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One-Pot Wonders

Three Birds Biryani is one among 250 recipes in my new book ONE-POT WONDERS coming out in February.  In Indian cooking, biryanis are grand and festive rice dishes cooked in layers in a casserole and highly seasoned with spices, especially saffron.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Timballo di Lasagne

One of the most magnificent of Italian dishes must surely be the timballi or pasticci that served as the famous centerpiece in the movie BIG NIGHT with Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalloub.  I tested my timballo di lasagne alla ferrarese and it was declared the best thing ever made by my son, a phrase he uses anytime he's over for dinner.  It is a centuries old preparation famous in Ferrara where they make it for Carnevale.  It's homemade egg and green lasagne layered with meat ragu and porcini mushrooms and a layer of Bechamel sauce made with Parmigiano-Raggiano cheese and truffles baked in a short dough crust that is sweet with orange zest.

Weekend of Cooking

A weekend of cooking for me is a weekend of recipe testing from the provincial cuisines of Italy.  And feeding the kids and their friends is ideal. Here's what I'll be testing: larduocchi, a casserole cooked pork belly pieces with garlic, olive oil, and peppers in vinegar from Molise, penne alla lenticchie, from Umbria is a dish of lentils cooked with carrot, onion, and celery seasoned with tomato puree, garlic, chile, and parsley, pollo alla marengo, and old dish people have heard of but never eaten, supposedly created after Napoleon's Battle of Marengo in Piedmont.  It is chicken with mushrooms, tomatoes, wine, and crayfish.  Gnocchi all'Ossolana are potato-pumpkin-chestnut flour gnocchi with a mushroom and cream sauce.  Gallina col riso is a Sicilian dish of boned whole chicken stuffed with rice, tomatoes, eggs, and mozzarella.  And more...maybe I'm doing too much.

Socca and Farinata

[Photo: Jennifer Pickens on Flickr]

Socca (in Provence) and farinata (in Genoa) are the same thing, a chickpea crepe batter cooked in a very hot pan like a pizza.  It's served as a snack and is true stret food in both Nice and Genoa. 
In Provence, socca and cade (another name) go back at least to 1860.  Cade de Toulon, probably the more ancient of the two, was made from corn flour and the socca de Nice that evolved from it is made from chickpea flour.  There is a version in Marseilles made with a mixture of flours which they call tourta tota cada, meaning “hot tarts.”  It was mentioned in 1879 by Frédéric Mistral as gâteau de farine de maïs qu’on vend par tranches à Marseille (corn flour cake sold by the slice in Marseilles).  Socca was a favorite morning meal for workers who bought them from itinerant socca sellers who cooked them from wagons fitted with charcoal ovens while they cried cada, cada, cada or socca, socca, socca caouda.   The traditional socca is made on a copper tin called a plaque a round cooking surface about 2 feet in diameter that sits in a very hot wood fired oven.  It cooks until the top is golden in about 5 minutes.  The batter should be thinner than crêpe batter, almost like milk.

Chicken and Zucchini

There is a very simple, and quickly made, dish from the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy that is nothing but strips of chicken breast and zucchini cooked in balsamic vinegar the name of which indicates it all, Straccetti di Pollo al Balsamico.  A chopped garlic clove is heated in olive oil, then in goes the chicken breast until it turns color in 2 minutes, then the four julienned zucchini, some wine, and finally the balsamic vinegar.  From start to finish takes about 7 minutes.

Sicily: Architecture and Cuisine

My first cookbook was titled Cucina Paradiso: The Heavenly Food of Sicily, a cookbook about the Sicilian folkloric cuisine known as cucina arabo-sicula (Arab-Sicilian cuisine).  This was not a cuisine that existed during the Arab presence in Sicily (827 – about 1230), but was a contemporary Sicilian cuisine believed to be dishes composed by what Sicilians took to be Arab influence.  A professor friend many years ago said when I mentioned I was writing such a cookbook: “that sound more like a dissertation topic than a cookbook.”
The idea for the book came to me years before that, when I was in Palermo and became enchanted by the architecture of some of the older palazzi and churches that I later learned could be described as examples of Arab-Norman architecture.  This led to an even greater fascination since I had never heard of any architecture described that way.  I remember though the church that set me on this road.  It was the Chiesa di San Cataldo in Palermo.  The Normans flourished in Sicily from 1060 to 1194 and the pre-existing Arab population flourished with them under relatively tolerant rule. 
The church was built around 1160 by admiral Majone di Bari.  The three red bulbous domes, the arches, and various cubic forms were typical of Islamic architecture while the combination of Arab and Norman builders, architects, and workmen is seen not only in the façade but in design aspects such as the simple forms derived from Norman military experience.
It was only a small leap from this church to some fabulous food.
[Photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Pizza and its Cousins

One of my favorite dishes are all the variety of pizze and pizza-like preparations from every region in Italy. Crostata is one, a pizza made with pasta frolla, that is, short dough. This particular one,  crostata con cipolle, is topped with a luscious mixture of caramelized onions and anchovies and a bit of cream and is from Emilia-Romagna.

