ONION & GORGONZOLA FOCACCIA

How can it be so easy to create something so delicious???
This is a very fast dish that can be either a main course served with a simple salad or a magnificent antipasto.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 4-6)

The Dough
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (non-bleached)
- 1 packet of dry yeast (for bread)
- 3/4 cup of room temp water or better slighly warmer.
- salt
- olive oil

The Topping
- 3 yellow onions cut thin
- 6 oz Gorgonzola cheese (in pieces)
- 1 t spoon ground pepper
- 1 t spoon ground nutmet
- 1 t spoon freshly cut oregano

PREPARATION:

- Starting with the dough, you will need a large bowl to mix the dough in and a small bowl with lukewarm water for the yeast. First, pour the yeast in the small bowl (1/3 cup with the water) and add a pinch of sugar and let set for about 5 minutes or until a foam is present on the surface.
- To the larger bowl, add the flour and a pinch of salt (about 1 T spoon) then add the water/yeast mixture and mix well with your clean hands and mix until the water is completely absorbed into the flour. Work this mixture until your dough has been formed.
- Transfer your dough to a floured wood surface and knead until it is smooth which will take anywhere between 5 and 12 minutes. Now you have a dough ball shape and it will need to rest in a bowl greased slightly with your olive oil, cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let sit for approximately 45 minutes or until it has doubled in size.
- So while your dough is doing its thing, we will work with the topping for this wonder !
- In a skillet on low heat, add about 3 T spoons of olive oil, add the onions and cook until they are soft, stir often and this will take about 15 minutes. You want to cook them til soft but not to become darker in color ! You may need to add after about 5 minutes a bit of warm water to prevent this discoloring.
- Now that your dough has risen, we need to transfer the dough back to the floured surface and very carefully roll it out with your hands and form about a 10-12 inch round or square form about 1/4 inch in thickness.
- Place the above on a try and let sit for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 380 F
- Now, with your onions, scatter over the top of the dough as well as your cheese, pepper and nutmeg.
- Bake for 20 minutes or until the crust is browned.

ENJOY !!!!

CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD AND TARRAGON

This is another one of my variations of the classic sauteed chicken and a good friend of mine from Corsica (a French island situated off the north western coast of Italy)Catherine introduced me to this dish years ago and still one of my favorites, especially at a hot summer nights dinner after a wonderful day at the beach ! Your wine selection is very important due to the mustard and radish in this dish so my advise here is a well chilled extra dry, light white wine under 12 degrees proof.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves four)
- 4 good size boneless chicken (I prefer a mixture of dark and white meat)
- 3 t spoons french mustard (I prefer Dijon because its got a nice kick to it)
- 2 t spoons fresh tarragon
- 1 bunch of radish, at least 15 of various colors
- 2 T spoons unsalted butter
- 2 T spoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 T spoon shallot (minced)
- 1 T spoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 T spoon white wine vinegar
- 1 cup chicken both (unsalted is better)
- 1/2 cup white wine (dry)
- 1 t spoon salt
- 1 T spoon all purpose non bleached flour

PREPARATION:

- First, pull out a good size skillet and on medium heat, melt the butter and add in the olive oil. Add to this your chicken to brown on both sides. When done, remove the chicken and set aside as we will use the same skillet with butter and oil to prepare the sauce.
- So, in the same skillet, add your shallot and when soft, add the chicken broth and add in the mustard and a T spoon of all purpose flour and whisk, then add in the tarragon then your white wine and cook until the sauce thickens somewhat.
- Turn down heat of the above skillet to low and pull out a smaller sauce pan or smaller skillet and add to this 1 T spoon of butter with 1 T spoon of olive oil, then add in the thinly cut radishes, your pepper and let brown slightly (5-8 minutes).
- With the chicken (that you kept warm on a platter), gently place the radishes over the chicken and pour in small quantities your sauce a top and serve warm.
- Good to serve with a simple endive and tomato salad and some wonderful cuts of hard and soft southern European cheeses (French or Italian)

ENJOY !!!!!

TUSCAN CHICKPEA SALAD

Spring za comen.... and I want to start a series of easy and delicious dishes that are simple and flavorful starting with a typical Tuscan salad dish which can be a meal in itself or a good starter. I have seen other versions that appear more complex in taste and unfortunately the complexity covers the basic flavors, being the fresh garlic, basil and olive oil so my advise is to keep it simple !

