There is no wrong that a good homemade chicken soup can't right. And even without a wrong to make right, a steaming bowl of chicken soup brings a smile to the steamed face.
This soup has three elements:
chicken stock/broth, the making of which gives you also some boiled chicken
beans
pasta all'uovo (egg pasta) cut into short tagliatelle
And the three elements can be made at different times and then brought together. Once they are available, putting together the soup requires a short amount of time.
How to make stock/broth What I call stock/broth is made not only with the trimmings and carcass of a roasted chicken, but also a bag of trimmings I buy from the same provider of the chicken, Shakefork Community Farm. Besides selling whole chicken, they sell breasts and thighs sepately so they have trimmings that they bag and sell for stock. These trimmings have some meat attached, so I call what I make with them stock/broth to indicate that more meat than usual goes into its preparation. (In the past, I have asked our local grocery store for chicken trimmings and I got something similar.) The recipe I use is the same as for chicken stock. I also use a vegetable trimmings to make stock and stock/broth like dark green portion of leeks, corn cobs (what's left after you remove the kernels), roasted pumpkin or winter squash skin (what's left after you scoop out the pulp), etc.
Once the stock/broth is ready, I retrieve all the meat which at this point separates easily from the bone. This step, for which I use my hands, requires a bit of care to avoid leaving in the meat small pieces of bone. The meat has enough flavor to go well into a soup. Plus there is no way I'd discard it. I let the strained stock/broth rest in the refrigerator overnight, skim the fat at the top, then freeze some and use the rest in the following few days.
speckled bayo beans
The beans come from my usual provider, mentioned several times before, more recently in this photo post.
How to cook dry beans The way I cook beans for further use comes from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (Beans with Aromatics). After soaking half a cup of dry beans for several hours or overnight in enough water to cover them by about an inch (I use two cups), empty the whole bowl into a saucepan and add
Half of a small onion (or a quarter of a medium one), halved
A bay leaf
A small clove of garlic, sliced
A couple of sprigs of fresh parsley
Bring the water to a lively boil quickly, and keep it there for five minutes, then turn down the heat and let the beans simmer, covered, until they are ready. How long this takes depends on the type of beans and their freshness. Let them cool in their broth, then remove the aromatics and discard them. Let the beans rest in their cooking broth until ready to use.
The third element is pasta all'uovo. I make a small batch of it using one egg, as in this recipe, then cut it into a sort of short tagliatelle.
All together now Ingredients:
2 cups homemade chicken stock/broth (prepared as explained above)
1 cup of chicken pieces retrieved once the stock/broth has cooled
1/2 cup speckled bayo beans, or other beans of choice (prepared as explained above), and their cooking liquid
A small batch of pasta all'uovo made using one egg and cut into 1/2-inch wide and 2-3 inch-long strips
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly milled pepper, to taste
Add the chicken and the beans and their liquid to the stock/broth and bring to a simmer, while you cook the pasta in salted boiling water. It will take just a few minutes to cook. Drain the pasta and add to the soup. Add some hot water or stock/broth to bring the soup to the desired consistency. Turn off the heat, sprinkle parsley on the soup, give it a good stir and serve immediately.
Of course, you can make this recipe with chicken broth and pieces of cooked chicken you have on hand. The basic idea is to create a nice soup with leftovers and items often discarded before fully used.
The beans make this soup perfect for My Legume Love Affair 49 the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, and hosted this month by Simona of briciole (yes, that's me). This post contains the roundup of the event.
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Making pasta by hand is sensual. First you knead the dough, hugging it with your fingers to pull it toward you, then digging the heels of your hands into it and pushing it away, in soothing rhythm. Then, after a period of rest, you shape the pasta. Sometimes you roll it first. In the case of orecchiette, you cut it into pieces and make pencil-thin ropes, cut those into short segments and then shape each segment. It's a meditative task. After a while, your eyes lose themselves contemplating the wisdom of your hands. Each piece of pasta comes out a little different, unique. Making pasta by hand is joyful. (Originally written for this post.)
I was looking forward to reaching Puglia (Apulia) with the Abbecedario culinario d'Italia (Italian Culinary ABC) to try my hands at making orecchiette, one of the great classic pasta shapes of the Italian cuisine. Orecchiette (literally, small ears) are made with ground durum wheat. Things then get a bit complicated, because durum wheat (grano duro) is ground into (from coarser to finer) semola di grano duro, semola di grano duro rimacinata and farina di grano duro, and people use only semola or a blend with mostly semola, depending on their family tradition. The one common trait is the use of warm water to make the dough.
In the US, ground durum wheat is available as semolina flour and durum flour. I have some semola di grano duro rimacinata that I brought back from Italy, and that is what I used to make the orecchiette you see in the photos.
I have watched a number of videos showing how to shape orecchiette and decided to follow this one (the shaping part starts at 2:35), because it uses only the fingers. Most commonly, the dragging part of the shaping is done with the help of the tip of a knife. This very short segment shows my hands making one orecchietta:
As I have said in the past, if you want to try, start with a small amount of flour, so you don't get overwhelmed. Then, when you are comfortable with the process, you can run with it.
