Category Archives: Vegetarian

Fried Zucchini Blossoms

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Fiori Fritti dello Zucchini

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For a number of years now, it seems that every cook and chef on television has demonstrated the fine art of stuffing zucchini/squash blossoms before being fried. This was not something we ever tried at the two-flat. First of all, Grandpa would never plant something in his garden that would take up so much space. Tomatoes were his main interest and a plant that sprawled, no matter what kind, just wasn’t welcome. More importantly, even if he found a suitable spot for, say, zucchini, picking the blossoms would not have been acceptable to him in the slightest. He planted zucchini and anything that would lessen the crop would not have been allowed. So, without the crutch of a family recipe, I headed into new territory when I bought my first bunch of zucchini blossoms late last Summer.

Those first blossoms proved to be a disaster. They were an impulse buy and I’d no idea how to store them, so, I treated them like I would cut flowers. I awoke the next morning to find a wilted mess in a glass of water. That was the last I saw of blossoms until a few weeks ago, when I came across some at the farmers market. With my car in the shop, they survived the trip home in surprisingly good shape. Problems arose, however, when it came to creating a stuffing. Not wishing to test the CTA’s reliability a 2nd time that day, I raided the fridge, finding fresh mozzarella and fontinella cheeses. A quick trip to the corner store and I returned with a 1/2 gallon of whole milk that was used to make ricotta. These three cheeses were used to prepare the stuffing used in today’s recipe.

With the stuffing decided, I set about creating a batter to coat them. I tried a number of versions, over the course of 3 Saturdays, finally settling on a batter of flour, corn starch, cornmeal, and club soda. This batter was, by far, the best, resulting in blossoms that were crispy without being buried in batter.

I also continued to experiment with fillings. My favorite consisted of mozzarella and anchovies. Unfortunately, my photos from that batch were a mess, though I did post the “best” one later in this post.

There is one more thing worth mentioning. Be sure to open each blossom and check to see if there are any stow-aways. Although any one of a number of insects might be found lurking in there, I’m more concerned with creatures of the eight-legged variety. Although I’ve yet to come across one, I check the blossoms over the sink with the garbage disposal running. Just sayin’ …

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I’ll be leaving for Michigan and the Kitchens will be closed as a result. It’s time for a little R&R on the beach with Max. See you in 2 weeks.

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Che Bei Fiori!

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Fried Zucchini Blossoms Recipe

Ingredients

  • 12 fresh zucchini/squash blossoms
  • 2 oz (56 g) mozzarella, grated
  • 2 oz (56 g) fontinella, grated
  • 4 oz (113 g) whole milk ricotta, well-drained
  • 1/2 cup AP flour
  • 1/4 cup corn starch/flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • club soda
  • salt & pepper
  • oil for frying

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Fontinella, Ricotta, & Mozzarella Cheeses

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Directions

  1. Using tweezers, remove stamen and gently wash each blossom. Carefully blot each one dry. Remove the stems just beneath the blossom.
  2. Place a coffee filter into a strainer and add ricotta. Allow to drain a couple of hours. Discard the liquid (whey) and reserve the ricotta.
  3. Coarsely grate mozzarella and fontinella cheeses. (See Notes)
  4. Combine ricotta, mozzarella, and fontinella cheeses. Mix well.
  5. Add flour, corn starch, salt & pepper into a bowl and whisk to combine.
  6. Add enough club soda to make a batter.
  7. Place the cheese mixture  into a pastry bag or plastic storage bag. If using the latter, cut off one of the bag’s bottom corners and force the cheese into that part of the bag.
  8. Grab hold of a blossom in one hand and gently separate the petals to reveal a “pocket”. Gently blowing into the blossom may help open it up.
  9. Place the tip of the cheese-filled pasty/plastic bag into the pocket and squeeze some of the cheese into the blossom. Do not overfill nor allow the blossom to split. Continue until all are stuffed.
  10. Fill a medium-sized sauce pan with about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil. Heat to about 350˚. You’ll know it is hot enough if a bit of batter instantly begins to fry when dropped into the hot oil.
  11. Take one blossom and twist the petal ends to seal the cheese inside. Grabbing hold of the twisted petal ends, dip the blossom into the batter to cover. Drain excess batter and then place in the hot oil. Continue with more blossoms. Work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
  12. When golden brown (2 to 4 minutes), flip each blossom. Fry for another 2 minutes
  13. Remove to a paper towel lined dish and season with salt.
  14. Serve immediately

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Variations

Though stuffed blossoms are wonderful when fried, you really don’t need to stuff them with anything before frying. Just dip them in the batter and fry them. You’ll get a light, crispy treat without the hassle of trying to fill blossoms with cheese.

Mozzarella & Anchovy  Zucchini Blossom

You can stuff the blossoms with whatever you like. Any cheese or mixture of cheeses will work. I chose a combination of 3 cheese for this post. My favorites, though were blossoms stuffed with mozzarella and an anchovy. Simply prepare the blossom as indicated above, cut a stick of mozzarella, wrap it with an anchovy, insert both into the blossom before dredging and frying. Unfortunately, the photo on the right is the best of those I took that afternoon.

There are several ways to coat your blossoms. Some prefer to use eggs in their batter while others “go it alone” with just a coating of flour. Some use breadcrumbs to form a coating and others like only flour. I like a thinner batter, so, I use a little club soda poured into a mixture of 1 part each of corn meal and corn starch/flour for every 2 parts AP flour. When mixed, I prefer a batter that’s a little thicker than buttermilk but not quite as thick as pancake batter.

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Notes

I’ve yet to discover a good way to store blossoms. I was told to treat them like freshly cut flowers and that didn’t work. I’ve since searched the web and it’s suggested that the blossoms be tightly sealed and refrigerated. (One of the vendors expressly stated not to refrigerate them.) I’ve yet to try this for when I returned last weekend for more blossoms, none were to be found — hence the blurry photo above.

By far, the easiest way to stuff a blossom is to use a pastry or plastic bag, tip inserted into the blossom. If and when I find more blossoms, I think I’ll try the 3 cheeses again, only doubling the amount of mozzarella and fontinella before adding chopped anchovies to the mixture. Yes, I do love my anchovies!

Whenever soft cheeses like mozzarella need to be grated, it’s easiest if your place the cheese in the freezer for about 30 minutes beforehand. This should harden the cheese a bit, making grating a snap.

Initially, I tried a shallow fry, using about a half-inch of oil in the pan. I did not like the results at all. The lack of oil meant the blossoms had to be “handled” more so that they could be flipped and evenly fried. This raised the risk of damaged blossoms and leaking cheese. Using about 2 inches (5 cm) of oil made frying so much easier and consequently no blossoms were harmed in the making of this tasty treat.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

For many, a meal isn’t complete until coffee and an after-dinner liqueur are served. If that meal is served during the Summer, a dish of ice cream is very often part of the equation. With an eye towards reducing the average dishwasher’s workload, the Italians took these 3 traditions and united them in one simple dessert, affogato al caffè. Often served in a cup, affogato is a combination of ice cream and espresso, with an optional shot of your favorite liqueur. I think you’ll agree that an affogato is a wonderful way to end a meal — without having to loosen your belt afterward. You can see directions for creating a variety of affogati by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Baccalà Salad

Baccalà Salad

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Asparagus, Crimini Mushroom, and Ricotta Ravioli Filling

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Yes, it’s another ravioli filling recipe, though not the one I had originally intended to post. Today’s filling recipe was to include ramps, a dish Zia and I developed during my last visit home. Well, ramp season has passed and I doubt that any of the wild onions are to be found anywhere. Asparagus, on the other hand, is still around, though it’s numbers have greatly decreased over the last 2 weekends. (The ramps post is written and will be published soon.) Seeing that asparagus season is also fleeting, I thought it best to post a recipe using the spears now, while you can still get some that are locally grown. In fact, all 3 recipes presented in today’s post will take advantage of the current harvest. The “Déjà vu” recipe will feature strawberries, while “Coming soon” is a pasta recipe that includes a number of fresh ingredients. 