YOU'LL NEED:
(SERVES 4)

- 30 oz can of chickpeas (rinced)
- 1/2 cup of grated (coarse or in strips) parmesan cheese
- 6 T spoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic clove, pressed and cut finely
- 3 T spoons Italian parsley (fresh and chopped well)
- 1 T spoon fresh basil (chopped well)
- 1 t spoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 T spoon white wine vinegar
- 3 T spoons lemon juice (fresh is better)
- 1 challot cut finely
- OPTIONAL 1 can of tuna OR chicken (in water NOT in olive oil)

PREPARATION:

- In a medium size bowl, add the rinced and drained chickpeas, parsely, basil, lemon juice, garlic, challot, olive oil and vinegar and mix (manually).
- To the above, add in the Parmesan (it looks much better if your cheese is grated with a hand grater using the larger holes or slits to form thin and narrow sheet like forms). Add the black pepper and let sit in your fridge for about an hour before serving.
- Great with a dry white wine and perhaps simple crostini with diced tomatoes, garlic and olive oil !

ENJOY

A FUNKY PESTO SAUCE OR DIP

I need to share this one with you all, its an odd version of the Genova Pesto which can be used as a dip or a flavory sauce to top your pasta or to drizzle (sounds good, love that word) over grilled chicken or a blaze' fish !

Not to offend the Genovese but Pesto can also be prepared without the fresh basil (and of course that is the base ingredient) and with a little creativity one can create something that just kicks the heck out of any normally bland meat or fish or even to give something so wonderfully good to the daily spags !

YOU'LL NEED:

- 1 cup of fresh flat parsley (I call this Italian)
- 1/2 cup of baby spinish (cleaned and stemmed)
- 1 T spoon freshly chopped tarragon
- 3 T spoons unsalted pistachios (shell them please)
- 2 T spoons lemon juice
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1/4 cup ricotta cheese

This can't get any easier now.... place all of the above in your food processor and blend until you have a smooth texture.

ENJOY !

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Last night I opened the fridge and found it pretty sad as I feel great when its stuffed. So my creative juices saved me and my daughter. I found a couple of zucchini, some parmigiano cheese, some onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, lemons and .... went to work !

The flavor is wonderful and could work really was as a simple hor d'oeuvre, ok you can call it antipasto or anything else you want and goes down really well with a cold dry white wine (I drank fizzy water with lemon but that was just my preference).

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 8)

- 1 lb zucchini (medium sized) make sure you trim them
- 1/2 cup green onions (cut very thin)
- 2 T spoons chopped mint
- 1 T spoon chopped dill
- 3 garlic cloves (crushed and minced)
- 2 t spoons grated lemon zest
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 cup parmigiano cheese grated (I prefer a stronger flavor thus parmigiano Romano)
- frying oil (canola is preferred)
- Greek yogurt

PREPARATION:

- Start off by grating your zucchini with a large grater (cheese grater is fine but you will want larger grating holes for this)
- Place the grated zucchini on a towel so that they are dry, dont want much moisture in the mixture and add about 2 t spoons of salt and put aside for about 20 minutes.
- Place the zucchini in a medium size bowl and add in your green onions, chopped dill, mint, garlic, lemon zeast and a dash of black pepper. Mix all together well.
- To the above mixutre add in the breadcrumbs, the egg and your grated parmigiano romano and mix all together so that the text is very homogenous
- Now, with a spoon (I prefer larger fritters but you can also use a t spoon for smaller pieces) form 2 inch patties on your baking sheet (make sure to put down parchment paper first. Then put the sheet in your fridge for about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Now that your patties are chilled, remove them from the fridge and in a good size deep skillet, add the frying oil so that it will just get to the half way point of your fritters (probably about 1/4 - 1/2 inch of oil.
- When the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and place your patties in the skillet and cook til golden which will take from 3-5 minutes for each side of the newly born fritters.
- Remove and arrange on a simple platter and drizzle your yogurt on the top, garnish with lemons and mint or dill.
Serve warm and ENJOY !!!!

OSSOBUCCO WITH LEMON... a classic !

One of my all time favorites is the Italian classic of Ossobucco or stewed veal shanks with lemon. Its flavorful and pretty easy to put together, doesnt take a professional to prepare and its not high maintenance.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 6 veal shank of about 8 oz each
- 4 T spoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup all purpose non bleached flour
- 4 T spoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup meat stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3 T spoons flat parsley (chopped)
- 2 garlic cloves
- Oregano
- 2 lemons (juice and zest)
- salt and pepper GB (quanto basta.... just enough)

PREPARATION:

