Crespelle with prosciutto and fontina

This was really tasty.  It would make a perfect appetizer or serve it with a salad for lunch.  This is also from williams-sonoma essentials of Italian cooking.

For the crespelle:

3/4 cups flour
1 cups whole milk
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
olive oil or canola

Whisk the the above ingredients, except the oil, together and let sit for at least 30 minutes or longer in the refrigerator.  Heat a nonstick skillet.  Brush with olive oil.  Add a scant 1/4 cup of batter and swirl pan (like making a crepe).  Cook until brown spots, then turn.  Put on a plate, separating each with parchment paper.

For the white sauce:

1 1/2 cup whole milk (I used skim and it was fine)
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp butter
salt

Heat milk in a sauce pan until bubbling at edges.  Set aside.  Melt butter in a pan.  Add the flour and whisk, cooking for about 4-5 minutes.  Turn heat off.  Add the milk, a couple of tbsp at a time, whisking the whole time.  Then add the rest of the milk, whisking.  Turn heat back on.  Add salt.  Stir constantly until thickened, about 1 minute.  (If made ahead, this can be cooled and stored in the refrigerator for 2 days.  Reheat over low heat, adding a little milk to then if needed.)

Putting it all together:

3oz prosciutto di parma
1/4 pound fontina (I used about half this amount, it seemed like it would be too cheesy.  Sanford disagreed)
1/4 cup grated parmigiano reggiano

Lightly olive oil the bottom of a cake pan.  Put a little white sauce in the bottom.

Put a little prosciutto on the crespelle, along with a slice of fontina.  Fold in half, then again and place in pan.  Repeat, slightly overlapping each one.  (I had 12 crepes).

Pour the rest of the white sauce over the top of the crespelles.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Bake 30 minutes at 375 degrees, until cheese is lightly browned and bubbling.

Meatballs in Sugo

I make meatballs quite a bit. I like them.  These were better.  I usually bake mine, but these were browned in olive oil.  Definitely better.

1 1/2 pounds ground meat.  (I used beef.  If I had other meats to grind, I would have used part of them too.)

3 or 4 slices of coarse country bread, crust removed (I didn't have this, but I did have left over olive oil bread from Mark Bittman.  It was a yeastless bread that turned out more like a biscuit than a baguette.  I wasn't sure how it would work, but it was great.  Bottom line, I don't think it matters what your bread is.  You can even use old biscuits...)   Soak in 1/2 cup whole milk.  Let stand about 10 minutes.

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano

1/4 cup chopped parsley,

1 minced garlic clove, salt and pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the meat with the eggs, cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper.  Squeeze the milk out of the bread and add to the meat.  Combine.  Make into 2 inch meatballs.  Heat olive oil in pan and brown well.  Do this in batches if your pan is not big enough.  Remove from pan.  Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat.  (If you are using very lean meat or grassfed beef, you will probably need to add some olive oil to the pan)  Add 1 chopped onion and saute until soft.  Add 4 chopped garlic cloves, minced.  Add 2 cans tomatoes and 1 can tomato sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add meatballs back into pan and simmer another 10 minutes.  Add some freshly torn basil leaves.  stir and serve.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

This recipe is also adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Italian cookbook.  It is quick and easy.  Threw it together along with a salad in about 20 minutes after soccer practice.

4 oz pancetta or slab bacon, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
1 lb spaghetti
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano
2 large eggs plus one egg yolk


Cook the pancetta in olive oil until the fat has rendered, 10-15 minutes.  Meanwhile get everything else together:  grate the cheeses, beat the eggs, bring water to boil for the pasta.

Cook the pasta al dente.  Drain into a colander set in your serving bowl (this heats the bowl) reserving a cup of pasta water.  Take the drained pasta and toss it in the pan with the pancetta.  Mix quickly.  Pour the water, carefully, out of your serving bowl.  Put the pasta in it.  Add the eggs and stir vigorously.  Adjust the consistency by adding the reserved pasta water as needed.  Add cheese, salt and pepper and serve at once.

Pappardelle with Pork Ragu

We had a three coarse meal again, but this was really the only successful part.  I am working on a farrinata or socca, depending upon where you are.  I am getting close, but last night's dinner was no where near where I want it.  Hopefully soon.  We also made chicken under a brick.  I think Sanford's previous chickens are much better.  He splits them down the back, sears them flat in a cast iron skillet in olive oil, then finished in the oven.  I think we will stick with that method and skip the chicken from last night.


