I was inspired by a friend’s facebook post, and by a craving for noodles, to try making Dan Dan noodles, a Chinese Sichuan dish. The list of ingredients was really appealing to me – I love ginger, tahini, vinegar, and spice, so I knew it would be up my alley. And it was really easy! (The full recipe is at the end of the post.)

First I had to decide on the noodles; since I needed them to be gluten-free. I wanted to try something other than rice noodles, so, I picked up some pure Buckwheat noodles from Eden Foods. Pricey, but tasty, and high in protein. Step 1 in the recipe was cooking them, carefully tasting every minute after the first 8 minutes to make sure they did not overcook, and then rinsing them in cold water to stop the cooking.

Next up was browning the pork, then adding the ginger, and then the rest of the ingredients except for the garnish, letting it cook for a few more minutes, until thickened. Then I poured it all on top of the noodles in a glass bowl, garnished with fresh scallion and fresh peanuts, and dinner was ready. Super-quick and delicious. (I served it with a quick bok choy stir fry, which I will post about shortly.)

Recipe follows, enjoy! -Jillian

Dan Dan Noodles
(Based on a recipe from a 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine.)
Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

- 8 ounces Shanghai style noodles or udon (I used buckwheat noodles)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 12 ounces ground pork
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped, peeled
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons chili oil, or less. (I used 1 teaspoon chili paste since I did not have chili oil)
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons tahini
- 1 teaspoon sichuan peppercorns
- 1 pinch sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions

METHOD:

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to the bite. Drain; transfer to a large bowl of ice water and let stand until cold. Drain well and divide between 2 bowls.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add pork, season with salt and pepper, and stir, breaking up pork with a spoon, until halfway cooked, about 2 minutes. Add ginger; cook until pork is cooked through and lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken stock and next 6 ingredients; simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Pour pork mixture over noodles; garnish with peanuts and scallions.

Or, more prettily in Italian: Rotolo di Gnocchi con Spinaci. The original recipe is from Autumn in Piemonte: Food and Travels in Italy’s Northwest, by Manuela Darling-Gansser.

I made this recipe last weekend, with logistics help and moral support from Elph and a couple friends who were over! It was a bit tricky, so I’ll post the recipe first, with pictures at the end once you have more of an idea what the process was. My comments on the recipe are in blue.

serves 6

Ingredients:

For  the potatoes:

4-1/2 lbs floury potatoes, boiled
1-2 teaspoons salt
2 organic eggs, lightly beaten
7-10 ounces flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill General Purpose Gluten-Free flour)
3-1/2 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
10 sage leaves

For the Filling:

9 ounces ricotta
2 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 organic egg
salt and pepper
unsalted butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
9 ounces frozen spinach, thawed

(I found that my gnocchi roll was enormous – 15 inches long and about 6 inches wide and 3 to 4 inches high. Next time I make this, I will try using half the amounts listed above!)

Put the spinach out on the counter to thaw ahead of time. (Once thawed, I squeezed it quite a bit to get out excess water.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the potatoes until just done.

(Later in the recipe it says to saute the garlic and spinach in butter in a frying pan; I did it while the potatoes were cooking rather than having to do it later.)

(Also, you will need more boiling water to cook the gnocchi in, so keep another pot on the stove and bring water to a boil so you have it when you need it.)

While the potatoes are still hot, peel them and push them through a potato ricer. Now add the salt, eggs, and gradually, the flour. The amount of flour will depend on the kind of potato you use, but remember that the less flour you use, the softer the gnocchi will be. The dough should be soft, but not stick to your hands. (I used about 8 ounces of gluten-free flour.)

With a rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1 inch thick. (I did this on a piece of parchment paper to make it easier to move later.) Mix ricotta, Parmigiano, egg, salt and pepper in a bowl and then spread it evenly on top of dough. In a frying pan melt a little butter and lightly cook garlic. Mix the spinach with the butter and garlic, cook a few more minutes, and then spread this on top of the ricotta mixture.

Roll the gnocchi dough, ricotta, and spinach into a sausage. Wrap the sausage tightly in cheesecloth or muslin, tie each end, and boil in salted water for about 10-15 minutes. Let cool.
(This was the tricky part. Using the parchment paper, we folded in the two sides to the middle as best we could – it was too thick to roll it up into a sausage shape. Then it took two of us to carefully lift the parchment paper and slide the “sausage” on to the large square of cheesecloth. I wrapped it and tied the ends with cooking (cotton) twine. Then two of us carefully lifted it into my roasting pan, set across two stove-top burners with boiling water in it. My roasting pan was the only thing large enough! It was not ideal since the water did not come all the way over the top, but we filled it as high as we could, and boiled it 15 minutes. Then two of us very carefully lifted it out, using various kitchen implements, and let it cool some. )

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter an ovenproof dish that will hold the roll comfortably, and carefully put the roll in it. With a sharp knife, cut it into slices about 3/4 inch thick. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, then dot with cubed butter and spread sage leaves evenly over the slices. Cook in oven until golden-brown, about 15 minutes. (I used a cookie sheet since its the only thing it would easily fit on. It was a bit hard to cut, I wiped the knife blade clean between each cut.)

