook until it is soupy thick.  

Fifteen minutes before the soup is done, add the canned or cooked dry beans. Just before turning off the heat, remove the cheese crust, swirl in the grated cheese, then taste and correct  for salt.
 
*I have added spinach at the end.

variation: sautéed 5-6 slices of bacon cut in 1 inch slices and 1 ham hock in olive oil.  Add 1 tb. Thyme fresh. Substitute the beef broth with 5 cups of water. Omit green beans. Omit cabbage and add Fresh baby spinach at the end.Shredded Parmesan when serving. 10/21/20 Excellent! 

***Goya, Cento and Progresso carry them


Recipe adapted from Marcella Hazan

Sunday Family Dinner...Braised Beef Brisket

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This is great comfort food for a cold evening.

 If you want something inexpensive that feeds an army and is easy to make, there is nothing better than a beef brisket.  Even though it takes time in the oven, it's idle time.  Make it on a day you are going to be home for a few hours and, if you can, wait and serve it the next day.

With a little bit of time and the proper cooking method, even the toughest piece of meat can be made palatable. Brisket is one of the least tender cuts of beef, but it can be made tender and the flavor is tough to beat.

What is brisket?

Brisket is a beef cut taken from the breast section beneath the first five ribs, behind the foreshank.

Fresh brisket is an inexpensive boneless cut that requires long, slow cooking to break down the collagen in the connective muscle tissues achieve tenderness. The long piece is cut in half for marketing. You'll find it sold as a flat cut or a point cut. The flat cut is leaner, but the point cut has more flavor due to a bit of extra fat (called the deckel).

In traditional Jewish cooking, brisket is most often braised as a pot roast, especially as a holiday main course usually served at Rosh Hashannah, Passover, and Shabbat. For reasons of economics, it was historically one of the more popular cuts of beef among Ashkenazi Jews. In current times, however, brisket is most often associated with barbecue-style cooking.


I have to confess that the only other time I've had brisket was at school and it was disgusting. A boiled to death  grey mass.  We usually made a bee line back to the room for cheese and crackers.  This is nothing like that, for you do brown it first and then cook it in a delicious tomato sauce for around 3 1/2 hours.

Once you have made this fairly basic and delicious recipe, you can improve on it and make it your own.  You can add red wine, or beer, make a rub with salt , garlic and paprika, or add mustard and light brown sugar.  There are many a recipes for brisket so whatever you do will be considered original.

I will be posting an oven braised barbecued beef brisket in the country blog in a couple of days...don't miss it., It's now my favorite way!



yield: Makes 4 (main course) or 6 (as part of hash)
active time: 35 min
total time: 4 hr


Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 (2-pounds) piece beef brisket (preferably second-cut)

2 large white onions, chopped

4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces

4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces

6 garlic cloves

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup beef stock or reduced-sodium beef broth

1 (28-ounces) can crushed tomatoes



Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in lower third.

Heat oil in a wide 5-to 6-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Season brisket with 1 tsp each of salt and pepper, then brown brisket, turning once, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden-brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add vinegar, stirring and scraping up brown bits. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Return brisket to pot, nestling it in braising liquid (liquid will not cover meat). Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise in oven until fork-tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.


Cooks' note:

Brisket is best if made at least 1 day ahead (and up to 3 days) and chilled (covered once cool). Skim off fat before reheating.

Adapted from Gournet Magazine

This Weekend's Family Dinner...Beer Braised Beef With Onions

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I remember my mother making this recipe when I was a teenager.  It was one of our favorite meals. Since in those days we sat down to dinner as a family every night, we didn't consider this meal anything special...it was just another weeknight dinner at home.  Well, times have changed, and the family meal is fast disappearing, altogether...and so are table manners and social graces, never mind the art of carrying on an articulate conversation.  Well, I'm not here to preach, just to share recipes and entertaining ideas, but it's a shame where we are headed as a society.  It's a shame how much children will be handicapped when they are adults and get invited to a restaurant or dinner party and just don't know how to handle themselves.  It all starts at home, folks, and the family table is a good place to start.

You will love this, and so will the rest of the family, young and old.  It has a German tone to it because of the beer so spaetzle, noodles or boiled potatoes will go nicely with it.

