Figs!

Wine:
Serrig Wurzberg Riesling Kabinett 1998
Scholium Project 2008 Naucratis

Tamara is staying with us and we decided to invite Bea to join us. There are two fig seasons in California the early one now, the late one in Sep. We decided to a dinner featuring lots of figs.

We started with two great cheeses from The Cheese Store of Silverlake: a French Basque Blue and a Manchego. Chris also had dried raisins still on the vine. They are very unusual and delicious.

We then had a Turkish Chopped Salad that we found in Casa Moro The Second Cookbook. We really like this salad. It is very different with a topping of yogurt and brown butter. I really recommend that you try it. The recipe can be found in our blog of Aug 12, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

We then had a Fig Pasta. This is unusual pasta because it sauce is sweet from the figs. If you like figs you should try this one! It is also easy to make. The recipe can be found in our blog of Aug 22, 2006. Click the date to get the recipe.

We finished with a Fig and Raspberry Gratin. This is always a winner and we make it every summer when Figs and Raspberries are both in season. The recipe is variation that Cathy based upon a recipe by Jeremiah Tower. Once again this is an easy dessert. Be sure that you don’t burn yourself on the hot bubbling brown sugar. The recipe can be found in our blog of Sep 10, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

It was a fun night. Bea regaled us with stories from her youth. Bea is an artist (among many other things) and has a project to create illustrated one page stories of her life in New York City. We hope she can get it published!

Tamara Visits

Wine:
Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Martino Rosso – 2003
Grand Vin de Bourgogne Chablis Premier Cru 2006

Michael and Tamara arrived today. Michael went on to a conference in Anaheim, Tamara came to our house for a stay. We decided to cook. We started with drinks on the patio, summer has finally come to LA. We made two of our favorite dishes.

We started with Feta Salad with Anise Bread, Tomatoes and Oregano from Casa Moro, The Second Cookbook. I love this salad! I published the recipe in our blog on: June 23, 2008. Click the date and scroll to the recipe.

For the main course we made Lentil Pasta from a recipe from Locanda Veneta in Los Angeles. This is one of our all time favorites. On Sunday we bought fresh tomatoes at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. We followed the recipe for Oven Candied Summer Tomatoes from The Italian Country Table (Lynne Rossetto Kasper – one of our favorite cookbooks)and them used them to make the Lentil Pasta. The recipe can be found in our blog dated July 22, 2008. Click on the date to get the recipe.

Spaghetti with Zucchini

Wine: Domaine Les Grands Bois 2007 Cotes du Rhone

We started with a salad of fresh Nectarines, Almonds, Prosciutto, Balsamic and Olive Oil. Nectarines are very good at right now and we really like the ones from the Hollywood Farmer’s Market.

We then made Spaghetti with Zucchini from a recipe by Mark Bittman. This is one of those recipes that could turn one into a vegetarian. The trick is to cut the zucchinis very thin and then sauté till they are a dark brown. It makes a great thick sauce on the pasta. This is definitely an easy and good recipe.

Spaghetti with Zucchini (Carbonara without the Bacon)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 or 4 or more small zucchini washed, trimmed, and cut into slices 1/8 to ¼ inch thick
2 eggs
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound spaghetti or linguine
½ cup roughly chopped mint, parsley or basil (we use fresh basil)


Salt water and bring to boil
Place olive oil in 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat.
Add zucchini, cook stirring occasionally, until very tender and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with a little salt and a lot of pepper.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and ½ cup of the Parmesan together.
Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender but firm. When it is done, drain it and combine it immediately with the egg-cheese mixture, tossing until the egg appears cooked. Taste add more salt or pepper if necessary.
Toss in the herb and serve immediately, passing the remaining Parmesan at the table.

Chicken and Figs

Wine:

Burt Simon Weingut Herrenberg 1998 Serrig Wurtzberg Riesling Kabinett
Beringer Private Reserve 2006 Napa Chardonnay

Figs are in season and we decided to make Chicken with Figs. This is a delicious dish. It is started on the stove top then finished in the oven. We invited Bea over and she brought a great Chardonnay. You can get the recipe from our blog of June 23,2008. Just click the date to get the recipe.

We started with Nancy’s Chopped Salad. This is a real favorite of mine. I always get it a Mozza. Nancy has taken a 1960’s classic and made it her own. We served cous-cous with the chicken. The recipe for the Nancy's Chopped Salad is on blog of May 10, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

We have had many different Couscous over the years but we found a brand that is exceptional: M’hamsa Couscous from Tunisia. We really recommend it. Look for it at a gourmet shop near you.

