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11/12/2024

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Especially for Vegetarians!

5/22/2017

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Let’s be clear about one thing.  I am not a vegetarian, and I don’t aspire to be a vegetarian, but I do understand why more and more people today do not eat meat – and for a multitude of very good reasons.  As one who has enjoyed cooking and entertaining for many years, and as one who seems to be accumulating more and more vegetarian friends, preparing meatless menus has become almost routine.
 
Italians in general love their meat, but Italian cuisine abounds with vegetarian choices – assuming, of course that fish, seafood, and dairy products are permissible (and I will be making those assumptions in this blog).  In fact, I counted 143 vegetarian recipes posted on my web site alone, although not all of them are Italian.  Nevertheless, there are sufficient candidates in every recipe category to easily prepare a multi-course Italian vegetarian feast.  Well, almost!
FEATURED RECIPE
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Vegetarian Italian Wedding Soup

I was disappointed to discover a lack of vegetarian Italian soups.  There were actually three listed:  Cioppino, Italian Fish Stock, and Zuppa di Mare, but these are essentially variations on the same recipe and (more important) traditionally served as a main course, not as the soup course.  Strawberry Soup would be a delicious vegetarian option, but it is hardly Italian (or even ethnic).
 
You may be thinking at his point (actually, you probably should be thinking at this point):  How could this possibly be important? 
 
Normally, it wouldn’t be, but I have been invited to help plan and prepare a multi-course Italian dinner for several dozen people – including several with known dietary preferences and restrictions.  The event will be a celebratory banquet for the invitees and their guests.  To maintain an appropriate level of formality, I prefer not to serve completely different plates for each course.  I prefer that everyone – vegetarian or not – enjoy essentially the same meal – except for the second plate (secondo piatto), which even in Italy is almost always a choice of meat or fish.
 
Italian Wedding Soup quickly became my primary choice for a soup.  I have served it to groups before.  It is very popular, easy to make in larger quantities, and allows me the opportunity to serve my all-time favorite cheese – freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  It is, however, clearly not vegetarian.
 
It seemed reasonable that I could eliminate the pork meatballs and substitute commercial vegetable stock for the chicken stock.  Since I would be purchasing my first vegetable stock (ever), I had no way of knowing whether flavors differed from brand to brand.  It turns out that, at least among the three I sampled, the flavors vary rather dramatically (at least in the opinion of a non-vegetarian).  For the record, the three brands I sampled were College Inn, Swanson’s (Vegetable Broth, not Stock), and Pacific Organic.  The first two had similar flavors that I found to be very pleasant.  I found the Pacific Organic to be almost distasteful, however – definitely not acceptable for my soup experiment.  It was also almost twice the price of the other two.
 
While both the College Inn and Swanson broths provided an excellent start, I still hoped that adding fresh chopped vegetables would “freshen” their somewhat muted vegetable flavors.  I added chopped sweet onion to the recipe for some extra insurance this would happen.  I was not disappointed.  The vegetables, ceci (chick, garbanzo) beans, and a little salt and pepper helped create an amazingly similar – but vegetarian – version of the traditional Italian Wedding Soup.
 
Vegetarian or not, I hope you’ll try it some time.
 
Buon appertito.
 
P.S.  You may find the other menu items of interest.  In addition to freshly baked Ciabatta and Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Zucchini Carpaccio will be served as the antipasta course.  After the soup, the prima piatto will be Cheese Ravioli served with browned butter and sage sauce, and crushed Almond Cookies.  The secondo piatto will be a choice of Porchetta (subject of a future blog), Wisconsin Walleye (probably served with bass), or Eggplant Parmigiano – all served with green beans or asparagus.  Cassata, another of my favorites, will be prepared as the dolce (dessert).
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What's In A Name Really?

4/4/2017

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After my last blog, How Tough Can French Cooking Be? where I explicitly stated, “I have great respect for French cuisine . . .”, I was gently (and correctly) chided by several readers for seemingly drifting away from this website’s intended focus on Italian cuisine – and worse yet, drifting in the direction of France!  I mention this with some concern because once again I find myself prepared to write about an Italian recipe that could have its roots in that other country.
 
Long-term readers of these postings may recall a blog I wrote in July 2014 entitled I Hear French Food Is Good, Too.  I reported that the French “have left their mark (and a French name) on every category of food imaginable, and most culinary processes – from apéritifs to digestifs, or from hors d’oeuvres to dessert (from the French word desservir).” 
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Focaccia di Oliva (Olive Bread).

I also reported that a plausible explanation for this is chef La Varenne’s 1651 book, Le Cuisinier François, considered to be the foundation of modern French cuisine.  This highly influential book was one of the first to set down codified, systematized rules and principles of food preparation – and, of course, names.  Codification required names, and all the names, logically, were French!

