LA CASA E IL GIARDINO

PAN-SEARED SALMON

2013-04-20T10:56:00.000-07:00

This recipe is so simple even a novice cook cannot ruin it. It uses garden fresh garlic and scallions to great advantage. The salmon remains center stage, but the chopped garlic and scallions bring fresh, bright flavors to the recipe along with a bit of heat from the cayenne pepper.

Garden fresh garlic

Ingredients: 2 persons

1 lb. King salmon fillet with skin*
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped scallions
1 cup chopped fresh garlic

Salmon fillet with skin side down

* Don't waste salmon skin. Salmon skin crisps up beautifully and it's a real treat.

Pan-seared salmon ready to be served

Procedure

Wipe the fish fillet with paper towels
Sprinkle fish with salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper
Heat a large skillet on high for at least 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the oil, scallions and garlic
Saute for a minute.
Add the fish fillet, skin side down.
Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook for 7 to 10 minutes until just opaque in center. A nice crust will form.
Flip only once and continue to cook for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.
Serve the fish skin side down with the green underneath it.

SPEZZATINO DI CARCIOFI (Artichoke Stew)

2013-03-25T12:22:00.002-07:00

Artichokes can be cooked in myriad ways: stuffed, with fave beans or stewed as in this dish. This spezzatino di carciofi or stew can be served hot at lunch with a platter of fresh, light cheeses (mozzarella, ricotta, caprino) but also can be served as a side dish with oven-roasted or braised meats.

Spezzatino di Carciofi

Ingredients

8 medium artichokes

juice of 1 lemon

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley (alternate mint

Choose artichokes with plump heads and tightly folded leaves. Wash and clean the artichokes.

Remove all but the pale inner leaves by pulling the outer ones down and snapping them off. Cut the stem at the base of the head and the top third of the leaves. Peel the stems and cut them into wheels. Put the artichokes and stems in a pot of cold water with lemon juice. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Drain the artichokes and cut them into quarters. Place the artichoke quarters and stems, garlic, oil, wine, salt, and pepper in a heavy bottomed pan. Cook for 20 minutes covered, then uncover and add parsley, stir and finish cooking without a lid.

Legumes on the Table - Legumi sulla Tavola

2013-03-19T21:03:00.001-07:00

Legumes are often valued as an inexpensive source of protein, but are notably absent from most Western menus.

Legumes—including beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, chickpeas, fava beans, and soybeans—are good sources of fiber and have a low glycemic index. According to experts, a diet high in legumes may be beneficial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

Beans in tomato sauce

One common complaint against legumes is the bloating and gas.

I have some tips to ease the transition to including more legumes in your diet:

add them in slowly, one serving a day for a week.

change the water halfway through cooking them.

soak overnight with a pinch of baking soda and

change the water before cooking

mix with other vegetables (escarole and beans)

If you cook dry beans at home, instead of eating canned beans, you’ll skip a great deal of unnecessary sodium as well as byproducts of the can lining.

Beans cooking

These are some of my favorite dishes:

Lentils

Chickpeas with olive oil and onion

Fava beans

Escarole and beans

Start slow and add a variety of legumes to your healthful diet.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/health/beans-and-greens-a-power-couple-recipes-for-health.html?ref=dining

BISCOTTI WITH OLIVE OIL

2013-03-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

As a child, we referred to these cookies as pizzarelle dolci (sweet little pizzas). These cookies are easy to make with simple ingredients.

Ingredients

4 eggs

1 cup of olive oil

1 cup of sugar, additional sugar for sprinkling

4 teaspoon baking powder

4 cups of all purpose flour

1 lemon (juice and zest)

Procedure:

Preheat oven at 350.

Mix sugar and the olive oil. Add the eggs. Combine the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Whisk to mix.

Gradually add the flour at a low speed; add the lemon juice and zest. Mix at higher speed for 1 minute to make sure it is all mixed.

Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil or butter.

Drop a full tablespoon of batter for each cookie. Sprinkle sugar over each cookie.

Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.

