Tag Archives: Cooking

Linguine Alla Pastora: A Scissor-Worthy Recipe

13 Friday Jul 2012

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Here’s an oldie but oh-so goodie—so much so that the card upon which I glued the clipping, stained to near illegibility, is dog-eared from close to 30 years of handling. If memory serves, this recipe, which I’ve adapted over time, originated in the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, and was part of an article featuring different ways to prepare a variety of pastas. As so often happens when I discover a new recipe, I become so enamored of it that the thought of leaving it—even for a momentary dalliance with a thematic variation—never enters my mind. That’s the case with linguine alla pastora. I’m sure I’m missing out on the chance to enhance my repertoire, and I tell myself I’ll retire this from my rotation when I grow bored with it, but that hasn’t happened yet. Probably never will.

What makes this recipe so attractive to me? Well, it’s a great summertime pasta dish, when farmers’ markets are brimming with the fresh vegetables it requires. Also, it’s  quite easy and enjoyable to make. I love the aromas that fill the kitchen when I saute the ingredients for this meal. And, truth be told, I’m a sucker for compliments. This comes as a shock, I know. But seriously, every time I’ve served this dish, whether for family or friends, it gets raves. Positive reinforcement is a powerful thing.

The only step in this recipe that might give you pause is the call for roasted red peppers. Oh sure, you can buy them in a jar at your local specialty market, but why would you when they’re so easy to prepare? I’ll explain how to roast red peppers at the end of this post. For now, join me as I walk you through one of my favorite pasta dishes, the rustic Linguine alla Pastora, or, if you will, the Shepherdess’ Linguine.

Linguine alla Pastora
—4 to 6 servings

1 pound imported linguine pasta
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, sliced in small arcs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 zucchini, sliced
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), cut into lardons*
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 red peppers, roasted and sliced**
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 (at least) cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

You would do well to roast the red peppers first so they have a chance to cool while you’re preparing the rest of the ingredients. Instructions can be found at the end of this post.

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

While the water is coming to the boil. heat olive oil in a 12-inch saute-pan. Add onion, garlic, zucchini, and pancetta, and cook at medium heat for five minutes, or until onion is transparent.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.While the pasta is cooking, add wine to the sauteed vegetables and reduce at high heat for five minutes. Lower heat to medium, and add parsley and red pepper slices. Season with peppers and cook five minutes longer.

When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and reserve.

When the saute is ready, place about half of the cooked pasta in a large serving bowl and toss with about half of the saute. Add the remainder of the pasta and saute and toss well. Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (I believe there’s no such thing as too much Parmigiano-Reggiano) and serve.

*If you cannot find pancetta, you may substitute prosciutto. I’ve also made this with fresh sauteed sea scallops, omitting the Italian meat entirely.

**How to Roast Red Peppers

After washing the peppers, dry them and place them on a rack under the broiler element of your oven. (Don’t place them directly on the removable rack that comes with your oven; use something similar to what is shown in the photograph and place that on the removable rack. Also, I place the oven rack fairly close to the heating element.) What follows is very important and can’t be over-emphasized: keep an eye on the peppers while you are roasting them. Don’t leave the kitchen to tend to something else. You want to be nearby to (carefully) turn them with tongs as they begin to char so they are nicely roasted on all sides. The entire procedure should not take more than ten minutes, depending upon the size of the peppers and how close to the heat you’ve placed them.

After removing the roasted peppers from the oven, very carefully wrap each one in a paper towel. They will be hot to handle, so you might want to wait a moment or two until you can comfortably perform this step.

Place each wrapped pepper in a small plastic bag and set aside while you tend to other aspects of your recipe. So cossetted, they will steam nicely, making it much easier for you to remove their skins.

After about 15 minutes or so, rouse the peppers from their little sleeping bags. I run them under cold water to a) make them easier to handle, since they’re still quite warm, and b) begin rubbing and pulling at the charred skin to peel it off. Using your fingers, pull the skin away from the peppers, then remove the stem and seeds. (A vegetable peeler won’t work.) After the peppers are limp, empty shells of what they used to be, slice them into strips. That’s it. You’re done!

