In May 2012, Peggy Markel, our Tuscany food tour partner, came to Ann Arbor and cooked up a wonderful Tuscan dinner, together with the chefs at Zingerman’s Roadhouse. There were 4 courses, and 4 wines.

Peggy at the Tuscan Countryside dinner at Zingerman’s Roadhouse

All the wines were Tuscan of course – one white, two reds, and a dessert wine

Some menu highlights:
Antipasto: Finocchina Salume – Tuscan fennel seed salame, and, Crostino di fegato – Chicken liver pate on toasted Tuscan bread (freshly made by Zingerman’s Bakehouse). Primo Piatto: Ribollita – a bread, bean, and vegetable soup with Tuscan Kale. Secondo Piatto: Arrosto di Maiale con Sale Aromatico – Roasted pork loin with aromatic salt. Contorno: Patate arrosto con rosmarino – roasted potatoes with rosemary. Dolce: Percorino staginato con miele di castagno – aged Pecorino cheese with chestnut honey. And more!

The Ribollita got rave reviews. The bean used was the famed Tuscan Solfini bean – it’s creamy and tender yet holds its shape

Slices of the roast pork and vegetables. You can see the green of the aromatic salt in the middle, which added a lot of flavor

The Ribollita was a big favorite, for sure. Here are the recipes for the Ribollita, the Tuscan Aromatic Salt, and the Roast Pork, enjoy!

La Minestra di Pane Ribollita (per sei persone)
(Tuscan bread and vegetable soup, for six people)

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, 2 zucchini, 2 celery stalks, 2 carrots, 1/2 of a savoy cabbage, 20 leaves of black cabbage (also called Tuscan kale or Dinosaur kale) or swiss chard, 2 peeled tomatoes, 250 gr boiled white cannellini beans (or solfini beans if you can get them!)(keep the cooking water), 1 kg stale Tuscan style (unsalted) bread, 2 cloves of garlic (optional), extra-virgin olive oil: as required, salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional).

METHOD
Chop the onion coarsely. Chop the rest of the vegetables into small pieces ie. zucchini, celery, carrots and cabbage. Place half the chopped onion and the rest of the vegetables in a large stockpot. Add the olive oil and cook until brown. Add half of the cooked beans. Then, puree the rest of the beans by passing them through a food mill and add to the soup, together with the cooking liquid. Cook for 1 hour on a medium heat. At the end of the cooking time, saute in a frying pan, the rest of the chopped onion and garlic (finely chopped) in olive oil. Add to the vegetable soup, stirring well. Toast the sliced stale bread; Rub some garlic over each slice and arrange a layer of bread in the bottom of a deep “terracotta” dish. Pour a generous ladleful of vegetable soup over the bread plus a little oil and pepper. Continue to layer the bread and soup in this way until the dish is full. Leave to rest for approx. two hours. Before serving boil the bread soup mixture, stirring well and serve with extra-virgin olive oil.

Sale Aromatico
(Tuscan aromatic salt)

INGREDIENTS
Equal amounts of fresh: rosemary, sage, thyme, sea salt, garlic.

METHOD
Chop finely all together. It can be used immediately or dried out and preserved in a jar for several weeks. This salt mix (in addition to chopped black olives) is used for stuffing various meats: pork, turkey, chicken, rabbit, veal, etc.

Arrosto di Maiale con Sale Aromatico
(Roasted pork loin with aromatic salt)

INGREDIENTS
Pork rib roast, garlic, rosemary, sage, sea salt, red onion, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, carrots, celery, white wine

METHOD
Cut pork roast away from the bone. Trim the fat from the roast.
Make the “Sale Aromatico” (see previous recipe). Cut 5 slits into the roast – 1 inch and 2 inches deep, add stuff the sale aromatico into the cuts, and place a sprig of rosemary into each cut also. Tie the roast with string. Place Olive oil into roasting pan and roll roast in the oil. Also put ribs into the pan and cover with oil. Place in the oven at 350 degrees for 75 minutes. In 45 minutes add 1 cup of white wine, place back in the oven. Add vegetables to the pan in the last 15 minutes. Peel carrots and cut into 2-3 inch pieces. Cut celery into 2-3 inch pieces. Quarter red onion.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

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.

Risotto ingredients

The squash cooked with fresh sage

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.

Coating the risotto grains with the oil, before adding any liquid

Adding boiling broth, about a half a cup at a time

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.

Adding the cooked squash, when the risotto is almost done

Sautéing the chard

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.

Squash risotto with pecans, and chard with currants and pecans

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.

Tuscan fennel and radicchio salad

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.

