The Bartolini Kitchens have closed for the Thanksgiving Holiday and weekend. We wish our American Friends a wonderful Holiday and may Everyone enjoy the rest of the week.
The Kitchens will reopen next week with not one but two posts.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Riddle me this …
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I’ve mentioned it in the past and it bears repeating: blogging continues to surprise me in ways I never dreamt possible. One need look no further than my dining room table to see what I mean. There, in jars of all shapes and sizes, you’ll find preserves, jams. jellies, pickles, pickled peppers, brandied figs, apple sauce, corn relish, and ketchup. You may recall that I was the guy that swore he’d never can anything. Now it looks like I’m stocking a bunker for a nuclear holocaust. Look closely, however, and you’ll soon find the Belle of the Ball … well, Ball Jar. I’m talking about the ketchup and that’s the recipe I’ll share today.
Way back in September of 2011, my blogging friend Tanya, of Chica Andaluza fame, posted a recipe for “Up The Mountain Spicy Tomato Ketchup.” With this area’s farmers markets still flush with tomatoes, I bought a couple pounds and decided to give her recipe a try. Knowing how spicy things can get up that mountain, however, I did tweak the recipe to cool it down just a bit. And the result? This is one exceptional ketchup. In fact, it hardly seems right to call it ketchup for this isn’t at all like the bottle of red stuff on your grocer’s shelf — and that goes for all 57 varieties! Tanya’s sauce is so good that I actually felt like I was wasting money the last time I was without and needed to buy ketchup. But don’t just take my word for it. I’ve given jars of Tanya’s ketchup to friends and family alike, all of whom, without exception, sing its praises. And to all of my fellow Chicagoans, this ketchup is good enough to be served on a hot dog! Yes, it’s that good!
There’s only one possible issue worth mentioning. It is best to simmer this sauce slowly and to stir it frequently. If you don’t you could end up with a splattered mess or, worse yet, a scorched pan bottom. A splatter screen may help prevent the mess but a scorched bottom can ruin the entire batch of ketchup. If you suspect that the ketchup has begun to burn, do not use a spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. That will only foul your ketchup. Better to dump the pot’s contents into a large bowl and clean the pan’s bottom before re-filling it with the ketchup and continuing the simmer. Bear in mind, the lower the simmer, the longer the time required to get a thick, rich ketchup. For me, this job will easily last a full afternoon.
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Home-Made Ketchup Recipe
Ingredients
1 jalapeño, choppedDirections
Once the tomato mixture has softened, pass it through a food strainer, food mill, or fine meshed sieve to separate peel and seeds from the pulp.With thanks to: Chica Andaluza, “Up The Mountain Spicy Tomato Ketchup“
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Notes
You may have noticed that the spice pouch was removed after simmering for 45 minutes. That’s because the tomatoes will continue to reduce for some time afterward and that will serve to concentrate all the flavors in that pot. To leave the spice pouch in the tomato mixture for too long could render the ketchup inedible. You can always adjust the seasoning at the end of the cooking, just as one does with the cayenne, salt, and pepper.
Living as far North as I do, finding good tasting tomatoes from now until Spring is pretty much impossible. Even so, I’ll still use off-season, or even canned, tomatoes to make ketchup during the Winter and Spring months, adding tomato paste to boost the tomato flavor. Although this version may not quite equal the taste of ketchup made from Summer’s best, it is still leagues ahead of any ketchup you might buy at a store.
