Michele-Carbone-New-Cover

Author: Michele Carbone Page 1 of 9

Beef Bone Broth

This is a beef bone broth recipe based on one shared on the New York Times Cooking site by Julia Moskin.  It creates a delicious, rich broth that we use in preparing any risotto requiring a meat broth.

You need to start this recipe at least one day in advance because it requires about 12 hours of cooking time.

Ingredients

  • A total of 6 lbs. of beef bones:
    • 1 1⁄2 pounds bone-in beef short rib
    • 3 1⁄2 pounds beef shank or oxtail (you can substitute beef knucklebones or neck bones for some of the oxtail)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tube of Italian tomato paste
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 3 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 3 celery stalks, coarsely chopped into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 red onions, halved and peeled
  • 1 head of garlic, excess skin removed, and the top chopped off to expose the cloves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 bunch of fresh Italian parsley
  • ½ bunch of thyme
  • 1 handful of dried mushrooms, preferably shitake; you can also use fresh shitake if you cannot find dried shitake (I use about 6 ounces of fresh shitake).
  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns

Preparation

Start this recipe at least one day before you plan to use it.  Also, make sure you have some large freezer containers so that you can freeze the portion you don’t use.  I am usually able to get at least three dinner parties worth of broth from this recipe.

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°
  2. Put all the beef bones into a large roasting pan, and then drizzle with the olive oil. I use a brush to coat all sides of the bones and meat, then dip the same brush into a small bowl containing the tomato paste.  Lightly cover the bones with the olive oil and tomato paste.
  3. Place the pan, uncovered, into the oven and roast for 35 – 40 minutes.
  4. Once the bones are roasted, transfer the bones to a large stockpot (12-quarts).
  5. Pour a little cold water into the roasting pan and use a wooden spoon to mix all the remaining drippings from the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour the water mixed with drippings over the bones, then add enough cold water to cover the bones by about 3 inches.  Add the vinegar.
  6. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to a simmer, leaving the stockpot uncovered. Simmer for 2 to 3 ho
    Meat broth

    Meat broth after simmering many hours.

    urs uncovered, occasionally skimming the fat from the top.

  7. Now add another 3-4 inches of water, along with all the vegetables and herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and allow the stock to simmer for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight for 9 to 12 hours.  If the broth evaporates too much, add more water, and turn down the heat.If you are uncomfortable with letting the stock go all night, you can fully cover the pot overnight, leaving the pot on the cooktop.  In the morning, bring the ingredients to a boil, then uncover and reduce to a simmer for the remaining hours.  The process of heating and then cooling, then heating again helps add more flavor, in my opinion.
  8. Allow the broth to cool.
  9. Strain the broth from the bones and vegetables with a fine mesh sieve. If you are like my husband, you will put the beef and bones along with the carrots and celery onto a platter, then add some salt and pepper to it. It’s a great meaty dish.

Brodo di Carne (Italiano)

Questa è una ricetta per il brodo di ossa di manzo basata su quella condivisa sul sito di cucina del New York Times da Julia Moskin. Crea un brodo delizioso e ricco che utilizziamo nella preparazione di qualsiasi risotto che richieda brodo di carne.

È necessario iniziare questa ricetta almeno un giorno prima perché richiede circa 12 ore di cottura.

Ingredienti

  • Un totale di 2.5 kili di ossa di manzo
    • 1 kilo di costolette di manzo con osso
    • 1 kilo di stinco di manzo o coda di bue (puoi sostituire parte della coda di bue con astragali o ossa del collo)
  • 2 cucchiai di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 1/2 tubo di concentrato di pomodoro italiano
  • 60 ml di aceto di mele
  • 3 carote, sbucciate e tagliate grossolanamente in pezzi da 2 pollici
  • 3 gambi di sedano, tagliati grossolanamente in pezzi da 2 pollici
  • 2 cipolle rosse, tagliate a metà e sbucciate
  • 1 testa d’aglio, privata della pelle in eccesso e della parte superiore tagliata per esporre gli spicchi
  • 2 foglie di alloro
  • 1 mazzetto di prezzemolo fresco
  • ½ mazzetto di timo
  • 1 manciata di funghi secchi, preferibilmente shitake; puoi anche usare lo shitake fresco se non riesci a trovare lo shitake essiccato (io uso circa 6 once di shitake fresco)
  • 1 cucchiaio di pepe nero in grani

