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Interview with PBS Host Mary Ann Esposito and Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites Book Giveaway!

By Vincent Scordo on September 2, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(Photo: Mary Ann Esposito, photo courtesy of NY Mag)

Every big idea or theory has an associated sound bite. The French philosopher Rene Descartes is remembered for his famous line, "I think, therefore I am.", the chef Jacques Pepin loves to utter, "fast food my way", and the chef, turned uber capitalist Lidia Bastianich (see the mega Italian Mall, Eataly, just opened with Mario Batali and Lidia's son, Joe) loves to utter "Tutti a tavola a mangiare" (translated roughly as everyone come to the tables it's time to eat - kind of ordinary sounding in English!) after she prepares her TV meal.

If the Italian table had an associated sound bite it would be something like, "simple ingredients make outstanding food." Give me a few days and I'll jazz up the tag line, but the idea of simple, great tasting, food made via fresh and seasonal ingredients is at the heart of what it means to eat or cook like an Italian.

For PBS host and cookbook author Mary Ann Esposito she's taken the idea that the best Italian food is made via simple, and fresh, ingredients as a literal truth and just released her new cookbook, Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites. Mary Ann's book includes recipes (from dinner to dessert) that are made with five ingredients or less (including salt and pepper). Some of my favorites include pork chops with pistachio crust, Prosciutto di Parma and pine nut pizza, and chocolate, hazelnut and banana tartlets.

(Photo: Mushroom and celery salad from Ciao Italia Five ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. St Martins Press, NY)

In honor of the new cookbook and the fact that I used to see Mary Ann Esposito on the campus of the University of New Hampshire (she tapped her PBS show Ciao Italia close to campus) during my undergraduate years (I never had the courage to introduce myself), I interviewed Mary Ann and asked her a series of questions about her Italian American experience and how she defines Italian cooking.

Moreover, Scordo.com has also partnered with Mary Ann to offer one lucky reader a chance to win a free copy of Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites! Here's what you'll need to do to enter the contest:

- Become a fan (or encourage somone to fan) Scordo.com on Facebook and leave a comment on our wall on your favorite, simple, Italian recipe or food and 2. Become a fan of Mary Ann on Facebook.

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 9/9 and a single (1) random user will be picked via Random.org (sorry contest only open to folks from the US given shipping logistics). The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 8PM on Friday, 9/10.

- Please be sure to send me an email to let me know you've become a fan on Facebook (sorry, Facebook doesn't allow me to sort by new fans), email me at blog at scordo dot com

- Mary Ann's publisher will send out the book to a single contest winner during the week of 9/13.

Finally, here's my interview with Mary Ann, enjoy:

Question One:
Tell us what it means to be an Italian-American and how you would best suggest to young Italian-Americans to keep our traditions alive and well (across food, lifestyle, and general living)?

Mary Ann's Answer:
"It means everything to me because the Italian culture has historically set the standard for so much of world achievements. When you think of inventions, art, architecture, music, saints, science, religion, fashion, family and food, much of it has been attributed to the Italians. Young Italian Americans should involve themselves in organizations like the National Italian American Foundation, study Italian in school and on their own and above all talk to their family members about the history of the immigrants who made them who they are today. I try to do this through our web site ciaoitalia.com and Mary Ann Esposito Foundation which encourages would be chefs to study Italian regional cooking. You can learn more about the foundation on the web site."

Question Two:
What part of Italy did your family originate from? What traditions do you (or your family) bring to the US from Italy?

Mary Ann's Answer:
My family is from the province of Avellino in the region of Campania and Caltanisetta in Sicily. My grandparents were very proud but poor people. First and foremost they brought strength and a fearless attitude. They brought strong religious faith. They brought their skills of tailoring and farming and olive culture. They made wine; we did the same. They cultivated gardens; we did the same. They made all their own food; we do the same. I try to emulate their traditions by recreating the foods I grew up via my books and my PBS series television, Ciao Italia now in its 21st year of broadcast. I also keep my family traditions alive through my blog.

Question Three:
How you define Italian cooking at home?

Mary Ann's Answer:
Fresh, in season ingredients, treated simply to keep the integrity of the food. All my cookbooks stress this.

(Photo: Pistachio pork chops from Ciao Italia Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. St Martins Press, NY)

Question Four:
You have a Masters Degree in history from the University of New Hampshire; has your knowledge of history impacted how you cook and see the world?

Mary Ann's Answer:
Absolutely. When I wrote my thesis on a Renaissance Italian cooking manuscript, I began my introduction by saying without food there is no history. Food and history are inseparable. Early foods like grains, legumes and puls allowed civilization to flourish and many wars were waged over whether there was food or not. In Italian culture, food is the cornerstone of everything. Take bread as an example. When I make it, I am reminded of how this simple staple from water and flour is still the staple food of third world and emerging nations. I see that waste not want not quality that my grandparents had who revered bread so much that not a bit was every wasted. To this day, I never throw away stale bread, using it instead for bread salads, as fillers for vegetables, to sprinkle over pasta dishes and as what has come to be very chic and in today, the bruschetta or crostino.

On Ciao Italia I give you not only a recipe but the story behind the recipe; where does it come from, why is it named so. The Mary Ann Esposito Foundation's goal is to keep the history and traditions surrounding Italian regional foods alive. I want the next generation of Italian Americans to take over where I leave off so we can preserve our heritage for generations to come.

Question Five:
What are some of your favorite recipes and food types outside of traditional pasta with tomato sauce, for example?

Mary Ann's Answer:
I love to make polenta and risotto as well as traditional breads and pizza. Once you start studying the regions of Italy and their local foods, you have a better understanding of why there really is no Italian food per se; there is only regional food. I love eels from the Veneto and from Sardinia; the bistecca of Florence and the porchetta of Umbria. Any eggplant dishes and rabbit stews are also favorites. I have so many that it would be impossible to mention them all here and that is why their importance has consumed me in my work.

Question Six:
What are the top five ingredients that you keep in your pantry at all times?

Mary Ann's Answer:
Extra virgin olive oils, imported semolina pastas, dried beans, arborio rice, San Marzano tomatoes. In fact my latest book is called Ciao Italia Five Ingredient Favorites and you would be surprised how much you can make with just 5 ingredients as opposed to a whole list!

One Plate Summer Lunch: Tomatoes, Whole Milk Mozzarella, and Oil Cured Sardines

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By Vincent Scordo on August 29, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Lazy, weekend, lunches are one of the small pleasure in life and I define a lazy lunch as a simple plate of food (with little to no manipulation), fresh, crunchy, bread, and a bottle of exquisite wine (psychologically, get an exquisite bottle of wine for under $20, there are fabulous wine deals out there if you stay away from California, northern Italy, Bordeaux, etc.). The lunch should also be had outdoors and with someone you wouldn't mind spending your last waking hours with (just in case it's you last meal!).

I had such a "lazy lunch" yesterday including red and yellow tomatoes with red onion (from my mother's garden and the Purple Dragon Co-Op), thickly sliced pieces of, still warn, whole milk mozzarella (from the original, New Jersey, Cafasso's Fairway Market and not the large, uber, market that is lurching westward like a corporate giant), a French Baguette made about a mile away from our home at Balthazar's Bakery, and a can of oil cured sardines from Sicilia (the Scalia brand is my favorite)

The tomatoes were simply sliced, as opposed to a formal tomato salad, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper and topped with thinly sliced red onion and basil. The mozzarella was prepared with extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, and dried oregano. The sardines were simply emptied from the jar and set on the plate! Click here for my guide to olive oil.

Do you have a favorite lazy weekend, and single plate, lunch combination?

Recipe: Eggplant Parmigiana or Roasted Eggplant with Tomato Sauce and Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

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By Vincent Scordo on August 16, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

The PBS star Mary Ann Esposito recently caused a little bit of controversy over at the Huffington Post when she published a recipe entitled, "The Real Eggplant Parmigiano." Amongst the comments on the post, some readers accused Mary Ann of pushing an Italian-American version of Eggplant Parmigiano and using an inauthentic cooking oil, like peanut oil (to say the least, the recipe got under the skin of certain individuals; I'm actually wondering why the Huffington Post is publishing articles on food and recipes <talk about being off-brand>). One reader went on to state that Eggplant Parmigiano probably didn't exist in parts of Italy (especially Southern Italy) until the late 1970's when Parmigiano Reggiano started becoming readily available.