Today’s post will only detail how to make asparagus ravioli filling. If you’re interested in seeing how to use ravioli molds/dies to create the stuffed pasta pillows, you can see step-by-step instructions by clicking HERE. For serving suggestions, see Notes below.

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Asparagus, Crimini Mushroom, & Ricotta Ravioli Filling Recipe

Yield: See Notes below. 

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 8 oz (228 g) fresh asparagus, chopped
  • 8 oz (228 g) fresh crimini mushrooms, chopped
  • 3 oz (86 g) Spring onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/8 tsp white pepper
  • 3/4 cup (12 oz, 340 g) ricotta, well-drained
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino Roman cheese, grated

Directions

  1. Clean and roughly chop the asparagus (see Notes), mushrooms, onion, & garlic
  2. Heat olive oil and butter over med-high heat. Add asparagus, mushroom, and onion, lower heat to medium, and sauté until mixture just begins to change color — about 6 or 7 minutes.
  3. Add garlic, salt, and pepper, and continue to sauté until liquids are gone. Do not allow to burn.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool fully before proceeding.
  5. If using a food processor:
    1. Place the asparagus mixture into the processor, add the ricotta and Romano cheeses, and process until uniformly smooth.
  6. If not using a food processor:
    1. Chop the asparagus mixture as finely as possible.
    2. Add the cheeses and stir to thoroughly combine.
  7. Filling may now be used with your favorite stuffed pasta recipe.

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Notes

Using this recipe and my large, 2 inch (5 cm), ravioli die/mold , I made 90 ravioli. You might make more or less, depending upon the size of the die or stamp used.

Whether you use homemade or store-bought ricotta, place the cheese in a clean coffee filter, where it can drain for at least a few hours to remove the excess liquid.  The drier the better. 

You can serve your asparagus ravioli in a number of ways. I’ve found that a brown butter and sage sauce works very well, as do cream and “light” tomato sauces. For those who really enjoy asparagus, simply sauté a few chopped asparagus spears in butter and use that to dress freshly cooked ravioli. A bit of lemon zest on top works very well. In all the examples given, grated cheese should be sprinkled atop the dressed ravioli.

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Testing, testing, 1, 2, 3

I’ve made this and a couple other ravioli fillings over the course of the past couple of  months and it gave me an opportunity to experiment with a few things.

  1. All Purpose V Double 0 Flour. Last Fall I, finally, located a source for “00” flour, doppio 0. This is the finely ground durum flour used to make pasta and pizza dough in Italy. Although it’s roughly twice as expensive as AP flour, both Zia and I agree that using it creates pasta dough with a great feel. When cooked al dente, the pasta has a good bite, just as it should, and I’ll continue to buy and use it. Decisions have consequences, however, and I now have yet another container of flour in my kitchen. For those keeping track, that makes  6 — AP, bread, wheat, spelt, semolina, and now 00.  
  2. Attachment V Ravioli Die/Mold. I decided to pull out the KitchenAid ravioli maker and give it another shot. In the past I’ve found it less than perfect and, frankly, more trouble than it’s worth. All along, I thought that the fault may lie with the fillings I used, that the attachment would work best if a softer filling was in the hopper. Today’s asparagus ravioli filling was used to test my theory. I must admit that the ravioli maker worked better than it ever has and waste — which was a big problem with earlier trials — was minimal. Even if a bit cumbersome to operate, probably due to my inexperience, it did produce row after row of perfect ravioli. All’s not well, though. In order to get perfect ravioli, the dough sheets must be thick, more than double the thickness that we normally would use. That means you need to make at least twice the amount of pasta dough than would normally be required when using ravioli molds/dies. It, also, means the ratio of filling to pasta is different from the ravioli to which I’m accustomed. (Yes, my generation of Bartolini are a spoiled lot.)  In short, the ravioli attachment is back on the shelf, waiting for me to give it another go, probably in 2015 sometime.
  3. Chicken V Duck Eggs. Recently, while waiting to buy eggs at the farmers market, the customer before me bought a half-dozen duck eggs. Prior to this, I thought they were only sold by the dozen. So, I 86’ed the chicken and went duck. A couple of days later, I used them to make the pasta dough used in the ravioli pictured throughout this post. For those unfamiliar, Mom’s pasta dough recipe calls for 4 eggs and enough water to make a cup of liquid. Because they’re larger, only 3 duck eggs plus less than a tbsp of water will yield the required cup of liquid. Once made, the dough was much more yellow than normal but, to be fair, that may be due to the eggs’ freshness more than anything else. As for taste, I really could not detect a difference but, then again, without side-by-side taste tests, I should really say that I don’t “remember” a difference. Given that duck eggs are twice the price of chicken eggs, I’m not sure that I’ll be a regular customer for them anytime soon.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

As was mentioned, we’re just about at the end of asparagus season here in the Chicago area. The tables upon tables of the tasty spears have been replaced — by strawberries! Pictured on the right is just one vendor’s berries at the Evanston farmers market. Believe me, there are many more and I defy anyone, save those with allergies, to walk around that market without buying at least one quart. So, what will you do with these sweet & juicy red gems? Why, make strawberry jam, of course! You can see Mom’s recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Farmers Market Pasta

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Homemade Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce

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Gnocchi in Salsa di Gorgonzola

“The future ain’t what it used to be” and today’s post is the proof. You may have noticed last week’s “Coming Soon …” photograph depicted a recipe called “Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN” and, as a result, you may have deduced that was to be today’s recipe. Well, guess again. That recipe is scheduled for next week — has been all along — and cannot be rescheduled for reasons that will become apparent in the post. I must admit that it came as a surprise for me to learn that I cannot read a calendar and my newly found malady did leave me in a bit of a lurch for this week’s post. All’s not lost, though, since I’ve a bagful of recipes from my recent visit with Zia from which to choose. Because so many of you were interested in my family’s risotto, I set to work writing that recipe and blog entry. All was going swimmingly until Saturday morning when I noticed that Stefan, of Stefan’s Gourmet Blog, posted his recipe for Risotto with Peas & Mint. The very next day, Nick, of Frugal Feeding, posted his recipe for Tomato and Basil Risotto. That’s when I began to rethink my post. The third and final blow was struck when Paul, of That Other Cooking Blog, posted his recipe for Risotto al Nero di Seppie (squid ink risotto). Deciding that my post could be postponed a bit, I went back to the bag of recipes from my visit home and pulled out today’s gnocchi recipe. Even so, if all of this talk of risotto has you yearning for the creamy rice dish, be sure to check out those 3 recipes and, while you’re at it, spend a little time looking around each blog. You will not be disappointed.

One of the first things we kids were allowed to help make in the kitchen were gnocchi. Mom and Zia would make the dough and then hand us a piece to roll into a log, though we called them snakes. With a butter knife we were taught how to cut the snake and, depending upon the gnocchi’s use, we might even have been allowed to try to roll them across a fork’s tines to make the grooves. By “use” I mean whether dinner guests or family were to dine on the fruit of our labor. Mom always put her best gnocchi forward for company and she took charge of the groove-making, reshaping any malformed gnocchi along the way. Unlike today’s recipe, however, Mom’s gnocchi were always served with her meat sauce.

Although I’ve enjoyed gnocchi with gorgonzola at restaurants, I never thought about replicating the recipe at home until several years ago. My Entertainer Friend mentioned how much he enjoyed gnocchi with bleu cheese and I thought I’d come up with a recipe and treat him. Over the years, I’ve tried a number of variations, using several spices and herbs, and eventually switched from bleu cheese to gorgonzola, but I always came back to the simple recipe I’ll share today. It’s yet another example of “Less is More.” As for my Entertainer Friend, now that I’ve reminded him, I’d better start planning that gnocchi dinner.