Getting the slices apart when serving was a bit tricky too, but again if I wiped the spatula clean between each piece it helped. I served this with two other dishes from the same cookbook: Cipolle Rosse al Forno (baked red onions) and Cavolo con Acciughe (cabbage with anchovies). I have to admit we did not have a Piedmontese red wine to go with, but the hearty chianti we did have went very well. It was a delicious meal, and we definitely earned our dinner!  PHOTOS follow.

 

I was reading a book about Sicily recently, and the author described tasting a delicious ricotta cake there, traditionally made around Easter-time due to the high quality of the spring milk. I was intrigued – I think about ricotta in relation to stuffed pasta, or cannoli, but not as the main ingredient in a cake, so decided to try it. The recipe is mainly about letting the fresh ricotta’s flavor and texture shine.  And having tasted fresh ricotta at a dairy in Sicily, I knew I wanted to make my own ricotta.

Ricotta is very simple to make! I happen to live only a few miles from the wonderful Zingerman’s Creamery, and they provided me with 5 gallons of fresh whey, from a batch of a cow’s cheese they had just made. (If you don’t have a good source of whey, you can use whole milk to make ricotta, but I believe there are other ingredients involved so please google that.)

Step 1, was to heat the whey to 200 degrees F. While it was heating, I lined a strainer (I used two strainers actually) with very fine cloth – I used a thin dishtowel for one, and a piece of fine cheesecloth doubled up for the other. (There is also an extra-fine cheesecloth you can buy, called buttercloth, that cheesemaker supply places sell.) If you think you’ll want to use the leftover whey for something else after the ricotta (such as making sauerkraut, etc), put the strainer over another pot or bowl.

 

 

When the whey reached 200F, I could see the white milk solids precipitating out of the whey. I used a large glass measuring cup to pour the hot whey into the strainer, some at a time. The solids start to “clog” up the cloth so I poured in some, then went and did something else while it drained, and then poured in more. I used a wooden spoon to scrape down the sides of the cloth sometimes.

 

 
 

I ended up with nearly 4 cups of ricotta! Which I hear is a high yield, which may be a fluke; I intend to try making this again in a few weeks and I’ll report back. Then we started in on the Ricotta Cake recipe (the full recipe is at the end). We lightly beat together egg yolks, honey, orange zest and juice, and lemon zest and juice, and stirred it gently into the ricotta.

 

 

Since my household is mostly gluten-free, Elph made an almond crust, instead of the traditional Sicilian pastry crust. He mixed almond flour with sugar, butter, cream, coconut milk, and vanilla, pressed it in to a pie plate, and baked it for 10 minutes or so. Then I scooped in the filling, and we baked it about 80 minutes at 350.

 

 

We enjoyed a slice right away – it has a lovely fresh, mild, creamy flavor, with the hints of citrus. And it was just as good the next day, with more citrus flavor, although our crust had gotten somewhat soft. Still delicious though.

 

 

Recipe follows:

Gluten-Free Almond Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond meal or almond flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons chilled butter or butter substitute
2 1/4 tablespoons cream or coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Toss the dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix well, and then add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Mix in a food processor until the dough forms a soft, workable ball. (Using a food processor is an easy way of mixing and handling the dough, but you can accomplish the same results using a pastry blender or wooden spoon.) Press the pastry directly into the pan without rolling, using your fingertips and the heel of your palm. Prick the pastry lightly with a fork and bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 10 to 12 minutes before filling.

Sicilian Ricotta Easter Cake, filling

4 cups ricotta
4 egg yolks
6 tablespoons honey
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice

(NOTE, next time I make this, I may use twice that much orange juice, and try reducing it down on the stovetop, maybe mixed with the honey, let it cool, and then add that to the ricotta, to get more orange flavor.)

Preheat oven to 350F. (If you just baked your crust the oven is already preheated of course.)

Gently beat the egg yolks in a small bowl until just combined, and stir in the lemon and orange juice and zest, and the honey. Then pour the mixture in to the ricotta, stir gently, and scoop in into the prepared pie crust.

Bake approximately 80 minutes until light golden in color. Enjoy!

This is not an exhaustive list, it’s just a start, for the fun of it, which our tour partner Gioacchino wrote up for us before we visited Sicily in 2009, -Jillian

agnello — lamb

amaro — bitters

anice — anise

anguilla — freshwater or sea eel

anguria — red watermelon, also rosso melone

antipasto — appetizer

aperitivo — aperitif

arancine — fried rice balls filled with meat or cheese

arborio — creamy white rice native to Italy’s Piedmont region

arrosto — roast

babbaluci –Sicilian for small snails (in Italian, lumache)

baccalà — cod fillets in salt or water

baccalaru — Sicilian for baccalà

bar — drink and coffee shop, as distinguished from a pub

beccafico — fresh roasted herring (sardines) stuffed with a delicious mixture of traditional ingredients

birra bionda — light beer or ale, as distinguished from dark beer (stout or bock) or red beer

bistecca — steak

bocconcini — any meat, bread or cheese formed into small pieces

bruschetta — toasted bread topped with chilled chopped tomatoes, onions, olives and herbs

buccellato — a crusty winter cake having a sweet filling of figs and nuts, sometimes cut into sections or formed into cookies