ZEPPOLE DI SAN GIUSEPPE

2013-02-08T12:31:00.000-08:00

March 19th is the feast of San Giuseppe. On this festive occasion, Italy also celebrates Father’s Day, and these zeppole are our traditional delicacies.

Ingredients

1 cup of water

2 cups of flour

1 stick of butter

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of salt

Olive or vegetable oil for frying

Take the 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon and stir to combine. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, salt, and water over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Take pan off the heat and stir in the flour. Return pan to the heat and stir continuously until mixture forms a ball, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Transfer the flour mixture to a bowl. Using an electric hand mixer on low speed, add eggs, 1 at a time, incorporating each egg completely before adding the next. Beat until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Shape the dough into bows or circles. Meanwhile, pour 2 inches of oil into a large frying pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the zeppole few at a time. Do not crowd them.

Turn the zeppole once or twice, cooking until golden and puffed up, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss with cinnamon-sugar. Arrange on a platter and serve immediately.

Move over chicken - PORK LOIN is Lean, Easy and Delicious

2013-01-24T21:17:00.000-08:00

Today, pork is bred to be much leaner. Any cuts from the loin - like pork chops and pork roast - are leaner than skinless chicken thighs, according to USDA data. So next time you're reaching for the chicken breast, consider a pork loin roast instead.

Pork loin roast

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons of black pepper, cracked

1 tablespoon of fennel dust

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 lbs. boneless pork loin

Rosemary sprig

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F.

Mix the first 4 ingredients in a bowl. Rub the garlic mixture all over pork.

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat.

Sear the pork loin on all sides until golden brown. Place the saute pan in the oven with rosemary sprig and roast the loin for 1 1/2 hours (30 minutes per pound) or until the meat registers 150 degrees F.

Allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut pork crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork slices on platter. Pour pan juices over.

Pork roast and chick peas

Pork loin with bone and potatoes

Chicken Rolls with Prosciutto and Fontina - Involtini di Pollo

2013-01-16T20:55:00.002-08:00

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded 1⁄8" thick

Trimmed chicken breasts

Salt and freshly ground black pepper,  to taste
6 slices Fontina cheese
6 thin slices prosciutto
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 lb. crimini mushrooms, sliced
Flour, for dredging
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1⁄2 cups vegetable broth
1⁄4 cup Marsala wine
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
4 cups cooked brown rice, for serving

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Top one breast half with one slice prosciutto and one slice of fontina. Using kitchen twine, tie chicken roll from each end. In the alternate, use toothpicks to secure roll together.

Pounded chicken breast

2. Heat 3 tbsp. butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until browned, 5 minutes. Stir mushrooms and continue cooking until softened, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; wipe out skillet. Put flour on a plate; dredge each chicken roll in flour. Heat 2 tbsp. butter and the oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, turning, until browned and cooked through, 15 minutes. Transfer chicken rolls to a plate. Add broth and Marsala to skillet stirring, until sauce has reduced, 5 minutes. Return mushrooms and chicken to skillet; cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes.

3. Transfer chicken to a platter. Remove skillet from heat; swirl in remaining butter to make a smooth sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Serve with rice.

FETTUCCINE WITH MUSHROOMS (Fettuccine con Funghi)

2013-01-07T20:42:00.001-08:00

Ingredients

In our home, we love mushrooms.

Pasta Divella

For stuffed mushrooms, I use the button mushrooms. With pasta or as a vegetable dish, I prefer a combination of shitakes, oyster and crimini.

Fettuccine with mushrooms is an easy and delicious dish. For pasta, I used Divella Fettuccine 90. Any other pasta can be used.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds mushrooms

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons dry white wine

Freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. fettuccine

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano (optional)

- Thoroughly clean the mushrooms with a cloth (damp but not wet) and thickly slice.

- Begin heating a large pot of water for the pasta.

- Meanwhile, heat a large pan (I like a cast iron pan) over medium heat. Add the oil and garlic. When garlic is golden, add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes over high heat.

- Add the wine, salt, pepper and parsley. Continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Keep warm.