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Gnocchi in Gorgonzola Sauce Recipe

yield: roughly 1.5 lbs (680 g)

Ingredients

  • 2 large russet potatoes, once cooked, peeled, & riced = 18 oz (510 g) (See Notes.)
  • 2 cups (10.2 oz; 290 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 large egg, slightly beaten
  • corn meal or additional flour for dusting surfaces
  • 5 oz (142 g) gorgonzola, crumbled, more or less to taste (See Notes)
  • 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream, more or less to taste
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • grated or flaked Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish — Parmigiano Reggiano may be substituted

Directions

To make the gnocchi

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400˚ F (204˚ C). Use a fork to pierce the potatoes numerous times.
  2. Place potatoes on center rack and bake until cooked, from 50 to 60 minutes, depending upon potato size.
  3. Meanwhile gather the other ingredients. Allow the egg to come to room temperature.
  4. Once cooked, remove potatoes and set aside until they can be safely handled.
  5. Slice each potato in half, lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out all of potato, reserving the skin for some other purpose.
  6. Run cooked potatoes through a ricer or food mill. (See Notes.)
  7. Use the riced potatoes to create a mound on a floured work surface. Make a well in the center of the mound, as you would when making pasta dough.
  8. Sprinkle the top of the well’s walls with 3/4 cup of flour. Place the egg in the center well after the potato has cooled enough so that the egg won’t cook.
  9. Using a fork, slowly combine the potato & flour with the egg. Once the dough renders the fork useless, continue mixing the dough with your hands.
  10. The dough should come together within 4 to 5 minutes. It will be ready when it is firm and a little moist-to-the-touch without being tacky. Add more flour as needed but remember: the less flour used, the better.
  11. Form a ball with the dough and divide it into fourths.
  12. Take one-quarter and divide it in half. Roll one of the sections into a log with a width of your preference. We normally roll them about an inch (2.5 cm) thick — the width of an index finger.
  13. Use a sharp knife or board scraper to cut the log into segments, each 1/2 (1.3 cm) to an inch (2.5 cm) long.
  14. If grooves are desired: Flour the back of a dinner fork, place a segment at the top of the tines, use your finger to roll it over the tines, creating gnocchi with grooves on one side and a dimple where your finger rolled it.
  15. If grooves aren’t wanted: Use a finger to push and roll each segment across the work surface, creating smooth surfaced gnocchi with dimples where you’d placed your fingers.
  17. Place the gnocchi on a lined baking sheet that’s been dusted with flour or corn meal.
  18. If not going to be cooked within a few hours, place the gnocchi-covered baking sheet in a freezer and once the gnocchi are frozen solid, place them in containers/bags suitable for freezer storage.

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Groovy
Smoooothe

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To cook the gnocchi

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil over high heat.
  2. Once the water boils, add the gnocchi and stir gently.
  3. When the water resumes boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and notice when the gnocchi begin to float. This should only take a couple of minutes when fresh and a few more when the gnocchi are frozen. Gnocchi will be ready about 1 minute after the last start floating. If in doubt, taste one.

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To prepare the gorgonzola sauce

  1. While waiting for the water to boil, heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
  2. Once the cream is hot, add the gorgonzola and stir until melted. Taste and adjust, adding more cream or gorgonzola to suit your own taste. If you prefer, you can add a bit of the water used to cook the gnocchi to thin the sauce without adding more cream.
  3. Don’t forget to taste and season with salt & pepper, if required.

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To assemble and serve

  1. Use a hand strainer — “Spider” strainer — to remove the gnocchi from the boiling water and place in the serving bowl. Add the gorgonzola sauce and mix gently until all are coated.
  2. Serve immediately, garnished with grated/flaked Pecorino Romano cheese.

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Variations

Like most Italian dishes, there are many recipes around for making gnocchi. No matter which recipe you choose to follow, 2 rules will apply. 1) The fluffier the smashed/riced potato the better, and, 2) the less flour the better. Keep those 2 rules in mind and you’ll be well-rewarded with a most palatable platter of puffy potato pillows rather than the much less than spectacular spud scuds.

One popular variation for preparing gnocchi is to bake them before serving. Follow the directions above for making and cooking the gnocchi, as well as making the gorgonzola sauce. Use all the sauce to dress the gnocchi and place in a baking dish. Top with grated cheese or bread crumbs that have been moistened by olive oil or butter. Bake in a 375˚ F (190˚ C) pre-heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until hot & bubbly with a golden brown topping.

Even after being reduced, some may want a thicker sauce. (Bear in mind it will thicken once taken off the heat and begins to cool.) If you want a very thick sauce, you can start by making a roux. Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a small sauce pan. Add an equal amount of AP flour and whisk until fully blended. Allow to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not let the roux darken or it will color your cheese sauce. Add the half the cream and whisk till incorporated. Add the remaining cream and keep whisking as it heats and begins to thicken. Once thickened, about 5 minutes, add the gorgonzola and keep whisking until melted. If too thick, you can adjust by adding more cream or some of the water used to cook the gnocchi.

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If they’re all identical, no one will believe you made them.

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Notes

Much like making pasta, making gnocchi is not an exact science. The moisture in the potatoes, the size of the egg, the humidity, and even the brand of flour can all affect the amount of flour required. As was mentioned, use as little flour as possible to create a firm, slightly moist-to-the-touch dough that isn’t at all tacky.

I used 2 large russet potatoes that weighed 26.8 oz (760 g). Once baked, peeled and riced, they weighed a total of 18 oz (510 g). For accuracy I weighed the flour, starting with 2 cups or 10.2 oz (290 g). When I was finished, the remaining flour weighed 4 oz (114 g), meaning I used a little over 1 cup of flour for a little over a pound of riced potatoes. Lastly, to determine the yield, I weighed the frozen gnocchi before bagging. Your yield may vary due to the above-mentioned factors.

Not everyone has a potato ricer or food mill and I seriously doubt that my Nonnas had either one. They used a large fork to smash the potatoes and there’s no reason you can’t do the same. You can, also, use a potato masher or a box grater, if need be. Just be sure to use a fork to fluff the smashed potatoes as much as possible before proceeding.

It had been some time since I last made this dish when I prepared it for Zia. As a result, I misjudged and used a full cup (236 ml) of heavy cream with 5 oz (142 g) gorgonzola. That resulted in a very runny sauce. Thankfully, gnocchi was to be our primo piatto so I was able to reduce the sauce to the consistency I wanted without affecting the rest of the dinner. Today’s recipe uses half the amount of cream I used for that dinner.

It’s not a bad idea to have extra gorgonzola and cream on-hand the first time you make this sauce, just in case your idea of the perfect gorgonzola sauce differs from mine. You can add more cheese or cream, as required.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … 

Blueberry

I don’t care what the weatherman says. The calendar says it’s June and that means it’s ice cream season. Time to dust off the ice cream machines and get those canisters into the freezer. Now I’ve shared several ice cream recipes but this one, blueberry swirl cheesecake, is Number One among family, friends, friends of family, and families of friends — but don’t take our word for it. Try it for yourself. You can find the recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you … 

Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN

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Baked Haddock

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Eglefini al Forno

Today’s recipe once again calls upon my family’s breading mixture to keep the fish fillet moist as it adds flavor to the dish. There really is no need for me to explain the breading much more than that for fear of boring you to tears. And I wish I had a great story to tell about haddock but, the truth is, I had originally planned to use baccalà for this post. Then I saw fresh haddock on sale and, well, that piece of salted cod will be used to make a fine salad.

Haddock is a popular fish on both sides of the Atlantic. Having once been over-fished, its numbers have increased and it is now considered a success story here in the US. In our Northeast, specifically the Boston area, young haddock may also be called scrod. That’s a bit of a misnomer, however, because that name is used for both young cod and young haddock. Needless to say, haddock is very similar to cod in both taste and texture, with haddock having a slightly stronger flavor. Like cod, it flakes when cooked so be careful if you try to grill haddock. If you do, it’s probably best to use a grilling basket.

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As I’ve mentioned in other posts, this breading mixture is used in a number of the Bartolini dishes. To be honest, I never realized how many until I started documenting my family’s recipes. Depending upon its use, it can be more/less moist and with/out lemon juice. Combine bread crumbs, diced garlic, chopped fresh parsley, and salt & pepper in a bowl. In this case, I used the juice of a half-lemon and then enough olive oil to moisten the mixture but not to the point that it’s sopping wet. How much of each ingredient you need will depend upon how many fillets there are to cook and whether you’ve plans for the excess breading. (See Notes.) Under normal circumstances, you’ll want enough breading to adequately cover each fillet, as well as to form a thin layer underneath each piece of fish so that there’s little chance of it sticking while baking. And what if you make too much? Spread it on the baking dish/sheet and roast it along with the fish. Excess breading can be frozen for later use with pasta.