- Place your veal shanks on a big platter and just take a good look at them. The should look full, rather thick but be careful with they fellas because they will surely not behave while cooking so you MUST, with a sharp knife make several short cuts along their edges cutting inward toward the center as this will prevent them from curing or rolling inward during the cooking.
- In a good size skillet, pour your olive oil and your smashed and cut garlic clove and heat on medium. Careful not to burn the garlic but only slightly brown it.
- Pour your flour on a deep plate or large bowl.
- OPTIONAL... I will normally let my shanks sit in balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, dry white wine for a minimum of 4 hours prior to the flouring / dusting but its your call.
- Dust or place and pat the shanks in the flour (I add about a T spoon of oregano and salt to the flour prior to dusting the veal in it) and lay in the skillet.
- Let the veal simmer on medium heat and turn them to brown both sides. After about 10-12 minutes of cooking, add the stock,white wine, parsley and reduce heat to low and season with salt and pepper and let simmer for about 45 additional minutes however you will need to maintain a moist text to the veal so you will want to either add additional stock or water.
- When the veal is about 3/4 finished or about 30 minutes into the cook time, add the lemon juice and zest, cover and finish cooking (another 15-20 minutes on simmer or low heat.
- Serve with rice or tagliatelle pasta and perhaps a veggie such as artichokes or stuffed tomotoes or even mushrooms.

ENJOY !!!

Veal Rolls with Sage and Olives

My Grandmother used to make this for me however I have a somewhat different variation, its full of flavor and basically buonissimo!
YOU'LL NEED:

- 2 lbs veal scallops
- 1 big bunch of fresh sage (sorry the dry stuff wont work here)
- 1 T spoon drained capers
- 16 black pitted olives
- 3 T spoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 garlic clove
- fresh ground pepper
- pinch of salt
- 3 T spoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup dry white wine.

PREPARATION:
- On a cutting board, prepare the sage leaves, garlic, olives and cappers and chop finely then add the T spoon balsamic vinegar along with a dash of salt and pepper.
- Place your veal scallops on a platter and spread the above mixture (sage, capers etc) over each piece of veal.
- Roll the scallops and tie each roll with kitchen string.
- In a frying pan, add the olive oil over medium heat and brown the rolls. Add the remainder of the balsamic vinegar and cover for 5 minutes.
- Pour 1/4 cup of dry white wine, reduce your heat and let simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Remove and remove the string and serve.
- Optional : my grandmother normally prepared a light tomato sauce (made with fresh diced tomatoe with basil, garlic, salt & pepper. Then she would drizzle a bit of the sauce over the plated veal rolls.

STUFFED SHRIMP WITH TARRAGON & RICOTTA CHEESE

We are approaching the better months of the year (at least in Italy is the case) and I want to share something that I came across several years back while on holidays in Ischia (an Island in the Golf of Naples):

This dish is ideal as a starter or even as an antipasto and pretty cute as finger food for a cocktail party. This is a refreshing dish, ideal for the warmer months because it is served cold or cool.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 6-8)
- 50 large shrimp in the shell\
- 3/4 cup ricotta
- 1 T spoon lemon juice
- 4 T chopped fine tarragon
- 1 T shopped parsley
- 1/2 t spoon salt

PREPARATION:

- Get those shrimp in your pot of salted boiling water until they curl somewhat and turn just a bit pink. Drain and let cool and peel.
- With a knife make an incision lengthwise on the backside of the shrimp.
- Make a mixture with the ricotta, tarragon and parsley with a pinch of salt.
- Transfer the above mixture in a pastry bag and pipe the shrimp a and arrange them on a platter decorated.

ENJOY !

A NOTE ON FRIED POTATOES AND BATTER FOR FISH

Hope you dont mind my side-tracking but I made fish and chips yesterday and I know it is not Italian however there are a couple elements in this British dish that are also used rather often down on the boot !

I want to start with fried potatoes in a chips or a french fry style and a little extra for a more savory flavor.

FRIED POTATOES WITH SAGE (ALSO FRIED)

Well for a more crispy chip or potato or french fry, the element which alot of people forget to do is the soaking of the cut and peeled potato in water to remove the startch.....

YOU'LL NEED:

- 1 1/2 lb potatoes
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup plus 2 T spoons flour (all-purpose)
- 1/2 cup water (and I will let you know that if you use fizzy water, it will make your end result much lighter in texture)
- 20 large sage leaves (make sure that they are rinsed and dried completely)
- 4 cups frying oil
- salt

PREPARATION:

- Get those potatoes peeled and cut into long strips, not too thick mind you.
- Place the peeled stips of potatoes in cold water for at least 1 hour as this soaking removes the startch as mentioned above and will result in a crispier fried potatoe.
- Now you will need to combine the flour, the egg, the water and pinch of salt in your food processor resulting in a creamy texture and then place in a medium size bowl.
- With your drained potatoes, you will need now to put them all one by one in a deep frying pan with the oil hot and turn often so that they are golden on all sides.
- Now, with the batter that we made above, take your sage leaves and dip them gently into the mixture and then place them in the oil along with your potatoes, remove and salt.