Menu

Beer Braised Beef With Onions

Buttered Noodles or Spaetzle

My Aunt's Caramelized Baked Apples

Have fun!

A Casual Oscar Night...Baked Rigatoni With Tiny Meatballs...

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When I saw this in Smitten Kitchen's blog last week, I knew I had to try it...soon.  Well tonight I did and both of us gave it two thumbs way up.  I also thought it would be a fitting main dish for Oscar night where dinner would  probably be served on your lap in front of the TV, so as not to miss a single dress or award.  If you are having a few close friends over, no problem, this recipe will easily fit 6, and even 8, if you serve plenty of hors d'oeuvres and a big salad.  

Now these are not you usual rigatoni with a sauce...they are quite special and although easy on the pocketbook, somewhat elegant. I’ve upped the sauce, cheese and seasoning for a baked pasta that is more lush, but surprisingly un-heavy.  I have also added some minced fresh basil to the meatballs (I actually used the one that comes in a tube from the produce department of the grocery store).

Accompany with hearts of romaine with a vinaigrette, those nice thin Italian bread sticks, and a nice Sangiovese.  Try Monte Antico, an inexpensive red from Tuscany which sometimes can be found at Costco and regular grocery stores. It's an inexpensive version of an Italian Super Tuscan and is the one I drink when price is an issue.

This dish can be prepared in the afternoon, covered, placed in the refrigerator, and cooked when ready to serve.  If you want to buy the dessert, I suggest something lemony, like the lemon tart posted a few days ago.

Serves 8

Ingredients

For the meatballs:

1/4 cup milk

1 slice good white bread trimmed of its crust

1 pound ground pork (or beef, or lamb, or a mix of the three)

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 TB fresh chopped basil or 1 tsp basil concentrate (in tube)

1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano (Parmesan)

1 egg

Salt

Black pepper in a grinder

1 cup flour, spread on a plate

Vegetable oil for frying

For the bèchamel:

4 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons flour

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

To finish:

1 pound rigatoni

3/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup milk

Directions

Make the meatballs: Heat the milk, but don’t let it simmer. Tear pieces of the white bread into it and let it soak for 5 minutes, before picking it up with your hand, squeezing it of excess milk and putting it in a large mixing bowl.

Add the pork or beef, garlic, parsley, basil,grated cheese, egg, salt, and pepper. Combine all the ingredients with a fork until they are evenly mixed .

Pinch off a small lump of meat, about the size of a raspberry and roll the lump into a ball in the palm of your hands.  When all the meatballs have been shaped, roll them in the flour, 15 to 20 at a time. Place the floured meatballs in a strainer and shake it smartly to dispose of excess flour.

Put enough vegetable oil in a skillet to rise 1/4-inch up the sides of the pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the oil is hot, put as many meatballs in the skillet as will fit without overcrowding. Brown them until they form a nice crust all around. When one batch is done, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a platter covered with paper towels to drain and do the next batch until all are done.

Make the bèchamel: Heat the milk over low heat in a saucepan until it forms a ring of pearly bubbles, but do not let it break into a boil (you can also do this in the microwave). In a larger saucepan, melt the butter over low heat, add the flour and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or flat whisk until combined. Add a little of the milk to the flour and butter mixture, stirring steadily and thoroughly, then repeat until all the milk is added.( you can add the milk in 1/2 cup increments, stirring constantly to keep it smooth.) Add the salt, pepper and nutmeg and stir the sauce until it thickens.When you see the first bubble, the sauce is done.

Assemble the dish: Cook the rigatoni in a pot of well salted water. Drain when still al dente, and combine immediately in bowl with two-thirds of the bèchamel, half the grated cheese, and all the meatballs.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heavily butter a 9×13 baking dish. Spread the rigatoni and meatball mixture in the pan, leveling it off with a spatula. Pour the milk over the dish, the spread the rest of bèchamel on top, and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese.

Place in the uppermost level of the preheated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until a golden brown crust forms on top.


Adapted, from Marcella Hazan and Smitten Kitchen
Photo: Smittenkitchen

Chicken Piccata

Pin It Still unpacking, but eating better.