Once the fillets have been breaded and placed on a baking sheet, place them in the center of a pre-heated 375˚ (190˚ C) oven. Your fish should be ready in about 15 minutes, maybe 20 depending upon the thickness of the pieces.  Haddock fillets will be opaque white and flake easily when fully cooked, very much like cod. Remove the baked fillets to a serving dish, garnish will lemons slices, and serve. In the photo, the haddock was accompanied by sautéed artichokes.

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Notes

Normally, my family would only put a small amount of bread crumbs under the fish to prevent the fillets from sticking while baking. Here I placed the haddock on a bed that was about 1/3 inch (.85 cm) thick because I had use for those bread crumbs. Once the fish was removed to a serving platter, I used the now-roasted bread crumbs left on the baking sheet to garnish a side dish of pasta aglio e olio instead of cheese.

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An Update

I telephoned a 5th company today to inquire about getting the vine removed. Within an hour, they were here and removed the vine within the next hour. They will be back to haul it away at the end of the week. The only real damage sustained was to a single rosebush but it is early enough in the season that it should recover without a problem. Thank you all for your concern and well-wishes.

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It’s déjà vu all over again …

Though the weather may not be cooperating, it is definitely grilling season here in the US & Canada. If you’re at all like me, a burger just isn’t a burger if there aren’t pickles on top. Now, as much as I love a good kosher dill, for my burgers and sandwiches, I crave Bread & Butter pickles. Easier to make than you might think, my original recipe didn’t require canning and the pickles were stored in the refrigerator. I’ve since added instructions for canning them. Either way, I think you’ll agree that a few of these tasty slices is the only way to top a burger. Click HERE to learn how to make these great tasting pickles.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

“Jack BRICKhouse CHICKEN”

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What I did on my Spring Vacation. (The short answer: I ate.)

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Formal introductions are forthcoming

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Home again! 

After an all-too-brief visit, Lucy, Max, and I returned home to find things not quite the way we left them. (More about that later.) My time spent with Zia was wonderful, though the weather, much like that area’s like the internet service, wasn’t at all cooperative. One had me wishing I’d brought my Winter coat and the other had me seriously considering driving the 30 miles to get access to free WiFi at the nearest McDonald’s. As a result, there were no walks on the beach with Max and I only showed Zia a couple of your blog posts. I couldn’t get them to load on my iPad and this was the first time I brought my iPhone to Michigan. My experience with WP on the device is really quite limited. Even so, I wouldn’t necessarily consider an iPhone’s displays “Zia friendly” and I did much of my reading alone. And before anyone thinks I’m picking on my Cara Zia, I wouldn’t call the displays “John friendly” either. You should have seen me trying to “Pin” or “Like” one of your posts. (I don’t know how you do it, Eva!)

You may be wondering, with it cold and damp when it wasn’t flat-out raining, what does one do in rural Michigan? Well, I can’t speak for others but we cooked … and we cooked … and we cooked again. True, I did take my daily walk looking for morel mushrooms and ramps but returned home empty-handed each time. (Not to worry, I came prepared.) So, with several great meals prepared and, as the title suggests, devoured, I thought I’d share a couple of the recipes today, with a promise to post the rest in the weeks to come.

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I can count on two things whenever I arrive at Zia’s home. Once I’ve unpacked the car, there will be a Manhattan waiting for me. (Zia is the original “Hostess with the Mostest”.) With my thirst quaffed, Zia will then get to work on the traditional Bartolini risotto.

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Made with fresh mushrooms and chicken gizzards, this dish has long been a family favorite. In fact, there were relatives that traveled hundreds of miles and, upon each and every arrival, asked for a risotto dinner. Of course, not everyone likes chicken gizzards, so, just tell them that the offending bits are nothing but a few dried mushrooms. More about that, and the risotto recipe, will be shared in a future post.

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Although most lunches were simple sandwiches made with the Italian lunch meats and bread I brought with me, there were 2 notable exceptions. On Sunday, like always, we had brunch after Mass with a few of Zia’s neighbors and fellow choir members. (Yes, Zia is a member of her church’s choir.) The 2nd time was when I prepared Asparagus in the style of Milan, Asparagi alla Milanese.

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There will be no future recipe for this dish because it is so very simple to prepare. Season fresh asparagus spears with salt, pepper, and a bit of olive oil. Place the spears on a heated barbecue, hot grill pan, or baking sheet that’s placed in a hot (425˚ F, 218˚ C) oven. Meanwhile, fry an egg or two per serving and season with salt & pepper. If, like us, you like your yolks runny, the eggs should be prepared sunny-side up or over easy. And that’s it. When both the asparagus and eggs are cooked to your liking, arrange a serving of asparagus spears on a dinner plate, place the eggs on top, and, if you like, garnish with a bit of grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. It couldn’t be easier but it sure is a great tasting light lunch or fantastic primo piatto.

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Now, we just didn’t spend all of our time eating lunch. We did work for our suppers, too. In fact, Zia’s pasta board got quite a bit of use over the course of my visit. One day, we made ravioli and linguine.

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Using a filling of ramps, fresh spinach, and goat’s cheese, Zia and I spent the afternoon making pasta pillows. That night, we feasted on these very same ravioli, prepared with morel mushrooms in a white wine sauce.

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Those recipes will be coming your way.

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Another day brought out the pasta board again and we spent the afternoon making gnocchi.

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That night’s dinner was probably the best of my entire visit. Our primo piatto was gnocchi dressed in a rich gorgonzola cream sauce.

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That night’s secondo was grilled rack of Spring lamb, while contorni of grilled asparagus and a tossed salad rounded out the meal.

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Later that night, I surprised Zia with cannoli that I’d brought from my Italian market. Recipes for the gnocchi, gorgonzola cream sauce, and lamb will soon be posted, too.

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Lastly, I could hardly go home for a visit without bringing something from the fish monger. This visit I brought whiting, merluzzo, with me.

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Rather than risk ruining them on a grill with which I’ve had little experience, these little fishies were prepared with the Bartolini breading mixture and baked, with excess breading mixture placed on the baking sheet, roasted, and used to garnish a platter of hand-cut linguine aglio e olio with baby artichokes, spinach, and ramps. The merluzzo recipe was already shared HERE. 

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To make the pasta dish, place 1/3 cup olive oil in a hot pan over med-high heat. Add red pepper flakes, to taste, along with chopped ramps. Sauté till ramps are soft, add 2 to 4 bulbs of diced Spring or new garlic, and continue cooking for another minute. Add the trimmed and quartered fresh artichokes, a half cup of white wine, bring to a boil, and reduce to a soft simmer. Allow the artichokes to braise until soft and the sauce has reduced, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta until two minutes shy of package directions or, if using fresh, until the pasta is a bit firmer to the bite than your prefer. Reserve a cup of the pasta water, drain the pasta, and add to the frying pan along with  a handful or two of fresh spinach. Toss to coat the pasta and continue to sauté the pan’s contents until the pasta is cooked to your liking, adding pasta water as needed to maintain the sauce. To serve, garnish with breading mixture that remains on the baking sheet that was used to roast the merluzzo. Of course, if merluzzo isn’t on that night’s menu, your pasta may be garnished with grated cheese or bread crumbs toasted in a bit of olive oil.

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So, there you have it. We cooked, we chatted, we worked out the kinks in a recipe or two, and we spent a very nice time together. And, best of all, there are recipes to share for anyone that’s interested. Would that I could end this post here and now but, alas, there’s a bit more to tell.

Late on the night of my arrival in Michigan, I received a telephone call telling me of some storm damage at my home. Thankfully no one was hurt and there wasn’t any structural damage. Since a picture is worth a thousand words and our friend Celi has challenged us all to post a view from our back porches, here’s mine.