Preparazione

Iniziate questa ricetta almeno un giorno prima di pensare di usarla. Inoltre, assicurati di avere dei contenitori freezer grandi in modo da poter congelare la porzione che non usi. Di solito riesco a ottenere almeno tre cene di brodo da questa ricetta.

  1. Preriscaldare il forno a 180°
  2. Metti tutte le ossa di manzo in una grande teglia e poi condisci con l’olio d’oliva. Uso un pennello per rivestire tutti i lati delle ossa e della carne; quindi, immergo lo stesso pennello in una piccola ciotola contenente il concentrato di pomodoro. Coprire leggermente tutte le ossa con l’olio d’oliva e il concentrato di pomodoro.
  3. Metti la teglia, scoperta, nel forno e arrostisci per 35 – 40 minuti.
  4. Una volta arrostite le ossa, trasferirle in una pentola capiente (12 litri).
  5. Versa un po’ d’acqua fredda nella teglia e usa un cucchiaio di legno per mescolare tutti i liquidi rimasti sul fondo della teglia. Versare l’acqua mescolata con i residui sulle ossa, quindi aggiungere abbastanza acqua fredda per coprire le ossa di circa 3 pollici. Aggiungi l’aceto.
  6. Portare a ebollizione rapida, quindi ridurre a fuoco lento, lasciando la pentola scoperta. Cuocere a fuoco lento per 2 o 3 ore senza coperchio, scremando di tanto in tanto il grasso dalla parte superiore.

    Meat broth

    Brodo di carne.

  7. Ora aggiungi altri 3-4 pollici di acqua, insieme a tutte le verdure e le erbe aromatiche. Portare a ebollizione, quindi ridurre il fuoco a fuoco lento. Copri parzialmente la pentola e lascia sobbollire il brodo per almeno 4 ore, ma preferibilmente durante la notte per 9-12 ore. Se il brodo evapora troppo, aggiungete altra acqua e abbassate la fiamma.
  8. Se non ti senti a tuo agio nel lasciare il brodo tutta la notte, puoi coprire completamente la pentola durante la notte, lasciandola sul piano cottura. Al mattino portare a ebollizione gli ingredienti, quindi scoprire e far cuocere a fuoco lento per le restanti ore. Secondo me, il processo di riscaldamento, quindi raffreddamento e successivo riscaldamento aiuta ad aggiungere più sapore.
  9. Lasciare raffreddare il brodo.

Filtrare il brodo delle ossa e delle verdure con un colino a maglia fine. Se sei come mio marito, metterai la carne di manzo e le ossa insieme alle carote e al sedano su un piatto, quindi aggiungerai sale e pepe. È un ottimo piatto di carne.

Spaghetti with Black Squid Ink, Venetian Version

This is the Venetian version, which I prefer because of its stronger “sea” flavor. Be sure to wear a large napkin to protect yourself from stains from the black ink! As for the wine, how about a Greco di Tufo by Benito Ferrara -if you can find it—or, a good Pinot Grigio or a Verdicchio!

This is a very easy and quick recipe to prepare.