-When water boils, cook the pasta al dente (around 7 min.). Before draining, save some of the pasta cooking water.

-Drain the pasta and toss with the mushrooms in a large bowl. If it seems dry, add some of the pasta water.
Add the cheese and serve.

IL GIORNO DI CAPODANNO - NEW YEAR'S DAY

2013-01-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

After the holidays' festivities and the end of the year, here was New Year's Day (Capodanno). The first day of 2013, we celebrated with lots of tasty and delicious dishes, cooked in a variety of ways, making our table very cheerful. These were simple dishes made with ease that we shared and enjoyed with family and friends with the hope that all our dreams would come true.

One of my favorites: SPAGHETTI WITH BROCCOLI AND CLAMS

Spaghetti con broccoli e vongole

Ingredients

1 lb. spaghetti
1 lb. broccoli florets
2 doz. small clams
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
1 dry red pepper, chopped
Few sprigs of parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Place the clams in a bath of water and salt for two hours. Remove and dry.
In a pan, add 1/2 of the oil and one minced clove of garlic.
Add the clams, the wine and cover. Cook until clams open. Remove the clams and filter the water with a piece of cheese cloth and save.
Add remaining oil in a pan, the other garlic clove, dry peperoncino, salt and pepper.
After few seconds, add the washed broccoli florets and cover. Cook until tender.
Add the clams and juice to the broccoli.
In a pot, cook the spaghetti. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve some pasta water.
Add the broccoli, clams and chopped parsley to the pasta and mix well.

LUPINI: A Traditional "Passatempo" (Snack)

2012-12-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

Cured Lupini

In time of famine (post World War II, Italy), as children we used to go around with our pockets full of cured lupini and we used to leave a trail of skins. Today in Italy, lupini are considered a “passatempo” or snack. They can be found in festivals and country fairs.

In the late 50’s, when we came to the US, our Christmas holidays were spent around the table with family and friends (paesani). We used to play cards (briscola) and bingo (tombola) and as “passatempo” we snacked on lupini and freshly roasted peanuts.

Roasted peanuts in shell

Dried lupini

A few weeks before Christmas, my mother used to soak the dried lupini and baccala’.

Lupini are bitter and therefore, before eating them they must be cured.

Curing Lupini

Pick over the dried beans to remove any debris.
Put them in a big pot of water and bring it to a boil.
Remove from the heat, and let them cool.
Rinse them well; put the beans in a gallon jar and fill it with water.
Put the jar in the refrigerator and rinse them every day for two weeks.

At this point, you can taste one to see if all the bitterness is gone. Then add about 4 tablespoons of salt to the jar, which can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator (change this periodically and add more salt when you do).

Lupini in water and refrigerated

Today, I usually try to have lupini beans ready made for eating year ’round along with ceci arrostiti.

Panettone Farcito di Crema di Mascarpone (Panettone filled with Mascarpone Cream)

2012-12-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

Panettone is a classic dessert present on every Italian table throughout the Christmas holidays. A stuffed panettone is part of the Milanese tradition. Around the year one thousand, at Christmas, the head of the family would distribute a loaf of bread made with white flour, then considered exceptional, called “pan del ton” (bread of luxury) from which “panettone”.

Ingredients:

Panettone

½ lb. of Mascarpone

5 egg yolks

½ lb. sugar

Rum

Powder sugar

Slightly beat the egg yolks. In a double boiler pan add the egg yolks, sugar and rum and let the mixture warm up. In another pan add the mascarpone and work it with a spatula until it softens. Once the mascarpone is softened, delicately mix it into the egg yolk mixture using a wooden spoon.

Cut the panettone into 3 layers and fill each layer with mascarpone cream, starting with the bottom layer. Before serving, add powder sugar.

What to drink with panettone?

While many commercial holiday baskets pair panettone with Spumante Brut, I disagree.

I recommend a Moscato d’Asti. This particular wine is very fragrant with spring blossom and ripe citrus scents to it. Moscato is intended to be consumed young (not older than 4 years) while it's fresh and vibrant. It needs to be served well chilled at 45 degrees.