Apricot Pork Tenderloin: A Scissor-Worthy Recipe

13 Wednesday Jun 2012

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On a recent trip to Fresh Market, I picked up two one-pound pork tenderloins on sale and popped them in our freezer. We have a small kitchen and no basement; the only freezer we have is (which is bigger than a breadbox, but just barely), is the one that came with our refrigerator. Consequently, there’s not a lot of room for, say, a side of beef, or even a turkey. (Well, I could probably squeeze in a turkey, but the ice cream and sorbet from Bev’s would have to go. Trust me, I have my priorities.) On occasion, however, if I see something I know is a bargain but can’t use it right away, I manage to find the room.

As you know, I am also an inveterate recipe clipper. That confession can be found in an earlier blog post. I promised to try the recipes I’ve amassed over the years, at random, and let you know how they turned out. Here, then, is the latest of my adventures—apricot pork tenderloin. I’m pleased to tell you that it is quite “scissor-worthy” indeed.

What I found appealing about it on a first read was its modest list of ingredients, the fact that it featured pork tenderloin, which John and I both love, and the lure of the dried fruit, which promised a marriage of sweet and savory that didn’t disappoint. And let’s all admit it: Sometimes when we want to cook, we don’t want to engage in an epic production. Sometimes we just want to throw something together quickly and have it be delicious. This one is. And we got three dinners out of it. This was a bargain that paid dividends. I served this with rice pilaf and roast asparagus. Enjoy!

Apricot Pork Tenderloin
—Serves Four

1 pound pork tenderloin*
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, cracked pepper
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar OR lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup EACH: water, chopped dried apricots, chopped prunes

*Remember, I doubled this recipe. To make eight servings with 2 pounds of pork, double everything else, too.

Pat tenderloin dry; rub with salt and pepper. Combine preserves, vinegar, garlic, and mustard in a small bowl. Brush some of the mixture over tenderloin; reserve extra mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high. Brown tenderloin on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add water, chopped fruit, and any remaining apricot mixture to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium. Cook until thickest part of meat is pink, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cover; raise heat slightly. Cook until pan juices reduce slightly, about 5 minutes. Thinly slice pork; top with fruit mixture.

Provenance: Judy Hevrdejs (Chicago Tribune), published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. A link to the original recipe, as it appeared in the Chicago Tribune, can be found here.

Marge & Sally’s Make-You-Feel-Better Meatloaf

17 Thursday May 2012

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When you’re recovering from an illness or surgery, there’s really nothing like a home-cooked meal to warm your heart and hasten your journey on the road to wellness. John, the Midlife Second Husband, made me a wonderful meal of pork chops, gravy, and egg noodles. My neighbor Marge brought over the meatloaf you see here.

Everyone has a recipe for meatloaf in their files, right? My own, which includes chunks of cheddar cheese, has been my default setting for ages. But Marge’s version of this comfort food has inspired me to vary my repertoire. It was delicious—just the right balance of sweetness and tang. I enjoyed several meatloaf sandwiches for lunches the week after my surgery, with nothing other than ketchup to adorn the bread. I’m craving it even as I type this.

Marge tells me that her daughter Sally really gets the credit for this concoction. By virtue of a happy accident, she once erred by adding sweetened condensed milk instead of simple canned milk to the mix. It was such a hit that she changed the recipe to include her mistake. (Marge tinkered further by splitting the difference to reduce the sweetness factor, as you’ll see below.)

Marge, thanks for bringing this to us during my recovery, and for allowing me to share the recipe on the blog. And Sally, thanks for misreading the recipe!

Marge & Sally’s Make-You-Feel-Better Meatloaf

1-1/2 pounds hamburger
3 tablespoons onion, minced
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup evaporated milk
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix meat mixture with hands or fork and form into a loaf pan.

Topping:
Combine a splash of cider vinegar with
1/3 cup ketchup

Pour topping over meatloaf and bake at 350-degrees for one hour. Serve with
homemade mashed potatoes or egg noodles. Delicious cold, sliced in a sandwich.