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"This is as close to indoor plumbing as I'm ever going to get!"

With the exception of a potted palm that died under the most suspicious of circumstances in the living room, this is about as close to indoor plumbing as Max will ever get.

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That green thing is not some prop from a 50’s sci-fi thriller. It’s a trumpet vine that the wind knocked down, blocking the path to the garage and alley, not to mention landing atop a few roses. (Hopefully the dog run’s fence took the brunt of the force from the falling vine.) Here’s the view from the porch landing above.

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Believe it or not, buried within that tangled mess are the remnants of a wooden trellis.

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As you can see, mine is a typical city yard here in Chicago, made even smaller because of the 2 car garage and dog run … um … and the now-fallen vine. As of this writing, I’m waiting to hear from a few landscapers for bids to remove the vine and haul it away. On the plus side, once it’s removed, there’ll be space for a clematis vine and another rose.

The Kitchens are open again, with a new recipe, Baked Haddock, coming this Wednesday.

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Grandpa’s Tuna Salad gets a Makeover

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Due Insalate di Tonno 

Ah, Spring! Who can forget the sights and aromas of a glorious Spring morning? Well, try as we might, none of us who called the two-flat home will ever forget a few not so glorious Spring days — and I imagine our neighbors would say the same.

As I’ve mentioned in prior posts, Grandpa’s retirement years revolved around his garden, although he always had various maintenance jobs to perform around the building, too. As a young boy, and later teen, one learned to make oneself scarce early in the morning or become part of the work crew. This was especially true in early Spring.

Grandpa sowed his seeds after consulting the lunar calendar and the Old Farmers Almanac. He needed no help with this and the process remains shrouded in mystery to this very day. No, Grandpa only called upon one or more of us boys when he needed muscle. In the Fall, we helped him clear all the old tomato plants and their support stakes before we turned over the soil. The only parts of the garden to escape this tilling were the lettuce and parsley patches. Those he covered in straw and it wasn’t unusual for us to have a bit of both with our Thanksgiving dinner.

Come the following year and the Spring Thaw, Grandpa would find one of us and, again, we tilled the garden, though this time no patch was left unturned. That was the easy part. You see, Grandpa was a firm believer in the power of manure to grow gigantic tomato plants.  (To his credit, there may be some truth to this. How many gardeners do you know that use old hockey sticks to support their tomatoes?) About the time of the tilling, he would ask if you wanted to go out to the farm with him. Grandpa had a farmer friend and how we kids loved going there.  After all, this was the same farm that had adopted our dogs, though they were always out running in the fields when we came to visit. Well, by the time we were old enough to till the garden, the jig was up as far as the dog tales were concerned.  We were, also, fully aware of why we were roped into offered the chance to accompany Grandpa on this particular trip to the farm.

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The fact was that the garden needed manure and not just any manure. Grandpa’s tomato crop depended upon this farm’s sheep manure. So, once each Spring, we drove out to the farm and, after a few pleasantries, we drove off with a large metallic tub of sheep manure in the trunk, making us very popular at traffic lights if the wind shifted just the right way. Once home, we hauled the tub to the yard but it didn’t end there. Oh, if only it ended there!

As it turns out, sheep manure, in its natural state, is too strong for young tomato plants and, even if it wasn’t, there was no way we could haul enough manure in a car’s trunk to cover Grandpa’s ever-expanding garden. Grandpa had a solution, all right, and it’s lucky that he was so loved by our neighbors.  Using a very large metallic bucket and a hose, Grandpa made “soup” — his label not mine — which was then spread over the tilled earth. A couple of days later, one of us would be called upon to till the garden again. Don’t think we didn’t try to avoid that call to action but we were on our own. Our parents had their eyes on the prize: a wealth of tomatoes come August. Any inkling that we didn’t want to help Grandpa was met with a  reminder that “work never hurt anyone” and suddenly we found ourselves asking Grandpa if he needed help.

All facts considered, it was one bad afternoon, leaving 364 pretty good ones. Thankfully, it was early enough in the year that the Spring rains helped to quite literally clear the air, much to everyone’s relief. Most fortunately, since the boys’ bedrooms were closest to the garden, rain and cold temperatures prevented anyone from even considering opening a window “to let in some fresh air.”  And the tomatoes? Grandpa’s plants were huge and the crop large enough for 2 families. Sheep manure soup. Who knew?

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At noon on any given Friday, save those that fell in Winter or manure week, you could find Grandpa in his patio enjoying his lunch. It was usually a simple dish and, being Catholic, it was, also, meat-free. A favorite of Grandpa, and later my own, was this simple tuna salad. Believe me, it could not get any more simple and no further introduction is required. 

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Grandpa’s Tuna Salad Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 can (5 oz; 142 g) tuna, packed in olive oil, drained 
  • a bit of red onion, sliced or chopped
  • 2 whole anchovy fillets, more if desired
  • olive oil 
  • red wine vinegar
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

  1. Place the tuna on a serving plate. it can be flaked or left in a ring shape.
  2. Top with onion and anchovies.
  3. Sprinkle with olive oil and red wine vinegar.
  4. Season with salt, & pepper, to taste
  5. Serve with crusty bread and a glass of homemade white wine.

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That’s it. Quick and easy but surprisingly satisfying. I enjoyed this dish as a boy and continue to enjoy it today. Even so, nothing remains the same forever. As much as I enjoy Grandpa’s tuna salad, I wanted to try something a little different and, so, I gave Grandpa’s version a makeover. Enter tuna salad number 2.

Whereas Grandpa’s tuna rested on a plate, the foot of my salad rests on a bed of mixed salad greens. Rather plainly dressed, Grandpa’s tuna was clothed with just onion, salt, pepper, and oil & vinegar. My new tuna salad is adorned with capers, onion, salt, pepper, olive oil, and freshly squeezed lemon juice. Most importantly, Grandpa’s tuna came to him by way of a can. My tuna skipped the middleman, taking a more direct route to my plate via a grill pan.

Now, to many, it isn’t really a makeover if there is no reveal. Not wanting to disappoint, here’s mine. On the right, you’ll see Grandpa’s original tuna salad and, on the left, may I present the new and “refreshed” tuna salad.

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Out with the Old …
… in with the New!

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It wouldn’t benefit anyone if I didn’t explain how this transformation took place. Here, then, is how the makeover specialists of the Bartolini Kitchens performed this miracle.

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Grandpa’s New & Improved Tuna Salad Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 tuna steak per serving
  • mixed salad greens
  • 1 tsp capers per serving, more if desired
  • red onion, thinly sliced
  • olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • lemon wedges for serving
  • whole anchovy fillets (optional)

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Directions

  1. Place salad greens in a large bowl. Add onion & capers, dress with olive oil and fresh lemon juice, season with salt & pepper, and toss to combine. Set aside.
  2. Heat the grill pan over med-high heat. Lightly coat the tuna steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
  3. When the grill is hot, moisten a (paper) towel with vegetable oil and use it to lightly coat the grill surface.
  4. Add the tuna steak to the grill pan. After 90 seconds, use a fish turner to give the steak a quarter turn.
  5. Cook for 60 to 120 seconds and then flip the steak over.
  6. After cooking for 60 seconds, give the steak a quarter turn. Continue cooking the steak for 60 to 90 seconds and remove from heat.
  7. Move tuna steak to a cutting board. Cutting with the grain, carve slices no less than 1/4 inch (2/3 cm) thick.
  8. Place salad on the serving plate and arrange tuna slices atop the salad. Garnish plate with lemon wedges and optional anchovy fillets.
  9. Serve with crusty bread and a white wine of your choosing.

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Variations

Although my tuna steak rested atop a bed of baby salad greens, you may choose whatever greens you prefer — baby spinach, baby kale, and rocket come to mind.

I chose to dress my tuna salad with a simple dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, reserving a little juice for the tuna, as well. You may wish to use another dressing, such as the lemon-caper sauce I shared within my grilled sturgeon recipe post.

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Notes

I used a grill pan here but you could just as easily use your barbecue, broiler, or skillet to cook your tuna steak. Just resist the urge to move the steak until it’s time to turn it.

