Make-ahead Chocolate Soufflé

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:59:06 -0500

Yes, you can even make this soufflé several days in advance with the same “puffed-up” result!

Serves 8

butter for ramekins
sugar for dusting ramekins
10 oz. dark chocolate (60-70%) chopped into pieces
6 egg yolks
1 t vanilla
8 egg whites at room temperature
pinch of salt
2/3 C sugar

Butter the insides of 8 1C ramekins , then sprinkle with sugar.

Put chocolate in microwave and cook until just melted. Allow to cool slightly before whisking in the yolks and vanilla.

Beat whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks. Add sugar, 1 T at a time, and continue beating on high until the whites hold stiff peaks. Lighten the chocolate mixture with 1/3 of the white mixture. Carefully fold the rest of the egg whites into the chocolate, taking care not to deflate the whites too much.

Spoon into prepared ramekins and run your finger around the edge (to facilitate rising).

Freeze for 3 hours and up to 4 days ahead.

Before baking pre-heat oven to 400°. Bake in the lowest part of the oven for approximately 18-20 minutes until puffed up. Don’t open the oven door as they are cooking because the vibration and air may cause the soufflés to fall.

Buon appetito!

Duck Breast in Agrodolce Sauce

Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:12:34 -0400

Variations of agrodolce sauce can be found from tip of Sicily to the Alpine regions in the north. This versions is distinctly northern Italian and is quick and easy enough for a weeknight yet and elegant enough for company! The sauce also marries well with chicken, pork or veal scaloppine.

3 shallots chopped in half moons
3T olive oil
one large pinch salt
1t sugar
1/4 C balsamic vinegar
1/4 C pomegranate juice
2 duck breasts (or scaloppine)
1/4 C pomegranate seeds
sprinkling chopped parsley for garnish

In a small pot cook the shallots in oil with the salt and sugar over medium low heat until they begin to caramelize. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for approximately 4 minutes. Add juice and continue cooking for 4 more minutes. Taste for seasoning. It should have an assertive acidic taste but not be too overpowering.

Meanwhile, cook the duck breast for about 13- 15 minutes on the fat side over low heat and then approximately 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. Allow to rest for 5 minutes then slice the duck and pour the agrodolce sauce over the top. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Variation: If using scaloppine only cook for about 3 minutes on the first side and 1 minute on the second. To serve, pour the sauce over the whole scaloppine.

Pesto alla Trapanese- Sicilian Tomato Pesto

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:24:47 -0400

This pesto comes from Trapani, on the western coast of Sicily. While there are many wonderful versions hailing from its namesake, I prefer this enlightened version with shrimp that I tasted while in Catania (on Sicily’s eastern coast). This is my version and it’s great as an antipasto with bread or as a primo, served with pasta.

1 16oz. box of very ripe grape tomatoes + 12 more
1/3 C blanched, peeled almonds, toasted lightly in a dry sauté pan for a couple minutes
1/2 C basil leaves
2 small cloves of garlic, smashed
pinch of peperoncino
1/2 C olive oil plus 2 T
salt
1 lb. fresh wild caught shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into halves or thirds, depending on their size
1 lb. pasta (spaghetti, gemelli or what the Trapanese use, busiate)

Place tomatoes in a blender, reserving approximately 12 to use later. Add almonds, basil, 1 clove of garlic, peperoncino and salt; process pulsing until roughly chopped. It might be necessary to scrape down the sides of the blender from time to time. WIth the machine running drizzle in the olive oil until thickened and smooth.

Place 2 T olive oil in a sauté pan with the smashed clove of garlic and brown to light golden over low heat. Add whole tomatoes and discard garlic. Add about 3/4C of the prepared tomato pesto to the sauté pan and add shrimp. Cook over medium low heat until shrimp are just cooked through (have turned opaque and are not translucent), just a couple of minutes.

If serving with pasta, add pasta cooked just short of al dente to the sauté pan with sauce and toss through. Add a little of the pasta cooking water and let the pasta simmer in the sauce for 1-2 minutes.