Another recipe from Ari, for all us tomato-lovers. -Jillian

To quote Calvin Trillin, “. . . pappa al pomodoro, (is) the bread-and-tomato soup that is somehow missing from most of the supposedly Tuscan restaurants in America.” He wrote that a number of years ago, but in rereading his quote, I think it still holds true — for some reason this soup rarely shows up on restaurant menus (at least ones that I’ve seen). It is really good, and rereading this bit, I think I’m reminded how good it is. In fact, I’m probably going to go ahead and make some in the next day or so — it’s really that good. In our part of the world there are only about eight weeks a year when it’s worth making and those eight weeks are now!

If you aren’t familiar with Pappa al Pomodoro, it’s a great and exceptionally easy to make Tuscan tomato and bread soup. Like most of the foods I love, it relies on great ingredients — good tomatoes, excellent Tuscan olive oil, fresh garlic, and good bread. Like all good country recipes, there are hundreds of variations, so every book you look in and everyone you talk to is going to give you a slightly different version. But if you’ve never made it, here’s the simple overview:

Chop a couple cloves of fresh garlic and saute in a lot of olive oil slowly ’til it’s soft (you can also add some chopped onion if like. Or the sun-dried organic garlic from the Mahjoubs in Tunisia is great as well — very sweet and very good). Lightly seed four or five good-sized tomatoes and then cut into chunks. (Actually, I recommend roasting the tomatoes to char their skins first, a tip I learned from Judy Rodgers excellent “Zuni Cafe Cookbook” – just roast over an open flame as you would bell peppers, cool slightly then slide off any charred skins.) Add the tomatoes to the oil and garlic for 10 or 15 minutes, enough to cook the tomatoes but not so much that you turn them into a dense paste.

Then cut about the same amount of leftover bread as you did tomatoes (Rustic Italian, Paesano or Farm bread would all work well). Add it to the pot along with a bit of broth or water. Simmer for another fifteen minutes. The soup should be pretty thick, the texture of a hearty bean soup. Add a good dose of chopped fresh basil, some sea salt and black pepper to taste. Turn off the heat, cover the pot and let stand for about ten or fifteen minutes so that the bread absorbs the liquid.

When you’re ready to serve, give the soup a quick stir. Be gentle so that the bread maintains its shape and texture — there should be chunks of bread in the soup, not breadcrumbs. The texture of the soup should sort of resemble a very loose bread pudding almost. Ladle it into warm bowls then pour on a very generous ribbon of full flavored fruity olive oil — the oil is one of the key flavors so the bigger more interesting the oil you choose the better the soup will be. If you want you can make a “cross” on the soup with the oil on each bowl before serving as they do in Tuscany. To my taste, the more oil the better.

Serve with sea salt and pepper and a nice green salad and you’ve got a pretty great meal. -Ari

Ever wondered what the differences are between grits and polenta? Ari did  - please read on for what he found out. -Jillian

—————-

What, you would be right to wonder, is the difference between polenta and grits? Even the most casual observer can tell the two have a lot in common. Both are made from ground dried corn. Both are boiled with water and salt ‘til they become thick porridges. Both take a long time to cook. Both evoke strong memories and big emotional eruptions in people who grew up on them.

1. Grind

In general—and this is a generalization—traditional grits are much more coarsely ground. Polenta is pretty frequently more finely ground. I say traditional grits because the commercial stuff is far more finely done and doesn’t really count as grits for me. Even coarse ground polenta is going to be much finer than medium stone ground grits. “Why?” would be a very logical question to ask, but I don’t really have any good explanation for why Italians would have ended up with a finer grind than Southerners. If you have one, email me and let’s see what we can figure out.

2. Lime or No Lime

There was historically another technical difference in the production of grits and polenta. That is, up until the early years of the 20th century. Until then it seems clear that grits—like most dried corn products in the Americas—were made from dried corn that had been cooked with quick-lime or wood ash, then re-dried and later ground. While polenta was also made from maize, Italians never adopted the North American tradition of first curing the corn. This had some influence on flavor and texture, and a lot of impact on nutrition. So, historically, the two really were different—if related—versions of the same sort of dish. “Corn cousins,” I suppose you could call them.

Much to my dismay, this difference seems to have pretty much passed into history, somewhere along around the 1920s or ’30s. American mills apparently stopped curing the corn for grits, and went straight through from fresh to dry to ground, i.e, grits. I should tell you that this change came as something of a shock to me. Since every book I’ve ever read on the subject says that grits are cured first with the quick lime to make them into hominy, then ground, I confess I was confounded and frustrated when I discovered that this change had taken place and that I hadn’t known about it. It’s my own fault of course. If you believe in anything too much, you’re going to go astray at times. And much as I love books, just because information is in print doesn’t make it right.