Cooking times, as you’ve probably noted, are anything but precise. The pan, the heat, and/or the tuna steak’s thickness all play a role. Remember, too, that the steak will continue to cook once it has been removed from the fire, as well as while you fiddle with a camera, trying to take photos for a blog entry. (#%*@^#&$!)

100_3954Whether you call it tinned or canned, whether it’s packed in oil or water, and whether it’s chunk or whole, please make sure that the tuna you’re about to purchase was harvested in ways that will not harm dolphin populations. The symbol located to the right, or something similar, should be found on the can. If it’s not there, please do not purchase that tuna.

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It’s déjà vu all over again

freshly-made

Freshly made mascarpone

A little over a year ago, I was in the middle of my cheese-making series when I shared the recipe for making mascarpone. Though widely known as the star ingredient in tiramisu, mascarpone is so much more than that, Whipped and flavored, this creamy cheese makes a wonderful dessert topping, while adding it to pasta gives new meaning to the words “cream sauce.” Best of all, mascarpone is a snap to make with results far better than you can imagine. But don’t take my word for it. You can see how it’s done by clicking HERE.

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 Coming soon to a monitor near you … 

Frittata

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Burrata Returns and This Time It’s Packin’ Fusilli

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Fusilli Corti Bucati alla Bolognese con Burrata

These days, I never know from where my next recipe idea will come.  Beyond my family’s treasure trove, there’s the Cooking Channel & Food Network; Saturday afternoons on PBS are Must See TV; mustn’t forget Julia, Lidia, Mary Ann, Biba, and Mario, whether new episodes or rebroadcasts I’ve seen a dozen times; and most recently The Chew — and that’s only television sources. What about cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and foodie websites? And where would we be without WordPress, Blogger, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and, StumbleUpon? I must admit that some days — like when I’m on my 5th attempt at remembering a password — I wonder if all of this is really necessary. Yes, there are those days but there are, also, days when I’m rewarded with a gift like today’s recipe.

Back in January I posted a pasta recipe featuring spinach, lemon, and burrata cheese. The recipe was well-received and a number of you have since tried and liked it. In the Comments Section, Celia, whose wonderful blog Fig Jam and Lime Cordial is what I hope mine will become when it grows up, mentioned that Down Under burrata is served atop pasta, broken open to allow the cream and stracciatelle (torn curds) to soak into the pasta, and served. Well, that’s all I needed to hear. I got right on it!

My first attempt was just as Celia has said. I dressed the pasta with my tomato sauce with meat, placed the burrata on top, and served myself a portion. That plate was just incredible and I couldn’t wait to have a 2nd helping. And that’s when it happened. You see, leaving the burrata on top of the pasta, though great for the first servings, isn’t so great for a 2nd helping. WIth the cream now soaked into the pasta, the burrata sitting atop the cooling pasta also cools. Soon, instead of being a warm, gooey cheese, it’s more like a block of lumpy cheese –still very tasty but a hardened block nonetheless. Leftovers were no better because by then the cheese was more pasta death mask than gooey delight. How does one re-heat this?  I eventually did reheat it in a covered pan with a bit of water and butter over a low heat. This was not what I had expected. Undaunted, I bought more burrata,

Cheese issues aside, I realized that this is no normal pasta dish and I needed to step it up. That’s why last week my Sugo alla Bolognese was posted. I had planned to share the recipe this Fall but I wanted everyone to have the recipe should they decide to make today’s pasta. So, when I made this dish for the 2nd time, I used my Sugo all Bolognese and did everything the same, save one big exception. In the first test, I served the burrata right after I spread it atop the pasta. Not this time. Since I was again dining alone, once it was spread, I used two large spoons to stir the cheese and cream into the pasta, garnished it with grated cheese, and served. Though the presentation wasn’t as impressive as having a chunk of burrata on each plate being served, by mixing the bowl’s contents, each serving had an even amount of burrata within, and most importantly, the cheese and pasta left in the serving bowl remained warm and manageable. Second helpings were a delight as were leftovers.

So, my advice for preparing this dish depends upon the number of dinner mates being served. If dining alone or serving one other, you can break the burrata and spread it across the top of the pasta. Then you can either serve the pasta first and then mix the cheese into the remainder in the pasta bowl, or, just go ahead and mix the cheese before serving. If you’re serving a number of guests, then just spread the burrata across the top of the pasta and serve. Once everyone has been served, you may wish to mix the remaining burrata into the remaining pasta to avoid the hardened blob of cheese.

Since that first burrata post, I’ve been asked several times whether I plan to make burrata. The answer is an unequivocal no. Making mozzarella is difficult enough. Forming it into a pouch, stuffing it with shredded curds, and then filling it with cream is a bit much for me to handle. Still, some of you may wish to try making burrata at home. Here, then, is a video of burrata being made. Enjoy!

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The last thing worth mentioning is the pasta I chose Fusilli Corti Bucati for the dish . The word fusilli means “little spindles” and it’s a twisted pasta. Corti in the name means small or short, as opposed to lunghi which means long. Bucati refers to the fact that each fusillo has a hollow center. I chose them because their shape would hold onto both the sauce and the cheese very well. Feel free to use whatever pasta you like.

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Fusilli Corti Bucati with Burrata Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (453 g) fusilli corti bucati — maccheroni molle (pasta springs) may be substituted
  • 1 quart tomato sauce with meat — vegetarians may substitute meatless sauce
  • 1 lb (453 g) Burrata “pouch”
  • grated/shaved Pecorino Romano cheese — Parmigiano Reggiano may be substituted

Directions

  1. Cook pasta following package directions.
  2. Heat tomato sauce in a sauce pan.
  3. Drain pasta, return to pan, and mix with 2/3 of the heated tomato sauce.
  4. Place the dressed pasta in serving bowl.
  5. Place remaining 1/3 sauce on top of pasta.
  6. Place burrata pouch on top of pasta with sauce.
  7. Use 2 knives to slice through the pouch, releasing the curds & cream.
  8. Continue slicing until the burrata is evenly spread.
  9. At this point you can:
    1. Garnish with grated and/or shaved cheese
    2. Serve immediately.

                                      —  or  —

    1. Thoroughly combine the burrata & cream with the pasta & sauce.
    2. Garnish with grated/and or shaved cheese.
    3. Serve immediately

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This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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Notes … 

Whether the sauce you use is bought, homemade, and with or without meat, make sure it is your favorite. This is no ordinary pasta and deserves no less than your best.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … 

I first shared the recipe for Cherry Cheesecake Pizza 2 years ago, in the days leading up to Easter. The recipe was given to Mom by the wonderful woman who lived across the street from us. A great little dessert, this “pie” has also been served, in some form, at countless parties and barbecues,  Easy to prepare, you’ll quickly see why this remains a family favorite. Click HERE to see the recipe.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Old Meets New

Old Meets New

Grandpa’s Tuna Salad Gets A Makeover

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Broiled Halibut with Mushrooms

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Halibut alla griglia con funghi

Broiled Halibut

With the arrival of Easter on Sunday, today’s post will mark the end of the series of seafood dishes. And what a good one to end with: Broiled Halibut!

Some may be surprised to learn that halibut is what’s called a “flatfish”, meaning that it has evolved into one that lives on the ocean floor. Think flounder or sole, only very much larger. Like most flatfish, at birth halibut fry appear and swim like the young of other fish. Around 6 months of age, however, one of its eyes begins to migrate to the other side of the fish. As it does, the fish goes from being left and right-sided to having a top and bottom-side. The top-side (the side with both eyes) develops a gray color while the bottom-side (the side that rests on the ocean floor) becomes white. As is so often the case with seafood today, halibut is in trouble in some areas. Look for Alaskan, wild caught, and do not buy Pacific halibut caught with gill nets nor Atlantic halibut caught through bottom trawling. If your fishmonger doesn’t know how or where his halibut is caught, it’s a sign to buy seafood that you know to be sustainable. My experience has been that fishmongers are proud to tell you when their stock is sustainable and harvested correctly.