Nevertheless, I can only comment on the versions of eggplant parmigiano I'm accustomed to and neither of the recipes have a fried eggplant component which include flouring the eggplant slices prior to frying (per Mary Ann).

The first eggplant dish I would label "eggplant parmigiano" is made by simply grilling slices of eggplant and layering with the cooked slices with olive oil, chopped parsley, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano (no baking, frying, or tomato sauce) - click here for the full recipe. The second dish is the focus of this post and is best made with "mini-eggplant" or small Italian eggplant (basically smaller versions of the large generic eggplant found in most markets). The dish is fairly straightforward and begins by cutting the mini-eggplant in half (length wise) and roasting at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20-35 or until the interior flesh of the eggplant is nice and soft. Prior to placing the eggplant in the over, each length should be brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with plenty of kosher salt and black pepper. After removing the eggplant from the oven, you can laddle a bit of tomato sauce over the halved lengths, along with grated Parmigiano Reggiano. Thereafter, place the eggplant back in the oven for a few more minutes or until the cheese has melted and, presto, you have a simple baked eggplant or eggplant parmigiano dish (without any drying or masking of eggplant flavor).

Recipe: Pan Simmered Capretto (Baby Goat) with Tomatoes, Onion, Parsley, and Herbs

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By Vincent Scordo on August 15, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

I get the same reaction when I wax philosophically about the virtues of Capretto or baby goat; namely, that's gross! I often explain how, as far as I can remember, eating baby goat was a staple of our Italian American Easter and Christmas dinners. Nonna Rosa's Capretto recipe included simply roasting a whole baby goat (which was butchered at home or by the local Italian butcher) with canned tomato pieces, coarsely chopped onion, a bit of homemade red wine, garlic, dried oregano, pepper and kosher salt. My mother's recipe included the same ingredients but differed in two ways: 1. the dish was pan simmered on the stove top and 2. the Capretto parts were quickly seared to develop a deep flavor and crust. Both recipes, however, had a secret ingredient which included marinating the Capretto pieces for several hours prior to cooking (marinating the goat in simple red wine yielded a tastier end product).

When it came to selecting the appropriate Capretto for a holiday meal or Sunday lunch, both ladies would often prosecute the local butcher as to the source and freshness of the Capretto. Moreover, they would have the butcher swear on their dead relatives that the Capretto was, in fact, baby goat and not adult goat which is tougher and gamier in flavor (you see once goats begin grazing on grass, they develop a mutton-like flavor which, unless you're accustomed to such flavor, can be a little odd). The idea of prosecuting the local butcher stemmed from the fact that both ladies were used to baby goat that were raised on their respective farms, fighting with the butcher in the US somehow dulled the pain of having to buy ingredients (including meat) from someone else (an unheard of concept in rural Calabria).

On the nutritional side, goat is very low in fat and cholesterol (in fact, goat is 40-60 percent lower in saturated far than chicken and beef, respectively). Capretto flavor components are rich and complex (sort of like, beef, short rib) and I encourage folks to experiment and try preparing a dish of roasted or pan simmered Capretto!

Wild Salmon with Couscous, Cucumber, Chickpeas, Feta, and Parsley and Sautéed Rainbow Chard

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By Vincent Scordo on August 10, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: wild salmon, couscous, rainbow chard, and yogurt sauce)

There are some terrific fish on our little planet and while we are, indeed, overfishing our seas , I constantly marvel at how delicious certain varieties of aquatic vertebrates are, including mackerel, sardines, cod, swordfish, trout, branzino, striped bass, salmon, etc. (click on the links for a few fish recipes). Much of the overfishing talk centers on Tuna, which is a large industry in Southern Italy, especially near Sicily (where the world's best tuna is caught and sold to the highest bidders). The Mattanza (or spiritual fish harvest) take place in May and June and used to be centered on catching bluefin tuna with nets, but the tuna industry has become huge and the traditional manner of catching tuna has given way to massive harvests with modern techniques.

(photo: organic rainbow chard with garlic)

Salmon, of course, is not native to the waters surrounding Italy and consumption of salmon is low as opposed to other fish species in Italy, especially in relation to whitefish from the Mediterranean (e.g., seabass and seabream) to coldwater fish. Salmon is consumed in some parts of northern Italy and in the larger cities (including smoked salmon on toast during the holiday months).

(photo: couscous with feta, cucumber, parsley, and lemon juice)

We consumed a 1 pound piece of wild salmon prepared with freshly ground pepper, kosher salt, olive oil, and lemon zest. I baked the salmon at 350 degree for about 10-15 minutes. I like to sear salmon to develop a crust and then place the fish in the oven to complete the cooking process, but who wants to spend time cleaning the stove (especially during the summer).

(photo: wild salmon with lemon zest)

I included a bowl of sautéed rainbow chard as well as a dish of couscous with garden cucumber, whole chickpeas, feta, and parsley. The couscous was seasoned with fresh lemon juice, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. We also had some Greek yogurt in the fridge so we made a quick sauce for fish with chopped basil, coriander, cummin, lime zest, sugar, Kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. Finally, we had some Jersey peaches which had been sitting in lemon juice.

(photo: Jersey peaches in lemon juice)

(photo: a glass of white Lillet with ice, lime, and a piece of fresh Jersey peach)

Pesto Tuna, Dandelion and Red Onion, and Kidney Bean, Corn, and Parsley Salad

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By Vincent Scordo on August 6, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

I remember walking through the Calabrian countryside with my grandfather as a boy when he suddenly feel to his knees and plucked a few pieces of what I thought was simple green grass from the ground. I, of course, thought he was just being his usual pazzo (crazy) nonno, but what he found were dandelion greens, prized for their earthy, minerally, and zesty flavor.

Like many prized goods in the food world, the best ingredients are often found in the wild and prepared without much manipulation. Calabria is famous for wild mushrooms (click here to read my guide on finding wild mushrooms), chestnuts, asparagus, roasted wild boar, etc. and it's part of what makes the southern most province in Italy (along with Sicily) such a special region. Hence my simple mantra: wild food is great food (let the French have their fancy manipulated fair).

You can of course find wild dandelion in most suburban lawns here in the US, but the flavor component is not the same (trust me, I've sampled the fare both as a kid and an adult!). I have, however, found some good "wild" dandelion greens at a local market during the Spring season. You can sauté dandelions, but I like them in a simple salad with a good red wine vinegar/extra virgin olive oil dressing and thinly sliced red onion. You can also try a vinaigrette dressing (here's my recipe).

My kidney bean salad is comprised of 1 inch diced green beans, corn, red onion, parsley, carrot, kidney beans, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper, and kosher salt.

Pesto Tuna Salad is simply comprised of homemade pesto sauce and good quality Italian tuna packed in olive oil (the best is imported from Italy and canned in Sicily). Here's my pesto recipe.

The above meal goes well with a rustic homemade wine.

Recipe: Grilled Veal Rib Chops with Chinese Eggplant and Feta and Tomato Salad

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By Vincent Scordo on July 25, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Many personal finance gurus will tell you to head to your local food market with only certain items in mind and shop only by price. Moreover, the penny pinching crowd would argue that the purpose of buying, and in turn consuming, food is to be as efficient and cost effective as possible.

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).

Recipe: Risi e Bisi and/or Rice and Peas

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By Vincent Scordo on July 13, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Risi e Bisi is basically a variant of risotto and while a good risotto is creamy in texture, a good bowl of risi e bisi is looser in composition.

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

- 1 garlic clove, finely minced

- 1/2 cup dry white wine

- 8.5 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken; bones if you have homemade stock!)

- 1.5 cups peas (fresh or frozen)

- 1.5 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chopped

- 1/4 - 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

- 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.

Recipe: Three Easy Crostoni with Corn, Roasted Peppers, and Cheese

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By Vincent Scordo on May 28, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

As much as I like to cook and make elaborate meals I often battle with an internal urge to be a lazy cook. That is to say, like most working adults, I try to balance cooking great, from scratch, meals with the amount of time I spend in the kitchen. When I'm feeling tired and do not want to cook or clean up, I reach for some homemade or store bought crostoni (basically toast cut a bit thicker than normal) and pile on whatever condiments I have in the fridge. Crostoni are great as a light meal or as appetizers for a dinner party.

