Episode #305 - Melanzane Alla Parmigiana
here’s a new recipe that deserves and demands your full attention...
This one “has to be scheduled”; so, crack out your device, punch in your grocery list, and come back to this page next weekend...when you got some time...and cook!!!
Note: You also have to cook a pot of Red Sauce, here we wrote the recipe again, but in case you feel compelled...you can check out our Pilot Episode, now you have the video for the Sauce as well!
Enjoy!
We ate: Eggplant Parmesan
We drank: Montesodi Riserva 2004 from Ferscobaldi’s Castello di Nipozzano.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 2.5 - 3 Hr
Cooking Time: 25-30 Min
Ingredients:
2 Lb Pelati Tomatoes in the can
1 Lb Fresh Mozzarella
½ Lb Parmesan, freshly grated
2 big Eggplants
8 oz Fresh Basil
1 Red Onion
5 Cloves of Garlic
Olive Oil, salt and Pepper
½ Lb of Flour and Canola Oil for Frying
Goes well with…
More eggplant parmesan…and a salad if you got any room
left!!!
Tips…
Double the ingredients and Make extra to freeze!!!
How To:
A few hours in advance (about 2 or 3), rinse the
Eggplants well and slice them thin.
Episode #304 - Sangria, Polenta and Mushroom Appetizer, Tagliata with Rucola and Grilled Vegetables
Fun Drink: Sangria
Appetizer: Mushrooms “Trifolati” with Nipitella over Grilled Polenta
Main Course: Tagliata with Rucola Salad
Side: Grilled Mixed Vegetables
Wine: Conte Bregonzo, Amarone della Valpolicella (not a
great bottle to tell you the truth, but it did the
trick)
To be on a good schedule…since it is good not to let
cool off your delicious new Tuscan achievement…make the
Polenta the night before, the Sangria the morning after
or early afternoon, then chop the vegetables, slice the
polenta, cook the Mushrooms and just heat them when
needed, taste the Sangria. Sorry about the jumping
around…but multitasking is necessary.
When it is actually time to eat, grill the polenta and
heat up the Mushrooms, serve them while you grill the
vegetables and the steak.
There are a few things that, even in their simplicity,
are very important to get this menu done with ease;
let’s start with the seasoning of the meat…and what
kind of meat.
People do not get
pressured: “Tagliata” in Italian only means cut/sliced.
It does not have to be a very fine and expensive piece
of fillet (even if it sounds fabulous), it can be just
an honorable thick steak, or even a smaller piece of
meat…
Salt and Pepper is all you need, just sprinkle well
your steak right before you put it on the grill…Do not
fall into temptation, do not marinate, do not use
ketchup (it saddens me when I see it happen).
Episode #303 - Tuna Fish and Cannellini Beans Salad, by The Pool!
Today we decided not to cook and whipped out a quick tuna salad that made a perfect date lunch by the pool.
This is probably the quickest recipe we have done so far, thanks to the canned beans and fish.
Yes, we buy canned food too! Not the heat up and serve kind of can (soups etc...), we always have in our pantry some tuna, some beans, tons of pelati tomatoes, chickpeas...sometimes, and sardines. Gabriele is the only one that eats sardines.
Also Gabriele does not like seeing too many cans around: it reminds him of his mom going nuts when Chernobyl happened. She transformed their house in a 99 cents store of everything canned, with a tree years shelf life. Eventually the radioactive-rain-scare passed, a lot of milk got thrown away...but we believe that some of those cans might remain in the most remote corners or our Tuscan basements.
Time to eat now,
eat and drink!
Today we are drinking a
very special wine: Passito di Pantelleria.
As old as 800 BC, this sweet fruity wine is a very
romantic touch for a sunny summer morning “Aperitivo”,
or in the evening, after having spent the whole day at
the beach.
Enjoy this bottle of Ben Rye’, from Sicily’s Donna Fugata Winery. Imported by
Folio, it can be purchased online
at Noble Merchants.