Ingredients for the pasta:
100 g / 3.5 oz. semolina flour of good quality or semola di grano duro rimacinata (or a blend of your choice: see above for details)
50 g / 1.75 oz. warm water (I recommend weighing the water)
Make a dough with the first three ingredients and knead until nice and smooth. This is a bit of an exercise, since the dough is fairly stiff (you are making pasta, not bread). The dough is of a lovely pale yellow color. Let the dough rest, covered, for at least half an hour.
Roll the dough into a thick salami and cut it into pieces. Keep them covered while you shape the orecchiette. Roll each piece into a pencil-size snake (3/8 inch / 1 cm thick), then cut into 1 cm / 3/8 inch long pieces. Shape each small piece into an orecchietta using whatever method suits you. I drag the piece of pasta over the kneading board with my right thumb away from me, then, with my left hand, I turn it inside out over my right index finger and lay it out to dry.
In a small saucepan, warm up a bit of olive oil, then add shallot and thyme. Cook gently for a few minutes, then add garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes. Adjust salt, to taste. Note that this will make more sauce than you need to dress the orecchiette, but once you have the sauce ready, I am sure you'll find ways of using it, like making more handmade pasta.
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil, then toss the orecchiette in it (what in Italian we call: buttare giù la pasta). The orecchiette will come to the surface as they cook. The time needed is a bit variable, depending on the type of flour used, the size of orecchiette, how dry they are, etc., but it is short, so don't wander far away from the pot. Taste and stop the cooking when the orecchiette are ready. Pour a glass of cold water in the pot, stir and drain the orecchiette. Place them in a bowl, sprinkle a bit of the cheese on them and stir briefly, then distribute some tomato sauce and toss. Finally, sprinkle some cheese and serve immediately. The recipe makes two small portions.
Note: if tomato season is ongoing in your area, you can make tomato sauce using crushed tomatoes, adjusting the cooking time to get a sauce of the right consistency. And if you have fresh basil, you can add a bit of it to the sauce.
so pretty!
I have never been to Puglia, but through my blog, I have met some people in or from that region and I would very much like to visit their beautiful area. Finally, I want to mention that Gianrico Carofiglio, one of my favorite Italian writers, is pugliese. Some of his novels are available in English translation and Peter of Detective Beyond Borders has written about him. Carofiglio is one of the possible guests in my artist's book Dinner Party.
This is my submission for the 12th installment of the Abbecedario culinario d'Italia (Italian Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit all the 20 regions of Italy using the alphabet as guide. O come Otranto (Puglia) is hosted by Patrizia of La Melagranata. This page contains the list of all the recipes submitted to the event.
I am also sending this to the #275 edition of Presto Pasta Nights. The event was created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and is hosted this week by the creator herself. This post contains the roundup of the event.
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:
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Fare la pasta a mano mi diverte e mi rilassa. È una sorta di meditazione, durante la quale gli occhi si perdono a seguire i movimenti delle mani.
Non vedevo l'ora di arrivare in Puglia con l'Abbecedario culinario d'Italia per provare a fare le orecchiette. Questa pasta si fa con il grano duro, e mi sembra di capire che ci sono diverse tradizioni, su base familiare: solo semola oppure un misto con un po' di macinato più fino. Comunque, l'acqua dell'impasto deve essere calda.
In California non mi è facile trovare gli ingredienti. Ho della semola di grano duro rimacinata che mi sono portata dall'Italia ed ho usato quella per fare le orecchiette che vedete nelle foto.
Ho guardato diversi video che fanno vedere come vengono fatte le orecchiette e ho deciso di seguire questo qui (la signora comincia a formare le orecchiette dopo 2' e 35"), perché usa solo le dita. Gli altri video fanno vedere il metodo più comune con la punt di un coltello. Questa breve sequenza mostra le mie mani al lavoro:
Come ho scritto in passato, il mio suggerimento a chi vuole cimentarsi è quello di cominciare con una quantità modica, gestibile. Poi, quando ci si sente pronti, aumentare le dosi a piacere.
Ingredienti:
100 g semola di grano duro o semola di grano duro rimacinata o quello che prevede la ricetta di famiglia (vedere il testo in alto)
50 g acqua calda
un pizzico di sale
sugo di pomodoro a piacere
Parmigiano-Reggiano grattugiato, o altro formaggio a piacere
Lavorare i primi tre ingredienti fino ad avere un bell'impasto liscio. Questo è un ottimo esercizio per le braccia. Il risultato è un impasto dal bel colore giallo pallido. Farlo riposare, coperto, per almeno mezz'ora.
Formare un salsicciotto e tagliarlo a pezzi da lavorare uno alla volta, mentre gli altri rimangono al coperto. Rotolare fino ad ottenere un serpentello grosso come una matita (anche qui ho notato un po' di variabilità, ma questo è quello che ho fatto io) e tagliarlo a pezzetti di 1 cm. Fare ad ogni pezzetto di impasto la forma di un'orecchietta usando il metodo che preferite. Io trascino il pezzetto di impast con il pollice destro allontanandolo da me e poi lo rivolto sopra l'indice destro aiutandomi con la mano sinistra. Lasciar asciugare per un paio d'ore.