The crostoni I prepared recently included:

- A corn relish made with red onion, corn, parsley, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a splash of lemon juice

- Roasted peppers (see my recipe here)

- Good, thick cut, Jarlsberg cheese.

I enjoyed the crostoni with a few glasses of cold Prosecco (you can substitute Spanish Cava for Prosecco, if you'd like <especially, in the spirit of tapas!>).

On Eating "Whole": Whole Roasted Branzino, Couscous with Feta, Parsley, and Red Onion, and Sautéed Spinach with Garlic

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By Vincent Scordo on May 25, 2010 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

When it comes to consuming most foods, a golden rule to follow is that if you can consume it whole and unprocessed, then do so as often as possible. For example, buying whole bean coffee (and roasting it yourself if possible) and grinding it before each use is better than buying a mega container of preground, and unforgiving, Folgers or Maxwell House and, as another example, buying a whole chicken and roasting it yourself will yield a better food experience than buying pre-processed (and costly) chicken parts.

One of my favorite "buying it whole" food endeavors is whole fish. Often, buying a fresh whole fish is more economical and, at times, fresher than it's filleted counterpart. I recently purchased a good looking whole Branzino from our local fish market and had our fish guy (I hate the phrase, "fish monger") de scale and gut the fish. The whole Branzino was impeccably fresh and smelled of the sea (the good smell). I roasted the whole fish in a 375 F convection oven for about 12 minutes. The fish was coated in fresh ground pepper and lots of kosher salt.

I prepared a bunch of fresh sautéed spinach with large slices of garlic, along with red pepper flakes, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. I also made a small portion of couscous with feta, red onion, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, dried oregano, and salt and pepper.

Recipe: Lavash Pizza

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By Vincent Scordo on May 17, 2010 | 1 Comment | 1 TrackBack

I love stumbling onto new food items. In fact, I encourage folks to pick up a few random items at their local market and try new recipes from time to time. One such recent food stumble included a package of Lavash bread at a local bread shop. I'd seen Lavash as a kid (at my Armenian and Turkish friends' homes) but the flatbread always took a second seat to a crunchy baguette or pane Pugliese.

The package of Lavash caught my eye because I was craving pizza and had heard it made fantastic thin crust pizza. In turn, I headed home with the bread and made a series of pizzas including grilled eggplant and feta, mushroom and onion, and tomato sauce and mozzarella. Lavash pizzas require that you preheat the bread before adding toppings (given how thin the bread is and the need for it to stand up to toppings). Then, I brushed the lavash with olive oil and placed them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for about 6-8 minutes or until the bread becomes slightly crunchy. Next, I added my toppings and baked the pizzas for another 7-10 minutes or until the toppings were nice and hot.

Lavash pizzas are great if you're looking for your pizza toppings to be king. That is to say, there are no substitutes for a good pizza dough (click here for my recipe), but given how quickly you can put together a few pizzas I recommend the recipe for a super quick lunch or dinner party appetizer!

Recipe: Homemade Roasted Peppers in Olive Oil, Basil, Garlic, and Dried Oregano

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By Vincent Scordo on May 5, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(thanks to the A Beautiful Mosaic blog for the photo.)

I view roasted peppers as the ultimate condiment; that is to say, you can include roasted peppers in sandwiches, as a side with grilled meats, or even include them in your favorite grilled cheese sandwich or omelet. Sound tasty; then stop buying the jarred stuff and make them at home! Here's what you'll need:

- 5-6 Large Red/Yellow Bell Pepper (green peppers tend to be tougher and contain less flavor in my opinion)

- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

- bunch of parsley or basil (if it's the summer use basil)

- dried oregano, salt, and pepper to taste.

- 1 clove of garlic

Start witf the large red bell peppers and char the peppers over an open flame (in the winter you can accomplish this right on your gas stove top <just place the pepper right on the grate!>, in the summer it's nice to char right on the barbecue).

You'll want to cook the peppers until they are fully black or singed. You'll also want to make sure the peppers are nice and soft, if the pepper is still hard to the touch you'll need to continue roasting.

Remove the peppers from the heat source and let cool for 5-10 minutes. DO NOT USE WATER to remove the charred skin. Simply use your hands to get rid of the blackened skin, you shouldn't have a problem with this step if you cooked the peppers long enough (and a little bit of black skin will not kill you). The pepper will still be hot when you begin peeling so resist the urge to use cold water (if you become a serious cook you'll eventually develop "Nonna hands" and be impervious to hot things in the kitchen <you'll be able to pick up hot pans without oven mitts and stir soup with your bare hands - just joking on the latter>). You can place the charred peppers in a brown bag once they come off the heat (let them sit for 10-15 minutes and the skin should fall off the pepper).

Next remove the stems and seeds (you will want to remove as many as the seeds as possible). Cut the peppers into long 1/4 inch strips and place in a container that can store in the fridge (with a top).

Add the olive oil, parsley, dried oregano, salt and pepper, and finely chopped garlic and mix well. Let sit for about an hour and enjoy (the peppers should marinate before consuming). Red peppers store well and they keep in the fridge for well over a week.

Recipe: How to Make Ricotta at Home

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By Vincent Scordo on April 28, 2010 | 1 Comment | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: courtesy of Dr. K)

My first memory of ricotta wasn't pleasant. I remember thinking that the cheese was tasteless and had a consistency of something akin to white mud rather than some wonderful food concoction. Fast forward about 20 years and I'm in love with ricotta and value its subtle flavor profile and creamy texture (not to mention it's versatility). Note to parents: introduce as many foods to your young kids as possible!

On the versatility front, Ricotta can be used as a spread on crunchy slices of bread, as a simple sauce for linguine (with plenty of fresh ground pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and grated cheese), and, of course, baked with tomato sauce, pasta, and a good melting cheese like mozzarella.

Making ricotta at home should be made mandatory in my view given the tasteless junk sold at most supermarkets and the outrageous premium "gourmet markets" charge for homemade ricotta. Ricotta is very easy to make and it stores fairly well. My mother makes homemade ricotta about oncee per month and you can make it more often if you'd like, especially if your carton of milk is about to expire! Here's a quick and easy recipe:

1. Heat one gallon of whole milk in a large pot (it's important to use whole milk) until it reaches about 200° and transfer milk to a clean pot so that it can cool to about 100°

2. Add 2 tsp of kosher salt and stir well

3. Add 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar and stir gently. At this point, you'll notice curds will begin to form (this is good). Mix and then cover the pot with a clean dish towel and let sit for about two hours.

4. After the ricotta has rested for 2+ hours, take cheesecloth and place it over a colander and ladle the ricotta into the colander. Drain as much as the water from the mixture as desired (depending on your preference for how creamy you'd like your ricotta). You can also lift the cheesecloth and create a small bundle and squeeze out any excess water (this will get most of the water out and yield a super rich ricotta!).

Ricotta will stay fresh for about a week in your fridge. Note: you can use rennet, which consists of enzymes that act as a coagulant, instead of the vinegar. Some folks claim the rennet produces a richer and finer curd then vinegar. Try both ingredients and let me know which works best for you!

Recipe: Fried Egg Panino on Ciabatta with Rustic Chickpea Spread and Tomato

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By Vincent Scordo on April 21, 2010 | 3 Comments | 1 TrackBack

Ah, the humble sandwich or panino; two pieces of bread with some filling in between can be as vile as bologna on wonder bread or as elegant as prosciutto di Parma with extra virgin olive on slices of pane Pugliese. My leanings, as you probably guessed, are toward the elegant side of the sandwich world. I like pairing salty and intensely flavored salumi with a simple tomato and olive oil (along with a bit of Kosher salt), for example, or even letting the salumi come through alone without any condiment (just the perfect marriage of bread and cured pork).

I'm also a huge fan of fresh farm eggs and consume them in countless ways (frittata, poached, scrambled, etc.). Recently, I've been experimenting with egg sandwiches and I think I may have found an all-time favorite recipe.

Here are the ingredients:

- 1 large, farm fresh, egg (there's a huge difference between fresh and mass produced eggs; if you have a local farm near you try and buy them at the farm. If you need to purchase eggs from a market, then try and buy cage free eggs from chickens that have eaten organic feed).