Moscato d'Asti is very different from Asti Spumante another type of sparkling wine that is made in the Asti region of Italy.

PROSCIUTTO AND FONTINA BRIOCHE (CHEESE PUFFS)

2012-11-15T22:08:00.002-08:00

These light and airy cheese puffs make great appetizers for the holidays. They pair well with white wine or Prosecco.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of water
1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups of flour
6 eggs
6 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
6 oz. fontina cheese, grated
2 tbsp. finely minced chives
1 large egg, beaten with 1 tbsp. milk for egg wash

Preheat oven at 425F.
Bring water and butter to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to low and add flour.
Mix well with wooden spoon until dough forms a ball.
Continue mixing for 2 minutes.
Put dough in a large bowl.
With an electric mixer at high speed, beat in eggs 1 at a time.
Stir in 1 cup of prosciutto, 1/4 cup cheese and chives.
Drop large spoonfuls of dough into several buttered cake pans.
Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with remaining prosciutto and cheese.
Bake until golden 45 to 50 minutes.
Serve immediately.

Makes approx. 30 to 32

Minestrone of beans, rice and cabbage - Minestra di fagioli, riso e verza

2012-10-25T20:26:00.000-07:00

Minestrone or minestra is a light and healthy dish prepared throughout Italy with many variations depending on the region. The preparation for this particular variation is quite simple but rather long and laborious. It requires cleaning, cutting and cooking various ingredients (cabbage, dry beans and brown rice), but once you taste it, you will realize that it was time well spent. Did I mention that besides being nutritious, it's low cost?

I fed 6 persons for less than $5.00 and enough leftover cooked beans and cabbage to freeze for another meal.

Ingredients

1 cup cooked beans
2 cups cooked brown rice
Small Savoy cabbage (cooked and cut into shreds)
1 cup chopped tomatoes or 1 can of tomatoes
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 potato, cut into small chunks
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano

The night before cook the dry beans. Do not drain.
(I like to use Great Northern beans.)

Wash and cook the cabbage. Save some of the cooking water.

Cook the brown rice.

In a deep pot, add the oil, chopped onion and garlic, cook until golden.
Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for few minutes and add the potatoes.
Cook for 10 minutes. Add the cooked cabbage and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add the cooked beans and cooked brown rice. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
Add some of the saved cooking water from the beans or cabbage. Simmer for few more minutes and serve.
Add grated or shaved Parmigiano.

CALAMARI FRITTI - Fried Squid

2012-10-12T21:18:00.001-07:00

Grilled over wood, stuffed and roasted, slow-cooked in a stew (brodetto di pesce) : I love squid in all its forms but none is more addictive than the deep fried version most commonly known as calamari.

Calamari are simply squid cut into rings, coated and fried.

I have read that the main difference between calamari recipes is the coating. They range from cornflour, self-raising flour and batter using egg yolk, water and flour. I am here to tell you that the authentic, Italian way of frying calamari, are simply to coat the rings and tentacles with plain flour and deep fry.

Ingredients

1 lb. cleaned squid, tentacles and all
1 cup plain flour
Vegetable for frying
Salt and black pepper
Lemon wedges

1. Remove the tentacles from the squid and cut the bodies into thick rings, about ½ inch in diameter. Quickly wash the squid and put the pieces and tentacles into a drainer and then into a bowl and refrigerate for up to 8 hours (even half an hour is better than nothing).

2. When you're ready to cook, place the flour over a large piece of wax paper. Take the drained and coat thoroughly with flour.

3. Fill a large, deep pan a third full with oil and heat over a high flame until oil smokes.

3. Take few batches and shake off the excess flour. Fry for about a minute, until crisp, and slightly golden. Place on paper towel and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Serve each batch as soon as they're ready with lemon wedges.

My family demands calamari fritti as a starter or antipasto every holiday.

Trinette e Broccoli di Rape

2012-09-25T21:27:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite vegetables in the fall is broccoli di rape (also known as cima di rape, rapini or broccoletti. We love them simply sautéed with garlic and oil but also with pasta. The flavor of rapini is bitter and pungent.