3. Perspective

Interestingly, the historical relationships with the people who relied, respectively, on grits and polenta, were pretty much polar opposites. Basically, it’s like this. Corn has been here in the Americas for millennia. African and European immigrants (some arriving by force, others by choice) came later. In Italy, the people were there for ages, the corn came only after Columbus made his now famous trip.

In the Americas, grits were grounded; it was the people who proved transient. Our ancestors came to a continent where corn was often considered a god, and was also the centerpiece of many a meal. It’s we—Americans of non-North American origin, not the corn—that are the aliens, late arrivals who developed their own version of what was already well known to natives.

Polenta, on the other hand, is an American interloper on the scene of Italian cuisine, arriving only in the 17th century, thousands of years after the seeds of good eating had long since sprouted on the boot shaped peninsula. There, the people stayed put and polenta arrived at their doorstep.

4. Cultural Connotations

Most modern Americans really only know polenta from its relatively recent appearance on restaurant menus; few feel all that strongly one way or another. Generally, we either like it, or, at worst, we ignore it. But for many northern Italians, on the other hand, polenta carries an enormous emotional charge. Italians seem to be to have sort of a strange love-hate relationship with polenta in much the same way that the Irish often disdain English influence, yet have clearly adopted all sorts of British routines into their daily lives.

For some, polenta is really the height of good eating. In Paula Wolfert’s Grains and Greens, she quotes a Venetian cab driver, who proudly states: “Polenta is our bread. We cannot imagine a meal without it.” But for others, polenta conjures of images of abject poverty. In A Tuscan Kitchen, chef Pino Luongo writes that, “Tuscany was so poor that bread became the food of the rich and polenta the food of the poor.” Polenta was more drudgery than delight. In Carol Field’s In Nonna’s Kitchen, Lina Vitali, who grew up in the Valtellina, says that poor people: “. . . lived on polenta. They ate polenta boiled with goat’s milk in the morning. They ate polenta with butter and salami, or polenta with a salad of cicoria for their other meal. I lost track of how many ways polenta could be made in Valtellina.” Polenta is so much a part of Italian culture that it even serves as food for prejudicial humor. Southerners (who eat pasta not polenta) refer to Northerners as “polentoni,” literally, “ big polentas,” the Italian equivalent of country bumpkins.

Grits, in contrast, seem to cross class and cultural lines. Southern grits stories focus on family, not on extreme poverty they way Italian accounts of polenta do. Regardless of race, religion or economic origin, almost everyone reminisces about them. John Taylor, one of Carolina’s premier cooks and culinary historians: “Rich people here always ate grits. If you look at plantation journals and big fancy dinners in 1820 their fancy meals were mimicking European court food. But I can guarantee you there was a pot of grits in the kitchen.”

So what’s the difference now?

Ironically, in our own times, polenta has been picked up as a darling of good eating, while grits still get relatively little attention. Polenta, in modern day America, is perceived as a sign of cachet, not poverty. To my point of view, if you’re not self-conscious about your cooking, go with grits. If you want to impress someone, make a pot of polenta. Either way, enjoy! – Ari

I had a hankering for ribs, and since I don’t make them often I wanted a straightforward recipe to follow – this one from Food and Wine magazine fit the bill. Easy, delicious, and a fine use of good Balsamic vinegar. The full recipe is below.

First, I put together the spice mix, and then rubbed it on the meat. I had a 4-pound rack of ribs, but I still made the full amount of the spice mix for a 6-pound rack.

Spice mix for the rub.

Rubbing the spices on the ribs.

I let the meat sit for 2 hours and absorb the flavors, preheated the oven, and cooked it at 325 for about 2-1/2 hours, until tender. Then I brushed it with some good balsamic vinegar, and broiled for just a couple minutes, which added a lovely carmelized color to it.

Marinating the meat.

Finished cooking, with the balsamic glaze.

These looked so good it was hard to let them sit for 5 more minutes! Served with some butternut squash. Delicious. Recipe follows.

Dinner! Worth the wait.

Tuscan-Style Spareribs with Balsamic Glaze
(Adapted from Food and Wine magazine)

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, chopped
1-1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1-1/2 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped (I only had dried)
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 pounds pork spare ribs (I used a 4-pound rack)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, preferably aged at least 5 years

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil with the spices. Rub the spice paste all over the spareribs and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 325. Arrange the ribs on a large rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, meaty side up. Roast the ribs for 2 hours, or until tender. (Mine took about 2-1/2 hours.)