For dessert we finished off the Coconut Cake we had purchased at Lark Cake Shop.

The next night we had the leftover Chicken and Fig but made a Salad with Nectarines, Almonds, Prosciutto, Balsamic Vinegar and Olive Oil.

Mushrooms and Cherries

Wine:
Little James’ Basket Press Red Rhone Wine

We were still jet lagged. We did go to the Hollywood Farmer's Market and purchased Porcini Mushrooms. We had pre-decided if they had the mushrooms we would make: Tagliatelle with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms from The Splendid Table by Lynnne Rossetto Kasper. It is a fast and easy recipe. We found fresh figs at the market, so we started with a Salad of Arugula, Fresh Figs, Prosciutto and Almonds. Cherries are also in season, so we had fresh cherries and those great ginger cookies from The Cheese Store of Silverlake.

Tagliatelle with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms
Tagliatelle con Funghi Porcini
From the Splendid Table by Lynnne Rossetto Kasper

In spring and fall, when porcini mushrooms are literally cropping up after almost every rain, this easily-put-together pasta is found throughout Emilia-Romagna, Sauteing the porcini in butter and seasoning with only Parmigiano-Reggiano and a little salt and pepper makes a fine sauce for pasta.

Fresh porcini are appearing more and more at specialty food markets on this side of the Atlantic. Most plentiful in autumn and spring, the mushrooms are usually imported from Italy, and are often shipped whole and frozen. My personal preference is for unfrozen porcini, with their firm, velvety texture intact. But even though defrosted mushrooms tend to be spongy, they are still delicious in this dish. Save this recipe for a time when you need a fast but elegant supper.

[Serves 6 to 8 as a first course, 4 to 6 as a main dish]

6 quarts salted water
1 to 11/2 pounds fresh porcini mushrooms (smaller size preferred)
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 pound imported dried tagliatelle
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
About 2/3 cup freshly grated Italian Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Working Ahead: This dish goes together in about 15 minutes and is best cooked and eaten immediately.

Sauteing the Porcini and Cooking the Pasta: Bring the salted water to a full rolling boil. Warm a serving bowl and shallow soup dishes in a low oven.

Use a damp towel to wipe away any sand and debris clinging to the mush¬rooms. Pay special attention to the underside of their caps. Do not immerse them in water. Cut the mushrooms into V^-inch dice. Heat the butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the mushrooms, and saute 3 to 5 minutes, or until browned. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 6 to 7 minutes, or until tender.

While the mushrooms are cooking, drop the pasta into the water. Boil fiercely until pasta is tender but still a little firm to the bite. Fresh pasta can cook in a matter of seconds; dried pasta can take about 8 minutes. Drain immediately in a colander. Once the mushrooms are tender, season them with salt and pepper. Add the hot pasta to the skillet and toss to blend. Add the cheese and toss to thoroughly coat the pasta.

Serving: Turn the pasta into the heated bowl, and serve immediately.

Only Tagliatelle Will Do
I wish I had a nickel for every pound of fresh tagliatelle made in Bologna to go with Ragu Bolognese, Although ragus are eaten with macaroni, pappardelle, garganelli, and lasagna, tagliatelle is its most popular partner. These ribbons of egg pasta are just the right width to hold the nubbins of meat and vegetable, absorb the ragu's juices, yet not be overwhelmed by it. In the mouth, tagliatelle and ragu taste right together; they occupy equal space on the palate and blend perfectly. Chunkier sauces often balance better with bigger macaroni or pappardelle, and in other parts of Emilia-Romagna such choices are not questioned. But when dining in the style of Bologna, where tagliatelle was first created, only this pasta will do.

Back From Bali!

Wine:
Domaine Les Grands Bois 2007
Cotes du Rhone
“Cuvee Les Trois Sceurs”

Scholium Project 2008 Naucratis Lost Slough Vineyards
We returned from Bali and were very jet lagged. We decided to make a simple yet delicious dinner. We made a Roast Chicken that is baked over Potatoes. The recipe is from: From Simply French by Patricia Wells. It is delicious and easy. We served it with an arugula salad.