To remove some of that bitterness, I blanch them first.

Broken trinette

Ingredients

1 lb. trinette (or any short pasta)

2 lb. broccoli di rape, trimmed

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1/4 cup of olive oil
1 cup of water

1 dry red pepper (chopped) or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

Broccoli di rape and pasta

In a small pan add the oil and saute' the garlic. When garlic is golden, add salt and pepper, red pepper flakes and 1 cup of water. Simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime, wash the broccoli. In a large pot bring water to a boil and add the broccoli.

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes (tender but not mushy).

Remove broccoli with a strainer and set aside. In the same water, cook the pasta al dente. Drain and add to the broccoli. Pour the sauce over the pasta and mix well.

THE PERFECT MEATBALL - POLPETTA DI CARNE

2012-09-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

MAMMA MIA! This recipe is classic, moist and delicious.

By combining equal parts of beef and pork, these meatballs are moist and flavorful.

Ingredients

1/2 cup milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1/2 lb. pork
1/2 lb. beef
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano, grated
Salt and pepper
1 cup vegetable oil

Slightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add milk, garlic and parsley.
Then, in a separate bowl, mix the meat, breadcrumbs, cheese, salt and pepper.
Add the milk/egg mixture and mix well with a fork.
Form the meaty mixture into golf-ball sized balls.
Brown the meatballs in a pan of vegetable oil.
Once browned, place the meatballs into heated, simple tomato sauce and simmer for one hour.

Browned meatballs

FRIED CHICKEN - POLLO FRITTO

2012-09-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

We absolutely love fried chicken--and who doesn't?

Our picnics and gatherings are not complete without tender, juicy, crispy chicken. It’s simply everyone’s favorite. I would like to share with you my version of fried chicken.

Fried chicken - Pollo fritto

Ingredients

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons minced parsley

4-lb. chicken (fryer) cut into pieces

½ cup milk

2 large eggs

2 cups breadcrumbs

½ cup grated cheese

Peanut or vegetable oil (for frying)

Preparation

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Salt and pepper chicken.

Whisk milk and eggs in a medium bowl.

Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, paprika, parsley and cayenne over a piece of wax paper.

Pour oil into a cast-iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, set a wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet.

Working with 1 piece at a time, dip chicken in egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumb mixture and then shake off excess. Place few pieces of chicken in skillet. Fry chicken, turning with tongs every 2 minutes until skin is golden brown on each side.

Using tongs, remove chicken from skillet and transfer chicken to prepared rack.

Repeat with remaining chicken pieces.

Place baking sheet in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes to finish cooking.

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http://casa-giardino.blogspot.com/2011/02/knowing-your-chicken-or-pollo-gallina.html

Raw Almond Cookies - Dolci di Mandorle Crude

2012-08-07T19:30:00.000-07:00

I love almonds...and why not...they do so much for us. They help nourish our bodies and add a crunch to all of our favorite foods. And today, we have new reasons to enjoy almonds as experts have found that adding almonds to our diet, may be the prescription for physical wellness.

Also, raw almonds are gluten-free and safe for consumption by people with gluten sensitivities, or those with celiac disease.

Give these raw almond cookies a try. They are quick and delicious.

Ingredients

1 lb. raw almonds with skin
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
Zest of one lemon
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 F and line baking sheet with parchment paper
Chop the almonds. I use a knife. You may use a blender or food processor.
Mix the eggs with the sugar.
Add the chopped almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon and mix well.
Take a teaspoon full of the mixture or paste and shape into balls, the size of a walnut
Place the almond balls in the baking sheet
Bake for 15 minutes.
Cool completely before serving.
Store in a tight container.

Preserving Summer - Conservare l'estate

2012-07-30T10:53:00.000-07:00

I savor summer's flavors year-round by canning fresh fruits and vegetables from our garden.

The tomato crop has been ruined by hurricane Irene but our pear tree has been delightful.

There were so many pears that I decided to preserve some in jars.