This is one of those recipes that you can have on a week night or dress up if you are having another couple for an inpromtum dinner. We just happened to have it tonight because it's easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. If you are serving it with company, do go the extra mile and slice the lemon at the end of the recipe. It looks pretty and more, shall we say, professional?

You can buy the chicken breasts already thinly sliced.

Serves 4


Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Dash of paprika
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
lemon, thinly sliced (optional)


Directions

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and paprika and shake off excess.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate.

Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning.

Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Layer the thinly sliced lemon on top of the chicken, pour sauce over it and garnish with parsley.

Adapted from Giada de Laurentis

London Broil...Dinner at the New House

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It has been pouring ever since I got to the new house which is good for unpacking but certainly not for the grill. Usually when we move, we eat off the grill the first couple of nights, but not this time. Yesterday, we went to the store and picked up a beautiful top round on sale which was destined for last night's dinner, but with all the rain, there was no way we could cook outside. The broiler pan was nowhere to be found but the iron skillet luckily was on hand. I first thought of broiling it but thought perhaps a few minutes on top of the stove to sear it and lock the juices would be a better idea. So this is what I did. I took the meat out of the refrigerator two hours before cooking, marinaded it in Worcestershire Sauce and Crazy Salt, rubbed butter all over it, seared it for a couple of minutes on each side and baked it at 425 degrees for 5 minutes. (leave oven door ajar) I took it out of the oven and let it sit for about 10 minutes on the iron skillet to let the juices do their thing. The result, the best London Broil I have ever cooked...soft, juicy, tender, the works. Make sure you slice it very thin and against the grain and whatever you do, do not overcook. This is what makes it tough.

London Broil, despite what you might find at the local meat market, is not a cut of beef but rather a method of cooking. It was one of the first recipes to become popular in early restaurants and so the name London Broil became synonymous with a cut of meat. Originally that cut of meat was flank steak, but over the years the name has been applied to almost any cut of beef that is very lean and less tender. Hence you might find London Broil being a steak or a roast that comes from the sirloin or round sections of cattle. This of course makes the whole thing very confusing.

What you will find today as London Broil in most grocery stores is Top Round, usually between an inch and 1 1/2 inches thick. A wonderful marinade is olive oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey and balsamic vinegar. Tonight, none of that could be found. However, the alternative was terrific and a second recipe to file away for this cut of meat, which is wonderful in winter when grilling is out of the question for most of us.

Servings 4 - 6

Ingredients

1 Top Round Streak 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
Crazy Salt
Worcestershire Sauce
Pepper
Butter

Preheat Oven to 425 degrees

Take the meat out of the refrigerator two hours before cooking. Marinade in Worcestershire Sauce, Crazy Salt and pepper. Before cooking, rub the meat on both sides with soft butter. Heat the iron skillet to medium high and brown the meat on both sides (approximately 2 minutes each side). Place the iron pan with the meat in a preheated 425 degree oven for about 5 minutes. Leave oven door ajar. Remove skillet from the oven and let meat rest in the skillet for another 5-10 minutes. The meat will continue cooking during this time. Remove to the cutting board and cut very thin, against the grain.

Zesty Lemon Chicken

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Had this for dinner tonight. Simply sensational. I bought the wrong cut of chicken, thinking it was boneless chicken breasts instead of skinless chicken tenders. My original intention was to make chicken paillard but there you go, we had Lemon Chicken instead. My daughter is going to be thrilled when I make it for her as it is one of her favorite Chinese dishes.

This is an adaptation of an adaptation of Martin Yan's Lemon Chicken. I've forgotten what the original recipe looks like as most of my cookbooks are in storage (they'll be out soon!). No matter, this is a keeper.

Chinese meat dishes, as a rule, are not marinaded beforehand for long periods of time. Ten minutes is the usual time in most recipes. In this case, since the chicken was intended for something else, the tenders sat in fresh lemon juice and garlic for about 4 hours*. That might have been what made this dish over the top. The end result was a light crisp crust on the outside and very tender and juicy inside, with a sauce that was lemony and not too sweet. White rice and broccoli florets accompanied the dish. Can't wait to make it again!