My good friend, former business colleague, and fellow foodie, David, reminded me that many foods are similar (if not identical) from culture to culture, but go by different names.  As he wrote, “One of my favorite examples is a wrapped pastry shell containing either savory or sweet filling.  In our local ‘comfort food’ restaurant here in central Texas, they offer them for dessert with such fillings as apple, cherry, blackberry, etc.  These happen to be fried, but some versions are baked.  Here they are called ‘fried pies’.  In Spain, we had the same things, except they were called empanadas.  In England, particularly in the southwest part of the country near Cornwall, they are called pasties, [and] in Natchitoches, Louisiana, they have Natchitoches Meat Pies.”  In Michigan, we call them pasties!
 
All that made me think of other examples:  Italian ravioli and Polish pierogi; Italian braciole and German rouladen; French mirepoix and Italian soffritto (or battuto); French bouillabaisse and Italian zuppa di mare; and the one that prompts all this – French fougasse and Italian focaccia!
 
A few months ago, I received a most appropriate eCard from my first college roommate, fellow foodie, and brother-in-law, Den.  The card was appropriate because in place of the usual platitudes it contained three cleverly animated recipes – the most interesting of which was called Olive Fougasse.  The recipe needed a little help (it was a greeting card, after all, not a cookbook), but the bread was delicious. 
 
Fougasse was a new term for me, but a quick “Google” showed me that it was similar to focaccia.  The big surprise came when I found the following on the Wikipedia website (that recognized bastion of all truth):  
 
“In ancient Rome, panis focacius was a flatbread baked in the ashes of the hearth (focus in Latin).  This became a diverse range of breads that include focaccia in Italian cuisine, hogaza in Spain, fogassa in Catalonia, fugàssa in Ligurian, pogača in the Balkans, pogácsa in Hungary, fougasse in Provence (originally spelled fogatza), [and] fouace or fouée in other French regions and on the Channel Islands.”
 
Now, who am I to argue with that logic?  If this is indeed factual, this is one time when my beloved Italians were actually successful in naming something!  What more can I say (write)?  Nothing. 
 
So, I will move on to tell you that my latest recipe posting is for what I am calling Focaccia di Oliva (Olive Bread).  It is my version of the recipe from the greeting card (albeit electronic).  It is easy, requires no special equipment, and as I’ve already mentioned, is absolutely delicious.  I assure you, it’s worth a try – and it’s very Italian!
 
Buon appetito.
 
P.S.  Mille grazie, David and Den.
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How Tough Can French Cooking Be?

2/2/2017

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I have high respect for French cuisine – and I have especially high regard for anyone with the knowledge and skill to prepare it authentically.  I have written about some of this in an earlier blog (I hear French Food Is Good, Too!; July 11, 2014).
 
Since I’ve admitted my age before, I can tell you that Julia Child was one of my favorite television chefs.  I still watch for an occasional rerun of her iconic cooking show.  Her famous book is one of my prized possessions.
 
At the same time, I must admit that I have prepared very few of her recipes.  Frankly, I am intimidated by most of them – even though I have learned that except for some baking, recipe amounts need not be exact to achieve the desired result.  A little more, or a little less, seldom makes a difference.  Nevertheless, while always trying to extol the ease of French cooking, Julia’s penchant for detail thoroughly discouraged me from even attempting most of her creations.
 
I remember one of those creations particularly well.  It was an apple tart.  Even in black and white, it was an impressive sight.  Of course, preparing it completely in a thirty-minute program (less time for commercials and amenities) is possible only through the “magic” of television – where one peeled apple amazingly becomes several peeled and cored apples; or where one or two perfect apple wedges placed atop the pastry shell suddenly becomes all slices meticulously arranged in elegant fashion and ready for the oven.  Needless to say, I never prepared an apple tart.
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Pear Tart.

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Pear and Apple Salad.

About forty years later – or however much time is necessary to bring us to Christmas 2016 – Grandma Karen and I were gifted a large box of fresh pears (mille grazie, Dennis).  Fresh pears are a delicious treat any time, but especially so in December in Michigan!  We began enjoying them, with fruit in hand, one bite at a time.  Then, in a fruit salad – mixed with some fresh apple slices, shallots, lemon juice, our best extra virgin olive oil, and poppy seeds.  Then – yep, you guessed it – in a Pear Tart!
 
It was a snowy day in early January.  Neighborhood friends (mille grazie Karen and Bill) invited us to dinner and accepted our offer to bring dessert.  Driving anywhere was problematic.  Consequently, the dessert was necessarily going to involve pears!  A picture of Julia’s Apple Tart came to mind, and slowly the apples faded into pears.  A plan was being born.
 
Sure enough, Julia has a recipe for Pear Tart (Mastering the Art of French Cooking, pp. 642-643), but it is part of a larger section on fruit tarts that covers nearly eight pages.  I was becoming intimidated again.  The recipes I found online did little to ease my growing discomfort, but the more I read the more I realized there are only four basic (and clearly important) steps to making a tart: the pastry shell, the base, the fruit, and the glaze.  Now I had a real plan.
 
The French call the tart shell Pâte Brisée.  I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the recipe for Pâte Brisée is the same as my (actually Alton Brown’s) posted recipe for Pie Crust if one substitutes butter for the lard.  Now I was beginning to feel comfortable again.
 