Pickled vegetables provide a taste of summer all year long. Great as snacks, appetizers. Also great to enhance meat taste.

Melanzane sott'olio - Pickled eggplant

Fillet of Haddock with Bucatini - Filetto di Eglefino con Bucatini

2012-07-28T19:46:00.000-07:00

Whenever I buy fish fillet, I prefer haddock, halibut o cod over other varieties. It’s great broiled, sautéed, roasted or poached.

This recipe is quick and easy. Simply bake the fish fillet and serve over pasta. You can use any firm white fish: cod, haddock, or halibut work well.

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, crushed and sliced

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 bunch Italian parsley, coarsely chopped to yield 1/2 cup

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

2 pounds white fish fillet such as haddock, halibut, or cod,

1 pound bucatini

Fish ready to be baked

Salt and pepper the fish fillet. Place in a baking pan. Add the oil, parsley, garlic and pepper flakes. Turn the fillet several times so as it coats well on both sides. Bake for 1/2 hour in a preheated 375 oven. In the meantime, cook the bucatini al dente. Drain and save some pasta water.

Baked fish

Place chunks of the fish fillet over pasta. Add pasta water, if necessary.

Melanzane Sott'Olio ( Pickled Eggplant)

2012-07-11T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we picked our first crop of Italian eggplants. Usually, I make them stuffed or parmigiana or simply fried. Today, I decided to make them sott'olio (pickled) so that we can enjoy them all year round.

Ideal for appetizers and side dishes or filling for sandwiches.

Ingredients

2 pound eggplant, peeled and cut into sticks or round

Kosher salt

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups white-wine vinegar

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped oregano

Red peperoncino for color (optional)

About 1 1/2 cups olive oil (approximate)

Preparation

Toss eggplant with 1/4 cup salt and drain in a colander set over a bowl.

Cover the eggplant with a plate and a weight (such as a gallon of water), at room temperature for 4 hours or more. (Eggplant will turn brown.) Discard liquid in bowl.

Gently squeeze handfuls of eggplant.

Bring water and vinegar to a boil in a medium pot.

Add eggplant and boil, stirring occasionally, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

Drain in colander, then set colander over a bowl and cover eggplant again with a plate and the weight.

Continue to drain until cool. Discard liquid in bowl.

Gently squeeze handfuls of eggplant to remove excess liquid, then pat dry with paper towel.

Stir together eggplant, garlic, oregano and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Transfer to a 1-quart jar or smaller containers with a tight-fitting lid. Use a wooden spoon to press eggplant so as to omit pockets.

Add just enough olive oil to cover eggplant. After a day, oil may drain down the jar, add more oil, if needed, to cover eggplant.

Melanzane sott'olio

Branzino with Leeks and Almonds - Branzino con Porri e Mandorle

2012-06-29T18:55:00.001-07:00

What is branzino? Branzino, also known as European sea bass, spigola, ragno, loup de mer, róbalo, and lubina, is a fish which has a firm, white, delicate-flavored flesh and few small bones. It's a prized fish in Italian, Spanish, and Greek cuisines, and is often prepared grilled, baked, poached, steamed, or braised whole. I love it but it's a little pricey.

Baked whole branzino

Branzino with Leeks and Almonds

Ingredients for 4 people

8 filets of branzino

2 leeks

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup of blanched almonds

1/2 cup black olives

Sprigs of parsley

4 Tb. extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

Branzino con Porri e Mandorle

Wash and cut the leeks into strips, brown in a pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper.

Add the almonds and olives. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Place the fish filets in a baking dish. Add the leek mixture and cook for 10 minutes in a 350 degree, pre-heated oven.

Serve on a platter with all the ingredients. Drizzle the remainder of the olive oil and add the parsley.

Tagliatelle con Scamorza, Speck e Spinaci

2012-06-15T20:50:00.001-07:00

Sunday is Father’s Day!

It’s Dad’s special day so I decided to treat him to this inviting and flavorful dish that will be easy for me to make and enjoyable for him to eat.

Smoked scamorza

If speck (smoked prosciutto) and smoked scamorza are not available, prosciutto can be substituted for the speck and a good quality dry mozzarella can be substituted for the scamorza.