caciocavallo — a local cheese made from sheep’s milk

cacocciulo — Sicilian for carciofo, artichoke

caffétteria — coffee shop (“bar” being the term usually used in Sicily), sometimes refreshments

calamari — squid

calzone — bread roll baked with ham, cheese or other stuffings

cannolo — pastry having a tubular crust filled with ricotta cream filling

caponata — cold salad of eggplant (aubergines), capers, olives, celery and tomatoes A variation is made with artichokes instead of eggplant

capra — goat meat

capretto — young goat; kid

capricciosa — a pizza made with numerous ingredients, including tomatoes, mozzarella, ham, artichokes and other toppings

cappuccino — light coffee served with steamed milk and usually served at breakfast (So-called for its colour resembling that of the light brown habits of the Capuchin monks)

carciofi — artichokes

cardo — also cardu or cardoon The celery-like stalk of the artichoke leaf

cassata — cake or tort of sweet ricotta cream filling in a crust of frosting and candied fruits

cena — usually supper (evening meal) but sometimes a large lunch

chitarre — literally “guitars,” spaghetti whose shape is square rather than round, so-called because it is formed by running the soft paste through a series of wires similar to the strings of a guitar

cipollata — glaze of onions, vinegar and sugar used as sauce for certain fish dishes

condimento — condiment; usually refers to the toppings on a pizza

conto — restaurant check

contorno — a side dish, usually in addition to the salad

coperto — nominal cover charge added to restaurant bill; this is not a tip

cornetto — light breakfast pastry similar to a croissant

cozze — mussels

cremeria — an ice cream shop, in Sicily gelateria is the more common term

croquet — fried potato and cheese dumplings

crocchè — croquet

cuccìa — sometimes cucchia; traditional winter pudding made from hard wheat, somewhat similar to rice pudding Served on Saint Lucy’s Day, 13 December

cus-cus — Italian spelling of couscous

cuscusu — Sicilian for couscous

fava — a flat broad bean grown in Sicily

filetto — fillet

finnochio — fennel The term actually refers to the “wild” variety, unrelated to the anise greens often sold as finocchio nowadays

focaccia — a seasoned bread, quite similar to a thick pizza, but flavored with olive oil and herbs instead of vegetables and cheese; in Sicily, most focaccerias (focaccia bakeries) serve focaccia but also sfincione

frascatela — a doughy dumpling paste of cauliflower and bacon

friggitoria — food stand specializing in fried foods such as panella, arancine, croquet, etc

fritedda — vegetable dish or pasta sauce made with fresh green fave beans, peas, and sometimes artichoke hearts and scallions

frizzante — describes effervescent water

frutti di mare — seafood, such as shellfish

gamberi — shrimp

gamberoni — large shrimp or prawns

gattò — from the French gateau, describes food in the form of a soft cake similar to quiche

gelateria — an ice cream shop

gelato — ice cream, whether made with or without milk

gelo di mellone — sweet gelatine dessert made from water melon, served in Summer

gelsi — mulberry, a summer ice cream flavor

gelsomina — jasmine, an ice cream flavored with this flower

giri — refers generically to any of several spinach-like vegetables but particularly to one resembling bok choy, with dark leaves and a white stalk

gorgonzola — Italian bleu cheese, named for the city where it is made

granita — crushed sweetened ice flavored with lemon, strawberries, mint and sometimes mulberries (gelsi)

grappa — strong brandy distilled from grape pumice and seeds

griglia — grill; alla griglia refers to grilled dishes

insalata mista — salad of lettuce and other vegetables

insalata riso — cold rice salad, a Summer dish

involtini — grilled or roasted chicken or beef slices stuffed with vegetable or meat filling; also leafy vegetables (such as radicchio) stuffed with meat filling

latte di mandorla — literally “almond milk,” carbonated milky white drink made with sweetened almond paste and almond extract

limoncello — generic name for a sweet lemon liqueur

maccu — also macco, creamy winter soup made from dried fava beans and fennel

margherita — a pizza made with tomatoes, basil and mozzarella

marsala — dark fortified wine similar to Port, named for the Sicilian city where it is made; alla marsala refers to meats prepared with this wine

martini — sweet white or red vermouth; unless the term “cocktail” is specified, this is not the cocktail of this name (containing dry vermouth with vodka or gin) but the vermouth itself

milza — sauteed veal spleen, usually served in sandwiches

naturale — natural; describes mineral water that is not effervescent; “still water”

neonata — baby sardines (a few days old) served as a sauce or fried

nero di seppia — cuttlefish (seppia) ink and the black sauce made from it

noce — walnut

nocciola — hazelnut, an ice cream flavor

osteria — literally a tavern or inn, but usually a trattoria

ostriche — oysters

panella — salty flat fried cakes made with ceci bean flour, often served as an appetizer

panino — sandwich

pasta al forno — pasta baked with beef, tomatoes and cheese; similar to baked lasagne

pasta reale — almond paste marzipan pastries decorated and colored to resemble fruits and various objects; sometimes called “Frutta Martorana” in Palermo

pasticceria — pastry shop

pecorino — describes ricotta and certain other cheeses made from sheep’s milk

pesce — fish

pesce spada — sword fish

pesto — green pasta sauce made with ground, crushed basil and pine nuts

piccante — spicy

pizzaiola — describes certain dishes, such as some sausages, and even potatoes, made with a variety of vegetable ingredients and spices