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Grilled Chicken with Tomato Jam Glaze
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One last word about tomatoes …
In September, Marie posted a link to a recipe for tomato jam that used yellow heirloom tomatoes and basil. I spoke to Zia about my intention to try my hand at making 
the jam and that triggered a memory of Grandma making tomato jam when Mom & Zia were little girls. Grandma’s version didn’t use basil and, though the tomatoes she used would be considered “heirloom” by today’s standards, back then they were just “tomatoes.” Well, in an effort to bridge the gap between New and Old, I made tomato jam that weekend with yellow heirloom tomatoes but without the basil. And the result? Like almost all the jams I’ve made, it goes very well with goat cheese. (Is there a jam or preserve that doesn’t go well with goat cheese?) Not only that but I was surprised to find out just how good it worked as a glaze for barbecued chicken. Next time, though, I’m adding a few red pepper flakes and a dash of hot sauce to the glaze. Of course, you can always serve it like my Grandma did for her girls: on a chunk of Italian bread.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
As a boy, vegetables were very much a part of my family’s diet. Whether picked fresh from Grandpa’s garden or selected at a grocery or market, you could count on a salad of 
fresh greens and at least one vegetable being served at every dinner. Mom’s favorite, and frequent star at our supper table, was Swiss chard. Mom enjoyed it enough to commandeer a small patch of Grandpa’s garden so that she could grow her own. Now that’s some serious chard love! Very often, Mom would use a combination of chard & spinach to fill small pies, cacioni, from a recipe that came from Dad’s homeland, San Marino. Click HERE to check out the recipe for this family favorite.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Sausage Ravioli
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A few weeks ago I posted my last recipe in the series of making cheese at home, Italian Mozzarella. Within that post were photos of crostini & bruschette and, with the holidays quickly approaching, I thought this the perfect time to share both recipes. Besides, if you were successful and made a couple of pounds of mozzarella, eventually you’re going to tire of eating it “by the chunk” — and that’s when these recipes will come into play.
First a definition of terms. The word crostini means little toasts, whereas bruschetta has as its origin bruscare, to char or roast. They sound pretty similar to me. I’ve always thought the difference to be in the bread used. When I make crostini, I use a baguette, thinly sliced on the diagonal. For bruschette, I use a thicker slice taken from a loaf of Italian bread. I toast both before piling on the fixin’s and sometimes pop them back into the oven afterward. It really does depend on what’s being used to top each off. And speaking of the fixin’s, you can use pretty much anything you like. Just stick with fresh ingredients and you won’t go wrong.
About a year ago, I posted a recipe for Gorgonzola and Honey Bruschette. At the time, I mentioned that I often use my toaster to toast the bread beforehand and store it in airtight containers until needed later that day. This is particularly helpful when entertaining. It’s just one less thing to worry about. No matter when you toast the bread, though, try to serve these bruschette directly after preparation or they may become sodden.
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Mozzarella and Tomato Bruschette Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
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Crostini alla Caprese Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
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Notes
These antipasti should be made using fresh mozzarella. No, you needn’t make it yourself and you can find it now in most large grocery stores. Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the pre-shredded stuff used when making pizza. Fresh mozzarella is usually ball-shaped and is often packaged in water/whey. If you’re unsure, ask a person working at your store’s deli counter for assistance.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
Since this post is somewhat party themed, I thought it best to resurrect a recipe that’s perfect when entertaining a large group. Cut into 3 inch squares, your guests will have no trouble munching on this bit of cheesecake while sipping on their cocktails, You can find the recipe for this Cherry Cheesecake Pizza by clicking HERE. If you need help deciding which cocktail(s) to serve, do what I do. Click HERE or HERE. While you’re there, be sure to take some time to check out both Greg’s and John’s blogs. You won’t be disappointed.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
The Ketchup That Came Down The Mountain
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The Proverbial Last Rose of Summer
“Sunset Celebration”
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Fall is here and that can mean but one thing: break out the roasting pans! That’s right. No more excuses like, “It’s too hot!” or “The meal’s too heavy!” No sir-ee, Bob! It’s time to choose your weapon (beef, fowl, pork, or veal), set the oven temperature (low, medium, high, or roar), and prepare yourself for a feast. Lest anyone think that this party is reserved for carnivores alone, however, let me assure every vegetarian, vegan, and pescatarian that roasting does wonders for the foods in your diets, as well. In due time, we’ll get to a few of those recipes, too.
Some of you may recall a discussion in the comments section of the post detailing the making of strawberry jam with balsamic vinegar and black pepper. The consensus was that the jam would “work” with pork or veal roasts. A few weeks later, I made some fig preserves, also with balsamic and black pepper, and the idea of using it with pork was never far from my thoughts. In fact, the very next weekend, I purchased a pork loin and I was off and running.
That first roast was an end piece of the loin and, because of that, it was a little tapered. 