Halibut flesh is not oily, as was the swordfish of a few weeks ago. The flesh is every bit as firm as was the swordfish and stands up to grilling very well. And if a fish fillet works well on the grill, it will do very well under the broiler, too. Halibut has a good, clean taste that I very much like. As such, I prefer not to do anything to prepare it — no marinades, for example — other than salt, pepper, and olive oil. When preparing the mushroom accompaniment, I chose 2 that were delicately flavored and shiitake, which has a bit of a smoky taste. The idea is for the flavors to co-exist and not for any one to obliterate the others.

Broiling is a wonderful way to prepare meats and seafood, though one should probably learn how to use one’s broiler with something other than an expensive halibut fillet. When I broil a fish fillet, I’ll use a baking sheet covered in aluminum foil that has been lightly coated with olive oil or butter, depending upon the recipe. My oven’s first rack’s setting is about 5 inches beneath the heat source, perfect for broiling fish. Remember that the distance away from the heating element and thickness of the fillet(s) will affect cooking times, so, be sure to keep an eye on any kind of fish you put under your broiler. I’ve included more guidelines for broiling within the recipe, as well as how to test your fillet(s) for doneness.

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Broiled Halibut with Mushroom Recipe

Ingredients

  • Halibut steak(s)
  • Olive oil
  • salt & pepper

for the mushrooms

Maitake (t -l), Oyster ( t - r), Shiitake (bottom)

Maitake (t -l), Oyster ( t – r), Shiitake (bottom)

  • 12 oz assorted mushrooms, sliced (used here: Maitake (hen of the woods), Oyster, and Shiitake)
  • 2 – 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, chopped
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

for the mushrooms

  1. Clean and slice the mushrooms (see Notes), chop the herbs & shallots.
  2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over med-high heat.
  3. Add the shallots and sauté until they soften, about a minute.
  4. Add the mushrooms, lower the heat to medium, and continue sautéing for another 7 or 8 minutes, stirring often. Mushrooms will be ready when they have given up their liquids and darkened in color.
  5. Add the wine, increase the heat to med-high, and sauté until wine has all but evaporated.
  6. Add the herbs and stir to combine.
  7. 1 minute later, remove from heat, add parsley, stir throughly, and serve.

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for the halibut

  1. Lightly brush the fillet(s) with olive oil. Season with salt & pepper.
  2. Place fillet on a lightly greased baking sheet and set aside.
  3. Pre-heat broiler for 15 minutes. Place an oven rack about 5 inches from the heat source.
  4. Place fillet(s) directly under the heat source and broil from 7 to 9 minutes. If more than 1 fillet is being broiled, turn the baking sheet midway through the broiling.
    1. To test if this or any fish is cooked: use a metal skewer or sharp knife to pierce the fillet at its thickest point. Keep it there for several seconds. Remove it and use it to touch the inside of your wrist or the area beneath your lips. If cold, the fish isn’t cooked. If warm, the fish is cooked rare. If hot, the fish is done. If very hot, the fish is over-done.
  5. Serve immediately, using the mushrooms as an accompaniment.

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Variations

These mushrooms  can be served with any number of dishes. I use white wine when serving mushrooms with seafood, pork, and poultry, but red wine for beef and then I’ll use crimini mushrooms rather than the more delicate tasting funghi. And though I don’t use garlic when serving this with seafood, I will add it for other dishes. You can easily alter this recipe to suit your own tastes.

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Notes

Do not use water to clean these mushrooms. Use a damp paper or kitchen towel to gently wipe them.

The stems of Shiitake are tough and inedible. They should be cut off.  The same may be said of the base of Maitake mushrooms. Some believe the base of Oyster mushrooms to be edible. I find them to be a little tough and trim them away, as well. Earlier I mentioned that you should save the mushroom bits and pieces. Why toss them when you can easily use them to make stock? Once I trimmed and sliced the mushrooms used in today’s recipe, I was left with about 4 oz (114 g) of stems and woody parts. These were roughly chopped and placed into a medium saucepan, along with an onion, a celery stalk, a carrot, a couple of parsley stems, a sprig of thyme, and a bay leaf but no salt nor pepper. I added a quart of water, brought it to a boil, and then reduced it to a simmer. Since I had relatively few stems, I wanted to concentrate the flavors, so, I left the cover  off of the sauce pan while it simmered and reduced. Had there been more mushroom parts, I would have covered the pan for there would not have been as great a need to reduce the stock. In any event, after an hour, I had 12 oz (355 ml) of stock headed for the freezer. I’ll use it the next time I make risotto, soup, a gravy or sauce.  And there’ll be no need to worry about its salt content ruining my dish.

If leftover, mushrooms cooked like this are worth their weight in gold. Use them for an omelet the next morning or to top off your burger for lunch. Yes, you can always use them to accompany your next supper’s protein but — and perhaps best of all — you could reheat them with a little more oil and some red pepper flakes. Add your favorite pasta and you’ve got a fantastic dinner, ready in minutes.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … 

Cavatappi with TunaEaster is right around the corner and today’s Blast from the Past features a dish that graced our table any number of Fridays, both in and out of Lent. Our Tomato Sauce with Tuna is a simple tomato sauce with tuna as its protein. It’s easy enough to prepare and doesn’t require a long simmer, unlike its meaty cousins. If you’re at all curious, you can see the recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

This is the First Way

Bourbon & Coke Soused Ham, Two Ways

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Spaghetti with White Anchovies & Capers

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Spaghetti con Acciughe Bianche e Capperi

Spaghetti with White Anchovies and Capers

We’re back to fish recipes this week and today I’ll share the long-anticipated spaghetti with white anchovies recipe. This is not a family recipe but, I have to admit, it should be. There’s no doubt in my mind that all the adults in my family would have really enjoyed this pasta. And like so many of the pastas they served, it’s easy to make, requires few ingredients, and is ready in minutes. What’s not to like?

This recipe came about clearly by chance. Last Fall, I happened to overhear a cooking program in which Michael Symon used white anchovies in a pasta dish. Never having seen white anchovies, I didn’t think much of it. Then, around Christmas, I found a two-pack of white anchovies at one of the big box  stores. I bought them, went home and started working with them, using my aglio e olio recipe as a base. It really was that simple. As you’ll see later when you read the recipe, this is another dish you can have on your dinner table in 30 minutes, tops. And if you’re at all like me, it will find its way to your table more often than you now think possible.

The anchovies I found that day — and continue to use — are not only white but are far less salty and “fishy” tasting than the anchovies one finds in the small tins. These differences make them perfect for this dish and, as you can see in the photo bellow, white anchovies actually look like fish. Imagine that! The recipe calls for 6 whole anchovies but, truth be told, I normally use 8 or 10 of the little fishies when I make this dish. Yes, I really do enjoy them. I suggest that you taste one upon opening the package to see how it tastes before you decide how many to use for a pound of pasta.

As is the case with any of these aglio e olio pastas, time is of the essence. You want to time it so that the anchovies, garlic, and oil “sauce” is ready when the pasta is 2 minutes shy of being al dente. Don’t worry. It’s easy enough to do. And remember: whenever you prepare a pasta, always reserve at least a cup of the water used to cook the pasta. It has saved many a dish for me.

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That's a lot of achovies!

Packed in vegetable oil, wine, vinegar, & parsley.   7.1 oz (200 g)    (That’s a lot of anchovies!)

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Spaghetti with White Anchovies and Capers Recipe 

Ingredients

  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • 6 whole white anchovies, drained & roughly chopped – more to taste
  • 4 cloves of garlic, diced or grated – more to taste
  • 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes – more to taste
  • 2 tbsp nonpareil capers
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 3 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • salt & pepper
  • reserved pasta water

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Directions

  1. Make the bread crumb topping:
    1. In a small mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, lemon zest, and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Season lightly with salt & pepper. Mix thoroughly.
    2. In a small frying pan over med-high heat, lightly toast the bread crumb mixture. Do not allow to get too dark or it will ruin the dish. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil. Add the pasta and stir.
  3. In a large frying pan over med heat, add the remaining olive oil. Once hot, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute.
  4. Add the anchovies to the pan and continue sautéing until the pasta has cooked 2 minutes less than the package’s cooking instructions indicate for al dente. If you’ve timed everything correctly, the anchovies should be sautéed for just a few minutes before the pasta is ready.
  5. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
  6. Add capers and pasta to the pan containing the anchovies. Gently toss to evenly coat the pasta with the anchovy & oil mixture. If too dry, add enough pasta water to create a sauce. Continue to sauté until the pasta is al dente, 1 to 2 minutes more.
  7. Remove from heat, add 2/3 of the bread crumb mixture, and toss.
  8. Place on a serving platter and garnish with remaining 1/3 of the bread crumb mixture.
  9. Serve immediately.