Guinea Hen Roasted on a Bed of Potatoes
From Simply French by Patricia Wells

1 Large Roasting Chicken
1 Sprig Fresh Rosemary (or more)
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme (or more)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Sea Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 pounds Baking Potatoes (we use fingerlings and cut in 1 inch cubes)

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Combine seasonings with butter and tuck under the skin, season outside of chicken with Salt and Pepper
3. Rub the bottom of the dish with butter
4. Place the chicken on one side, surround it with the potatoes
5. Dot the potatoes with butter
6. Season potatoes with salt and pepper
7. Place dish in oven, uncovered, roast for 20 minutes, baste at end of roasting time and turn the potatoes.
8. Turn the chicken to other side and roast 20 more minutes, baste chicken and potatoes
9. Turn chicken on back, toast for 20 minutes, baste and roast 15 minutes more.
10. Test for doneness (pierce the thigh with a skewer: juices should run clear); should take about 1 ¼ hours depending upon size of chicken.
11. Remove the dish from oven season with salt and pepper. Thansfer the chicken to platter angled with head down to allow juices to flow thru the breast. Cover loosely with foil. Let chicken rest for 10 to 30 minutes.
12. Return potatoes to oven if required to finish them.
13. Carve and serve potatoes with the chicken.

Roast Pork on the Egg

Wines:

Domaine de la Vieille Julienne 2004 Cotes du Rhone
Kaesler Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2004
Sans Liege 2007 Cotes du Coast

Barbrix our new neighborhood restaurant has opened! Friday night we went to a Friends and Family Dinner and loved it! Perhaps we loved it a little too much because we both must have drunk a little too much and were not feeling that energetic on Sat. However, we pulled it together to cook a dinner using our Egg!
For those of you who know where we live, barbrix is right down the hill on Hyperion directly across from Baller Hardware.

Bea joined us and brought a fabulous wine. She also had been at barbrix. She also loved it.

We started with Nancy’s Chopped Salad. I love this salad! A 1960 staple that she has transformed! It is always on the menu at Pizzeria Mozza!

We Grilled a Herb-Crusted Pork Loin on the egg using the recipe from License to Grill by Chris Schlesinger, It was perfect! We really enjoyed it. The recipe can be found in our blog entry of: July 2, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

We made Potato-Parsnip Puree From the Food of Campanile by Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton. This is a very rich rendition of mashed potatoes. It also holds well over hot water, while the meat cooks. Try this one sometime it is great!

We finished up with a Brownie from Clementine. Boy does Annie make good desserts (and soups, and salads, etc.).

Recipe: Nancy's chopped salad
Los Angeles Times
March 11, 2009

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6

Oregano dressing

4 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup good red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Roughly chop the garlic and then add the oregano, salt and pepper. Chop the mixture together and use the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle to make a grainy herb paste.

2. Transfer the paste to a large salad bowl, and add the lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork, allowing the salt to dissolve, then add the oil and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano.
Salad and assembly


1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into fine rings
1/2 pound provolone, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into 1/2 -inch ribbons
1/2 pound salami, peeled, sliced 1/4 -inch thick then cut into 1/2 -inch ribbons
4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored, and cut in ribbons 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch wide
1 head radicchio, cored and cut in ribbons 1/4 - to 1/2 -inch wide
2 tablespoons dried oregano for garnish (optional, preferably Sicilian or Turkish)

1. Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice) into the dressing, one at a time. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

2. When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl, along with a couple of generous pinches of oregano, and toss to combine with the dressing. Serve immediately.

Potato-Parsnip Puree
===============
From the Food of Campanile Mark Peel & Nancy Silverton

Serves 6 to 8

2 large russet potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and quartered
4 large parsnips (1 ½ pounds), peeled and quartered
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup heavy cream
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Kosher salt

In this dish, the poor, unappreciated, underrated parsnip gets a chance to shine this is a variation on mashed potatoes, but the flavor is sweet and earthy with the essence of parsnips and a real suggestion of autumn. At Campanile, this dish could also accompany roast beef to add a little something new to a delicious traditional cold weather dinner. This can be prepared earlier in the day and warmed in a double boiler when needed.


In a large stockpot, bring approximately 2 quarts of water to a boil. Using a vegetable steamer, steam the potatoes, parsnips, and garlic over medium-high heat until very tender, about 20 minutes. In a medium saucepan, over high heat, scald the cream, about 2 minutes. Add the butter, remove the pan from the heat, and stir the butter in as it melts, about 1 minute. Using a food mill, electric mixer, or a potato masher (but not a food processor), puree the potatoes, parsnips, and garlic into a large mix¬ing bowl. Fold in the melted butter and cream to give the puree a smooth texture. Season to taste with kosher salt. Keep warm in a double boiler until needed.