Once it was brined and coated with fig preserves, it had to be re-folded just as it had been butterflied. I used sliced pancetta on the top of the roast and placed it in a roasting pan with some potatoes. This did not work out so well. Once heated, the preserves leaked out of the roast and any potatoes that were near the preserves burned. The roast was very tasty but the potatoes a disappointment, to say the least. Enter roast no. 2
A couple of weeks later, as luck would have it, there was a sale on whole pork loins. Count me in! This time, I asked the my friend, the butcher, to do the butterflying for me, 
using the loin’s center cut. Once home, it was brined and slathered with fig preserves but this time, the roast was thick enough so that it could be rolled, as one would a jelly roll. After that, I covered it completely with sliced pancetta. The overall effect was to limit the amount of preserves that leaked into the roasting tray. Still, I didn’t want to take any chances. The potatoes were roasted separately and I added liquid to the roasting pan, eventually making a sauce out of the drippings and any “escaped” preserves. This is the method used in today’s post.
Before sharing the recipe, a few things need mentioning. The amount of salt and sugar used in this brine is exactly half what I would normally use, the reason being that the roast was already butterflied. Since it was going to be in the solution overnight, I didn’t want to risk it being over-brined. It is better to be under-brined, trust me. (See Notes.) When roasting, remember that brined meats cook more quickly. Other than that, roasting times will depend upon the size and cut of meat. I used the loin’s center cut. It weighed about 4 lbs. (1.8 kg) and was finished roasting in under an hour. (An instant read thermometer is your friend.) The FDA’s guidelines no longer require pork to be cooked to 165˚ as it once did. Today, pork roasts are considered safe if cooked to a temperature of 145˚. No matter the temperature you prefer your roast, remember it will raise a few degrees while the roast rests after being pulled from the oven.
I’ve not listed the amounts of the spices required for they, too, will depend upon the roast’s size, as well as the amount of potatoes you’ll be preparing. Just make sure to make enough of the olive oil & herb marinade to cover the roast and the potatoes. You’ll note that I only added garlic to the reserved marinade that was used on the potatoes. I just didn’t feel that garlic would go well with the fig preserves in the roast or the sauce. And lastly, some pancetta is more salty than others. Take this into account when seasoning the pork roast.
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Roast Loin of Pork with Fig Preserves Recipe
Ingredients
for the brine
for the roast
Directions
The Night Before
Click to enlarge
That Morning
To Roast
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Notes
The brining ingredients as listed take into account that the roast was butterflied before it was brined. If you decide to butterfly it after brining you’ll need to double the amounts of sugar and salt used. That’s simply because a whole roast has less surface area than one that’s been butterflied.
No matter how you “wrap” the roast, a little — or a lot — of the fig preserves are going to spill into the roasting pan. Because of their high sugar content, the preserves will burn pretty quickly once they hit the hot pan. With a little care, however, they can help make a great sauce. The key is to make sure the roasting pan never dries completely. Here I started with a cup of water since its purpose was to keep any preserves from burning. As the roasting progressed, I switched to a combination of wine (California Riesling) and stock, ensuring a more flavorful sauce.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
According to one of our more celebrated Italian chefs, snails, lumache, are served traditionally on All Souls Day in Le Marche. Since Friday is All Souls Day, this is the perfect time to review my family’s recipe for preparing the little devils — and you’ll still have 2 days left to go out and buy/capture some for your dinner. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE. Happy hunting!
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Pan-Seared Salmon with Dill Sauce
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Branzino al Cartoccio
During the past 6 months, I’ve discovered not just an Italian market with an extensive fish counter but 2 fish mongers, as well. Their impact upon my diet has been incredible and I’ve enjoyed a far greater variety of seafood than ever before. I’ve not seen some — whiting (merluzzo), eels (anguille), octopus (polipo) — since I was a boy. Others — clams (vongole), squid (calamari), red snapper, and the like — may have been more readily available but the fish and calamari were often frozen and finding clams was a hit-or-miss affair. So, suddenly having 3 sources for fresh (affordable) seafood is mind-boggling and I’ve taken full advantage of them. Mediterranean sea bass (branzino) is a case in point.