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Variations

This recipe is so basic and with so few ingredients that there’s little room for variations — or so I thought. In a comment written after last week’s cannelloni post, the Kitchens’ good friend and fellow ravioli maker, Spree, mentioned adding bits of preserved lemon to this dish. Though I’ve yet to try it — still working on corned beef sandwiches here —  I will soon, no doubt about it. What’s this? You don’t know how to preserve lemons? Well, neither did I until I saw Spree’s post of January, 2012. Now I use it exclusively to make preserved lemons and you can learn how to do it, too, by going to Spree’s wonderful blog, Cooking-Spree. While you’re there, be sure to look around. You’re in for a treat!

Notes

I have yet to find white anchovies in packaging smaller than shown in the image above. In fact, it was while trying to do so that I mistakenly bought the sardines that led to my sardine and pickled pepper recipe of a few weeks ago. I have seen an anchovy salad at one of the groceries but, now that I want to buy it, the salad has disappeared from their “fish/seafood bar.” If I do find some in more convenient packaging I’ll mention it in a post and come back here to announce it.

Be very careful when toasting the bread crumb mixture. If too well-browned, your pasta will have a burnt toast flavoring that isn’t at all desirable. Take the crumbs off of the heat as soon as they begin to have a golden glow.

I used homemade spaghetti with this dish but you can use any of the similar pastas — i.e., linguine, fettuccine, trenette, tagliatelle, etc.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … Stracciatella

I’ve mentioned that we ate lunch at home throughout the school year, a consequence of living so close to the parish school. I also said that when the weather turned cold, we would often find a bowl of soup waiting for us to walk through the door. One of those soups Mom prepared and today’s Blast from the Past is Stracciatella. Requiring few ingredients and ready in minutes, this soup is just about as easy to prepare as that stuff in a can — but, oh, so much better. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE.

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Broiled Halibut with Mushrooms 

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Grilled Swordfish with Salsa Verde

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Pesce Spada alla Griglia con Salsa Verde

Broiled Swordfish

As Lent continues, so does our fishing trip. Today’s catch is swordfish, a large fish that can be found primarily in the coastal waters of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. A favorite of cooks everywhere, its firm, relatively oily flesh is most often cut into steaks and is considered perfect for grilling. Well, considering my recent (highly unusual) successes on the grill, I’d little choice but to put away the broiler pan and return to the barbecue one more time.

Now, though I may continue to grill throughout the Winter, there’s nothing complicated in what I do, for it’s too cold for fancy schmancy. Instead, it’s Grilling 101. Heat the grates. Go back in the house. Clean the grates. Go back in the house. Oil the grates. Put the fish on the grates. Go back in the house. Flip the fish after a specified amount of time. Go back in the house. Remove, rest, and serve – in the house.  The only prep work for the fish involves seasoning the fillets with salt and pepper and lightly brushing them with oil. No, it doesn’t get much easier than this. And, to be honest, preparing the salsa verde, green sauce, isn’t much more difficult, as you’ll soon see.

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Raw Swordfish with Salsa Verde

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Green sauce, in one form or another, is common to countries in Europe and the Americas. Easy to prepare, with ingredients common to each area, this sauce can be used as a dip, condiment, and/or accompaniment for meat and fish dishes. Even so, the green sauce you find in Frankfurt, Grüne Soße, is quite different from that which you’d be served in Mexico, salsa verde. In Italy, there is no one salsa verde recipe. It varies from district to district, town to town, and probably house to house. So, when you look at my salsa verde recipe, use it as a guide. If you don’t like anchovies, drop them but be sure to add a bit of salt to make up for the change. Want a little mint? Swap some of the parsley for it. Just keep in mind that Italian salsa verde is meant to be a relatively simple sauce. Try not to get too exotic with the ingredient list. And no matter what recipe you follow, be sure to let your salsa rest at least an hour — hopefully 2 — before serving, giving the flavors a chance to blend and mellow.

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Grilled Swordfish with Salsa Verde Recipes

Ingredients

  • swordfish steaks
  • salt & pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon wedges

Salsa Verde

  • 2 cups fresh parsley, chopped fine
  • 1 tbsp capers, rinsed
  • 2 – 3 anchovy fillets, chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • zest of 1/2 lemon, more or less to taste
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • pepper, to taste

Directions

for the salsa verde

  1. Place parsley, capers, anchovies, shallot, and lemon juice (or vinegar) into a food processor and run, forming a paste.
  2. Scrape the bowl’s sides and resume processing for a couple more minutes.
  3. While the processor is running, pour the olive oil in a slow stream into the bowl. Continue until well-mixed.
  4. Taste before seasoning with pepper.
  5. Cover and set aside. Refrigerate if not needed for hours, though, best when served at room temperature.

for the swordfish

  1. Start grill. Will require a med-high heat.
  2. When grill is ready, thoroughly clean the grilling surface before using a towel soaked in vegetable oil to coat the grill plates.
  3. Lightly coat fish with vegetable oil, season with salt & pepper, and place on grilling surface. Do not move or disturb once placed on the grill.
  4. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat, cover, and let rest for a few minutes.
  5. Place swordfish filets on a serving platter and serve with salsa verde accompaniment

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Grilled Swordfish

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Notes 

Please note that the recipe for salsa verde requires 2 cups of chopped parsley and not 2 cups of parsley that you chop. Make that mistake and you’ll have one runny batch of salsa. Now, should your salsa be too thin for your tastes, there’s no reason to panic. You can always add more chopped parsley to the food processor and try to correct the problem. In Italy, some recipes call for a slice or 2 of bread to thicken the salsa. Having tried both over the years, I’ve come up with Option 3. Pour the salsa through a fine-mesh sieve, draining as much liquid as you wish. Once the salsa has been allowed to rest, taste it and correct the seasoning as required.  Believe me, that’s the easiest way around the problem and doesn’t involve a run to the grocery to buy more parsley.

Variations

This salsa verde is the one that I use when serving fish. When seafood isn’t on the menu, I’ll make a few changes, resulting in a salsa that’s a better fit for the protein being served. Instead of the lemon juice and zest, I’ll add 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar. I’ll, also, chop 2 cloves of garlic in place of the shallot. Whether you follow my suggestions, with just a few substitutions you can create a salsa verde to go with any dish.

So, maybe you’re thinking that as much as you like swordfish, this salsa verde thing just isn’t for you. Not to worry. The Bartolini kitchens aim to please. Perhaps you’d be happier with a different cuisine. Might I suggest taking a trip to a kitchen located on the other side of the World? This Hong Kong kitchen is run by a blogging buddy, BAM, who recently shared a GF recipe for swordfish cooked in the Thai style. Believe me, this is one recipe and post you don’t want to miss.

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It’s déjà vu all over again … 

Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma

A couple of weeks ago, I sent you to Naples for a peek at my Pasta Puttanesca recipe. This week, we’ll head to Sicily for a look at my recipe for Pasta alla Norma, another of Southern Italy’s great dishes. This meatless pasta features chopped eggplant and is garnished with ricotta salata, a firmer, saltier version of the creamy ricotta that we all know and love. If you’re interested, you can see the recipe by clicking HERE. 

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Coming soon to a monitor near you …

Cannelloni

Bartolini Cannelloni

Your eyes aren’t deceiving you. Next week we’ll be taking a break from our fishing trip in honor of the pending St. Joseph’s Feast Day. 

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