July 2010 Archives

I always associate Pappardelle with meat sauces, specifically a ragu made out of rabbit (it was a favorite of mine growing up in NJ).  Pappardelle also pairs well with a sauce made out of wild boar.  Like many Italian food types, there is a festival in Italy honoring pappardelle (yes, food is honored in Italy!); Sagra delle Pappardelle al cinghiale (Pappardelle with wild boar festival) is held every August in the city of Gemmano in the Emilia-Romagna Region. 

Back in April, I posted about one of my favorite egg sandwiches made with a simple fried egg, fresh humus, and slices of ripe tomato on a whole wheat Ciabatta.  Sandwiches prepared with a perfectly fried egg (with a warm runny yoke) are ideal because the egg provides both the protein (white) and the dressing (yoke).  For me, the combination of silky yoke with tender egg white on a fresh piece of bread is sandwich nirvana.  

As you probably guessed, I don't subscribe to buying food based on price or coupons available.  Rather, I purchase food based on freshness, quality, and value (don't interpret value as buying the lowest priced item, this behavior is illogical!).  I place a high value on the happiness and pleasure I derive from eating well and, in turn, I often spend a bit more than average on fresh produce, good quality meats and fish, bread, wine, dairy, eggs, etc.  In terms of eating out, I do cringe on spending a ton of money on restaurant food (even the variety that garners accolades from Michelin and the NY Times).  For example, I recently dined at the Blue Hill restaurant in New York (famed for their association with Blue Hill Farm and locally produced items) and came away disappointed in terms of the quality of the ingredients, preparation and outlandish cost (in my mind, there was no value in dining at Blue Hill because the cost did not justify the overall experience).  

With the above observation in mind, I put together a leisurely Sunday meal of grilled veal loin chops with Chinese eggplant and feta and a tomato salad.  I also had a few pieces of thinly sliced prosciutto and figs to hold me over during the cooking process.  

I prepared the locally raised veal chops on an outdoor grill with a generous amount of salt and pepper.  I use an old fashion Weber grill with wood charcoal (I think this is important).  The Chinese eggplant was grilled as well and tossed with feta cheese, lots of freshly ground pepper, kosher salt, olive oil, and chopped parsley.  Finely, I assembled a tomato salad with some very local tomatoes (from my parent's backyard), local basil, local cucumber, red onion, and lots of olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano from Calabria!

We consumed our meal with a glass of Pinot Noir from California (not my first choice, again, based on value, but it was a nice choice considering the oppressive heat and the grilled veal).
  

Like any controversial figure, the mighty anchovy is a highly misunderstood food type.  In the US, unfortunately, preserved anchovies have a bad reputation and are seen as a bad smelling (and overly salty) fish.  The reputation, however, is undeserved and the tiny dynamo of a fish should be consumed with pleasure and as often as possible!

(photo: my favorite brand, Scalia; thanks to Dr. K for picture)

For most Italians, and especially the Italians of Southern Italy, the Acciughe (anchovies preserved in salt) and alici (fresh anchovies) are a staple food.  Anchovies are often eaten on toast with good olive oil, fried, baked, added to sauces, etc.  Anchovies are a wonder food and high in antioxidants and low in mercury.  The best anchovies come from the Mediterranean (near Sicily) and the North Atlantic.  You can find Anchovies packed in salt or oil or sold in good markets by the pound (fresh or salted, per the above picture).  

I usually serve Anchovies in an impromptu weekend lunch, alongside a salad of tomatoes with basil and red onion, good bread, oil cured olives, and a bit of cheese and salumi (you could also include anchovies in a salad Nicoise).  If you're feeling particularly adventurous and want to de-head, gut, and remove backbones, you can deep fry a batch of fresh anchovies and let your significant other do the clean-up!  Fried anchovies are particularly good with fresh lemon and a very cold glass of beer / lager or white wine (here's my post on fried sardines and smelts).    

As you would guess, the humble pea is the star of the rice-based dish and the fresher the pea, the better the dish (here's my guide to buying fresh fruit and vegetables).  I like to make risi e bisi in the Spring when fresh peas are abundant, but I also crave the dish in the winter time when I make use of good quality frozen peas (both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods carry organic frozen peas at a decent price).  

Lets start with the ingredients:

- 3 tablespoons olive oil

- 1/2 cup finely diced onion

- Salt (Kosher) and freshly ground pepper to taste

- 1.5 cups arborio rice (click here to see which brand tested best at America's Test Kitchens)

1. A good risotto starts with Arborio rice.  Look for brands imported from Italy and expect to pay a premium for this superb starch (a little goes a long way).  Begin by sautéing the finely diced onion with olive oil in a large pot, adding salt and pepper to taste.  

2. Next, add a bit more olive oil and sauté the Arborio rice until the kernels become translucent (this will add tremendous flavor to the dish and also start the cooking process for the rice).  Next, add the white wine and stir the ingredients.  Next, add enough stock to cover the rice and stir well..  

3. At this point you'll need to constantly stir the mixture and add one ladle of warm stock every 5-10 minutes (or whenever the ingredients are not covered by liquid), your flame should also be on simmer.  After about 10-15 minutes you should start to see the Arborio rice release it's starch and the kernels begin to plump up.  

4. The total cooking time should be between 30-45 minutes.  At the 30 minute mark be sure to taste the rice kernels (you don't want al dente rice); once the rice is done add a bit more salt and pepper to taste and the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.  Mix the rice well and add 1-1.5 ladle of stock and the freshly chopped parsley (adding the extra stock at the end creates the variation in composition for your dish, remember you're not making risotto!).

Enjoy with a crisp Sauvignon blanc.