Make it Vegetarian: Omit the shrimp and add a toss of grated parmigiano-reggiano.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:13:16 -0400

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is one of the most popular dishes in Rome. It is said that the coal-maker's wife invented it. There are very few ingredients so it's important to use the very best ones you can find. I make all kinds of variations on this and you can make it vegetarian too!

3/4 pound Spaghetti
1 egg
1 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano (grated with a micorplane grater)
1 slice of pancetta, 1/3” thick
salt
freshly ground pepper
pasta cooking liquid
4 egg yolks from fresh farm eggs (optional)

Start cooking pasta in boiling salted water. When you first add the pasta to the pot give it a little stir. Meanwhile, cut pancetta into pieces that are 1/3” x 1/3” x 3/4”. This need not be exact, but small bite-sized pieces. Cook until browned and turn off heat. Put grated cheese in a large bowl (preferably metal, a good conductor of heat). Add whole egg, a pinch of salt and several gratings of pepper.

When pasta is approaching al dente, remove 1/4C pasta cooking water. Drain pasta when it is just done and immediately add to the cheese mixture along with the pancetta. Give it a toss and add a couple tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid if it looks too dry. (This varies depending on how much water clings to the spaghetti when it is drained.) Garnish with a little extra pepper if desired.

Optional WOW Tip- When I am able to get to the Morningside Farmers’ Market, I always stand in the long line at Woodland Gardens (in the middle of the market) to get some of the best eggs in town. The yolks have a deep rich color and flavor. Farm eggs are also sold at the Peachtree Road Farmers’ Market, but Woodland’s are my favorite. It adds tons of drama to your dish to serve it with the yolk of a farm egg on top. Move quickly- the pasta should still be hot enough to warm the egg yolk and slightly cook it. (Not recommended for eggs you’ve been storing in the frigo for the last month!) Carefully, place the yolk on top of the pasta after plating and let it ooze into the pasta. Even with out the extra yolk this dish is a real treat.

Variation- Use 3 slices of prosciutto instead of the pancetta. Toast the slice in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes then crumple over the finished pasta. Even use a combo of both!

Serves 4.

Buon appetito!

Bucatini Fratau- Sardinian Style Bucatini

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 19:33:39 -0400

Pane Fratau is a popular dish from the mountains of Sardegna. It’s made with a paper thin bread which is nick-named carta di musica or music paper due to its thinness. Good quality music paper bread is hard to find in the USA and the packaged kind often tastes stale, so I created a pasta based on the same concept.

The oozing egg yolk marries with the tomato sauce, giving those bites an extra decadent mouth-feel. Best of all, it utilizes ingredients I always have on hand, making it perfect for those nights when I don’t have time to go to the store!

3T olive oil
1 28 oz. can San Marzano Tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, smashed
salt
1 lb.bucatini or perciatelli (these shapes, a large spaghetti with a hole going down the middle, have a really firm, chewy bite, but spaghetti will be fine as well)
4 eggs (feel free to add an extra egg to each serving, if desired)
1T white wine vinegar
Grated Pecorino Sardo (softer and not as pungent as Romano)
a few tablespoons of finely chopped parsley

Make tomato sauce- heat oil in pan with garlic over low heat. When lightly browned discard and add tomatoes and slightly crush with your hands (Italian grandmother style). Add salt and cook until thickened about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta to just short of al dente. Drain and add to tomato sauce to marry together. Add some pasta cooking liquid if necessary.

To poach eggs, add eggs one at a time to simmering water seasoned with salt and some vinegar which helps stabilize the egg whites. After three minutes the whites should be set and the yolks still runny. Remove them individually and allow to drain.

Plate by making a nest with the long strands of pasta in a twisting motion and top each nest with an egg, a drizzle of olive oil, parsley and a few gratings of pecorino sardo.

Serves 4. Buon Appetito!

Spaghetti with Cod, Peas and Mint

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:14:40 -0400

Trying to add more heart-healthy fish into your diet with some creativity? Try cooking it with peas and mint! It can be made with or without the pasta, depending on whether you're cutting back on carbs or glutens. Cooking the veggies and protein in the same pan really marries the flavors and makes for less clean-up. It's a one dish wonder!