Egg Noodles with Smoked Prosciutto and Smoked Mozzarella

Ingredients

1 lb. tagliatelle or egg noodles
1/4 lb. smoked scamorza (alternate dry mozzarella)
1/4 speck or prosciutto sliced thin
1 tb. butter
1/2 lb. fresh spinach
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup parmigiano
Salt and pepper

Wash the spinach and briefly cook them over high heat.
In a pan, add the butter and brown the speck.
Add the spinach, shallot and the vegetable broth and cook for 5 minutes.
Cut the scamorza in cubes.
Cook the pasta in salted water.
Drain and mix with the spinach, the scamorza and grated parmigiano.

Hoping your Father's Day is enjoyable.

Orecchiette Alla Rucola

2012-06-10T18:40:00.001-07:00

Arugula (Rucola)

In 15 minutes you can prepare this exquisite dish originated in Puglia with the classic orecchiette and the aromatic arugula.

Orecchiette with Arugula

Ingredients

1 lb. orecchiette

1 lb. arugula

1/2 cup pignoli (pine nut)

1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Clean and wash the arugula.

Wash and cut in half the cherry tomatoes.

Toast the pignoli in the oven.

Cook the orecchiette in salted water.

In a pan, add the oil and brown garlic.
Add the arugula (except for 1/2 cup), cherry tomatoes and cook over a medium-high flame for few minutes.
Add salt, pepper and toasted pignoli. Drain the orecchiette and mix with the prepared sauce.
Add a little oil, remaining arugula and mix well.

EATING WELL ON THE CHEAP - Think Canned fish

2012-05-29T06:23:00.002-07:00

We try to eat fish once or twice a week, but....Did you see the price of fish lately? OUTRAGEOUS!

I don't know about you, but I refuse to buy Salmon, Tuna or Swordfish steaks at $13.99 a pound. Besides, how often do you see real "fresh ocean fish" available, hardly ever. Almost every fish displayed for purchase at the sea-food counter in the markets is farm-raised.

Frankly, I buy fish that Americans consider trash but are highly prized for their flavor in other parts of the world : whiting, sardines, bluefish, mackerel, skate. When these are not available at my local fish store, I consider canned fish as an easy and economical alternative. It offers the same health benefits and the culinary possibilities go well beyond sandwiches. We love it in pasta and salads.

Spaghetti con tonno e Profumo di limone

Spaghetti with Tuna and Scent of Lemon

1 lb. spaghetti
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 1⁄2 tsp. crushed red chili flakes
2- 6-oz. cans olive oil–packed tuna (undrained)
1 tbsp. lemon zest
Juice of ½ lemon
3 tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
salt and black pepper

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook until it is just al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve 1⁄2 cup of pasta water. Drain and reserve pasta.

2. Heat 4tbsp. of the extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and red chili flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic softens. Add tuna, lemon juice and cook, stirring and breaking up tuna into small chunks for 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Add reserved pasta and water and toss with tuna sauce. Cook, stirring with tongs, until sauce clings to pasta. Stir in parsley and lemon zest, season with salt to taste, and drizzle with more oil. Serve immediately.

Spaghetti con tonno

Canned salmon allows me to serve wild salmon year-round, especially when fresh is expensive and hard to find.

Tuna salad on a bed of arugula

Tuna and cannellini beans

Canned mackerel salad with spring onions and garlic

Lately, there have been safety worries regarding salmon and tuna. Salmon has been linked with cancer and there have been concerns about tuna's levels of mercury.

Despite these issues, many experts believe that the health benefits of eating fish outweigh the risks.

What seafood restaurants will not tell you

http://online.wsj.com/video/what-seafood-restaurants-wont-tell-you/E6B17C23-CE41-49AA-8790-87D99ECDE426.html

High-quality canned seafood can be a cool, healthy feast
http://articles.philly.com/2012-08-23/news/33343385_1_canned-salmon-salmon-cakes-canned-seafood

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Snapper Fishing with family