Editor’s note: Sally (of Marge & Sally) tells me that the recipe originated from the kitchen of a former First Lady of Virginia—Edwina Dalton, wife of the late Governor John N. Dalton, who served as the Commonwealth’s 63rd governor, from 1978 to 1982.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables — A ‘Barefoot Contessa’ Recipe

02 Wednesday May 2012

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Cookbook author Ina Garten is my hero. I discovered her years ago on her Food Network program, The Barefoot Contessa, and was immediately captivated not only by the delicious-looking food she prepared, but also by her warmth and hospitality. So many cooking programs give you the impression of having been invited into the host’s kitchen to learn a cooking tip or two; with Ina, you get the sense that she’d invite you to stay after—not to help her clean up, necessarily (although I’d gladly do so), but to chat over coffee and dessert. A decadent, incredible dessert.

The first Ina Garten book I ever purchased (there are four on my shelf) was Barefoot Contessa Parties!. I’ve made my favorites from this book so often that the dog-eared, stained pages have retained their place-memory. The recipe I’m sharing here is found on page 174, and I’d like to thank the publisher, Clarkson Potter/Random House, for giving me permission to do so.

With farmers’ markets opening up for the season, this is the perfect time—and the perfect way—to enjoy the bounties of your region. This is truly one of my favorite dishes to make, and it garners raves each time it appears on my table. (The dressing is so delicious and easy to prepare that it has become my default salad dressing.) I promise you: if you’ve never tried one of Ina’s recipes, this one will get you hooked. You’ll soon start your own collection of Barefoot Contessa cookbooks.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables
Copyright © 2001 by Ina Garten. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the publisher.
—Serves 6

1 small eggplant, peeled and 3/4-inch diced
1 red bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 yellow bell pepper, 1-inch diced
1 red onion, peeled and 1-inch diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup good olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound orzo

For the dressing:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To assemble:
4 scallions, minced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup pignolis, toasted (see note below)
3/4 pound good feta, 1/2-inch diced (not crumbled)
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the eggplant, bell peppers, onion, and garlic with the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a large baking sheet. Roast for 40 minutes, until browned, turning once with a spatula.

The vegetables, all minced and seasoned and ready to roast

Meanwhile, cook the orzo in boiling salted water for 7 to 9 minutes, until tender. Drain and transfer to a large serving bowl.

Add the roasted vegetables to the pasta, scraping all the liquid and seasonings from the roasting pan into the pasta bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper and pour on the pasta and vegetables. Let cool to room temperature, then add the scallions, pignolis, feta, and basil. Check the seasonings, and serve at room temperature.

TO TOAST PIGNOLIS:

To toast pignolis, place them in a dry sauté pan and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes, until evenly browned, tossing frequently.

Lasagna Casserole with Meat and Red Wine Sauce

22 Thursday Mar 2012

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As someone who prides herself not only on her culinary skills but also on her Sicilian heritage, I’m embarrassed to admit to you that it took me years to finally get around to making lasagna. For one thing, my mother never made it. I don’t remember my grandmother doing so, either. That said, there was no time-honored recipe for me to inherit. And I’m enough of a cooking snob that I didn’t want to bother with the recipe on the back of the box of dried lasagna (or was it the intimidation factor?). All of this goes by way of saying that I waited not until I enjoyed this most fundamental recipe of Italian cuisine at someone’s home, but until I found a recipe that sounded to me as though it would reward all of my time and trouble by yielding a meal that could go down in the annals of cooking history as the greatest of all time.

Reader, I found it.

Trust me when I tell you that this lasagna is magnificent. Although it might appear complicated on a first-read, it really just requires some advance preparation and organization—and what recipe doesn’t? Plus, it doesn’t require a béchamel sauce, so that’s one step you can cross off your to-do list. This is fun to make, it will fill your home with mouth-watering aromatics, and it is so delicious as to qualify as a mortal sin. When I served this for company recently, one impressed guest remarked: “Well, I used to make lasagna. I won’t anymore. Not after this.”

This really will spoil you for any other lasagna recipe.

It comes from a terrific anthology cookbook called From Our House to Yours: Comfort Food to Give and Share, published by Chronicle Books. It’s a book for a good cause, too; sales benefit Meals on Wheels of San Francisco. I found it at a winery in Napa about 10 years ago, and everything I’ve ever made from it has been fabulous. Now, a word about the recipe itself. Foodwriter, chef, and culinary educator Julia della Croce is its creator. Julia is one of America’s foremost authorities on Italian food, and has published numerous books; you can find a list of her titles on her website. (The one containing this recipe is The Pasta Book.) Julia also writes a blog—wonderfully named—called “Forktales.” She graciously gave me permission to include her lasagna recipe on this blog. Julia, grazie mille!

