Archive for the ‘what’s cooking wednesday’ Category
Panino Con La Mortadella Fritta
Sounds fancy, eh? OK, then let’s stick with that instead of calling this week’s What’s Cooking Wednesday what it really is: a fried bologna sandwich. With senape!
Have you ever had un panino con la mortadella fritta? Even if you don’t normally like bologna, I highly recommend finding the best sliced mortadella you can, tearing it up into smaller pieces, frying it in a pan (no oil, just a hot pan), and then slapping it on a fresh Italian roll. Oh, and add mustard.
My grandmother used to make these whenever we wanted a substantial snack but didn’t know what else to eat. P had never had one of these babies before I came along — and yes, he turned up his nose at first. But then the smell of frying mortadella got to him. He rarely has a “raw” mortadella panino now.
And even though you have to turn the stove on, frying doesn’t take very long so this ends up being a super easy summer treat around here.
Oh, and while we’re talking sandwiches/panini, be sure to check out Sara’s (Ms Adventures in Italy) explanation of the difference between a panino in Italiano and a panino in America at Panini Happy. Great stuff!
Buon appetito!
Insalata di Fagiolini: Calabrian Green Bean Salad
We’re eating lots of fagiolini (green beans) now as they’re in season. The other day on the Bleeding Espresso Facebook page, I re-shared the link to my recipe for Green Beans, Pancetta, and Potatoes — one of my absolute favorites — and remember I also posted a similar recipe with tomato sauce and pork.
But you know what I haven’t told you about yet? A delicious, traditional Calabrian recipe for a green bean salad that I never had until I came here. P introduced me to it several years ago, and we eat it often throughout the summer — and I love it more every time I have it.
Note that the traditional Calabrian green bean salad doesn’t include an egg like in the photo below, but if I’m having this for lunch (as opposed to as a side dish), I’ll add an egg for some protein. Notice, incidentally, the yolk color of this egg (from a neighbor) as opposed to ours. Just sayin’.
Insalata di Fagiolini
- 1/2 kilo of green beans
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or to taste)
- 4 cloves of garlic, cut in half
- Salt to taste
1. Prepare beans by washing and snapping off the stem ends.
2. Parboil beans in salted water for 5-10 minutes until they are no longer crunchy; Calabrians don’t like much crunch in their veggies, but you might, so feel free to adjust for your taste.
3. Strain and let cool.
4. In the meantime, mix together olive oil, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
5. When the beans are cool, toss them with the dressing (minus the garlic) and let sit for at least 10 minutes so the beans soak up all that goodness.
6. Adjust for seasoning and serve.
Buon appetito!
P.S. Note that you can also freeze parboiled green beans, so if you find yourself with lots of fresh beans and you’re not sure what to do, just clean them, parboil, and freeze and decide later!
What’s Cooking Wednesday: Pasta with Peas
As you know, we’ve had gorgeous peas from the garden around here lately. One day, we wanted to eat peas but also something a bit more substantial, so P said, “Well can you just put some pasta in with the peas?”
Of course, amore mio, and I came up with this — now one of our favorite meals, especially for lunch in warm weather. It’s so very simple and delicious, and even great cold as a salad IMHO. Feel free to add whatever you like, including pancetta. Yum.
Pasta e Piselli
(Pasta with Peas)
(serves 2)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 250 grams of shelled (or frozen) peas — canned wouldn’t be great in this
- 1/4 cup water
- 250 grams of short or even soup pasta like lumachine (similar to elbow macaroni in the US)
- Salt
- Freshly grated parmigiano
1. In a medium pan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add peas and water to pan, and let cook until tender (depends on peas, but can take anywhere from ten minutes and up), adding salt to taste along the way.
3. When the peas are nearing done, put on water for pasta and when it comes to a boil, add salt and prepare pasta.
4. Strain pasta and add to pan with peas and toss together well.
5. Add a drizzle of fresh olive oil and top with lots of freshly grated parmigiano.
Buon appetito!
Cavolfiori al Forno – Baked Cauliflower
Are you on the edge of your seats wondering who will win a copy of Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice? Well you’ll have to wait just a wee bit longer . . . you can enter the drawing until Thursday, May 20th at 11:59 p.m. CET and then I’ll announce the winner on the Bleeding Espresso Facebook page and also tweet it via @michellefabio (and contact the winner, of course).
P.S. Remember to also join in the contest over at She Who Blogs, where you can read an interview with me *and* enter to a win a signed copy of Mary Amabile Palmer’s Cucina di Calabria!
For now, I’m going to share my adaptation of another of Maria’s wonderful recipes; last week was the recipe for the best crostini ever and this week we’re playing with cauliflower.
I don’t know about you, but I love cauliflower . . . I just get so *bored* with how to make it. And please don’t tell me to mash it up like potatoes. P will barely eat mashed potatoes as it is; I’m not about to risk losing our twice a year mashed potato splurge because of a cauliflower dish gone wrong. Anyone who has cooked for a picky eater knows where I’m coming from on this, right?