- A few thinly sliced onion pieces

- Canned chickpeas

- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

- 1 ripe tomato

- Good extra virgin olive oil

- Good bread (I like ciabatta or Pane Pugliese for sandwiches; if you're lucky enough to live in the NYC metro area and have access to Sullivan Street Bakery bread then buy some of it)

My fried egg and rustic hummus sandwich is fairly straightforward. Start by frying your egg in a small frying pan with enough olive oil to coat the entire pan; the olive oil will give the egg tremendous flavor and goes well with this particular sandwich. Add salt and pepper and fry your egg until the white has solidified (I like a runny yoke and I think it's key for this sandwich, but, and if you must, you can cook the egg longer until the yoke has solidified). Just keep in mind a warm and runny yoke is one of the most amazing food experiences you can have!

Next, use a mortar and pestle to combine and crush about two cups of chickpeas. Add a bit of water (from the can if you're using canned chickpeas) along with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Crush and mix the ingredients until you have a rustic paste (you're not looking for formal hummus here, just a condiment/spread for the sandwich.

Spread a liberal amount of the chickpea mixture on both sides of your bread and your sliced tomato and onions on one side. Season the tomato and onions with salt and pepper along with a bit of olive oil. Finally, place your fried egg on the opposing side of the tomato and onions. Bring the two sides together and slice the sandwich; if you've cooked your egg perfectly the buttery egg yoke should begin to coat the sandwich ingredients, In turn, bringing the entire sandwich to life. I enjoyed the sandwich with a Sam Adams Summer Brew (with extra lemon).

(Photo: from one of our most devoted readers, Dr. K, who recently prepared the sandwich at home!)

National Arancini Day: May 1st 2010

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By Vincent Scordo on April 16, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

If you haven't noticed I've been consuming a ton of pasta lately given the Scordo Pasta Challenge. I've had everything from bucatani with olive oil and parsley to tripoloni with tomato sauce. However, I've also been consuming another starch with equivalent joy, namely the almighty arancini or rice ball (click here for my recipe)! And while my love and devotion for pasta will continue given the aformentioend challenge I wanted to also pay homage to the rice ball.

So, the executive staff behind Scordo.com (there are actually no executives or staff at Scordo.com) have decided to designate May 1st as global Arancini Day. The designation is a first (according to a few informal web searches) and I'm asking that loyal Scordo.com readers fry up their versions of Arancini on May 1st, 2010 and send in photos of their golden and crisp rice masterpieces. Thereafter, I'll post any photo and recipe here and we can continue the tradition every year! The logic behind Arancini Day is that rice balls require a little bit of time to prepare and carefully fry (I don't make them more than 2x per year, for example) so why not designate a single day throughout the year to fry up a patch and share on the web!

Please share this post on Twitter and Facebook and via eMail with friends and family! Send all photos (and/or recipes) to blog at scordo dot com. And rice balls aren't just an Italian thing, for example there's the equivalent of a Filipino rice ball that is also deep fried!

Arancini Love or Rice Balls as Food Porn

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By Vincent Scordo on April 7, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: lots of mozzarella, aborio rice, a bit of tomato sauce, and a few bits of beef)

Sometimes food photos are better than the actual food item. I can wholeheartedly say, however, that when it comes to rice balls or Arancini the photos below look as good as they actually taste.

You can find my recipe for Arancini here. Enjoy a few photos of a recent rice ball extravaganza held in New Jersey and leave a comment on how you make rice balls!

Enjoy a hot rice ball with a cold Sam Adams Lager or Brooklyn Lager!

(photo: two of my favorite US beers)

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #72 Linguine with Escarole, Garlic, Onion, Potato and Provola

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By Vincent Scordo on April 1, 2010 | 0 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(photo: final product with a bit of extra provola and olive oil)

When it comes to living life, I'm a sucker for both luxurious and practical things. I'm equally comfortable driving a Honda or a Mercedes-Benz or living amongst nose-in-the-air snobs or dyed in the wool blue collar types. I lean towards the practical and modest side of living, but who doesn't like nice, luxurious, things on occasion.

When selecting vegetables at the market I'm drawn to fancy Sicilian eggplant or in season fava beans (think of these vegetables as the equivalent of fancy German vehicles), but when it comes to the ultimate practical (or working class) vegetable it's Escarole that gets me excited (think of Escarole as the Honda Accord of greens).

Escarole is a workhorse vegetable and is incredibly easy to prepare and almost impossible to overcook. Escarole goes well with beans and a hearty broth or as an alternative to sautéed spinach. Recently, I've been experimenting with escarole and pasta combinations (given, you guessed it, the Scordo Pasta Challenge). In turn, I've come up my definitive escarole and pasta dish: Sauteed escarole with garlic, onion, potato, red pepper flakes, and imported Italian provola.

Here are the ingredients:

- ¾ of a head of escarole (small to medium size head)

- 4 large cloves of garlic

- ¼ of a potato, thinly sliced.

- ½ a large onion (red or white)

- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes

- ½ cup of pasta water

- ¼ pound of linguine

- 3-4 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil

- 1 cup of grated imported provola (by the best you can afford and grate it like you would for a pizza <shredded>)

(photo: combined ingredients minus the pasta and provola)

(photo: shredded imported provola, which is a great melting cheese)

In a sauté pan, add 2 teaspoon of olive oil and heat. Next, add your sliced garlic, onion, and potato. Sautee the three ingredient for 5-10 minutes or until soft (add salt and pepper). Next, add the red pepper flakes and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add you're your bite size pieces of escarole and sauté until the liquid begins to leave the escarole (for about 5 minutes). Season the mixture again with salt and pepper. When your pasta is cooked drain it and save some of the pasta water.

(photo: always add pasta to the pot containing the sauce)

Add the pasta to your sauté pan with the escarole mixture. Mix well and add in a bit of the pasta water (just enough to loosen up the sauce). Finally, add a bit of shredded Provola and mix well. Plate the pasta and add a bit more provola and a drizzle of olive oil. Enjoy during lunch with a glass of Ciro Rosato from Calabria.

(photo: end product ready to eat)

Recipe: Pea Soup

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By Vincent Scordo on March 31, 2010 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

It's hard for me to admit, but there are certain things I can't do in the kitchen (sorry to let you down loyal Scordo.com readers, but it's true). I count making soup and baking as two kitchen tricks I just can't pull off. Baking is an exact science with little room for ad-libbing and it just doesn't fit with my cooking style and on the soup side of things I live with a soup master (viz., my wife).

If I attempt to make soup in my house it's the equivalent of going out to play a set with Roger Federer; that is to say, most tennis players can move, hit a forehand, and get through a few sets, but at the end of the day most tennis players will lose to Federer. And this is essentially how I feel about attempting to make soup in the Scordo household - I'm just going to lose or make an inferior soup if my wife is present. So, in honor of your's truly admitting he is not perfect when it comes to all kitchen duties, I give you my wife's pea soup recipe:

- 1 cup of dry peas (organic dry peas have better flavor and will improve your soup greatly)

- 2 carrots chopped

- 2 stalks of celery diced

- 1 small onion diced

- 1/2 large potato or 1 small potato chopped

- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

- 4 cups of purified water

- 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (one note here, please use kosher salt when it comes to cooking, the Iodized stuff is only good for salting pasta water. And on the pepper front, freshly ground is best)

Sautee your veggies in the olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper (until soft) and thereafter add peas, water, and a bit more salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer for an hour. That's it, you're done.

I like freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and some extra, freshly ground, black pepper in my pea soup. We added a dish of rip cantaloupe and thinly sliced Prosciutto di Parma to our meal, along with a few glasses of crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region in New Zealand (Still a bargain wine but getting more and more expensive).

Recipe: Italian Leftover Salad with Parsley, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Artichoke Hearts

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By Vincent Scordo on March 30, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Next to incorporating the right leftovers into a great sandwich, putting together a "leftover salad" is one of my favorite food shortcuts; that is to say, having a great meal full of flavor without a big undertaking. After all, what's the point of cooking great food if you're chained to your Wolf stove for half the day (this is why I'm not a fan of formal French cooking, sorry all you trained chef's out there).

Recently, I put together the following salad for a weekday lunch (including a fresh baguette and a few glasses of Cotes de Rhone).

