Sauteed Sweet Italian Peppers

Hi Everyone,  today I'm cooking peppers with garlic and onions.  Make sure to use Italian peppers which are not hot, and longer and lighter green than Bell peppers.  5 to 6 are good for 2 people.  

Sauteed Sweet Italian Peppers:

Wash the peppers and cut off the tops and remove the seeds.  Slice the peppers lengthwise and rinse away the remaining seeds.  Brown a couple of cloves of crushed garlic in olive oil and salt and stir in a sliced medium sized onion.  Add the peppers to the pan, salt, cover and lower the flame. Let the peppers cook, stirring occasionally until the peppers are very soft and melding with the onions.   The onions will begin to caramelize.  This should take around 1/2 hour.   This is a great vegetable dish as is, but you can scramble in a couple of eggs at the end of the the cooking time, and the peppers and eggs will make an excellent sandwich on some good Italian bread.  I always associate pepper and egg sandwiches with going to the beach, since my grandmother made them for that occasion.  Grandma claimed that the sea air gave one an appetite, as did the mountains and many other things.  I think it just may have been her cooking.  Mmmmmmmm, enjoy!  Xo   

Still Life with Fish and Greens

Hi Everyone, a couple of people have asked me to include photos of the food, so I took this picture of what I cooked last night.  It's escarole sauteed in the usual manner with cannellini beans added toward the end of the cooking time, and fried grey sole.  I highly recommend grey sole over lemon sole or sole.  It has the same delicateness of sole but is more flavorful with a hint of that iodine flavor that you find in shrimp.  Remember to fry the fish in hot oil, the fish must sizzle when you put it in the pan, and coat it lightly with flour.  The flour keeps in the juices and adds a nice texture to the outside.  

The fish was succulent and made a great combination with the escarole.  Mmmmmmm, enjoy your food!  xo 

Fried Eggplant

Hi Everyone,  tonight I'm having tofu slabs and broccoli rabe and I've given you those recipes.  However, I'm in the mood to dress it up a little and so I'm going to cook some eggplant.  This is a very simple, but tasty way to round out the meal.  Eggplant cooked this way is also good over pasta.  I bought a small, slender eggplant which is an "Italian eggplant".  It's a good variety to use for one or two people.

Fried Eggplant:

Slice the eggplant into thin rounds.  You want to fry the eggplant in very hot olive oil.  If the oil is not hot enough the eggplant will absorb the oil.  Fill the pan with a good layer of oil.  When hot enough, put in the slices and let them cook until golden on one side, then turn and let them cook until golden brown on the other.  At some point you may have to add more oil to the pan.  Take them from the pan and put them on a paper towel to drain.  After a few minutes transfer them to a plate and salt them and sprinkle with parmigiano cheese and coarse black pepper.   Mmmmmmm, really good and I'm oh, so hungry.  Enjoy!  xo

Pasta con Sarde

Hi Everyone,  tonight I'll be cooking a truly authentic Sicilian dish.  Pasta con sarde or spaghetti with sardine sauce was a special dish in my grandmother's kitchen.  She would cook it when it was requested, and I was usually the one doing the requesting.  I always loved the blending of the very different flavors of fennel, capers, and raisins with the fishiness of the sardines.   Grandma would always say how truly Sicilian the dish was.  When my daughter and I were in Sicily, I was delighted to see pasta con sarde on almost all the menus and even more delighted when the dish tasted just like Grandma's!   Sauteed escarole is a nice accompaniment to this meal.

Pasta con Sarde:

Start by making a basic tomato sauce, that is, brown a couple of cloves of garlic in olive oil and salt, then add a couple of sliced ripe plum tomatoes when in season or slice up three canned San Marzano whole tomatoes and some of the canned juice.  As it is cooking add some fresh chopped parsley and about a teaspoon of sugar.  This is a quick and delicious marinara sauce for pasta.  To this sauce I'm going to add a can of sardines packed in OLIVE OIL, not anything else.  Mash the sardines into the sauce and as the sauce is simmering, add a tablespoon of ground fennel powder, 2 tablespoons of capers, and a small handful of raisins.  The raisins are a great counterbalance to the other flavors and an integral part of the dish. Let the sauce simmer for 1/2 an hour. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water.  I prefer linguine to spaghetti but that is a matter of choice, just make sure it's al dente.  Drain the pasta, and ladle the sauce on top.  As with all fish and pasta combinations, grated cheese does not appear on the table.  This is a really fresh and savory sauce for fish lovers.  Mmmmmmmm, I can't wait!  xo