Yield
4 servings


Ingredients

6 to 8 tablespoons mild-flavored honey
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
2 teaspoon lemon pulp
2 tablespoons plum sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 lbs. chicken breast tenders*
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup cooking oil
1/2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions

Make the sauce by whisking the honey, lemon juice, zest and pulp together in a small bowl until blended. Stir in the plum sauce, pour into a small saucepan; set aside.

In a small bowl, combine egg with the salt and white pepper. Lightly coat the chicken with the cornstarch; dip into the egg mixture and coat in the cornstarch again. Let it stand for 5 minutes.

Shake off the excess cornstarch prior to cooking.

In a wok, heat the oil until hot. Cook the chicken, a couple pieces at a time, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat; add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens.

Place the chicken on a serving plate. Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Grilled Eggplant with Mozarella & Marinara Sauce

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This recipe was inspired by my son Ted, the grill master- in -waiting in our family, after my brother, of course! He was the one who taught me to marinade the eggplant in olive oil AND balsamic vinegar. I perfected it by adding the sugar to the slices while they are marinading.

When they are done, my son cuts the slices in quarters and adds them to spaghetti. It is delicious. I serve mine stalked up, with the sauce on top and a crusty baguette on the side. Your choice.


Serves 4


Ingredients

1 eggplant
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Sugar
Salt and pepper
Mozzarella cheese
Basic Marinara Sauce
Parmigiano Reggiano.


Instructions

Slice the eggplant in 1/2 inch slices. In a big bowl, mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Add the eggplant making sure all slices are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle about 1/2 tsp of sugar on each slice and put back in the marinade. Marinade for about 1/2 hour. Light the fire to medium high (400 on the gas grill)and grill covered for about 8 minutes on each side. Place about 1 Tb shredded mozzarella on top of each slice, cover and cook until the cheese melts. Remove from the grill.

Place three slices in a stalk, top with the marinara sauce and grate some Parmigiano on top. Serve with a crusty baguette.

Cooks Note: Make your own sauce, or preferably the one on the blog. It is Lidia Bastianich's recipe, simple, easy and authentic. Lots of garlic and fresh basil! Put the leftovers in the freezer for another night of eggplant, pasta or veal. Believe me, when you find yourself with nothing planned for dinner, you'll be glad you did!

Dinner from the Pantry...Gnocchi with Spinach Bacon & Mozzarella

Pin It I'm still cooking from the pantry, trying to prepare for hurricane season. Today I discovered way in the back of the food closet something I must have bought years ago and never used. It was gnocchi shaped pasta from DeCecco that must have been bought by mistake thinking it was the real thing. By now, readers of this blog will know that I hate baking and working with flour, so you are never going to catch me making fresh gnocchi, even though I love it to death. It is one of those things that I save to order when I go out to an Italian restaurant.

Gnocchi is also the name given to the dry whimsical shape pasta family. They originate in the Campania region in the South of Italy. Their shape is fashioned after an empty grooved cone. They are usually 32 mm long whereas their thickness is between 1,15 and 1,30 mm. Gnocchi can be served with light tomato or meat sauces; it is also superb with pesto. Unfortunately, tonight none of these options were a possibility, but a quick look inside the refrigerator put some creative wheels in motion. As I have mentioned before, if you have a well stocked pantry, and this includes the refrigerator and the freezer, you can always put something together. On a few occasions, even you will surprise yourself, like I did tonight.

Not only did i come out with a great new recipe, I have also discovered a new pasta shell to work with! If you can't find gnocchi shaped pasta in your supermarket, try orecchetti, fussilli or any other shells or ridge shapes. Also go to my store on the right and look under gourmet food. The sauce is also delicious with real gnocchi, like the one in the main photo above from Flickr.

Ingredients

8 oz DeCecco Gnocchi or gnocchi shaped pasta

1/2 pckg frozen spinach (4 oz)

4 strips bacon

2 Tb butter

1/2 Onion

2 garlic cloves

1/2 Cup heavy cream

1 TB shredded mozarella

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese



Instructions


Boil gnocchi with spinach 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Cook 4 strips bacon in microwave 5 minutes. Cut in 1 in. pieces

In another pan melt 2tb butter. Saute 1/2 onion and garlic cloves. Remove garlic and discard.