Asparagus Pasta

If you don't like to cook, here is a recipe that anyone can make! We make Asparagus Pasta several times in the spring when Asparagus is the freshest. Nothing could be easier. You can find the recipe in our blog entry of: May 11, 2008. Click the date to get this easy delicious recipe!

Fabulous Lasagna

We had a farmer’s market dinner that was wonderful. Pixie Tangerines are in the market and are delicious. We made a delicious salad from The Zuni Café Cookbook called: Mixed Lettuces With Mandarins, Hazelnuts, & Hazelnut Vinaigrette. We added shaved Manchego Cheese to the salad. We really liked it!

Actor John Pleshette likes to cook. We see him all the time at the farmer’s market, and have seen him in several plays. He also sends out recipes. He sent us a recipe for Spinach And Burratta Lasagna. This to us was unique we never have baked with burrata cheese. We decided to make it. When we went to the market, we saw that David the Mushroom purveyor had morels. Cathy decided to enhance the recipe with morels that she first sautéed in butter. It worked. The dish was delicious. We will make it again. Big shout-out to John P.

Spinach And Burratta Lasagna
=====================

1pound of dried lasagna
2 medium leeks
2 bunches of spinach
1 pound of burratta
1/2 cup of fresh-grated parmesan cheese
chives

pre-heat oven to 400

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a splash of oil. drop in the lasagna and boil 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the sheets from sticking to each other. When lasagna is still a bit underdone, drain and lay on a tea towel to dry.

Trim root ends and dark green leaves from leeks. Split lengthwise and rinse under running water. chop into one-inch pieces.

Dump the spinach in a sinkful of water. trim off stems and drain leaves in a colander.

Melt 4 tbsps of butter in a large saucepan. add leeks and cook over low heat for a few minutes until softened but not browned.

Raise heat. Add the spinach a handful at a time, turning with tongs. Cook until wilted but still green. Salt and pepper. Remove with tongs and drain in a strainer and squeeze gently to remove excess liquid.

Rub the inside of an au gratin dish with butter. Put a layer of spinach on the bottom. Slice burratta and using your fingers, top the spinach with thumbnail-size pieces. lay a sheet of lasagna on top. Sprinkle with parmesan.

Continue to stack the spinach, burratta, lasagna and parmesan until you end up with about four layers. You may need to make two stacks, side by side. Top final layer with lasagna. Dot with burratta, sprinkle with parmesan and place in the oven.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese bubbles and the lasagna is slightly browned.

Garnish with chopped chives and serve.

Serves 4


Mixed Lettuces With Mandarins, Hazelnuts, & Hazelnut Vinaigrette
================================================
From the Zuni Café Cookbook

Use silky young lettuces, by themselves or mixed with endive or arugula. Fragrant mandarins come into season in December, and are refreshing and beauti¬ful in salads. They will taste best in this salad if they are at room temperature or just cool, not cold. Frangelico is a hazelnut liqueur that perfumes the salad as the alcohol releases its sweet, nutty scent. For a toastier flavor, substitute a few drops of hazelnut oil. A beautiful variation on this salad consists of arugula, blood oranges, slivered fennel, and toasted almonds mixed with sherry vinaigrette, per¬fumed with Arnaretto, Cointreau, or Grand Marnier. Another joins endive,fnsee, tangelos, and pistachios with coriander-scented vinaigrette, garnished with a driz¬zle of creme fraiche. The combination of satiny, scraggly, tart, nutty, crunchy, and creamy ends up being elegant.

This salad is good before or after a main course, particularly one featuring game birds or lamb.

for 4 servings:
About 24 hazelnuts {3/4 ounce, or a scant 1/4 cup)
2 to 3 mandarins {about 8 ounces}
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
A splash of Frangelico liqueur or hazelnut oil
4 to 5 ounces mixed young lettuces,carefully washed and dried

Preheat the oven to 325°.

Roast the hazelnuts on a small baking sheet until the skins darken and begin to split, 10 to 15 minutes. While they are still hot, bundle them in a towel beanbag-style, then scrunch and massage them to rub off most of their skins. Pick the nuts from the chaff and chop them coarsely.

Slice both ends off each mandarin, cutting just deeply enough to expose the juicy flesh. Setting the fruit on end, use a paring knife to carve away the skin and pith in a series of smooth, arcing strokes from top to bottom, rotating the mandarin a little with each stroke as you work your way around the sphere. {Most of us mis¬judge and miss a little pith on the first go-round, but this is easy to trim once you've removed the bulky skin.) Slice the mandarins evenly into i/4-inch-thick pinwheels. Collect the slices and juice on a plate.