The base, or filling, actually is called frangipane, and consists of finely ground almonds mixed with several common baking ingredients.  No stress here.
 
Preparing the fruit is easy.  Especially so since I learned that if you call your tart “rustic”, there is no need to peel the pears!  Arranging the pear slices takes a little time, but once you’re comfortable being rustic, there’s room for arrangement errors, too.
 
The glaze also is not an issue.  I happened to have some pear preserve available, but almost any fruit preserve, jam, or jelly will work equally well.

All in all, I'm pleased to report, the entire exercise was worth the time, effort, and perceived stress.  Although I realize that preparing one Pear Tart does  little to enhance my limited knowledge of French cuisine, I was very pleased with how the tart looked and tasted.  Grandma Karen and our hosts that night agreed – enough, at least, to convince me to share the recipe and this story with you.
 
Buon appetito.
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As I was saying . . .

1/4/2017

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Actually, I’ve forgotten what I was saying back in July when I posted my last blog.
 
“What have you been doing?” you ask.
 
Thank you for asking. I wish I could report that I have been attending a Tuscan cooking school mastering traditional culinary techniques or traveling the Italian countryside searching for new and better authentic recipes to share with you; but alas, the truth must prevail.  While I have been busy with other activities – much more so than I originally planned – the primary reason for my absence has been (frankly) a lack of good ideas!
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Eggplant Parmigiano.
The subscription list to this blog site has grown substantially over the last three years.  At the risk of sounding somewhat melodramatic, I feel that my postings should contain information that is potentially helpful or informative – and perhaps most important these days – factual!  From the emails I receive, I believe that is important to you, too.  So rather than write for the sake of writing, I elected to “mark time” a bit until I felt I had something of possible value to report.  At the same time, I was never intending to be away for nearly six months.  The dawn of the new year prompts me to go with what I have.
 
I have mentioned before that I grew up in Olean, New York, south of Buffalo and a few miles north of the Pennsylvania state line.  My father grew up in Bradford, a few miles south of Olean in Pennsylvania.  Both communities have always enjoyed a substantial Italian presence, but if there was an award for the best annual Italian festival it would go to Bradford.  As a child and together with Grandma Karen, I have enjoyed a myriad of home cooked (read: prepared by real Italian grandmothers) ethnic treats at Bradford’s Festa Italiana, held every August.
 
One of those special treats many years ago was an eggplant sandwich prepared by one of my second cousins, which she sold from her parish church’s food stand.  It was a portable version of her equally special Eggplant Parmigiano – perfectly breaded and cooked eggplant slices, a rich and spicy tomato sauce, and the requisite Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  I still remember the intricate flavors and textures.  Sadly, despite desperate pleas and outright bribes, she steadfastly refused to share her secret recipe.
 
Walking by a huge table of freshly picked eggplant at my favorite Italian market (Cantoro’s in Livonia, Michigan) a few months ago, I decided to recreate my cousin’s recipe.  Armed with a half-dozen melanzani, my vivid memories, and some online research, I ventured forth.  After several trials, I learned that the breaded eggplant slices could be baked or sautéed with nearly equal results.  (I prefer the sautéed version because it is faster and involves extra virgin olive oil.)  I used my favorite tomato product, 6 IN 1 brand Ground Tomatoes, as the basis for my sauce and was not disappointed.  Seasoned with some onion, garlic, oregano, and crushed red pepper, it enhances the subtle flavors of the eggplant and cheese without overpowering them.
 
So, with a certain measure of pride and relief, I have added my version of Eggplant Parmigiano to this recipe collection.  It is not my cousin Almeda’s recipe, to be sure; but rather it is my way of recognizing her culinary talents and Italian stubbornness; plus, she helped me end my blogging drought!!
 
Buon appetito.
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All Pecorino Romano Cheeses Are Not The Same

7/23/2016

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Other than periodically proclaiming my righteous indignation over the misuse of the word parmesan, it’s been a while since I’ve written about Italian cheeses.  Part of the reason for this is that I am hardly an expert on the subject, and I think I have already written most of what I know. 

Fortunately, however, life is filled with learning opportunities – even about Italian cheese – so this blog is really a report of a recent conversation with the wonderful lady who manages the cheese department at Contoro’s Italian Market in Plymouth, Michigan.  Cantoro’s is one of my favorite places to purchase all things Italian.  (In the spirit of fair play, I should mention my other favorite is Galucci’s Italian Foods in Cleveland.)
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Baked Trout with Fresh Herbs.

Being a descendant of southern Italians, tomato sauce is my favorite “dressing” for all pastas.  By far, the most appropriate cheese to serve with a southern Italian style tomato sauce is Romano cheese – specifically pecorino Romano cheese, a salty cheese made with sheep’s (pecora, in Italian) milk.  As one might expect, Romano cheese originated in the areas surrounding Rome – in the Lazio region of Italy.  There are written reports of Romano cheese-making dating back nearly 2,000 years.

