Pasta Pomodoro

Cajun Corn Hash

2015-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is a Cajun style fried shucked corn. I first heard about this dish from a TV show on a Cajun cooking and celebration show from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Cajun Country) The person making this corn hash showed the recipe quickly and I am making this just from the TV show and I will let you know how it comes out.

Recipe

3 or 4 ears of corn shucked and cut off of cob
3 different colored bell peppers chopped
1 or 2 onions chopped
Tasso I made my own (Tasso that I made) cubbed
Cajun seasoning 1 tbsp and or cayenne pepper to tase
butter at least 1 cube maybe more

First off shuck and cut corn off of cob and chop all your vegetables

Melt some butter in a pan and add corn.

Brown or toast the corn depending on how you like it. A lot of flavor is released by doing it this way.

Cut up your Tasso

Once you get the corn how you like it add the rest of vegetables and a bit more butter. Add seasoning and cook until the vegetables are soft.

Add Tasso

Cook until Tasso is brown and blended in well with vegetables. Check for seasoning you may want to add more.

Great with rice and as an accompaniment to other Cajun foods.

You could change the order of adding the ingredients to cook if you like. This is what I saw being done. They also add cayenne pepper to everything and I did not. If you don't add enough seasoning or salt the sweetness of the corn and peppers will out shine everything but ultimately it depends on your taste. So go out and make this your dish!

Tasso

2015-09-06T11:06:00.001-07:00

This is a smoked and spiced Cajun style pork that can be used in dishes or enjoyed by itself. I first heard about this pork from a TV show on a Cajun cooking and celebration from Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations (Anthony Bourdain No Reservations Cajun Country) The person using the tasso was making a corn hash and that is what I want to use to make my corn hash. I found a picnic shoulder with skin and bones and decided to use this cut. It will have good fat and plenty of flavor. I dry rubbed it with kosher salt, smoked paprika and Cajun spice. Since I'm in a bit of a rush and this is a dry rub I'm not going to wait too long before I smoke it. Some recipes I have seen on line brine their pork over night, others do things like cut it up in chunks but I'm just going to try it out this way and see what happens. I have a feeling that everyone who makes this has their own twist that makes it theirs. I may change this but I will let you know how it turns out.

Picnic shoulder, pork leg, ham

I cut a piece off

I seasoned this and let it set out for a while but if you brine it over night with the seasoning in water and salt it will pick up more intense flavor.

I smoke some sausage as well that I used to stuff some ducks with for about 3 hours.

Cajun Stuffed Duck

2015-09-06T10:50:00.002-07:00

I saw a show on TV that inspired me to make this. It was a No Reservations show that high lighted pig. I was hard pressed to find a recipe and I just had clips of the show to go on showing someone making this dish. So this is sort of an experiment I will let you know how it comes out. I keep thinking about the best way to make this and every time a light bulb goes off in my head. Bits and pieces of the show just keep flashing back to me. Here is the full show with all the Cajun food in it not the pig show from all over the world. This is inspiring as well. (Anthony Bourdain No Reservations S07E16 Cajun Country) The recipe is below I'll simply call it Cajun stuffed duck

Cajun Stuffed duck

3 wild ducks cleaned or you could try using other wild birds. A domestic store bought duck is bigger so only one of those
Sausage, enough to stuff the ducks or birds cavities I'm going to use mile Italian for the first try but if you gave home made game sausage so much the better. Try different kinds I know I will in the future. (Sausage I smoked)
Some citrus like mandarin or orange slices to stuff ducks with optional or stuff them with some of the bell pepper and onion. It depends on how gamy you think the ducks are and most important what you like.
5 slices or so chopped bacon or some tasso or lard. I'm sure what was at hand was what was used at times.
2 bell peppers sliced
2 onions chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
beer to de-glaze the pan
beef or chicken broth
1 tbsp Cajun spice, this could be Old Bay with maybe some gumbo file' there are a few out there. You could make up your own up. Adjust this to your liking but this is the absolute minimum. Less and the dish will be bland.
2 tbs flower for gravy or roux
chopped green onions for garnish
white rice to serve ducks with

I first rinsed out the ducks and stuffed them with a little sliced bell pepper, onion and sausage. The sausage I used was mild Italian that I smoked but you can use what you like. While enjoying this dish I noticed the sausage went well with the duck.

Smoked Italian Sausage

Stuff the cavity with sausage and vegetables

Fasten the opening with bamboo skewers or tooth picks or you could sew them up with cotton twine

Get a large dutch oven or large skillet and fry up some bacon.

Remove bacon

Brown ducks in bacon grease and start adding beer to make your reduction

Use the beer you like. This one is a mild dark beer.

This will take a while so don't be in a rush. Keep turning the ducks and adding beer. You don't want to burn stuff just keep adding liquid.

Now that we have our reduction we sauteed the vegetable until they are soft in the reduction.

Now add the flour a bit at a time and cook, making the roux or gravy thicken up and form. Also you will add your broth now. Keep some in reserve. Stir while the gravy thickens. Also now is a good time to add your seasonings and mix everything well.

Now add the ducks and more broth. I would add enough broth to just under cover the ducks because more liquid will form. Once the ducks are in for a while and cooked taste the sauce for seasoning. This flavor will go into the ducks as well.