Here are the ingredients:

- 2 large organic romaine hearts

- 1 bunch of fresh parsley

- 8-10 sun dried tomatoes

- 3 large scallions

- 5-6 artichoke hearts (I used hearts that were coated in breadcrumbs and baked with lots of olive oil)

You'll want to cut the scallions, sun dried tomatoes, and romaine lettuce into, roughly, the same shape. You can tear the leaves off of the parsley being careful not to include too much of the stem.

For the dressing, I used my classic vinaigrette recipe which you can find here.

That's it, enjoy the salad with some good bread and a bottle of Cotes de Rhone. Include some cheese if you'd like. I finished the meal with an orange and ripe pear, followed by a small piece of dark chocolate. You can also treat yourself to a post dinner Amari, if you'd like.

Scordo Pasta Challenge: #13 Cannelloni with Ricotta and Tomato Sauce

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By Vincent Scordo on March 23, 2010 | 6 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Cannelloni ready to eat! Because the pasta is baked after boiling, the tomato sauce tends to thicken up a bit).

Cannelloni have a special place in my heart as I've always consumed them on special days (such as a holiday or a birthday). My favorite Cannelloni are prepared in a simple manner, that is, with fresh ricotta, parsley, and tomato sauce. Cannelloni are typically boiled and then stuffed with ricotta and thereafter they are baked in the oven with tomato sauce.

(photo: Cannelloni up close in the tray)

I enjoyed the above pasta with a simple glass of Burgundy.

(photo: Cannelloni in the baking tray)

How do you prepare Cannelloni and do you refer to them as Manicotti? What's the difference?

Scordo Pasta Challenge - #149 Trenne w/ Peas, Red Onion, and Garlic

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By Vincent Scordo on March 12, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: close up of Trenne before mixing with sauce or condiment).

Here we go, the first pasta dish consumed for the Scordo Pasta Challenge or Vincenzo Eats His Way Through Every Pasta Shape Known to Man!

#149 Trenne

Think of Trenne pasta as the "quill" pasta; that is to say, Trenne are shaped like a writing instrument that is triangular in shape. Trenne is a more modern and angular version of Penne (Trenne has the lines of a new Cadillac or Acura sedan). Trenne is probably best consumed with an abundant and loose codiment or sauce (think of a cream based sauce or maybe summery marinara with chunks of tomatoe, basil, and garlic).

>>New to cooking pasta, here are my 8 Tips for making perfect pasta at home!

I decided to pair small peas with Trenne and the pasta didn't disappoint (the brand was Rustichella). Here are the ingredients for the sauce:

- Half a package of frozen, organic, peas (if you have happen to have fresh peas then go for it!)

- 3-4 cloves of garlic diced on a diagnal

- Half a red onion finely diced

- Freshly ground pepper and Kosher salt to taste

- 1 tablespoon of salted butter

- 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil

- 1/2 cup of grated Grana Padano

- 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water

(photo: after mixing the sauce with the Trenne)

In a large sauté pan add your olive oil and butter (pan should be hot before adding fats). Next, add your onion and garlic and begin to slowly sauté over medium heat. Add some salt and pepper. Next, add your peas and stir well. Add a bit more salt and pepper and reduce your heat. Drain your pasta and add the Trenne to your pan containing the sauce; mix the pasta with your condiment and add some of the starchy pasta water (your pan should have a medium flame going) . Next, add a bit more olive oil and the grated cheese.

Follow the pasta with a piece of salmon and a small arugula salad. Pair the dish with a chilled Ciro Rosato!

>>New to cooking pasta, here are my 8 Tips for making perfect pasta at home!

Recipe: Uovo Rotto al Aqua con Cipolla e Prezzemolo or Poached Eggs with Onion and Parsley

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By Vincent Scordo on February 28, 2010 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: poached eggs with parsley and onion)

My mother can pretty much make a fabulous meal out of anything she has laying around the house (her culinary skill set constantly amazes me). Here's a classic example: uovo rotto al aqua con cipolla e prezzemolo, literally translated from the Calabrian dialect, "egg broken over water with onion and parsley" or poached eggs with parsley and onion.

My mother's recipe is not technically a variant of poached eggs but rather a type of gently fried egg.

Let's start with what you'll need:

- 4 large eggs (buy good eggs as they're the king of the show)

- 2 tablespoon of olive oil

- 2 tablespoons of water

- 1 large onion finely diced

- Bunch of parsley fined diced

- 2 teaspoons of dried oregano

- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Start by sautéing the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of olive oil (add salt and pepper to taste). Once the onion has become softened and slightly caramelized add the chopped parsley and stir well. Next add the remaining olive oil and water and crack 4 eggs into your sauté pan (in separate parts of the pan). Sprinkle the eggs with the dried parsley and a bit more salt and freshly grounded pepper. Cover the sauté pan with a lid and gently cook for 5-10 minutes depending on how cooked you like your eggs (I prefer my egg yolk runny).

You can serve uovo rotto al aqua with some good wheat bread, cured green olives, and some simply prepared risotto, and an arugula salad with vinaigrette. Serve the eggs with a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough in New Zealand.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail: Introducing The Scordoni

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By Vincent Scordo on February 9, 2010 | 3 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: Scordoni awaits grapefruit juice and a quick stir)

I didn't always like Campari; in fact, I thought the liquor was bitter, fowl, and just unappetizing. I remember ordering a Negroni (made with gin, sweet/red vermouth, Campari, and bitters) at a fancy New York restaurant and thinking this drink is strong, but it's really not doing much for me on the flavor / experience side of things.

Fast forward a couple of years to present day and I love most Italian amari and/or digestivos. The "loving" part came about slowly and I still prefer to mix a liquor like Campari with other ingredients to create the perfect cocktail. One recent cocktail experiment yielded what I believe is the definitive pre-dinner drink or apéritif; namely, the "Scordoni"

(photo: Scordoni ingredient from left to right: red vermouth, Campari, St. Germain, and unsweetened white grapefruit juice)

Here's what you'll need to create the Scordoni:

- 1 tumbler glass filled with 5-6 ice cubes (or about half way up the glass)

- 1 ounce of Campari

- 1 ounce of red vermouth (Martini and Rossi is fine)

- 1 ounce of St. Germaine (a French liquor made from elderflower blossoms)

- 2-3 counces of unsweetened white grapefruit juice

(photo: the ingredients and tumbler glass chilling)

Add the ingredients to your glass and stir well; you can add a twist of lemon, if you'd like. I like to serve the Scordoni as an apéritif (you can whip up a pitcher and serve it before a large dinner party; I guarantee it will stimulate everyone's appetite!). The cocktail is also very refreshing and especially tasty during the summer months.

(photo: mixed Scordoni)

(photo: mixed Scordoni in tumbler glass)

Italian Dried Pasta Taste Test and Rustichella d'Abruzzo Contest

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By Vincent Scordo on February 2, 2010 | 14 Comments | 3 TrackBacks

(photo: incorporating olive oil, garlic, and parsley with spaghettini)

Update: Congrats to Susan for winning the contest. The giveaway is closed.

Back in September of 2009, in my overview of dried pasta entry, I made the claim that dry pasta is NOT inferior to freshly made pasta (this is the type of pasta which I often make at home with my classic, hand cranked, Imperia pasta machine). Don't get me wrong, I love homemade pasta, especially ravioli, but I don't exactly look forward to the work effort involved to make it at home. There's the making of the dough, the flattening of the dough into sheets, cutting the pasta, and finally flowering and air drying the product. The process is messy and unless you make large quantities it's tough to justify making pasta at home on a consistent basis (this is just one home cook's opinion, of course).

Enter the revolutionary idea of dry pasta. OK, maybe the idea of pre-packaged pasta isn't revolutionary but it's one of those food products that actually makes sense to acquire in an already completed fashion (read: not making it at home from scratch).

