Journey of an Italian Cook

Ricotta Dumplings in Srawberry Sauce

2012-01-30T09:55:00.000-06:00

From the moment my eyes on Lidia Bastianich's Sweet Ricotta Dumplings with Strawberry Sauce, I knew they were coming to my home. Have you ever glanced at a recipe and suddenly found yourself obsessed with making it - yesterday?

I thought - February - for Valentine's Day. A berry-red soup-sauce with snowy dumplings - who could wait? Not me. I indulged - telling myself that because the dumplings were boiled and not fried - these were "January-healthy." "January-healthy" calls for robust - that's my new definition.

The recipe hails from northern Trentino-Alto Adige - a province that gives a wink and a nod to both Italian and German cooking. The dumplings (which are actually not sweet) are boiled and then sauteed - becoming like a custard when cooked.

Sweet Ricotta Dumplings with Strawberry Sauce - from Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy
Canederli di Ricotta (makes 18 canederli -dumplings; serves 6 - it served 8)

Strawberry Sauce
6 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Canederli/Dumplings
1 tablespoon plus 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
6 tablespoons butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 pound fresh ricotta, drained
2 large eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour

Strawberry Sauce
Put strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Set over medium-low heat stirring occasionally. As the berries give up their juices and it starts to bubble, adjust heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 8 minutes - until the berries are soft and the juices are slightly syrupy. Cover and keep warm. (Can be made ahead. Reheat before serving.)

Dumplings (Canederli)
(Note: While Lidia says to make this after dinner - I did boil them ahead of time and then briefly ran them threw the simmering butter while the guests waited.)

For the dough: Put ricotta in large bowl and whisk it. Blend in eggs and the 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Add flour and gently fold the flour into the ricotta until all is incorporated. The dough will be soft and sticky. (I refrigerated the dough for 30 minutes which made it easier to handle).

Fill a large pot with 6 quarts of water, add the tablespoon of salt and heat to a boil. Put the butter in a large skillet and melt the butter over a low flame. Keep warm.

When water boils, reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Using an ice cream scoop that has been submerged in a glass of cold water (prevent mixture from sticking), scoop up some ricotta mixture and with floured hands, form into a ball (I just used the ice cream scoop and didn't play with the mixture. I tend to be - expedient.). Dispense scooped mixture into simmering water. Repeat. (I did about 3 at a time). Keep the ice cream scoop moistened with the cold water. Let the dumplings cook without stirring. Once they have risen to the top, simmer for 5-7 minutes. You can test if for doneness by pressing into the dumplings - they should feel solid and spring back. If too soft, simmer for another minute.

Lift out the dumplings (Lidia says use "a spider.") and let them drain over the pot and then gently roll them in the warmed butter. Turn off heat and let them sit and firm up for a minute.

To serve: Arrange canederli/dumplings in large-rimmed platter, pouring warmed strawberry sauce over all. or - simply put dumplings in individual dishes with a few tablespoons of strawberry sauce.

Notes: I was successful doing these ahead of time. The 1/4 cup dumplings were very filling. I couldn't finish mine! (Maybe it was the wedge of Brie, the aged Provolone, the Fettuccine with Sausage Ragu that preceded the meal). But with lightly floured fingers, I would make smaller dumplings. And let them swim in the strawberry soup. And later I will make them with raspberries or blackberries or cherries and maybe take the ricotta dumplings and "herb" them and serve them with a savory sauce or as an appetizer... I foresee a huge future for this recipe.

Wild Rice Apple Salad and Sausage with Grapes

2012-01-27T10:08:00.001-06:00

What happens when a journalist-marketer-graphic designer for the culinary and agricultural industries (Tracey Ryder) joins forces with a photographer-advertising executive (Carole Topalian)? A lot. They co-founded Edible Communities in 2002 and spawned the local-seasonal movement in the USA. The company currently has 70 published titles all devoted to eating local. The movement has also rolled out local magazines featuring recipes for food grown locally as well as articles devoted to the artisan farmers who make it happen. You can out more about the movement in your hometown by going to Edible Communities. It's quite a feat to transform the way a large country such as the USA eats. But partly because of Ryder and Topalian, this is a movement that grows every year. It's not surprising that Gourmet listed these two women as "game-changers."

Without knowing who Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian were, I had been picking up Edible Twin Cities at the St. Paul Farmer’s Market for a few years. The St. Paul Farmer’s market would be approved by Ryder and Topalian –you must be within a certain radius of St. Paul to sell your items – unlikeMinneapolis which has vendors selling bananas and oranges – decidedly notlocal!

National Public Radio released food trends for 2012. Eating local was one of them. I had to smile. I thought it had been a trend for ten years. Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian are proof of that. I am not a locavore. To do so, I would have to give up stone fruit! Not happening. But I am mindful of the seasons.

Wild rice and apples are two of Minnesota's most lauded products. When we travel and want to bring something local to our hosts, wild rice is always included. I was happy to see a recipe for wild rice that wasn't "Drowned Wild Rice in Cream." Wild rice is hearty enough - it doesn't need to be doused with anything.

Wild Rice and Apple Salad
3 cups cooked wild rice
1 apple, chopped
2-3 celery stalks, chopped
1 small red onion - chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
salt and pepper to taste
*optional, 1/4 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinaigrette (below or use your favorite vinaigrette)

Apple Cider Vinaigrette
1 tablespoon apple cider
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Whisk all.

As much as I would have loved to have presented this as dinner to "Husband-on Diet-which-means-Hell-has-frozen-over." I knew I need to supply a bit of protein and by the end of the week - another broiled chicken breast just wouldn't cut it. It was time for some winter flavor. (And sausage and grapes are local here - but not so much in January!)

I turned to Lidia Bastianich and her skillet sausage and grapes. This hails from Umbria. Only local in my heart.

Sausage and Grapes Skillet Meal by Lidia Bastianich

(I halved the recipe)

1/8 up extra-virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves

1-1/2 pound Italian Sausage links (I used 5)

1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes

1-1/2 cups seedless green grapes

Under low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and when the garlic is just starting to slowly sizzle, add your sausages. Cover and keep under low heat. Turn them every five minutes or so - to let them work their way into a deep, warming brown. After ten minutes, add the peperoncino flakes - in-between the sausages. Cover and let cook for another 20-25 minutes - continuing to turn them every once in a while.

When sausages are cooking (this slow browning is just the most delectable way to serve sausages), drain the fat and add the grapes. Cover and continue to cook under low heat until the grapes start to just wrinkle and pucker and release a juice or two. Uncover and raise the heat to high. Stir the grapes so they are covered with the leftover deeply browned oil in the pan allowing them to take on the earthy flavor. After ten-minutes, serve.

Husband was happy. Daughter was happy. And while the sausages and grapes might have been miffed about the flash on the camera - I consoled myself with the fact that one must organize priorities and if cooking doesn't start until dusk - so be it. Photographing the food the next day was not an option. There were no leftovers!

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 32 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living,

Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds,

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof,

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things, Alyce - More Time at the Table; Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades

Soup for the Shivering Soul

2012-01-22T13:51:00.000-06:00

It's no secret that soup and I have had a fulfilling relationship since childhood. Soup never gets ornery and soup is always there for me - and how do I reward soup? I slurp it up. I annihilate it. It is a one-sided relationship. But the glory of soup - is I can create it again and again. I let my mind wander to the land of make-believe (this play-acting in my mind of imagined conversations and new places to wander is still going strong in my middle-age). Grandma loved playing make-a-believe with me and as the soup was simmering, I was making-a-believing myself all the way to Rome.

The arctic blast hit Minnesota last week. My remedy? Italian music and Roman-Style Fish Soup. Reminiscent of a cioppino, this wine-based, spicy broth does indeed warm the shivering soul.

Zuppa di Pesce alla Romana - adapted from Williams-Sonoma Savoring Italy

(Roman-style fish soup from Lazio)

*This tastes best when all is fresh

**The book uses fresh squid which I could not get - if you can get it - by all means, chop it and saute it in the warm oil until opaque

2 garlic cloves

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

2 tomatoes, peeled and seeded (I didn't peel)

2 tablespoon fresh, chopped Italian parsley

pinch of salt

2 cups water

1 pound small clams

1/2 pound mussels - scrubbed and debearded

1/2 pound shelled, deveined fresh shrimp

1 pound assorted white fish (monkfish, turbot, bream, red snapper, sea bass cut into chunks).

*The only fresh whitefish I could get a hold of was tilapia so I used that but it fell apart as you can see in the photos. Halibut would be good but I'd have to sell my first born to afford it. And that's frowned upon here (selling your first born not eating halibut).

In a large saucepan (I used a stockpot) over medium heat, saute the garlic and pepper flakes in the olive oil until the garlic is golden - about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the garlic. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and salt and simmer about ten minutes - let it reduce but not disappear. This will be the base of your broth.

Add the water and bring to a simmer. Add the clams and mussels and simmer about five minutes. Add the tilapia (or other whitefish) and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the shrimp and simmer 1-2 minutes until the shrimp is cooked. Taste the broth and adjust seasonings.

You can lay a piece of bread in the bowls and spoon the soup over it. I am not fond of soggy bread so I perch it on the bowl. A nice touch would be warming the bowls. I seldom do that - but it is loving and gracious.

Dear Soup:
I love you. Sorry I cannot let you be. Thank-you for bringing me to Rome.

Green Soup

For the last two weeks I have been making the green soup I noted on my blog a week or so ago. I have tweaked it to use one bowl and more greens. It's a veritable lawn soup - and I love seeing all that green. Don't think of it as a diet soup - my 5'11" willowy daughter scrounges for this just as she does for chocolate. The original link is here:
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/basic_green_soup.html

My version is below:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions, coarsely chopped (don't go nuts - you're going to puree it)
2 tablespoons water plus 1 cup water
2 cups plus 4 cups vegetable broth divided (can use chicken broth unless you want it vegan)
1/4 cup arborio rice (gives it a little heft)
1 large bunch Swiss Chard
1 large bunch kale
2 bunches of spinach or one bagged spinach - remove stems if you wish. (I do.)
Big pinch of cayenne pepper
Juice from 1/4 lemon

Heat oil on medium high. Add onions and stir until light brown (3-4 minutes). Reduce heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of water and cover. Reduce heat to low. About every 30 seconds, stir onions until the pot has cooled down. Then let it steam/caramelize for 25-30 minutes - stirring occasionally. Add the cup of water, 2 cups of broth and rice. Bring to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

If you wish, trim the thick ribs in the middle of the chard leaves. Coarsely chop chard and kale and add to pot. Simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add remaining broth, cayenne pepper and spinach. Simmer for five minutes. Add the squirt of lemon. Taste. Adjust seasonings. Wait 5-10 minutes and then puree. Serve.

"There is no natural light these days. Winter won this round. But in my home, all is sunny and cozy.

I make soup at least once a week. I bookmark and scour the web. Soup is such a cornucopia of flavors and textures - no wonder I have it for breakfast, It fortifies me for the day. Other January soups I have made and savored are:
Proud Italian Cook's Kale, Chicken and Squash Soup. Easy, brothy, multi flavors and textures.
Ciao Chow Linda's Ribollita and Vegetable Soup It's a delicious way to visit Tuscany.
Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice Sausage Lasagna Soup - not low-cal but worth every calorie. If you are out and about in winter - you need this in your life.

Husband dieting adventures continue. He does like this soup - only he adds about 6 crackers to it - is that a Midwest thing? Everyone here adds crackers to their soups. Some "lose it" website has given my normally sane, keen, sharp husband a calorie total - which he swears by. As a former professional dieter, I have told him again and again that he is maintaining his weight. (And he is by George, hasn't lost or gained a pound.) But the website doesn't lie! (Is there a short play in this - "The Day Hell froze Over and the Husband Went on a Diet"). Now how can an intelligent engineer be so duped by a website? Maybe he plays make-believe differently than I do.

If you have a favorite (broth-based) soup recipe, send it over. We don't expect winter to end until Mid-May!

Roasted Cauliflower, Sage and Almond Risotto - Donna Hay

2012-01-20T08:41:00.001-06:00

Donna Hay is an empire.She covers it all. Think: The Essential NY Times Cookbook, or Martha Stewart. She is Australia's leading food editor and bestselling cookbook author.

(Photo from Donna Hay Biography)

Her meteoric rise as a food stylist and food editor at age 25 for Marie Claire is documented here. The wealth of her recipes are here. She is an equal-opportunity recipe developer - with recipes from around the globe that encompass small bites and full menus.

Of course she has her detractors. If you are wildly successful, someone will detract. (Mozart had too many notes, Shakespeare had too many words, Meryl Streep has too many pauses.) "She's a food stylist, not a chef!" claim her critics. And so she is. She also has a feel for classic dishes done simply without an inordinate amount of ingredients that will break the bank. No wonder people love her - the recipes are accessible.

Donna Hay's output gave us a lot of choice for this week's Gourmet Women Game Changers. I chose to make her roasted cauliflower risotto. The "sea of white" seemed appropriate for January and as Minnesota has plunged into the North Pole zone (we are currently searching the sky for flying reindeer), a warming, comforting dish was required. Nothing eases winter's fury like risotto.

The problem with roasting the cauliflower first is - you nibble. There was not quite a head of cauliflower by the time I was stirring the risotto!

Roasted Cauliflower, Sage and Almond Risotto (from Donna Hay Website)
(Note I will give you my measurements - they are not exact equations! Simply what worked for me)

Ingredients
500 grams cauliflower, trimmed and chopped (I used one medium head)
2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt and cracked pepper
40 grams (1/4 cup) chopped almonds
1 bunch of sage, leaves chopped
1.5 liters warmed chicken broth (I only needed 5 cups - use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian)
60 grams butter (I used 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance Butter)
300 grams (1-1/2 cups) arborio rice
125 ml (1/2 cup) dry sherry (I used dry white wine)
40 grams (1/2 cup) freshly-grated Parmesan
100 grams (I only used 1/2 cup) Taleggio (I used a triple cream Brie) - sliced

Preparation

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F). Place the cauliflower, oil, salt and pepper on a baking tray and toss to coat. Roast for 15 minutes, add the almonds and half the sage and roast for a further 5–8 minutes or until golden and crisp. Set aside and keep warm.

Place the stock in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Chop the remaining sage and add to the pan with the rice and sherry. Cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes or until the sherry is absorbed. Gradually add the stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring continuously for 25–30 minutes or until the stock is absorbed and rice is al dente. Stir through Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon into serving bowls. Top with Taleggio and the cauliflower mixture to serve. Serves 4. Unless you've nibbled quite a bit.

It lived up to its hype. The Taleggio (an earthier, aromatic version of Brie cheese from Northern Italy) which appears at my grocer's once a month was gone - but the triple cream Brie did the trick. And to tell you the truth - the dish is rich enough without the added cheeses, so if you want to go vegan - do it. You won't be disappointed. Slightly caramelized cauliflower, sage and almonds all add texture and flavors - the cheeses just add "oo la la" flair to the dish.

You can't go wrong with risotto and for all of you who declare,

"I'm not stirring for 35 minutes!"

Well, neither do I. I add the broth in 1/2 cupfuls, give it a few stirs, answer an e-mail or read my horror-scope and go back and give it a stir, add another 1/2 cupful, stir, chop an onion, come back and stir and then dance to Camera Obscura (the cat enjoys that)... you get the picture. I take frequent stirring breaks.

As for the recipes of Donna Hay - I will be back. She has the same sensibilities in her recipes that I look for - classic, unfussy with a surprising texture or flavor here and there. And it's good for me to leave my food cocoon and continue to journey. Sometimes I remind myself that the title of my blog is "Journey of an Italian Cook" and not "The Italian Cook has Arrived."