Chop up some green onion.

Once ducks are cooked add green onions and turn off the fire.

The inside once cooked and a good way to serve them in half's.

I hop you enjoy this tasty dish.

Duck Gumbo lighter and Simpler

2015-08-24T22:07:00.001-07:00

Duck Gumbo

• 6 to 8 ducks split and cleaned
•        Chicken or beef broth
•        6 TBS Old Bay
•        2 TBS garlic powder
•        1 TBS oregano
•        1 TBS salt
•        3 TBS gumbo file’
•        5 bay leaves
• 2 large yellow onions chopped
• 1 bell pepper chopped and a couple of celery stalks
with leaves chopped
•        1 cup extra virgin olive oil
•        1 ½ cups flour
•        1 ½ lbs sausage sliced, any sausage you like, try turkey

Put ducks in a large pot with enough water to cover them and
bring to a boil. Lower the fire and simmer for 3 to 6 hours
depending on the ducks. You want to be able to pull the meat
off the bones. Take the ducks out of the pot, save the liquid
in the pot, drain them and let them cool enough so you can
handle them. Pull the meat from the bones and coarsely chop
the duck meat, set aside. Strain the liquid you boiled the ducks
in and put into another pot along with chicken or beef broth
to have about 3 quarts. You will need to judge this and you
may need to add some more chicken or beef broth or liquid
later. Heat the broth and add Old Bay, garlic powder, oregano,
salt, gumbo file’, bay leaves. I sauteed the onions, pepper and
celery until tender in a little olive oil and then add to the broth
and continue cooking. Brown some sausage and set aside.

Heat 1 cup extra virgin olive oil over medium heat and slowly
add the flour and  using a whisk stirring constantly until the
roux is chocolate brown and not burnt. This last step makes
the gumbo authentic almost more than the rest of the
ingredients. Remove the roux from the fire and let it cool
completely. The roux can be made lighter and lower in fat
and calories by simply browning the flour with either a
microwave and the flour in a glass dish or pan or a skillet
placed in an oven at 400 degrees. You must watch it and
make sure it does not burn. Things can happen fast so
check every 2 minutes or so.

Then stir the roux into the pot and add the chopped duck
and sausage. Simmer for 10 more minutes and it is ready.
Serve over white rice for a treat. Leftovers are great the
next day or freeze the extra after it’s cooled down.

Boil the ducks whole

Until the meat is falling off the bone about 3 to 6 hours

Chop the cooked duck after removing from bone

Add the broths to a pot along with seasonings and heat

Saute the vegetables until tender in a little olive oil

Add vegetables to pot of broth and spices

Brown some sausage

Olive oil to start the roux

heat the oil and whisk in the flour

There is a fine line between chocolate brown and burnt. The roux keeps cooking a bit after you turn off the flame to err on the side of lite chocolate brown.

Add the roux first and then the cooked duck and sausage

Simmer for about another 10 to 20 minutes and it's done.

Duck Gumbo

2015-08-23T13:07:00.001-07:00

Duck Gumbo

• 6 to 8 ducks split and cleaned

• Chicken or beef broth

• 6 TBS Old Bay

• 2 TBS garlic powder

• 1 TBS oregano

• 1 TBS salt

• 3 TBS gumbo file’

• 5 bay leaves

• 4 large yellow onions chopped

• 4 red bell peppers chopped

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 ½ cups flour

• 20 oz frozen cut okra thawed

• 2 lbs pealed and cleaned shrimp uncooked

• 1 ½ lbs smoked sausage sliced

Put ducks in a large pot with enough water to cover them and

bring to a boil. Lower the fire and simmer for 3 to 6 hours
depending on the ducks. You want to be able to pull the meat
off the bones. Take the ducks out of the pot, save the liquid
in the pot, drain them and let them cool enough so you can
handle them. Pull the meat from the bones and coarsely
chop the duck meat.

Set aside and strain the liquid you boiled and the ducks in
into another pot and add enough chicken or beef
broth to have about 3 quarts. You will need to judge this and
you may need to add some more chicken or beef broth later.

Heat the pot on medium and add Old Bay, garlic powder,
oregano, salt, gumbo file’, bay leaves, onions and peppers.
Simmer until onions are clear looking.

On the side while the
pot is simmering in a skillet heat olive oil over medium heat
and slowly add flour using a whisk stirring constantly until
the roux is chocolate brown and not burnt. This last step

makes the gumbo authentic almost more than the rest of
the ingredients. Remove the roux from the fire and let it
cool completely.

Then stir the roux into the pot and add the chopped duck,
okra, shrimp and sausage. Simmer for 10 more minutes
and it is ready.

Serve over white rice for a treat. Leftovers are great the
next day or freeze the extra after it’s cooled down.

COOOH!

Italian Style Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2012-02-14T23:46:00.000-08:00

These are not ordinary mashed potatoes and in fact you don't want to eat them by yourself. You want to eat them with other garlic lovers. They do not have the same texture or flavor as the regular variety of mashed potatoes. These are mashed potatoes that have been taken up a notch or two. They compliment many dishes like in this case fried chicken but they go equally well with pork roast and mushroom gravy or roast beef.