Unlike Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (which is produced by many cheese makers in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, but marketed using just one name), there are multiple brands of pecorino Romano cheese available today.  Several decades ago, my father introduced me to Locatelli brand pecorino Romano cheese, and I have been buying and using it exclusively ever since.  My children and my grandchildren expect to see it on the table whenever they’re served pasta with tomato sauce.  With this pressure, I begin to get withdrawal symptoms whenever there are less than two chunks of it in the nearest refrigerator.  Consequently, my visits to Cantoro’s or Galucci’s always involve purchasing several pounds of cheese, all graciously wrapped and vacuum packed in single pound chunks to preserve freshness for months.

During my most recent visit to Cantoro’s, while I was ordering more Locatelli cheese, the manager recommended I consider the Fulvi brand pecorino Romano cheese.  She offered me a side-by-side tasting – Locatelli vs. Fulvi – and, incidentally, both at the same price.

The Locatelli was, of course, a familiar taste – a sudden burst of saltiness followed by the luscious flavors of the cheese, which become more pronounced as the saltiness dissipates.  The Fulvi cheese produced almost the exact opposite experience.  The initial sensation is the rich cheese flavor that persists as the level of saltiness steadily increases to its peak.  The salty “explosion” occurs at the end, rather than the beginning – at the back of the palate instead of the front.

I liked both.  Actually, I preferred the Fulvi, but the perceived guilt of abandoning my long-term friend was too great.  Then the other proverbial shoe dropped!  I was told, “Fulvi is the only pecorino Romano cheese still made in Lazio.  Locatelli is made in Sardinia.”

That gave me the excuse I needed to bring the Fulvi home; and I am pleased to report that Grandma Karen, after comparing the two pecorino Romano cheeses side-by-side, agrees that while neither is arguably better than the other, each produces a distinctly different taste experience.  Our personal cheese supply now includes both the Locatelli and Fulvi brands.

Finally (and changing the subject entirely), in my last blog, The Ten Commandments of Italian Cooking, I agreed with the quoted author’s second commandment:  “Flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, sage and basil are invariably used fresh, but oregano is always used dried.”  This prompted several readers to ask:  Should I stop growing fresh oregano?

The unequivocal answer, of course, is no!  Fresh oregano is a wonderful herb and adds incredible flavor to many dishes.  At the same time, drying oregano concentrates the flavors probably more than any other herb I can think of.  For me, this means dried and fresh oregano are really not substitutes for each other.  They each have equally important uses in the kitchen.  I consider them to be two different herbs.

For example, my recipe for Frittata with Fresh Herbs calls for fresh oregano.  Dry oregano would overpower the other herbs.  My Italian Tomato Sauce, on the other hand, calls for dried oregano.  I’ve tried using fresh, but it just doesn’t work.  As a further example, I offer a new recipe that I’m calling Baked Trout with Fresh Herbs.  It’s a very easy method for preparing almost any fish fillet, and also makes perfect use of the abundant fresh herbs available this time of year (at least in Michigan).  Oh, and I do not recommend substituting dried oregano for fresh in this one either, but I do hope you’ll try it sometime soon.

Buon appetito.
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The Ten Commandments of Italian Cooking

5/23/2016

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I spend more time than I should looking for and reading news articles about cooking.  A few days ago I found a provocative (to me, at least) news item in the online edition of The Guardian, a British daily newspaper.  The article is entitled “Ten Commandments of Italian Cooking.”  It was written by Anna Del Conte, who is described in the posting as “Britain’s doyenne of Italian cookery.”

First, I had never heard of Ms. Conte; and second, I had no idea what a doyenne is.  In reverse order, a doyenne is “a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field” and Anna Del Conte is an award-winning author of seven Italian cookbooks and the “first cookery writer in England to specialize in Italian food.”  So, now I’m hooked and ready to learn the ten “secrets” to mastering Italian cooking – or more frightening, learning what I have been doing wrong for seven decades!
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Duck Ragu with Porcini Mushrooms served over freshly made Gnocchi.

Before we continue with this, you may benefit by pausing to read the original post.  Just click here.  I have comments about each of her ten “commandments,” but I will not reproduce her material here in its entirety (for brevity, and to avoid violating any copyright laws).

Ready?  OK!  Here we go.  Author Conte’s Ten Commandments are:

I.  Buy the best ingredients.  I absolutely agree.  I was fascinated to learn that “according to a 2008 Washington State University survey, the Italians spend $5,200 per person per year on food, while the British spend $3,700  – lower than the Germans, French, Spaniards and most other Europeans.  To emulate an Italian in the kitchen, you need to prioritise flavour.”  I was unable to find this particular report, but another 2008 WSU study reported Italians spend 14.4% of their annual income on food, more than any other European country except Portugal, and over twice what Americans spend (6.8%).  [Score: 10/10]

II.  Use the right pan.  OK, but that’s not only obvious, it’s certainly not unique to Italian cooking.  [Score: 6/10]

III.  Season during cooking.  Yes, absolutely.  I presented the same argument in my blog on the proper way to cook pasta – Preparing Perfect Pasta!  Again, though, probably not unique to Italian cooking.  [Score: 9/10]