Dry pasta has it's origin in 8th century southern Italy; specifically, in Palermo, Sicilia. The most accepted theory of pasta being introduced in Italy is not via Marco Polo and China, but rather in Sicilia via one of the many Arab conquests of the 700's (this was a time period when the Middle East, part of North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula all came under Arab rule). Moreover, as the web site LifeinItaly.com states:

Like so much of southern Italian life, the Arab invasions of the 8th century heavily influenced the regional cuisine and is the most accepted theory for the introduction of pasta. The dried noodle-like product they introduced to Sicily is most likely the origins of dried pasta and was being produced in great quantities in Palermo at this time. The modern word "macaroni" derives from the Sicilian term for making dough forcefully, as early pasta making was often a laborious daylong process. How it was served is not truly known but many Sicilian pasta recipes still include other Arab gastronomic introductions such as raisins and spices like cinnamon. This early pasta was an ideal staple for Sicily and it easily spread to the mainland since durum wheat thrives in Italy's climate. Italy is still a major producer of this hard wheat, used to make the all-important semolina flour.

By the 1300's dried pasta was very popular for its nutrition and long shelf life, making it ideal for long ship voyages. Pasta made it around the globe during the voyages of discovery a century later. By that time different shapes of pasta have appeared and new technology made pasta easier to make. With these innovations pasta truly became a part of Italian life.

(photo: Rustichella pasta line up)

Fast-forward 700 years or so and there are an abundance of dry pastas on the market in both the US and in Italy/Europe. The very best dry pastas are manufactured in Italy and are made with locally grown Durham wheat. The hard Durham wheat is what yields semolina flour, which is used in all types of quality dry pastas. In the US, the most common pasta brands are Ronzoni, Barilla, Colavita, De Cecco, etc. Of the brands found in the typical US supermarket, De Cecco, in my view, is the best choice. You can see De Cecco's quality via it's color and firmness out of the package and once you cook up a batch of linguine fine, for example, you can taste the quality in the semolina flour used.

One readily available "luxury" pasta found at most Italian specialty shops (as well as Whole Foods) is a brand called, Rustichella d'Abruzzo. Rustichella sits along side other premium pasta brands such as Martelli, Latini, Benedetto, and Setaro. The premium pasta brands command prices as high as $8.80 for 18 ounces (Bendetto), for example. Rusticella pasta commands a price of about $6.60 per 18 ounces (a little over a full pound) and is priced in the middle of the luxury pasta segment.

I, along with various relatives from Calabria and Sicilia, had the pleasure of tasting 10 distinct Rustichella d'Abruzzo pastas, including Bucatini, Trofie, Cencioni, Paccheri, Linguine, Spaghettini, Penne, Rigatoncini, Trenne, and Farafalloni. All of the Rustichella products are handmade and use Italian Durham wheat and spring water. And according to Rustichella bronze moulds are used during the extraction process yielding a pasta with a course exterior texture (the logic here is that the condiment or sauce can better adhere to the pasta). Another product differentiator according to Rustichella is that their "drying process is slow and takes place at a low temperature (up to 50 hours and at temperatures of around 35 degrees) which is the opposite to the industrial process, mass produced pastas, of 4/5 hours at 90 degrees."

(photo: getting ready to chop garlic and parsley)

(photo: raw garlic)

(photo: parsley ready to chop)

(photo: slowly frying some sliced garlic and red pepper flakes with extra virgin olive oil)

The first pasta I tried was spaghettini with a simple alio e olio sauce (olive oil, garlic, and parsley). I choose a simple sauce because I wanted the pasta to be the star and the Rustichella spaghettini didn't disappoint. Unlike mass produced pasta brands, the Rustichella spaghettini had a wonderful texture and had none of the "cardboard-like" taste found in brands like Ronzoni. The spaghettini also had some wonderful nutty and malty flavor components, especially when sampling it without the sauce or condiment. When I did mix the alio e olio with the spaghettini the pasta quickly absorbed the extra virgin olive oil and the tiny bits of parsley, garlic, and red pepper flakes hung closely to the pasta. The idea of the sauce "sticking" or melding with pasta is a key concept and I look for this trait in any pasta. A high quality pasta should also allow for the sauce to integrate into the overall texture of the product (think of those nasty cream cheese and celery appetizers you may have consumed at cocktail parties; the celery, however unfortunate, is a vessel for cream cheese, just like a good pasta, fortunately, is a vessel for the sauce or condiment).

(photo: adding salt to pasta water at the boil)

(photo: measuring pasta)

(photo: drain pasta and save some of the starchy water for the condiment)

Next, I sampled the Paccheri (smaller, and plain, rigatoni - no ridges) with a tomato sauce and again the pasta shined. I was looking for the tomato sauce to slide off the pasta or for a little more blandness because of the larger size of the Paccheri, but the flavor was tremendous (kind of like a clean and crisp Sauvignon Blanc).

My extended family sampled the rest of the Rustichella pastas and all but a few of the pasta critics enjoyed the high quality and texture of the product. Some of the more critical comments from family members centered on price point and similarity to De Cecco pasta. More specifically, one Uncle couldn't justify price versus flavor (he was hinting at value and while he thought the product was of high quality he had concerns about why it was priced 2-3x that of other, typical, Italian brands like De Cecco).

(photo: do you think he will grow to like pasta?)

Pasta Content Giveaway!

As with any food experience the ultimate judgment comes by way of the consumer of the product and his or her relation to other, similar, products they've sampled. So, Scordo.com has teamed up with Rustichella d'Abruzzo to offer one lucky Scordo.com reader a pasta sampler gift package consisting of 1 package each (4 total) of the following pastas: Linguine, Spaghettini ,Penne, and Paccheri. I'm looking for you, the "end pasta user", to be the ultimate critic! Here are the details on the pasta package giveaway contest:

(photo: end product!)

- What you need to do to enter: 1. leave a comment under this post on a favorite pasta brand and shape (no, it doesn't need to be Rustichella!) and 2. sign up as a fan of Scordo.com on Facebook here or Scordo.com newsletter, it doesn't need to be both). If you've done both already, then I'll ask you if you can please re-tweet the article on Twitter and include the article URL: http://bit.ly/ceTiVa and @scordo in your tweet)

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 2/6 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org. The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 2/8.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your shipping address).

- Manicaretti Italian Food Imports will send out the pasta package to the single contest winner during the week of 2/8.

That's it, so please sign up for a chance to win a sampler package of, quite possibly, one of the best food products on the planet (i.e., pasta)! If you can't wait to sample Rustichella pasta you can buy it online here!

Also, be sure to search Scordo.com for a ton of pasta recipes!

Crocchette di Patate Calabrese

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By Vincent Scordo on January 30, 2010 | 2 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(perfectly fried crocchette and ready to consume)

Don't tell my wife but I had a secret lover on my wedding day. That's right, in addition to my beautiful wife I secretly adored the Crocchette di patate that were being served at our party! The potato croquettes were made with a mashed potato filling, stuffed with cubes of fresh mozzarella, and breaded with fresh breadcrumbs, dried oregano, and finely chopped parsley. Thereafter, the croquettes were deep fried and served piping hot. The restaurant where we held our wedding reception served the crocchette as a side to the main course, but I would have had 6-7 of the delicate croquettes with a few glasses of Ciro as my main meal.

While I adored the crocchette made for our wedding, I always prefer making the real deal at home (even if it does include frying and messing up the kitchen; I'm with Jacque Pepin here, the only thing I hate about cooking is the cleanup!). The following is my crocchette di patate recipe. Serve the crocchette as an appetizer with a few cocktails or as a side with wild salmon of dry aged sirloin. Let's start with the ingredients:

- 2lbs of Idaho Potatoes (you'll be baking these as the process nicely eliminates the moisture in the potatoes and makes for a better frying experience)

- 1 bunch of parlsey

- 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

- 2 eggs

- Salt and pepper to taste

- 2-3 cloves of garlic (crushed and minced finely)

- 2-3 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs

(photo: notice the crunchy exterior without using too much breadcrumb; the potato should be king here and not the breadcrumb)

(photo: three generation of crocchette makers: from left to right, my mother, great grandmother, and grandmother. the photo was taken on Via Nazionale in the early 1960's)

Bake the potatoes at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Next, scoop out the interior of the potatoes and mash them with a potato masher (don't use an electric mixer as you'll develop too much gluten in the potatoes). Move the mashed potatoes into a bowl and add Parmigiano-Reggiano, eggs, 1 tablespoon homemade breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix the ingredients and scoop approximately 1 tablespoon of the mixture into your hand and shape the potatoes into an oblong shape (similar to the photo above); you can add some cubed Mozzarella at this point, if you'd like). Finally, role the individual croquettes in the remaining breadcrumb (very lightly) and fry your croquettes in your preferred oil (I use canola). You can season the remaining breadcrumbs with a bit of salt, pepper, and dried oregano prior to rolling your crocchette. You can also use a deep fryer to cook the crocchette, but I simply fill a large sautee pan with about an inch of olive oil (just enough to cover the crocchette). Fry the croquettes until golden and serve hot!