Recipe
=======================
2 pounds whole russet potatoes, unpeeled and cleaned. I have used 7-8 medium potatoes.
5 garlic cloves, larger cloves more garlic you can adjust this but 5 cloves is strong enough for me
2 tsp + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup + 6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon

place cleaned potatoes in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Cover and put on high heat. You want to get them to a boil and cook them until done about 45 Min.

While the potatoes are cooking take 1 clove of garlic and mince it. Then take 1/8 tsp kosher salt and take your chopping knife and mix it and mash it. Smearing it back and forth on the cutting block until you have the consistency of a paste. Place this in a bowl on the side.

Take the rest of the garlic and mince that as well. Then take 1/4 cup of the olive oil and place in a skillet. On med/low heat cook the 4 cloves of garlic for about 5 min. until they are sizzling/foaming and just getting toasty but not too brown.

Now place this in the bowl with the garlic paste and mix well.

Add the lemon, pepper, 6 tbs of olive oil and mix it good with your whip. Get it to a smooth consistency.

By now the potatoes should be done or almost done. Stick them with a fork and if the for goes in easily they are done. Drain them and place them on a cutting board to cool. Peel them with a paring knife.

The skin will peel right off and more starch than would normally have been the case with boiling peeled potatoes will have stayed in the potato itself. Yes, there is a difference.

Place the peeled potatoes in a clean pot or bowl and mash them. You can use a ricer if you like to do this.

Once they are mashed up good pour in the garlic and oil mixture.

Now use your whip to mix and fluff them up.

There they are ready to enjoy with your favorite dish.

John Besh's Grandmother's Fried Chicken

2012-02-14T13:56:00.000-08:00

This is more of a review since I followed the directions exactly and did not deviate one bit. I made this along with garlic mash potatoes that I have been making for quite a while. The chicken turned out moist and delicious. It was cooked perfectly and was not overwhelmed by any spice. It was not hot or extra spicy as many recipes are these days. It was a lot like the fried chicken I grew up with and a fitting recipe for John's new book My Family Table. I made this for Valentine's Day supper. Thanks John!

This is how I made it.

Recipe: My grandmother's fried chicken

John Besh

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 quart milk
Canola oil

Preparation

Salt and pepper the chicken pieces generously. Mix the flour, onion and garlic powder together. Dip the chicken in the milk and then dredge through the flour mixture to coat well. Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a skillet to 350 degrees F. Drop the chicken, in small batches, into the oil. Fry, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes and turn over, cooking for an additional 8 minutes. Place on paper towels to drain and salt immediately.

Serving Size

Serves 6

=============================== Salt and pepper the chicken pieces generously

Mix the flour, onion and garlic powder together

Dip the chicken in the milk and then dredge through the flour mixture to coat well

Heat 2 inches of canola oil in a skillet to 350 degrees F

Drop the chicken, in small batches, into the oil

Fry, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes

turn over, cooking for an additional 8 minutes

Place on paper towels to drain and salt immediately

Garlic Lovers Mashed Potatoes

Sothern Italian Valentine Spicy Aglio e Olio Pasta

2012-02-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is a dish that will warm your very heart and soul. It is the perfect primo piato for Valentines day. The flavors are delightful and dance on your tongue. The level of heat can be easily adjusted and so can the depth of color. That part I leave up to you. Your assignment is to make this dish yours by finding your level of spiciness.

Recipe

=======================================

1lb pasta dry or fresh

1-2 cups pasta water

2 tbs Kosher salt

2 tbs chopped Italian parsley

6 garlic cloves peeled and chopped

6 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1-2 tbs paprika your choice more for a redder color

1/4 -3 tsp crushed red pepper depending on the level of heat you are after

Start by filling a pot with 3 quarts water, the salt and bring to a boil. While the water is getting hot get your ingredients together. We want to time it so the pasta will finish cooking in the saute pan.

Get the olive oil hot in the saute pan and add the garlic but watch the heat. You don't want to over cook or burn the garlic and things start to move real fast once the oil is hot.

After a minute or so add the paprika, crushed red pepper and stir. Get them cooked but not overly cooked.

After another few minutes add the parsley. In between this the water should have started to boil. The pasta should be put in the water and stirred. After 5minutes for dry pasta 2 minutes for fresh pasta it will be ready to add to the saute pan to be finished off. Make sure you save 1-2 cups pasta water. this adds creaminess and flavor to your dish.

Stir in the pasta and get the spices in there.

Adding the pasta water while you finish cooking it in the saute pan makes the flavors come out.

You can turn the fire off once all the ingredients are mixed. The pasta will continue to cook and finish. It will also absorb the sauce and will become one with the sauce. You do not want the pasta overcooked so it is important not to cook for more than half the regular cooking time for al dente pasta in the water. After a few minutes that the fire has been turned off give it another good stir to mix the sauce well. Try to serve right away and avoid covering it because it will continue to cook and you want this pasta dish to be al dente.

Happy Valentine's Day and Bon Appetite!

New Years Linguine with Clams

2012-01-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

I started making this dish many years ago. I remember having it as a kid over someones house and I was impressed with all the flavors it has. It is not the same without the actual clam shells. I have also started more recently to finish off the cooking of the pasta in the sauce. Depending in which part of Italy you grew up in and for that matter which household the pasta is finished off differently. While I was growing up I never saw my family doing this. Instead they would cook the pasta in water and then drain it and stir in some butter and then stir in the sauce. Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with that and it is probably more traditional but I have come to enjoy having the pasta finish in the sauce.