The verdict is very good when a dish encourages nibbling. Nibble and dance - to Honey in the Sun! Risotto and Camera Obscura brought the sun into my kitchen.

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 31 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living,

Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds,

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof,

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things, Alyce - More Time at the Table; Amrita- Beetle's Kitchen Escapades

Tuscan White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard

2012-01-18T11:06:00.000-06:00

I had this for breakfast.

I even had to fight the cat for it.

These days I am immersed in the exploits of the Polar explorer/physicist/mathematician Otto Schmidt.

While forging a new trade route, his ship - the Chelyuskin got mired in ice and sank - stranding 100 passengers (including women and babies born on board) on an iceberg for three months. I bet he would have liked some of this soup.

It is ten degrees out and the temps are only going down. The arctic air is here - Minnesota's meteorologists are thrilled - proclaiming the first polar air of the season. Minnesota's meteorologists are a decidedly odd bunch.

The soup hails from Tuscany via Cooking Light. You don't need a blast of arctic air to enjoy it. This will warm the cockles of your heart. And come together in 30-40 minutes. What more do you want? Grab a pot and start cooking.

Tuscan Bean Soup with Swiss Chard - adapted from Cooking Light Magazine* (Serves 4)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow or white onion chopped
5 garlic cloves - minced
2 cups vegetable broth (for vegan or vegetarian) can use chicken broth
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
2-15 ounce cans cannellini beans (rinsed)
1 1-2 ounce Parmesan rind (omit if Vegan - it adds substance but is also good without)
2 chopped carrots
1 bunch Swiss Chard - chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt - optional - the rind adds salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons freshly shaved Parmesan cheese for garnish (again, omit if vegan)

*Consider using kale or spinach. Cooking Light used escarole. Mix up the beans - the seasonings. Add or subtract onions. Use shallots instead or all garlic - consider the list of ingredients a guide.

Heat a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat. Add oil to pan and swirl to coat. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth, water, rosemary, beans, Parmesan rind and carrots and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes - until the carrot is tender and all is winningly combined. Stir in Swiss Chard (or other greens) and simmer for ten more minutes. Stir in red pepper, salt (if using), black pepper and vinegar. Remove rind. Serve, with shaved Parmesan.

Keep away from cat.

It has color, varied textures and magical properties as all soups do. And you don't need to be stranded on an iceberg to enjoy it.

Gourmet's Top 50 Women: #30 Barbara Tropp - Strange Flavored Eggplant

2012-01-13T07:55:00.000-06:00

(Photo by Michael Maloney)

Barbara Tropp is noted for her book The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking, and her Chinese restaurant in San Francisco The China Moon Cafe which opened in San Francisco in 1986. In 1997, she sold the restaurant while battling cancer. It would be a battle she would continue to fight for many years until 2001 when the disease took her. She noted ironically, that she lived the "cancer-prevention" diet for most of her life (vegetables, fresh fish). Unfortunately genetics would trump diet.

But she made her mark in a field she was passionate about. In a high school art class, she discovered Chinese art and culture and never looked back. She studied Chinese in college and then went on to doctoral studies at Princeton. During a two-year study-abroad in Taiwan, she was lucky enough to be placed with host families who were passionate about their food. Tropp paid attention and when she returned to the states, she left her thesis project behind ("I had picked a helplessly obscure topic in Chinese poetics and was in way over my head." From: Wikipedia) She moved to San Francisco to be closer to authentic Chinese markets and found her calling. She worked at recreating the foods she had in Taiwan and was amazed how little truly authentic Chinese restaurants existed. With her book and restaurant, she changed all that.

Information on her remarkable life can be found here and here.

I choose to make her "Strange-Flavored Eggplant" (aka Eggplant Caviar) which I found at Culinate. The recipe is from The China Moon Cookbook based on the dishes she served at the China Moon Cafe.

As Italians are great eggplant-lovers and roast it, chop it, fry it, grill it, bread it and cheese it, I thought it would be interesting to see how it would be prepared in Chinese cooking. I made it for Epiphany (taking down the tree) when there are expectations of savory hors d'oeuvres to offset the sweetness of the holidays. It did not disappoint.

NOTE: Everyone (everyone but the cat) is "mindfully eating" in my home - including my husband who is on the first diet of my life (and his wails and trials and tribulations could feed a book, sorry honey - you're talking to an ex-actress who had to diet when she was a size 8!). And even when mindfully eating, nobody wants a platter of carrots and celery in front of them. That is so 90's.

Ignore the title of the recipe - there is nothing strange about the flavor (except that it is brown and does not have a good side to photograph). It is silky, earthy with just enough garlic and ginger and sesame to keep you interested. It is best served after being refrigerated over night - and be still my heart - just continues to improve with time! My kind of recipe. You don't have to eat it all in one fell swoop. But we did.

Strange-Flavor Eggplant

Eggplant

1 to 1-1/4 pound eggplant (any style)

2 tablespoons corn or peanut oil

1/2 teaspoon Japanese sesame oil (I used toasted sesame oil)

- garlic croutons - (sorry, I skipped those - that "mindfully eating thing")

Aromatics

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/2-1/2 teaspoon dried red chilie flakes

Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons packed brown sugar (I used half of that; I don't have a sweet tooth)

1 teaspoon unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar (I used plain old unseasoned rice vinegar)

1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F and place rack in the middle of the oven. Prick the eggplant all over with a fork and remove the leaves. Bake on a baking sheet for 20-40 minutes turning once until fork tender. (I baked it for 30 minutes.) Remove from baking sheet and slit in half to speed up cooling process.

While still warm, scrape eggplant pulp away from the peel and ends. (I scraped away some very seedy parts.) Process with baking juices on a food processor (I think you could also mash it very well.)

Combine aromatics in a small dish.

Combine sauce ingredients in a small dish stirring to dissolve the sugar (yes, there are a few dishes - this is Chinese cooking!).

Heat a wok or large skillet on high heat (a droplet of water should evaporate when it touches the skillet). Add corn or peanut oil. Swirl and reduce heat to moderately high. Add aromatics and stir 15 seconds being careful not to scorch (lower the heat if you see that happening). Add the sauce and stir well to blend. When it simmers, add the eggplant and combine well. Remove from heat and taste. If necessary add more vinegar, chilie flakes or sugar. (I didn't - but of course - I had no idea how it should taste so went with trusting the recipe.) Stir in the sesame oil. Allow to cool.

Store airtight in the refrigerator overnight allowing the flavors to blend. To serve: sprinkle scallions over the top and serve with croutons (I did a wheat-flax pita). It would also be good with those aforementioned crudites (notice I didn't say carrots and celery).

Note: it is a fair amount of work for a small appetizer. Also noted - it got scarfed down. Would I do it again? Maybe. I am seduced by sesame oil. Whenever I cook with it, the kitchen comes alive with people (at this point they are immune to garlic). And I am always intrigued when I leave my Italian comfort zone - where I "know" how things should taste and explore other flavors, other textures, other worlds. It's a New Year. New worlds are welcome.

If I Only Had a Brain Note: Yes, it would have been more attractive with scallions scattered over it.

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 30 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey. Next week is Donna Hay.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets

Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Lemon Chicken

2012-01-09T18:37:00.001-06:00

The thing is - I keep my resolutions - pretty much. (I make them in November having learned that if I can keep them during the busy holidays - I can keep them all year). These days you will find me going through my home "bird by bird," "word by word," "file by file," and "t-shirt by t-shirt." I used to thrive in clutter - all those years directing with kids - if you didn't thrive in clutter - you were toast.

But I cannot write in clutter. My office is so filled with piles - I need to get outside to think. Luckily the weather has cooperated. But 40 and 50 degree degrees days in January are not the norm, so before winter again grasps us (Wednesday), I have been simplifying.

This philosophy also pertains to dinner time. I want few ingredients, one graceful meal without a lot of clean-up, a supper that delivers in taste but leaves me feeling that all is in place and the evening is for reading, music, conversation and cat purrs. This lemon chicken has been appearing on my table a lot. There is a lightness of being, an ease of preparation and it satisfies all quirky appetites (we have that in my home).

Nothing says Italian better than the classic combination of lemon, rosemary and garlic.The ingredients are bright enough for spring, but the comforting aroma makes it perfect for January - a soft blanket to keep you warm and snuggled.

Lemon Chicken (This is from Saveur - The New Comfort Food - served at Los Angeles's Angeli Caffe)
Serves 4
3-1/2 pounds chicken cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I used the juice of 1 lemon and called it a day)
10 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 lemon peel - pith removed and pulp chopped (I just zested the lemon before juicing it)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

1. Toss the chicken pieces with the olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Marinate for about an hour (I did longer).
2. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Arrange chicken in a 9x13 baking dish (or as you will) and cover chicken with remaining marinade. Roast, turning once until cooked through - about 30-40 minutes (mine took 40 minutes.)
3. Serve.

During the day, I have fallen in love with "Green Soup." I made a huge batch on Saturday, and it seems to be a tonic - to good health - to well-intentioned resolutions. It gives me a lightness of being. Just simple greens really (kale, spinach, chard, cooked with caramelized onions and pureed in broth). And did I mention it's utterly delicious? Most important. It's the caramelized onions that transform it.

Find it here: (Try it, you'll like it.)
http://www.publicradio.org/columns/splendid-table/recipes/basic_green_soup.html

If you have a resolve to eat healthier, get a wee bit leaner, this well help you. I am all for anything that will help me!

The moon appears around 4 p.m. I always have to stop what I am doing to see it - and say a moon poem to myself. The more I rid myself of "stuff," the more I see.

Not much later, the sun sets and I have to see that also.

I like the shimmer at the end of the short day. A last blazing moment - the sun does not disappear quietly. Why should it?

And after dinner, the evening star has been outshining the moon. Is it no wonder I want dinner to be simple? I want time for this.

50 Women Game Changers (in Food) #29 Betty Fussell - Green Bean Salad

2012-01-05T19:48:00.000-06:00

Green beans - with apologies to my adopted state - are not supposed to drown in a cream of mushroom casserole. Nor do I believe that their destiny is a puree. "Cream of green beans" does not compute. It was not what this vegetable was put on this earth for - it is made for crunch. It is made for simple. It is assertive enough that if you gussy it up with too many things, it complains.

So for this Week's Game Changer (Betty Fussell), I am going with green beans. Does a person who blogs twice a week really need to pick the simplest recipe on the planet? Yes. When it works. And while I have been simmering celeriac, beans, tomatoes, carrots, garlic and onions in a minestrone, I have been chomping away at the green beans. And it isn't going to make it to dinner, because I'm not the only one chomping away - daughter and husband have been sneaking the beans from the plate when they think I am typing and stirring.

Betty Fussell is a scholar, a writer and her connection to food is how it connects with our culture - with the American way of life. Her writings often have a feminist twist and she is not afraid to have her say on the corn industry, the beef industry, the Madison Avenue's advertising establishment or the way Americans feel about the food they consume. She is opinionated. Savvy. And in a sense a food anthropologist - but writing of the present in context of the past. Her Master's Degree is from Radcliffe, her PhD is from Rutgers and she has taught literature and film at the New School for Social Research and writing at Columbia University. Ms. Fussell wears many hats and looks exceedingly good in all of them.

(Betty Fussell photographed by Norma Jean Roy for Vogue, August 2008)

Her numerous accolades and awards can be found here. But if you really want to have some fun, read her
interviews - the leave you wanting more of the conversation. Find them here. And you have to know I loved, loved, loved that her book My Kitchen Wars was turned into a one-woman play.

For those who read cookbooks not just for recipes, I think Ms. Fussell's quote below will resonate with you.

"Cookbooks are much more than collections of instructions to get dinner on the table. From our earliest culinary records through the present (and beyond, we predict), cookbooks document culture, technology, identity, and even aspirations. What makes cookbooks a unique resource for historians, anthropologists, sociologists and others is that most cookbooks do this unconsciously; that is, in the guise of filling a practical need for practical instruction, cookbooks teach the careful reader about the values, needs, and desires of the cookbook audience."

Fussell sees no need for take-out when simple recipes such as these green beans can be made in a few minutes. She calls it bistro fare and it is my favorite way to eat. I have always been partial to bistros and trattorias - there's a simplicity that begs for "in-season" and food that does not have jet lag. I have been eating this salad for decades. Sometimes I throw on some chopped red pepper, it's also good with a few tablespoons of pesto. Below is Fussell's version. This will not work with frozen or canned string beans.

Green Bean Salad with Walnuts

2 pounds green beans

1/3 cup walnut oil (I used less)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (she also suggests 1 tbl of balsamic - I suggest champagne vinegar)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped, toasted, walnuts

Parboil the green beans for 3-10 minutes (I did 3) in salted, boiling water. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. In a small bowl, combine oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper - whisk. Pour over green beans and toss. Scatter chopped walnuts over all.

To get a sense of this exciting Game-Changer, take some time to view the video below. "The People Who Feed Us" a film by Staci Strauss & Craig McCord chatting with Betty Fussell in her NYC apartment.

Please check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 28 of Female Chef Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets

Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Sformato di Spinaci - A Spinach Flan for you

2011-12-30T20:57:00.000-06:00

I love theatre. I adore theatre. It's breathing to me. I've gone from an often-unemployed-but-professional actress to "employed -yay" theatre teacher to "employed - yay" director to "freelance but produced - yay" playwright. I love figuring out the lights, playing with sound, agonizing between words and creating characters. Except when I don't love it and then I start to wax poetical about every other profession in the world (except maybe Toll Booth Operator).

I love blogging. Adore it. Except for those times when there is no time and I think I should be getting something up - only I have nothing to say and last week's cooking was not inspired and I don't want a cookbook deal and the days have been dark and I'm just going to use the stupid flash - ....and I'm trying to understand physics for a play I never should have decided to write ... so I haven't visited anyone....and then ... I just sit and read blogs. And in no time, I'm back to loving blogging.

It's the community. Sometimes you share a story and I nod. Then, you unveil a recipe and I'm bewitched. You awaken a sense memory in me and I need to follow that road. And you do unexpected generous things that don't call attention to yourself - you just do it. An example of your generosity and kindness is this recipe - that came to me through a blogger. If you don't yet know Ciao Chow Linda I beg you to go over there. Make it a New Year's resolution - because this one you will keep!And get ready to cook (and smile).

In November I wrote about a ricotta sformato I had made - inspired by the restaurant Il Cibreo in Florence.
Ciao Chow Linda asked me if I had picked up their little cookbook and I replied, "Sadly no and I regret it."

One week later I received a copy of the pamphlet and attached to it was an Italian postcard that charmed which told me that she sent what she considered the best and the brightest recipes and I need to make the yellow pepper soup (will do). But first I had my heart set on the Sformato di Spinaci (Spinach flan). The recipe serves 8, so I halved it and it sill fed 6. It's a graceful puddle of green. Chef Fabio Picchi states:

"If you didn't have to deal with the difficulty of taking the flan out of the pan, this dish would be remarkably simple. Having overcome this little obstacle, and we shall see how, in my opinion this is a very fine dish and one that is not difficult to make."

Having been forewarned about taking it out of the pan (it is indeed a mass of softness), I thought about doing these in individual ramekins but I wanted to see the texture. Next time I will do the ramekins. But I don't regret doing it in one pan. I'm a sucker for turning vegetables into whispers.