Where's the Veal?

I lament the disappearance of veal which is increasingly hard to find.  When I was growing up veal scaloppine was always on the menu and a veal scaloppine hero was a wonderful treat.  One ordered veal piccata or veal marsala in one's favorite restaurant.  Today, it's difficult to find veal.  I often hear the complaint that people "don't eat veal."  It's a wonderful meat though: tender, light, flavorful and versatile.

Grilled Duck

Grilling duck, while delicious, is not a casual matter.  One must consider what happens to all that fat that will drip out and most importantly that it does not drip onto the coals which will simply ignite it and incinerate your duck.  So there's two steps which will assure a good grilled duck.  It might be easier to split the duck in half lengthwise then place it cut side down in a deep casserole and bake it at 375 degree F in your oven until you have at least 3/4 cup of fat.  Build the charcoal fire in your grill's firebox to one side and place an aluminum drip pan on the other side.  Take the roasting duck from the oven and place the duck over the drip pan in the grill, use the cover, and grill until the duck has a deep smoky mahogany color.

Beccute, a Biscotto from Marche

Biscotto is singular and it is, basically, an Italian cookie or biscuit (same meaning: twice cooked).  Decided to test today the beccute from the Marches popular in Ancona.  It's very easy to make: mix flour, sugar, almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, dried figs, raisins, and water, form little rolls and bake.  That's it.  Very nice.

Potatoes in Barcelona

Patatas brava is a classic Catalan potato dish but these days it’s transformed into a very popular tapa in Barcelona bars.  Restaurant chefs get into the act too and all sort of interpretive variations occur.  The one I had at the Florian restaurant in Barcelona at Bertrand i Serra 20 in the early 1990s was demonstrated by the chef and owner Rosa Grau and her sous-chef Enrique Martin, who encased the potatoes in allioli.  This recipe is adapted from the inspiration of Chef Sergi Arola of the Arola restaurant in the Hotel Arts in Barcelona.  The brava sauce is the tomato sauce.  In more careless versions of patatas brava the brava sauce is made 

with ketchup and mayonnaise.  

For the potatoes

4 white rose or Yukon gold potatoes (about 20 ounces in all, each about 3 inches in diameter at the widest part)

4 to 6 cups olive oil for frying

For the brava sauce

5 ripe tomatoes (about 1 pound), cut in half, seeds squeezed out, and grated against the largest holes of a standing grater down to the peel

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 small dried red chile

Freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon salt and more if desired

For the allioli

4 large garlic cloves

½ teaspoon salt and more to taste

1 large egg

1 cup sunflower seed oil

For the garnish

Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 260 degrees F.

2. Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise.  Trim each half into a cylinder about 1 ½ inches in diameter using a paring knife and peeler.  Slice the cylinders in halves.  You’ll have four 1 ½-inch segments per potato.  Hollow out the middle of each segment using a small melon baller, corer, or a paring knife and demitasse spoon.  Try not to break through the bottom.  Place the potato segments on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a skillet, simmer the tomatoes with the garlic and chile over low heat until all the water has evaporated, about 1 hour.  Transfer to a food processor and blend with the sugar and salt.  This is the brava sauce.  Clean the food processor.

4. Prepare the allioli in a mortar by mashing the garlic with ½ teaspoon salt until mushy.  Transfer to the food processor and blend with the egg for 30 seconds, then add the sunflower seed oil in a very slow stream until emulsified with the egg.  Correct the salt and refrigerate, covered, until needed.   You’ll have more allioli than you will need for this recipe. 

5. Preheat the frying oil to 360 degrees F in a deep-fryer or an 8-inch saucepan fitted with a basket insert.

6. Remove the potatoes from the oven then deep-fry the potatoes until golden, about 4 minutes.  Remove and cool for at least 30 minutes, but keep the frying oil hot.  Re-fry the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove and arrange on a serving platter and season with salt.  Once they are warm and not hot, spoon the brava sauce into the hollow and then cover with a spoonful of allioli.  Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley and serve.

Makes 8 tapas servings (2 per person)

[photo: Clifford A. Wright]

Hot and Cheesy

My new book HOT & CHEESY is coming out in February to be published by John Wiley & Sons.  I'm very excited about this book and who wouldn't be about cheese.  We Americans eat a lot of cheese and it's a shame that we know so little about cheese, how to make it, how to care for it, how to eat it, and how to cook it.  And what a shame so much of it isn't legally or technically cheese, for example, Velveeta, which isn't cheese.  You'll like this book because it tells you all about how to COOK with cheese.