Recipe:

About 3 lbs of clams, small ones if possible all closed
1/2 cup of dry white wine or dry champagne
2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp of salt
1 lb linguine fresh or dry dry will cook much faster maybe 3Min dry will take about 7min
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 small can chopped clams with juice
Parmesan or pecorino cheese grated for the topping

Take the clams and soak them in warm salted water for about 20 min.

Drain the clams and then rinse them well and scrub them under running water with a brush or your hands. You want to inspect them and make sure none are dead and or have a strong smell. Also take them in one of your hands and with thumb and forefinger and push sideways trying to separate them. You want to make sure that none of them are closed and have died or are closed and full of sand.

In a pot put 4 quarts of water and a goodly amount of salt, cover it and get it boiling.

While the water is heating up finely chop the parsley and garlic and set aside.

In a large saute pan put the olive oil in and get it hot enough to just start smoking on medium heat.

Saute the garlic and 1/2 the parsley just until they start to get a hint of brown about 3-5 minutes.

Add the white wine or dry champagne, the canned clams with juice and the washed clams, stir and cover.

Leave the heat at med and peek in on the clams in 5minutes.

They should start to open in about 10 minutes.

In the mean time the water for the pasta should be up to a roaring boil by now, if so put in the pasta and stir.

I usually snap my long pasta in half before I put it in.

It's a little more manageable.

Continue to stir every few minutes so the pasta does not stick together.

Cook the pasta for about 5 minutes and start taking it out of the pot with the water into the saute skillet with the clams. Don't worry too much about draining it, a little of the pasta water is good for the sauce.

The clams should be open by now and 10 minutes should have gone by.

Stir in the pasta with the clams and continue cooking for a few minutes.

Don't worry if you think it's a little watery, soon the pasta will absorb the liquid and the sauce will become almost one with the pasta. You also do not want to over cook anything in this dish, so that's why I say a few minutes. The pasta will want to continue cooking so a total cooking time of 5-7 minutes between the 2 pots is plenty and the pasta will remain al'dente when served.

Now add the fresh ground pepper and the remaining parsley and stir.

Turn off the heat and leave uncovered for a minute.

Give it a final stir and serve topped with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Fruit Cobbler

2012-01-24T22:20:00.000-08:00

This is a simple but delightful dessert that can be whipped up in an hour from start to finish and served hot with Ice cream. It is easy to make and just out of this world. You can use your imagination and change the ingredients to make it your own. I have made several different varieties and am still trying new fruit and nut combinations just to keep things interesting. You can use regular sugar or brown sugar and each will give it's own flavor. Try using nuts or granola for a different crunchy texture.

Recipe:

1/2 a cube of butter melted and a bit more to grease the pan with

3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of sugar

1 cup flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup milk

2 cups fruit

Ice cream or whipped cream topping

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a 2 quart baking dish

Here I use brown sugar

In a medium bowl whisk 3/4 cup sugar, flour and baking powder until blended.

Whisk in milk and melted butter.

Prepare fruit of your choice and nuts if you like. Pat the fruit dry.

Pour the batter into the baking dish.

Sprinkle the fruit evenly over the batter.

I used strawberries and brown sugar for this recipe.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top of fruit.

Bake for 30 minutes

I'm using sifted powdered sugar for this cobbler

Sprinkle 1 table spoon of sugar over the top and bake another 10 minutes.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream or both.

Torta di Noci

2011-10-30T20:29:00.000-07:00

This is a classic Italian cake that reminds me so much of my grandmothers and mothers cakes that I grew up eating. There a couple of techniques to master before the cake can become light and fluffy.

The recipe I used I got from Rosetta Costantino's My Calabria Book. In the book it explains how to make this cake but I thought I would a pictorial for those of you that want to see the finished product and how I got there.

The recipe is as follows:

8 oz walnuts

6 large eggs

3/4 cup sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

A pinch of kosher salt

Powdered sugar sifted on top.

I took 8oz of walnut pieces and spread them out on a cookie sheet and baked them for 10 min at 350. While I was doing this I was thinking that I could do this with just about any nut and make a different cake. Just think hazelnut torta or almond torta or even macadamia nut. Just let your conscious be your guide here. Just be careful that you don't burn the nuts, take a peak at about 5 min and see where you are at.

Take out the nuts and let them cool. You can now shut off your oven or lower it to 325. It all depends how fast you are at the next several steps.

Take a 9in spring form cake pan, butter and flour it and set it off to the side.

Take your lemon and grate the zest off and set that in a bowl to the side.

I used a mixer to with up the eggs but you can use a whip if you are good at this.

Take 2 bowls and separate the 6 eggs yolks in 1 and whites in the other.

The nuts should have now cooled and you will want to take a rotary cheese grater and grate them fine, light and fluffy into a bowl. Take your time and don't use a food processor, it will smash rather than grate the nuts. If you don't have a rotary cheese grater you can use a hand grater but watch your fingers.

Put 3/4 of a cup of sugar into another bowl and get the salt handy.

Now mix the egg yolks on med for a few minutes and add half the sugar continue mixing for a few more min and add the lemon zest. Continue for another min and set aside.