Up until I found the Italian market, branzino was something I only saw on the menus of restaurants. My usual sources for seafood certainly weren’t going to carry it, although I suppose I may have been able to order one. You can imagine my surprise when I looked at the market’s fish counter one day and saw no less than a dozen fresh branzini on display. I just could not pass them by — even though I was leaving for Michigan the next morning. I bought one, packed it in ice overnight, repacked it in ice in my cooler for the trip, and we arrived in Michigan, fresh as daisies, the next afternoon. After a quick run to a grocery, I fixed today’s recipe for Zia that night. Unfortunately, the pictures from that dinner were too dark to be used in a post, so, I was forced to prepare the dish again here at home. I know. The sacrifices we bloggers must endure.
By now, you’ve probably surmised that al cartoccio is Italian for “in parchment.” For this dish, because of its length, I used 2 sheets of parchment paper to enclose the fish. With a smaller branzino, you may be able to use a single large sheet, folded in half. Although this is a recreation of our meal that night, it’s not exactly what I had planned for us. True to form, I forgot to bring a few ingredients with me and her area’s markets did not have them in supply. The fish was nonetheless delicious but, if you’re interested, the “Mediterranean style” mentioned in Variations below is what I had originally intended for that evening. No matter how you decide to prepare your fish, be sure to set aside a few of the diced vegetables and chopped herbs to be used as garnish before serving. They’ll add both texture and freshness to the dish.
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Branzino al Cartoccio Recipe
Ingredients
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Oven Ready
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Directions
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Pronti!
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Variations
If you prefer a more Mediterranean style, add some chopped olives to the vegetables, add some fresh oregano to the herbs within the cavity, and use a little dried oregano to season the chopped vegetables. Oregano is a strong-tasting herb. Be careful not to use too much. Feel like something from South of the (US) Border? Swap cilantro for the parsley, add a little chopped jalapeño to the vegetables, and maybe a pinch or two of cumin. And no matter style you follow, you can’t go wrong with capers — unless you forget to add them like I did when I prepared this fish.
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Notes
The cooking times may vary depending upon the size and thickness of the whole fish or even the fillets, if used. Though the pouch will protect your fish from drying out to a point, you don’t want to let it cook too long. A good rule of thumb for this or any fish roasted in parchment is to listen for the sizzle coming from inside the pouch. Most whole fish will be finished cooking from 7 to 9 minutes from that point; fillets will be finished in about 5 minutes.
You may have noticed that I used staples instead of a series of folds to seal the parchment ends. Once I saw Alton Brown do this, I abandoned the origami method of sealing the pouches. This is so much easier and reliable, especially when preparing a fish large enough to require 2 sheets of parchment paper.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
I’m just finishing up with this year’s canning, preserving, and pickling. One family favorite that I shared last year is the recipe for Zia’s Corn Relish. It’s a simple pickle, actually, and results in a great little condiment to serve with virtually any protein. It’s a little bit o’ sunshine on your dinner plate and who wouldn’t like that in the cold months ahead? Now, don’t worry if the “good” fresh corn is no longer available. Frozen corn can easily be used to make this relish and you can see the recipe by clicking HERE.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Crostini
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You may recall that I shared a peach cobbler recipe a few weeks ago. Somewhere along the line, I mentioned having another recipe for cobbler, one where the topping starts in the bottom of the baking dish but rises to the occasion during baking, giving you a perfectly formed topping to the rich fruit/berry filling. How can this be?
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Do you believe in magic?
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I’ve made this cobbler more than a few times over the years. Peaches, plums, strawberries you name it, I’ve used them all. It’s an easy recipe, a fast recipe, and one that is sure to please everyone at your table. Just bear in mind that the topping of this cobbler, unlike the peach cobbler recipe I shared HERE, is more cake-like than biscuit. I happen to like them both and now you’ll have a choice.
The recipe is as easy as 1, 2, 3 …
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Melt Butter in Baking Dish
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Add Batter – Do Not Mix
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Add Par-Cooked Filling – Do Not Mix
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Bake while singing “Abracadabra!” and … Ecco!