Sformato di Spinaci - serves 8 generously
(I will give you Chef Picchi's measurements and then below - I will give you mine - and yes, the photos were taken with a flash - don't blink)
2 kg. Spinach
500 g. ricotta cheese
3 eggs
about 150 g. Parmesan cheese (freshly shredded)
nutmeg
120 g. - or about 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt - to taste

Spinach Flan - serves 4-6
30-35 ounces spinach
3/4 cup ricotta cheese (could use 1 cup)
2 eggs
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
nutmeg (to taste)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste

Wash the spinach and boil it in very little salt water - just till wilted. Drain it and squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop it up and add to a large bowl. (I saved the bowl and put all directly into the food processor.) Add all the ingredients to the bowl. Salt to taste. Then (my favorite recipe direction ever):

"If you have a food mixer, use it to make the mixture as smooth and uniform as possible; if you don't have one - either ask your next-door neighbor to lend you one, or when you chop up the spinach try to chop it up as finely as possible."

Put it in a medium sized baking bowl. The flan should be about four centimeters thick (mine was smaller and 2.54 centimeters equals 1 inch). Spread the mixture taking care to smooth the surface. Put the pan in the oven at 150 degrees C (about 300 degrees F) and leave it for a few minutes - just enough time for a thin film to form on the surface. (I only got a partial film.) Remove from oven, cover with tin foil and then you will need to check from time to time to see if the mixture is starting to swell (yes, Chef Picchio says you can open the oven - no problem - it's not a souffle).At that point, cover it well again and turn the oven down to 100 degrees C (about 212 F - and 215 F is just fine) and leave it for about 40 minutes.

To serve: Cut the flan into rectangular pieces (as you can see my shape didn't hold) and serve (preferably on heated plates) with tomato sauce or with a little melted butter and a dusting of Parmesan. I did the latter.

Chef Fabio Picchi's wonderful instructions on serving:

"I would advise you to carry out all the operations in the kitchen. To extract these rectangles without breaking them you will need to use rectangular spatulas: press lightly on two opposite sides, ease the pieces out and deposit them on the plates. If you need to use a finger to salvage a situation verging on disastrous, this will be understood, forgiven and justified even by the Hague Tribunal."

So there you have it - my flan - spread. The family didn't even look at the shape-shifter. They just ate. And sighed. Sighs tell a lot.

I thank you for all your kindnesses during the previous year. And I thank you for your blogs - your artistry and your nourishment. Food is necessary. Sharing elevates it. We are programmed to eat. We are also programmed to create. It's all somewhere in our DNA which is why we are a community. Buon Anno, friends. May 2012 bring you joy. And when it does - note it: in your blog, on a post-it-note attached to your computer or jotted down on the calendar. So no matter where you are on a given day - you have knowledge of the joy.

Of Cauliflower Soup and the Innocence of Tea Lite Globes

2011-12-27T17:59:00.001-06:00

It all started innocently enough.

I brought home four tea-lite globes to place by everyone's supper plate in the dark December eves. I had the best of intentions - wishing to bring holiday cheer to the table.Then, Kirsten brought me two more bird globes from the Sprawl. They're sweet little baubles. Innocent Christmas tchotchkes. Or so I thought. They light up, turn different colors, shower glittery snow and cast spells.

Shortly after that, my family started watching the globes. Forgetting to eat. And cheering when the globes were "in synch" (all displaying the same color at the same time). Harmless, right?

This developed into everyone grabbing the globes at some inopportune time (when I was eating) and we all had to turn them on at the count of "three" to synchronize their colors. (They never did stay in synch.) Then, they had the nerve to accuse me of always having a snow globe changing color one beat after all the others.

Then... my husband started displaying unusual behavior. He started going to the dinner table early and corralling all the little globes around his plate. He shook them until the glittery light threw sparkles that danced on his plate and announced that clearly he was the most celebratory one in the family. The gauntlet was thrown down. The competition began.

By Christmas morning, the innocent little globes were being used as pawns as they were stolen to circle one plate and then another. If you reached across the table to grab a pat of butter - Boom! - your snow globe was stolen. And placed in a spoon, on the butter, hobbling precariously on a bottle or just selfishly hoarded.

Later they morphed into puppets on a set. Adorning the Gingerbread House....

Or lining up to get inside the house.

The tea-lite-globes at my mother's home were greeted with joy. My poor mother and sister had no idea what mischief could ensue at the dinner table. Soon the tea-globes were perched on spoons.

And were part of a Coat of Arms display.

And of course graced a dessert tray.

And when 3-year-old Adam patiently explained to me that Santa might not make it to my home on Christmas Eve - because we were all grown-ups - I was sure that Santa knew better.

Unfortunately, making mischief with tea-lite-snow-globes does not burn a lot of calories. And so we are in Day 2 of Christmas Recovery. I saw this on the Food 52 Digest website. It reminded me of one of the endless variations of of the Italian Aquacotta (cooked water) without the eggs. It is basically a "cooked vegetable in water" soup - perfect for the calm before the next holiday storm that is on its way Saturday night. I jazzed it up with shallots and garlic - but it does have a purity that entices during the Season of Indulgence.

Paul Bertolli's Cauliflower Soup (Serves 8 - but really 4 in my house)

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil (I added a tablespoon of Earth Balance Butter but it's vegan without it)
1 medium onion - thinly sliced (I added 1 large shallot and 1 garlic clove also thinly sliced)
1 head cauliflower - about 1-1/2 pounds - coarsely chopped
salt to taste 5-1/2 cups water - divided
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
freshly grated pepper to taste (note: Julia Child would only use white pepper in this!)

Over low heat, warm the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan. Sweat the onions (and shallots) in it for fifteen minutes. Don't let them brown. If using, add the garlic during the last minute.

Add the cauliflower, salt to taste and 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat slightly, cover and cook for about 15 minutes - until tender. Then add 4-1/2 cups water, bring to a simmer and cook an additional 20 minutes uncovered.

Working in batches puree the soup in a blender. (I used an immersion blender - saves time and clean-up). Let stand for 20 minutes. It will thicken a bit.

Thin the soup with last 1/2 cup of hot water. (Adjust the amount of water to your liking.) Reheat.

To serve: ladle soup into bowls and drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over it. Add a little pepper and enjoy.

It's as white as the new-fallen snow that we don't have... yet. (Do you hear me chortling with joy?) And watch out, I will be visiting all of you for the New Year wishing you all good things.... but if you have a mini-tea-lite-snow-globe, the unexpected just may happen.

Pignoli Cookies, Citrus Cookies and Italian Knot Cookies

2011-12-20T10:27:00.001-06:00

An Italian Cookie Christmas... Pine nuts, almond paste and citrus make these 3 cookies very Sicilian. The ingredients are so sunny and bright with flavor, they shake up winter.

Pignoli Cookie

I did consider doing a post using grapefruit, cottage cheese and raw carrots. It is possible that your eyes may glaze over if you see one more preparation that includes "cream butter and sugar and add eggs mixing well." But 'tis the season of sweets and during the holidays Italians pull out all the stops. If we're putting together a Cassata, we're contemplating the wisdom of adding panforte to our to-do list. Then there's Ciao Chow Linda's boozy Baba Au Rhum or Proud Italian Cook's Limoncello Tiramsu or What's Cookin' Italian Style's Lemon Polenta Biscotti. You see the dilemma - Italians typically only do sweets on special occasions. But when they do - they do it right. I'm surprised there isn't a Feast of the Seven Dolci!

Even if you're "cookied-out," note these sweets for 2012. The pignoli cookies are classic - delicate almond-flavored puffs studded with pine nuts. The Italian knot cookies are soft, pliable, citrus billows often seen at weddings. And the "S" cookies made with olive oil instead of butter pair very well with Prosecco! Which is my best ringing endorsement for that Sicilian cookie.

Pignoli Cookies (from Tastes of Italia)
For fun: You might also want to try Mister Meatball's "Best Pignoli Cookie"
(makes 30 1-inch cookies)
1 8-ounce jar of almond paste (do not use almond paste that come in tubes - it has a different consistency)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
3 egg whites (keep 1 egg white separate)
1 cup pignoli (pine) nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease baking sheet very well (even better, grease both sides of parchment paper and put it on baking sheet. These cookies bake better if there are no edges on your baking sheet. Cream your almond paste and granulated sugar. Add the confectioners sugar and 2 egg whites and beat until smooth. The dough will be wet and sticky. You can refrigerate to make it a bit easier to work with - I grease my hands. In a small bowl, beat the last egg white. Pour pignoli nuts in another bowl. Grease your hands and pinch off 1 inch of dough (can pinch off larger for fewer cookies). Roll into a lumpy ball and then roll in beaten egg white and then in the pignoli nuts. Place on cookie sheet - two inches apart. They will spread!

For the small 1-inch balls - bake about 12-15 minutes. Larger ones may need a few more minutes. Watch carefully that they do not brown. This are not a crispy cookie - they should be soft and chewy. Cool on wire rack. These are the fussiest of the recipes. But if you sit down and have them with a cup of coffee or an amaretto, they truly are a taste of Italy.

"S" Cookies - 24 cookies
Leave these plain, add sprinkles or brush with a citrus icing (1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, 2-4 tablespoons of milk, 1/8 teaspoon orange extract)

1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
3/4 teaspoon orange extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease your cooking sheets. In a medium bowl, sift (I don't sift) your flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, beat your olive oil and sugar until a bit fluffy. Add your eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add your extracts and beat for 45-60 seconds. Add in your flour - about 1/4 at a time and mix well after each addition.

Guess what? The dough will be sticky! Flour your hands and pinch off about an inch. Form into a ball, then a log and then turn your log into an "S." Put on cookie sheet. Repeat - placing your S-dough 2-3 inches apart. If using sprinkles, sprinkle now! Bake for 8-10 minutes. (You also don't want these to brown.) Cool for 1 minute in pan and then transfer to wire rack. If using, brush with icing. Let cool completely and store in airtight containers. These do keep well - at least a week - but they never last longer than 48 hours here (and I hide them!).

Italian Knot Cookies (makes 24) (I think at this point the camera lens was smudged with dough)

The orange scent while baking is a walk is a heavenly bonus. As with the "S" cookies - simply sprinkle with sugar before baking or add confectioner's icing after baking. Or leave plain and have them for breakfast.

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter - softened and cut into pieces (or in my case - blobs)

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

zest of 1/2 orange

juice of 1/2 orange

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 baking pans. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar and mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the flour in 3 additions and mix well. If dough is too sticky, refrigerate for an hour (mine wasn't).

Pinch off a two-inch piece of dough. Form into a ball and then a log - about 8 inches long and form into a lose knot or simply cross the ends. Space them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes (just until the edges look like they are browning). Can cool in pan. But I cool on a wire rack after a few minutes.

And an oldie-but-goodie from last year - Ricotta Cookies - creamy, snowy-sweet. Find them here.

And Orange Whiskey Cookies. Also find them here.

If you're in the kitchen a lot consider listening to Holiday Spectacular form This American Life. (It came to me from Brian Ferry's blog The Blue Hour and if you don't know it - you should.) Your baking time will fly by and I am sure everything I baked tasted better because the cookie dough also listened to the stories.

I will be stopping by all of you to wish you soft lights in the solstice, Buon Natale, Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukkah and for the politically-correct among us, you may like the University of Minnesota's mandatory greeting "Happy Winter Celebration."

May soft hugs, almonds, citrus, and treats be yours during this season of sweets. (And what's an extra 2 pounds among friends?)

50 Women Game Changers (in Food) #28 Anne-Sophie Pic - tomato chutney

2011-12-16T10:49:00.002-06:00

I am going to digress for just a moment with the post regarding Anne-Sophie Pic. It's coming. My mind is fluttering. There are things you think about when you first have a child. "Will they talk?" comes to mind. And of course they do - and they not only talk - they have opinions. And they belong to themselves. And it's a wonder. A day may come when you're sitting at a concert and your daughter is performing a flute solo and your mind races through time - to the curly-afro child who never let you comb her hair (she has since embraced the world of hair straighteners) - to the 5 year-old climbing on high kitchen cabinets to snare a cookie when she thought her mother wasn't looking - to her 13-year old rebellion when she refused to bring home the "red folder" from middle school because she didn't need a stupid folder to bring her parents school notices. She could do it just fine. She wasn't a child! But she was and now she isn't. Well, she is when she goes out at night to search for pre-made cookie dough because her mother hasn't supplied her with cookies - and it's finals week. But she isn't when she is a college graduate. And she is. And she worked for it. The little girl who brought home stellar report cards with the only admonishment "Quiet. Could participate more" is on her journey to be an audiologist and work with the deaf - specifically young children. There's a smile here - my quiet school girl working to open up a noisy world for others.

And another smile - because she can still be goofy. I think "being goofy" is a necessary life skill.

And now we segue from musings to today's planned post - tomato chutney by Anne-Sophie Pic. This isn't my best transition into a new scene! Thank goodness this is a blog and not a play.

Anne-Sophie Pic is to the kitchen born in the best sense of that phrase. She is chef at "Le Maison Pic" and "Le 7." "Le Maison Pic" was founded by Anne-Sophie Pic's grandfather, Andre Pic, in 1936. (And Andre's mother had previously run a restaurant there as far back as 1891!) Andre grew-up watching his mother cook local specialties. He apprenticed under some of France's top chefs, came home and took over the business. In 1934, "Le Maison Pic" was awarded 3 Michelin stars. Thrilled with his new status, in 1936 Andre moved the restaurant to its present locale in the heart of Valence. During Word War II, the restaurant lost it's 3rd Michelin star. But when Andre's son Jacques took over, the restaurant regained the coveted 3rd star in 1973.

Jacques and his wife Suzanne (Anne-Sophie's parents) brought the restaurant to international acclaim. Over the years, the 3rd star was again lost in 1995 and after over ten years as Chef, Anne-Sophie reclaimed the 3rd star in 2007. She is the 4th female chef in France to achieve 3 Michelin stars. You can imagine the drama in those stars! In 2011 at age 41, she was named Best Female Chef of the year by S. Pellegrino.

Chef Anne-Sophie is a self-taught chef with a very good pedigree. She did not study the culinary arts in college - she studied business and indeed began her work life in the world of business. Eventually she returned to the fold and began cooking. While staying true to her father's vision, she has her own inherent sense of combining ingredients. This tomato chutney recipe is an excellent example. Just look at the ingredients - all full-flavored but they do not compete. They combine to layer flavors - so that the sweetness of the honey and tomatoes begin your tasting journey but you are treated to a pit of pungency, a little sour and a brief hint of hot before you finish a bite.

Tomato Chutney Ingredients (Recipe from Epicurious)

2-1/4 pounds plum tomatoes

5 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1/4 balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup mild honey

1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard

1 star anise or 1 teaspoon star anise pieces

1 tablespoon peeled, minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon fresh, minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

Cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, 10 seconds. Transfer tomatoes to a bowl of ice water to cool. Peel off skin with paring knife, beginning from scored end, and discard. Coarsely chop tomatoes.

Cook sugar in a dry 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, undisturbed, until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar melts into a golden caramel. Remove from heat and carefully add vinegars. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 1 1/2 hours. Discard star anise.