Clean the beaters and beat the whites on low with a pinch of salt for a min or so to make them cohesive. Then turn the mixer up to medium until you see the soft white peaks starting to form. Then turn the mixer up to high and gradually add the rest of the sugar until you get the whites to form stiff white peaks. You don't want to over do this step but the key is to get in as much air as possible and have the white not collapse. It is a fine line you need to walk.

Whites getting there.

OK, we have arrived!

Now gently pour the yolk mixture over the whites. I would now turn the oven back on to 325 if you had turned it off!

Now gently fold in 1/4 of the nuts.

Continue fold the nuts in 1/4 at a time until all the nuts are in the mixture. You notice I say fold them in, do not stir this mixture. It will start to liquefy and you will not get a light cake!

Now pour the mixture into the pan and place the pan in the middle rack of your preheated 325 oven.

Ready to go in.

This will cook anywhere from 35min to 55 min depending on the oven. Mine took about 35 min. Take a tooth pick, stick it in the center and if it comes out clean it is ready.

Let this cool for about 20min in the pan like it is. Do not open the pan yet.

After 20 min you can open the pan and gently separate the cake from the pan. I placed it on a dish and let it cool the rest of the way for a little while longer. I sprinkled it with sifted powdered sugar and it would go great with whipping cream or ice cream or gelato on the side.

Enjoy Buon Appetito!

New Years Pizza

2010-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

New Years Pizza

Every New Year's Day for the last 16 years or so if we are home I make homemade pizza. Our favorite is clam and garlic. When my wife and I were dating we would order this pizza at Tony and Alba's in Mountainview. So for Christmas 15 or so years ago my wife got me a pizza peel and a pizza stone. I started to make pizzas back then on a daily basis but I have slowed down a bit since then and I make them only a few times per year. This year I made a clam and garlic pizza and a 4 cheese and pepperoni pizza. They were both excellent and did not last very long.

Here is what I did:

Take a cup of warm water (105 to 115 degrees), a 1/4 ounce envelope of active yeast, a table spoon of extra virgin olive oil and a teaspoon of honey. Mix these in a large bowl and let set about 5 minutes until the water becomes foamy. You can experiment with the yeast, go to your local bakery and get the fresh variety. Every little thing you add or change will give the pizza a slightly different taste. The pizza stone and the peel are an absolute must. The crust is not the same in a pan pizza but it can be done.

Now add 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt and mix by hand. Keep adding flour a 1/4 cup at a time until the dough is slightly sticky which is about 3 cups of flour. Place on a floured surface and kneed the dough for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a large bowl with one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and coat the dough.

Ok, cover and let rest in a warm place for at least and hour and a half if not 2 hours. This will make the dough light and fluffy. I have tried this using a dough making machine but it is not the same. There is something special about making it from scratch by hand. The flavor is much better this way.

Once the dough has risen break it in half and place the half on a floured surface, flour the pin and roll out the dough. If you are in an adventurous mood put your fists into the rolled dough and toss it into the air while spinning it. This also adds to the light airy crust.

Once the dough is thinned out place some extra course corn meal on the pizza peel. I use polenta mix and it works excellent. The corn meal acts like little wheels that help roll the pizza onto and off of the stone. It also acts as a lubricant while cooking so the pizza crust crisps and does not stick.

Place the dough onto the peel, fold over the edges of the dough and add olive oil to the dough. You are now ready to add your favorite toppings.

For this particular pizza I used tomato sauce, canned clams and fresh garlic. I topped the pizza of with 8 ozs of shredded mozzarella cheese. I added about 2 teaspoons of oregano to the tomato sauce and mixed it in.

Use the wetter ingredients sparingly so the pizza does not get soggy.

Add tomato sauce first, then clams and garlic. Lastly top with cheese.

Make sure the oven has been preheated to 450 degrees and has had the pizza stone on the middle rack for sometime. You want the stone hot so that the crust will be crisp. Once the stone is hot and the pizza is ready to go onto the stone sprinkle some corn meal on the hot stone as well. Then slide the pizza off the peel and on to the stone with a quick sliding motion. This size pizza will take about 10 to 15 minutes. Keep an eye on it. Once the cheese is melted and bubbling and the crust is light brown it is done. Slide your peel under the pizza and remove from the stone. Place on a surface that you can slice the pizza, serve hot and enjoy.

A variation on my clam and garlic pizza was a 4 cheese and pepperoni pizza. I simply used the same tomato sauce and replaced the clam and garlic with pepperoni. The cheeses were a mixture of mozzarella, provolone, assiago and Parmesan cheeses. They were both excellent pizzas.

My family and I made them disappear in minutes.

Cotechino Con Lenticchie

2009-12-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

Cotechino Con Lenticchie

I thought I would make this infamous Italian New Years Eve dish for my family this year. It turned out great and hopefully I will reap great rewards this year. It is a simple and delicious dish.

Place 6 cups of water into a large sauce pan bring to a boil and stir in a table spoon of course salt.

Once the water is boiling add 8 ounces dried lentils, 2 whole peeled garlic cloves and 12 fresh sage leaves.

Let these ingredients boil for about 25 minutes or until tender. Then drain in an appropriate colander.

