ROMAN BROTH WITH PARMESAN CHEESE THREADS 2 large eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
7 cups home-made chicken stock
2/3 cup dry white wine
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 green onions,sliced
Beat eggs to blend. Whisk in Parmesan and lemon juice. Bring stock, wine,
nutmeg to boil. Boil rapidly 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately pour
egg mixture over broth. Using fork, slowly stir egg mixture to form short
threads. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with
onions. Serves 4-6.
TUSCAN GRILLED PORK CHOPS
6 large center cut pork chops, 1 inch thick
1 cup apple cider
1/4 cup olive oil
20 juniper berries, crushed
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh fennel, combination bulb and feathery tops
salt and pepper
Place chops in shallow glass dish to hold in a single layer. Pour cider
and olive oil over, and sprinkle with juniper. Mince 1 clove garlic and
sprinkle over meat. Cut remaining garlic clove into 6 slivers and insert a
sliver into the meat, near the bone of each chop. Sprinkle with rosemary
and fennel. Season with salt and pepper. Let marinate several hours or
overnight, turning occasionally. Prepare grill. Bring chops to room
temperature. Grill chops, basting with marinade and turning once, until
cooked, about 25 minutes. Serves 6.
PICKLED FIGS IN RED WINE VINEGAR
1 lb dried figs,hard stems removed
2 cups red wine vinegar
2-3 strips of orange zest
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, combine figs with red wine vinegar and
enough water to cover. Add the orange zest, cover and simmer over low heat
until the figs are very soft, about 2 hours. Let cool in liquid.Transfer
figs and their cooking liquid to a glass jar, cover and store at room
temperature. Since the figs become increasingly vinegary and their liquid
increasingly sweet, use them up within 2 weeks. Makes 2 dozen.
OVEN-CRISPED POTATO FOCACCIA
1/3 cup oil cured black olives, pitted, chopped
3 tbsp grated orange peel
11/4 lb red potatoes,thinly sliced
1 onion, halved, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp dried crushed red pepper
Combine olives, orange peel in bowl. Mix sliced potatoes, onion, chopped
parsley, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, crushed red pepper in large
bowl. Add half the olive oil and toss well. Season with salt and
pepper.(can be prepared 45 minutes ahead. Cover, let stand at room
temperature). Preheat oven 500F. Brush 14 inch pizza pan with olive oil.
Spread potato mixture evenly in the pan. Bake until potatoes are almost
tender, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle remaining olive oil over potatoes.Bake
until potatoes are tender and golden brown-10 minutes more. Cut into
wedges and serve. Serves 6.
AUNT LUCILLA'S LAKE COMO PUDDING
From Mama's Cucina( by Ragu)'s site at:
http://www.eat.com/dessert-guide/dessert-index.html
6 cups thin slices of stale bread
1/2 cup of raisins
6 eggs
1 cup of milk
A little more milk (to soak the bread in)
A pinch of salt
2/3 cup of sugar
2 tsp grated lemon peel (or more to taste)
4 tablespoons cornmeal
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 apples
2 pears
1 cup of seedless red grapes
6 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary ( I used less)
4 tablespoons sugar (I used less)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Soak the raisins in hot water.(you can also soak them in warmed Grappa)
Cover them for 15 minutes, and then drain the water away. Take the stale
bread and trim the crusts, then soak in some milk for 2 or 3 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Blend the eggs, 1 cup of milk, salt sugar,
lemon peel, cornmeal and flour. Peel, core and slice the apples and the
pears. When they're ready, add all the fruit: the apples, the pears, the
red grapes, and the drained raisins.
Spread butter generously into two ten-inch pans. Lay the milk-soaked bread
into it and pour the batter over the bread, making sure fruit is evenly
distributed. Sprinkle it with rosemary and 4 tablespoons of sugar and
drizzle the olive oil over it. Bake for about an hour, or until a knife,
stuck in the middle, comes out clean. Serve the pudding with whipped
cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired. This will serve 10-12 people.
SPINACH SALAD IN BREAD BOWLS
Dough:
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp dry yeast
4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 cup water
6 oven-proof bowls (about 10 oz size)
Place warm water in bowl. Add sugar,stirring to combine. Sprinkle surface
with yeast and let it rest for about 10 minutes or until the mixture
begins to bubble.
Place the flour, olive oil, salt and proofed yeast into the bowl of a food
processor fitted with a metal blade. Pulse 5-6 times to combine
ingredients. Turn the machine on and with motor running, pour in the
remaining 1 cup of water. Process until the dough becomes sticky and leave
the sides of the bowl.
Remove the dough and place in a lightly oiled bowl. If it is sticky, knead
until smooth and elastic. Cover the bowl and place in a warm draft free
area for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Punch down risen dough, turn onto lightly floured surface and cut into 6
equal pieces.
Lightly oil outside of each ovenproof bowl and place them upside down on a
cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 450F.
Roll each piece of dough into a circle about 6 inches in diameter or just
until large enough to fit over the bowls. Shape each circle of dough over
the inverted bowls. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until dough is golden.
Remove bowls and lower heat to 375F.
Carefully lift bread bowls off the bowls and return to the cookie sheet.
Bake for about 10 minutes longer or until the inside of each bread bowl is
no longer damp. Cool and set aside. Makes 6 bowls.
SPINACH SALAD
1/3 cup black raisins
1/4 cup brandy( I used Grappa)
1 tbsp olive oil
10 Shiitake mushrooms,thinly sliced
12 strips Italian pancetta or bacon
2-3 bunches fresh young spinach,washed, with stems, removed
8 small button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced into rings
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
DRESSING
1/3 cup malt vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
Place raisins in brandy and set aside to plump.
Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a fry pan until hot. Add the shiitake mushrooms
and saute for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Remove and set aside. Chop the
pancetta and saute over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. remove and set aside.
Combine the spinach,shiitakes, button mushrooms,onion, pine nuts and
pancetta, tossing to combine. Drain the raisins,reserving the brandy and
add them to the salad.
For the dressing, combine reserved brandy, vinegar, sugar and
Worcestershire. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust the
seasoning with salt and pepper.
Pour dressing over the salad, tossing well. Fill each bread bowl. Garnish
with freshly grated Parmesan. Serves 6.
MIXED GRILLED VEGETABLE MEDLEY
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tbsp white wine
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper
Salt
4 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise 1/2 inch thick
2 Walla-Walla sweet onions, sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 red bell peppers, cored and halved
1 yellow bell pepper cored and halved
1 pound large mushrooms( I used a variety of fresh ones)
1 eggplant, sliced 1/2 inch thick
In a large bowl, mix olive oil with lemon juice, parsley, garlic, white
wine and pepper. Add salt to taste. Dip vegetables in olive