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic serves this chutney with a skewer of rabbit liver and kidney. I - won't. I will be slathering this on sandwiches and serving it as an accompaniment to pork. But having spoon-fed myself quite a bit of this chutney - I think it would a be a welcome accompaniment to chicken, steak and fish. It embraces all. Don't eat meat? Mix it in with rice or use it as a topping for crostini. It is an equal-opportunity small dish.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets

Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Embracing Vinegar: Reinforcement Salad

2011-12-14T18:23:00.002-06:00

It was in an apartment development in Fresh Meadows (Queens) called Meadowlark Gardens, New York City where I began this love affair. It was a one-bedroom apartment. The living room held a black and white TV console complete with rabbit ears. There was a sleep sofa against a long wall (where I was sure a skinny werewolf could hide) and the room was shaped into an "L". The "L" section had the quintessential 1950's formica table where we gathered for dinner every evening. I loved the speckled pattern in the formica and would stare at those speckles (especially if broccoli was being served) until the patterns twinkled back at me and the table morphed into the sky and I was one with the formica. (Zen-formica, anyone?) It was at that table where I fell in love with vinegar.

My mother had a wooden, sturdy salad bowl and served salad at least 4 nights a week. (Thank-you, Mom). I remain a salad fiend because of her and that well-seasoned wooden bowl. She would dress the salad with oil and vinegar just before dinner. My mother, the wooden bowl and the vinegar magically transformed lettuce into food fit for gods.The sounds of her tossing lettuce leaves was my cue to wait while she returned to the kitchen so I could start sneaking lettuce leaves out of the bowl and into my mouth. After dinner, I would drink the remains of the oil and vinegar dressing. Most satisfying.

It wasn't until I was 17 on a date at a fancy-schmancy steakhouse that I learned there were other salad dressings. I didn't even know salad dressings came in a bottle! I had flirtations with blue cheese dressing, then Russian and even a brief crush on Green Goddess (the link brings you to Cinnamon Spice's version) - but in the end, I always returned to oil and vinegar. And oil and vinegar always forgave me. I still don't mind taking a spoon (I've come a long way) and having the last of the sour-puckering fermented liquid. But that's probably too much information.

It's no wonder I took to this Insalata di Rinforzo (Reinforcement Salad). It's so named because it is constantly being "reinforced" with added vegetables, or extra dressing to stretch it to last for the week. The salad is fortified with 1/4 cup white wine vinegar. (My heart thumps just typing this.) And really - couldn't we all use some reinforcements during December? The recipe hails from Campania and is true comfort - from vegetables!

Insalata di Rinforzo Ingredients (from Williams-Sonoma Savoring Italy)
1 head of cauliflower
2 tender, inner celery stalks - thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup roasted red pepper - cut thin (you can do it from a jar)
1 tablespoons capers - chopped (I left them whole - I did rinse them)
2 tablespoons Italian (flat-leaf) parsley - chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste - I didn't think it needed it

Cut the cauliflower into bite-size florets, discard tough stalk. Bring a medium-large pot of water to boil and. add the cauliflower florets and some salt and cook until just tender - 6-7 minutes. Drain and place under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a large bowl combine the cauliflower, celery, carrots, red pepper, capers and parsley. You can add the olive oil and vinegar right into the bowl or whisk them first in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate one hour or overnight. The salad just gets better and better. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Play with the salad as the Italians do. Think it needs an anchovy or two? Add it. Want to try broccoli? Why not? The beautify of the salad is because it uses solid, firm vegetables - it does not wilt - it just tastes better every day. It's perfect for a buffet - it never gets soggy. And it's winter pretty - glistening white with speckles of color. And it has heft - not every salad can say they have that. I know there's a lot of tasty butter, sugar and eggs floating around blogosphere these days. A salad break can't hurt!

While I wish I could offer you all my formica-zen moments, I understand that not everyone bonds easily with speckles. In its place, find the Drifters below singing "White Christmas." It's winter magic. I have a crush on the tenor-reindeer (don't tell Paul or Vinegar). Play this every time you need a break - I guarantee you'll smile.

Spiced pears? Almond-vanilla cookies? Yes, please.

2011-12-12T10:04:00.007-06:00

I'm nesting - prepping the home for family. This happens every winter when the days are shorter than the eves. I gaze at my home and think "This doesn't work" and then I move everything around. Saturday I changed everything in my kitchen cabinets. Confusing my family who now cannot find the cereal but are grateful I left the coffee in the same place.

The upside of changing everything in your kitchen around is suddenly you have a new kitchen and you want to make everything - all at once: cookies are baked, soup is stirred, vegetables are cut, meats are braising and if I was an octopus I'd simultaneously have an arm in all those pots. But I did pretty well with two arms

Pere alle Spezie (Spiced Pears)

These hail from Piedmont - a large northern province in Italy that actually does see winter. The baking of the pears in a spiced-sugared wine showcases the creamy, sweet "meat" of the fruit. Perfect after a heavy meal. More perfect in the deep, dark days of December - the perfect month to rejoice in cloves, cinnamon and ginger. They bring comfort and joy to the table.

Ingredients (from Williams-Sonoma Savoring Italy)

1-1/2 cups 12 fl ounces) fruity red wine (such as Barbera)

1/4 cup (6 ounces) sugar

6 whole cloves

8 firm, ripe pears (Anjou, Bartlett) Bonus: You don't need to peel them

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a baking dish large enough for the pears but small enough to have them fit all snugly and upright, place your pears. In a small mixing bowl, stir the wine, sugar and cloves. Pour over pears. Bake the pears 45-60 minutes, occasionally basting the pears with the liquid. The pears are done when tender - just pierce one with a fork and see how easily it glides. Cool to room temperature before serving.

In the words of my daughter, "Boom! Done!" How easy was that?

Vanilla-Almond Cookies

(I've made these cookies for so many years, I have lost the source of the recipe. I suspect it may be Tastes of Italia.)

Think of these as once-baked biscotti. These are easy, melt-in-your-mouth sliced cookies that celebrate vanilla and and almonds. Just a tad crunchy on the outside, and tender-melty inside. They hail from my grandmother's region of Basilicata and are reminiscent of Italian wedding cookies.

Vanilla-Almond Cookie Ingredients (makes about 28)

1/2 pound butter (room temperature and cut into small pieces)

1 cup sugar

5 ounces sliced almonds

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-1/2 cups flour

Cream the butter and slowly add the sugar - beating well. Add the almonds and vanilla and mix. Add the eggs - one at a time - beating well after each addition. Similarly - add the flour 1/4 cup at a time and and mix each thoroughly before adding the next 1/4 cup.

Gather dough into a ball and form a thick log. (My log was about 10 x 2 inches.) Cover and refrigerate for two hours or overnight or a week. It's a content, unfussy dough. (Dough will keep up to ten days. If you don't want to bake the entire log - just slice as many as you want and bake - you can have fresh cookies all week.)

To bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 1-2 cookie sheets. Slice refrigerated dough into 1/4 inch slices (you can slice thinner - just adjust baking time). Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake about 15 minutes - just until the edges start to brown - you want tender, white cookies.

Through these cookies I have grown as a person. I have learned to practice acceptance. Because of these cookies - I can reach into my innermost soul and state - that in the ways of the world in December - I will not be taking off my extra Italy weight anytime soon! A raw carrot does not have the same song as an Italian cookie.

Yesterday, my daughter actually accused me of adding Pippin (her cat) to the end of my blog posts as a cheap gimmick to solicit comments!

I won't even dignify that accusation with an answer.

50 Women Game Changers (in Food) - #27 - Anne Willan - Parmesan Cheese Balls

2011-12-09T07:55:00.002-06:00

Anne Willan has been off my radar. As a cookbook author of more than a dozen internationally acclaimed cookbooks that include From My Chateau Kitchen, Cooking with Wine, and the 17-volume, step-by-step, illustrated Look and Cook. For a more detailed listing as well as a blurb on the books, please click here. The pure romanticism in the title From My Chateau Kitchen makes me want to know more.

"An authoritative yet intimate appreciation of both the food and the culture of Burgundy. Interwoven in the text, which presents colorful characters from the depth of rural France are some 300 photographs and 160 recipes from Anne's personal repertoire." You know I want to know the colorful characters. Don't you? Yes, I'd like to know more.

She recently moved to L.A. from her 17-bedroom, 17th century chateau in Burgundy. Quite a life change but Ms. Willan has had many life changes. A daughter from an upper class British famly, she graduated from Cambridge with a Master's Degree in Economics (circa 1959). A chance class at Cordon Bleu in London proved to be a game-changer. She simply fell in love with cooking and although her family disapproved - she pursued it. She went to Paris to pursue her culinary studies and once graduated she put out an ad in the Herald Tribune: "Cordon Bleu cook will give lessons and and cook for dinner parties." There were only six replies but one reply led her to cook at Versaille. The tale is here and it's a good one.

Parmesan Cheese Balls

Ms. Willan is the real deal. She may hail from Yorkshire but she has been showered with honors and awards from every corner of France as well as in the USA. This is the holiday season and you are likely busy, so I won't list them here - but take a peek if you have a monent - it's inspiring - http://www.lavarenne.com/about.htm.

She may be a French Chef but this recipe is pure Italian. It sings of Parmesan. It's savory, peppery and you really want a nice glass of Prosecco -or at the very least some fine sparkling water to accompany this. The cheese-pepper bites just begged for sparkle. And this is the season of sparkle, isn't it? I found it on The Wednesday Chef and you can read Luisa's description of these savory cheese bites here. Or just make them. Because in the season of sweets, a little savory is most appreciated.

Parmesan Cheese Balls Ingredients

1-1/2 cups flour

1 cup freshly-shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (only freshly shredded)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (I wouldn't be afraid to add a tad more)

1/2 cup melted butter

1. In a food processor, mix the flour, Parmesan, salt, pepper and dry mustard. Add the butter and work it in using the pulse button so the mixture forms crumbs. Press a few crumbs together with your fingers.(Luisa notes that if it is sticky, add 2 to 3 tablespoons more flour - mine wasn't - mine was crumbly.)

2. Butter a baking sheet. Turn the crumbs into a bowl, press them into balls 1 inch in diameter and place them on the baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. I (obviously did not get round balls - but they were credible - just a bit crumbly - but then - oven-magic happened and they baked perfectly.)

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the cheese balls until lightly browned, 25-30 minutes - check after 25 minutes) They keep well in an airtight container, or they can be frozen.

I got 24 Parmesan balls out of this recipe..

And yes, 'tis the season of sparkle and sweet. But don't forget savory and sophisticated. Add a little French flair to your table and check out what the other bloggers are doing for Week 27 of Gourmet Game Changers. And if you want to join in the fun, e-mail Mary at One Perfect Bite. Mary started this delectable journey.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed

Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef,

Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets

Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Juliet's Kisses (Baci di Giulietta) Cookies

2011-12-04T21:57:00.003-06:00

There's nothing quite like a holiday show to give you the Christmas Spirit. Having just attended the delightful All Wrapped Up (where my friend, Lynn Paulson was the amazing music director - brag, brag - I'm not prejudiced - If you had a super-talented friend wouldn't you like to announce it - in print?). I was finally ready for Santa Baby and The Holly and the Ivy. What I wasn't ready for was Winter Wonderland and Let it Snow. (and I live in Minnesota - why?)

And after intermission - it snowed. Yes, only 3 inches. And yes, heavy, wet, greasy snow - the sort of snow that is stunning to look at - it coats all in a white-furred embrace and shimmers in the dusk. The sort of snow that gives a woman who has "driver's anxiety" even when not driving, even in the summer - pause.

A friend - Mark Paulson - Lynn's talented husband and /colleague/artist/all-around kind and fascinating person was driving. I do plan well around my anxieties! We had parked in a lot and when figuring out the payment for the day, the parking lot yelled at us to "stop loitering." Twice. Now, I grew up in New York City and a parking lot has never spoken to me - much less admonished me - twice. So, the day began with amusement - "the parking lot voice." And got better - with a show that charmed.

And then I got into my friend's Miata for the slippery drive home. If you know anything about Miatas - you know they are four inches off the ground. Three inches of snow expected. Four inches. Hmmm. Worrisome for someone with car/snow-phobia.

Yes, we got home. Yes, Mark told me amusing stories (hitching a ride in Glacier park and getting in a truck with some armed-drunk-people and their 90 year-old mother who smoked all his cigarettes and came on to him when he was - all of nineteen). And more. Telling a playwright stories during an anxiety-ridden drive is ingenuous. My friend knows how to calm.

Once home, I thought about this.

But decided butter, sugar and chocolate was better and did this.

Juliet's Kisses (Baci di Giulietta) Cookies
These cookies hail from - where else - Verona. And come Christmas, the bakeries in Verona are filled with them. But you don't have to celebrate Christmas to know that these tender, soft-crisp sandwich cookies laced with chocolate in the middle are meant to please - all. The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma book Savoring Italy written by Michele Scicolone.

Ingredients

1 cup (8 ounces, 250 g) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup (2 ounces, 60 g) confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar, icing sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon rum (can be omitted - use 1 tablespoon vanilla or almond extract if you prefer)
2 cups (10 ounces, 315 g) all-purpose flour
2 ounces (60 grams) semi-sweet chocolate

Baci Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of butter, confectioner's sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Then, beat in the rum (or extract). Stir in the flour 1/4 cup at a time and beat till well-blended. Cover and chill until firm. -about one hour.

Tear off 1 teaspoon of the dough at a time and form into a small ball. Place the balls about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on baking sheet. Bake until firm - about 12 minutes (mine took 14 minutes - you want them to crisp - so a bit firm but not browned. And they will crisp as they cool. Taste to see - tasting is the fun part.) Transfer to wire racks to cool.

Place the chocolate and remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the top of a double boiler. (You can try the microwave - if you are really good about not burning). When water in the bottom is simmering (and not touching the top), stir the chocolate and butter together until they combine. Remove top from boiler and set aside to cool a bit (until it is spreadable - 5-10 minutes).

Spread a small amount of chocolate on bottom of cookie (I put a small puddle in the center and that worked).

Place a cookie top on top - pressing it a bit to ooze the chocolate - until it is a sandwich and place it on the wire rack to set. Let cool on the wire rack (10-15 minutes).

Can store in an airtight container for a week (or in the fridge as I am doing!).

Juliet would be pleased. So would Romeo. And so was family. They encouraged me to continue baking to cure car-anxiety!

And so our oven is on, the heat is on, the Christmas lights are on and still there is a chill in the living room.

Oh! Pip-a-doo knows where all the vents are.

I am thrilled and humbled to announce that Under a Midsummer Moon has been selected as one of two plays to receive a grant by Playwrights in Our Schools to be developed in the winter of 2012. And where will it be developed? Park City, Utah. I skiied there. Before snow-phoia sent in. It snows a lot. Every day in fact. You have to smile.

50 Women Game Changers (in Food) - #26 - Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers - Linguine with Crab

2011-12-02T07:38:00.001-06:00

For the last 25 weeks, I have been jumping to my computer on Fridays to look at the recipes prepared by the bloggers cooking from Gourmet's list of 50 Women Game Changers in Food. The list has brought about lively debate and discussion throughout blogosphere and now - with life merely at a hectic place, I am thrilled to join the discussion. The first 25 game-changers were chefs and food writers that I was well-acquainted with (Julia Child, anyone?) The last 25 are fairly new to me. Even if I know them, I haven't cooked from/with them.

I thank Mary from One Perfect Bite for starting this extraordinary journey. If you would like to join in the fun, e-mail Mary for information on how to get started. Do visit her blog if you haven't already - her dry wit, honest assessment of recipes, travel stories and scrumptious offerings will bring you back to her blog again and again.

For week #26, we are cooking from Rose Gray (a Brit) and Ruth Rogers (an American). If you've ever travelled to London pre-1987, you likely went for the theatre, the history, the art, the royals, the Thames, the posh accents, the fashion - but you certainly didn't go there for the food. Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers changed all that. When they opened The River Cafe in 1987, the British got their first taste of Northern Italian cuisine on English soil.