Once the lentils are drained place them in a large bowl and marinate with 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil and some balsamic vinegar. I say some because I used about a 1/4 cup but it should be to taste. You may like a little less. Also add fresh ground pepper and course salt to taste.

Thoroughly mix the lentils and set aside. Fill a large sauce pan half way with water. Remove packaging from cotechino sausage. It was a challenge to find this particular type of sausage. The better Italian delis carry them. Take your paring knife and poke small holes in the sausage. You could use 2 sausages if you like. They are very good. Place the sausage in the sauce pan and bring to a boil. Boils this sausage about 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the cotechino sausage from the pan. Remove the casing and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Places slices on top of lentils on a large platter or dish.

This dish will bring you money and luck in the coming year!

Happy New Year!!

James Bond Martinis "Nobody Makes Them Better"

2009-12-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

James Bond Martinis

I have been making these martinis for maybe 2 years now and I have a small following. Anyone who has tried my martinis usually comes back for more. I started with a basic recipe but over the course of drinking them I have tailored them to what my family likes. You may want to make them a bit dryer and that is ok, just add one more measure of gin. I like them extra dry but that is just my preference, more gin less vodka.

If you want to be Daniel Craig Authentic you will need Gordon's Gin but on the spur of the moment gin will work. I use 2 measures gin, 3 measures vodka and 3 measures Kina Lillet. The only place I have found the Kina Lillet so far is Bevmo. The one in San Bruno is a good one. Joe Silva's daughter works there and she will help you make the right selection. She is a very helpful nice lady.

Ok, fill your shaker with ice.

Add 2 measures of gin, 3 of the Grey Goose Vodka and 3 measures of the Kina Lillet. Then close the shaker and make sure you sake it. He likes it "Shaken not stirred" remember!

Ok, you're almost there. Now get 2 martini glasses and spear 2 martini olives with toothpicks. These olives can be purchased at Bevmo also. They are pitted green olives marinated in light vermouth. These olives are a must and really finish off the martini with a fine silky touch. Pour the martini into the glass and wella! "The James Bond Martini".

Enjoy and Happy New year!!

Torta Di Riso

2009-12-31T01:30:00.000-08:00

Torta Di Riso

This dessert has been a favorite in my family for as long as I can remember. My grandmother used to make it mostly for the holidays. It is well known in the Lucca and Pisa area.

The Crust (la pasta) is not just a vehicle for the filling but has a rich sweet flavor of it's own. The rice filling just adds to it. It is a bit complicated to explain but eating the crust is more like eating biscotti than a plain pie crust. You will have to try it for yourself. It goes great with coffee after a holiday meal. We like it for breakfast.

For the crust you will need to take 2 1/2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder and sift them. I sifted them the old fashioned way and it took some time.

Set this aside and take 1 stick of sweet butter and half a cup of sugar and mix them in a mixer until light and fluffy.

While this is mixing you will need to grate the rind from one lemon. Also you will need 1 egg plus 1 yolk. Once the butter and sugar are fluffy pour in the eggs, lemon rind, one teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 tablespoons of rum.

Once the wet ingredients are mixed in you will mix in the siffted flour and baking powder.

Once the ingredients are well blended cover the dough and place it in the refrigerator for about an hour. This pastry dough can also be made the day before and will keep for at least a day in the refrigerator.

While the pastry dough is resting it is time to work on the filling (il ripieno). Take 1 and 3/4 cups of milk and a 1/2 cup of arborio rice in a heavy sauce pan on high heat bring to a simmer not quite a boil. Be careful here not to boil over. It can happen very quickly. Cover and lower the heat, cook for 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat when rice is firm but tender stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar and let cool.

While the rice is cooling you can prep the rest of the ingredients for the filling. You will need 2 and 1/2 ounces of grated semisweet chocolate, 3 table spoons finely chopped candied citron a grated zest of 1 orange and a 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts. If you have one of the new zester tools now is the time to use them. It makes grating the orange zest and chocolate much easier. Be careful when toasting the pine nuts. They will quickly go from lightly toasted to burned.

Now that the rice is cooled you will add the rest of the ingredients. Stir in 1/4 cup of the toasted pine nuts, 3 tablespoons of the chopped candied citron, 2 eggs beaten, the orange zest, 2 1/2 ounces of the grated chocolate and 2 table spoons of rum.

Mix all the ingredients for the filling to an even consistency and set aside for about 1 hour. Now it's time to remove the pastry dough from the refrigerator and roll it out to about 1/8 of an inch. You will want to separate the dough in half and place the half on a floured surface. Flour the rolling pin as well. Place this roller dough on a buttered 12 inch pie tin or glass baking dish. You should have some dough hanging over the sides. Once the dough is in the dish place the filling on the dough. You will then take a knife and scallop cut the dough around the dish then fold over the scalloped dough on to the filling.

You will now roll out the second half of the dough and use this rolled out dough to cut the lattice that covers the torta.

I had some crust left over so I took some apricot and grape jam, placed it in the center of the rolled out left over dough and I made a crostata. The crostata added another dimension to this dessert.

Once the lattice was done I baked it in a preheated 325 oven for about 30 minutes. You do not want to overcook it so when the crust starts to turn a light brown the torta is done, like wise for the crostata.

