Notes from an Italian Summer

If you've been checking in throughout the past few weeks,
you'll have already noticed my culinary obsession with italy and summer.
I often reflect on my adventures in that wonderful place, and food
(and its preparation) offers the most visceral re-connection. I offer to
the jury Phaidon's latest bookshelf marvel, Recipes from an Italian Summer,
as a potent device for rendering oneself defenseless against severe bouts of
longing for the motherland, and its delectable bounty.

You may even give in and try something completely new, such as my foray
into the delicate zucchini blossom. After many requests, I have posted my
newly vaunted recipe below.

Natalie & Lisa's ricotta-stuffed Zucchini Flowers
(Fiori di Zucca Ripieni)

what you will need:
13 - 18 cleaned zucchini flowers
3 lg eggs
1 cup fresh ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmesan
wondra/flour
fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil, parsley
cooking oil, such as canola or peanut
s&p



Step 1: assemble the filling -- in a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, herbs, and egg, making sure to evenly distribute the egg. add salt & pepper to taste.

(in the meantime, make sure to gingerly remove the stamens (i.e. male sexyparts)
from your zucchini flowers -- you don't want to bite into that.)

Step II: Stuffing and breading -- with a small spoon or pastry bag, fill each flower
with a dollop of filling, making sure not to add so much that the flower won't be
able to close. With your fingers, "close" and twist shut the petals of each flower.
Break the remaining eggs into a shallow bowl and whisk with a few tablespoons of
water to create an egg wash. Pour an ample amount of flour into an identical bowl, and season with salt&pepper to your liking.


Step III: Sizzle in a frying pan
Now the dance begins -- you are ready to coat the flowers in a layer of egg and flour, and
then into the frying pan. Fill a deep skillet with about 1 cup of oil, and place on high heat until the oil gets smoky.

Once you have coated the blossoms in egg and flour, fry them in the skillet no more
than 3 at a time on 1 minute per side.

Remove blossoms when thoroughly browned and
place onto a tray lined with paper towels.

each batch serves 6-8 people as antipasto (made only for the ones you love)
pairs well with an heirloom tomato panzanella

buon appetito!

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Taste of Summer, pt. II

The fig makes its fashionable debut on tabletops in Italy and throughout the Mediterranean
in the warm, balmy summer months. Italians prepare them several ways, as a condiment
for meat dishes such as wild game hens, or as the opening acts -- decadent antipasti grilled or served raw with salty prosciutto. My take on the fig is below; an easy recipe perfect for large parties that combines distinctly regional flavors with seasonal ingredients.


Fichi con Ricotta dolcificata con miele (Figs with Honeyed Ricotta)

8 - 10 figs, sliced in half, lengthwise
1/3 - 1/2 cup ricotta fresca (preferably ricotta di bufala, if you can find it)
2 generous tspns honey
a good aged balsamic vinegar

On a cutting board or disposable tray, coat each fig with a drop of balsamic vinegar. Transfer
coated figs to platter. In a small mixing bowl, whip the ricotta with a spoon to lighten
the texture, gradually incorporating the honey until fully integrated and airy.
With a spoon or melon baller, "shape" ricotta into little gobs and spoon on top of
each individual fig. Make sure to only coat the center of the fig.

serves 4 - 6

buon appetito!

figs with honeyed ricotta, assorted olives, and greek style gigante beans

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Taste of Summer, pt. I

Fresh vegetables, ingredients, and seafood combine in this stress-free recipe in two acts that emphasizes bold flavors and involves almost no cooking.

Tonno alla Siciliana (Tuna steaks Sicilian-style)

ingredients:

2 ahi or sashimi grade tuna steaks (approx. 2 lbs.)
4-6 good summer tomatos (jersey tomatos suggested)
1/2 cup pitted and roughly chopped kalamata olives
2-4 sprigs fresh mint
a small handful of parsley
one lemon
good italian olive oil
pepperoncino (chili flakes), salt & pepper

Act I - make the salsa cruda:

roughly chop tomatos into nice large cubes and layer into medium glass bowl w/juice
(N.B. the goal with this dish is not perfection, but rather il sapore del paese, a taste of the country. all chopped ingredients should be large enough to see and identify with the naked eye.) Lightly salt the tomatoes and let weep in the bowl.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the parsley and mint until the herb mix is unified (most of my
instructions for this dish include the word "roughly" - keep in mind, this is
an expressive dish). After a sufficient amount of liquid has accrued in the bottom of the bowl,
add the herb mix and the kalamatas and mix together gently.

Add the juice of half the lemon to the tomato-kalamata mixture and stir.
set other lemon half aside (quartered, it will serve as a table accoutrement). Next, add
a generous amount of olive oil (2-3 tblspns), and pepperoncino.

Set salsa cruda aside and let ingredients macerate for at least half an hour.

Act II - Searing the tuna

coat tuna steaks on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Brush a light layer of olive oil on both sides.

on high heat, heat a medium skillet (no extra oil required).
When the skillet is hot, add the tuna, one steak at a time (you should hear a nice sizzle). Depending on the thickness of the fish, searing each side should take less than 2 minutes per side, but keep an eye on the fish.

Finally, plate seared tuna steaks and add a generous amount of
the salsa cruda on top of the fish.

serves 2

pairs well with Sicilian white wines, such as the Inzolia variety

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Recipes for Life: How to Welcome Change (in any language)

I had a lot of fun and a pang of nostalgia while composing

an article for a good friend's culinary blog.

The article roughly chronicles my experience studying and living in Sicily,

and also contains a delicious recipe for homemade aranciata.

Its title: "How to Welcome Change (in any language)".

Make sure to meander and look at the other ingenious recipes on the site,

including homemade oreos, fresh beef stock, olive oil cake

and zucchini blossoms prepared three ways.