Gone were the red sauces that populated London (and I love red sauce) and in its place was pasta mixed with seafood and/or vegetables, focaccia, an all-Italian wine list and an open floor plan that delighted all including the owner-chefs. Rose Gray mentioned that she felt like she was in an actress with the restaurant as her theatre. Every night was opening night. I can certainly relate to that!

Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers met in 1969 and although their paths crossed many times on both sides of the Atlantic for almost two decades, their partnership did not begin until the opening of The River Cafe in 1987. Described as bohemians, iconoclasts, they were two women who knew their own minds and believed in things passionately - whether it was food, art or politics. They lived many lives before that! Proof positive that life does not offer one direct path. There are forks and detours and one is never sure where the paths will take you but if you have an adventuresome spirit as they did, you can be in for a glorious ride.

I chose to make linguine with fennel and crab. And while crab is not exactly local in Minnesota (although we do get fresh crab from the Gulf Coast through November), fennel is still abundant and has not been trucked in from other countries.

Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers pioneered seasonal and local in London - way before the movement had taken off. This was an offspring of Rose Gray's time in Lucca where she duly noted how the Italians ate, what they ate and when they ate it. They influenced many chefs to do the same - most notably Jamie Oliver who trained under them at The River Cafe. One year after opening, The River Cafe earned a Michelin star which it retains to this day. Not too shabby for two self-taught chefs who would find themselves at the same protest marches for years before they decided to work together!

Linguine with Crab (from The Guardian, UK reprint of easy recipes from The River Cafe))

Linguine 320 grams (about 3/4 pound)

400 grams (about 14 ounces) crab meat - you may use canned - but avoid the $1.99 ones at Trader Joe's - there are better ones to be had - usually at the fish counter

1 fennel bulb

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 dried chilies

1 lemon

extra-virgin olive oil

Linguine with Crab Preparation

Remove the tough outer part and stalk of the fennel. Slice the bulb as finely as you can across the grain. Keep any of the green tops. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Crush the fennel seeds and crumble the chilli. Grate the zest of the lemon, and squeeze the juice.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed pan, add the garlic, fennel seeds and chilli, and cook to soften. Add the crab, lemon juice and zest, and season. Stir through, just to heat up the crab.

Cook the linguine in boiling, salted water for five minutes, then add the fennel slices and cook together until al dente. Drain the pasta, keeping a little of the water, and add to the crab mixture. Stir thoroughly to combine, adding a little of the reserved water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Serve with olive oil.

If cooking crab yourself, buy them live and choose one or two large crabs - it will be much easier to pick the meat out from them than from many small ones. Cock crabs (males) have larger claws and a higher proportion of white meat. Spider crabs are very sweet and good for this recipe, though it takes longer to pick out the meat than from the common crab, as the meat-to-shell ratio is lower.

I did use a good quality canned crab! And in truth, the next time (yes, there will be a next time) I will use more crab. The crab need to hold its own against the anise-flavored fennel and I wanted more of the sweetness of the crab for balance. But I did like the nuances - sweet crab, licorice fennel (somewhat muted from the simmering) all balanced with the mellow linguine. The dish is a wee bit white, so I added some of the fennel fronds for color. As for the ease - it couldn't be easier or faster and that is always a plus for those busy days.

The River Cafe spawned many cookbooks. Take a look at them here. Sadly, Rose Gray passed away in February 2010. But her presence has been noted and her legacy will carry on to future generations. A moving tribute to her by the New York Times can be found here. And take a look at what the other bloggers are cooking from this dynamic duo. Their links are below.

Val - More Than Burnt Toast, Joanne - Eats Well With Others, Taryn - Have Kitchen Will Feed
Susan - The Spice Garden, Claudia - A Seasonal Cook in Turkey, Heather - girlichef,
Miranda - Mangoes and Chutney, Jeanette - Healthy Living, April - Abby Sweets
Katie - Making Michael Pollan Proud, Mary - One Perfect Bite, Kathleen - Bake Away with Me

Viola - The Life is Good Kitchen, Sue - The View from Great Island, Barbara - Movable Feasts

Kathleen - Gonna Want Seconds, Amy - Beloved Green, Linda - Ciao Chow Linda

Linda A - There and Back Again, Martha - Lines from Linderhof, Nancy - Picadillo

Mireya - My Healthy Eating Habits, Veronica - My Catholic Kitchen

Annie - Most Lovely Things

Carrots in Marsala

2011-11-27T19:33:00.000-06:00

Consider this: you have a table laden with turkey, gravy, truly-heart-stopping-clogging mashed potatoes, salads, pumpkin bread, wheat rolls, apple-sausage stuffing and the first thing to go are the carrots.

I began to think "Claudia, you're on to something." The recipe hails from Sicily and the secret star is Sicily's Marsala wine. The recipe is from Williams-Sonoma's Savoring Italy by Michele Scicolone. With a little butter, a shallot and some Marsala wine, the carrots are transformed from rabbit-crunchy food to an elegance that speaks of a strand of pearls. And if a living mollusk can create a pearl, it is perfectly reasonable to me that a vegetable garden plus an Italian recipe can produce similar elegance.

Carote in Marsala
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 pound (500 g) carrots, peeled and sliced thin
salt to taste
1/4 cup (2 fluid ounces, 60 ml dry Marsala)**
(to make this vegan use Earth Balance Butter)

*I used sweet Marsala and I will spare you the reason why; suffice to say - it worked
** Substitutions for Marsala: apple juice with a drop of sherry vinegar and a table spoon of honey (it won't be the same but it will imitate the sweet syrupy glaze)

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot and saute until just tender. Add the carrots and the salt, reduce heat to low, cover and cook - stirring occasionally - until the carrots are tender - about 20 minutes. If they begin to scorch, add a little bit of water. Add the Marsala and cook, uncovered, until it evaporates (3-4 minutes). Serve immediately.

In this season of rushing, perfection-yearning, overload and "must-do," there is sophistication in this simple prep. It showcases what Italians do so well - make it seasonal and make it the star. The carrots are enriched by the other ingredients but they remain front and center. Time to let the vegetable shine!

Tuna-Potato Pâté

2011-11-22T17:22:00.000-06:00

So here it is two days before Thanksgiving and I am posting a recipe that really doesn't have a "wow" factor. In fact - it's downright humble. But it is - fun. Remember fun? For my daughter, "fun food" is preparing "puppy chow" and settling down with a blanket, a cat and Gilmore Girls. For her mother, it's curling up on the sofa with Italian cookbooks while mindlessly munching on comfort - comfort being this tuna-potato pâté.

The recipe hails from Mary Ann Esposito's Ciao Italia in Tuscany. She calls it Pate di Tonno alla Maria Pia - Maria Pia's Tuna Pate. Maria Pia fashions a fish out of the mashed potato-tuna mixture and then adds homemade mayonnaise as scales on top. She even fashions a fishy-face with capers and parsley! She will then serve it simply with a salad or spring peas.

But since it has been established that I am a great lazybones - especially days before Thanksgiving, I simply dumped the mixture - with a little (store-bought) mayonnaise added into a loaf pan and forgot about it. For three days. As more grocery shopping got done, the pate was relegated to the cavernous back of the fridge - in danger of disappearing forever.

I like it. In fact, everyone liked it. Loved it. "What's in it?" I wanted to make up stuff - an exotic oil, a magical spice. But I confessed, "Mashed potatoes, tuna, mayonnaise and some capers." And my family just nodded their heads as another cracker was spread and eaten.

It's the perfect Sunday appetizer - easy-going: a little tang, a little salt and a whole bunch of smooth. Comfort food with a wee bit of attitude. This can be made days in advance and then trotted out at your whimsy. This will be on the "I'm not hungry, I'll just pick" table this holiday season during marathon baking sessions.

Ingredients
4 medium-sized cooked potatoes, cooled and peeled (about 1-3/4 pounds)
12-ounce can tuna packed in olive oil (Use a nice Italian tuna)
2 tablespoons capers in salt, rinsed
pinch sea salt
1/4-1/3 cup good mayonnaise

Preparation (I love this prep)
Combine all in a large bowl, mixing well. Lightly spray a loaf pan and put mixture in it. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate about six hours or up to three (or more!) days. When ready to serve, simply unmold onto a plate. Serve with breads or crackers. I liked the arugula and thinly sliced radishes with it. The pate is mellow and a little peppery and crunchy bite was welcome. I might even add a dab of tuna on top of the pate.

*I would use three potatoes next time - as I like tuna and would like the pate to be more tuna-intense.

The original recipe from Mary Ann Esposito can be found here.

For those celebrating Thanksgiving, I wish you a gracious and grateful Thanksgiving. And to those not in "Thanksgiving-mode," I hope you have a lovely weekend of breaking bread with laughter and love.

Ricotta Sformato

2011-11-17T21:51:00.000-06:00

I think my New Year's resolution will be to make every Sformato recipe I can find. This recipe came via Deborah Mele who was trying to recreate the ricotta sformato she had at Il Cibreo in Florence. It's a warm, pliable, gentle mass of cheese. I decided it's perfect as an appetizer, as a savory dessert, a light meal with a salad and I may have it for breakfast tomorrow. Cheese and an egg? Sounds like breakfast to me.

Il Cibreo (or rather it's lower-priced trattoria - which is not low-priced, mind you - just lower-priced!) was on my radar thanks to research, Bon Appetit, guidebooks and Ciao Chow Linda. I know that Paul and I blow in the wind when it comes to our meals - so if it worked out - we would go there. And if we were elsewhere and hungry - we would miss it. As it turns out, it was a mere three blocks from our pensione. And when we walked there expecting a wait, we were immediately shown to the last table - and then the line formed outside. Serendipity. We had climbed the Duomo, climbed the Piazalle Michelangelo and were ready to eat. A sampling:

Tomato gelee. That is in my past and my future. When the tomatoes return.

"You will not soon forget their polenta," wrote Ciao Chow Linda when she recommended the trattoria. And I haven't. I am consumed by it. And if I could go back in time, this is the baby food I would feed my children. Enriched cream puddles - I have never had a softer or purer polenta.

"It's all pureed!" exclaimed my husband and indeed a lot of it is - or rather most of it is molecular gastronomy. Herbs, cheeses, unbearable softness whipped into a sweet purity with nuance that I will always try to create.There is a tale that a mother came in with her infant and while dining tried to feed her infant some baby food and the baby would have none of it. Chef Fabio Picchi (the chef behind Il Cibreo and its offsprings) added some just-grated Parmesan and a dab of olive oil and the infant lapped up the food with gusto!

Veal "meatloaf" studded with pistachios and served with a warming mayonnaise. It really wasn't a meatloaf - it was a sumptuous pate.

Much has been said about the fact that Chef Fabio Picchi doesn't serve pasta. As if it was a badge of honor - but the reality is - the kitchen was too small. When he first started out 30 years ago, his kitchen was not large enough to accommodate huge vats of boiling water - not with all the Tuscan cuisine he wanted to create. So he put pasta on the back-burner and found that he was gaining a reputation for not having pasta. He decided not to mess with fate and has kept pasta off the menu ever since. Pasta is not on the menu - but Tuscany is.

Chocolate covered coffee mousse. Simple. Pure. Decadence.

Now to return to the Ricotta Sformato. I do get to things in my circular fashion. I did mine in ramekins and halved the recipe because there are presently two of us at home (Paul is in Italy) and I would be in great danger of eating all the extra. The recipe posted serves 6.

Ricotta Sformato Ingredients
1-1/2 cups ricotta cheese (do not use low-fat)
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan Cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced basil (I used arugula - it was fresher than the overgrown basil I saw)
salt and pepper to taste

To serve: Tomato sauce and basil or butter and parmigiano-reggiano

I am thinking that next time - and there will be a next time - possibly on Thanksgiving - I will add some mascarpone to make it even richer.

Ricotta Sformato Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Beat all ingredients in a large bowl until creamy. Put in oiled baking pan (a loaf pan is good) or in 4-6 ramekins and bake 25-30 minutes. (The ramekins will take about 22-25 minutes). Remove from oven and let sit for 15 minutes. It's important that they "set."

To serve:

Invert ramekins or baking pan onto baking sheet. If using a loaf pan, slice into six pieces. Put a dollop of melted butter and some freshly-grated Parmesan on top and broil for 2-3 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Or simply place on dishes and add a few teaspoons of tomato sauce and basil and serve.

Ariosto Seasonings for Pot Roast, Meatballs and Salmon

2011-11-13T20:53:00.000-06:00

I mourn the end of herb season. I still run outside every day and snip whatever new shoots have survived the latest frost. I hoard little leaves in baggies - and wonder - who decided which of these wild leaves were edible? Was it trial and error? And what were the repercussions of the error?

When an inquiry came from Ariosto Seasonings to tried their dried-herb packets - I was intrigued. And the timing was perfect. All that's left of 60 herb plants are 3 slender strands of rosemary, an oregano bush, 6 sage leaves and two tiny parsley leaves. I received packets for meats, potatoes, tomato sauce, fish and pasta.

They contain only herbs, dried vegetables and salt. No MSG - no artificial colorings. Having just read in Cucina Povera _ Tuscan Peasant Cooking (highly recommended) that through the ages Italian women would mince herbs such as rosemary, sage or parsley with an equal amount of salt to flavor their dishes for the week, I decided if it was good enough for Italian women through the centuries, it was good enough for this American/Italian/Scottish/Latvian woman!

Below are recipes for pot roast, meatballs and salmon. They are tried and true - I have been using them for ... dare I say - decades - but now brightened by the seasonings.

I tried them on an American pot roast, in meatballs, tomato sauce and salmon. We were well-fed for the week! The pot roast seasonings contained salt, rosemary, garlic, sage, juniper berries, oregano, thyme and marjoram. I usually do salt, pepper, garlic and onions and call it a day. The seasonings worked. All was tender. Nothing was left over.

Pot Roast - Italian Style
(From Joan Lunden's Healthy Pot Roast circa 1996)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 pounds rump roast - trimmed
1/2-1 packet Ariosto Seasonings (I previously used salt and pepper)
1 large onion - cut into eighths
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine (or use 2 cups water)
1 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 carrots cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup Wondra flour

In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season roast with Ariosto seasonings or salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Add onions and cook till browned (5 minutes). Add water, wine, broth Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and simmer covered tightly for 2 hours. Periodically check to make sure broth has not reduced too much and add a little water if necessary. Add potatoes and carrots and simmer for 30 more minutes - until they are tender. Put meat and vegetables on platter and tent while you make gravy.

Gravy: Strain liquid, skim off fat and discard it. Measure the liquid - you will need 2-1/2 cups. Simmer down if there is too much or add a little water if there is not enough. In a small bowel whisk 1/2 cup water with the flour and slowly whisk into liquid/gravy. Bring to a boil and simmer five minutes - whisking the entire time. Pour some over meat and potatoes and serve or if you have a gravy-hating person in your family as I do, serve - passing gravy separately!

Turkey or Chicken Meatballs - makes 20
My father had heart disease early on so my mother looked to lighten many of her traditional dishes. She often used veal - or a mixture of meats - with a little beef. While a turkey or chicken meatball might make some Italian bloggers shudder - I will say my mothers substitutions - borne of necessity always were light, satisfying and never sat like a lump in your stomach! (And she never succumbed to using cottage cheese instead of ricotta!)

(These meatballs also works with beef or a mixture of beef and chicken - I rotate. And don't go looking for exact measurements here! I never make meatballs the exact same way twice - use what you have in your pantry - what herbs are fresh, what tastes delight you - it's down home peasant food made to stretch the meat!)