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Plum Cobbler Recipe
Ingredients
Directions
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Variations
As mentioned, you can use whatever fruit or berry that you like for the filling. I’ve never used a thickening agent, like flour or cornstarch, for fear of it affecting the cake’s formation magic.
Although the recipe lists cinnamon and nutmeg as optional, I rarely use them. I find that they can easily overpower a dessert, so, I use them sparingly in my cobblers, if at all.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
Today’s Blast from the Pasta, Spaghetti Aglio e Olio, is probably the most versatile of all pasta recipes. Prepared as written and you’ll be enjoying a delicious pasta dinner within minutes but that’s only part of the story. Saute some vegetables and you’ll have a great pasta primavera. Add some clams with a touch of white wine and you’ve got the classic pasta con vongole. The choices are endless and I prepare this dish, in one form or another, just about once a week. You can see the recipe by clicking HERE.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Branzino al Cartoccio
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An Update
Although I’m the proud owner of some new, fancy schmancy equipment, I am still without a DSL. I have been promised, however, that service will be restored, better than ever, sometime this evening — and companies, especially very big companies, never ever lie.
Thanks for your comments and well-wishes.
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Shortly after 8:00 am, the Kitchens lost their DSL service and it will not be restored until Wednesday, October 17th, at the earliest. In the interim, my access to WordPress, let alone the Internet, will be severely limited and painfully slow. This post took 45 minutes to prepare.
Thank you for your understanding.
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. It took literally gallons of curdled milk to get us here and today I’ll show you how to make Italian Mozzarella. Prior to this, I’ve demonstrated how to make ricotta, goat cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone, feta, and American mozzarella. Hopefully, you’ve heeded my warnings and made one of these other, simpler cheeses, for this mozzarella is the trickiest cheese of them all to prepare. In fact, my success rate with ricotta is 100%; with American mozzarella the rate is about 75 – 80%; while I’m only successful making Italian mozzarella about a third of the time. So why bother? Well, Italian mozzarella is superior to the American, having a more delicate flavor and creamier consistency. It’s no Burrata but it is nonetheless a very good cheese. It’s up to you to decide whether it is worth the effort.
NOTE: Because so much of this process is the same as that for American mozzarella, some of the following has been used in both posts. No sense re-inventing the Parmesan wheel.
As is the case with every cheese, before we get started, there are a few things to be discussed. First of all, mozzarella belongs to the pasta filata, “spun paste”, family of Italian cheese. Primarily made from buffalo or cow’s milk, provolone, scamorza, and caciocavallo are also members of this group. The curds of these cheeses are heated in water and spun before being pulled and stretched to make the cheese. If they aren’t spun or pulled properly, the cheese’s texture will not be right nor will the cheeses have that characteristic stretchy quality when melted.
Got milk?
Next, we need to look at the milk. Just like with its American cousin, when making Italian mozzarella you may not use calcium chloride (CaCl) to compensate for the effects of ultra-pasteurization upon milk. As a result, you must use raw or pasteurized milk. When choosing pasteurized, select a whole milk from a local dairy to reduce the chances of it being pasteurized at too high a temperature. Some brands will have the pasteurization temperature posted on the container’s label. Available at Whole Foods and health food stores, I use that milk because the pasteurization temperature is low compared to most and I know exactly what I am buying.
Most importantly, the curds must reach a certain level of acidity before mozzarella can be made — and herein lies the difference between American and Italian mozzarella. When we made American mozzarella, we used citric acid to create the acidity required. It enabled us to make mozzarella relatively quickly. There is no such ingredient for Italian mozzarella. These curds will acidify on their own if left undisturbed for about 10 hours or overnight. You can increase your odds of success by using pH test strips to insure that the correct acidity (5.2) has been achieved. (See Notes for more information about these strips.) Italian mozzarella’s superior flavor and texture are due to the fact that no additives are used to acidify its curds. There are no shortcuts when making this cheese.
You’ll see “Lipase” included among the list of ingredients. Lipase is an enzyme that is used to enhance the flavor of mozzarella, Asiago, provolone, feta and blue cheeses. It can be purchased from the cheese making sites listed on my Cheesy Stuff page. It is not a necessary ingredient, however, so don’t worry if you cannot find or purchase it. If you do use it, however, you’ll need to add more rennet, as indicated in the recipe below.