Ingredients

  • 1 box of spaghetti (500 grams)
  • 1 lb. of squid (500 grams), tubes and tentacles
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml olive oil)
  • ½ sweet onion, or you may also use chopped green onions
  • 3 – 4 black ink squid bladders or 2-3 teaspoons of frozen black ink
  • ½ cup of good-quality white wine (120 ml), such as a Pinot Grigio
  • 1/3 cup of Italian parsley, finely minced
  • Optional: 1 or more red hot peppers (if you like it spicy)

Preparation

  1. In a large pot for pasta, put water on to boil. Do not add salt, because the squid ink is salty, so add little to no salt to the water, if necessary, you can always add salt at the end.
  2. As you put the pot on to boil, and before you add the pasta to the pot, use a large skillet to cook the sauce, which will take about 20 minutes total. Heat the olive oil at medium-high heat and add the chopped onion for about 1 minute.
  3. Add the squid, bringing the heat to high for about 2 minutes, moving the squid around to cook on all sides.
  4. Add ½ of the minced parsley and the optional red pepper. Then add the white wine and lower the heat to medium-low.
  5. By this time, your pot of water for the spaghetti should be boiling, so add the pasta to the pot and give it a quick stir as soon as it comes to a boil.
  6. Continue cooking the squid on medium-low until the pasta is very al dente (firm, but almost completely cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes before the cooking time on the box of pasta). Add the squid ink to the skillet where you are cooking the sauce. How much ink?

    Enough for the spaghetti to turn completely black, not gray.

  7. If the squid sauce begins to get dry, add a little bit of water from the pot of boiling pasta.
  8. Immediately after, when the pasta is still very al dente, drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta-water (which contains starch), transfer the pasta in the pan with squids, and adding water as necessary keep mixing well for about 3-5 minutes (this is why it is critical to drain the pasta when is still a little bit hard or you will end up with overcooked pasta). Once all the water is absorbed, and you have a thick sauce, remove from the heat.
  9. Add remaining parsley, mix well, and enjoy!

 

Italiano: Spaghetti al Nero di Seppia (alla Veneziana)

Ingredienti

  • 500 g. spaghetti o bigoli
  • 500 g. seppie (tagliate i tubi a rondelle+ tentacoli)
  • Circa 3 vescichette col nero di seppia, oppure 2-3 cucchiai di nero surgelato
  • ½ cipolla dolce oppure scalogno a pezzetti
  • Prezzemolo, vino bianco e se vi piace peperoncino rosso

Preparazione

  1. Mettete l’acqua per la pasta a bollire-poco o niente sale perché il nero di seppia è un po’ salato.
  2. Mettete in una padella capiente -deve accogliere gli spaghetti alla fine- l’olio d’oliva, quando è caldo aggiungete la cipolla a pezzetti 1 minuto a fuoco medio alto.
  3. Aggiungete le seppie, e cuocete altri due minuti girando spesso.
  4. Aggiungete metà del prezzemolo tritato fino, il peperoncino (se vi piace, a me si), mischiate bene e poi mezzo bicchiere di vino bianco, abbassate il fuoco a medio-basso.
  5. Più o meno a questo punto l’acqua bolle: calate la pasta.
  6. Continuate a cuocere le seppie aggiungendo l’acqua della pasta come necessario perché sia sempre un po’ liquida.
  7. Quando la pasta è a circa 3-4 min dalla fine della cottura, cioè molto al dente, aggiungete il nero di seppia e anche un po’ d’acqua della pasta nella pentola dove state cuocendo le seppie, alzate il fuoco e mischiate bene 1 min.

    Quanto nero?

    Abbastanza perché la pasta diventi completamente nera, non grigia!

  8. Immediatamente dopo, scolate la pasta tenendo da parte almeno una tazza di acqua.
  9. Versate la pasta nella pentola con le seppie e continuate a mischiare aggiungendo acqua come necessario finche non è pronta e la salsa asciutta. Spegnete il fuoco aggiungete il resto del prezzemolo, mischiate bene e buon appetito.

 

Vino: Greco di Tufo di Benito Ferrara, se lo trovate.

 

Meatballs “Polpette” (for 4 people)

First, don’t eat these with pasta! You eat them “alone” with bread instead.

This is a great dish loved by both children and adults.  It’s the perfect dish to get a child involved in cooking.