Meatballs for Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce - makes 20
1 pound ground chicken (or beef or turkey or pork or veal) or a mixture
1/2 seasoning packet Ariosto Seasonings for meat - or for tomato sauce
(I usually use some salt, pepper, fresh or dried oregano or basil, parsley and sometimes thyme)
minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
minced onion (about 1 small)
red pepper flakes (to taste)
2 pieces of bread (I use wheat) crusts removed, soaked in 2-3 tablespoons of milk
1 egg
1/4 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

In a large bowl mix all well. Form into small meatballs. (1-inch diameter for 20 meatballs). You can now:
1. brown in a skillet in the least mount of oil possible and add to tomato sauce
- or -
2. place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F for about 20 minutes - you don't want them completely cooked - you still want the meat to flavor the tomato sauce. Scoop off of baking sheet and add to sauce - that does leave a lot of the fat behind.

The seasoning packets worked very well for the meatballs. For my taste - the seasoning packet was too salty for the tomato sauce. I like a very savory, herb-filled sauce and not a lot of salt. And I am someone who puts a salt lick on her Christmas wish list! But because the packets all do contain salt, I would definitely taste as I go.

And the easiest of all: the salmon!

Put the salmon in the center of a large piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper. Add 1/8-1/4 cup wine (can use fish broth). Add 1/2 packet Ariosto Seasoning for fish or 1 packet (depending on the size of your salmon) over all. Fold foil or parchment into a packet and bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes. (Or grill for 1-15 minutes.) Done!

I will be doing this again and again for those days when I want something easy, quick, healthy and still a wee bit elegant.

The verdict from the family? All were delighted with their week's meals. My daughter and husband never met a food that didn't need more salt. I, on the other hand - salt carefully (which is maybe why other members of my family always add salt!). I will use these when I know that I usually generously salt a particular dish. Or use sparingly - in small amounts as I did for the salmon and meatballs. (The pot roast used an entire packet and was beautifully tenderized by it.)

This is not fast food. This is enrichment. From May-October, you will find me outside in thunderstorms with my herb scissors snipping away for the day's dinner. From November-April, I look to my Italian seasoning blends and herbes de Provence. The Ariosto Seasonings are a welcome winter pantry item. Ariosto Seasonings are sold in the USA in Massachusetts, North Carolina and New York. For recipes and how to order Ariosto Seasonings, please visit their website.

Warm, Soft, Chestnut Pudding

2011-11-07T20:15:00.000-06:00

I may be a water sign but when autumn comes, I am from the earth. I remember bags of roasted chestnuts bought for me on city streets in New York as a girl. My feet were decidedly marching on cement and asphalt but as I munched on the now soft, pliable chestnuts, the earth's crust was never far from me. I still look at piles of fallen leaves longingly. Do not think raking has any allure! I simply want to jump in and feel its warmth and crispness. And while I have become far too sensible to bury myself in the remnants of summer past, I will sit and kneel in blankets of leaves and hope that a rodent doesn't peek out at me!

Warm, soft chestnut pudding will do this to you. It's a romp in a pile of leaves. A hug from the earth. This recipe is from The Rose Pistola Cookbook- a restaurant in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. Settled by immigrants from Liguria hoping to strike it big in the California Gold Rush, the recipes in this book combine the bounty of the Italian Riviera with the goodness from the Pacific Ocean. The cookbook reads like fiction and nourishes you to the end. Combining tales of the people who populated the neighborhood as well as the history of the dishes, the book gives a warm embrace to North Beach. And there's none of the "American-red-sauce" mania that swept Italian-American cooking (not that there's anything wrong with that - I was raised on red sauce!).

Chestnut Pudding Ingredients
(serves 6)
1 quart whole milk
3/4 cup chestnut flour, sifted*
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup honey (chestnut honey is ideal)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 large eggs, beaten
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Scald the milk (bring milk almost to a boil and then reduce to simmer) in a heavy, large saucepan.
Whisk in the chestnut flour - in a steady stream. Bring to a simmer whisking constantly until thickened. (Mine took about 5 minutes.) Remove from heat and let cool - just slightly.
Add 3 tablespoons of the butter. the honey, salt and eggs and whisk until smooth. (I will confess I had a few lump - it didn't hurt).
Butter a 12x8-1/2 gratin dish. Pour in the batter and bake for one hour until the top has caramelized and the pudding is set. Remove from oven and serve at once adding whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

It looks a wee bit like pate - all that dense, crumbling brown! Interesting that things that smell of the earth - look like the earth! Aromatic - it announces autumn. Soft and pliable but hints of caramelized honey for surprise. It's a dessert planted firmly in the earth.

But I will have it on my Thanksgiving table. Next time, I will use a pat less butter (it just didn't need it all) and a smaller gratin dish (which will up the cooking time) to have thicker slabs of it. And you can make it ahead of time. It's delicious cold the next day or simply rewarm before serving.

Rose Pistola Restaurant owner Reed Hearon noted in the book, "This pudding is something like an Indian pudding. Its flavor and texture actually comes from the flour." See? Perfect for Thanksgiving.
*I ordered the chestnut flour online from Sausage Debauchery.

Farro-Bean Soup from Lucca

2011-11-03T13:49:00.000-05:00

I know I just posted about soup. But bear with me. This isn't just soup - it's a calling card, an invitation, it brings people together. While it may not be world peace, it certainly would entice people to linger together at the bargaining table and get things done. This soup should be served in Washington D.C. It's hard to bicker while savoring this soup.

As it is, it's served in Lucca.

Lucca is the ideal Tuscan town to visit if you have vertigo. It's one of the few towns in Tuscany not perched atop a giant hill (which I deemed mountains). The street layout has not changed much since Roman times. Walking the "walls" (above) afforded views of the town, the duomo and enclosed gardens. The umbrella of chestnut trees and pines spoke of a gracious time.

Inside the town - all was light and shadow. And as we walked the streets, this aroma wafted over me and bid me to follow.

Through narrow streets and alleys that spoke of knowing many years, many people and many histories.

And so we found ourselves at Osteria Via S. Giorgio. The source of the inviting aroma.

The temps were well into the 80's (F) but we both felt that we had no choice. We had to order the soup. It was what brought us here.

Made with borlotti beans and farro, the slow simmering coaxes out such rich flavor that conversation ceases for a moment and listening begins.

I love the look of the speckled beans - like tiny eggs waiting to transform. Once cooked, they turn brown but offer such creaminess you want to ask it, "Are you really a legume?"
The recipe was adapted from Mark Bittman's attachment to the soup. I still am working on getting the full-flavored broth right - I am sure it involved things like meaty bones and pancetta.

But meanwhile, this is an awfully good start.

Mark Bittman used water and I used enriched beef broth. Feel free to turn it vegetarian and use water or vegetable stock.

The recipe is ripe for substitutions. Consider white beans instead of borlotti beans - even lentils would work well. Barley can sit in for the farro. And I am thinking adding some reconstituted porcini mushrooms would add earthiness.

Farro-Bean Soup Ingredients (serves 4 generously)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
2 carrots, sliced thin
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup farro
1 cup dried borlotti beans (soaked over night or if you are forgetful like me - simmered for 2 hours)
1-14 oz can fire-roasted dice tomatoes (yes, fresh tomatoes would be nice - next July)
6 cups stock or water, add more if necessary
1/4 cup fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano to serve

Put oil in large stock pot over medium heat. When hot but not sizzling add onion, celery, carrots, salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables are softened - about 8 minutes.
Add garlic and stir. Add farro, beans, tomatoes and stock. Stir to combine.
Bring to a boil and then lower heat so the soup gently simmers. Cook until beans and farro are tender - about 75 minutes. Add stock if necessary.
Stir in parsley and simmer 3-4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve passing generous portions of the cheese.

The soup will always connect me to the walk under the chestnut trees and the stroll through alleyways - and that search for the sweet aroma. But I promise if you make this on a day you are craving warmth and sustenance and share it with those you care about - you too will also have a connection to this wondrous soup.

Autumn Notes

2011-10-31T10:23:00.000-05:00

The chill is back. We had our last bike ride by the lake.

The deep blue may have thin crusts of ice any day now.

And the last of the tomatoes - red and green were consumed in this fall-inspired roasted tomato soup. Tomatoes are roasted with onions and garlic and then simmered in broth. All is pureed and you're done. Make it vegan with vegetable broth. There's no dairy - it's just earthy goodness. Simple. Fresh. Autumn. Find the recipe at Tupper Cooks. But beware: it will have you wishing for tomato season.

This is what I have come to see as the wonder of Italian cooking - when the ingredients are good - there's no need to embellish.

I think soup was given to us from the gods.Soup has always made me feel as if I had a home in the world. Soup has reassured me, nurtured me and smiled at me throughout my life. There's never been a soup recipe that didn't make me stand up and pay attention. And when it has Parmesan dumplings - life is good. Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice posted a vegetable soup with Parmesan dumplings. I was hypnotized - bid to make this immediately and ended up swiping a few dumplings as a snack before the family came home. Find the recipe here.

I came to the charms of winter squash later in life. It still doesn't hold the same allure that soup or Parmesan does but it does bring you back to earth telling you quite firmly that autumn is here. I found these roasted pumpkin wedges from Proud Italian Cook.

If you have followed my blog you may have noted that I have great lazy-bones tendencies. The first thing that appealed to me was that I didn't have to peel the pumpkin. Coated with thyme, parsley, lemon zest, breadcrumbs and well - a little Parmesan certainly added to its allure. And - my husband loves this stuff. Once in a while - you need to think of others! I did roast pumpkin seeds along with the wedges and tossed them all over and piled a few into the cooling dip. Find the recipe here.

The lake has given way to autumn. These days I simmer soups listening to Nick Drake's exquisite Northern Sky. Listen to it here.

"I never felt magic crazy as this
I never saw moons knew the meaning of the sea
Or felt sweet breezes in the top of a tree
But now you're here
Brighten my northern sky."

- Nick Drake

The autumn days keep Pip busy - running from window to window "chasing" falling leaves. Pointing out our autumn mice. And by evening he falls into deep slumber. "How is he breathing?" asks Kirsten.

Tonight Kirsten's jack-o-lantern will turn ghoulish. Pumpkin seeds will roast, cider will mull, fairies and super-heroes with an occasional zombie will come calling. Too many miniature chocolate bars will be consumed. And the streets belong to the children. And in the warmth of my home, I will be simmering soup.

Godiva Coffee inspires Cappuccino Muffins and Affogato

2011-10-28T18:24:00.000-05:00

I have spent ten days locked in the computer room writing an "Artist Statement." Downstairs in the den, Kirsten is writing her "Statement of Purpose" for grad school applications. We have bridged the generation gap and compare word count and ask each other "are we writing in the active first person?"

Days like these call for coffee. On hour 50 as I contemplate the themes that stream through my plays and just what is my 'artistic vision for theatre' anyway - I crave coffee. The promise of coffee lures me out of "artist statement purgatory." I received two bags of Godiva Coffee's seasonal flavors: Pumpkin Spice and Caramel Pecan Bark through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. Theatre is "all in the timing" and these were perfectly timed gifts! Kirsten and I bonded over word-count and many cups of coffee.

Aside from downing many pots of rich, autumn-spiced black coffee - I baked. These cappuccino muffins have been on my to-do list for awhile. Black coffee is such a tease. It knows you will cave in and make a sweet.

Cappuccino Muffins (slightly changed from Home Baking)

(Makes 12 - okay, mine made 11)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar plus 1/8 cup sugar (divided)

2-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup Pumpkin Spice Godiva Coffee - make a strong brew

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 egg - slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line muffin tin or grease liberally.

In a large bowl whisk flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt cinnamon and nutmeg. In a coffee mug, add 1/8 cup sugar to 1/4 cup of the brewed strong coffee. You could even simmer it down a bit and let it caramelize Let the coffee cool. In a medium bowl mix the milk, egg,. butter, vanilla and cooled coffee. Stir the milk mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips. Fill muffin tins 3/4 cups full. You should get 12 muffins if you don't spill the batter all over the tin as I did.

Bake 15-20 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. The website states this freezes well. I have no idea. After I announced this on Facebook all sorts of friends came-a-calling. It's a light treat - and some people related to me consumed 4 at one time. Just a touch of coffee - and enough chocolate to keep it interesting. And for the very few of you who don't love chocolate (although how anyone can write an artistic statement without chocolate and coffee baffles me) - if you left it out - I wouldn't berate you.

The next treat is a no-brainer. It's perfectly suited to Godiva's Caramel-Pecan Bark coffee. If you're Italian - you know it form the photo. If I took a proper photo. While creating the perfect artistic statement...

Affogato. Traditionally it is simply the best quality gelato you can get your hands on doused with equally good-quality espresso. A little chocolate or caramel wouldn't hurt!

No brain cells were destroyed in the creating and consumption of these coffees and sweets. Indeed, the Artistic Statement left the house late this afternoon. And I feel like I just scored the winning run in Game Six of the World Series. Oh! Someone did that yesterday, didn't they?

And there's a bonus to this coffee. Not only does it deliver a non-bitter rich cup of java - it brings autumn into your home. One sweet whiff of the pumpkin spice coffee or the caramel-pecan bark coffee would entice Sleepy-the-dwarf out of bed. (I know - my daughter models herself after Sleepy!) The aromas are that enticing. Autumn just caresses Minnesota. There's nothing wrong with prolonging the season with coffee! (I think the artistic statement hung around this house longer than autumn.) Thank-you to Foodbuzz and Godiva. These were a pleasure to review!

When Tortellini met Brodo...

2011-10-17T19:32:00.000-05:00

You'd be surprised by what we didn't do in Italy. We didn't see a lot of churches.

Well... we saw a few. It's required.

Nor did we make it a mission to hit every piece of art.

But sometimes you'd simply walk into a building and look up and Italy surprises you.

We ate a lot of this.

And this - yes - chocolate tortellini. From Bologna - the city of tortellini and tagliatelle. Even their food is musical. And I continued my search for tortellini in brodo. There's something about those little stuffed pastas - years ago I wrote a script - Commedia Delight where the very tall character - Teeny Tortellini was a character. Some things stay with you.

After seeing this, I was begging Paul to rent me a kitchen so I could make my own.

We did a lot of people-watching in the piazzas. Found a medieval art fair, ate a hippo's weight in gelato, consumed every meat and cheese platter that winked at us and investigated side streets.

We walked off most of the calories. Just turning a corner brought smiles. Nothing looked like home. Nor should it.

We tended to eat wherever we found ourselves. Some days had a plan and some days were subject to whimsy.

The bruschetta was so simple but we loved how it was placed in a small puddle of olive oil and fresh pepper - the reverse of how I do it. Messy in the most luxurious way. When I came home to a bounty of cherry tomatoes and the arugula still hanging on, my husband requested this over and over again. And I complied.

This is not the way to take off the Italy weight.

Fresh tagliatelle with a Bolognese sauce. We had a required pasta for every city and town we visited. Some people have sights to see and our sights were food. I think we thought we would slide into the Italian state of mind by walking the streets and tasting all.

Every side street held a promise. Somewhere out there was tortellini in brodo.

I brought home a few of these.

And a lot of these. I am looking for a no-fail torrone recipe if anyone has - mine is always too soft. And we are a torrone-family. Sometimes I think torrone is the glue that binds us. Every time I open one - a conversation starts with "remember..." All too soon, it is "remember?" Gilberto's - where the torrone is from. And where my husband patiently waited while I investigated every centimeter of the store.