Combine the oil, vinegar, Frangelico or hazelnut oil trickle of juice from the mandarins, and salt to taste! Dip a lettuce leaf in the dressing, taste, and cor¬rect. Spoon a little of the vinaigrette over the mandarin slices. Tilt the plate to distribute it.

Drizzle and toss the lettuces with enough vinaigrette to coat them lightly but evenly. Taste. Toss in the hazelnuts, then distribute most of the leaves among individual plates. Slide and tuck the sliced mandarins among the leaves, then scat¬ter with the remaining leaves and the hazelnuts. Drizzle the vinaigrette from the mandarin plate over the salads.

Roast Chicken and Bread

We saw this recipe for Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken With Crispy Drippings Croutons in the New York Times and I couldn’t resist it! It is very simple and clever. Basically you roast a chicken in a hot oven. Under the chicken you place good bread that catches the chicken drippings and becomes a giant crouton that you can break up and use in a salad. We used the salad from the Zuni Café Cookbook that they make with their Roast Chicken. Following Billy’s advice we used the left over chicken to make a great chicken soup!

With the chicken we served Fava Bean Potato Hash from a recipe that Corina gave us from her restaurant Canele. It was a perfect accompaniment. You can get the recipe for the hash from our blog of May 26, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe.

Zuni Bread Salad
===============

Generous 1/2 pound slightly stale open-crumbed, chewy, peasant-style bread (not sourdough)

6 to 8 tablespoons mild-tasting olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dried currants

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar, or as needed

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 to 3 garlic cloves, slivered

1/4 cup slivered scallions (about 4 scallions), including a little of the green part

2 tablespoons lightly salted chicken stock or lightly salted water

A few handfuls of arugula, frisée or red mustard greens, carefully washed, dried and torn

Spoonful of pan juices from the roast chicken

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken With Crispy Drippings Croutons
=======================================================
March 11, 2009
New York Times
Recipe

Time: 1 hour 25 minutes, plus 10 minutes’ resting
Country bread, ciabatta or other sturdy bread, preferably stale, sliced at least 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more as needed
1 4- to 5-pound chicken, patted dry
1 garlic head, sliced in half horizontally, through the cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon
1/2 bunch thyme sprigs.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange oven rack so that it is in center of oven. Lay bread slices in a thick, heavy-duty metal roasting pan in one layer. (Try not to use a thin or dark colored pan, which may cause bread to burn: see note.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, bay leaf, lemon and thyme. Rub outside of chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place it breast side up on bread.

3. Roast chicken until it is deeply browned and juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with bread from pan.

Yield: 4 servings.

Note: If you use a thin or dark roasting pan, you might consider lowering the oven temperature to 375 degrees to prevent the bread from getting too dark. Check the pan periodically during cooking and lower the temperature as necessary (you can open the oven door for a minute to reduce heat quickly.) It may take longer for the chicken to cook through at a lower temperature.

Fabulous Pasta!

When Spring arrives we always make our favorite dishes. We started by making Fava Bean Puree. At the Hollywood Farmer’s Market, fresh young fava bean appeared and we purchased several pounds. Favas require lots of peeling, first the bean from the large shell, then par-boiling the beans, and finally peeling the bean itself. I don’t mind sitting on the deck in the sun peeling them, but this time they sold beans that had been removed from the pods. They still have a slippery skin that easily slips off after boiling for a minute or two. Then you can start to make the puree. We simmer the beans in Olive Oil, garlic and Thyme then remove the thyme and puree. We served the puree on top of burrata cheese in a spring salad. It brought back all of the tastes of spring. We will be making this some more this spring and summer! Fava’s have a fairly long season. This recipe was modified by Cathy from the Chez Panisse Vegetables cookbook.

We then had a fabulous pasta that uses fresh spring peas: Orecchiette Carbonara with English Peas and Pea Shoots. This is a really good dish!

orecchiette carbonara with english peas and pea shoots
from Sunday Suppers at Lucques

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces applewood-smoked bacon, diced
6 ounces pancetta, diced
4 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 1/2 pounds orecchiette pasta
1 1/2 cups finely diced onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 cups freshly shucked peas (from 2 1/4 pounds in the pod)
3 ounces pea shoots
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spaghetti carbonara was one of the simpler dishes in my dad's weekend repertoire, and it was by far my all-time favorite thing to make with him. After chopping the bacon, snipping the parsley, and grating the cheese, my sister and I would stand back and watch the grand master perform the final act. As he whisked the eggs and tossed in the piping-hot noodles, we marveled at the transformation of our seemingly simple and innocent ingredients into a magnificent bowl of indul¬gence. It all happened in a matter of seconds; unlike his laborious stews, which took hours to make, this meal was all about instant gratification.