Pappardelle with Pork Ragu   (from Williams Sonoma Essentials of Italian cooking)

I doubled the recipe and froze over half of it.

11/2 pounds pork spareribs, divided into individual ribs
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 chopped yellow onion
1 chopped and peeled carrot
1 chopped celery stalk
1/2 cup red wine
28oz can diced tomatoes
1 pound fresh egg pasta
1/2 cup grated pecorina romano

Dry pork ribs.  Season with salt and pepper.  Heat oil in pan.  Brown on all sides, about 20 minutes.

Remove ribs.  Add onion, carrot and celery to pot, reduce heat to medium and cook 10-15 minutes.  Add wine, simmer for a couple of minutes.  Add tomatoes, 1 cup water, and salt and pepper.  Return ribs to pan.  Simmer, covered, for 2-3 hours.

Let cool briefly.  Remove ribs and take meat off bones, shred.  Return meat to pan and simmer, uncovered, until sauced thickens.

I used my standard pasta recipe but substituted semolina flour for the white flour.  Kids like white flour pasta better, Sanford prefers the semolina.  1 1/3 cup semolina, 1/8 tsp salt, 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp olive oil.  Mix.  Using dough hook, mix for 8-10 minutes or knead by hand.  Roll out pasta.  Cut into strips 1 inch wide by 4 inches long.  Cook in salted water 1-2 minutes.  Drain.  Toss in ragu.  Sprinkle with cheese. 

Biscotti al cacao e dulce di latte

Jack made these wonderful little cookies from the book Biscotti

3 cups all purpose flour

1 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 cup + 1 tbsp butter

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg + 1 yolk

Dulce di latte, optional

Sift together flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanila and eggs.  Mix well.  Gradually add dry ingredients.  Mix until it all comes together.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.  

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface.  Shape into two logs, 2 inches in diameter.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the logs into 1/4 inch slices.  Bake on parchment paper for 7-8 minutes.  Spread with dulce di latte if desired.  (Of course, I could not find duce di latte, so I used dulce de leche.  I think it's the same thing...)

Ribollita and steak

Preparing for ribollita

I loved this!  I made a different version of ribollita from Saveur magazine and Sanford and I thought it was bland and mushy.  This was completely different and delicious.  When I tasted the soup, prior to layering it for the final baking, I was unsure.  But I was wrong.  It worked beautifully together.  The recipe comes from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Italian Cooking.  Sanford balked at me getting this from the library, but his comment was this is a restaurant worthy dish.  Now the recipe:  Heat a pan.  Add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Saute 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped celery stalk, and 2 chopped, peeled carrots.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add 1 cup coarsely chopped cauliflower florets.  Saute 5 minutes.  Add 5 thinly sliced stalk of kale along with 1 cup sliced swiss chard (including stalks).  Add 2 chopped zucchini and 1 large diced boiling potato.  Cook another 5 minutes, stirring.  Add 2-3 cups cooked cannellini beans, 1/4 cup minced fresh herbs in equal parts, parsley, rosemary and sage.   Stir.  Add 2 1/2 quarts chicken broth.  Cook, uncovered, 30 minutes.  In a small baking dish, cover the bottom with soup.  Add thinly sliced country bread (we used ciabatta).  Spoon more soup over the bread.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Continue to layer bread, soup and cheese then top with bread.  Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle more cheese.  Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.  About 5 minutes before it's finished push down on the bread and bake the last 5 minutes.  (Bill and Chris, we are planning to make this for you when you visit next month)

Bistecca alla Fiorentina:  Very large steak (the one Italian exception of not eating large amounts of meat).  Let sit at room temperature for 2 hours. (do not salt).  Rub with olive oil.   Cook on grill or in a hot cast iron skillet until browned.  Flip salt and turn.  Then flip, salt and remove to rest 10 minutes.  Served with sauteed spinach.

Now, we will have to wait until tomorrow for the biscotti dessert.  The family is waiting, quite impatiently, for me to stop blogging and finish making the dessert.  Until tomorrow....

Sunday night supper club: Italy

Jack and Sanford making biscotti

This is the biscotti.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Toast 1 cup slivered blanched almonds for 8-10 min.  Cool.
Reduce heat to 300 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

In electric mixer combine:  2 cups flower, 1/8 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking powder and 3/4 cup sugar.  In another bowel beat 3 eggs with 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp almond extract.  Slowly add beaten egg mixture to flour mixture, adding almonds halfway though.  Roll out to about 14 inches long and 3-4 inches wide.  Bake for 30-40 min.  Let cool on wire rack 10 min.