Lasagna Casserole with Meat and Red Wine Sauce

—Serves 6

1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 large stalk celery, including leaves, finely chopped
1/2 pound lean, sweet, fennel-flavored Italian pork sausages (about 3 links)
1 pound lean ground beef or pork
4 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup good dry red wine
One 28-ounce can tomatoes in puree, drained and coarsely chopped, puree reserved
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste, plus 2 tablespoons for cooking pasta (I use Kosher salt for the recipe, and regular Iodized salt for cooking the pasta)
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound dried lasagna or narrower lasagnette noodles
3 cups (24 ounces) ricotta cheese
Good pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
1/2 pound thinly sliced Italian salame such as soppressata, diced
1-1/2 pounds good-quality mozzarella cut into very thin slices, or shredded (shredding goes faster)

1. Soak the dried mushrooms in 1/4 cup warm water until softened, about 30 minutes. Strain the liquid through a fine sieve and reserve. Chop the mushrooms coarsely. Set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion, garlic, parsley, carrot, and celery. Sauté over medium heat until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes; do not let them brown. Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Add it and the ground meat to the pan. Sauté until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon and mixing it with the vegetables. Sauté gently another 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the reserved mushrooms and their liquor, the tomato paste, and wine; simmer for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their reserved puree; simmer gently, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place an oven rack in the upper half of the oven. Bring 5 to 6 quarts water to a rolling boil and add the 2 tablespoons salt, vegetable oil, and noodles. Stir immediately, continuing to stir frequently as the noodles cook. Drain when slightly underdone (they will continue to cook in the oven), reserving 1/3 cup of the cooking water. Immediately rinse the lasagne noodles well in cold water to prevent them from sticking together.

4. Combine the ricotta with the reserved pasta water, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Smear the bottom of a 10-by-14-inch baking pan with a little of the meat sauce. Then place a single solid layer of the noodles on top, without overlapping. Spread a layer of the ricotta mixture on the noodles, followed by a layer of sauce. Sprinkle with some of the salame, add a layer of mozzarella, then sprinkle with several teaspoons of the remaining Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering until all the ingredients are used up, ending with a layer of meat sauce strewn with mozzarella and Parmesan. Be sure to cover the pasta with sauce to prevent it from drying out in the oven.

5. Bake until the lasagne is heated through and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and let settle for 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into squares before serving.

TO MAKE AHEAD: The lasagne can be assembled up to 4 days in advance. Once cooked, it will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.

TO REHEAT: If frozen, let thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in a preheated 350°F oven until heated through.

Salt & Pepper Shrimp: A Scissor-Worthy Recipe

17 Saturday Mar 2012

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The other day I wrote about the trove of clipped recipes I’ve managed to amass over the years. In my effort to separate the wheat from the chaff, I’ve decided to pluck a recipe at random from time to time and post it on the blog if I deem it to be “scissor-worthy.” Today, courtesy of the Richmond Times-Dispatch (and the McClatchy-Tribune news syndicate), I bring you what I’m calling “Salt and Pepper Shrimp.” The original title is “Wok-Flashed Salt and Pepper Shrimp” but since John and I need to purchase a wok, I made this in a skillet instead. It worked just fine.

The recipe as published in the paper was adapted from one created by television chef Ming Tsai. I’ve made a minor adjustment of my own, which I’ll explain in a moment.

This recipe is supposed to serve two people, but John and I—hearty eaters both—found that we had enough left to have for lunch today. (I did use slightly more than a pound of shrimp, which I purchased at my favorite seafood store, Yellow Umbrella. I also bought shrimp that was already cooked.) I should add that whenever a recipe gives me a choice between a dried herb or spice or its fresh incarnation, I always opt for fresh. The tartness of the lemon zest in the rice is enhanced by the wonderful intensity of the minced ginger in this dish.