And then Taburini's (all in Bologna).

This is a place where you really wish you had rented a kitchen.

I could get even chubbier at Tamborini's.

I remain a soup-fiend and a ricotta addict. And this is where the ricotta spread its magic.

7 Archi - very touristy. But during the course of a long lunch, the restaurant worked it's charms and we could see the torches and the craftsmen of Medieval Bologna. Until this jolted us back to our time -

Simple. Some vanilla gelato perched on a diminutive ricotta tort - laced with chocolate and tiny chocolate bursts. I never ate anything so slowly in my life. But like a good book -when the last page comes and you finally must read it - the last spoonful was downed. And this delectable was memory.

After the Medieval Fair, we were back in the piazza - waiting for sunset and restaurants to open again. We were in no hurry.

In our last night in Bologna, I was in despair. Obsessed with finding a simple toretellini in brodo, I led Paul down side street after side street reading menus. We had had the ragu, the tagliatelle served every way but I could not find tortellini in brodo.

Until a dark side street showed promise - Vicolo Colombina in Dove Lane - an alleyway just steps from Piazza Maggiore. Part art gallery, part wine bar and part ristorante - with a small but succinct menu that showcases the food of Emilia-Romagna.

It boasted of the best meat platter in Bologna.

These were no hastily cured meats. Delicate, a touch of salt, a classic - gracefully aged meats to be savored. This restaurant did not idly boast.

And then - yes it is simple - yes - it is peasant - but there it was - my tortellini in brodo. I fell in love with this at a dive restaurant in Rome years ago and have flirted with it, longed for it and have become staunchly devoted to it ever since.

By the time I was finished, I was attached to the restaurant. I wanted to move in and write plays all centering on tortellini.

And I so trusted them that when it came time for dessert, I asked the owner to surprise me.

And his choice did surprise me.

Panna cotta - silky, smooth cooked cream surrounded by caramel - so simple. The way a simple gold bangle resting on your wrist is - the way one milky white rose can greet you and so fitting for a place that specializes in not only local fare but art.

I asked to take some photos. Inside the gallery was featuring the work of Carlo Ferrari. His studies of flowers - particularly of roses caress the senses. Heavily influenced by the Flemish paintings of the 17th century, Ferrari offers a sweet nod to the past while making it his own.

The owner disappeared while I tried to do justice to the exquisite rooms with my simple point and shoot. And returned with a booklet for me to take home - containing photos of all of Ferrari's 'study of roses' paintings.
Truly I am in the land of generosity of spirit.

And now, I slowly move through the pages of Ferrari's glorious roses - now - as I write this - remembering. In front of me is a hastily prepared tortellini in brodo. Good for what ails you - when you are remembering.

Tortellini in Brodo
(This is a broth that takes canned chicken broth and enriches it. While I am a a lover of and cooker of fresh chicken broth , you may recall that I can also be a great, lazy-bones and if making broth is not in the cards, I will do this - from the wonderful Lynne Rossetto Kasper's The Splendid Table. Her long-simmered poultry stock is truly a winner - but after this long post - I thought I would leave you with something simple.)

1 medium onion
58 ounces low-sodium chicken broth (preferably organic)
1 large celery stalk with leaves, coarsely chopped
1/2 large carrot - coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, unpeeled (trim root ends) coarsely chopped
2 sprigs Italian parsley
1 large garlic clove crushed
generous pinch of dried basil

Preheat broiler. Trim root end from first onion but do not peel. Cut it into 4 thick slices. Arrange them on broiling pan (aluminum foil if you wish) and slip under broiler - broiling for 15 minutes until browned on both sides - turning once.

Pour broth into large stockpot and skim off the hardened fat (easily done if the broth has been chilled). Add broiled onion and all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat so the broth just simmers, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat and strain. Use broth immediately or refrigerate or freeze.

The tortellini - given that my ravioli skills are in preschool - I will admit it - I buy the tortellini - the fresh stuff. Maybe this is the winter when my patience will increase and true Bolognese tortellini will come from my kitchen. I did note that the tortellini in Bologna is much tinier and more delicate than the American counterparts.

France is said to be the land of cuisine while Italy is the land of ingredients but I don't know - for what is cuisine without the ingredients?

Winning Panettone and a Winner

2011-10-10T19:54:00.000-05:00

There are many legends surrounding panettone - a delectable Christmas confection of a bread from Milan. Most of the legends have to do with love. So it was with great delight that I arrived home with my love from our Italian getaway - a country of love - to two boxes of Bauducco's Pantettone welcoming me. For fun, find some of the stories about how panettone came to be here.

After two weeks of feasting and not any cooking, I was anxious to get back into the kitchen. After I slept for two days. The Bauducco Panettone was given to me as part of the Tastemaker program at Foodbuzz. I have made Panettone. It's not the sort of thing you put together in the morning for your evening meal. And it shouldn't be. It's for the holidays - it's celebratory. It takes a wee bit of work.

I was greeted with the scent of vanilla as I unwrapped the package. Soft and pliable - it is not the panettone sold at most grocers over Christmas. One loaf - designed for stuffing contained raisins and the other loaf - designed for French Toast and bread pudding contains bits of chocolate. So, it was not the traditional Milanese load containing many fruits such as citron.

I made the stuffing first. I traditionally make sausage-apple stuffing - I like it savory. This was to be a sweeter stuffing - with additions such as dried apricots and sour cherries. It felt like autumn in my kitchen. Outside it was 87 degrees F (I think Minnesota did not want me missing Italy too much so it arranged for a second summer - I felt all sultry - autumning it in Rome - at home).

Panettone Stuffing (serves 6-8)
1 Bauducco Panettone with Sun-Maid raisins (26.2 oz. package)
1/2 cup butter
3 teaspoons finely shopped fresh sage
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried sour cherries (dried cranberries would also work)
1/2 cup dried apricots - cut into thin strips
1-1/2 cups finely chopped onion (I used 1 cup)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the panettone into 3/4 inch squares and place in a large bowl. Melt half the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook bread squares until they are browned - about five minutes (mine browned much faster). Remove from heat and add half the sage, salt and pepper. Gently toss the bread. Spread the bread squares on two baking sheets and bake until toasted - about fifteen minutes. Transfer toasted squares to a large bowl.
Place the dried fruit in a medium bowl. Add boiling water to cover. Sewt aside to plump and soften. Drain plumped fruit.
Increase oven to 375 degrees F. Heat remaining butter in a medium saucepan (I used same one I used to toss the panettone). Add onions, carrots and celery and cook over medium-low heat until softened. Remove from heat. Add sage and fruit and toss. Add to bowl with toasted bread and toss. Add broth to moisten. Pour all into 9x13 ovenproof casserole dish and bake uncovered until golden brown - about 40 minutes.

I paired it with a simple pork chop. The family swooned. This was perfect autumn fare - dried fruits, sage -- and the stuffing was packed with autumn colors. I'm glad they were thrilled but I did wonder - perhaps they were tired of my sausage-apple stuffing after 20 years? They loved the sweet. And they all had stuffing for lunch the next day.

For the last two years I have made Ciao Chow Linda's Panettone bread pudding - it's impossibly rich and I feel decadent and wicked when I add all those eggs and heavy cream. After being so good in the days leading up to Christmas - a little wickedness always seems in order. So you can use Linda's - or you can use Bauducco's. They both evoke warmth and the cozy. Below is Bauducco's. For Linda's... follow the link.

Panettone Bread Pudding - serves 8
6 ounces Bauducco Panettone - thinly sliced - about 8 slices
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup rum (I omitted it; I don't tend to mix rum with my wine)
3/4 cup sweet Marsala (I added 1 cup)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
confectioner's sugar (I omitted that - it's pretty - but didn't need it)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a shallow 3-quart baking dish. Layer the panettone slices in the baking dish.
In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the milk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add the rum, Marsala and heavy cream.
In a bowl, beat the eggs, orange zest and cinnamon. Slowly stir it in the milk mixture. Pour the mixture over the panettone slices, pressing down on the slices to keep them submerged. Bake for 30 minute or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (it took 40 minutes in my oven). Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar.

(My family wanted ice cream - in fact they wanted salty caramel gelato and that's what they were served/

I later baked them again for fifteen minutes and cut them into squares and served them the next day to a group as "bars." The group loved the tender, fluffy vanilla-scented bites.

Both dishes were delicious. The panettone was light and really you could just slice it and eat it. But as I said - if you want the traditional - this does not include all the fruits that it is famous for but it does make for one satisfying bread slice! Spread it with Nutella or a rich berry jam. You will evoke smiles. Now for the giveaway....

(Don't you love random people in your photos - do you ever make up a story about them?)

The winner of The Cuisine of Italy from the Random Number Generator was #1 - Claudia from What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine. Congratulations to Claudia and I will be gathering your info to get that out to you ASAP. Thanks for the warm welcome home, all. There's no place like home... and there's no place like Italy.

Pasta Luna and a visit from the Fairy Hobmother

2011-10-05T21:03:00.000-05:00

While I was away, many things happened. My daughter had to crawl on the roof to rescue Pippin who managed to dislodge a screen and fall out the window. All went well with the rescue which is good news. The other good news is I was gifted by the Fairy Hobmother for leaving a comment on Kim's Stirring the Pot - My Kentucky Home blog (which I read regularly). I came home to an Amazon gift card! Thank you so much Fairy Hobmother! And the other good news is that you may be gifted by the Fairy Hobmother also - just by leaving a comment on this blog. You never know...

First - the recipe. It begins here. On the Adriatic in the town of Milano-Marittima. I came here to see where my Godfather - Uncle Canttaneo (known in America as "Chuck") grew up. He was a gentle man with a hearty hug. He had a rose garden in Queens. And his paintings graced the walls of his home. I can still hear his greeting to me whenever I walked in the front door.

I must start with Biancaneve - the hotel run by my Uncle's family. We didn't stay there because after trying to book by phone, my lack of meaningful Italian (I speak food) was a barrier. And while I had met some of my Uncle's family - I had never met his nephew. We had no intention of strolling into their lives unannounced - just planned to snap a few photos on our morning walk.

But first, the recipe gets interesting here - on the terrace of a restaurant. A dog came in from the street and immediately gave us a joyous greeting as if to ask:

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you!"

The dog's shy owner tried to shoo her away from us. Indeed the waiter was most insistent that he do so. But this was one determined dog. She wanted to be our friend and she simply slipped under our table and refused to come out. In the worst Italian, we asked the owner the dog's name.

"Luna," he replied.

"And your name?" we asked the dog's human.

"Lorenzo."

As Lorenzo went under the table to retrieve Luna, Luna fled and she and Lorenzo embarked on a Keystone cop chase around the terrace of the restaurant. The waiter was not amused. We were. Luna returned with one more happy greeting and then allowed herself to be captured. Lorenzo and Luna went on their merry way. Paul and I enjoyed our encounter with Luna and Lorenzo but now it was time for seafood.

The next morning we made our way to Biancaneve. Click on the link for some lovely photos - it's all seaside rustic charm. As we turned the corner and saw it, things happened so fast - I didn't get good photos. I held up my camera and three people came from the house - Signora Berti and two of the staff. I didn't want them to think I was a hotel-stalker, so (again in broken Italian) tried to explain my tenuous relationship to their hotel. All they needed to hear was "Canttaneo" and before you could say "ciao," Paul and I were inside enjoying cappuccino and crostada.

And then - in walked Luna!

"Luna!" we cried.

And in Italian, I hear a surprised, "You know Luna?"

"Si, we know Luna."

And Lorenzo soon followed Luna into the dining area. It felt like old home week. It felt good. It felt right. Luna look satisfied. As if she had planned this.

It was arranged that my Uncle's nephew Marcello would meet us back here for lunch. So after phone calls and Italian-English charades, Paul and I explored the old town.

And returned for lunch. All four courses of it.

The pasta - which I now fondly think of as Pasta Luna.

Fresh, simple - and because food - for me - is forever intertwined with the company and circumstances of breaking bread at a table - I will state that this was some of the finest pasta in my life. Made by my Uncle's sister-in-law and shared with his two nephews and my husband. And Luna.

At one point during dinner, they decided to put Luna on the patio. Well, Luna's no dope - there are three entrances into the dining area. She was shooed out one door, walked around the patio and returned via another door within the minute! And stayed. I'm sure she thought she brought us together - she wasn't going to miss the celebratory lunch.

Pasta Luna (this generously served 5)
1 pound (fresh if possible) tagliatelle noodles
small amount olive oil
3/4 -1 pound minced pork
salt and pepper to taste
1 pint cherry tomatoes - finely chopped, most seeds removed (don't go crazy)
4 baby zucchini - minced
red pepper flakes
handful of coarsely chopped Italian parsley
pasta water to moisten

Cook pasta according to package directions - saving 1 cup of the pasta water to moisten. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a large skillet and brown the pork. Add some salt and pepper if you wish. When pork is browned, add the tomatoes and zucchini. Lower heat and stir until the vegetables soften. Either add the pasta to the skillet or mix it all in a large bowl. Add red pepper flakes according to taste and add pasta water to moisten. Add chopped parsley and combine. Serve - passing some Parmigiano-Reggiano of course.

Are you just sighing thinking, "But - so simple. Why so special?" Because all came together sweetly. Nothing overpowers. All are joined in pitch-perfect harmony. You'll notice no pungency here - no onions or garlic or leeks. All is tender with a wee bit of heat from the red pepper flakes. But you know - Italian recipes are sometimes mere suggestions. Change the meat or eliminate it. Play with other vegetables. What allowed the dish to not be ordinary was the careful mincing of both the meat and vegetables. That kept the dish delicate and elegant. It's seamless. And it took care. Care adds flavor.

We also had chicken and potatoes baked with rosemary and a lovely pepperonata dish. Followed by sorbet. There were more courses for lunch than I make for dinner!

My giveaway of The Cuisine of Italy with such recipes such as pumpkin tortellini, macaroni timbale and baked pizzoccheri can be found here If you haven't commented, head on over for a chance to win. The giveaway closes Sunday, 10/5 at midnight with the winner announced Monday morning. And it's just possible that a comment here may win you a visit from the Fairy Hobmother!

Luna and her beautiful family. I think that dog knew more than she let on!

La Dolce Vita with a Sweet Giveaway

2011-10-03T15:14:00.000-05:00

Villa Rucellai - it's a true Tuscan dream. A sonata, an aria. If Ireland is a poem, Italy is music. The Villa lulled me into Medieval and Renaissance Italy. Originally built in the 12th century and rebuilt for hundreds of years, it whispers you into sweet contentment.

In the Great Hall, my theatrical genes bade me to believe I was all of Shakespeare's Italian heroines: Juliet, Beatrice, Katherine.

Sitting out in the gardens until late at night, husband and I would whisper to each other, "Can you see it? How it was - then? 12th centruy? 14th century? 15th century?"

Yes. We could see it.

Open my heart and you will see, engraved inside of it, "Italy." - Robert Browning

Smiles from a villa - the ducks. (I have a passion for ducks - they always make me smile, often make me laugh and forever delight me.) I take a lot of photos of ducks! (And no - don't eat them!)

You surrender in a place such as this. And find yourself rewarded with its inner music - its heartbeat.

I wandered the olive groves - knowing there would be some fruity, just-pressed olive oil that would grace my dinner table for months to come. I counted on their olive oil to evoke this special time again and again.