Tune Fish and Cannellini
Beans Salad
Serves: 2
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: none
Episode #302 - Spaghetti all' Amatriciana
Even if it is not a traditional Tuscan dish, this is a very popular sauce...at the end, Romans are close neighbors of us, and when it comes to food and wine we’re all big brothers...when it comes to soccer though, well, that’s another story. The most popular version of this dish is prepared with Bucatini, a commond kind of pasta in Italy...but nowhere to be found in our neighborhood! So we cooked spaghetti.
Also, we are happy to
introduce you to a magnificent wine, oh life is
beautiful when you come across this kind of surprises.
Our bottle of Ornellaia made our night a
memorable one...sorry, too many adjectives?
Welcome back to the Tuscan Gun, please join us for a
Midnight Spaghetti Date!
Spaghetti all’
Amatriciana
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 30-40 for the sauce,...for the pasta check
the box!
Ingredients (serves 4): 1Lb of bucatini if you are
lucky enough to find them, otherwise spaghetti is
perfect.
1/2 Lb of streaky Bacon (or regular bacon)
2 spoonfuls of Olive Oil
Episode #301 - Watercress, Shrimp and Farro Salad
Yes, our cooking is seasonal, and we always enjoy a good amount of vegetables with our meal, but in general, if you happen to be traveling around Italy, you will come across only one kind of salad...what we called Insalata Mista (mixed salad). It is mainly some greens, a bit of carrot, a slice of onion and a couple of slices of tomato. This is probably why we waited so long before getting inspired to create something a little bit more...a dish that stands by itself; not a side dish, but a light lunch.
Two quick things need to be
said about this recipe,
- The Dressing: we mentioned in the video that we were
going to prepare two different kind of dressings, one
being the lemon/mint one... and the other one? Well, we
forgot about it. It was our intention to tell you how
in Italy it always is about the Olive Oil, Vinegar (not
always balsamic), Salt and Pepper....and make clear
that fancy salad dressing are not really part of the
Tuscan Repertoire.
- The Farro (Emmer Wheat): it is
very hard to find in your local store, and when you
come across it you are tempted to invest that kind
of money on a steak...Your best bet is the internet,
if you would like to try it! Even without the Farro,
this salad is a filling healthy dish, you just need
to be more generous with the other ingredients. And
please, do not mind Deborah, she always calls it
Buck Wheat...it is not!
Watercress, Shrimps and
Farro Salad
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min
Cooking Time: 5 min for the shrimps, 1 hr for the Farro
wheat
Ingredients
1 Lb. Fresh Shrimps, shelled, deveined and thoroughly
washed
4 Tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¼ Cup packed fresh mint leaves
15 Oz Cannellini Beans (1 small can)
½ Cup Farro (Emmer Wheat)
1 Lemon, Squeezed / 1 Lime
1 Bunch of Watercress
Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper
Episode #211 - Peppers and Seafood Risotto
Debi and I would like to invite you today to challenge yourself, the same way we do it...This is the third Risotto we cooked for the show, but we did not follow a recipe, or called mom or grandma to get directions. We just got inspired!
We assume you know how to
make your risotto by now, and our message to all of you
eaters and feeders out there is: "Invent yourself in
your risotto!".
Basic rules are always the same, soffritto, cooking
technique, broth, etc...Which vegetables do you like?
Go on, feel free to taste what's cooking in your
habitual spots, and try to figure it out.
It is easier than you think, and it will give you a
chance to spend some time in the kitchen, making Art!
Peppers and
Seafood Risotto
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10
Cooking Time: 35-45
Ingredients
1 ½ Cup of Risotto Rice
½ Red Pepper
½ Orange Pepper
12 Oz of Shrimps (fresh or frozen, cleaned)
8 Oz of mixed calamari and scallops
Episode #210 - Sausage and Radicchio Orecchiette with Roasted Peppers and Cheese appetizer
The kitchen filled up with wonderful smell of peppers, and both Debi and I have been transported somewhere else...
She felt like she was getting ready for a block party in Brooklyn. Gabriele imagined the singing of Cicadas in the Olive Fields...