Slice 1/2 inch thick slices on the diagonal.  Lay flat on baking sheet.  Bake 10 min.  Flip and bake another 10 min.  Melt chocolate and drizzle on top.

Dri's polenta topped with mushroom ragu.

Asparagus salad (Sanford)  (from Molto Gusto, Mario Batalli)  Using a vegetable peeler, shave one pound asparagus.  Transfer to a bowl.  Shave 2-3 oz pecorina and toss with 1/2  of the lemon vinaigrette and salt and pepper.  Serve with remaining vinaigrette on the side.  Lemon vinaigrette:  Mix together 1/4 cup lemon juice, generous pinch lemon zest, and 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil. 

Sanford's chickpeas with leeks.  (Also from Mario)  Combine 3 cups chick peas, cooked and 1 cup leek ragu in a large bowl.  Add 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, salt to taste and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.  Let stand for 1 hour at room temperature.  Leek Ragu:  Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil.  Add 5 coarsely chopped garlic cloves.  Saute 1-2 min.  Add leeks ( 1 pound, washed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices).  Saute until soft, but not browned.  (8-10 min)  Add 1/3 cup water, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for about 15 minutes.  If necessary, increase heat and cook until liquid evaporates.  Salt and pepper to taste.

I made the Cannelloni ripieni:  Make one pound fresh pasta (1 1/4 cup flour, 1/8 tsp salt.  Mix.  Make a well - add 2 eggs and 1/2 tsp olive oil.  Stir.  Then put in kitchenaid and using dough hook, mix for about 8 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the side.  Roll out with pasta roller)  Cut out 12 3inx3in squares.  Boil 4 minutes and carefuuly remove and drain.  Set aside.  For the sauce/filling:  Saute 1 chopped onion and 2 chopped garlic cloves in 3 tbsp olive oil.  Add 1 pound ground veal or pork (No veal at Hyvee, so I used pork).  Fry lightly.  Season with salt and pepper and 1 tsp dried oregano.  Chop 8 oz cooked ham into small cubes.  Add them along with 1 1/4 lb peeled and diced tomatoes.  Braise for 20 minutes.  Let cool.  Add 2 eggs to the meat and 2 oz grated parmesan.  Stir.  To assemble:  Spread some filling along one edge of pasta squares.  Roll to for cannelloni.  Put in a buttered dish.  Repeat.  Then pour the remaining sauce over the top.  Sprinkle with more parmesan.  Dot with butter and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  (I like this, but I would use a different filling from the sauce the next time I make cannelloni.  Seems like I could have just layered it like a lasagna.)

The Werth's beautiful ravioli.

Kurt Kingsley's risotto.

              PAM'S BRACIOLA                                                                                                                                                            1/2 cup raisins
5 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 pound beef top round steak
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
½ cup red wine
½ tsp. red chile flakes
2 (28-oz.) cans whole, peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand
1 bay leaf, 6 cloves, 1/2 cup chopped proscuitto, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp dry basil, and 2/3 cup olive oil to bind

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1. To make the filling, mix together raisins, 4 tbsp. parsley, pine nuts, Parmesan, and garlic in a bowl; set aside. Place a slice of beef on a work surface perpendicular to you, season with salt and pepper, and place about 1 tbsp. filling on the bottom half; starting with the filled half, roll beef up around the filling into a tight cylinder. Secure roll with toothpicks, and repeat with remaining beef and filling.

2. Heat oil in a 6-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add beef rolls, and cook, turning as needed, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add onion to pot, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add wine, and cook, stirring to scrape bottom of pot, until almost evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in chile flakes, tomatoes, and bay leaf, and then return beef rolls to pot. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered partially and gently stirring occasionally, until meat is cooked through and tender, about 2 hours.

3. Remove meat rolls from sauce, remove toothpicks, and transfer to a serving platter; continue cooking sauce until reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Pour sauce over meat rolls, and sprinkle with remaining parsley. 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, I did not try this soup and I cannot remember what type it was.  I do know that the Hogerty's brought it.

This is Kurt's ravioli.  I know that one of raviolis was butternut squash, the other pumpkin.  Both, delicious.

Apple dessert by the Hogerty's

Kurt Kingsley's

Connie

Hogertys

Finn

Football

Football break

Ellen's olives...

A variety of Italian wines.

Svedka?

Porchetta by Mike Odette.

Italy was hosted by Katie, Andy, Charlie and Olive Werth.  It seems that it was everyone's favorite country so far.  Lots and lots of delicious food.  It is painfully clear to me that I either need to put this in the blog the next day or people need to get me their recipes....