And we had a picnic every night in the formal gardens. Lest you think I am bewitched - I will let you in on a secret. The reason for the picnic is simple: the road to the Villa is one lane - barely large enough for a goat and with no barriers between the car and the drop off. But it is two-way traffic (not including those hearty bicyclists and walkers). There are hairpin turns and at one point our GPS seemed to be tell us to turn right and drive off the cliff! It wasn't a road I was aching to do after dark (when you meet another vehicle on the road - someone has to back up or down - and you really don't meet them until you are literally face-to-face - it's all windy turns). So for two nights we had a picnic - of fruits, cured meats, cheese, bread and wine in the gardens. It amused our elegant host - but that decision calmed me!

As you can see, a picnic in the garden was not a hardship.

And we were joined by the villa cats. (Because they just knew Husband-person always shares his food with furry ones!)

We started the day eating simply - knowing the wealth of food that was in our daily horoscope.

Proof that scairdy-cat Claudia (and husband) who-are-afraid-of-heights made it up and down the "hilltop" every day...

... knowing full well that if I conquered my fear, a Tuscan sunset would be in my future. More on the history of the villa as well as luscious photos can be found here.

Sweet Giveaway: The Cuisine of Italy: All the Recipes (Giunti Demetra)

I was delighted to pick up this book in Bologna - in English. It contained many of the recipes we sampled on our journey. When I saw it again - at the airport - I realized it must be somewhat common for Italians - but with recipes such as Mozzarella in Carrozza from Campania and Walnut Liqueur from Emilia Romagna, I was intrigued enough to bring two of these cookbooks home. The measurements are in grams (easy to convert) and the sauces are Italian - they don't smother their pasta with sauce - they flavor it! The book is divided into courses: starters, breads, sauces, first course (usually pasta), meat dishes, fish dishes, vegetable dishes and sweets. And it will be soon heading to one of you! Simply leave a comment on this post today through Sunday, October 9th and I will randomly choose a winner through that random generator thing. No hoops to jump through - just a comment! (Apologies: the offer is for the USA and Canada only.) Create your own Italian dream in your kitchen.

Tales of Italy complete with recipes are forthcoming. And I will begin visiting again very soon! For I have missed you.

End of Summer Small Bites

2011-09-12T10:14:00.000-05:00

Rome-Florence-Prata-Bologna-Ravenna-Perugia-Rome. With lots of stops in-between. It's heady stuff and I am way behind my time. Clothes to sort, hair to dye, plays to edit, learn to speak Italian and lots of late summer vegetables to use up. I have Mister Meatballs's roasted-green-and-red tomato sauce recipe memorized. (Yes, you'd like it.) I suspect my 20-something children will not be gardening.

This slightly sweet, a wee bit savory zucchini snack cake from Mary Ann Esposito is the perfect recipe for using up late summer zucchini and pleasing the nibblers in the house. Called "Zucchini Cake Viareggio Style," by Ms. Esposito, she does mention that when you take it from the oven don't be surprised if you see that it is well-cooked, like a well-worn shoe. And indeed it is. It is also scrumptious enough that I had to keep it out of sight because I was in danger of nibbling it into extinction before anyone else could partake.

Zucchini Snack Cake Ingredients - serves 8
(From Tastes of Italia, August 2011)
butter and flour for pan
1 pound small zucchini
salt
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Butter and flour a 9x12x2-1/2 or 7x11-inch baking dish and set aside.
Cut zucchini into thin rounds. Layer them in a colander and sprinkle salt between each layer. Place a "weight" (I used cans) on the zucchini and let it sweat for 1 hour.
Rinse and dry slices and proceed.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl whisk melted butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in milk, salt and flour until a better forms. Fold in zucchini.
Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Drizzle top with olive oil.
Bake for 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool a few minutes and cut into squares.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

It has restorative powers. I was able to bake this while learning how to say "I don't speak Italian," do laundry, answer e-mails while prepping the roasted green tomato sauce.

My tomatoes are finally coming in. What date is today? My plants clearly have not read their gardening books. They just march or ripen to the beat of a different drummer.

End of season plum tomatoes? Hollow them out and stuff them with bread crumbs, pitted Kalamata olives, Parmesan,some tomato pulp and oregano mixed with a little olive oil. Salt and pepper top taste. Bake them in a 375-degree oven till softened and the stuffing bubbles (about 30-35 minutes). Make sure you use the Kalamata olives - they add tang and nuance to contrast the sweetness.

And my wonderful stand-by. Zucchini carpaccio. Best with small-medium zucchini. Save the big honkers for bread or soup.

Thinly slice your zucchini (important). Make a simple vinaigrette with lemon and olive oil or some champagne vinegar and olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss zucchini with your vinaigrette. Shave some Pecorino cheese over it. I did have more blossoms - so I sliced them thinly and tossed with the zucchini. You can also add thinly sliced leeks, red onions or shallots for some pungency.

I am printing all of your suggestions for Italy. Husband and I are wanderers so I may not make it to all the restaurants. If you know of certain foods in the different regions I must try - please let me know. (Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria and Lazio).

I will try to visit you before I leave. Keep your forgiveness light open if I don't - I kept thinking I had all this time and I don't. Meanwhile, my 20-somethings have assured me that they will have a weekly kegger and the police will be called to our home once a week. Ciao for now. See you... in October.

September 11

2011-09-10T14:13:00.000-05:00

I am 50% Italian. 25% Scottish and 25% Latvian. My children are 100% Minnesotan. Their mother is 100% New York. We are all 100% Americans. And we all are citizens of the world. I cook a lot of pasta but detour into cold noodles with sesame sauce. I chronicle what I cook and eat. And how I feel during my cooking journey. And I reflect how food, family and friends form a fabric of your life. Today is not a cooking day but one of reflection. Of friends and family. Of country. Of the day. Of remembrance.

"The Trade Centers - in time - became a presence. It was how I gave directions when I lived in the Village. "Come up out of the subway at 14th Street, look at the towers and follow them downtown two blocks. Then take a right and you are at my building." They were supposed to always be there. On the day of the attacks, I finally reached my cousin. "Pati, I know people in that building." She said, "Dorrie everyone knows someone in those buildings."

"This came to be. During the evacuation. Cantor Fitzgerald - where they were all "lost." I just thought - someone was holding this a few minutes before it floated down to me and I grabbed it. I take it everywhere. I don't know why."

"It's surreal. When we were evacuating, all I could think of was - we must be in a movie - with amazing special effects. Because nothing this horrible could be real."

"You should have seen my mother - when I asked if we could visit each other's religion. She had tears. She never has tears. It's like all the tears were cried out of her a long time ago - in the camps. She said, "Oh Lanie - imagine if everyone visited other religious services. There wouldn't be so much hate."

(They light the candles)

"Do you know what this means, Dorrie? We're spirit sisters. So if anything ever happens to one of us, we have to be there for each other. And if we disappear, we have to look for each other, okay?"

"What are you talking about? That stuff can't happen here. We are the land of the free and the brave."

"Do you have a guardian angel, Dorrie"

I do, Lanie. You're my guardian angel."

In memory of Lanie, April 21 - September 11, 2001. Godspeed Lanie, you light my way.

Excerpts from By Candlelight.
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank

Ricotta and Spinach Gnocchi Badly Made

2011-09-06T17:06:00.000-05:00

As soon as I saw the nickname of the gnocchi "malfatti" (badly made), I thought in all my under-achieving glory, "I could make that." And so I did. And it was ugly. I then served it with heaps of fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and made it uglier still.

And it was delicious. I fell in love with "no-fuss, earthy, plain but delicious." I had been in a new adventure with rodents - and was in no mood for fuss. Pippin (the non-mouse killing cat) had chased mouse-breath into the hall closet where I promptly shut the door, stuffed the bottom with towels and went back to work. Later I realized the mouse had been confined with 8 pounds of cat food. It was suggested to me that when I opened the door, I would find a fat mouse with an identity crisis.

I wanted food that I could roll and thump and form - badly. I didn't want pretty crimped edges. I wanted to swallow - the earth (sans rodents). This peasant-hearty, better if you have been mushroom-foraging all day (as opposed to mouse-foraging) - meal fit the bill.

My mother came over and kept swiping them from the baking pan. I finally heated some up, poured a few tablespoons of melted butter and scattered some Parmesan on top and made her a proper plate. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Ingredients - 8 first-course servings
(From Bon Appetit's May 2000 issue - I seem to be working my way through it)
4-6 ounce bags ready-to-use spinach (I used two large bags and a some handfuls of arugula)
2 cups whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano- Reggiano
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground peppers
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

For serving:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Cook spinach in salted, boiling water until just wilted - about two minutes (really 1 minute will do it). Drain and squeeze out liquid (the hardest part of the process). Chop spinach.

Mix spinach, ricotta. 1/2 cup Parmesan, 1/2 cup flour, egg yolks, salt, pepper and nutmeg in bowl until sticky dough forms. Dust baking sheet with flour. (I over-dusted. I know that surprises you.) Using floured hands, roll 1/4 cup dough into 5 inch-long rope. Cut rope into 1-inch pieces. (I did this for awhile and then just started rolling 1-inch balls.) Roll each piece between hands to form an oval. (I formed a rectangle - it tastes the same.)

Working in batches, add gnocchi to a large pot of salted, boiling water. Boil until gnocchi rise to the surface and then cook 4 minutes longer. (I cooked about 8 at a time). Remove with slotted spoon.

Pour butter over gnocchi and toss with 1/2 cup Parmesan. Serve. Peasant food at its best.

(Can be made ahead: cover gnocchi, chill. Reheat in 400 degree F oven for about ten minutes).

In Tuscany these are also called "topini verdi." (Little green mice). No irony there.

Prosciutto and Plums Wards off Playwright Dementia

2011-09-02T19:06:00.000-05:00

I was going to post small bites every Thursday - in fact even develop a "Small Bites" day. Sigh. It's not Thursday anymore, is it? I am bingeing. With plays not food. (Although I have had my share of gnawing on pretzel rods and popping delectable McElrath dark chocolate-toffee medallions into my mouth - artisan chocolate - local - worth getting out of bed for - remind me to do a giveaway.)

After two days of the binge, my husband comes home and I serve him an assortment of small bites. (My favorite way to eat, "I'm not hungry, honey - I'll just pick." Decidedly not his favorite way to eat.)

But when you spread creamy goat cheese over a fig spread on thick bread and top it with prosciutto, thinly sliced plums and a touch of arugula - he doesn't argue.

And when he sees the pile of manila envelops ready for the mail - he knows I'm in "business mode." And one of these days he will come home to the words "takeout, please." I belong to a marketing "playwrightbinge" website where every six months we pledge to send out a play-a-day and share the opportunities with others. Playwrights don't market well. The binge helps. And the daily e-mails from playwrights reminds me that there are humans out there. My days seem to consist of a cat and an errant mouse.

You may think sending out a play a day wouldn't be too stressful - but they have guidelines. Guidelines that cross your eyes and send you crawling through your cabinets searching for chocolate. After 30 days of guidelines you start to crave raw meat.

Guidelines
1. No contact info. Send in separate cover contact info.
2. Name on every page
3. No name - only your e-mail (only.... my e-mail IS my name)
4. Must be of Irish descent and live in PA, NJ or CT.
5. Must address human misery in a heightened, poetical neo-classical theatrical manner.
(True guidelines; I decided not to post the improbable ones out there; some guidelines are a treatise.)

Guidelines sneak up on playwrights. Have you ever found in your work that there is always a gorilla in the room? And you found out too late?

Writing the play is the satisfying part. Having different versions of the play (contact info, where the page numbers go, which has headers, which has footers) and keeping them straight for submitting is a test of surviving "playwright guideline dementia.".

That's where small bites come in handy. I can "cook" this in five minutes and then return to my deconstructed, poetically sturm and drang play that addresses the diaspora of growing up in Queens, that has a header stating my name and a footer stating the title of the play with pages arranged in a sequential order where you need to guess the sequence.

From Cooking Light and you need:
Some grand, thickly sliced bread - toasted
goat cheese at room temperature
Your favorite jam
thin slices of prosciutto
plums
arugula

Toast your bread. I used a dense, seven-grain, thickly sliced bread. There was joy in that bread. Spread some jam (fig jam or date jam is particularly good with this) on the bread. Spread your goat cheese over it. Top with prosciutto and arugula leaves. One slice satisfies. During a binge - five slices retain sanity.

Don't you love this? No amounts, no emulsifying, no pots, no oven temperature. It's sane. It's a buffet - it's the perfect small bite. And somehow with this open-faced sandwich at my side, I finished a short play - Before the Gathering - about 3 sisters sneaking shrimp toast and sorting shoes ten years after their mother's death on 9/11 (I know - upbeat). It fits none of the guidelines beyond having my name on every page. But I have sent out 8 submissions already. And received word that Under a Midsummer Moon took 2nd place in a contest - which only strengthened my resolve to make it better. And pop another chocolate and make another open-faced prosciutto sandwich. And maybe pour a glass of wine.

Swiss Chard and Herb Tart

2011-08-29T19:03:00.000-05:00

I keep lavender by the door for luck. Believe if you put basil under your pillow, you will see your true love and build Midsummer bonfires for the faeries. Gardens are magical to me. The transformation of a seed into a fruit, vegetable, flower or herb is part science and part enchantment. You will never convince me otherwise.

It is inconceivable to me that my French thyme would have returned after the brutal, long winter winter of 2010-2011. But it did. And I felt I had to do it justice.

I am attracted to tarts. If there is more meaning to that fact, I won't explore it. And while I never would pass on a sweet fruit tart or an almond cream tart - when given a choice to bake - I go for the savory. The summer sun still graces us with its strong sunbeams but all is more filtered now. The light seems more delicate. And that is thyme. Faery-twigs of tiny delicate leaves that impart a soft, fragrant flavor. A kiss from the earth.

The Swiss Chard and Herb Tart hails from Tuscany - a place that I remember of soft light - hidden behind hills and filtered through trees. The recipe is from Bon Appetit's May 2000 issue that was devoted to Tuscany. I almost have that issue memorized. And if you know me - I don't toil in the kitchen. This is easy - using frozen puff pastry for the crust.

Swiss Chard and Herb Tart Ingredients
1 pound Swiss Chard - stems and ribs removed (I used two bunches and only removed the thickest stems)

1-1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove minced (I probably used more)
1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese (whole milk)
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh thyme (I used an entire teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon fresh oregano (I again used an entire teaspoon - I have an oregano bush)
1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg (I used more)

1-17.03 ounce package frozen puff pastry, thawed (two sheets)

Swiss Chard and Herb Tart Preparation
Need: 9 inch pastry tart pan with removable bottom. Although I used a pie plate because I didn't notice that part!

Bon Appetit has you boil the chard until just wilted, dry it and then saute it. I just sauteed it!
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Chop chard.
Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic. Saute 1 minute.
Add chard until just wilted. - about two minutes.
Transfer chard to large bowl. Let cool. Mix in ricotta and next 7 ingredients.

Roll out 1 pastry sheet on slightly floured surface to about a 14-inch square.
Transfer pastry to tart pan. Trim edges leaving a 1-inch overhang.
Fill pastry with chard mixture.
Lightly brush pastry overhang with brush dipped in water.
Roll out 2nd pastry sheet to a 13-inch square. Using tart pan as a guide, trim pastry square into a 10-inch round. Drape over filling. Seal edges.
Bake about 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
Cool ten minutes and serve.

There are a lot of summer greens you can play with: spinach, kale, arugula. Basil would also marry well and I wouldn't argue if found yourself incorporating zucchini and/or tomatoes instead of the greens.

Soft, savory, flaky. Italian rustic. A touch of the wild and the bitter wrapped in sweet pillows of cheese. As you serve this, you feel touched by Tuscany.