pizzeria — restaurant specializing in pizza and certain fried foods

pollo — chicken

polpo — octopus

porcini — small dark mushrooms

pranzo — lunch

primo — also “primo piatto,” first course, usually a pasta or rice dish

primo sale — a sweet Sicilian cheese

pub — British style pub or American style bar

quattro formaggi — a pizza made with four cheeses, usually mozzarella, bleu (or gorgonzola), parmesan and a local cheese

reginelle — small cookies coated with sesame seeds

ricci — urchins, usually served raw

ricotta — cottage cheese, which in Sicily is made from sheep’s milk

risotto — describes various arborio rice dishes

ristorante — usually a more formal restuarant which serves evening meals and sometimes lunches, as opposed to a trattoria or pizzeria, which would be less formal

rollò — roast made of beef stuffed with meats, cheeses and vegetables

salsa verde — any green pasta sauce similar to pesto

salsiccia — pork sausage

salsiccia pizzaiola — sausage stuffed with pork, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and other vegetables

sarde — fresh small sardines, usually served stuffed (“beccafico”) or with pasta and fennel (“pasta con sarde”)

scampi — large shrimp

secondo — also “secondo piatto,” second course, usually the main meat dish

semifreddo — whipped dessert similar to mousse

seppia — cuttlefish

sfincione — a thick Sicilian pizza topped with tomatoes, onions and anchovies; rarely served in pizzerias but available in focaccerias, some bakeries, or from street vendors To Sicilians, sfincione is not considered “pizza,” which in Italy is by definition thin and crusty

sfingi — also sfinci, fried puffed dough (“cream puffs”) filled with cream (especially the “sfingi di San Giuseppe” served on Saint Joseph’s Day, 19 March) or coated with honey Singular is sfincia

siccia — Sicilian for seppia, cuttlefish

sparacelli — a tasty broccoli variety similar to the undomesticated broccolo

spiedini — meat and vegetables served on a skewer, similar to shish kebab

spremuta — freshly-squeezed orange juice, as distinguished from succo d’arancia, the bottled variety

spumoni — a tricolored, three-flavored (usually cherry, chocolate and pistachio) Neapolitan ice cream virtually unknown in Italy today but still made in the United States, where it was introduced in the 1890s (The American term “Neapolitan” for vanilla, chocolate and strawberry tricolored ice cream is based on its former identification with spumoni)

stigghiola — seasoned and barbecued lamb or kid intestines served on a skewer

tonno — tuna or tunny; this is a tasty dark Mediterranean variety served fresh, nothing like the canned white tuna sold in supermarkets

torrone — an ice cream flavor based on this candy made with honey, egg whites and nuts

trattoria — an informal restaurant which serves evening meals and lunches

triglie — also “triglie di scoglio,” red mullet, best in April and often served in a sweet sauce of vinegar and onions

tunisini — a variety of eggplant (aubergine) having a light purple skin and a very white flesh

vergine — literally “virgin,” this term describes a pure grade of olive oil made from the first cold pressing of the freshly harvested olives

vino bianco — white wine

vino rosso — red wine

vitello — beef

vitellino — veal

vongole — clams

zuppa inglese — rum mix, an ice cream flavor

 

I recently cooked my first recipe from Paula Wolfert’s beautiful new cookbook, The Food of Morocco. I made the ”Chicken Tagine with Dried Apricots and Pine Nuts” (or sesame seeds). I had most of the ingredients on hand already, and the tagine I bought last year. The full recipe (slightly modified) is at the end of the post.

First, I prepped ingredients, while enjoying my white wine aperitif. I love any excuse to use my Italian marble mortar, a birthday gift from years ago. The saffron water was a gorgeous color.

I put together the marinade and rubbed it on the chicken, and let it sit while I cut the onions and then cooked them until soft in the tagine.

After the onions were very soft, I browned the chicken and added herbs and a little hot water to the tagine, and simmered, covered.

While the chicken cooked in the tagine, I made the sauce, with fresh orange juice, apricots, cinnamon, sugar – it cooked on low about 30 minutes, until reduced. Then I added the sauce to the tagine, once the chicken was cooked through, and after spooning off some of the fat.

The final step is to put the base of the tagine under the broiler just briefly, until it gets a few bits of brown on top, and then to sprinkle with sesame seeds. I served it over cooked Teff, but if you eat wheat it would be traditional to eat over couscous. Delicious! Recipe below.

—–

Chicken Tagine with Dried Apricots and Pine Nuts, from Paula Wolfert’s The Food of Morocco:

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 large chicken thighs, about 2 pounds
- 1 small garlic clove
- coarse salt
- 2 tablespoons saffron water
- 1 tablespoon La Kama spice mix
- 1 teaspoon Smen, optional (I did not have this)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 7 to 10 sprigs each fresh cilanto and flat-leaf parsley, tied together
- 20 dried apricots, about 5-1/2 oz, preferably moist and chewy
- 1/3 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
- freshly ground white pepper
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts OR toasted sesame seeds (I used black sesame seeds)

La Kama Spice Mix

- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, (Moroccans grind this from sticks)
- 1/2 teaspoon cubeb pepper, optional (I did not have this)
- 1 healthy pinch grated nutmeg

Saffron Water

- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
- 1 cup hot water

METHOD:

1. La Kama Spice Mix. For the La Kama spice mix, mix the ground spices thoroughly. She says to sift them but I just stirred them a lot until all lumps gone. Then store in jar in cool, dark place.

