Romano Green Beans

Hi Everyone, today I want to talk about the Romano green bean which is an Italian flat bean.  It is grown like any green bean, either pole or bush.  If you are a gardener, it's not too late to add this delicious variety to you garden.  Romano beans are extraordinary enough to include even if you are already growing green beans.  If you don't have a garden, look out for them this summer, as you only find them in markets during the summer months.  Remember that they are flat. What sets this bean apart is it's succulent and rich texture. Most green beans are crisp and juicy, while the Romano has a meaty quality.  I love them sauteed with olive oil and garlic. They are great over pasta.  A nice hearty pasta dish is sauteed beans with fresh or canned tomatoes, some fresh basil, finished with parmigiano cheese on top.   They're also good sauteed, then cooled and served with a little vinegar or lemon juice as a salad.  I know that once you try them you'll love them!

Romano Beans and Tomato Sauce:

Crush a couple of cloves of garlic and saute in olive oil and salt until golden.  Add about 1/2 lb of clean romano green beans either whole or cut to a size that you prefer, and a little water and let cook slowly.  When the beans have softened, add some fresh or canned tomatoes, a few fresh basil leaves, salt, and cook until the beans are soft the tomatoes have cooked down.  Pour over some pasta that has been cooked al dente and add some grated parmigiano cheese on top.  Mmmmmm, so good!  Enjoy xo.

Pearl Oyster Bar

Hi Everyone,  I was in NYC last week and ate at one of my favorite restaurants, the seafood restaurant, Pearl Oyster Bar.  The restaurant is famous for it's lobster roll, which chef Rebecca Charles has recreated from her memories of childhood summers spent in Maine.  I've never had one, but I can tell you that what I do have is always exquisite!  I always start off with oysters on the half shell.  Here the oysters never disappoint.  Last week the oysters were Chinquoteagues which are from coastal Virginia.  Normally I don't care for oysters form the south or west coast.  I find them too big and not briny, however Chinquoteagues are more like northeastern oysters, small, briny and crisp, just like seawater.  While eating them I began to muse as I do when the oysters are good, that a good oyster is the perfect food!  Then on to fried oysters which are battered and seasoned to perfection.  I also ordered another favorite of mine, salt encrusted shrimp.  In this dish the large, succulent shrimp are cooked in their shell, coated in a crisp, salty mixture.  Fabulous!  That night the vegetable was asparagus, which being in season was perfect!  I recommend sitting at the bar where you can exchange pleasant conversation with the other patrons who are as delighted with their meal as you are with yours.  Wine, beer and champagne are served by a knowledgeable and helpful waitstaff.   People start lining up to get in when the doors open at 6, and if you go later, you can expect a long wait, but is well worth it. Pearl Oyster Bar is located on Cornelia Street in the West Village.   Mmmmmmm, oysters.....xo         

Baby Bok Choi with Oyster Mushrooms

Hi Everyone,  today I have a recipe for baby bok choi sauteed with garlic and oyster mushrooms.  I am fortunate in that I have dried whole lime leaves in my cupboard and the addition of a few of these, used like bay leaves, really brightens up the flavor of this dish, and many others.  They may be purchased at an Asian food market.  However, the dish will still be tasty if you are unable to include them. 

Baby Bok Choi with Oyster Mushrooms:

Slice up a couple of cloves of garlic and saute in a pan with olive oil and salt.  when the garlic begins to turn golden, add about 1/4 lb sliced fresh oyster mushrooms and saute together. Make sure that you have enough oil in the pan.  After about a minute add the cleaned bok choi, salt and 2 or 3 lime leaves.  I like the really small ones (bok choi) because you can cook them whole. Lower the flame and let them cook slowly.  They don't need much time at all so keep your eye on them.  You don't want them to get mushy, just soften nicely.   When done, remove the lime leaves.  A garnish of toasted sesame oil is also a nice addition.   Mmmmmm, so nice and fresh!  Enjoy, xo.

Soft Shell Crab

Hi Everyone, it's a great time of year!  Leaves are coming out, bulbs are blooming and life is renewed.  Last week at the fish market, I was reminded of another reason to be happy about spring; soft shell crab!   This wonderful delicacy is only available during April and May when the crab sheds it's old shell, so you can eat the whole juicy thing!  I prepare them in the same way that I like to cook seafood in general, that is, dredged in cornmeal or flour and salt and fried quickly in HOT oil.  If the oil is hot enough, the food is not in the oil for long and doesn't absorb a lot.  Make sure to have the person at the store clean them for you so they are not alive when you bring them home.  If you like more batter, the method is to dredge the item in flour, then dip in beaten egg and then run through bread crumbs.  The flour gives the egg something to cling to and the egg enables the bread crumbs to stick.  Either way make sure the oil is hot so the crab will be crisp on the outside and tender and juicy in the center.  I cook them about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.   Mmmmmm, they are so good because you are getting all of that wonderful crab flavor without having to work for it!  A definite win/win.  Enjoy xo 