Buon Appetite

Pasta Penne Alla Vodka

2009-12-19T11:52:00.000-08:00

Pasta Penne Alla Vodka

I have made this recipe quite a few times and have received great reviews. The recipe has been experimented with a little and the recipe I have come up with is a good combination of flavors that dance on your pallet. Unfortunately my supply of home grown tomatoes has come to an end. The next time I cook my pasta penne ala vodka I will need to use canned tomatoes or at least store bought fresh. May be I will not do this and just save this dish for when I have my garden variety tomatoes fresh and ripe from the vine? Who knows only time will tell.

The first step I have found useful do in advance because it is quite time consuming is to peel and chop the tomatoes. If you are going to use canned tomatoes you can jump right in by just copping the onion and cloves of garlic otherwise prepping the tomatoes will take some time. Take enough fresh tomatoes to make a total of approximately 2 cups with liquid included. Half of these you will chop the other puree in a food processor.

The peeling process I have found to be easy but take a little coordination. Basically you get a pot of water boiling, put the tomatoes in it and watch for when the skins on the tomatoes start to crack. This is the point when the skin will peel easily. Once the skin is peeled you can process the tomatoes any way you see fit. Another thing is to use at least medium sized tomatoes or else you will have more work than you bargained for. Use you smaller home grown tomatoes in a salad.

Next take 2 table spoons of extra virgin olive oil and pour it into a large skillet or you can use a Dutch oven if you like. Get the oil shimmering, just starting to smoke and put in a medium sized minced shallot and one table spoon of tomato paste. I put in the tomato paste first and stir it a bit before the onions. It gives the paste time to melt. Saute' these until golden brown about 3 minutes.

Now add 2 cloves minced garlic and crushed red pepper and saute' for 30 seconds. You say how much crushed red pepper? Well for my family I use quarter teaspoon but if you want take it up a notch use a half teaspoon. Remember this is not penne arabiate. You want all the flavors to come out, not just hot or garlic, etc, etc. Also in the mean time get a large pot of water boiling with a good amount of salt. You will need this soon to cook the pasta. The pasta should be cooking while the sauce is finishing.

Now stir in the tomatoes you prepped earlier, half a teaspoon salt and 1/3 cup Grey Goose Vodka or your favorite vodka. You may want to turn off the flame when you do this. This is not a flambe'. The type of vodka you use is up to you. I like to be relaxed and sip on a Grey Goose Martini while I make this. Make sure you use green vermouth marinated olives and Kina Lillet for the martini that is. Simmer on medium high heat for about 10 minutes. You can start to adjust the sauce for salinity now or wait until the end but I find that half a teaspoon is just a bit less than I like.

By now the water for the pasta should be boiling so put in the penne. I like to use a good grade of Italian pasta. Look on the box so that you can time the cooking. I finish cooking the pasta in the sauce so when the pasta has about 3 or 4 minutes left it will go into my sauce and finish. This will let the pasta finish al dente like I like it and not over cooked. Once the sauce has been cooking 8 to 10 minutes add in my secret ingrediente, Mascarpone cheese. You can use heavy cream if you like but I have found that the Mascarpone adds a cheesier creamier flavor that is sooo good. I have tried a couple of brands and so far the Bel Gioioso brand is slightly better than the rest. If you have a favorite try it. Once you try this pasta you will want to make it often, it is that good!

The mascarpone will slowly melt as you stir. It will slowly become part of this rich sauce. See how the color is changing? Now is the time to check if the sauce has enough salt. Be careful here, there is a fine line between just right and too much. Remember you will serve this with finely shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano for some extra zest. In the meantime finely chop a nice bunch of fresh basil leaves to end up with 2 table spoons chopped. Now once the sauce is blended bring over the under done pasta that is cooking. Use some of the water from the pasta as you do this to adjust the thickness of the sauce. If a little more water comes in it will evaporate. All the time the sauce is still cooking a medium to medium high heat.

Add the fresh basil and continue stirring until well blended. Give the dish another taste for the right amounts of salt. If you need to add a sprinkle or two now is the time. Turn off heat and serve immediately. This is a thick rich creamy sauce that will coagulate after little time. So enjoy it soon after making this wonderful dish.

Bon Appetite!!

Frittata ai Pomodori Verdi

2009-10-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

I just finished the last slice this evening and I must say this was simply delicious. It had the familiar flavor of the many authentic Tuscan frittatas I have had but it was light and fluffy. It had a subtle onion flavor but not strong like frittata di cipolle. Using saute'ed green tomatoes gave it a much different flavor than zucchini or spinach. If your a vegetarian this dish is for you.

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. You will need either 1 large green tomato or a few smaller ones. This year I have an abundance of tomatoes so finding green tomatoes is not an issue. You can ask at your neighborhood vegetable stand for some green ones they have in the back. Tomatoes are usually shipped green.

Wash and chop the green tomatoes in half inch cubes.

Put the chopped tomatoes in a colender and sprinkle generously with salt. You will want to mix the salt in and toss them. Place them over the sink to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingrediants.

Now while the tomatoes are resting grate half a cup of Pecorino Romano and finely chop 2 table spoons of chives.

In a medium sized bowl beat 8 egges and add the grated Pecorino Romano and 2 table spoons of fresh finely chopped chives.