2. Saffron Water. For the Saffron water, dry 1/2 teaspoon crumbed saffron strands in a warm (not hot) skillet. Crush again, then soak in 1 cup hot water. Store in a small jar in the fridge, will keep for up to a week. (I used more like 1/8 teaspoon saffron and 1/4 cup hot water since I knew I was unlikely to use the extra within a week.)

3. Trim the chicken of excess fat, wash and pat dry. Slide your fingers under the skin to loosen.

4. Crush the garlic with 1/2 t coarse salt in a mortar. Stir in the saffron water, spices, smen if using, and 1-1/2 t of sugar. Coat the chicken with the mixture on all sides and under the skin (I did this in a glass bowl), then allow to stand for 30 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, put the onion, oil, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup water in a medium tagine, preferably flameware, set on a heat diffuser over medium-low heat and cook, covered, unit the onion is soft and golden, about 20 minutes. (this took a bit longer for me, takes a bit for the tagine to get fully heated I think.)

6. Add the chicken and marinade to the tagine and lightly color each piece on both sides – I turned the heat up to medium-high for this and watched carefully. Then add the herbs and 1/4 cup hot water, reduce heat to a bare simmer, and cook, covered, 45 minutes, turning the thighs once for even cooking.

7. Meanwhile, place the apricots, orange juice, the remaining 2-1/2 T sugar, the butter, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard the cinnamon stick before use.

8. Uncover the tagine and skim off the excess fat from the cooking liquid. Add the apricots and the syrup and continue to cook, covered, until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the flesh is nearly falling off the bone. (I did another 20 minutes but you could easily do longer.) Add salt to taste and a good pinch of white pepper.

9. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and cook, covered, yet another 10 minutes. Then discard the herbs. Meanwhile, heat the broiler, with a rack 7 to 9 inches from the broiler.

10. If your tagine is flameware/ovenproof, you can just take the lid off the tagine and slide the base in under the broiler until just glazed, 1 to 3 minutes, watch carefully. (If your tagine is not flameware, you’ll need to transfer the contents of the tagine to an ovenproof dish.) Then spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the pine nuts or sesame seeds, and serve immediately. I served this over teff, which was delicious.

Last weekend I made two dishes for dinner that had Italian origins, but I doctored them with an American ingredient or two: Squash Risotto with Pecans, and Chard with Currants and Pecans. Both recipes called for pine nuts, which I did not have, but, I had plenty of pecans on hand. And the chard recipe called for raisins; I only had currants, but it was a fine substitute. The full recipes are at the end of the post.

Since I was going to be stirring the risotto fairly often, I wanted to prep most of my ingredients first. (And I find that makes for a smoother cooking experience anyway.) Once the ingredients were prepped, first thing was to cook the squash in a small saucepan with fresh sage and a little salt, and then sprinkle it with a bit of sherry vinegar.

While the squash cooked, I started in on the risotto. First, sautéing onions until very soft, then adding the raw risotto and coating the grains well. And then adding the boiling broth a bit at a time.

After about 20 minutes, when the risotto was almost done, I added in the squash. And meanwhile, I also did the chard, which was super-easy – sautéing a little garlic, then adding in the chopped chard and stirring until wilted, and then adding the currants and the chopped toasted pecans at the end.

Both dishes were ready at the same time, I served them immediately, and topped the risotto with some grated Parm Reg. Very yummy! Recipes follow, enjoy,
-Jillian

Squash Risotto with Marsala, Sage, and Pecans
(a modified recipe that originally appeared in Bon Appetit)

INGREDIENTS:
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 2.5 to 3 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, about 6 generous cups
- sea salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Sherry wine vinegar
- 2 onions, chopped, about 3 cups
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, good quality
- 1-1/2 cups arborio rice (I used carnaroli, which is another kind of rice)
- 1/4 cup Marsala or medium dry sherry
- 3/4 cup pecans, toasted
- Parmesan cheese, shaved

METHOD:

1. Heat 2 T oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add squash, sprinkle with sea salt and saute until beginning to brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add chopped sage and cook until just tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Sprinkle Sherry wine vinegar over, toss to incorporate. Transfer squash to plate and wipe skillet clean.

2. Heat remaining 2T oil in the same skillet over high heat. Add chopped onions, sprinkle with sea salt, and saute until onions are soft and beginning to brown, 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onions are soft and deep golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a simmer in a saucepan. Cover and keep warm over low heat.

3. Add arborio (or carnaroli) rice to onions in skillet. Stir until rice is slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Add sherry, stir until absorbed. Add 1 cup warm broth mixture, stir until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes. Continue adding broth mixture by 1/2 cupfuls, stirring almost constantly, until rice is just tender but still firm to bite and risotto is creamy, this should take about 15 to 20 minutes. Then add the squash, and cook another few minutes, so about 20 to 25 minutes total. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the toasted pecans. Transfer squash risotto to plates and top with shaved parmesan if desired.