3T olive oil
1 small leek, washed and cut into small half moons
salt
1/2 lb. spaghetti
1C frozen peas (preferably Columbia River Organics available at Whole Foods)
zest and juice of half a lemon
12 oz. cod, halibut, grouper, flounder (any firm, mild white fish) cut into 1” chunks
1/4 C fresh mint chopped
 Read the Pasta Tips article before beginning to cook!  Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil add spaghetti, stirring from time to time.   Meanwhile, heat the olive oil and leek in a skillet. Sprinkle generously with salt and cook until wilted and soft. Add peas, lemon and zest; let cook two minutes before adding fish. This will only take a couple minutes to cook so if the pasta is not ready, it might be necessary to turn off the heat.  Remove spaghetti from pot when it is just shy of al dente and add it directly into the pan with the peas and fish. Add 2-4 tablespoons of pasta cooking water and cook until the water has absorbed and the pasta has married to the sauce (about 1-2 minutes). Turn off heat and toss half the mint through the spaghetti. Divide the pasta between two plates and sprinkle with additional mint and a drizzle of olive oil.  Low-Carb/Gluten-Free Variation- Cut 12-16 ounces of fish into two pieces and omit the pasta. The fish will take longer to cook since it will be whole, but take no more than 4-5 minutes per side.  Buon appetito!

Sformato di Finocchio- Fennel Custard Side Dish

Mon, 17 May 2010 13:16:23 -0400

Due to their shape, sformati make elegant side dishes. This one made with fennel is especially good with duck or lamb.

2-3 T butter for ramekins
panko for dusting inside of ramekins
2 fennel bulbs, tough outer leaves and core removed and cut into wedges, fronds reserved
4-5 C whole milk
salt
1/2 t ground fennel powder •see note
1 egg
2 egg yolk
3/4 C parmigiano
1/4t additional fennel powder

Butter 8 1/3 cup ramekins and dust with panko.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place fennel in a large pot and add enough milk to cover. Add a very large pinch of salt and and cook approximately 30 minutes until very tender. Allow to cool. Drain fennel and puree with egg, yolks, parmigiano, a pinch of salt and fennel powder. Puree in food processor until smooth.

Make ahead: Can be made ahead to this point one day in advance. Bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Pour into prepared ramekins and cook in a bagnomaria (hot water bath) for approximately 50 minutes, until set and a knife comes out clean when tested. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in water. To serve run a knife carefully around the edge of each ramekin to release. Invert onto platter or individual plate. Garnish with reserved fronds.

Buon appetito!

Bistecca alla Fiorentina - The Best Steak Ever!

Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:51:33 -0400

I love this steak with a Rosso di Montalcino or a Brunello, if it is a splurge night. This is traditionally made with a flavorful beautiful white cow from Tuscany called the Chanina. The Toscani (people from Tuscany) like their meat rare and I like it that way too!

2 strip steaks (I like grass fed beef, but bison works well too), porterhouse also works well and is what the Toscani use
kosher salt

Sauce:
1 shallot finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lemon
4-5 T flavorful olive oil (preferably from Toscana)
pinch of sea salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Let steaks warm up approximately 30 minutes before cooking to encourage even cooking. Heat gas grill to fairly hot (my grill would be about 75% of the dial). Liberally coat each side of the meat with kosher salt and place on grill. Cook approximately 5 minutes per side. (internal temperature of 125° for medium rare).

Meanwhile whisk sauce ingredients together and adjust proportions to taste.

When steak is done, remove and let rest about 15 mintues before slicing. Dress each plate with the sauce or pass it along the side.

Serves 2, very generously

Note: the sauce can double as your salad dressing for arugula...just make a double recipe.

Buon appetito!

Fish in Clam Broth- Pesce in Brodo di Vongole

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 13:48:31 -0400

Monkfish goes by the well-deserved nickname of “poor man’s lobster” due to its firm meaty texture. It’s great served in a braised saucy dish like this one.