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Bruschetta
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Sorry about the quality of the photos to follow but this wasn’t an easy process to photograph while working alone and wearing gloves. If you have asbestos fingers, you may not need to wear gloves but I’ve found that they offer some protection from the heated curds. I’ve heard that it is customary for women in Italy to keep a bowl of ice water nearby. They dip their hands in it when the heat becomes too much to bear while they’re stretching the mozzarella. It’s not such a bad idea, even when wearing gloves.
Before beginning, please refer to my Cheesy Stuff page. Chock full of cheesy details, it provides information about ingredients, cleaning/sterilizing equipment, spices & seasonings, a few tips, and sources for supplies and information.
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How to Make Italian Mozzarella at Home
Ingredients
Directions
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Clean break.
Bad Break
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6. If a clean break is not achieved, wait 30 minutes and test again. Still bad? Wait another 30 minutes before testing again. Still bad? Wait a final 30 minutes. If a clean break still eludes you, there’s nothing to be done but dump the dairy and start over. Of course, you may wish to wait longer and try again but that is up to you. I would seriously consider changing milk brands before trying again. This is why I use half-gallon quantities of milk and not the 2 or 3 gallons some suggest. If I ever make enough to become proficient, I’ll use larger quantities of milk.
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7. Use a long knife or offset spatula, and starting at one side of the pot, cut a straight line through the curd. Once the opposite side has been reached, create another slice about ½ in front of the previous cut. Repeat until the entire curd has been cut into horizontal slices.
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8. Give the pot a quarter turn and, starting at one end of the pot, repeat the slicing process. When finished, the curd should be cut into ½ inch squares.
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9. Now take the knife or offset spatula and, with the blade on an angle, slice through the curds from side to side at ½ inch intervals. This will cut the curds beneath the surface. Repeat this step twice, turning the pot and cutting the curds on an angle each time.
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10. Slowly re-warm the curds to 90˚F (32˚C), gently stirring the curds, and cutting any that are larger than 1/2 inch. Let sit for 15 minutes.
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11. Gently pour the pot’s contents into a sieve, separating the curds while reserving the whey for ricotta. (See Notes below.)
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12. Place curds in a quart of cold water to rinse and then drain again. Place curds into a container, cover, and set aside, allowing the curds to reach the proper pH. It is normal for whey to continue to separate during this resting period, as shown in the image.
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Successful pH test
13. If using pH test strips, begin testing the curds’ acidity levels after 8 hours. Once an acidity level of at least 5.2 is achieved, continue. If not using the test strips, better to wait 10 hours before proceeding.
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14. Heat a large pot of water to 185˚F (85˚C). Once heated, use some of it to fill a small bowl and add to it a few pieces of curd, about the size of sugar cubes.
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15. Gently stir the bowl’s contents and, after a few minutes, the cubes will begin to show trails or filaments, spinning, as they clump together.
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16. Use a slotted spoon to remove.
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17. See if the curds will stretch. If they do, without breaking, the curds are ready. To celebrate, I usually eat the test curds before continuing to Step 17. If they do not stretch, return the curds to the rest and set aside for another 2 hours before testing again. If they still do not stretch, set aside and test again. If still unsuccessful, it is up to you to decide how much longer and how many more times you’ll test the curds. It can be very frustrating.
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18. After a successful test, the rest of the curds need to be processed. Use a thin meshed sieve to drain off the whey. Meanwhile, begin re-heating the pot of water.
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19. Place the now drained curds on a flat surface and slice into ½ inch cubes. Best to use a dish for this step, rather than a cutting board, since some whey may still be present.
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14. Separate the sliced curds into individual cubes.
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20. This is where the real trouble starts. If you read the books, scanned the websites, watch the videos, they will place the curds in a large bowl, pour the heated water over the curds, stir, and, voilà! Mozzarella ready to be stretched and pulled. Not for me. I’ve found I have greater success if I use smaller amounts of curd, resulting in smaller mozzarella balls. No matter which way you choose to go, you’ll need to pour the heated water (185˚F; 85˚C) over the curds and stir until they begin to spin. Do not rush this step. It should take a few minutes. Do not let the water temp fall below 135˚F (57˚C) but it should not remain higher than 140˚F (60˚C).