Salt and Pepper Shrimp

1 pound large, easy-peel shrimp
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Place shrimp in a bowl of water to soak while you prepare the other ingredients. (This step isn’t necessary if you’re using cooked shrimp, although I always give seafood a rinse under the tap.)

Mix the cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Remove shrimp from water (if uncooked) and add to the cornstarch mixture. Toss well to make sure all of the shrimp are covered with the mixture.

Heat the oil in a wok or skillet on high heat. When the oil is smoking, add the shrimp, ginger, garlic, and scallions. Stir-fry four to five minutes until the shrimp have turned pink. (The timing will be the same if using shrimp that has already been cooked; just be sure to stir the shrimp well while the other ingredients are cooking so they don’t burn or stick to the skillet.)

Serve over Lemony Rice and Peas.

Lemony Rice and Peas

1 package microwavable white rice*
1 teaspoon canola oil
Zest of 1 lemon (grated skin) plus 1 tablespoon juice
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Cook rice according to package directions for the microwave, or use my method for Basmati rice below. Measure one and one-half cups of rice into a bowl (I used about 2 cups), saving any extra for another meal. Add the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and peas. Toss well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

*Here’s where I veered from the recipe. I’m not a fan of using the microwave for anything other than melting butter, warming coffee, heating leftovers, or making popcorn—with kernels, not the packaged kind. Instead, I prepared 1 cup of white Basmati rice in a pan on the stove:

(1 and 3/4 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of butter. Bring all to a boil, turn the gas down low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat for about 15 minutes more.)

Serve with Salt and Pepper Shrimp.

Scissor-Worthy Recipes and the Great Clip-Cookathon

10 Saturday Mar 2012

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Remember the other day when I bemoaned all the clipped recipes that were spilling out of my stash-all drawer? Here they are. I’ve decided to do something about them.

First, I’m going through the pile once more to determine whether or not I really and truly want to invest the time, labor, and expense in making a particular recipe. Here are some of the rejects currently residing in my recycling box:

Runny Eggs on Creamy Grits. I had just moved to the South. That’s my only explanation for why I thought this would be remotely interesting to eat.

Pomelo, Escarole, and Candied Bacon Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing. What’s a pomelo? I’m sure the complete article would have told me, but I clipped the recipe without saving the explanation.

Paw Paw’s Birthday Caramel Cake with Caramel Frosting. Again, I plead geography. Otherwise there’s no rational reason why I would have taken the time to clip this. Especially since I don’t like caramel.

I think you get the general idea.

Here’s where I’m going with this. The recipes that make the cut (pun most definitely intended), are going in a file from which I’m randomly going to pull at random moments of desperation. I will make said recipe, and post it here, along with John’s and my assessment of whether or not it was, indeed, scissor-worthy. Doesn’t matter if it’s a cake, a salad, or a main dish; if I pull it, I cook it and we eat it. End of story.

(If this is not a test of marital compatibility, I don’t know what is.)

The recipe I’m sharing with you today was made by me on Thursday, and we had leftovers last night and will likely have this for lunch today. The unanimous verdict was that this one’s a keeper. I have to say that while I was making it, I wasn’t so sure; it seemed as though it was going to be one of those oh-so-good-for-you meals with healthy ingredients that I’d end up fiddling with on my plate, like Randy and his mashed potatoes. And yes, I’m aware that this is the second time on the blog that I’ve referenced A Christmas Story. Guess I’m a pushover for movies filmed in Cleveland.

So here, without further ado, making its debut on the Great Clip-Cookathon, is …

Creamy Carmelized Onion Pasta
—Serves eight

3 pounds yellow onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fettuccine pasta
1 8-ounce container crème fraîche
1 5-ounch container arugula (I mistakenly bought arugula blend, which had radicchio in it…didn’t matter. I used it anyway.)
1 cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large slow cooker, combine the onions and olive oil. Stir well to coat, then cover and cook on high for 6 to 8 hours, or until well browned and caramelized. (This kind of caramel I like. I also love using my slow cooker. I simply stirred the onions around each time I walked into the kitchen to make sure they caramelized uniformly.)