Stuffed Artichokes

Hurray!  Artichokes are back!  There was a dry spell there for a little while and I couldn't find any, but artichokes are back in the markets.  A stuffed artichoke always makes dinner a little more special.  I remember my grandmother sitting at the kitchen table cutting up lots of garlic for the chokes.  She usually cooked about 1/2 dozen.  My recipe is for a single choke.

When picking out artichokes, you want the globe variety, like the one in the picture of this blog. The leaves should be tightly closed and the choke should squeak when you squeeze it.

Stuffed Artichokes:

For the stuffing, combine a couple of tablespoons of bread crumbs ( I prefer the plain so that you can add your own flavorings ), salt, a couple of tablespoons of grated parmigiano cheese, 1 clove chopped garlic, 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley.  To prepare the artichoke, cut off the stem and cut off the tip of the stem and discard it.  Keep the rest of the stem to cook with the artichoke as it tastes like the heart.  Rinse the choke under warm running water opening the leaves gently.  Be careful not to prick your fingers on the sharp points on the leaves.  After rinsing, turn the choke upside down to drain out the water.  Begin stuffing the choke with the bread crumb mixture, spooning a little of the mixture in between the leaves.  When the choke is stuffed sit it in a pot with the stem.  Pour a little olive oil ( about 2 teaspoons ) over the top of the choke and put enough water in the pot to reach the bottom layer of the artichoke leaves. Cover the pot and let the water come to the boil, then put the flame low and let the pot simmer for about 45 minutes.  The artichoke is ready when you can pull off a leaf easily.   Eat the artichoke leaf by leaf pulling off the top tender part of the leaf between you teeth.  You have the combination of the artichoke and the savory, spicy stuffing.  When you get down the the bottom, pluck out the fuzzy stuff from the heart, and enjoy that fine delicacy.  Mmmmmmmm, artichokes are a great eating experience!  Enjoy.

Sea Scallops

Hi Everyone.  The linguine and clam sauce was very good, briny and garlicky, just the way I like it.  I realized that I failed to mention that you should buy little neck clams for sauce as opposed to cherrystones which are bigger and tougher.  I polished off the meal with a slice of candied orange, dipped in dark chocolate.  Citrus and chocolate is such a good combination, which reminds once again of Italy.  The Amalfi Coast is famous for it's lemons.  There are lemon trees everywhere on the terraced land.  Lemon soap, lemon themed ceramics and limoncello, which is a lemon liqueur made from the peels of lemons, abound.  In the bakeries and chocolate shops, where you can drink some of the best espresso,  you will find candied lemon peels dipped in dark chocolate.   The lemon peels are extraordinary because they are so fresh and juicy!  My daughter and I made sure that we had a steady supply of these treats.

Tonight I'm going to have sauteed sea scallops.  As with any fish or seafood, freshness is what's paramount.  Having a reputable market from which to purchase your seafood is probably your best guarantee.  I have eaten sea scallops raw, right from the shell, and I have to say that is my favorite way to eat them, however, it's not always possible.  The raw scallop is soft, with a creamy texture and delicate flavor.  

I'm also going to have the brussels sprouts and mescalum greens salad for which I have already given the recipes.

Sauteed Sea Scallops:

Fish and seafood should never be overcooked.  For myself, I usually use 1/2 lb. of sea scallops.  Slice a couple of cloves of garlic lengthwise and put in a pan with olive oil and salt.  Just before the garlic begins to brown, put the scallops into the pan and cook over a medium flame for 2 to 3 minutes on one side, and turn and cook 2 to 3 minutes on the other.  Toward the end of the cooking, I like to add some fresh chopped parsley.  Some other good ideas for scallops is to add some tamari or soy sauce to the pan while cooking and/or some toasted sesame oil.  Fresh, grated ginger is also very good.  Mmmmmmmmmm, so good!  Enjoy xo 