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21. (Yes, it’s the same photo as in 16 above.) Once you see evidence of spinning, use a slotted spoon to remove the curds. Begin to stretch the curds, fold on to themselves, and stretch again. Continue doing this a number of times, creating many layers, until the cheese is smooth and glossy.
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22. Form into a ball like you would bread dough for a dinner roll. Place in salted water. Congratulations! You’ve just made Italian mozzarella!
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Notes
As was mentioned, the key to making this mozzarella is the acidity of the curds. One day last Spring, I noticed pH test strips at a home brewery shop that I’d entered to purchase the calcium chloride (CaCl) needed to make feta cheese. Not all pH strips are created equal and each type is used to test specific levels of acidity/alkalinity. As luck would have it, these strips were used to test beer and were for the same range needed to test mozzarella curds. If you’re going to purchase pH strips, be sure that they are capable of testing substances with a pH of 5.2 otherwise they will be of no use whatsoever. See the image above (Step 13) for a sample of a correct pH scale and strip for testing curds. Remember that the lower the pH value, the more acidic the substance.
In Italy, only the whey from making mozzarella may be used to make ricotta. I’ve had varying levels of success trying to do so. Most recipes for making mozzarella call for at least 2 gallons of milk — sometimes 3 — to be used. When making American mozzarella, I use a gallon of milk and the resultant yield of ricotta is too little for me to use. Because of the high failure rate, I only use a half-gallon of milk when making Italian mozzarella. Once again, the ricotta yield is too far little to be of use. Now, you can add a quart of milk to Italian mozzarella’s whey to improve the yield but I’d rather use the milk to make ricotta like I’ve shown you HERE. I’ve never had a failure following that recipe and a half-gallon of milk gives me all the ricotta I need. Still, if you wish to try the more traditional approach, you can see how Dr. Fankhauser does it HERE or how our very own Miss Celi does it down on the farmy HERE. While you’re there, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out her blog. It is truly a delight to read and a great way to start your day.
No matter which mozzarella you choose to make, the cheese is best when freshest. Even so, Italian mozzarella does stay fresh longer than its American cousin. Some suggest leaving the cheese in its salt water bath until needed or transferring it to fresh water after a few hours for storage in the refrigerator. Others suggest using the brine bath for an hour before patting the cheese dry and storing in a sealed plastic bag. I’ve even heard of some freezing it for later use, something not possible with American mozzarella. I prefer to leave my Italian mozzarella in the salted water until ready for use and that’s always within 24 hours. When I remove it, I might have to rinse it to remove a soft coating that’s developed. The cheese is still very good but that coating is rather unappealing. One of these days, I’m going to make a batch, divide the cheese into thirds, and store a third in brine, a third, in fresh water, and the last third in a plastic bag. I need to feel more secure in my Italian mozzarella cheese making abilities before donating a batch to science.
And so ends our cheese making series. Now it’s your turn. Good luck!
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Inspired by the Fankhauser Mozzarella webpage
and
“Home Cheese Making” by Ricki Carrol
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Magical Plum Cobbler
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
Hard to believe that it was a year ago when I introduced you all to the Apple Thingamajig. Despite your numerous attempts to (correctly) identify it as a crostata, Zia and I have continued to call them Thingamajigs and I don’t see either of us changing anytime soon. Just click HERE if you wish to see the recipe, are feeling a bit nostalgic, or want to try your hand at helping us to remember that our Thingamajig is really a crostata. (Good luck with that!)
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Have a fun-filled Columbus Day!