When the onions are done, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain, then return to the pot. Add the onions, crème fraîche, arugula, and sun-dried tomatoes. Stir over medium heat until the arugula just begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Parmesan

07 Wednesday Mar 2012

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There’s no meal quite so satisfying as Chicken Parmesan, which I prepared last Sunday with linguini aglio olio (linguini in a sauce of garlic and olive oil) and roasted asparagus. The Fresh Market had a sale on chicken breasts—$1.99 per pound—and I planned our dinner around that bargain. There’s also nothing quite so satisfying as knowing you’ve spent less than $15 on ingredients that will yield three meals (if you’re cooking for two and love leftovers). You should also get two to three lunches from the breaded cutlets that didn’t fit into the baking pan. That, my investment-savvy friends, is a fantastic ROI.)

If you’ve got the basics in your pantry—extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, Italian-seasoned bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese plus good Parmigiano-Regianno, pasta, red pepper flakes, and canned tomato sauce—you shouldn’t have to buy much else other than chicken, provolone, your vegetable, and flat-leaf Italian parsley (for jazzing up your pasta). Two whole chicken breasts (or four halves, depending on how you tend to size things up) formed the foundation for this dinner. I started the day before by preparing my breaded chicken cutlets; all I needed to do to serve it the day was assemble and cook the recipe, make my pasta with garlic and olive oil, and roast the asparagus. A crusty baguette and a bottle of wine rounded out the meal. Delizioso!

CHICKEN PARMESAN

—Serves six, with extra breaded cutlets to make sandwiches for three lunches

For the breaded cutlets:
2 whole boneless chicken breasts
3 to 6 Tablespoons olive oil
2 to 3 cups seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 to 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 eggs, beaten with a whisk
1/2 half shallot, minced

Slice the breasts down the middle, then slice off the side end of each half-breast so that each piece lays flat on your cutting board. With a meat mallet, gently pound each piece of chicken until the pieces are about one-half inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

Whisk the eggs and add the minced shallot. Blend the bread crumbs and cheese together on a baking sheet.

Dip each piece of chicken in the eggs, then dredge in the crumb and cheese mixture. Place each breaded chicken piece on a separate baking sheet and continue until all of the chicken has been breaded.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cutlets and cook until they are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Add extra oil to the skillet as needed. You’ll likely have to cook the cutlets in batches; after each cutlet is cooked, remove it to a tray or plate lined with paper towels.

When finished, you can either cover the cutlets with aluminum foil and store until the next day, or continue with the recipe.

For the Parmesan:
3 16-ounce cans good quality tomato sauce
7 to 8 breaded chicken cutlets
7 to 8 slices Provolone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Regianno cheese

Preheat the oven to 475-degrees F. Spread some of the tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan, then arrange the breaded chicken cutlets on top, adding more sauce in between each cutlet. Top each cutlet with a slice of Provolone cheese, then add a dollop of sauce to the cheese. Sprinkle the Parmigiano-Regianno over all.

Bake until the cheese melts and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes or until nice and bubbly. Serve immediately.

(You will find, to your delight, that you should have unused breaded cutlets, which will be wonderful the next day for lunch, served on crusty Italian bread.)

(Would you like the recipe for the Linguini Aglio Olio? I can arrange that!)

Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey

02 Friday Mar 2012

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I am an inveterate recipe clipper. One of the drawers in our home is filled to overflowing with recipes culled from the New York Times, the Plain Dealer, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and all the usual suspects among the food magazines. Why do I do this? It’s not for lack of cookbooks in my collection. Stumped for a way to prepare fish, I’ll troll various sites on the Internet. I could begin, today and each day thereafter, to cook my way through every clipped recipe I own and find myself cooking until 2040—if standing on my feet in front of a hot stove doesn’t kill me first.

The thing is, I’m a sucker for well-written food articles. They satisfy my hunger for evocative language and delicious meals in one convenient, non-reheatable packet.

This recipe, included in an article by China Millman of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and recently reprinted in our local paper, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, caught my eye for two reasons. First, the headline was a real grabber: “Humble staples make one exquisite soup.” Second, I have a shelf of repurposed White Cat Popcorn jars filled with dried beans, split peas, and lentils. Why not, I asked myself, cook something that I don’t have to fill a cart from Whole Foods to prepare? The only item I didn’t have on hand was the smoked turkey, which I found, you guessed it, at Whole Foods.