3 T olive oil plus more for finishing
1/2 fennel bulb cut into thin slices, fronds reserved
salt
1 lb monkfish or other firm fish such as grouper, cod, or halibut
10 littleneck clams rinsed and scrubbed clean of grit
2/3 C dry white wine
12 grape tomatoes, halved
2 pieces of bruschetta (toasted bread rubbed with garlic)

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan with a lid over medium heat. Add fennel and sprinkle with a small pinch of salt. Allow to brown and become soft about 5-8 minutes. Cut the fish into chunks if using monkfish, grouper or cod. Leave in two whole pieces if using halibut. Sprinkle fish with a small pinch of salt. Use less salt than usual because the clams will add salinity to the dish. Place in pan with the fennel add the clams and wine. Cover and let cook together until the clams steam open adding tomatoes after the first clam opens. When the clams are open uncover and cook a couple more minutes until fish is cooked through.

Serve in shallow bowls with pieces of bruschetta. Garnish with fennel fronds and drizzle with olive oil.

Serves 2.

Buon appetito!

Duck Breast in Cherry Port Sauce

Mon, 8 Mar 2010 09:48:18 -0500

2- 6 oz duck breasts
salt
2 t grapeseed oil
1 large shallot, cut into half moon thin slices
1/4 C dried sour cherries, rehydrated in 1/2 C Ruby Port (about 15 minutes)
4 shiitake mushrooms caps only thinly sliced
1/4 C veal stock (or chicken)

Generously salt both sides of duck breast. Lightly oil a saute pan and cook duck, fat side down, over medium low low heat for about 10 minutes. It should be browed and crusty on the fat side. Flip and cook 3 more minutes on the other side. Remove duck and place on cutting board to let rest. Meanwhile, pour out all but a couple of tablespoons of the rendered duck fat from the pan. Add shallots and shiitake and cook over medium high heat until wilted, only about 2 minutes. Add cherries and port . Cook down a few minutes at high heat and add stock. Let reduce to the thickness of heavy cream. Slice the duck breast. Pour the sauce onto plate and place duck breast on top.

This is excellent served with Celery Root Puree.

Buon Appetito!

Serves 2.

Bruschetta ai Ceci - Chick Pea Bruschetta

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:41:36 -0500

Chick pea bruschetta is something you can easily whip up with ingredients from your pantry. The kick from the balsamic vinegar is an unexpected surprise. I love this so much, I sometimes make it dinner!

5 slices ciabatta bread toasted
1 clove garlic halved
1 19 oz can chick peas, rinsed and drained
1/4 C excellent quality olive oil
3/4 to 1T balsamic vinegar
1T rosemary leaves, chopped finely
1t salt
extra oil for drizzling
Optional: grape tomatoes quartered

Rub each piece of toasted ciabatta with garlic half just like when making regular bruschetta or bruschetta al pomodoro.

Place the chick peas in a large bowl. Add oil, vinegar, rosemary and salt. Begin mashing them with a potato masher or hand blender The key is to mash the chick peas to a course texture (it’s not hummus!), some will remain halved and even whole. The texture adds to the bruschetta’s appeal. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary, depending on how strong your vinegar is or how salty your salt is. Top each piece of bread with some of the chick pea mixture and if desired garnish with a few quartered grape tomatoes. Drizzle with your best olive oil.

Buon appetito!

Risotto ai Asparagi- Asparagus Risotto with Taleggio

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:12:02 -0500

The Taleggio cheese from northern Italy really kicks things up a couple knotches!

3-4 T olive oil 3 shallots 2 cups arborio rice  1 cup dry white wine
salt to taste
tiny grating of pepper
1 can low sodium chicken broth
1 can water
10 asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces 3/4 cup freshly grated Taleggio (freezing for 30 minutes will help grating this soft cheese)

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over low heat. Add shallots; sauté until opaque. Add rice and kick up to medium; sauté a few minutes. Add wine enough to cover rice and salt generously; simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Add broth one or two ladles at a time. Cook stirring from time to time and adding broth when the previous addition evaporates. About 10 minutes into the cooking add asparagus. If the asparagus is the really skinny kind, wait until it has been cooking at least 15 minutes or the rice is nearly done to add it. The skinny asparagus will cook immediately. The rice will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes. When the rice looks creamy and has lost that hard center it is ready. You want it “al dente” or to have a bite in the middle- don’t over-cook it! Tasting is the only way to really know! Adjust salt if necessary, but remember that the cheese will make it taste more salty as well. Turn off heat and whip in the cheese.