Swiss Chard with Currants and Pecans
(a modified recipe that originally came from Peggy Markel’s Tuscan kitchen)

INGREDIENTS:

- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound swiss chard, large stems removed
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons currents, soaked and drained
- salt and pepper

METHOD:

1. Toast the pecans in the oven for a few minutes at low heat.

2. Cut chard into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in large skillet, add garlic and saute until golden. Add chard and saute until wilted. Add currants and pecans and season lightly with salt and pepper.

I will always associate fresh fennel with Tuscany. This is Insalata di Finocchio (fennel) e Radicchio. Radicchio is bitter, so make sure you have enough fennel, and cut the fennel so the pieces aren’t too long – it does not bend so gets hard to eat if it’s too long. Also next time I make it I think I’ll add a little lemon juice to the dressing, to give it a little more bite, and I added chopped pecans at the end, which went very well.

- 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
(I’d also add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice)
- 1 large bulb fennel, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 medium head radicchio, thinly sliced
(I added some chopped pecans)

Using a sharp paring knife, cut a 1-inch-wide strip zest from orange, avoiding white pith. (The recipe did not specify how long of a strip, so I think I used a strip about 2 inches long, since I like the bitter zest flavor.) Thinly slice the zest lengthwise into strips. In a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch zest 30 seconds, then drain. Squeeze 1/3 cup juice from remaining orange. in a large bowl, whisk together juice, mustard, parsley, salt and oil. Add fennel and radicchio, toss to combine. Sprinkle with the blanched zest.
Serves 4. Original recipe courtesy of La Cucina Italiana magazine.

Gioacchino Passalaqua, an Italian artisanal food exporter and native Sicilian who co-leads our Sicily Food Tour with us, worked closely with Chef Alex and the rest of the Roadhouse crew to create an amazing multi-course dinner last Tuesday, January 10, 2012! The food wowed the sold-out crowd, and after numerous people clamored for the recipes Gioacchino agreed to write them up for us.

Please note, for the most part, Italians don’t tend to give quantities and specifics – you use “a pinch of this” and “a spoonful of that” and cook for “as long as is needed” – but we asked Gioacchino to please give quantities and details whenever he could. Some of the quantities will seem odd, and that’s because they are Gioacchino’s conversions from metric.

So, please use your creativity and cooking intuition to fill in any gaps where needed, and please let us know if you try making any of these and have more details that we can add in.

Sicilians, like most Italians, use excellent-quality extra-virgin olive oil, and they use it in large quantities – so, if you want your dishes to taste authentic, get a great oil, and don’t skimp in using it!

One other note, three Sicilian wines were served with the meal – two Nero d’Avola’s, and one Il Frappato.

Enjoy!

A n t i p a s t i

“Beccafico” Sardines

Ingredients for 6 people:
2-1/2 pounds cleaned, fresh sardines, spines and large bones removed, so each sardine is in two long separate halves
Extra virgin olive oil
9 bay leaves

Stuffing:
8 oz of bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil
lemon juice, one lemon
lemon peel, half lemon
sugar, 2 italian caffe spoon
salt, as enough
parsley, 2 spoons
capers, 1-1/2 ounces
black olives diced and without pits, 1-1/2 ounces
toasted and diced almonds, 2 ounces
2-1/2 ounces of raisins
2-1/2 ounces of pine nuts

Preparation
Mix all the stuffing ingredients until it has a compact/forming consistency. Take half a sardine, put some stuffing into the middle and then roll the ends of the sardine up around the stuffing. Then put sardine rolls in a baking pan with extra virgin olive oil and bay leaves. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and cook at 350F  for 15/20 minutes.

 

Eggplant parmigiana

Ingredients for 6 people:
3 eggplants
High-temperature vegetable oil for deep frying (Note, Gioacchino says he often uses extra virgin olive oil for deep frying.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sugar 2 italian caffe spoon
Extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
Tomato puree, 35 ounce
Fresh basil as needed
Caciocavallo and pecorino cheeses, as needed

Preparation
Wash the eggplants, peel them and slice in strips. Then slices the eggplant making sure that all will be roughly the same thickness of .60 inches. Place the eggplant in a container full of water and salt, it is important that the eggplants are completely immersed in the water.
Drain and deep frying in a high-temperature oil. As soon are well cooked set them on a tray, on which you previously placed a paper towel, and let them drain the oil. Sprinkle with some pinches of salt while still warm.

Fry the finely chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil, then add the tomato puree. Add a few leaves of basil. Season with salt, pepper and a few tablespoons of sugar. Cook until you get a dense enough sauce. At this point, in a rectangular baking dish, lay a layer of fried eggplant cover with the sauce, sprinkle the grated cheese you have decided to use and conclude with a few leaves of basil.
Put the eggplant parmigiana in the oven at 390 degrees F for about 40 minutes until the tomatoes sauce present the characteristic golden “crust”.