In the spring, I stray from tradition and add lots of sweet peas and pea shoots to Dad's original formula. The shape of orecchiette pasta suits this dish well; the "little ears" capture the sauce inside, ensuring plenty of flavor in every bite. If you can't find orecchiette, use spaghetti or penne.

NOTE: When you add the eggs, they should be warmed just enough to thicken them, so they coat the pasta. If you overcook them, the eggs will curdle and scramble. If the sauce is very soupy, then the eggs haven't cooked enough. In that case, I place the bowl of pasta directly over a very low flame, stirring or tossing for a few seconds, to cook the eggs until the sauce just thickens and coats the orecchiette. For this reason, I like to use a stainless steel bowl.

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat for i minute. Swirl in the olive oil, and add the bacon and pancetta. Turn the heat down to medium-high and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon and pancetta are slightly crisped but still tender.

Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and 1 1/4 cup cheese together in a large stainless steel bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Drop the pasta into the rapidly boiling water.

Add the onion, garlic, and thyme to the bacon, and cook about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent. Just before the pasta is ready, stir in the peas, coating them well with the onion and bacon.

As the pasta cooks, measure out and reserve about a cup of the hot pasta water. When the pasta is al dente, drain it and immediately add it to the bacon mixture, with i teaspoon salt, tossing well. Grind lots of black pepper into the pot, and cook i to 2 minutes more, stirring well to incorporate. Add the orecchiette to the eggs, stirring vigorously to "cook" the eggs and coat the pasta in the egg "sauce" (see note). Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture seems too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water. Toss in the pea shoots and parsley, and transfer to a warm shallow bowl. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup cheese over the top.

Risotto with Pork Sausage and Porcini Mushrooms

We decided to make a risotto that we had not made in a long time. It is one of our favorites.

NOTE

The Oriental influence, often encountered in Venetian cuisine, is quite evident in this dish. Some people don't prepare it like a risotto, but add all the broth at once, cover tightly, and let the rice cook over low heat for about 15 minutes.



Risotto con Luganegh
Risotto with pork sausage
From The Cuisine of Venice & Surrounding Northern Regions
By Guisti-Lanham Dodi




2 quarts broth, chicken or beef
4 tablespoons butter
1 small onion (optional)
3 links 100% pork sausage, depending upon size
2 cups Italian rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Dried Porcini mushrooms


We added Porcini Mushrooms to the recipe. If you have dried porcini simply soak till they are soft. We then saute in butter and add to the risotto when it has almost absorbed all of the liquid.

Bring the broth to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to simmer. Place half the butter in a large saucepan; when it is melted add the onion, finely chopped. Skin the sausage and cut into chunks. When the onion is translucent, add the sausage and stir. Turn the sausage pieces until their fat is rendered. Add the rice and stir constantly until the rice is well coated and glistening. Add the wine and, a little at a time, the broth. Continue stirring; allow the broth to be almost absorbed before adding the next ladleful. The rice should never be allowed to dry out but neither should it ever be totally submerged in the broth.

When the risotto is half done (after about 15 minutes cooking time), add the salt and pepper and the remaining butter. Continue stirring. Add half the Parmesan and finish cooking. The exact cooking time cannot be given as it depends upon the quality of the rice. Italian rice tends to remain firm longer and yet the grains are held together by a creamy substance, made of butter, broth, cheese, and, in this case, pork sausage. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over it before serving, or serve the cheese separately in a bowl fo: people to sprinkle over their individual dishes.
Serve with a Merlot, the ruby red wine of Friuli. The wine served with a dish should usually be the same as the one used in preparing it. But not for this risotto. Tradition wants that a white wine be used in cooking, but it would be possible to serve a light white wine with this very rich dish. It is a winter dish, ideally suited for a cold Sunday luncheon. Personally, I find it too filling to be treated as a first course, as other risottos are. It could be followed by a
vegetable dish, or by cheese and fruit.

Note
It is extremely important that the sausage be of the finest quality. Surely there is a butcher somewhere in your neighborhood who makes his own sausage.