Preparare un sugo di pomodoro come volete. Questa è la stagione dei pomodori, quindi usarli freschi è un'opzione. Nel mio caso, avevo della passata di pomodori arrosto e ho usato quella.
Cuocere le orecchiette in abbondante acqua salata, condirle con sugo e formaggio a piacere. Mi piacerebbe poter usare un formaggio pugliese per onorare la regione che ci ospita, ma ancora non ne so fare nessuno e quindi ho usato del Parmigiano-Reggiano. Questa ricetta fa due porzioni piccole. Adesso che l'ho ripetuta tre volte con successo mi sento pronta a raddoppiare le dosi.
le orecchiette sono proprio carine
Confesso di non essere mai stata in Puglia, ma attraverso briciole ho incontrato delle persone speciali originarie di questa bella regione e spero un giorno non lontano di visitarla. Per finire, uno dei miei scrittori italiani preferiti è pugliese: Gianrico Carofiglio. La sua fama è arrivata anche qui e alcuni dei suoi romanzi (quelli con l'avvocato Guerreri e anche "Il passato è una terra straniera") sono stati tradotti in inglese. Carofiglio è uno dei possibili invitati a cena nel mio libro Dinner Party.
Making pasta by hand is sensual. First you knead the dough, hugging it with your fingers to pull it toward you, then digging the heels of your hands into it and pushing it away, in soothing rhythm. Then, after a period of rest, you shape the pasta. Sometimes you roll it first. In the case of strascinati, you cut it into pieces and make ropes, cut those into segments and then shape each segment with your fingers. It's a meditative task. After a while, your eyes lose themselves contemplating the wisdom of your hands. Each piece of pasta comes out a little different, unique. Making pasta by hand is joyful.
You can read about this pretty pasta from the southern Italian region of Basilicata in this post.
the image(s) (max 500 px wide, either orientation)
You have until Monday, July 30 at 6 pm Eastern time to do so. If you are unfamiliar with the event or need a reminder of the rules, you will find the details in this post. Feel free to use the logo below (it can also be found here). If you have a photo, but no blog, send it to me and I will include it in the roundup, which will be published on Wednesday, August 1.
Since messages can get lost, please, contact me again if you don't get an answer to your email or a comment on your blog within a couple of days of emailing me.
When I get some fresh, sweet corn at the farmers' market, I oven-roast it as soon as I get home.
can you smell it?
I pull away the husks and the warm smell of roasted corn fills my nose.
a fairly easy job for the blade
As I separate the kernels from the cob (with the help of a knife) I plan ahead: a cup of kernels will go into this bread instead of blueberries and the rest will go into this salad.
cornbread meets Caprese salad
The original recipe for blueberry cornbread that I have further adapted here was published in Shape Cooks, a short-lived magazine that ceased to be published some 13 years ago.
Ingredients:
3 large or 4 medium ears of corn (pannocchie di granturco1), still wrapped in their husks (if they aren't, wrap them in foil before roasting them) and with their silks attached [see Note below]
1 cup (130 g) yellow [stone-ground] cornmeal
1/2 cup (65 g) whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) baking power
A pinch of salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons (30 ml) agave nectar or honey
1/2 cup plain [homemade] yogurt + 1/2 cup [homemade] kefir OR 1 cup buttermilk (235 ml)
Note: you won't need all the kernels from the ears, but by roasting corn to be used for two recipes, you will make efficient use of your oven.
Roast corn in the oven at 450 F for 20 minutes (on a baking sheet). Let cool briefly, then remove the husks. Working on a shallow bowl or pyrex dish, use a knife to separate kernels and scrapings from the cob. This page from bon appetít describes precisely the way I do this with the knife. (Save the empty cobs to make stock or broth.) Measure 1 cup of kernels to make the bread and use the rest to make this salad or another dish of choice.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan with parchment paper and oil or butter the sides not covered by the paper. Combine all the dry ingredients (2-7) into a bowl. In another bowl, combine egg, agave nectar, yogurt and kefir, then gradually pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Incorporate the butter, then fold in the corn kernels.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the cornbread passes the toothpick test. Check the bread first after 18 minutes and, if it needs more time in the oven, keep a close watch as it is easy to overbake the cornbread.
Remove cornbread from the pan and place on a rack. The cornbread is very nice eaten warm. It is a great accompaniment for cheese (as shown in the photos) and also nice with this spread.
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Quando compro delle pannocchie di granturco al mercato, le arrostisco in forno appena arrivo a casa.
sentite che profumo?
Tiro via le foglie e il caldo profumo di granturco arrosto mi riempie il naso.
un lavoretto piuttosto facile per la lama
Mentre separo i chicchi dal tutolo con l'aiuto di un coltello, pianifico: una tazza di chicchi sostituirà i mirtilli in questo pane e il resto li userò per preparare questa insalata.
il pane di mais incontra l'insalata caprese
La ricetta originale per il pane di mais ai mirtilli che ho adattato ulteriormente qui fu pubblicata nella rivista Shape Cooks, la cui pubblicazione fu purtroppo di breve durata ed è cessata circa 13 anni fa.