SIMPLE !

BATTER:

Another variation for the batter will involve the addition of 1 t garlic diced and 1 T of cut roesary and 2 T spoons of olive oil, salt and pepper and instead of adding the water, we let the potatoes or fish soak in frizzy water for about an hour prior to passing through the batter and in into the oil.

RICOTTA PIE WITH CHIVES

This is one of my all-time favorite! Its a typical Tuscan dish and can be found in all corners of this region from the mountains down to the southern coastal areas near Grosseto. Its super with a glass of dry white wine and salad.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 6)

- 1 lb ricotta cheese (pre-mixed in food processor so that it is light in texture)
- 1 T spoon unsalted butter (for greasing pie tin or pie pan)
- 1 cup of sweet cherry tomatoes (halved)
- 1 generous cup of grated parmigiano
- 3 eggs (separated)
- salt & pepper to taste
- 4 T spoons chopped chives (fresh of course)
- dash of nutmeg (1.5 t spoons approx)
- 1/2 t spoon black pepper

PREPARATION:

- In a medium size bowl, add the ricotta, egg yolks, the chives, nutmeg and about 90% of the parmesan cheese. Mix all together well and in a separate bowl, mix the egg whites until foamy and then add to your ricotta mixture and season to taste (please dont overmix to avoid the egg white to deflate).
- Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a 9 inch pan, grease with butter and sprinkle evenly the bottom and the sides with the remainder of the parmigiano cheese (grated finely).
- Now pour the cheese mixture (ricotta) in your pan and placed your halved cherry tomatoes on top and sprinkle with parmesan grated cheese and bake this until golden on top or about 45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool then with a knife, wipe it around the inside ledge of your pan and place your pie on a platter, serve hot or cool.

ENJOY !!!

Carrot Souffle' borrowed from France and made Italian

As the title says, imported from France as are a number of dishes in northwestern Italy which once belonged to France. The influence and exchange of foods in mountainous regions of the northwest are very frequently found and I find are pretty much present in the northern regions of Italy.

I spent many years travelling from Florence to Geneva in my younger days (not the time or place to elaborate on here....) and there is an enormous distinction in the regional foods, in particular from the northern boarder areas along the Alps (France, Switzerland and Austria).

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 6)

- 1 1/2 lbs (500 gr) carrots, cleaned and cut into large pieces
- 6 T spoons unsalted butter
- 1 white onion, chopped fine
- 1 t nutmeg
- 2 cups whole milk or 1 cup milk and 1 cup cooking cream
- 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 t spoon of sugar
- 2 eggs
- salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

- Start off by combining the carrots with salted water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, cook for approximately 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In a relatively deep saucepan on low heat, melt 3 T of butter then turn up the heat to medium and add in the onion (sliced) and let saute' for about 5 minutes, then take off heat.
- Pour your milk in a saucepan and heat, add the remaining butter (3 T spoons) and the flour and mix until smooth. Cook this mixture for approximately 10 minutes.
- Pass your carrots in a food processor with a dribble of olive oil and some flat fresh parsley along with the milk and flour mixture. When smooth and homogenous, add in the egg yolks.
- In a separate bowl, place the egg whites and beat until light in texture and add to the carrot mixture.
- Pour it all together in a souffle' oven dish and bake at 400 F for approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Serve hot

ENJOY !!!

TACCHINO TONNATO (Turkey in a creamy tuna sauce)

I could not add this dish because it is so much a part of the Italian Sunday lunch or dinner. Its just really simple and the kids will love it, at least mine does!

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 3 white onions
- 8 cups water
- 1 T spoon salt
- 5 peppercorns
- 2 celery stalks cut up well
- 1 turkey breast (approximately 2.5 lbs)
- 2 T spoons Hellmanns Mayo
- 2 eggs (yolk)
- 1 T spoon Dijon mustard (this is an important element so do not substitute with the yellow french mustard please)
- 1 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 T spoons white wine vinegar
- 3/4 lb canned tuna packed in olive oil
- 1 canned anchovy fillet (drain and rinse well)
- 2 small sour pickles
- 1 t spoon drained capers

PREPARATION:

- In a relatively deep sauce pan, fill 3/4 with salted water and bring to a boil. Add the onions, celery, carrots, peppercorns along with the turkey breast. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the turkey breast is cooked completely.
- At this point, we need to work on the sauce so in a food processor, combine the egg yolk, mustard and salt. Blend and slowly add in the oil, then the vinegar and blend.
- In the above mixture while still in the food processor, add in the tuna, anchovy, pickles, the mayo and your capers and blend until your mixture is smooth in texture. Place in a bowl and put in the fridge.
- With your cooked turkey breast, now cooled, slice thinly and place on a large platter and gently pour your creamy tuna sauce over the top. No return to fridge for at least 1 hour and ready to serve, garnish with fresh basil leaves and capers.