Add 1/2 cup heavy cream, Boil down until thickened.Add 1 tb mozzarella stirring until it melts. This will add body to the sauce.

Add the cream sauce to the gnocchi and spinach.

Add the bacon pieces

Add 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese

Serve immediately and pass the extra parmesan around.

Mac & Cheese Harry's Bar

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Can you believe? I guess it pays to watch the Food Channel once in awhile! I was writing this week's post and watching Giada on the Food Network when suddenly I heard the words Mac & Cheese and Harry's Bar. According to Giada, the recipe was made for her at Harry's Bar in Venice. Pays to be famous! I haven't tried it, I don't need to...just reading the ingredients I know it will be good! I am posting it for my daughter who's always looking for a new way to make Mac & Cheese.

I remember when she was living with me and we'd both stop working after the market closed to watch Giada and Barefoot Contessa. If we saw something we both liked, she'd get in the car go to the store, get whatever we were missing and we'd have it for dinner that night! Boy, I miss those days and I miss her, my favorite sous chef, after Lucy, of course! Unfortunately, my new room mate, my mother, doesn' t go for this kind of adventure so I guess we won't be having it for dinner tonight. Christy, darling, wheyayou?? I'm posting it with plenty of time so you can make it over the weekend. Let us know how it turns out!

Serves 6

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing dish

12 ounces wide egg noodles

2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups (packed) grated Fontina
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan
3/4 cup (packed) grated mozzarella
4 ounces cooked ham, diced, optional
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Butter a 13 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Drain well, but do not rinse.

Whisk the cream, milk, flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup mozzarella, ham, if using, and parsley. Add the noodles and toss to coat.

Transfer the noodle mixture to the prepared baking dish. Toss the remaining 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the noodle mixture.

Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

4/27/13 I have made this recipe a few times and can tell you it is great! The grandchildren love it and it is a staple when they come. Don't compare it to our American Mac & Cheese.  It is the Italian version and, after all, it is Harry's Bar.

Celebrating Bastille Day ...Chicken Grand-mere Francine Daniel Boulud

Pin It Chicken grand-mère, a savory fricassee, is a classic in French cuisine in general, but it was a classic in Daniel Boulud's family too. It was a specialty and a favorite of his Grandmother Francine, who cooked at the original Café Boulud outside Lyon, and at no time was it better than at mushroom harvest time. Mushrooms are a typical chicken grand-mère ingredient, but there was nothing typical about the dish "when my grandmother would add rose des pres, pink field mushrooms, newly dug potatoes, and new garlic." Fortunately, this dish always seems to be both satisfying and soothing whether you’re making it plain, with cultivated cremini or oyster mushrooms and creamer potatoes, or fancy, dressing it up with exotic mushrooms and any of the small fingerling or banana potatoes that many green markets now offer.

This is the kind of dish that I would serve in the Fall or Winter, but it is so typically French, that I thought I would add it now in honor of Bastille Day on July 14th. Why don't you start with the figs, prosciutto and cheese recipe from the last post? I think it would make for a beautiful combination, particularly now in the summer!


Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
One 3-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 cipolini onions, peeled and trimmed
4 shallots, peeled and trimmed
2 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
3 sprigs thyme
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 small celery roots [celeriac], peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 ounces slab bacon, cut into short, thin strips
12 small cremini or oyster mushrooms,trimmed and cleaned
2 cups unsalted chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth*

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Working over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil in a large ovenproof sauté pan or skillet – choose one with high sides and a cover. Season the chicken pieces all over with salt and pepper,slip them into the pan, and cook until they are well browned on all sides, about 10 to 15 minutes. Take your time – you want a nice,deep color and you also want to partially cook the chicken at this point. When the chicken is deeply golden, transfer it to a platter and keep it in a warm place while you work on the vegetables.

3. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the cooking fat from the pan.Lower the heat to medium, add the butter, onions, shallots, garlic,and thyme, and cook and stir just until the vegetables start to take on a little color, about 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, celery root,and bacon and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, just to start rendering the bacon fat. Cover the pan and cook another 10 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.


4. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and return the chicken to the pan. Add the chicken stock, bring to the boil, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes,or until the chicken is cooked through. Spoon everything onto a warm serving platter or into an attractive casserole.

To serve: Bring the chicken to the table, with plenty of pieces of crusty baguette to sop up the sauce and spread with the soft,sweet, caramely garlic that is easily squeezed out of its skin.


Cook's Note*I use 3/4 cup of a rose or robust white wine and 1 1/4 cup chicken bouillon. Sometimes I substitute the wine with cognac, particularly if I use fancy mushrooms, to make it more special!

To drink: A rustic Bandol Rouge





Cook's note: Rather than use an oven proof skillet, I use a cocotte, a French oven proof cast iron dish. Le Creuset makes a good one!


Adapted From Café Boulud Cookbook by Daniel Boulud (Simon & Schuster, Scribner, 1998)

Lipton's Meat Loaf with a Twist

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I usually don't post on Sundays but one of my dearest friends is having a craving for meatloaf!

I have been making this meatloaf recipe ever since I got married 40 years ago! It comes from a friend of ours who used to have a house in Vermont where my husband and I went during ski season. I think it is so good that I have never felt the need to look for another recipe and my family and friends have been enjoying it all these years. Like a lot of meatloaves today, it is a variation of the one on the onion soup mix but the addition of bacon really makes it stand out. The original recipe calls for real bread crumbs, so if you have day old bread, by all means use it.

The way I like to accompany meatloaf is with baked sweet potatoes on the side and creamed spinach. If you don't want to make the latter, Stouffers makes a pretty good one. The baked sweet potato will only take an hour at 350 degrees, so both can cook in the same oven. Make sure you let it rest for at least 10 minutes, otherwise it will be hard to cut. I usually let it rest longer.

This is one of the simplest most delicious and economical meals you will ever have...The ultimate comfort food. In addition, there is nothing like having meatloaf sandwiches for the rest of the week!



Ingredients


1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix or Onion Beef Soup Mix

2 lbs. ground beef

3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs*

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp dry basil*

3 slices of bacon

pepper


Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Shape into a loaf in a 13 x 9-inch baking or roasting pan or in a loaf pan. Cover with 3 slices of bacon.

3. Bake uncovered 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.




*Cook's Note Use 1-1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs or 5 slices fresh bread, cubed
* If you have fresh basil use it..if you have lemon basil, even better!
* I prefer to use a metal meat loaf pan instead of ceramic. The one in the photo is from Getty Images. The one in the recipe will look the same or better!

Honey Barbecue Chicken Drummettes

Pin It Depending on how many guests you are having, you may want to double or triple the recipe. The marinade is plenty for basting 20 chicken drummettes.

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh gingerroot
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Red Pepper Flakes to taste
12 skin-on chicken drummettes (about 3 1/2 pounds)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, onions, rice wine vinegar, honey, cilantro, red pepper flakes, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic and sesame oil, and stir well to combine. Place the chicken in a large plastic bag or baking dish and cover with the marinade. Toss to combine and place in the refrigerator, turning frequently, to marinate at least 6 hours.

Preheat the grill to medium and the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Pat the chicken dry, and grill the chicken, skin-side up, until browned, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the leftover marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.

Turn the chicken, and grill until the skin is browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.

Baste the chicken with the marinade and continue cooking until done, another 5 - 10 minutes.

Arrange the chicken on a platter and put the leftover reduced marinade on a bowl on the side.

Bourbon Orange Broiled Salmon

Pin It I always try to have a couple of recipes saved in case I am in a pinch. Tonight is the perfect example. My original intention was to publish a recipe for Sole Meuniere, one of my most favorite recipes on earth. Unfortunately, the fish was a no show.

When I cross the bridge into Miami Beach, the first thing I think about is a fabulous food store called Epicure. Here you can find anything you want, with prices to match. My idea was to splurge on just one thing this week, and that was going to be filet of sole. Yesterday, I drove to the store in the middle of a torrential downpour, parked in ankle deep water and headed straight to the meat counter. You should have seen my face when I found out the price... $39.95 a pound!! Now, I think I am pretty shell shocked about everything these days, but this one takes the prize and almost beats the $18 Bellinis at Harry's Bar! Goes to show you the state of our oceans or the fact that there are still people in this world that will pay that for a piece of fish... at least in Miami Beach!