Whip the mixture until it is smooth and set aside.

You will now rinse the tomatoes in the colander with cool water and then pat them dry.

Take half a cup of extra virgin olive oil and put it in an oven proof non stick skillet. For this I used my well used and well seasoned cast iron pan. You want to heat the oil until it smokes and then place the patted dry tomatoes in the skillet and saute them on high.

Saute these green tomatoes until they are golden brown and tender which is usually about 10 minutes. In the meantime salt and peper your egg mixture to taste while giving it a few whips. When the tomatoes are done pour in the egg mixture and cook for about 4 minutes, pulling the mixture from the sides of the pan with a wooden spatula.

Place the frittata in the oven and let it cook through for about 8 minutes. It will be fluffy and look delicious, your almost there!

Now take a large serving plate place it on top of the skillet and turn it over. The frittata should fall into the plate with little or no help.

Cut the frittata in 8 slices and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cotolette Di Tacchino

2009-10-05T23:51:00.000-07:00

This is a very basic easy to make dish that will impress that special someone. I have been making it for many years and it is still a number one dish.

We start by taking turkey breast removing the skin and debone it. This may seem like it would take a lot of skill to do this but it is quite easy. You could ask your local butcher to do it for you. Lately I have seen turkey breast already boneless in most stores so I will leave the choice up to you. You must slice the turkey breast in thin slices of approximately 1/8th of an inch thick.

Next take some wax paper or cellophane and cover these fillets on both sides. Then you will need to pound them flat one at a time. This is what makes them truly cutlets.

That's it Pound them flat until you see the fibers let go in the meat.

Next take a couple of eggs and a splash of milk and mix it altogether

Next take some breadcrumbs and season them to your taste. You could cheat and use already seasoned breadcrumbs but they are usually lack luster, so invent your own style of seasoning. Just remember to not over do it or you will loose the turkey.
Next dip the turkey fillets in the egg mixture and be certain to coat all sides.

Next dip the turkey fillets in the seasoned breadcrumbs and make sure to coat all sides.

Ah Yes, don't for get the Italian Sangiovese Wine!

While you are breading the turkey cutlets put a cup or so of extra virgin olive oil in a deep skillet

and heat the oil. You want the oil to be about 375 degrees. One way to tell is to put a drop of

water in the oil when you think it is hot enough. It should literally jump out of the pan, be extra

careful when doing this because oil may splash as well.

Next place the cutlets in the hot oil making sure you have room enough to turn them.

They should take a total of approximately 3 - 5 minutes to cook so turn them over after

approximately ~2 minutes.

Next turn them over and make sure they are golden brown on all sides once the time is about up.

Remove these once cooked and let them drain on a paper towel for a minute or two. They go

great with many side dishes. Just use your imagination.

Bon Appetite!

The Beginning

2009-09-30T00:27:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning and I thought it fitting to use pasta pomodoro as my first work of art to post. It is wonderful to stroll into my garden and pick the newly ripened tomatoes I planted in the spring on La Settimana Santa like my grand parents used to do. It is a pleasure to smell the sweet aromas of fresh picked basil. It brings back many memories of my childhood so this is where I will start.

I finely chopped 4 cloves of garlic added a good amount of extra virgin Italian olive oil to my pan and soon the wonderful aroma of sizzling garlic was in the air.

Soon the garlic was a golden brown and it was time to add 1 slice of oinion. I could say you should add onion to your taste but I'm finding that just the right amount adds flavor to the medley and does not over power it.

I let the onion cook until the garlic obtained an almost brown color and by this time the onion was clear or as some say translucent. I then chopped some fresh basil from my garden and added that to the pan. I let the basil cook for just a few minutes. What a nice smell these few ingrediants created. I then finely chopped 3 ingrediants that are quite common to Tuscan cooking and are used in some sauces and other Tuscan dishes, carrot, celery and parsely. I put these in and sauted them for a few more minutes building on the already wonderful aroma.

I then added 2 teaspoons of tomato paste and blended that in, all the time stirring with my wooden spoon. In the mean time I sliced some Italian mild sausage and got that ready to put in the pan. I also quartered some baby bell mushrooms and measured half a cup of good dry red wine.

I added the sausage first and let it brown with the prvious ingredientes. If you use a leaner type italian sausage there isn't that much fat that needs to be drained. I did not see the need to drain any. There was just a small amount in the pan and it added to the flavor. I added the mushrooms after the sausage was lightly cooked or browned on all sides. I then let the mushrooms brown for a minute or 2 and added the red wine.

I let this cook until the mushrooms released some of their liquid. Meanwhile the wine and sausage blended nicely with the mushrooms and rest of the ingredients. Soon it would be time to add my fresh tomatoes. I started slicing my tomatoes while the sausage and mushrooms were simmering.

Then it was time to add the tomatoes. I stired them in with the rest of the ingredients and lowered the heat. I covered the pan and let the tomatoes simmer and reduce to sauce.

The tomatos cooked down a little at a time and in 3 hours it looked like a fine sauce to have with some pasta.

I cooked some pasta and after I drained it added 2 tablespoons of butter as is a tradition in my family.

After the butter is absorbed by the pasta I added the sauce.

My pasta pomodoro was complete. Now to enjoy it with some french bread, red wine and Parmesan cheese.