Pappa al Pomodoro
Columbus Day is right around the corner and I can think of no better way to commemorate the day than to share a recipe that typifies traditional Italian cooking. I’ve mentioned in the past that very little goes to waste in an Italian kitchen, bread being a perfect example. Like elsewhere in Europe, bread is baked or bought daily and seldom, if ever, is it discarded because it’s stale. Day old bread is used to make everything from bread crumbs to a delicious Tuscan salad known as Panzanella. {That recipe features Michigan heirloom tomatoes (What else?) and is from Bam’s Kitchen, a wonderful blog whose author currently lives in Hong Kong and offers recipes from around the world.} Today’s recipe, Pappa al Pomodoro, is another that takes advantage of not just day old bread but, also, the glut of home-grown tomatoes that many experience during Summer. It is a simple dish to prepare but, oh, so very satisfying.
I cannot speak for everyone but I will say that the majority of us, growing up in Italian households, at one time or another experienced the simple pleasure of eating a piece of bread that had just been dipped in Mom’s or Nonna’s simmering pot of tomato sauce. As a boy, Mom would dunk a piece of crusty bread into the pot, blow on it a few times to cool the sauce, and then hand it to me with a warning to be careful because it was still hot. As I got older, I became an expert at sneaking a piece of bread into the pot and then my mouth in one fell swoop without her noticing. (Yeah, right!). Unfortunately, the sauce was every bit as hot as it was years before and a burned mouth was very often punishment for my devious ways. Even so, the reward of a piece of sauce-soaked bread made the risks worth while. And today, far too many years later to mention, my favorite way of checking the seasonings of my tomato sauce is with a chunk of bread, though I’ve grown a little more patient and a burned palate is rare.
Understanding that bit of my personal history may help you understand why I so enjoy 
Pappa al Pomodoro. Often described as having the consistency of baby food, one might wonder why ever would anyone like this soup. Well, one taste and you’re once again standing next to Mom or Nonna, eagerly waiting for her to blow on a sauce drenched tidbit. Here, though, instead of just having a crust of bread, you have an entire bowl to savor. Better still, the fresh basil and grated cheese gives this dish a wonderful aroma. I’m telling you, if you liked pieces of sauce-dipped bread as a child, you’re going to really enjoy this soup as an adult.
When making this soup, be sure to use the ripest tomatoes you can find. In fact, if they’re a little over-ripe, that’s just fine. As for the bread, it’s best to use day old bread with a good crust; fresh bread just won’t do. I use a small loaf of ciabatta and it works perfectly. If you’ve no day old bread, you can use fresh if you slice it and put it into a warm oven for a few minutes. You’re not trying to toast the bread, merely dry it somewhat, mimicking the feel of bread that’s just past being fresh. This is necessary because dried bread will receive the sauce much more readily than fresh. Think back to when you were a child. The best “samples” resulted from bread that had been fully drenched in the sauce. The same is true here. Lastly, be sure to garnish each serving with olive oil, freshly grated cheese, and a hand-torn leaf or two of fresh basil, the aromas of which will add so much to the dish.
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Pappa al Pomodoro Recipe
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive olDirections
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Notes
What if you live here, in Chi-town, and you want a bowl of Pappa al Pomodoro but it’s January. Fear not! Although fresh, vine ripened tomatoes are always preferable, you can make this soup with canned tomatoes just as easily. Instead of using the 2½ lbs. of tomatoes listed in the recipe’s ingredients, substitute one large can of San Marzano tomatoes, crushing them by hand before you add them to the pot.
Speaking of San Marzano tomatoes, shopping for a can of the real thing can be a daunting task. Many cans will claim to be filled with San Marzano tomatoes but, after close inspection of the labels, you’ll learn that they are mere plum tomatoes and not their more famous — and expensive — cousins. How do you tell the difference? Like authentic balsamic vinegar, San Marzano tomato sales and distribution are tightly controlled. Click HERE to learn what must be on a can’s label for all San Marzano tomatoes. By the way, if the canned tomatoes are crushed, chopped, or puréed, they are not true San Marzanos. See? Click on the link.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Italian Mozzarella!
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
With Columbus Day fast approaching, I thought it appropriate to take a look at not one 
but two posts from the past. The first will share my family’s recipe for a ravioli filling that consists of veal, pork, spinach, cheeses, and seasonings. The second will show you how to use a ravioli die to make the pasta pillows. Click HERE to see the ravioli filling recipe and HERE to learn how to make the ravioli.
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from the Bartolini kitchens 