Expatriate Chicken

Wine: Little James Basket Press
I had been thinking about roast chicken and Cathy put together a menu of one of my favorite presentations: Expatriate Roast Chicken with Lemon and Olives from The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen by Paula Wolfert. You can find the recipe in our blog of Aug. 2, 2008. You can find the recipe by clicking the date.

This is a very easy chicken to cook and the Moroccan flavors are exceptional. You need Preserved Lemons which you can either buy or preserve yourself.

With the chicken we made Cous-Cous, the traditional side for this dish. It absorbs all of the great sauce that the Chicken recipe creates. Cathy had been looking for hand-rolled cous-cous and we finally found it at: Cube. The brand is: m’hamsa from Les Moulins Mahjour. It is far superior to other cous-cous we have tried.

We got two meals out of the chicken. One we started with a Salad that we saw made at The Hungry Cat one night when we were eating at the raw bar. It is a simple but delicious salad. Leafy lettuce, lemon juice. Avocado cut into pieces, sea salt, olive oil and Pecorino Cheese, grated hard boiled egg. No recipe just mix the ingredients to your taste. We usually don’t use avocado, but really liked this salad!

For the other meal, once again Asparagus with Fried Egg. Jason at Palate Food + Wine gave us the recipe. It is delicious. You can find the recipe for the Asparagus in our blog of: March 21, 2009. Just click the date to get the recipe.

Not Quite Kosher

Our friend Jill had emailed us about Matzo Brie. This is a dish we have never made. It is very easy. Matzo is an unleavened bread that is used for the Passover Service. Sort of like a large cracker. We had some left over Matzo from the food that we had brought home from Clementine.

We had dinner at Palate Food + Wine and had a fabulous Pork Belly. We didn't finish it and brought some home. We started to think: Should we? Could we? Why not?

So we made Matzo Brie with Crispy Pork.

Soak the Matzo in water till soft then squeeze out the water.
Saute onion (we used chippolini onions) in butter.
Crack as many eggs as your cholesterol will allow and mix well then add the wet matzo.
Add the Pork Belly to the onion / butter then add the eggs and matzo.
Salt / Pepper to taste.
Enjoy!

Passover and Pasta

Wine

Paco & Lola Albarino Rias Baixas 2007
Terre des Lauzeraies Cotes du Rhone 2007

We planned to make Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Broccoli Rape from Cooking with Master Chefs by Julia Child. We invited Bea to dinner. Since it was Passover I decided to pick up some Matzo Ball Soup. Cathy and I both had dental appointments in Century City, which is near Clementine, which has great takeout food.

When we arrived at Clementine to buy some matzo ball soup we discovered they had full Passover dinners to go. So we bought Brisket (naturally), Carrots and Prunes, Beets with Horseradish and Charoses and handmade Matzo. For dessert we bought Coconut Macaroons. We still wanted to make the Orecchiette, so we had it all.

It was a very traditional Passover dinner, if you don’t count the pork sausage in the Pasta. Oh well next year…..

The pasta really is exceptional. Try it!

Orecchiette con Broccoli di Rape e Salsicce
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Pasta Ears with Broccoli di Rape and Sausages
From Cooking with Master Chefs by Julia Child
This lovely dish shows what can happen to tough old greens if you treat them right. When broccoli di rape is prepared the way Chef Lidia prepares it—peeled and cooked long enough—it has an agreeable slight bitterness that blends wonderfully with the sweetness of the sausage and the full ripeness of the cheese.
It is important to match the shapes of pasta to the sauce. Thin sauces are best with flat pastas; other shapes have nooks and crannies to catch pieces of chunkier sauces. Orecchiette, which means "little ears," are just right to pick up all the tasty bits of sauce in this dish.

INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS
For the sauce
2 pounds broccoli di rape
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
5 tablespoons good olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, crushed
Salt
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
1 cup or more excellent chicken stock

For the pasta
6 quarts water
3 tablespoons salt
1 pound orecchiette pasta

For serving
1 ounce or more pecorino Romano cheese, grated just before using, and you may want to pass around more separately