Ingredienti:
3 pannocchie di granturco grosse o 4 medie ancora con le foglie (se non ci sono, prima di infornarle avvolgere le pannocchie nella pellicola di alluminio) [vedi Nota sotto]
130 g farina di mais tipo fioretto
65 g farina di grano integrale
65 g farina di grano
2 cucchiaini (10 ml) bicarbonato di soda
1/2 cucchiaino (2.5 ml) lievito in polvere
un pizzico di sale
1 uovo leggermente sbattuto per mescolare tuorlo e chiara
2 cucchiai (30 ml) nettare di agave o miele
1/2 tazza di yogurt bianco [fatto in casa] + 1/2 tazza di kefir [fatto in casa] oppure 1 tazza (235 ml) di latticello
7 g burro nocciola oppure burro normale, fuso
Nota: per fare il pane non userete i chicchi delle pannocchie, ma arrostendo abbastanza granturco da preparare due ricette farete un uso efficiente del vostro forno.
Cuocere le pannocchie in forno a 230 C per 20 minuti (su una lastra da forno). Farle intiepidire un po' poi rimuovere le foglie. Appoggiandosi all'interno di una ciotola bassa o di una teglie di pyrex, usate un coltello per separare i chicchi dal tutolo. Questa pagina dalla rivista bon appetít (in inglese) descrive il procedimento che uso anche io per sgranare il mais col coltello. (Mettere da parte i tutoli e utilizzarli come ingrediente per fare il brodo vegetale o di carne.) Misurare una tazza (235 ml) di chicchi per preparare il pane e utilizzare il resto per preparare questa insalata o un altro piatto a piacere.
Scaldare il forno a 215 C. Nota: i 425 F della ricetta originale corrispondono a 218 C; se il vostro forno non permette un controllo fine della temperatura, in questo caso preferisco suggerire qualche grado in meno. Foderare con carta da forno una teglia quadrata di 20 cm di lato e ungere leggermente i due lati non coperti dalla carta. In una ciotola, mescolare gli ingredienti secchi (2-7). In un'altra ciotola, mescolare uovo, nettare di agave (o miele), yogurt e kefir (o latticello), poi gradualmente versare nella ciotola con gli ingredienti secchi. Mescolare il minimo necessario a incorporare. Aggiungere il burro fuso e mescolare brevemente, poi incorporare i chicchi di mais.
Versare l'impasto nella teglia e distribuirlo. Cuocere in forno per 18-20 minuti o fino a quando il pane passa il test dello stecchino. Controllare il pane dopo 18 minuti di cottura e, se necessario, continuare la cottura, ma non vi distraete per evitare di cuocere troppo il pane.
Estrarre il pane dalla teglia e metterlo su una griglia an intiepidire. Il pane è buono caldo ed è ottimo sia col formaggio (come di vede nelle foto) che con questa salsa cremosa.
I confess I never quite understood the complaint about having an oversupply of zucchini from one's garden. Look at this beautiful display and think how many dishes you can prepare with the different varieties. Viva le zucchine!
Grand Romance Riverboat (Rainbow Harbor, Long Beach, CA)
The Grand Romance Riverboat on a rainy evening last week looked a bit lonely, with just me saying Hi.
Fortunately, the following day the sun came back and here is the Riverboat all bright and ready for a cruise. I wonder what happens during a Murder Mystery Dinner Cruise.
The aroma of fresh mint, a bit of vinegar kick, and a touch of garlic make this light dish of roasted zucchini just about perfect. The palate finds refreshing flavors and a lightly crisp texture, which can be paired with either a meat or a vegetarian main dish.
Two large zucchini in my CSA box last week seemed to call for a nice stuffing, but then this recipe (in Italian) made me reconsider. However, frying the zucchini as the recipe directs was not an option for me, so I looked for suggestions on how to roast them and found this recipe. Then, I was good to go. I particularly liked the instruction in the original recipe to let the zucchini slices dry in the sun. Magically the sun burned off the fog in our corner of the world and I was able to follow this part of the recipe.
I stumbled upon zucchine alla scapece while I was looking for a recipe from the Italian region of Campania, whose capital city is Napoli. As you may guess, this is where we are now in our region-by-region tour of Italy. I have been to Napoli only once, many years ago, with my family, and I don't have pleasant memories from the trip, so I won't say anything, because I don't know how the city has changed in the intervening years. Whatever the urban situation, the contributions of Napoli and Campania to the Italian food culture is incredibly rich.
In the headnote to this recipe for eggplant prepared in a similar way to zucchini, Kyle Phillips says that "the word scapece derives from the Spanish (who ruled in Naples) and can be applied to any dish (usually fish or vegetable) marinated in a sweet-and-sour sauce."