Arancini di Riso Recipe

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By Vincent Scordo on January 21, 2010 | 5 Comments | 1 TrackBack

(thanks to mondo del gusto for the photo)

One of my favorite dishes at a local trattoria in New Jersey is an appetizer consisting of potato croquets, mozzarella in Carrozza (mozzarella sticks), calzoncini (friend pockets of dough), and arancini (rice balls). All of the items in the dish, officially called frittura Napoletana, are expertly fried and generally well executed. However, it's the arancini that stand out and remind me of the fried treats I consumed on the Violet coast (in Bagnara Calabra) as a child (usually from street vendors or small pizzerias) during my summer vacations.

Arancini are traditionally prepared with Arborio rice, tomato sauce with ground beef or pork, peas, and mozzarella (or another local cheese that melts well), coated with an egg wash, breaded, and finally deep fried until golden and the cheese is melted. The arancini of my youth were especially delicious after a day spent swimming in the Mediterranean with my cousins Vice, Maria, and Giuseppe. And while the grown ups scolded us for consuming "vile", and fried, street food I wondered how they could compare melted cheese and creamy Arborio rice to the swordfish and roasted goat dishes they would later have for dinner (I later learned to love both swordfish and goat, of course!).

(thanks to stefaniav for the photo)

My mother Annunziata continues the fried rice ball tradition in her New Jersey kitchen, though it's become a once a year thing as the work to prepare arancini becomes more daunting with age (don't tell my mother I said that). Annunziata's State-side arancini do not differ widely from the Italian variant in both size and flavor (a rare happening when trying to replicate Italian dishes in the US) as she uses good ingredients, is meticulous about preparation, and most importantly, is an expert fryer.

Here's Annunziata's rice ball or arancini recipe (call them Calabrian or Sicilian in origin - it doesn't really matter once you take your first bite):

Ingredients:

- 2 cups of plain arborio based risotto (there's no substitute for arborio rice)

- 3 cups tomato sauce with ground beef or pork

- 1 cup of peas

- 2 ounces of cubed mozzarella

- 1 ½ cups of plain breadcrumbs

- 2 large eggs

- salt, pepper, oregano to taste

- ½ cup of finely chopped parsley

- vegetable oil for frying

(thanks to yosoynuts for the photo)

Process:

- Make plain risotto and proceed to scoop out a healthy amount into the palm of our hand (you're looking for baseball size arancini; note they don't need to be perfect spheres, in fact, I'm used to seeing arancini with a more oblong shape versus something perfectly round). Make sure to wet your hands with some fresh water prior to handling the rice (this will prevent the rice from sticking)

- Make an indentation in the middle of the rice and proceed to fill the ball with a little tomato sauce, 3-4 cubes of mozzarella, and peas

- Next, close the rice around the filling and seal the ball by shaping the rice into a ball.

- Beat a few eggs and season them with a bit of salt and pepper. Next dip the rice ball into the egg mixture and then in a bit of flour. Thereafter, dip the ball back into the egg mixture and then into fine breadcrumbs (buy fresh breadcrumbs from a local shop that are not seasoned; you can season your own breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, oregano, and finely chopped parsley).

- Begin heating your vegetable oil in a large pot (no need to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as Mario Batali used to do on his FoodTV cooking show, as it's a royal waste of money). The ideal frying temperature is between 350 and 375 degrees. You can invest in a thermometer like this, but after several frying sessions you'll get a sense of when your oil is ready.

- Gently place the balls in the hot oil and fry for about 4 to 4.5 minutes (depending on the size of the ball itself). You're looking for a golden exterior appearance but ultimately you want the mozzarella to melt well and achieve "gooey" consistency; I've had very bad rice balls in the US that appear golden and perfectly cooked only to have barely melted cheese in the ball center)

Enjoy the rice balls right out of the fryer (you need to consume this product right away). You can reheat rice balls but they often become dry.

Italian Beef Stew with Rosemary and Oregano

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By Vincent Scordo on January 10, 2010 | 4 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

Cold temperatures and bitter winds have parked themselves here in the Northeast over the last 4-5 days and with cold weather comes an increase in the consumption of comfort foods for yours trully. Comfort foods mean different things to different folks; for example, I'm comforted by the following food items: fresh bread, cheese, olives, salumi, pasta, rice, and stew!

Specifically on beef stew as a comfort food, I especially enjoy slow cooked beef with nice chunks of carrot and petite peas. My wife's beef stew includes rosemary (fresh or dried), oregano (dried), and Chianti (hence the Italian moniker. Here's the quick recipe:

- Season one pound of chuck beef with salt, pepper, garlic and oregano.

- Dredge the meat with ¼ cup of flour and shake off any excess.

- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot.

- Brown the meat on all sides.

- Remove meat with a slotted spoon and all but about 2 tablespoons of oil (add more if necessary).

- Add 4 carrots and one onion cut into large chunks. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.

- Add the meat back to the pot.

- Cover the meat with 1 cup of water and 2 cups of a good red wine.

- Add two sprigs of fresh rosemary.

- Bring to a boil and then simmer for about two hours until the meat is fork tender.

- After the two hours, add salt and pepper to taste and one can of petite peas. Enjoy with mashed potatoes.

The Italian Farmer's Table Book Giveaway and Interview: Authentic Recipes from Agriturismi

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By Vincent Scordo on January 6, 2010 | 48 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, rye bread)

(UPDATE 1/10/09: Contest is closed. The winner is SimplyForties! Thanks to everyone for participating.)

If you've read any of my articles focused on Italian living and lifestyle over the last 6 months, then you've probably come to the conclusion that my Italian roots (and those of my parent's) are firmly situated in the mezzogiorno (the word mezzogirono references the southern region of Italy, including the regions of Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Molise, Abruzzo and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia ). In turn, I often shy away from writing about northern Italy because I'm both unfamiliar with the region and also because so much has been documented and said about areas/cities such as Toscana, Roma, Sienna, Genoa, etc. But when a good friend forwarded me an article from a local newspaper in Connecticut I know I stumbled upon something special, namely, a new book by husband and wife team Matthew Scialabba and Melissa Pellegrino entitled, T he Italian Farmer's Table, Authentic Recipes and Local Lore from Northern Italy (see the accompanying website here!).

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, cover photo)

Like the movie Julie and Julia, Matt and Melissa ate, worked, and lived their way through every region of northern Italy by way of agriturismi (subsidized, working, family farms that provide lodging and meals to travelers). The couple also documented 150 northern Italian recipes from the farms, including many dishes I've never read or encountered in Italian cuisine. The 150 recipes are translated with great care and they can, for the most part, be easily adapted for the American kitchen. In addition to the recipes, the book also include tidbits on local traditions, events, and, of course, food items (for example, in the the chapter on the Casa Al Campo farm we learn about the Dolomite Mountains and the hunting rituals surrounding deer and chamois). The Italian Farmer's Table also features great photography, especially photos taken with the farm owners and their local products.

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, making pasta)

I loved the Italian Farmer's Table so much that I asked Matt and Melissa if they were willing to offer a free copy of their book to a lucky Scordo.com reader and, echoing the generous spirit of the Northern Italian farmers referenced in the book, they agreed! Here's how you can enter to win a free copy of The Italian Farmer's Table:

- Prize Giveaway includes one (1) copy of the The Italian Farmer's Table

- What you need to do to enter: 1. leave a comment under this post on your favorite Italian region or city that you've visited (if you haven't been to Italy which region would you like to visit?) and 2. sign up for the Scordo.com What's New Newsletter here.

- Only one entry per person please.

- The contest is open until 12 midnight on 1/10 and a single random user will be picked via Random.org (sorry contest only open to folks from the US given shipping logistics). The winner will be announced immediately on Twitter (so please follow me) and on Scordo.com by 5PM on Monday, 1/11.

- Please use a valid email address when leaving a comment so I can contact you just in case you're the lucky winner (I'll need your shipping address).