Panelle

Ingredients for 6 people:
1-1/2 liters of water
18.5 ounces of chickpea flour
1 bunch of fresh parsley
high-temperature vegetable oil for deep frying (Note, Gioacchino says he often uses extra virgin olive oil for deep frying.)
Salt and pepper

Preparation
In a pan add a quart of warm water and salt as needed. Add slowly the flour, stir it slowly, so that no lumps are formed. Place the pan on the stove and then add the finely chopped parsley. Stir until the liquid has congealed enough to separate from the sides of the pan. Turn off the heat and pour the mixture onto a hard flat wet surface (ideally a marble counter top that is ok to cut on) that you moisten with some water first to reduce sticking. Spread it with a spatula to obtain a uniform surface of about 3 mm. Allow to cool. Cut the dough into squares and then into triangles, and fry in abundant oil and hot frying pan. When the triangles are golden brown on both sides take out from frying pan, lay them on a plate with paper towels and add salt and pepper.

Lentil Soup of Ustica

Ingredients for 6 people
Extra virgin olive oil
17.64 oz Ustica lentils (very small and brown)
2 carrots, minced
half an onion, minced
salt
black pepper
fresh wild fennel, a small branch, minced

Pour extra virgin olive oil in a pan with the finely chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes then add carrots, lentils and fill with water. After few minutes add the chopped fennel, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until the lentils are fully cooked, about 20/30 minutes.

“Argentiera” Cacio Cheese

Ingredients for 6 people:
6 slices of cheese (semiarid Ragusano or Caciocavallo, 5-1/2 oz each)(Note, if unavailable you could try using a semi-aged provolone)
Extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
3 tbsp of white wine vinegar
Dried Oregano one spoon
Black pepper

Preparation
In a skillet, put extra virgin olive oil and saute garlic. Then remove the garlic from the skillet. Put the cheese and cook until golden brown in color. Spray or drizzle vinegar and a generous sprinkle of oregano and black pepper. Cover the skillet and cook on medium heat for 2-4 minutes. Place cheese on serving plate. Serve hot.

P r i m i

Pasta with “Trapanese pesto”

Ingredients for 6 people:
Campo D’oro “Trapanese” pesto sauce (mixed vegetables)
1 jar of pesto Trapanese
1,1 lb of pasta (busiate shape is preferred, this is like a longer strozzapreti)
Extra virgin olive oil

Preparation
Heat condiment in a large skillet with 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Boil pasta until al dente in salted boiling water. Set aside a cup of the water used to boil the pasta. When ready to serve toss pasta in pan with heated condiment and adjust consistency using the water used to boil the pasta.

Pasta with Pistachio Pesto and Eggplant

Ingredients for 6 people:

6 oz eggplant
1 jar of pistachio pesto
1.1 lb of pasta
Extra virgin olive oil
(Note, Zingerman’s Deli and Zingerman’s Mail Order will probably have the pistachio pesto.)

Preparation
Wash the eggplants, peel and dice them making sure that are roughly all the same dimension about 1.20 x 1.20. Place the eggplant in a container full of water and salt, it is important that the eggplants are completely immersed in the water.
Drain and deep frying in extra virgin olive oil. As soon are well cooked set them on a tray, on which you previously placed a paper towel, and let them drain the oil. Sprinkle with some pinches of salt while still warm.
Heat the pistachio pesto in a large skillet with 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and add the fried eggplant. Boil pasta until al dente in salted boiling water. Set aside a cup of the water used to boil the pasta. When ready to serve toss pasta in pan with heated pistachio pesto and adjust consistency using the water used to boil the pasta.

Pasta with cauliflower

Ingredients for 6 people:
1 large head of cauliflower, core removed and discarded, florets coarsely chopped
1.1 lb of pasta (Bugatini shape preferred)
Toasted fresh breadcrumbs for garnishing pasta, 5.3 ounces
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Pine nuts, 2.85 oz
Raisins, 2.45 oz
Onion, half

Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Break cauliflower into flowerets. Add about a tablespoon of salt to the water, and boil the cauliflower in it until it is tender but not mushy. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, remove the cauliflower and set it aside. (KEEP cooking water.) When it is cool enough to handle, chop it roughly into small pieces.
In a large deep skillet, saute onion, previously chopped very fine, in extra virgin olive oil, until onion is golden. Start cooking pasta in same pot and same water as was used for the cauliflower.
When the onion is ready, add the cauliflower, pine nuts, and raisins and cook for a few minutes until all the ingredients are blended. When pasta is just about done, drain it, reserving about a cup of cooking liquid.
Add pasta to skillet containing the cauliflower, and toss until they are well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with just enough pasta water to keep the mixture moist but not soupy.

S e c o n d i

Roast Beef with salted chocolate

Ingredients for 6 people:
Antica Dolceria Bonajuto Dark chocolate bar flavored with salt 4 oz, cut into small pieces
3.3 lb Roast Beef, tenderloin round
1 big carrot finely minced
1 clove of garlic finely minced
1 bay leaf
5-6 cups beef or vegetable stock
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
(Note, Zingerman’s Deli and Zingerman’s Mail Order should have the Bonajuto chocolate.)

Preparation
Lightly season the roast beef with salt and pepper. Put in a saucepan the minced carrot and minced garlic, the bay leaf, 5-6 cups of vegetable stock and extra virgin olive oil. Brown the meat in another pan at high heat. When done, lay the roast in the saucepan with the vegetables and broth and cook in the oven at 375 F until the roast is cooked rare to medium rare. Take the beef from the oven and let rest 15 minutes. Then cut into thin slices. When is ready to serve. Place the roast beef on the plate and garnish with chocolate and serve immediately to avoid the chocolate completely melting before it is served.