Update (July 16, 2012). A comment received after I published the post under the title zucchine alla scapece leggere prompts me to add a clarification and also to amend the title. I have stated clearly that the recipe I reference calls for frying the zucchini. An Italian blogger I consulted told me that in a Neapolitan cookbook she has, the recipe for zucchine alla scapece calls for grilling the zucchini and that a friend of hers, who is from Napoli and used to own a resturant there, confirmed that zucchini for this dish can also be grilled. I don't BBQ, so the oven is really my way to go. The title of the post now has the words condite (dressed) alla scapece to indicate that I did not cook the zucchini in either of the traditional ways.
Ingredients:
2 large zucchini (approx. 2 lbs. / 900 g)
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, to taste
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly milled black pepper, to taste
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
Leaves of several sprigs of fresh mint (menta); I used orange mint from my garden
Wine vinegar (aceto di vino) of good quality, to taste; I used sherry vinegar
Cut the zucchini into 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick slices and distribute them on a large plate in one or two layers. Let them dry in the sun for a couple of hours.
Put two baking sheets in upper and lower third of oven and preheat oven to 500°F.
Put zucchini slices in a bowl and drizzle on them lemon juice and a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and of pepper and toss well. I find that the best way to do this is with my hands.
Line the preheated baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper and divide the zucchini slices between them, spreading them in one layer. Roast in upper and lower thirds of oven for 10 minutes.
Gently turn zucchini slices over using a fork, switch position of pans and roast until zucchini are tender, 7-8 minutes. On a serving plate, arrange about half the zucchini into one layer, overlapping some slices to make a closed surface. Distribute all the garlic slices and some of the mint leaves, sprinkle a bit of salt, if needed, then make another layer of zucchini and repeat with salt and mint leaves. Sprinkle vinegar over the surface. Let your taste guide your hand, vinegar appreciation being a very personal matter. I used two tablespoons.
Let the zucchini rest for a couple of hours. Toss right before serving. The original recipe says that the dish is better served the day after it is prepared. If you want to try, cover the plate and refrigerate overnight. I will weigh in on the statement after I try.
I contributed the first batch to a 4th of July party (thanks, Christine!) and I am looking forward to making another batch soon, because the combination of flavors is a winner for my taste.
This is my submission for the 11th installment of the Abbecedario culinario d'Italia (Italian Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit all the 20 regions of Italy using the alphabet as guide. N come Napoli (Campania) is hosted by Lo of Galline 2nd life. This page contains the list of recipes submitted to the event.
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Menta fresca, aceto e un tocco d'aglio rendono praticamente perfetto questo piatto estivo di zucchine arrosto che si abbina bene sia con carne che con un secondo vegetariano.
Alla ricerca di un piatto che rappresentasse la Campania, ho trovato questa ricetta per la quale due zucchine giganti trovate nella mia cassettina erano ideali. Ma friggere le zucchine non era un'opzione valida per me e quindi sono andata alla ricerca di istruzioni per una preparazione al forno e le ho trovate su questa pagina (in inglese). A questo punto, avevo tutto il necessario per partire. Mi ha particolarmente colpito l'indicazione della ricetta originale di far asciugare al sole le zucchine affettate. Come per magia, il sole ha bruciato la nebbia (leggi: il nostro condizionatore naturale) e ho potuto seguire questa parte della ricetta.
Sono stata a Napoli con la mia famiglia molti anni fa e purtroppo non ho ricordi piacevoli del viaggio, quindi preferisco non dire nulla, dal momento che non so come la città sia cambiata negli anni che sono trascorsi. Qualunque sia la situazione urbana, il contributo di Napoli e della Campania alla cultura gastronomica italiana è incredibilmente ricco.
Aggiornamento (16 Luglio, 2012). A seguito di un commento ricevuto dopo la pubblicazione del post col titolo "zucchine alla scapece leggere" ho deciso di emendare il titolo per sottolineare la parte della ricetta originale che ho conservato, cioè il condimento. Aggiungo però anche che una blogger italiana che ho consultato sull'argomento mi ha fatto sapere che in un libro napoletano che lei ha, nella ricetta delle zucchine alla scapece le zucchine sono grigliate. Inoltre, una persona di sua conoscenza, napoletana ed ex-ristoratrice, le ha confermato che le zucchine alla scapece possono anche essere grigliate. Io non uso il BBQ (lo so, sembra strano, dal momento che vivo negli USA, dove il BBQ è diffusissimo) per cui il forno e la mia opzione.
Ingredienti:
2 grosse zucchine (circa 900 g)
1 cucchiaino (5 ml) di succo di limone fresco
olio d'oliva, a piacere
sale fino, q.b.
pepe nero macinato fresco, a piacere
uno spicchio d'aglio affettato molto fine
foglie di diversi rametti di menta fresca (io ho usato la menta arancio del mio orticello)
aceto di vino di buona qualità, a piacere (io ho usato aceto di sherry)
Tagliare le zucchine a fettine spesse circa 6 mm e distribuirle su un piatto largo facendo uno o due strati. Farle asciugare al sole per un paio d'ore.
Con due griglie, dividere il forno in terzi e mettere una placca da forno sul terzo in alto e una su quello in basso. Riscaldare il forno a 260°C.