La Bella Ferrara

Hi Everyone.  I recently went to my favorite Italian cafe in Little Italy in NYC for an espresso and cannolo.  La Bella Ferrara, NOT to be confused with Ferrara, the tourist attraction, has some of the best espresso this side of the Atlantic.  Franco, the seventy something, Sicilian owner of Bella Ferrara explained to me that one reason his coffee is so good is that he never turns off his espresso machine.  Franco is also very hands on.  He's owned the establishment for over forty years, and you can usually find him there greeting his customers.  On the weekends he sings and he was recently in an indie movie called, "Meatballs, Tomatoes and Mobsters".  One day we were talking about life as a proprietor of a New York City cafe, and he brought out a little wooden box from behind the counter.  The box was filled with little slips of paper.  Franco explained to me that these were papers upon which women had written their phone numbers, and secretly slipped to him while they were with other men in his cafe.  How many he followed up on, he did not say.  

His pastries are indeed the best in Little Italy and you can eat them in the cafe or buy them next door at La Bella Ferrara bakery.  There is outdoor seating and during nice weather it's a real treat to sip your espresso and watch the world go by.  You can also get pizza and Italian style sandwiches as well as wine and beer.  Once again, let me make it clear,  do not confuse La Bella Ferrara which is on Mulberry Street between Canal and Hester with Ferrara on Grand Street.  Ferrara is a famous tourist attraction and is a disappointment.  For the real deal, head over to La Bella Ferrara, and enjoy!  Xo  

This is a picture of the Sicilian town Colesano, where my grandmother was born.

Fritata in Italy

Hi Everyone, some years ago my daughter spent a full school year in Florence for her junior year of college.  I visited her there during christmas break.  I find international flights quite hard on the system.  Between what is supposed to pass for food, and that I'm too excited to sleep on the plane ( and they wake you for "breakfast" at what your body knows is 1 o'clock in the morning ) I usually arrive in rather shaky condition.  This was indeed the case when I made it to my daughter's apartment.   Her apartment was situated across the square from the huge indoor market which contained every food item one could desire.  There were meats, breads, chocolates, olives, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, fish, and all of excellent quality.  During my stay, it was a great treat to shop there and procure the ingredients for our next meal.  For the day of my arrival, my daughter had bought some finger-thin, impossibly fresh zucchini and planned to cook a fritata for my breakfast!   She sliced the zucchini, which raw, had a deliciously nutty flavor.  She sauteed the zucchini and onions and added to the pan some freshly beaten eggs.  She let the eggs cook without mixing or flipping, added salt, and covered the pan to let everything cook through.  A little pamigiano on top and we were good to go.  What a restorative meal!  Fresh vegetables and eggs cooked together with love and the promise of two food-filled weeks in Firenze! 

Below, I have another recipe for zucchini.  Zucchini is best when picked very small as it is more flavorful when young and tender.

Sauteed Zucchini:

Slice about six small, slender zucchini for 2 people.  Crush a few cloves of garlic and put in a pot with olive oil and salt.  Add the zucchini, cover, and turn the flame to medium low heat.   Let the zucchini cook and check it periodically.  When some has browned, you may stir it gently.  The zucchini will brown and soften.  Do not let it cook 'til it's mush!  When done, sprinkle salt and a little bread crumbs on top.  Mmmmmmm, I'm cooking this tonight.  Enjoy.  Xo

PS  This zucchini is also good over linguine.

Adventures in NYC

Hi Everyone, I just back back from a few days in NYC.  I had gotten tickets to the live taping of the "Wendy Williams Show" for my daughter and me.  Now,  that I enjoy the "Wendy Williams Show" had been my "secret pleasure" but I'm letting the secret out because it was so much fun!  All the people working on the show ( including Wendy ) were friendly, positive and upbeat.  The deejay kept the dance music thumpin' and we had a little dance party before the show started, complete with disco balls ( which reminded me that I still have to get one )!  The following evening, we went to Broadway and saw "West Side Story".  Seeing the professionals dance Jerome Robbins brilliant choreography, was really quite a thrill for me and the tragic love story never disappoints ( I realize that I harbor a faint hope that things will turn out differently for Tony and Maria and Chino won't find them! ). 

I decided to cap off all of this entertainment with brunch at one of my favorite places on the Lower East Side.  'inoteca is a cozy little authentically Italian  ( as opposed to Italian-american ) bistro serving tasty, fresh food.  Their cafe americano is always strong, rich and smooth, one of my favorite cups.  They have a "to die for" warm scone filled with Nutella cream, and a Truffled Egg Toast, which is a thick piece of toast with an egg poached in a hole in the center with truffle oil, a truly brilliant combination!   For a while now, my favorite item on the menu has been the Basil Pesto and Egg Panino.  Yesterday's panino was the best ever!  The eggs were exactly the way I like them, lightly scrambled and buttery with the basil pesto flavoring the eggs just enough, not overpowering them.  The bread had just the right amount of of crispiness on the outside.  I was in breakfast heaven for the whole time it took me to eat!  It was a perfect way to end a few days in the greatest city in the world!   Xo