Clam Sauce

Hi Everyone.  Well, it's definitely going to be a good evening because I'm going to have linguine and clam sauce, one of my favorites!  When thinking about clam sauce, I am transported back to Atrani on the Amalfi Coast where the little fish market across from our apartment, sold me the best filet of fish that I ever tasted!  The woman in the market also sold very small, smooth clams which she kept in a small tub filled with sea water.  I'd never seen this type of clam before nor clams that behaved like these.  They were "frisky", skipping around in the water and spitting water out of their shells.  I bought some and since they were so small, had some doubt as to how flavorful they would be.  I prepared them the way I usually do and, well, they knocked us out.  The sauce was full of the fine flavor of the sea, again, the best we ever had!   My daughter and I still marvel at those little clams.

Linguine and Clam Sauce:

When buying clams in the shell, make sure that the shells are closed.  NEVER buy clams with open shells.  Do not wrap the clams in a closed plastic bag when transporting them.  They have to breath, they are alive.  Clean them off with cool water, wiping off the outside of the shell.  In a pan, brown a couple of cloves of smashed garlic in olive oil and salt.  Add the cleaned clams in their shells to the garlic and olive oil and reduce the flame to low.  As the clams warm, they will begin to open their shells and the juice will prevent the garlic from burning and provide you with your sauce.  DO NOT add water. The clams won't necessarily ALL open at the same time, but keep the faith, they will all open.  Before they all open, add some fresh chopped parsley.   When all the shells are open, your sauce is ready.  Some people like to add wine to the clam juice while the clams are cooking, but I think it takes away from the flavor of the clam.   Cook the linguine in lightly salted water that has come to the boil and stir the pasta so that all the strands are separated.  Cook the linguine al dente, do not overcook.   Pour the sauce over the cooked linguine and arrange the clams in their shells attractively on the plate.  I use 1/2 dozen clams for myself and 12 to 18 for two. 

I'm going to have sauteed escarole with the clams sauce which is a nice combination.  Mmmmmmmm, this is going to be good!  Enjoy.

xo

Salad Dressing

Hi Everyone.  Tonight I'm going to be preparing a meal of fried tofu and brussels sprouts for which I already gave the recipes.  However, I am including a salad of mescalun greens and so I will give you my recipe for the dressing.

Lemon/Garlic Salad Dressing:

In a salad bowl, pour in some olive oil,  (about 2 tablespoons), salt, juice of 1/2 lemon and 2 cloves of garlic (pressed).  Put in the greens and mix around with you hands.  I like to put olives, caperberries, and pieces of goat cheese in my salads.  Sliced avocado is also very nice.  Cracked black peppercorns make a nice finish.

Substituting tamari or soy sauce for the lemon juice also makes a tasty dressing.  Enjoy!

xo 

Family Dinner

Hello.  Happy February!  January is over and tomorrow is Groundhog Day, so things are definitely moving in the right direction! 

My daughter-in-law is a wonderful cook specializing in Southeast Asian, specifically Laotian food, so it was with great pleasure that I sat at the table with my son and his family this weekend.  Phet prepared an amazing dinner consisting of foods that she grew up eating.  There was a traditional spicy salad consisting of fresh, raw, green beans, Thai chiles, garlic, fish sauce and shrimp paste which she pounded together with a mortar and pestle to release and marry the flavors.  The result was a salad tasting so fresh, spicy and bright, that I could not get enough of it.   She fried catfish to a golden perfection that was flavored with a little sesame oil and salt and pepper.  Nice and simple, and so good!   There was a stir-fry of shrimp, eggplant. mushrooms and squash cooked with most of the previously mentioned spices with the addition of dried lime leaves.  The dish was succulent and the eggplant and shrimp together made a particularly luscious combination both in taste and texture.  Accompanying all of this food was the traditional sticky rice, which has a light nutty flavor and sticks together nicely in the hand and can be used like bread ( but better ) to pick up the juices on your plate.  It was a truly memorable meal, delighting the senses and nourishing deeply, made all the more special by the wonderful company.  The spicy heat of the meal was the perfect antidote to the 0 degree temperature outdoors!

I'll be cooking again, so I'll have more recipes tomorrow.

xo