Mettere le fette di zucchina in un'insalatiera e spruzzarle con succo di limone e un po' d'olio d'oliva. Aggiungere un pizzico abbondante di sale e un po' di pepe nero e mescolare bene. (Io lo faccio con le mani.)
Foderare le placche preriscaldate con tappetini di silicone per forno o carta da forno e distribuire le zucchine tra i due in un solo strato. Far arrostire per 10 minuti.
Con una forchetta, girare le zucchine e rimetterle in forno, scambiando la posizione delle placche. Far arrostire fino a quando le zucchine non siano tenere, 7-8 minuti. Con metà circa delle zucchine, fare uno strato compatto su un piatto da portata. distribuite le fettine d'aglio, delle foglie di menta, e un pochino di sale (se necessario). Fare un altro strato col resto delle zucchine e ripetere con la menta e il sale. Spruzzare l'aceto sulla superficie, a piacere. L'aceto è una cosa personale e quindi preferisco non dettare quantità. Io ne ho usati due cucchiai (30 ml).
Far riposare le zucchine per un paio d'ore. Mescolare solo poco prima di servire. La ricetta originale dice che la "scapece" migliora se servita il giorno seguente. Mi riservo il diritto di confermare (o contraddire) tale affermazione quando avrò avuto modo di metterla alla prova.
Ho portato questo piatto ad una cena per il 4 di Luglio dalla mia amica Christine e non vedo l'ora di rifarle ancora, perché la combinazione di sapori è perfetta per i miei gusti.
Peas (piselli) mean spring, but I am happy to be eating them in early summer too. In the first three CSA boxes of the season, I received a nice amount of them. They were actually of the kind that you can eat the pod as well (mangiatutto, in Italian), and I did so with most of them, using an old recipe. However, I really had a lot and in looking at the nice and plump peas, I decided it was time to try to make risi e bisi, a traditional recipe from Veneto, the region around Venice. I looked at this recipe (in Italian) for general guidance and followed my usual technique for making risotto.
so fresh!
I made the recipe twice and will tell you what I changed between version 1 and 2. This is a really nice rice dish. The flavor is delicate but clear, in part due to the use of the empty pods (baccelli) to make the vegetable broth for the rice which is cooked risotto-style. Preparation of the special broth adds an hour to the overall time needed to bring risi e bisi on the table. However, you can do it some hours ahead: just make sure you keep the peas nice and fresh. When the right time comes, reheat the broth and proceed with the recipe.
1 small or 1/2 large celery rib, chopped (in version 2, I used a few leaves of lovage, slivered)
1/2-1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup minced onion (in version 2, I used a small leek, white and light green portion, cut in half lengthwise and then sliced thinly)
1 small garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsely, finely chopped
1 cup / 200 g Carnaroli, Vialone Nano or Arborio rice
Sea salt, to taste
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (in version 2, I used 1 oz. / 28 g of fresh chévre, crumbled)
Rinse the peas, then shell them, setting aside the empty pods. Put the pods, carrot, celery (or lovage), onion and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil and keep at a lively simmer, covered, for one hour. Let cool slightly then strain the broth. You should have at least 3 cups / 710 ml of broth. If not, add a bit of water to bridge the gap.
In a 2 qt. saucepan, warm up olive oil, then add the onion (or leek) and garlic and stir. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is translucent, then add the peas and parsley and 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the broth. Cook on medium-low until the peas are just tender. After the first 5 minutes, cover the pan. The time depends on the peas. Make sure the peas don't dry out (in which case, add a bit of hot water) or overcook.
In the meantime, bring broth to a simmer in a 1 qt. saucepan and keep it at that temperature. When the peas are ready, add the rice and toast for a couple of minutes, while stirring. Ladle enough of the simmering broth to barely cover the rice. Allow the rice to absorb most of the broth, then add more broth, a ladleful at a time, letting the rice absorb most of the broth before adding more. Make sure the rice never gets dry, keep it at a lively simmer and stir at regular intervals.
Taste the rice 15 minutes after the first addition of broth: if it feels a bit hard at the core, cook it 1-2 minutes longer, then check again. (The cooking time depends on various factors, including the kind of rice.) Once ready, remove the pan from the heat, distribute the cheese of choice on the surface, then stir well to incorporate. Taste and adjust the salt, if needed. Let the risotto rest, covered, for a couple of minutes while you gather the guests around the table. Serve immediately and enjoy.
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I piselli hanno il sapore della primavera, ma a me va bene anche mangiarli all'inizio dell'estate. Nelle prime tre cassettine della stagione ne ho trovati in quantità. Erano del tipo mangiatutto e la maggior parte li ho preparati usando una vecchia ricetta. Ma erano davvero tanti e così ho deciso di usare i più cicciotti per provare a fare risi e bisi, la tradizionale ricetta veneta. Ho usato questa ricetta come guida generale e ho applicato la mia solita tecnica per fare il risotto.
freschissimi
Ho preparato risi e bisi due volte, cambiando un paio di cose (vedi sotto: versione 1 e 2). Come si sa, questo piatto è una delizia. Il sapore è dovuto in parte all'uso dei baccelli nella preparazione del brodo vegetale nel quale viene cotto il riso. Questo passaggio allunga di un'oretta il tempo necessario a portare in tavola risi e bisi, ma potete farlo qualche ora prima: basta mantenere freschi i piselli. Quando siete pronti per la volata finale, riscaldate il brodo e si parte!