When we lived in Connecticut, I remember eating sole and flounder pretty regularly and never paying anything close to half this price. Don't think that our local fish here in Florida are that inexpensive either. Snapper, mahi -mahi, yellow tail and grouper at the docks in Key Biscayne sell for about $10/lbs, last time I checked... an extraordinary bargain when compared to the sole. Needless to say, I walked out of the store not only empty handed but with an $18 parking ticket to boot. Sometimes its better to stay in bed and call it a day.

One of the great things about this recipe, is that you can marinade the salmon in the morning before you go to work and have dinner in no time. Yes, it's not sole meuniere, but it is still quite delicious! Brace yourselves..it looks like we'll be eating a lot of salmon during this recession!

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, chopped
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
Cooking spray

Preparation

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and add salmon to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove salmon from bag, reserving marinade. Place salmon on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Creamed Spinach

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Another of my children's favorite, particularly my son Ted's. This is a dish that goes well with so many things...chicken croquettes, the Venetian Isles Chicken, Skirt steak, pork chops, lamb chops and so much more!

As a Mom who introduced her children to everything, if you want them to eat spinach, prepare this recipe and you will have them asking for more.

Ingredients

1 pkg frozen spinach
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1 Cup milk (hot)
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt
Pepper

Cook spinach according to pkg directions. Cool. Squeeze all the water out and let it sit in a colander while you prepare the bechamel sauce.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter, add the flour, cook for 1 minute. Add the hot milk a little at a time while constantly stirring. Continue stirring until it comes to a boil, about another minute or two. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serve at once, or reserve for later use covered in tinfoil.

Saturday Night on the Grill...The Forgotten Shish Kebabs

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This has to be one of my favorite meals on the grill. So simple to make and yet nowadays, you hardly hear of anyone making shish kebabs. The trick is to buy good meat and assemble your own, not buy the stuff that comes already assembled at the grocery store.

The best cut of beef for shish kebabs is sirloin steak. After that, it's up to you, but I prefer mine with onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and bacon. The latter is the secret to the wonderful flavor. You can also add zucchini rounds and use half green and half red peppers marinade them for about an hour or longer and you are in business. There are so many good easy dishes like this to prepare, particularly if you have a grill, that I simply don't understand why people don't eat at home more often. It beats a pizza or takeout any day, including cost and waiting time. Just make sure you make enough for leftover Fajitas or Sirloin Hash with soft boiled eggs...two great meals for a lazy Sunday with the Perfect Bloody Mary.


Serves 4



Ingredients


1 large Sirloin steak cut in 1 1/2 in. cubes (figure on 4 cubes of meat per skewer)

2 tomatoes cut in quarters (2 quarters in each skewer)

2 onions cut in quarters (2 quarters in each skewer)

1 green pepper cut in 8 pieces (2 pieces in each skewer)

8 mushroom caps

4 slices of bacon each cut in half and rolled



Marinade


1/2 cup olive oil

3 TB red wine vinegar

1 TB worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp. Mc. Cormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

salt

pepper


Preparation

Cut steak and vegetables in 1 1/2 in cubes. Cut each slice of bacon in half and roll. Alternate meat and vegetables on skewers making sure you stagger the bacon so that each skewer has 2 bacon rolls in addition to meat and vegetables. Marinade for at least 1 hour. Light your grill and wait till it registers to about 450 degrees. Grill kebabs 6 minutes on each side, pouring the marinade when you turn for the final 6 minutes of cooking. Remove from the grill, let rest 5 minutes and serve with white rice.


Wine suggestions
Serve with a hearty Cabernet from California or an Australian Shiraz


Leftovers...Shish Kebabs Fajitas For Lunch

I always try to make at least an extra skewer or two so I can have enough leftovers to make fajitas next day. I also chop extra onions, tomatoes and peppers and bunch them up on one skewer to grill together with the shish kebabs and use them the next day on fajitas or hash.