3. Preheat the broiler. Brush the meaty side of the ribs with the balsamic vinegar and broil 6 inches from the heat until browned, 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Then cut between the ribs and serve.

I made an easy Italian appetizer the other night while I was cooking dinner. Last summer I had so many Roma tomatoes in my garden that I cut in half and slow-baked a bunch of them until most of the water had evaporated, and then froze them in olive oil in small batches. I defrosted a batch, and put them on Italian Glutino (gluten-free) crackers. I had some Italian extra virgin olive oil and a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese on hand from Zingerman’s Deli, so I added a bit of each, then sprinkled the crackers with sea salt and fresh Italian parsley that I was chopping for my dinner dish, and ground a little pepper over. An instant tasty part of our aperitivo hour.

Sundried tomatoes on crackers with trimmings

Negroni and ingredients

Before dinner the other night, I had a hankering for a classic Italian aperitivo – the Negroni. One part Campari, one part sweet vermouth, and one part gin. With a 1-inch curl of orange (or in this case tangerine) peel. A combination of sweet and bitter flavors, and quite a nice way to start the evening. -Jillian

Florentine soup and gluten-free biscuits

Years ago my mom and I spent the days leading up to New Year’s Eve in Florence, and on a chilly, rainy night we warmed ourselves at a small restaurant with a Florentine soup that was full of spinach and rice and rich with beans, eggs, and parmesan. I still love that combination together with the bright flavor from the fresh lemon juice whisked in at the end, and make this often. I think I got this version of the recipe from the New York Times. The gluten-free biscuits are from a recipe I found on the web; they are quite tasty and satisfying with the soup.
-Jillian

Florentine Soup

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 10oz package frozen spinach
- 1 cup canned cannellini beans (I often use 2 cans)
- 2 cans chicken broth (I use one 32 oz box, or homemade if I have it)
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dill
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 egg yolks
- juice of 1 medium lemon (2 Tablespoons)
- 1 cup cooked rice
- grated parmesan cheese

METHOD:

Cook spinach as directed on package, do not drain. Puree cannellini beans with broth. In a large pot add broth/bean mixture, spices, spinach. Bring to boil and simmer 30 minutes. Beat egg yolks with lemon juice and add slowly to the simmering soup, stirring constantly. Do not boil. Add rice. Serve with grated parmesan cheese sprinkled on top
Servings: 4

I was in the mood for some good Italian winter comfort food that still was on the light side, and settled on the northern Italian specialty called Spaghetti al Limone (spaghetti in a lemon-cream sauce). It was super-easy, with a rich, smooth lemony flavor. And for a side dish I made crispy kale.

To make the crispy kale, I used “curly” kale, washed and dried it, and tore it up into bite-sized pieces. I tossed it in a big bowl with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a couple teaspoons of sea salt, until it was very well coated with the oil. (You can use all kinds of different spices, this time I was going for simple.) Then I spread it in a single layer on a cookie sheet, and baked it in a preheated oven at 350 degrees, watching it very carefully – I’ve found it generally only needs about 10 minutes. You want it to get crisp, not soggy, but you don’t want it to turn brown. When it’s perfect, it’s amazingly light and crispy and very fun to eat. I made this while the pasta water was heating up and while the noodles were cooking.

Crispy kale!

Ingredients for the Spaghetti al Limone.

To make the Spaghelli al Limone (recipe courtesy of a cooking magazine plus a few little variations of my own):
1 pound of spaghetti (I use gluten-free, generally Tinkyada brand)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 Tablespoons minced shallot
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves – I didn’t have any, but I did have some “basil in a tube”, it worked fine but I used less of it, maybe 1-1/2 tablespoons

Boil the pasta water, add 1 tablespoon of salt and pasta, cook til al dente. Keep a couple cups of the pasta water in a bowl or large measuring cup and drain the rest, and leave the pasta in a colander. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same pot over medium heat, add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cook a couple minutes, until softened. Whisk 1-1/2 cups of reserved pasta water and the 1/4 cup cream into the pot, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes.

Whisking the pasta water with the cream.

Adding the spaghetti into the sauce.

Remove the pot from the heat, put the pasta in the pot, and stir until it’s well coated. Stir in the 3 tablespoons olive oil that are left, the lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover and let the pasta stand for 2 minutes, but stir it every 30 seconds or so so it doesn’t clump, and add 1/4 cup more pasta water if needed if it seems too thick. Then stir in the basil, season with more salt and pepper, and serve with more cheese.

Mm, pasta...

It was an excellent dinner, paired with a crisp Italian white wine.