ENJOY !!!

CARCIOFI RIPIENI (Stuffed Artichokes with Ricotta Cheese)

Mamma Mia!

Just thinking about these wonders gets my blood flowing real fast....!!!!

This is a perfect antipasto / finger food for any event and pretty darn easy to prepare, dont be afraid of the artichoke though, I know some of you just dont have that passion, yet. Artichokes are great for you and if you combine their bitterness with something salty or sweet you will surely learn to appreciate these babies.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 1 Lemon (its juice)
- 12-14 artichokes
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese (get the good stuff if you can that is soft)
- 8 T spoons of parmesan cheese... good parmigiano, go for the best especially when dealing with antipasti because you are dealing with the core flavor or the flavor which is tied very closely to the core.
- salt and pepper (QB)

PREPARATION:

- First thing is to fill a medium sized bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice.
- Clean the Carciofi (artichokes) by trimming off the top 1/3 of this beauty and peel off the tough outer leaves (in general about 30% of the leaves are removed) until you arrive at the tender part. Remove the fuzz and then cut off the hard stem up to the base so that it can sit up straight. Place the cleaned and peeled artichoke in the cold water and lemon juice (this maintains the color).
- In a relatively deep sauce pan fill it with water (about 80%) and about a T spoon of salt and bring to a boil for approximately 10-12 minutes or until tender.
- Take out a bowl and pool together the egg yolks and blend in the ricotta cheese and mix with seasoning to taste.
- With the egg whites, beat them in a smaller bowl then add it to your ricotta, parmesan and yolk mixture however be careful not to over mix as you dont want the mixture to collapse.
- Preheat your oven to about 350 F (180 c)
- In a baking dish (big enough for all the artichokes to sit up-right without layering them).
- Carefully open the artichokes (dried by this time) and scoop about a T spoon of your ricotta cheese mixture into the center of the artichokes and then place each filled wonder into the baking dish (I often pour about a tablespoon of olive oil on the bottom of the baking dish before placing the artichokes to rest).
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until the ricotta mixture becomes golden.

ENJOY !!!!

SPINACH BALLS !

I vividly remember walking into my grandmother's house which I normally did when our fridge was looking pretty sad and smelling something ever so gooood!

These wonders are simple and totally mind blowing.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 4 unless I'm there!)

- 2 lb cut spinach (I like the baby spinach)
- 1 cup grated Fontina or Parigiano Cheese
- 4 T spoons unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup plain flour
- dash of nutmeg (yes this is used in alot of Italian dishes)
- 1/4 cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- salt and pepper QB (quanto basta) or to taste

PREPARATION:

- Take out your favorite large saucepan and add about a cup of salted water, bring to boil and add the spinach, let cook til wilted. Drain the water and squeeze to eliminate the liquid.
- With your sauce pan on low heat, melt the butter and add the spinach to it and let cook or until all liquid is evaporated.
- In a medium size bowl, add your cheese, eggs, half of the flour and the nutmeg and mix well. You will want a rather dry end result.
- Now put some flour on your clean and ringless hands and with them make small balls with the mixture and place them on a floured plate or tray.
- In a frying pan, melt a bit of butter (1 T spoon) and the oil. Place your spinach balls in the hot oil/butter and turn often so that they become uniformly golden.

AND THATS IT!

ENJOY

CANNELLONI FRITTI (Fried Cannelloni)

Go ahead, just do it! Every now and then something fried just makes me happy to be alive...