The Sicilian Tuna of Archestratus

Archestratus was a Greek poet from either Gela or Syracuse in Sicily who wrote in the mid-fourth century B.C.  His major work is the didactic poem called Hedypatheia, usually translated as “Life of Luxury,” written in hexameters, that advises on where to find the best food in the Mediterranean world.  His work is only known through fragments found in the monumental collection of writing on food by a later Greek, Athenaeus, called Deipnosophistae (Dinner Table Philosophers) who flourished at the end of the 

second century A.D. and third century A.D.  Archestratus was quite fond of fish and they are often mentioned in his work.  Archestratus writes that “in the glorious isle of Sicily, the shores of Cephaloedium and Tyndarium nurture far better tunnies; and if ever thou go to Hipponium, in sacred Italy, that abode of Persephone with the fair diadem, by far, yea, by far the best of all [tuna] are there, and the heights of victory are theirs.  Cephaloedium and Tyndarium is that part of the Sicilian coast on the Tyrrhenian Sea between modern Cefalu and Tindai, in the commune of Patti in the province of Messina.   Archestratus tells us that “the belley pieces [of tuna] are esteemed, as Eubulus tell us in Ion.”  He recommends to “have a tail-cut from the she tunny—the large she-tunny I repeat, whose mother city is Byzantium.  Slice it and roast it all rightly, sprinkling just a little salt, and buttering it with oil.  Eat the slices hot, dipping them into a sauce piquant; they are nice even if you want to eat them plain, like the deathless gods in form and stature.  But if you serve it sprinkled with vinegar, it is done for.”  To this day the tuna of Sicily is favored by all gourmets.

[photo: Clifford A. Wright; off the coast of Lipari]

HOT & CHEESY - The Book

Tomato Tart with Figs, Fontina, and Goat Cheese 

This tart is a favorite in the summer.  This is from my forthcoming book to be published by Wiley, HOT & CHEESY.  You’ll need to blind bake the puff pastry first, which means baking the dough without the filling so that it does not become soggy later.

½ pound puff pastry, defrosted according to package instructions

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

2 pounds ripe and juicy tomatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 sprigs fresh mint

¼ pound fontina Val d’Aosta cheese, cut in 8 thin wedges

¼ pound fresh goat cheese, broken apart

4 fresh figs, quartered

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly floured surface with a floured rolling pin to cover the bottom and sides of a 10-inch tart pan, pressing the pastry against the bottom and sides and folding over excess dough to make a thick rim.  Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.  Cut out a 10-inch round of parchment paper and place on top of the pastry.  Fill with 1 pound ceramic pastry baking balls or 1 pound dried beans and bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes.  Remove the tart pan and cool on a rack.  Remove the ceramic balls or dried beans and once cool store for another use.

3. Increase the oven heat to 425 degrees F.

4. In a skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat with the garlic clove and when it starts smoking add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, on high until it is thick with large soft chunks, about 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside with the mint in the sauce while the pastry shell cools.

5. Remove and discard the mint sprigs.  Spoon the chunky tomato sauce over the bottom of the pastry.  Lay the fontina cheese, goat cheese, and figs on top attractively.  Bake until the cheese is bubbling, about 20 minutes.  Serve hot or warm.

Makes 4 servings

[photo: Clifford A. Wright

Arab Delights with Real Beets

 [photo: Clifford A. Wright]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who discovered at some point in their lives that a real roasted red beet root is a far cry from anything popped from a can.  In fact, as far as I'm concerned they are two separate foods. 

A favorite food of mine is an Arab dish of red beets popular in Lebanon and Palestine called Shamandar bi’l-Laban in Arabic.

Red Beets with Yogurt

When I first encountered this Lebanese preparation, called shamandar bi’l-laban, I was quite taken with the appetizing color.  But upon tasting it I couldn’t believe how good it was--how natural beets, yogurt, and mint seemed even though I’m not sure it would have occurred to me.  This dish can also be made with silq, that is, “white beets” more commonly known as chard.

2 pounds beets, with their leaves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 large garlic cloves, pounded in a mortar with 1/2 teaspoon salt until mushy

2 heaping tablespoons strained yogurt (called labna or lubny) (see Note below)

1 1/2 cups whole plain yogurt

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Steam or boil the beet leaves over high heat until wilted, about 10 minutes.  Remove and drain.  Steam the roots until easily pierced by a skewer, about 30 minutes.  Drain and let cool.  Cut the leaves into strips and arrange by spreading them on a serving plate.  Peel the beets and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Arrange the beetroot slices on top of the leaves.  Season with salt and pepper.

2. Stir the garlic paste and labna into the yogurt and beat for 1 minute with a fork.  Spread the yogurt over the beets and garnish the top with the mint.

Makes 6 serving 

Note:  Strained yogurt (labna or lubny) is sold in Middle Eastern markets and better supermarkets such as Whole Foods.  You can make it at home easily enough: place a good quality whole plain yogurt in a cheesecloth-lined strainer and let rest over a deep bowl to drain overnight.  The resulting yogurt in the strainer is called labna.