Preparing the Broccoli di Rape: Wash and spin-dry the broccoli di rape and remove the large tough leaves, leaving just tender leaves and flower buds. Cut off and discard the lower part of the stems, leaving the broccoli about 8 inches long. Peel the stems by lifting strips from the stem end and drawing them up toward the bud area—a perfect peel is not necessary, but removing peel does remove bitterness.
Preparing the Sauce: Peel the sausage, crumble it and saute over moderately high heat in a tablespoon of olive oill. In a moment or two, add the crushed garlic and continue sautéing for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the sausage is lightly browned. Drain out the fat in the pan, and add the remaining olive oil. Roughly line up the broccoli di rape and slice into 4-inch lengths; add to the pan, tossing. Taste, and season lightly with salt and pepper flakes. (At this point, you could start the pasta.) Cover the broccoli pan and let steam for several minutes; when the broccoli has wilted, stir in the butter, then the stock, and bring to the boil. Taste again for seasoning, and let cook uncovered for several minutes more to reduce and concentrate the liquid. Again taste and correct seasoning. Set aside until the pasta is ready.
Boiling the Pasta: Heat 6 quarts of water in the stockpot, adding the salt, and timing so that the water is at the full boil by the time the broccoli di rape goes into the pan in the previous step. With the heat at its maximum, stir in the pasta and cover the pan until the water is at the boil. Then set the cover ajar and maintain at a moderate boil for 10 to 12minutes, stirring and checking on the progress now and then. After 9 minutes, start testing by eating a piece. It should just be cooked through, but not quite as tender as you would like because it will cook a little more with the sauce to come. Drain at once, and proceed to the serving.

Serving the Pasta: Reheat the broccoli di rape as soon as the pasta has cooked and drained. Turn the hot pasta into the hot sauce and toss gently to blend. Taste carefully for seasoning, and remove from heat.
Sprinkle on half the freshly grated Romano cheese, and toss to blend.
At once, turn the pasta onto the hot platter, bowls or plates, sprinkle with the rest of the Romano, and serve.

Spring Peas and Pixies

Wine: Domini Douro 2005

We started with a Salad made with Pixie Tangerines, Almonds, Parmesan Cheese, Medjool Dates, Almond Oil, and Sherry Vinegar. The Pixies have just came into season and are great in a salad.

With the first spring peas every year we make Risi e Bisi. The recipe we use is from Bugialli’s Italy by Giuliano Bugialli. We bought a large amount of fresh peas at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market. All of the pea pods are retained and boiled to infuse the water used to make the rice and peas. The water actually becomes a vegetable stock. In addition the recipe calls for Parmesan Cheese and Prosciutto – we purchased them from The Cheese Store of Silverlake (and Chris provided us with the end of a prosciutto to use in the dish.


RISI E BISI
Rice and Teas Venetian Style
Makes 6 servings
FOR THE BROTH:
1 pound snow peas or, if using fresh peas for the dish, 1 pound of the pods of the peas
16 cups cold water
1 medium-size carrot, scraped and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 medium-size stalk celery, cut into large pieces
1 very small clove garlic, peeled
5 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, leaves only
Coarse-grained salt
FOR THE RICE:
4 ounces pancetta or prosciutto, in one piece
1 medium-size cipollotto (Venetian white onion) or yellow onion, cleaned
4 Tablespoons sweet butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium-size clove garlic (optional), peeled
15 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, leaxas only
1 pound very small, sweet fresh peas or frozen "tiny tender" peas, not defrosted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups raw short-grain rice, preferably Vialone or Italian Arborio
TO SERVE:
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sweet butter
6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Sprigs fresh Italian parsley
Wash the snow peas or pea pods very well under cold running water. In a large pot bring the cold water to a boil with the snow peas or pods, carrot, celery, garlic, and parsley over medium heat. While boiling, add coarse salt to taste, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 50 min¬utes. Strain the broth and discard all the vegetables.
Finely grind the pancetta or prosciutto in a meat grinder and coarsely chop the onion on a cutting board. Place the butter and olive oil in a medium-size casserole set over low heat. When the butter is melted, add the pancetta or prosciutto, onion, and garlic clove, if used. Sauté slowly for about 15 minutes, then add the parsley and mix very well, then add the fresh or still frozen peas. Season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium, add 1 cup of the vegetable broth, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Pour in 7 ½ - 8 cups of the broth and when it reaches a boil, add the rice. Mix very well, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 18 minutes. Be sure to have enough broth in the casserole for the rice to absorb to cook completely, with a tiny amount of liquid left; the final texture should be something between a real risotto and i thick bean soup. Remove the casserole from the heat, add the butter and cheese, and mix very veil. (Mantecare—to churn—is the word used to describe the movement of absorbing the butter ind the cheese into the rice.) Serve with the Italian parsley.