These fried cannelloni are prepared with simple lasagna squares and stuffed with a simple bechamel sauce and some good authentic Fontina.... get to it:

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup milk (I dont use skimmed or fat free but who am I?)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 8 oz Fontina cheese (grated or shredded)
- 12 lasagna squares (4" x 4")
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 t spoon nutmeg
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 4 cups vegetable oil

PREPARATION:

- Place in your saucepan on medium heat and add your butter, let melt. Add the flour and stir for about 5 minutes and remember you dont want the sauce to brown so you may need to lower your heat !
- Now add the warm milk slowly and continue to stir, after about 10 minutes remove (you need to season to taste with salt and pepper and any other herb you wish, I do like a bay leaf and or garlic clove but remember to remove the additions before assembling your dish) Now add in the cheese and a dash of nutmeg, allow to cool.
- In a large pot, fill with water and salt and olive oil and bring to a boil. Add in the lasagna squares (a couple at a time) and cook until they are about half way cooked or al dente. transfer the squares to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the pasta and place them on a kitchen towel to dry.
- Now with your bechamel sauce cooled, place a portion of it in the center of each of the lasagna squares. Now roll the squares to form a tube and remember to fold the ends so that the sauce doesnt escape.
- Beat your eggs now and leave in bowl and in another bowl put the breadcrumbs and dip each pasta tube into the eggs and then into the breadcrumbs.
- At this point, we need to fry your newly born cannelloni in your deep frying pan filled abut 3/4 of the vegetable oil. When golden (will take about 4-6 minutes). With tongs remove the cannelloni and place on paper towels.

ENJOY !!!

MELANZANE RIPIENE (Stuffed Eggplans, two times ...)

WOW.... the title of this is making my mouth water!

A really easy dish which is great for a small party or for someone kinda special. I thought that I invented this but when I was in Lucca a while back and saw this dish at a little osteria in the walled city I was pleasantly surprised, I ate it there and felt that my version is better so here it is:

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 3 eggplants (medium size and not bruised)
- 2 cups milk (2% or lowfat is fine)
- 4 cups extra virgin olive oil
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup flour (all purpose unbleached)
- 3 T spoons grated parmigiano cheese
- 1 t spoon dried oregano
- salt & pepper to taste

PREPARATION:

Ok, now roll up your sleeves, take off your rings, wash those hands and lets get going!

- Cut those beautifully deep blue/purple) babbies into halves (lengthwise) and keep on that skin (its the best part of them).
- You need a skillet, large in size and add the olive on medium/high heat. Add a potatoe piece in the oil and when it bops to the top, the oil is hot (remove the potatoe piece). Place the eggplants in the pan with the cut side down and let fry for 5-7 minutes or until golden in color.
-Remove them babies (i use my new tongs) and let drain on a paper towel.
- When the eggplants are cooled, remove the pulp and place in a saucepan with 3 T spoons of frying oil (sunflower is good) on low heat. Warm the pulp and mash it until smooth. Allow to cool.
- Prepare a bechamel sauce (see earlier posts). Add mile to a saucepan and bring to a low boil. In a separate saucepan on medium heat melt the butter. Add flour and stir until it is completely absorbed. Add your hot milk slowly and stir until smooth and tickened (about 10 minutes). You can flovor ths sauce with a bayleaf, or garlic or onion... what ever floats your boat.
- Remove from the heat and allow to cool and stir frequently to avoid a film from forming on the top.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F (175C) and add two tablespoons of the cooled sauce to the mashed eggplant along with the parmesan cheese and your oregano. Now sppon the eggtplant mixture back into the eggplant skins and allow for a slight indentation in the center of the mixture.
- In a saucepan about 3/4 full of water, allow to boil and very very carefully put the eggs in the water and let keep them there in the boiling water for 5 minutes and then remove and put in cold water. Peel the eggs when cooled and place an egg in the stuffed eggplants (thats why we left a slight indentation in the middle of the mixture stuffed skins.
- Now place the stuffed eggplants in a baking dish and spoon the remaining sauce over the eggplants. Bake until the tops are golden which should take about 8 minutes.

ENJOY !

TORTA DI CARCIOFI (Artichoke Pie)

How can someone love artichokes as much as I do !?

An easy to do dish that you can serve as a main course or super for a party dish.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves 4-8)

- 12-14 artichokes (rinced well if frozen or canned)
- 3 T spoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T spoons balsicm vinegar
- handful of flat parsely
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup white dry wine
- 1 t spoon oregano
- 1/2 red onion (cut thin)
- 1 t spoon salt & pepper
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup grated parmigiano cheese
- 1/8 cup cooking cream
- 1/8 cup grated pecorino cheese
- pastry poof pasta
- oven pie dish

PREPARATION:

- Lets start off by preparing the carciofi (artichokes). If you have frozen or canned carciofi, make sure you rince them well and cut them in quarters or halves if small. If you have "real" fresh artichokes, peel them and clean the fuzz out and cut in quarters. (if you have issues with cleaning and peeling "real" artichokes, contact me for instructions how to do so.
- In a deep and medium saucepan, add a couple T spoons olive oil, 1 smashed and cut garlic clove and when the garlic starts to golden, add the artichokes and let cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the balsamic vinegar and about a 1/4 cup of warm water, cover and lower heat to low for another 5 minutes or until soft.
- When water has evaporated, turn up heat to high and add parsley and mix for about 2 minutes, then add the 1/4 cup of white wine (I prefer dry) and let reduce. Bring heat down to simmer and cover while we work on the pastry and egg mixtures.
- In a pie tin, place your pastry poof pasta leaving a bit of a boarder around the sides and preheat oven to 325 F. When oven has reached the temp, put the poof pastry in oven for about 10 minutes. Then remove and let cool.
- In a medium size bowl, pool (break open and put together) 6 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, oregano, the parmigiano cheese grated and the 1/8 cup cooking cream. Mix together then add your artichokes to this mixture.
- Pour the above mixture onto your slightly cook pastry poof in the pie tin and sprinkle with the grated pecorino cheese.
- Return the above back to your oven and reduce the heat to 320F and cook for 20 minutes.

EASIER THAN THIS...... NO PROBLEM !
ENJOY

MINI GNOCCHI DI PANE E FUNGHI SECCHI (Lil'' Gnocchi with bread and dried mushrooms)

A great friend of mine from Venice came to visit me in Florence last summer, she loves to invent dishes and experiment as do I so naturally I want to share one of the offspring of our endevours!

This is a great antipasto in particular if you are serving as a main dish meat.

This antipasto is not a Venetian dish but rather a dish from the northern area of the Region of Veneto (Venice is the capital city of the Region of Veneto in north-eastern Italy),

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 1 lb dried bread crumbs (you can make it yourself but store bought is fine)
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk (not skimmed)
- 2 oz (50 g) dried porcini mushrooms
- 2 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 white onion chopped finely
- 1 cup all purpose non-bleached flour
- 6 T unsalted softened butter
- 1 T balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 cup parmigiano or pecorino cheese, grated
- 1 t salt and 1 t freshly ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

- In a medium sized bowl crack three eggs and whisk.
- Pour your breadcrumbs into the bowl along with the milk and season with salt and pepper.
- While the breadcrumbs are absorbing the liquid, soak your mushrooms in warm water with about a T spoon of balsamic vinegar until soft then drain them and chop them finely.
- Put a good sized saucepan on low heat and warm the olive oil, then add your chopped finely onion for approx. 4 minutes then add the mushrooms and cover to simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.
- When the above are cooled, place them into a deep bowl and add your bread and egg mixture along with about 75% of your flour and mix well manually (hands).
- Ensure that your hands and wooden surface are floured and make small 1/2 - 3/4 inch balls, thus the birth of the gnocchetti and arrange them on the flat floured surface.
- Almost done ! Now we need to bring a medium sized pot of salted and oiled water to boil. Batch the gnocchetti with a large spoon into the boiling water and leave them until they float to the top (shoundnt take more than 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow them to drain before placing them on your platter.
- In a small saucepan, melt your butter and dirzzle of your plated gnocchetti and then a generous dash of parmigiano or pecorino over the top !

ENJOY !!!!

TUSCAN CHICKEN

I have been told that this dish is very particular in a good sense as the flavor will be a topic for discussion at your dinner table. I first ate this dish years ago at very good friend of mines home in Florence (Gabriella).... Thank you Gabi for this recipe !


YOU'LL NEED:
(Serves 4-6)

- 2 lbs (about a kilo) of dark and white boneless chicken
- 1 yellow or red onion
- 1 T of Rosemary (fresh and cut finely)
- 1 t of Tyme (fresh)
- 1/2 lb pancetta or lean bacon
- 2 T spoons olive oil
- 1 cup all purpose white flour)
- 15-20 small figs (cut in halves)
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- salt & pepper
- lemon zest

PREPARATION:

- In a large and relative deep saucepan, cut your pancetta or bacon into small pieces and brown, then remove and place on a paper towel.
- In the same pan (with the oil from the pancetta) place your cut and cleaned and floured bite size chicken (I remove the skin but some skin does give extra flavor) chicken on medium heat. let brown for about 10 minutes, you will need ensure that you turn to brown both sides.
- Add the diced onion at this time along with your herbs (rosemary and tyme)
- Add your figs (remember to cut in halves to allow the flavor to oooz and gather with the chicken)
- Add now your white wine, when most of the wine has evaporated, add the chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste and cover for approximately 20 minutes on medium heat. You will see that the figs have contributed to the now deep redish sauce. Sprinkle lemon zest a top and serve.

I suggest that you serve this with Gnocchi made with a butter and sage/nutmeg sauce.