A great big thank you goes out to cookbook author Eugenia Bone, who created this delicious and satisfying soup recipe in the first place; it was originally published in the December 2009 issue of Food & Wine magazine. I reached Ms. Bone via email through her website. If you go there, you’ll find it has a most scientific name—Mycophilia.com, because it is devoted to her love of mushrooms and her new book, Mycophilia: Revelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms. I love mushrooms, and so of course I’m going to have to look into this. Eugenia Bone also writes a blog, Well-Preserved, for the Denver Post.

Lentil Soup with Smoked Turkey *
—Serves 4 to 6

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
1 bay leaf
1 cup green or brown lentils **
3/4 pound smoked turkey wing and thigh
4 small red potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving ***

In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, and onion and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until softened, 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, lentils, smoked turkey, and 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, 1 hour. Add potatoes and simmer until tender, 10 minutes.

Remove the turkey meat from the bones and return it to the soup; discard the skin, bones, and bay leaf. Add the parsley and season the soup with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve, passing the cheese at the table.

Make ahead: The lentil soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

* I doubled the recipe for this session, which is why there’s an extra onion and 2 extra celery ribs in the mise en place photo, along with a 28-ounch package of tomatoes.

**I used all the green lentils that I had on hand, and supplemented with brown in order to get to 2 cups—remember, I was doubling this recipe. I added only 3 and 1/2 quarts of water, though, which made for a nice, thick soup.

***The article noted that adding a Parmigiano-Reggiano rind to the pot would add richness. I did this and it did. Rinds of this cheese keep well in the freezer.

Recipe used with permission of Eugenia Bone.

The Godmother’s Italian Wedding Soup

20 Monday Feb 2012

Posted by in Food for Thought, Nostalgia, Relationships and Family Life

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I was not at a wedding the first time I ever tasted Italian Wedding Soup. My recollection is surprisingly sharp, given I could not have been more than eight-years old. My mother, who was of Sicilian descent, had cousins in Warren, Michigan. My father drove the three of us up from Elyria, Ohio—a nearly three-hour trip—for a day visit, the purpose of which eludes me (here my memory is as dense as a cumulonimbus cloud). We gathered for a delicious dinner in the cousins’ formal dining room. I suspect there are two reasons why I remember any of this at all: First, we never traveled anywhere as a family, and second, I had never seen soup with what looked like cooked lettuce in it. It wasn’t lettuce at all, of course, but rather escarole. (I had no idea what that was, so the distinction was lost on me at the time.) All I knew was that the concoction was wonderful, punctuated by the most charming little meatballs I’d ever seen outside of a plate of spaghetti. This sense memory has stayed with me for years.

The name comes from the Italian word for soup, minestra, and the fact that the flavors “marry” well (maritata); hence, wedding soup. This recipe comes from my godmother Fannie, an excellent cook. You’ll remember meeting her in my story “Marlo & Me—Act I.” Aunt Fannie, thank you for sharing this recipe with me, and for allowing me to include it in the blog.

ITALIAN WEDDING SOUP
Serves 4

FOR THE MEATBALLS:
2 pounds ground chuck or round steak
3/4 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
3 eggs, whipped with a whisk
1 Tablespoon parsley flakes
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1-1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or 1 minced clove of garlic
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, for frying

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Cover and let stand at room temperature for one and one-half hours.

Roll the meat into 1/2-inch balls. Brown in olive oil and drain on paper towels. (At this point the meatballs can be frozen for later use.)

THE SOUP:
One-half batch browned meatballs for 2 quarts broth. Freeze the rest of the meatballs for the next time. (If you wish to use the entire batch of meatballs, double the following quantities):

1 bunch escarole (fresh spinach can be substituted)
2 quarts chicken stock (I had homemade stock in my freezer)
Two eggs, beaten
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Wash, trim, and cut the escarole (or spinach) into small pieces. Place in a pot of boiling water for about eight minutes (five minutes if using spinach). Drain well.

Bring chicken broth to a boil, season with salt and pepper to taste, and reduce heat to simmer. Add the meatballs and escarole (or spinach) and return to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the flavors of the meatballs to infuse the broth. Add the beaten eggs and cheese. Serve immediately, with extra cheese at the table.