IV.  Use herbs and spices subtly.  “Both are added to enhance the flavour of the main ingredient, not to distract from it.  Flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, sage and basil are invariably used fresh, but oregano is always used dried.”  I couldn’t agree more.  [Score: 10/10]

V.  Make a good battuto.  Battuto is another new term for me.  Fortunately, Ms. Conte explains that it “is a mixture of very finely chopped ingredients, and varies according to their use.”  She mentions two common battuti: onion, carrot and celery; and parsley, garlic, and capers or olives.  Apparently, they can be prepared hot or cold, and typically are served with vegetables, meats, and fish.  It all sounds interesting and tasty, but I have never seen a recipe calling for a battuto.  If I find one, I will certainly let you know.  Perhaps more importantly, if you have one, you can let me know!  [Score: 4/10]

VI.  Keep an eye on your soffritto.  Soffritto is not a new term to me, but I didn’t know it “is a cooked battuto”, and I wouldn’t think of taking my eyes off of it while it’s cooking – even in the midst of a terramoto (earthquake).  Seriously, I’ve been sautéing onions, carrots, and celery for years (while doing several other things I hasten to add) and have never burned a batch!  [Score: 7/10]

VII.  Use the right amount of sauce.  “Italians like to eat pasta dressed with sauce – not sauce dressed with pasta.”  While this is generally true, and the way pasta typically is served in Italy, most Italians will enjoy their pasta and sauce the way their grandmothers prepared it.  Mine, for example, dressed her sauce with pasta!  [Score: 8/10]

VIII.  Taste while you cook.  “Food in Italy is mostly cooked directly on the heat and not in the oven.  The cook is perpetually tasting and adjusting.”  I’m not sure what to think about this one.  Tasting and adjusting is important regardless of where the food is – and “perpetually” is a very long time!!  [Score: 7/10]

IX.  Serve pasta and risotto alone.  It’s not just the pasta and risotto; it’s all courses – as I explained in a blog about Italian feasts – Dinner Italian Style.  [Score: 9/10]

X.  Don’t overdo the parmesan.  “There may be a bowl of grated parmigiano reggiano on the table when pasta or risotto are served, but the usual amount added is not more than 1-2 teaspoons, so as not to overpower the flavour of the main dish.  Parmesan is not added to fish or seafood risotto, apart from some varieties with prawns.”  Most importantly here, parmesan is not another name for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese – regardless of what you might read in many recipes.  Except that both are made from cow’s milk, they are otherwise completely different cheeses – and hardly comparable.  (The word Parmesan actually is prohibited in the European Union.)  Furthermore, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese is seldom used (by Italians) with pasta served with a tomato sauce.  [Score: 4/10]

So while I give great credit to Ms. Conte for her very clever article – it did, after all, prompt me to promote it via this blog – I can only give her a final score of 74 out of a possible 100.  And that’s without any deductions for failing to mention Italian wine, Italian bread, Prosciutto di Parma, extra virgin olive oil, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, and the importance of adding salt to the pasta water!  We all know they are keys to Italian cooking, too.  Right?  Right!

Buon appetito.

[Note:  all words and phrases in quotes above are taken verbatim from Ms. Conte’s online article.]

P.S.  I can’t conclude without mentioning at least one new recipe.  This one is a ragu prepared with duck legs and thighs and porcini mushrooms.  It can be served over almost any pasta – especially the heartier varieties such as rigatoni, tagliatelle, and pappardelle.  It's also delicious with Gnocchi.
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"Stuffed Baked"

4/6/2016

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Everyone knows Italians love their pasta!  In today’s world, pasta and Italy are synonymous.  People enjoy pasta throughout the world, of course, but Italians consumed 55.7 pounds each in 2013 according to the International Pasta Organisation (yes, there really is an IPO) – 1½ times the amount consumed in Tunisia (second place), and 2.9 times the per capita consumption in the United States (19.4 pounds each for sixth place)!  Apparently, I ate most of someone else’s share that year!!

Not surprisingly, there are reasons for this.  Most important, wheat has been readily and inexpensively available throughout most of Italy for centuries, whereas other sources of carbohydrates (e.g., rice and potatoes) have not.  Pasta is easy to make, and easy to store for extended periods of time.  It is also easy to cook, and pairs well with nearly all other foods.  Convenience and low cost are huge motivators.

The International Pasta Organisation’s website proudly proclaims, “Pasta is more energy dense than fruits and vegetables, which are harder to grow, transport and store year-round.  It’s one of the least intensive foods to produce.  It discourages food waste by turning a hodgepodge of leftover vegetables and food scraps into a hearty, gourmet meal.”

While I take issue with their use of the words “food scraps” and “gourmet” in the last sentence, I get their point.  In fact, their point is the subject of this blog – Italian grandmothers (some of my favorite people btw) created some very clever ways to feed their families using pasta with those leftovers from previous meals.  (To be fair, Italian mothers, fathers, and probably grandfathers could have been involved with these creations, too, but why spoil the metaphor I’ve been using since beginning this site?)