Needless to say, I was excited when I saw Maria’s “Cavolfiori al Forno” recipe for baked cauliflower. Fast, easy, delicious, and pretty darn healthy to boot . . . just like we like it around here!
Cavolfiori al Forno – Baked Cauliflower
from Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice
(as adapted by me)
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- Salt for blanching cauliflower
- 1 clove garlic, cut into two or three pieces*
- 1/4 cup of unseasoned bread crumbs**
- Chopped parsley to taste
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup of freshly grated parmigiano cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Fill a large pot about halfway with water and bring to a boil.
3. Add two tablespoons of salt and cauliflower. Boil for 5 minutes and remove cauliflower with a slotted spoon.
4. While the cauliflower is boiling, prepare a bowl with the garlic and olive oil. Add the cauliflower and mix to cover it, then transfer the cauliflower (leaving the garlic behind) to a baking dish.
5. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parsley, and cheese. Spread evenly over cauliflower and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Bake uncovered for about 8 minutes; remove and move around cauliflower a bit. Bake for another 8 minutes or so, or until golden. Serve warm.
Buon appetito!
* The original recipe calls for minced garlic, but I found this to be a little too garlicky for my taste, so I left the garlic in bigger pieces for us the next time and really enjoyed it. Feel free to experiment.
** I think you could also go seasoned, or alternately, add a little onion and garlic powder (instead of adding the garlic) ala my veal cutlets. I’m going to try this next time.
Best Crostini Recipe Ever + Breaking Bread in L’Aquila
Maria Filice‘s Breaking Bread in L’Aquila is a product of love — love for her late husband Paul Piccone, of his native city L’Aquila in Abruzzo (yes, the same one that was devastated by an earthquake last year), of her own Calabrian heritage (Marie’s parents were born in Cosenza), and of delicious, simply prepared Italian food.
Marie graciously shares this amore with us, and indeed, is donating net proceeds of the book to the continuing relief efforts in Abruzzo and is also appearing in Santo Stefano di Sessanio, Abruzzo this Saturday, May 15, if you’re in the neighborhood!
The layout of this hardcover book is gorgeous with the recipes on the left side and full-color photos on the right — for each and every recipe. And the organization is unique as well: recipes are divided into menus that include antipasti (appetizers), primi piatti (usually pasta), secondi piatti (meat), contorni (vegetables), and dolci (desserts) for each day of the week; if you have a special dinner coming up, you can just open up Maria’s book and have a menu all set. Perfetto!
Many of Maria’s 50 or so recipes are classics like aglio olio peperoncino and bruschetta, but there are also some that were new to both Paolo and me. On my first run through, I made a note of at least five different recipes to try immediately with things we already had in the house.
In case you don’t realize, that’s pretty darn impressive for a southern Italian cookbook in a southern Italian house.
Speaking of items we had on hand, Maria also includes the “Pantry Page” with a checklist of things you should always keep handy. That stocked pantry is one of the most important parts of true Italian cooking, i.e., deciding what’s for dinner based on what you have on hand, and even better, having it on the table within about an hour. *That* is an Italian art form, and Maria has captured its essence wonderfully.
Breaking Bread in L’Aquila would be an excellent addition to any cookbook collection as it is not only full of great recipes, it’s simply a gorgeous book. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll enjoy the photos! And if you need a gift, particularly for someone with an interest in Italian and/or southern Italian cuisine, this is perfect.
I give this cookbook five extremely full espresso cups out of five; I couldn’t recommend it more.
Maria is offering up a copy of Breaking Bread in L’Aquila to one lucky Bleeding Espresso reader. Just comment on this post by May 20, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (CET) to enter.
Now, without further ado, Maria’s recipe for Crostini with my slight adaptations; I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve made these at least once a week since I received Maria’s book (on Paolo’s specific request). We’ve had them as afternoon snacks and as dinner. They are so, so, so good — especially with a nice glass of red wine.
Crostini from Breaking Bread in L’Aquila by Maria Filice
(as adapted by me)
(serves 2)
- 6 slices of Italian bread, about 1/4 inch thick
- 2 small to medium-sized balls of fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 6 anchovy fillets
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- Handful of capers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Oregano and salt to taste
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a small bowl, mix together tomatoes, olive oil, oregano, and salt. Let stand while you arrange the rest.
3. Arrange slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet.
4. Place a slice or two of mozzarella on the bread so that you cover most of it.
5. Put an anchovy fillet on each slice of bread (more if you like anchovies like we do!).
6. Add some capers to each slice (I put three or four on each slice — we like capers too).
7. Cover the slices with the tomato mixture. I’ve found a fork actually works better than a spoon for this; you don’t want a whole lot of liquid making it onto the crostini as it’ll make the bread soggy.
8. Sprinkle with more oregano.
9. Bake in the oven for about 7 or 8 minutes, or until cheese melts.
10. Serve immediately, preferably with a glass of red wine.
Buon appetito!
Don’t forget to comment for your chance to win a copy of this wonderful book!
Michelle Fabio is an American attorney-turned-freelance writer living in her family's ancestral village in Calabria, Italy and savoring simplicity one sip at a time.
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