Ingredient1:
450-500 g piselli
una cipolla piccola tagliata a pezzetti
una carota piccola (o mezza grossa) tagliata a pezzetti
una costa di sedano piccola (o mezza grossa) tagliata a pezzetti (versione 2: alcune foglie di levistico, tagliate a striscioline)
1/2-1 cucchiaio / 7,5-15 ml olio d'oliva
4 cucchiai / 60 ml cipolla tritata finemente (versione 2: un piccolo porro, tagliato a metà per lungo e poi a mezzelune fini)
un piccolo spicchio d'aglio tagliato a fettine sottili
un cucchiaio di prezzemolo fresco tritato fino
200 g riso Carnaroli, Vialone Nano o Arborio
sale fino, q.b.
4 cucchiai di Parmigiano-Reggiano appena grattato (versione 2: 30 g di caprino fresco sbriciolato)
Lavare i piselli e sgranarli, mettendo da parte i baccellli. Mettere baccelli, carota, sedano (o levistico), cipolla e un pizzico di sale in una pentola, coprire d'acqua, portare ad ebollizione e mantenere un'ebollizione leggere per un'ora, a pentola coperta. Far intiepidire leggermente e poi filtrare il brodo ottenuto. Dovreste avere almeno 710 ml. Se di meno, aggiungere un po' d'acqua per coprire il divario.
In una pentola, scaldare l'olio d'oliva e aggiungere lo cipolla (o porro) e aglio e mescolare. Cuocere per qualche minuto, poi aggiungere piselli, prezzemolo e un cucchiaio del brodo. Cuocere a fuoco medio-basso fino a quando i piselli sono appena teneri. Dopo i primi 5 minuti, coprire la pentola. Il tempo necessario dipende dai piselli. Controllare che i piselli non si ritrovino a secco (nel qual caso aggiungere un po' d'acqua) e che non diventino stracotti.
Portare a ebollizione il brodo vegetale leggero e mantenerlo in lieve ebollizione (quanto ne userete dipende dal tipo di riso che usate). Quando i piselli sono pronti, aggiungere il riso e tostare per 1-2 minuti mescolando. Aggiungere abbastanza brodo bollente da coprire appena il riso. Lasciare che il riso assorba la maggior parte del brodo, poi aggiungerne ancora, un mestolo alla volta. Mantenere il riso bagnato col brodo e cuocere, girando ad intervalli regolari.
Assaggiare il riso 15 minuti dopo aver aggiunto il primo mestolo di brodo e se il riso è ancora un po' duro al centro, lasciar cuocere un altro minuto o due, poi assaggiare di nuovo. Quando il riso è pronto, togliere la pentola dal fuoco, distriuire sulla superficie il formaggio scelto e mescolare bene. Assaggiar e correggere il sale. Far riposare il risotto, coperto, per alcuni minuti. Impiattare il risotto, servire immediatamente e gustare.
delizia in bianco e nero
Spero di avervi fatto venire l'acquolina in bocca.
I have the honor of being the host for the July 2012 edition of MLLA, the popular, legume-centered event that is the brainchild of Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.
Participation in the event revolves around a recipe that showcases one or more legumes. The recipe can be savory or sweet, with or without meat — no restrictions. The legume (or legumes) must be one of the main ingredients, not a minor character. (Exceptions to this general rule are legumes whose flavor is so intense that they are used in small quantities, like tamarind and fenugreek.)
You can send me a new post or a post from your archive reposted for the occasion. You can submit the recipe to other events as well, and you can send me more than one post (in which case, though, only one submission will be counted towards the random drawing described below). If you have a recipe to share, but not a blog where to post it, send the recipe and other applicable pieces of information to me and I will add it to the roundup. You will also be entered in the drawing.
The post must include a link to this announcement and also to Susan's post containing the host lineup. Use of the beautiful logo, designed by Susan, is optional.
Example of legumes include (but are not limited to):
fresh or dried beans of any kind
lentils
chickpeas, ak.a., garbanzo beans (fresh or dried or their flour, a.k.a., besan)
peas (fresh or dried or their pods)
fava beans (fresh or dried)
soy beans (fresh or dried, or their derivative products, like tofu)
peanuts
carob beans
lupini beans
Not an exhaustive list, but it should give you a sense of the wide range of options. Note that in French the word légumes means vegetables, and also legumes. This event is about the second meaning.
To submit your post, send an email to simosite[AT]mac[DOT]com with MLLA entry in the subject and containing the following information:
Your Name
Name of Your Blog
Title and URL of Your Recipe Post
Your Location (necessary for the second prize described below; let me know if you prefer that I do not disclose it in the roundup)
Photo of the dish or legume(s) featured in it: Optional (but helpful) and maximum 400 px wide
If you don't have a blog, submit your recipe by sending me an email as described above (except for #2 and #3, which do not apply) with the description of the recipe.