In Italy in the late nineteenth century, particularly in less prosperous southern Italy where my grandmothers were born, pasta was served almost daily.  Even today, pasta is served multiple times weekly in many Italian homes and plays a major role in every celebratory meal.  Fortunately for everyone, pasta comes in a multitude of shapes and sizes – and for me at least, each shape and size has a different taste.  As a scientist, I know this can’t be real; but other sensory effects such as appearance and texture can have powerful emotional impacts on the overall dining experience.  Nevertheless, serving pasta day after day creates other problems besides variety:  the inevitable leftovers, and leftover pasta does not reheat particularly well.

I cannot prove any of the following, but I am convinced my speculations are much closer to fact than fiction.  In a typical Italian household, maybe over a few days’ time and as noted above, leftovers would accumulate from previous meals.  These leftovers likely would include meats and vegetables along with some pasta.  I envision these already cooked ingredients being combined with fresh tomato sauce and freshly grated cheese – then all placed in a large casserole dish and heated in the oven for another meal.  It would have been called Pasta al Forno, or baked pasta!

As you will see in my recipe for Pasta al Forno, the list of possible ingredients is endless.  There are no rules.  Just add whatever pleases you (and your diners) or whatever is available at the moment.  All combinations of pastas, sauces, meats, vegetables, and cheeses work equally well.
FEATURED RECIPES

Lasagna
Pasta al Forno
Stuffed Baked Rigatoni
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Lasagna.

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Pasta al Forno.

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Stuffed Baked Rigatoni.

I chose “Stuffed Baked” as the title for this blog to celebrate my family’s version of Pasta al Forno.  As a child, and through my high school years, I remember eating (and enjoying!) some form of pasta every Thursday and every Sunday – more often than most folks, but not often enough to accumulate leftovers for baking a casserole.  Rather, my mother and father created something that became a family treat – a dish that we would prepare together as a family for special occasions two or three times a year.  We would cook rigatoni and then individually stuffed each noodle with pieces of our Italian Meatballs.  We’d then alternate layers of stuffed noodles with Italian Tomato Sauce and freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese in a large casserole, which would be baked until it was hot and bubbly.  We called it simply “Stuffed Baked.”  The recipe I posted here is called Stuffed Baked Rigatoni.

No discussion of baked pasta would be complete without mentioning lasagne.  For the record, the flat noodle used to make lasagne is called lasagna (singular) in Italian.  The casserole containing multiple layered lasagna noodles is called lasagne (plural).  In the United States, the dish is always spelled lasagna so I will use the technically incorrect spelling, too.

Lasagna is another baked dish that can be prepared with a huge variety of previously cooked ingredients.  The only real difference between lasagna and Pasta al Forno is the use of the traditional flat noodle.  Lasagna also can be made with or without meat, and with either (or both) tomato sauce or béchamel sauce.  As you will see in the posted recipe for Lasagna, my preference is for meatballs, Italian sausage, and tomato sauce, but that’s because my roots go directly back to southern Italy!  Be assured that other combinations are equally tasty.

Finally, in this twenty-first century, it is highly unlikely that anyone reading this will serve pasta to their family and friends multiple times in one week just to accumulate leftovers for Pasta al Forno!  If, however, one prepares a batch (or two) of sauce and meatballs, and has one or two Italian cheeses on hand, preparing any of the three baked pastas featured here is rather easy.  All that’s required is the additional steps of assembling and baking the casserole.  [Sidenote:  Grandma Karen and I had fun making all three dishes for pictures for this blog over a long weekend.  Fortunately, we were able to use the food for multiple social events.]

As any Italian grandmother (and at least one Italian grandfather) can attest, baked pasta dishes provide nutritious and delicious meals as well as opportunities to create wonderful family memories and traditions.

Buon appetito.

P.S.  You may have noticed the Recipe page has been redesigned.  The food categories have not changed, but the presentation of individual recipes now includes pictures and brief descriptions.  Hopefully, this will make it easier to find specific recipes.  (Remember, too, that the Search feature is a convenient tool for finding particular recipes, or recipes using specific ingredients.)

Also, there is a added item in the page banner called New Recipes.  The New Recipes page will be used to display recipes posted since the last blog, or posted without being referenced in a blog.  This should help periodic visitors to the site identify quickly the most recently added recipes.

As always, if you have any further suggestions for improvements to any part of this site, I welcome your feedback.  Simply post your ideas using the Comment icon.
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Old and New Favorite Recipes

3/4/2016

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It’s been a while since I devoted an entire blog to sharing more of my favorite recipes.  Since the last time, back in September 2014, I’ve discovered some new favorites and have had ample time to revisit some old ones.  If I can tempt you into trying them, maybe they will become some of your favorites, too.