ENJOY !!!

PORCINI MUSHROOMS WITH BAY LEAVES

Another Tuscan favorite and of mine ! This dish is very frequently eaten in the area between Florence and Siena and has a seasonal element of late September - November and is honestly one of my favorites because its easy to prepare and soooooo good to eat!

YOU'LL NEED:
(Serves 6)

- 1 lb fresh porcini mushrooms
- 2 bay leaves
- 7 T spoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- 3 T spoons fresh flat parsley (finely chopped)

PREPARATION:

- First you will need to cut the stems off the mushrooms (but dont toss them out because you can use them to flavor other dishes and given their cost, its a good idea to utilize every portion). Do not wash them as the water will create a negative effect on the mushroom so ever so gently brush the dirt (with a damp paper towel). Place the mushrooms on an oiled (olive of course) baking dish. Arrange the caps of the mushrooms with the rounded side facing you and brush with olive oil.
- Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and place the bay leaves around the mushrooms.
- Place the dish in your broiler for a few minutes, until tender and just slightly golden which should take about 8 minutes.
- In a small bowl, stir the remaining olive oil, add the lemon juice and parsley. Season this with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
- Remove the mushrooms to a good size platter and remove the bayleaves and dribble your lemon and oil mixture to the mushrooms.

ENJOY !

CROSTINI CROSTINI AND MORE CROSTINI (Grilled bread shredded with Red Cabbage or Radiccio)

I have yet to come across a Tuscan who would not sit down to dinner without the bread and more specifically their crostini (especially on Sundays!)

There are many different types of crostini, the bread is typically unsalted and grilled and the toppings vary but in general are veggies from peppers, faggioli (lima, navy, kidney beans) to just a simple version with a good drizzle of olive oil and salt.

I first had this version while in a winery in Chianti (near Siena) and was just too good for words.

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 6 slices of country bread (unsalted is preferred) cut about 1/2 inch thick.
- 6 garlic cloves
- 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz red cabbage shredded finely
- 2-3 T spoons red wine vinegar
- dash of salt and ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

- Preheat your grill (or your boiler). Place the sliced bread on a cook sheet and grill (turn over just once) until they are golden on both sides. Place them on seperate small salad plates and oil just the top side.
- In a good size saucepan on high heat add the remainder of the olive oil and smashed, cut garlic (3 cloves) and when a light golden color add the cabbage and mix. Add the vinegar and season (salt & pepper). The cabbage ought to be warm and slightly wilted... do not over cook !
- Place the cabbage on your grilled bread and are now deemed to be called CROSTINI !
- I like to sprinkle a dash of freshly grated parmigiano cheese on top each crostini as it just adds a bit more flavor and umphhhhh!
- For the best result, eat with a small glass of Chianti

ENJOY

SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA (Pasta with a hot tomato sauce)

If you like it hot and flavorful then you havent tasted anything until you try this dish, the Romans call it theirs and I wont argue with a hungry Roman, however just in case you want to know its origin, I've been told that is comes from just a bit farther south from the island of Ischia which is located just west of Naples (I was fortunate to go there a few years ago and would advise anyone visiting central Italy in the spring or summer to make a point to spend a few days on this island... great food and great people, oh and cant forget the great seaside !!).

YOU'LL NEED:
(serves six)

- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lb of mature tomatoes (romane) peeled and seeded then diced (or canned are fine if you cannot find Roman tomatoes at your favorite market)
- 5 T extra virgin olive oil
- 2 T drained capers
- 1 cup pitted black olives
- 1 t chopped oregano
- 2 oz packed anchovies, rinsed and chopped (make sure they are filleted)
- a pinch of red pepper flakes (the more the merrier!)
- 1 large bunch of flate parsley chopped finely
- 1 1/2 lb spaghetti but i prefer linguine

PREPARATION:

Pull out a medium saucepan and put on medium heat. You need to add a couple generous T spoons of the olive oil (remember you get out what you put in so use extra virgin) and when warm add your crushed and peeled garlic, remain til it starts to color. Now add to the oil and garlic your tomatoes, capers, olives, red pepper flakes, parsley and oregano. Cook for about 8 minutes but stir occasionally. Now add your anchovies and let simmer for another 10 minutes on low heat.

Now prepare the pasta. Bring to a boil in a large pot the salted water (and remember to add a dribble of olive oil to the water). Add the pasta and cook until its "al dente". Paur your sauce over the pasta (do this in the same saucepan you used to prepare the sauce and let simmer for just a minute or two while mixing thoroughly.

Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of a great grated parigiano cheese and serve with a good Chianti !

ENJOY