Just a few quick notes
about today's menu:
- always try to find pork sausage that are not seasoned
(same applies in case you decide to go turkey)
- you can use your sauce to make Bruschetta instead of
Pasta. Toast some bread, spread some Italian soft
cheese (Mozzarella, Stracchino, Burrata), then sprinkle
the sausage sauce. Bake at 400 for about 10 min...you
can broil it at the end for a final crisp.
- when preparing the Peppers, always leave yourself
open to new uses for them. Yes you can do the skewers,
but there are many different ways you can serve them,
as a Bruschetta, as a side dish...you can even chop the
roasted peppers and use them to prepare a cold pasta
salad. Just Get Creative!!!
Roasted Peppers and
Cheese Skewers.
Serves 4
Prep Time 10
Cooking Time 30
Ingredients
4 peppers, medium-big size, different colors
5 cloves of garlic
10 oz of cheese cut into small cubes: Mozzarella,
Machego...anything you'd like to try
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt, Pepper
Tooth picks
Episode #209 - All Italian Coffee!
We have been waiting for our Italian family to ship us a Napoletana coffee machine, as we felt we needed it to fulfill our desire to pay homage to such an old and very traditional kitchen piece.
So, today we will guide you through the necessary steps, in order to make the best and purest Italian Coffee!
In the picture, from left to right: the De Longhi Espresso Machine "Magnifica", a bottle of Grappa Di Barolo (for your Corretto Coffee),a Bialetti "Mukka Express",a Bialetti "Moka", and an old (still shiny) Napoletana Machine.
Just one note: We have been
trying almost every coffee in the past seven years (at
least for the time Gabriele has been living in Los
Angeles), and it truly has been hard to find "The
One"....at least for us...here in the US.
Strangely enough, all the Italian blends represented in
local stores are very toasted and very bitter,
qualities you won't sometimes find in Italy...for the
same brands. Maybe just a matter of marketing? Do
Americans really like a "different" flavor?
After tasting many
different kinds, several beans and ground mixes (we
even dared to try a Sturbucks ...ops), we are finally
very happy to say it! We have found a favorite brand!
Tattararaaaaaaa.....!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bustelo
Coffee!
Please come in for a quick
Espresso,
Our Treat.
See You Again Soon,
Debi and Gabriele
p.s. here is a very interesting, quick, demonstrative
micro-site
about the Moka Coffee Machine...obviously, in
Italian. In case you want to dig deeper.
Episode #208 - Risotto Croquettes (Arancini di Riso)
and it can be extremely pleasurable if applied wisely to your food!
Learn how to work with your leftovers, use you freezer, your fridge, and a good set of tupperware; it will make your tomorrow easier.
Lunch boxes, a meal on the run, or simply an evening that you cannot/don't want to be bothered with too much time to spend at the stove.
As promised we gang-shot an evening episode, turning last night risotto into delicious Croquettes.
Just in case you would like
to try this recipe, but you do no have leftovers to
recycle, simply cook 1 cup of white rice, let it cool
off, then follow each step as if....Just keep in mind
that you might want a bit more generous when it comes
to adding salt and pepper. If you are working the left
overs your risotto is already well seasoned, but if you
are working with white rice well, its taste is...how to
describe it....flat...
Risotto Croquettes
Serves: 6-8
Prep Time: 20
Cooking Time: 10-15
Goes well with...
As an appetizer, with a salad, or as a warm bite for a
wine tasting evening....
Tips... if you intend to serve it to your kids, slice
the croquette in halves before you do so...they will
cool off quicker.
2 Cups of leftover risotto, cold from the fridge.
3 Eggs
1/3 Cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
½ Cup of ham
½ Cup of Mozzarella Cheese
1 handful of fresh Parsley
1 Cup all purpose flour
Breadcrumbs
Canola or vegetable oil
Separate 1 egg yolk.
Chop the ham and the mozzarella in very small pieces.
Wash the Parsley and chop it fine.