Co-favorite #1:  Braised Lamp Italian Style and Braised Lamb Greek Style.  Braised lamb – especially braised lamb shank – has always been a special treat in our house.  As you will recall from earlier blogs, the best cuts of meat for braising are from the leg, the shoulder, and of course, the shank of the animal.  Although there are three braised lamb recipes in this collection, it should come as no surprise that I tend to favor the Italian and Greek styles.  The two recipes, in fact, are very similar.  The major difference being the cinnamon in the Greek version.  The Italian recipe also calls for more tomatoes, white wine, and chicken stock.  Italian or Greek, the secret is to brown the meat first in a very hot pan (or pot), and then to simmer it nearly (but not completely) submersed for about two hours.

Green beans are the classic accompaniment to braised lamb.  After blanching the fresh beans in unsalted boiling water for a few minutes, I add them to the pot during the last 15 to 20 minutes to finish cooking and to give them time to absorb some of the delicious braising liquid.  I often also add some Idaho potatoes, but I recently discovered a pasta called Toasted Fregola (fregola tostata).  It is a delicious addition to the plate, and as you can see in the photo, also helps create an impressive presentation.  (The fregola is available from amazon.com.)

Favorite #2:  Potato Soup with Bacon.  One of my granddaughters asked recently if I knew how to make Potato Soup, specifically Potato Soup with Bacon.  I told her I did not, but that I would learn.  (This is the kind of challenge retired foodies like me dream about!)  Not surprisingly, nearly every cookbook I own and every website I visited had a candidate recipe waiting for me.  Except for the requisite potatoes and bacon, there were as many differences as similarities.  Since I subscribe to the theory that in situations like this there are no problems, just opportunities, I quickly realized this was an opportunity to create my own version.  Obviously, the final result passed muster with my granddaughter (and her siblings) or I wouldn’t be writing about this here.

Favorite #3:  Cajun Style Gumbo.  I first tasted Cajun food – not in New Orleans or even in Louisiana, but in Chicago – at an iconic restaurant called Heaven on Seven.  It’s located on the 7th floor of an office building on Wabash Street under the famous Chicago El.  I mention this because I know almost nothing about Cajun cooking, except how the better dishes taste.  With some help from Chef Emeril Lagasse, I created a version of Cajun Gumbo years ago.  I made it again a few weeks ago and was reminded how good it is.  It is richly flavored with chicken thighs, andouille sausage, and crayfish tails.  It is best served over a generous dollop of brown rice.

Favorite #4:  Broccoli Rabe Pesto.  Wandering the Internet, I stumbled across a recipe for Broccoli Rabe Pesto.  Not to be confused with broccoli, broccoli rabe (rapini in Italian) actually is more closely related to the turnip.  I particularly enjoy preparing and serving broccoli rabe because it’s slightly bitter taste is the perfect complement to many meat and fish dishes.  So the thought of using it for a pesto sauce was an irresistible temptation.  The recipe needed some work, however, making for another “opportunity”.  After a first taste, I realized the pesto, combined with some goat cheese, would make a delicious bruschetta sitting atop some grilled crusty bread.  With or without the goat cheese, it can also be used as a pizza topping or to dress your favorite pasta.  Just add some pasta water, some extra virgin olive oil, a large dollop of pesto, and mix well.
FEATURED RECIPES
Braised Lamb Italian Style
Braised Lamb Greek Style
Potato Soup with Bacon
Cajun Style Gumbo
Broccoli Rabe Pesto
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Braised Lamb Italian Style with green beans and fregola tostada.

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Potato Soup with Bacon.

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Cajun Style Gumbo.

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Broccoli Rabe Pesto with Goat Cheese.

I have more favorites, but I'll save them for a future blog.  In the meantime, should you decide to try any of these suggestions, I know you’ll be pleased.

Buon appetito.

P.S.  You may have read that Italy’s olive harvest in 2014 was one of the worst in history.  The Italians called it “the black year” (l’anno nero).  Bad weather, an infestation of the olive fruit fly, and a disease sometimes called “olive Ebola” were responsible.  Olive oil production fell by as much as 95% in some areas, and 40% in others.  Fortunately, the latest harvest was much better, but still below the levels seen in 2013.  All this means there is still less good Italian olive oils available, which then translates to higher prices – if and when we can find them.

There’s more!  Bloomberg News reported recently that they found cellulose (wood pulp) in several brands of grated Parmesan cheese sold in the United States.  The news article states:  “Cellulose is a safe additive, and an acceptable level is 2 percent to 4 percent, according to Dean Sommer, a cheese technologist at the Center for Dairy Research in Madison, Wisconsin.  Essential Everyday 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese, from Jewel-Osco, was 8.8 percent cellulose, while Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Great Value 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese registered 7.8 percent, according to test results.  Whole Foods 365 brand didn’t list cellulose as an ingredient on the label, but still tested at 0.3 percent.  Kraft had 3.8 percent.”
    