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Saying goodbye to summer, pt. II

Thank you, Anna, for these wonderful photos,

and Kelly, for your presence (be careful on that bike).

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Cucina Aperta: frittata con i pomodori verdi

Un'estate dei pomodori

Qualche persona ricorderà l'estate del 2009 come "l'estate della morte," in riferimento alle grandi lotte di MJ, Ted Kennedy, Merce Cunningham, Patrick Swayze, ecc. ecc. Dalla mia parte non vedo il mondo ristretto da questi termini. Preferisco piuttosto un punto di vista più semplice, come quello dalla mia cucina, da cui si può vedere che l'estate era quella dei pomodori.

Vi offro la ricetta seguente come un modo di continuare "l'estate dei pomodori" bensì al autunno. Combina un elemento dell'inaspettata nella comparsa degli aspri pomodori verdi, e una parte della funzione (le uova). Può essere servito come cena, pranzo, oppure colazione con un'insalata semplice di lattuga, rucola, e avocado.

L'ispirazione per la ricetta mi viene dalla bella Firenze, e il periodo della mia vita che già si è scomparso. Abitavo nel cuore di quella città medioevale, con una signora che faceva gallerista e su marito, un artista. A volte le mi ha preparato questo piatto semplicissimo, repieno di tutta la grazia e povertà della cucina toscana. Ormai mi viene nei sogni e nelle visioni qualche impalpabili da quel tempo.

tempi passati: your humble narrator, ensconced in Florence, 2006

A Summer of Tomatoes

Some people will remember the summer of 2009 as "the summer of death," referring to the great losses of MJ, Ted Kennedy, Merce Cunningham, Patrick Swayze, etc. etc. From my viewpoint I don't see the world restricted to these terms. Rather, I prefer a point of view much more simple, like the one from my kitchen, from which one can plainly see that this summer was a summer of tomatoes.

I offer you the following recipe as a way to continue the "summer of tomatoes" well into the fall. It combines an element of the unexpected in the appearance of the tart green tomatoes and one part functionality from the eggs. It can be served as dinner, lunch, or even breakfast with a simple salad of lettuce, arugula, and avocado.

The inspiration for the dish comes to me from lovely Florence, and the period of my life that is already gone. I was living in the heart of that medieval city, with a lady who owned an art gallery and her artist husband. Sometimes she would make me this simplest of dishes, replete with all the grace and poverty of Tuscan cuisine. To this day it comes to me in the dreams and almost impalpable visions from that time.

Frittata con i pomodori verdi alla Rosanna

Green Tomato Frittata a la Rosanna

serves 2

1 Green tomato, sliced into 1/2" thick rounds

6 eggs

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

herbs de provence

3 tbsp. Good Olive Oil

salt + pepper

1. preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Warm a medium skillet under medium-high heat, pouring in the olive oil. Let oil cook until smoking. Place the tomato slices in a circular "ring" around the edges of the skillet. Sautè until golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes, flipping the tomatoes once during cooking time.

3. At the same time, whisk the eggs, parmesan, herbs de provence, and salt + pepper until light and airy. Combine egg mixture in skillet with the tomatoes. Let cook 3-4 minutes, making sure to spread the eggs evenly with a spatula.

4. Remove skillet from heat and place directly into the stove. Let harden and fluff up for approximately 6 minutes.

5. Remove skillet from oven. Flip the frittata upside-down onto a platter. Cut into wedges. Can be served immediately or eaten at room temperature.

recommended side dish: salad of baby greens, arugula, and avocado with lemon vinaigrette

Buon appetito!

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Cucina Aperta

the two main ingredients of my improvised dinner

Dinner in a pinch

The Dilemma: Last night I came home to a (predominately) empty kitchen.

The scarcity stirred my imagination, and I looked around to see what kitchen elements

could lend themselves to an improvisational composition. I suddenly found the two main ingredients for what was to come. My concoction would somehow involve two overripe yellow farmstand tomatoes and a lonely tube of Black Olive Paste consigned to obscurity in a dark corner of the refrigerator.

The result? Find my recipe below, tweaked to perfection.

Sugo allo Zafferano (Natalie's Saffron Tomato Sauce)

serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

4 heart-sized yellow tomatoes, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 tsps. black olive paste (or more to suite your palate)

4 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane

1/2 lb 32-36 count medium shrimp, tails removed and coarsely chopped (optional)

a pinch of saffron

(optional, but best to heighten the dramatic composition of the dish)

fresh parsely, chopped (for garnish)

crushed red chili flakes

salt + pepper to taste

1/2 cup good E.V.O.O (I use Citarella's)

1 lb linguini fini, linguini, or other long, flat noodle

For the sauce:

Add the chopped tomatoes to a food processor in batches of two.

Pulse food processor a few times, stopping to pour in enough olive to emulsify the mixture and build a silken texture, with the occasional chunk of tomato. Add the olive paste in segments as well, until the sauce is "speckled", but not overpowered. Repeat with last two tomatoes.

In a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, heat 4 tblsps. olive oil, adding the garlic and crushed red chili flakes for a hint of spice. Saute garlic until golden, just before it starts to brown.

Add the fresh tomato sauce to the pan generously, blending the garlic evenly throughout. If using saffron, add it now and stir throughout. let simmer.

Put a large pot of water to boil, adding salt. Add Linguini fini to boiling water and cook till al dente, 5-7 minutes. reserve a quarter cup of pasta water.

If using shrimp, add it now to the skillet and cook on low heat. Let shrimp turn opaque, about two minutes. Combine pasta with the sauce in the skillet, coating each strand and using pasta water to thin the sauce, if necessary. Add salt + pepper to suite your palate, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Buon Appetito!

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