Oh, I have one more recipe from Jennifer Erikson, but I have no picture:

Italian Lemon Verbena Sugar Cookies (Befanini)

MAKES APPROXIMATELY 4 DOZEN COOKIES  

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon verbena, chopped (I take out the mid-rib of each leaf before chopping it.)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla           
• Extra sugar for rolling         

1. Combine dry ingredients, leaves and zest. Set aside.

2. Beat butter; add sugar, eggs and vanilla; beat until combined. Add half flour mixture, beat. Stir in remaining flour mixture with wooden spoon. 

3. Make rounded teaspoons full of dough into rounded shapes, roll in extra sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes until edges lightly browned. Cool.

Next month to southeast Asia for Thai food at Connie's.

 

A side trip to Thailand

I saw a recipe in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Anything, or is it everything?  I am not sure.  Anyway, he had a recipe of how to cook chicken wings six ways.  We were ready for a non med night, so we opted for Thai.  I didn't take any pictures...

Thai Chicken Wings:

Toss chicken wings in olive oil and roast at 350 for 30 minutes.  Turn and baste, pour off excess fat and roast for another 20 minutes.

In a bowl mix 2 tbsp peanut butter along with 4-5 tbsp coconut milk, 1 tbsp curry and 1 garlic clove, minced.  Add enough coconut milk to make it pourable.  (The next time I will add some sriracha to give it a little something extra).  Toss sauce with chicken wings. Bake at 450 for another twenty minutes.

We served this with a vegetable green curry  (From the Thai Kitchen bottle, using the recipe for the sauce right from the label, which is getting a little too small for Sanford...using whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.  We used zucchini, red bell peppers, onions, garlic and mushrooms) along with some good old white rice.

Back to the pressure cooker

This week and last we have been cooking a lot of old standbys.  Roast chicken with potatoes, onions and carrots.  Roasted pork loin with potatoes, onions, and carrots.  You get the picture.  One thing I did differently this week was add the pressure cooker into the equation.  Peel and chop the potatoes and carrots.  Put a cup of water or so in the pressure cooker and a steamer basket.  Pressure cook them for 3 minutes.  Place cooker under cold water (carefully) to reduce pressure quickly.

Then when putting everything in the pan to put in the oven, gently toss the potatoes and carrots with olive oil and season.  Then cook just like you would for the raw potatoes and carrots.

It is amazing.  It didn't matter when the roast took 25 minutes (pork) or 1 hour (chicken) the potatoes and carrots remained perfectly tender in the middle and nicely caramelized on the outside.  Magic.

Dukka for dinner

I wanted to make some red lentil Egyptian soup, so I decided to go ahead and try to make the whole dinner Egyptian inspired.  I know very little about Egyptian food, so I apologize if I am way off base here.

First, the Red Lentil Soup.  There is one of these recipes in just about every cookbook.  It is reminiscent of mullagitawny.   Heat a couple of tbsp olive oil in a pan.  Add 1 chopped onion and cook  until soft.  Add 1 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp ground coriander, some red pepper flakes to taste.  Stir for about 30 seconds.  Add 1 cup rinsed red lentils, 1 peeled and chopped carrots, a can tomatoes, chopped, and 4 cups chicken stock.    Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes.  Puree using immersion blender.  Add juice of 1/2 lemon.  Stir. 

While the   lentils are cooking, heat some more olive oil in a pan.  Add thinly sliced onion to the pan and cook on low until softened and browned, about 15-20 minutes.

Garnish the soup with the onions.

Next the Dukka

This is a spice blend I had never heard of before.  It seems that there are as many ways to make as their are people making it in in Egypt.  So, again, I used what I had on hand.  I find it a little addictive.  This can be ground as coarse or as fine as you like.  Mixed with olive oil, it's great to dip fresh baked pita bread.

Toast each of the nuts/seeds separately.  (This is a pain in my rear, but each recipe I saw specifically mentions this, so I did it.

1/2 cup nuts (I used 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup hazelnuts)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup coriander seeds
1/8 cup cumin seeds

After the nuts cool, place in food processor with 1/2 tsp salt and fresh ground pepper.  Store in refrigerator.

My Dukka in action.

There wasn't anything specific to do with the dukka online.  So I cut up some chicken breast.  Tossed it with olive oil and the dukka and pan sauteed it in some olive oil.  I served it alongside roasted cauliflower with cumin (I may be getting a little boring with my meals), feta and tomatoes tossed with olive oil and more dukka sprinkled over the top and some fresh pita.