I’ve never understood how real cheese could be sold as an unrefrigerated product (i.e., grated and in a bottle or box), but maybe now I know!
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Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Round Three

1/30/2016

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Since beginning this website two years ago, I have published two blogs about olive oil – specifically extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO.  The first, Why I Love Olive Oil, appeared in February 2014 and extolled the virtues of this wonderful food.  I also reported then that 75% of the EVOO sold in the U.S. is imported from Italy, but most of that oil actually is produced in other countries – primarily Spain, and then exported to Italy for bottling and re-export.  The second blog, “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil, was posted the following May – prompted by Tom Mueller’s book, Extra Virginity – to report that the oil in the can or bottle on our store shelves frequently is not what is described on the label.  When the label says EVOO, many times the oil inside technically is not extra virgin – and sometimes not even olive oil.

Now, sadly, it is necessary to raise the issue of EVOO yet again.  Earlier this month, this time thanks to the CBS program, 60 Minutes, I learned the situation with counterfeit olive oil is much worse that I had imagined or reported.  Since I have been, and will continue to be, an outspoken proponent for extra virgin olive oil, especially the Italian and Sicilian oils, I think it is necessary and appropriate to share at least a summary of the latest disturbing news with you, too.  You can view the full CBS report on YouTube.

To be a bit melodramatic, the byline for this report could be, “The Mafia Strikes Again!”  In fact, in Italy it’s called Agromafia because of the extent to which the Mafia has infiltrated the food industry there.  And it’s not just olive oil that is suspect.  Italian wines and cheeses also are often mislabeled and sold as higher quality, and higher priced, goods.

CBS reports that late last year, 7,000 tons of counterfeit EVOO from North Africa was seized by the Italian authorities.  In the last two years, 59 thousand tons of mislabeled or adulterated food has been confiscated before it could be sold in Italian markets or exported.  Not surprisingly, Tom Mueller was interviewed as part of this news report.  Mueller estimates that 75 to 80 percent of the oil exported from Italy to the United States and sold here as extra virgin does not meet the technical qualifications for that classification.  Stated more personally, when we buy Italian EVOO, there is a better than 3 in 4 chance that we are being cheated!

Some of you will say, “Then don’t buy Italian oils!”  Frankly, and very sadly, you’re probably correct.  I’m not quite ready to throw in the proverbial towel, however – but I’m close.  To be clear, my passion for Italian oils is driven mostly because of my heritage, and not because Italian oils are better than others.  Authentic Italian (and Sicilian) EVOOs can be superb, but the same can be said for EVOOs from many other parts of the world.  My personal list of non-Italian favorites are produced in Spain, Greece, and California.  I also have experienced extraordinary oils from Lebanon (thanks to a Kalamazoo purveyor of middle eastern products).
To those of you that love EVOO as much as I do, I suspect you already have your favorites.  To those of you who buy EVOO more casually, I recommend you avoid anything from Italy – unless the label clearly states that it was estate bottled (you will also know by the higher price).  They may be more difficult to find in some areas, but oils from other areas can be excellent and are much more likely to be authentic.  Most important, each authentic EVOO has a unique taste, so in the final analysis you must be completely satisfied with the effect it has on your palate.

[Sidenote:  Thanks to my brother-in-law who first recommended it, and for those of you with access to Trader Joe’s, I suggest you try their Extra Virgin California Estate Olive Oil.  It is made from Arbequina olives; it has a robust olive flavor; and it is reasonably priced.  Mille grazie, Den! ]

I cannot conclude this blog without including something positive, so I will tell you about three recipes that I have posted recently.

First, I found yet another use for 6 IN Brand Ground Tomatoes:  Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce.  The recipe was inspired by two readers, Donise and David.  Mille grazie to you both.  It is ultra-simple to prepare, spicy and delicious, and was a huge hit with guests over the holiday season!

I recently enjoyed a bowl of delicious Smoked Cheese Soup at a local restaurant (Martell’s, for those of you living in the greater Kalamazoo area).  I’ve learned not to ask the chef for recipes, but I do often ask for a list of principal ingredients.  The answer this time was, “Smoked cheddar cheese and Bell’s Two Hearted Ale” (a superb locally brewed beer).  That prompted me to decide to create my own version knowing that the restaurant’s soup also clearly contained some veggies!  I decided to use as many Italian ingredients as possible so I could call it Italian Smoked Cheddar Cheese Soup.

I will close by sharing a childhood memory that is as vivid as any I have – my mother’s Banana Cream Pie.  It was my father’s favorite, so she would make it for him frequently – complete with a Graham Cracker Pie Crust and Pie Meringue.  It became one of my favorites, too.  I’ve had her recipe in my files for decades, but I have only made the pie a few times.  I made it again so I could include a picture and the recipe with this blog.  It tasted as good as I remembered it.  Perhaps you’ll give it a try, too.

Buon appetito.
NEW RECIPES
Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce
Italian Smoked Cheddar Cheese Soup
Banana Cream Pie

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Goat Cheese in Tomato Sauce.

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Italian Smoked Cheddar Cheese Soup.

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Banana Cream Pie.

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    Hobby Chef Grandpa Joe has been practicing Italian-style cooking for over 60 years.  He enjoys cooking, entertaining, and then sharing his culinary experiences with family and friends.

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