- Globe Pequot Press will send out the book during the week of 1/11.

Finally, Matt and Melissa were also nice enough to answer a few of my questions on local versus organic food, the agriturismo industry, why Italians place so much emphasis on eating well, etc. You can find the full interview below and also purchase the book via Amazon.

1. What inspired you pick up and leave the US and live in a foreign country. Was it difficult to adjust and handle the practical elements of living a foreign country.

We had been toying with the idea to write a cookbook about the Italian agriturismo for about six years. After numerous rejection letters from publishers, we decided to do the trip ourselves. We knew that the whole agriturismo system was practically unknown to the American tourist and that as the farm to table mantra began to pick up steam here in America, the timing was right for a book of this nature. We had both lived in Italy before so being there again was not that big of an adjustment. I think the hardest part was living out of a suitcase for four months and changing farms every 5th day.

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, fennel)

2. There's been lots of talk in the media surrounding organic and local foods. Should shoppers concentrate on buying local versus organic?

Hopefully if it's local, it's also seasonal and not shipped across the country or from another country. While we commend organically grown food we are not that big on its status symbol and government approved stamp. There is nothing better than eating ingredients that are in peak season and harvested close to where they are sold. Many of the farms we visited considered themselves "independently" organic, farming naturally without pesticides or chemicals, but perhaps lacking an official organically grown certificate. Hopefully, most locally grown food available to consumers are adopting a similar philosophy.

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, harvesting grapes)

3. How do Italian shop for food and is there a big emphasis on organic or local foods?

Italians shop for the day, often going to the markets every day to seek out what's fresh and looks the best. Kitchens often have much smaller refrigerators than we have in the US and they eat far less processed foods and snack food.

4. What's an agriturismo?

An agriturismo, is a working farms with accommodations and restaurants, where everything grown and raised on the farm are served to guests. The system was formed in the eighties to help preserve small family farms. By allowing them to open their doors to overnight guests, farms were able to supplement their incomes by providing food and lodging. They have experienced tremendous success, and there has been a huge movement throughout the country as crumbling farms are being renovated and revitalized. There really is no better way to experience rural Italy than to stay at an agriturismo and soak in some local culture and eat and drink like a real Italian.

5. What makes local Italian food taste so good and is it really possible to recreate the dishes in your book here in the US?

Prime ingredients that haven't traveled hundreds of miles. We have adapted all recipes for the American home cook

6. What's your favorite northern Italian region?

Too difficult a question - each region has its own personality and charm

7. You mention the "Italian countryside lifestyle" - what exactly is this?

Living sustainably and with the seasons consuming what one can grow and raise locally.

(photo: via the Italian Farmer's Table, fresh ricotta)

8. Why do Italians put so much emphasis on eating well and how does good food contribute to such a high quality of life in Italy?

Eating well means everything to Italians. Eating means so much more than consumption, but rather, a time to be with friends and family and to sit down and enjoy company and conversation united by food. This all contributes to a high quality of life focused on more intrinsic values with less emphasis on material objects.

9. What's your favorite, local, Italian dish to prepare in the US?

For us, in CT, we love linguine with clams. Fresh local little necks, garlic, hot pepper, white wine, and lots of parsley. Summer or winter, the briney salty flavor is a classic Italian (southern) favorite.

10. How is local farming set up in Italy and how can this system of food production feed a large western country and is it possible to replicate this system in the US?

The Italian agriturismo can prove to be a model example of how small farms can succeed and operate. As more and more Americans are shopping at farmer's markets and becoming interested in learning about where their food comes from, smaller, family run farms have begun to experience success and economic sustainability. While we are moving in the right direction, there is still much to change about American's eating habits. The White House's first garden is symbolic of more awareness about the importance of eating well, and there's hope on the horizon for a better and healthier American diet.

Recipe: Tuna Niçoise Salad

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By Vincent Scordo on December 20, 2009 | 0 Comments | 0 TrackBacks

While flipping through TV channels on a lazy Sunday afternoon I came across an old episode of the classic TV series, "Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home" The series was tapped in Julia's kitchen in Cambridge and while Julia was clearly passed her prime the interplay between the two food stars is sincere and straightforward (Jacques wants to do things the classic way and Julia calls for butter instead of oil or onion instead of scallion, for example).

A recent episode focused on salads and, specifically, Julia Childs and Jacque Pepin made a terrific Tuna Nicoise Salad; featuring fresh grilled tuna or tuna packed in olive oil, boiled potatoes, string beans, boiled eggs, tomatoes, Boston lettuce, capers, and anchovy. The salad looked so good I decided to have a go at making the dish for a late lunch this weekend. And while I didn't have fresh Tuna laying around the house I always keep 3-4 cans of tuna packed in olive oil in our pantry (here's my list of Italian products to keep in your pantry at all times) so one ingredient was present! Our fridge also included some green beans, fresh farm eggs, olives, a red onion, and, yes, some chick pea soup! The chick pea soup was used to make a rustic hummus with lots of lemon juice, some tahini paste, and plenty of salt and pepper (I used a morter and pestle as opposed to the Cuisinart, which I didn't want to clean). Here's my classic hummus recipe. The green beans were quickly steamed and then moved to a bowl of ice water to preserve the color and stop the cooking process. Thereafter, I tossed the beans with a simple lemon juice/Dijon vinaigrette (see my recipe here). The hard boiled eggs were made via the Bittman way, including placing the eggs in a pot with water and letting them come to a boil (and thereafter turning off the gas and letting the eggs sit for 9 minutes). Finally, I included some green olives flavored with fennel.

We enjoyed the salad with a fresh baguette and a bottle of $9.99 Torre Dei Gesuiti from Puglia (basically Italian Zinfandel) purchased at Total Wine (a chain wine shop with some decent inventory). There's no proper way to assemble the salad, just make sure all items are seasoned well (kosher salt, black pepper, and dried oregano) .

Monday Night Fried Fish Fest: Whole Sardines, Smelts, and Wild Dandeloins

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By Vincent Scordo on December 14, 2009 | 2 Comments | 2 TrackBacks

(Photo: Tommaso staring down a fried sardine: this is one metaphysical moment)

A simple rule for buying fish goes as follows: buy what's fresh, as opposed to what you want. The idea may sound counterintuitive but freshness is king when it comes to seafood. I'm mentioning the whole buying fresh seafood concept today because I headed to my favorite fish shop thinking salmon for dinner and I came home with whole sardines and smelt. I've become friendly with my local fish monger and given that he 1. told me about the fresh sardines and smelt that just came in and 2. that the wild salmon wasn't looking superb I opted for the fish monger's suggestion as opposed to the salmon I was craving.

(photo: closeup of a close friend: Sardine Scordo - notice his great eyes and skin))

(photo: beheaded smelts waiting for flour and the frying pan, notice the beautiful skin)

I grew up with smelts as they are a favorite amongst Calabrians especially during the winter months and, at times, during the traditional Christmas Eve fish fest. Smelts are small, fresh water (native to New England as well!), fish and are best prepared whole and fried with a light coating of flour (I like mine with lots of kosher salt and a splash of red wine vinegar). While smelts were common during my childhood, we consumed sardines mostly via the salt or oil packed variety. And I do love canned sardines, but the fresh variety (again, lightly floured and fried) is fish nirvana! Fresh sardines have an oily and firm texture and are high in omega acids. Fresh sardines do contain many small bones, but part of the eating fun is using your hands and finding nuggets of steaming white meat and crispy skin!

(photo: sardine nirvana)

(photo: post fry sardines. notice the very light flour coating, you're not making Kentucky Fried Chicken here)

(photo: post fry smelts, salted heavily with kosher salt)

(photo: our simple dinner table)

Our sardine and smelts dinner included wild dandelions and brown jasmine rice. The dandelions were sautéed with garlic, olive oil, and some red pepper flakes. The brown rice was tossed with olive oil and lots of fresh ground pepper. We had a bottle of Altos de Luzon 2003 Jumilla (a Spanish wine consisting of 50% Monastrell, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Tempranillo). Admittedly, I thought the wine wouldn't pair well with fish, wild greens, and nutty brown rice, but I was shocked at how well it tasted with our meal. Proving again that consuming wine is about drinking what you like (or at least what your mouth tells you it likes with the food you are consuming).

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