Buon Appetito!

Sauteed Swiss Chard- Bietola in Padella

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:50:57 -0500

This same technique can be used to cook any leafy green (spinach, escarole, rapini...)

1 clove garlic, smashed with side of a knife
1 bunch of swiss chard (red, white or rainbow)
olive oil
salt

Prep the washed swiss chard by folding in half length-wise and cutting a long narrow v along the stem (the purpose being to cut the center stalk away from the leaf part). Chop the stem into 1 inch pieces, discarding the toughest pieces at the end. Roughly chop the green leaves.

Heat the garlic in a few tablespoons of oil over medium low heat in a saute pan that has a cover. Once it has turned golden light brown remove it and discard. Meanwhile, add the stems to the pan and saute them until they are slightly softened. Once the garlic has been removed, add the green leaves. It is important that some of the water from their rinse still remain on the leaves. If they are fairly dry, give them a quick rinse before adding to the pan. This enables the chard to steam in the pan. Give it a sprinkling of salt, mix with tongs and cover. Peek at it every few minutes and toss so that it will cook evenly. It will take approximately 10-15 minutes.

Note: if you like to spice things up, add a pinch of peperoncino (red pepper flakes).

Buon appetito!

Basic Sauce Besciamella - Besamel Sauce

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 16:59:44 -0500

This is a basic sauce that goes into quite a few dishes so you need a recipe for it. It sounds like a complex French sauce, but actually it’s quite simple to make. I use it in lasagne bolognese, miscellaneous baked pasta dishes and inside some ravioli (like lobster). Feel free to double the recipe!

4T butter
1/3 C flour
1C milk, whisking
salt
couple gratings of whole fresh nutmeg

Heat butter in a medium sauce pan until melted. Slowly whisk in flour. Add milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk thoroughly. Stir every so often while you wait for it to return to a boil. When it returns to a low boil, whisk constantly until thickened. Add a couple gratings of nutmeg.

Note: Most recipes call for heating the milk before adding it to the butter/flour mixture. I don’t find that this is really necessary, although it will take slightly less time to come to a boil if the milk is heated. I just like to have one less pot to clean!

Buon appetito!

Spaghetti alla Carbonara Finta- Vegetarian Carbonara (Coal-maker’s wife’s pasta)

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 16:52:01 -0500

This pasta is a vegetarian adaptation of the famous Spaghetti alla Carbonara from Rome, which is made from either pancetta (cured pork belly) or guanciale (cured pork cheeks). Onions stand in for the pork and are remarkably quite similar in texture! That’s the finta, which means fake in a joking sense.

3/4 pound Spaghetti
1/2 small red onion sliced 1/4” thick and 1/2” long pieces
a couple pinches of salt
1 egg
2 C grated Parmigiano Reggiano (grated with a Microplane grater)
freshly ground pepper
pasta cooking liquid

Start cooking pasta in boiling salted water. When you first add the pasta to the pot give it a little stir to ensure it doesn’t stick. Meanwhile, cook the onion over medium low heat sprinkled with a pinch of salt until translucent. Turn off heat. Put grated cheese in a large bowl (preferably metal, a good conductor of heat). Add whole egg, a pinch of salt and several gratings of pepper.

When pasta is approaching al dente, remove 1/4C pasta cooking water. Drain pasta when it is just done and immediately add to the cheese mixture along with the onion. Give it a toss and add a couple tablespoons of the reserved cooking liquid if it looks too dry. (This varies depending on how much water clings to the spaghetti when it’s drained.) Garnish with a little extra pepper if desired.

Variation- If you like prosciutto, toast a couple slices in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes then crumple it over over the finished pasta. This a great compromise for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike!

Serves 4.

Buon appetito!