The deadline is Tuesday, July 31 at noon PDT.
If you don't receive an answer to your email or a comment on your post within two days of sending me the email, please contact me again: sometimes email messages get lost in cyberspace. Also, feel free to contact me should you have any questions regarding the event and its rules.
The following prizes will be awarded to one winner via random drawing:
500 Cupcakes: The Only Cupcake Compendium You'll Ever Need by Fergal Connolly & Judith Fertig. This prize is offered by Susan at her expense, and she will also absorb worldwide shipping charges. F.T.C. Notice: Susan does not receive any compensation from Amazon.
Hurst Bean Box - A case of six bags of the winner's choice of Hurst Bean products, suitable for every diet, sponsored by Hurst Bean. (Due to shipping restrictions, this prize can only be awarded if the winner is a U.S. resident.) FTC Notice: In May 2010, Susan, at her request, received two Hurst Bean complimentary products which are not available for purchase in her local markets. Susan does not generally accept free products from Hurst Bean nor is she financially compensated by them.
Drawing Structure - If the winner is a U.S. resident, she/he will be the recipient of both Prizes 1 and 2 above. In the event that an international winner is drawn, a second drawing will be conducted from the U.S. pool of entrants to ensure that the Hurst Prize is awarded every month. In these instances, the international winner will receive the book, and the U.S. winner will receive the Hurst Prize.
A note about the title of my post: legumi che passione! is not the literal translation, but my personal rendition of the original My Legume Love Affair.
Welcome to the roundup of the 16th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I created in 2007 and that I continue to host. Novel Food is about literary works (prose or poetry) that inspire the preparation of dishes.
Like all its predecessors, the current edition of the event includes an lovely set of readables and edibles. Please, follow me on a short literary/culinary tour. For each contribution, I will offer a small bite to whet your appetite for more: follow the link to read the details of the inspiring work of literature and of the inspired recipe. I hope that by the time you reach the end of this post, you will have a nice reading and cooking list to be used in the near future.
"Popsicles are enough to make anybody smile, right? Especially when it's still hot enough outside to break a sweat. So, in honor of Earl Grey (the Dalbrador) being safe and as a nod to their business and passion, I infused some of that tea by the same name that always seems to lift my spirits and bring me peace all at the same time, Earl Grey."
Ruhama of rumahama presents Peppermints in the Parlor by Barbara Brooks Wallace, which inspired her to parepare some Eclairs
"Emily's just been orphaned and is going to live with her Aunt Twice at Sugar Hill Hall,... Through the course of the story, Emily is drawn into the confidences of Mrs. Plumly, who invites the poor girl into her private rooms for tea. There she has things like cherry cream tarts, lemon tarts and chocolate cream eclairs."
Phil of As Strong As Soup' continues to find inspiration in poetry: his Eccles Cakes were inspired by Mrs Albion You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter by Adrian Henri.
The poem is "an ecstatic celebration of Liverpool (‘Albion’s most lovely daughter’) and the girls who live (or rather lived) there... I’m not pretending that this is an authentic Eccles cake recipe but it’s the way I like them to be... I prefer them cold or, even better, slightly warm."
"The book... tells the story about this mountain, or I should say chain of mountains which is more correct. Monte Baldo is a chain, stretching from Nago/Torbole in the North of the Garda Lake, to Garda, 36km further south or more exactly San Vigilio, where it ends in the water. [the book] tells the story about the flowers, the trees and how once this mountain was called the Hortus Europae, the European Botanical Garden."
"I am cooking porridge, a nice version of porridge, and nothing resembling the stuff poor Jane had to eat during the Brocklehurst regime at Lowood. Consider this porridge as my present to little Jane, who suffered much but never gave up her quest to find independence and love."
"Please, help yourself to a square of the moist, golden cornbread punctuated with juicy blueberries that I just cut. It's light and substantial at the same time, lightly sweetened and rich in flavor. After partaking of this sunny bread, follow me as I introduce you to a beloved author and one of his novels."
Superintendent Adam Dalgliesh (of Scotland Yard), "sensitive, taciturn, and hardworking" and also a published poet, is offered a lavish tea by Mrs. Fenton as a prelude to an important conversation: "fresh-baked scones, two kinds of sandwiches, home-made cakes and an iced sponge."
My special "thank you!" goes to the event's participants. The next edition of Novel Food will be in the fall: I will announce it here, on The Food Blog Diary, and other venues, so stay tuned. The Food Blog Diary is the lovely event announcement site created and maintained by Jacqueline of Tinned Tomatoes. Visit the site to read about current events and let her know about your event and she will post it on her well-organized site. Thank you, Jacqueline!
In the meantime, read good books (maybe with the next Novel Food in mind), cook good foods, and otherwise savor life's local and seasonal offerings.
Sono un Esperto di Allrecipes su base volontaria e pertanto non percepisco alcun compenso per il lavoro svolto per Allrecipes.it.
Le recensioni, i contenuti e le opinioni espresse in questo blog sono da attribuire esclusivamente a Simona