Stuffed Peppers cut in half

Ingredients for 6 people:
3 bell pepper
Salt
Black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4 potatoes medium size
grated parmigiano cheese 8.9 oz
4 eggs
white bread, 7 oz
parsley
capers, 5.5 oz
pitted olives black olives, 7 oz

Wash the bell peppers dried and cut them in two parts then remove all the seeds contained in.
Prepare the stuffing, cook the potatoes in salted water with all the skin. As soon as cooked make a mash. Soak bread in milk and squeeze tight. Finely chop capers, olives and parsley. When the previous steps are completed put all the ingredients together and add cheese and eggs, mix until the filling is perfectly mixed. Place the bell pepper in a pan previously greased with extra virgin olive oil and add a pinch of salt in the peppers. Stuff the peppers and cover the surface with cheese and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. Bake at a temperature of 380 F for about half an hour.

Breaded baked onions

Ingredients for 6 people:

3 Giarratana or Vidalia onions
Bread crumbs, 7 oz
White wine vinegar, sprinkle
Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Salt
Black pepper

Preparation
Slice the onion in horizontal round slices in order to obtain the same thickness and the maximum size. Oil the baking dish and place the rounds of sliced onions on it. Sprinkle the onions with extra virgin olive oil, add salt and pepper and cover with bread crumbs. Sprinkle all with white wine vinegar and bake at 350 F until the top is a bit brown and bubbling, about 15 – 20 minutes.

D e s s e r t

It’s an Italian tradition to eat lentils around New Year’s for good luck – I find that I start to crave simpler, bean- and vegetable-based dishes after the winter holidays, so it’s a tradition I enjoy following. On New Year’s Day I made a red lentil soup, which my Mom gave me the recipe for. It’s easy and fresh tasting. I tend to use a bit more lemon juice than called for. Recipe follows, enjoy!

Red Lentil Soup with Lemon

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, more to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground chili powder or cayenne, or to taste
1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup red lentils
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
juice of 1/2 lemon, more to taste
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Greek yogurt as optional garnish

METHOD:

In a large pot, heat 3 T oil over high heat until hot and shimmering. Add onion and garlic, saute until golden, about 4 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne and saute 2 minutes longer. Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup, but stop while it’s still somewhat chunky. (If you use a regular blender instead, puree some of the soup, and then return that to the pot with the rest of the soup.) Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro. Serve drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired. Optional garnish of Greek yogurt.

I love pumpkin, and as of last weekend I still had several small pie pumpkins from a local farm. So, I decided to try a recipe I got from an Italian friend, Risotto di Zucca – Pumpkin Risotto. My friend is from Piedmont, where much of the risotto eaten in Italy (and the world) is grown. (Our Piedmont tour this past October went to visit a risotto producer, learned a lot and had a fabulous lunch there, and enjoyed risotto as a primi piatti – first course – at many a restaurant throughout the tour.)

The full recipe is below the photos.

The day before I cooked I made sure I had a bag of Italian rice. The two rices used for this kind of dish are Carnaroli and Arborio (and Italians will argue about the merits of each for best use in various dishes); I had a bag of Carnaroli. And I defrosted 1-1/2 quarts of turkey broth we’d made at Thanksgiving. Ready to start, I peeled, de-seeded, and chopped the pumpkin into small cubes.

I simmered the pumpkin in broth and milk, with a bit of cinnamon and pepper, while I cooked the risotto. I brought the rest of the broth to a boil in another pot, and then kept it simmering, and started cooking the risotto. First step is to coat the risotto in oil, I used melted butter, and stirred it for a few minutes until the grains were well coated.

Then I added a cup of hot broth, and stirred until absorbed, and kept adding more hot broth by 1/2 cup-fulls.

Once the risotto tasted done – somewhat soft but still a bit al dente in the center, I used a fork to mash the pumpkin in its broth, mixed it in to the risotto, added Parmigiano Reggiano, and served it immediately on warm plates, drizzled with a little Italian olive oil. Along with some fish poached in white wine and parsley, and an Italian white wine. A delicious dinner.

Risotto di Zucca – Pumpkin Risotto

Serves 4

2-1/2 to 3 cups pumpkin, peeled, scraped, and cut in small dice
1 pound carnaroli rice, approx
approx 5 cups broth, for risotto
2/3 cup broth, for cooking pumpkin
1/4 cup milk, for cooking pumpkin
1 pinch cinnamon
black pepper
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, grated
salt to tast

1. Peel, wash and cut the pumpkin in small cubes; put it in a pot with stock and milk and a pinch of ground cinnamon and ground black pepper. Bring to a simmer, turn down to low, cover, and cook everything until the pumpkin becomes soft and can be mashed easily with a fork and mixed into its broth.

2. Meanwhile, bring the rest of the broth to a boil, turn down to a simmer, and cook the rice (usually the cooking time is about 15 minutes). First, stir the rice in a couple tablespoons of melted butter, about 5 minutes, then add the simmering broth in approximately 1/2 cupfulls, stirring until absorbed. As soon as it’s cooked, add the pumpkin, more butter, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Mix everything, add salt to taste, and the pumpkin risotto is ready to eat!