Place a flour tortilla in the microwave for 20 seconds so its softens. Slice the meat and together with the leftover vegetables place in the middle of the tortilla. Grate some Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese on top and add a few drops of Tabasco Sauce or some sliced jalapenos. Microwave for 20 seconds or until the cheese melts. Add a dollop of sour cream, fold and enjoy!

Leftovers...Sirloin Hash and Soft Boiled Eggs for Brunch

If you want to make hash the next day, all you need to do is add some potatoes to the leftover meat, onion, peppers and tomatoes. First peel and cut the potatoes in cubes. Dice the green peppers and onions. Melt some oil in a frying pan , add one clove of garlic, sautee for a couple of minutes, remove, add the potatoes and cook covered until they are almost done . Mash them a little in the pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Add a little heavy cream and press down into a thick pancake.. Cook until crisp, flip to the other side and cook until done. Remove to a platter. Top with soft boiled eggs.

Polpette In a Lemon Basil Tomato Sauce

Pin It Polpette in English means meatball. I chose the title in Italian because to me the word meatball has the connotation of checked red and white tablecloths, Chef Boyardee and a restaurant that was all the rave in the sixties called Mamma Leone's. If you remember the name, you run the chance of dating yourself. Anyway, its just my way of elevating this dish to the place it deserves.

I have been singing the praises of lemon basil for a long time and tonight was the crowning glory for this herb. Usually I use it as a secondary ingredient in pasta because of its subtle flavor but tonight, I decided to make it the main event and added a fair share, not only to the meatballs, but also to the sauce. The result was ethereal. The more I use this herb, the more I like it. If you haven't done so already, plant some in your garden, you still have time. You can find it in most nurseries...I found mine at Home Depot.

Most of the time, polpette, or meatballs, are served with the tomato sauce you use to accompany spaghetti and other types of hearty pasta recipes. Tonight, I broke all the rules and the results were extraordinary. I cut back on the garlic in the sauce, added some onion, which I never do, and even added some red wine. The new recipe was a very different, subtle and elegant polpette in a red wine sauce.



Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes



Ingredients


3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 pounds ground beef
2 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Lemon Basil* finely chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 Cup bread crumbs


Sauce

4 cloves garlic
1/4 C finely chopped onions
1 Cup of Pomi Chopped Tomatoes
1/4 C finely chopped Lemon Basil*
1/4 Cup red wine
Red pepper Flakes
Water
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parmesan Cheese

In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, Parmesan, lemon basil, pine nuts, salt and pepper and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a size somewhere between a tennis ball and a golf ball. Roll in the bread crumbs. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan, and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Take meat balls out and keep about 2 TB of the leftover oil. Add another 3 cloves of mashed garlic, and the onions. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the Pomi tomatoes, the lemon basil, salt & pepper and the red pepper flakes. Put the meatballs back in and cook covered for 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup red wine and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. If the sauce is too thick and you are cooking spaghettini to go with it, add 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin and cook another 5 minutes. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetinni and sprinkle Parmeggiano Reggiano on top.

*If you can't find lemon basil, substitute regular fresh basil and grated lemon peel. For 1/2 cup basil add 1 TB grated lemon peel. As to the lemon basil in the sauce, just add regular fresh basil. Try to get lemon basil, it's what makes this dish!

Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pin It I have been looking for an easy Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe for a long time. I think I've found it in this adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe. What she has done to shorten the cooking time is to break the butt in 4 sections so it will cook faster. If you have never tried Pulled Pork, do...you will be in heaven. This sandwich is a typical dish from North Carolina, which adds coleslaw to the sandwich, but there are many variations. Granted if you could cook it in a smoker all day long, like my son does, I'm sure it would be better...but how many of us do? The leftovers just get better as the week goes on!

Ingredients

Serves 8

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp.paprika

1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split

barbecue sauce, for serving (See below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat.

Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce. Serve with coleslaw

Barbecue Sauce

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup catsup

3 TB dark brown sugar

1 TB yellow mustard

1 TB molasses

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

Combine in a saucepan and cook until sugar melts. Put in a squeeze bottle and drizzle sauce over pork

Makes 2 cups