Ingredients

Meatballs
  • 1 cup breadcrumbs made from 2-day old bread
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 lb. ground meat (I prefer Bison, but you can use any meat you like).
  • 3 oz. mortadella, minced
  • 4 egg yolks
  • A pinch of nutmeg
  • Zest of two lemons
  • 1 Tb. Freshly minced Italian parsley
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 2 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce
  1. 1 box of Pomì chopped tomatoes
  2. 1 – 2 cloves of fresh garlic smashed
  3. 2 Tb. Chopped fresh Italian parsley or basil, whatever you prefer
  4. ¼ cup olive oil

Preparation

Prepare the Meatballs
  1. Make fresh breadcrumbs by pulling apart the soft middle of 2–3-day old fresh bread. These crumbs need to be soft, not firm like those in a typical container of “breadcrumbs” sold at the supermarket.
  2. Mince the breadcrumbs and put them into a bowl with the milk.  Leave them in the milk for 3 – 5 minutes, then squeeze out the milk.  Add them to a large bowl containing all the other ingredients.
  3. Mix the meat, spices, breadcrumbs, etc. well, using your hands. Once the ingredients are mixed, form meatballs of about the size of a golf ball. Place the meatballs on a large plate as you prepare the sauce.

Prepare the Tomato Sauce

  1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium.
  2. When the olive oil is warm, add the smashed garlic cloves.
  3. Allow the garlic to turn golden; then remove all the garlic, using a fork.
  4. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the basil and the meatballs, cover, and cook on medium.
  5. After about 10 minutes, gently turn the meatballs over. Re-cover and allow to cook for another 10 minutes. This cooking time may vary depending on how well-cooked you prefer your meat.
  6. Serve immediately with some good fresh bread.
  7. Buon appetito!

 

Italiano: Polpette con sugo di pomodoro

Ingredienti

Polpette
  • 1 tazza molliche di pane fatte con pane Vecchio di 1-2 giorni
  • 1 tazza di latte intero
  • 450 g carne macinata (preferisco il bisonte, ma qualunque carne magra va bene)
  • 80 g. mortadella, a pezzettini
  • 4 rossi d’uovo
  • 1 cucchiaino di caffè di noce moscata
  • La buccia grattata di 2 limoni
  • 2 cucchiai di prezzemolo tritato
  • 1 spicchi d’aglio tritato
  • 2 cucchiai di olio d’oliva extra vergine
  • Sale e pepe
Sugo di Pomodoro
  • 1 scatola di 1 kg pomodori latterini o Pomì a pezzetti (meglio se avete la Conserva di pomodoro 1 kg)
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati
  • Circa ½ tazza di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 1 peperoncino piccante calabrese italiano o, tritato (facoltativo) o altro Thai peperoncino, etc.
  • Una manciata di basilico italiano fresco tritato
  • Sale e pepe a piacere

Preparazione

Prepare le Polpette
  1. Mettete le molliche a mollo in una tazza di latte, per circa 5-10 min, poi strizzatele -senza esagerare- e usando le mani mischiatele con tutti gli altri ingredienti in una ciotola capiente.
  2. Quando gli ingredienti sono mischiati bene, fate delle polpette della grandezza di una palla da golf.
Prepare il Sugo
  1. Aggiungere l’olio d’oliva in una padella fuoco medio alto.
  2. Quando l’olio d’oliva è caldo, aggiungere aglio schiacciato.
  3. Lasciare che l’aglio diventi dorato; quindi toglierlo.
  4. Aggiungere la polpa di pomodoro and cuocete 2-3 minuti a fuoco medio. Aggiungete basilico e le polpette. Coprite.
  5. Dopo 10 minuti, girate le polpette e coprite di nuovo, per 10 minuti. Sempre coperto -ma se il sugo vi pare troppo lento allora togliete il coperchio così si asciuga, sempre a fuoco medio. Le polpette sono pronte, buon appetito.
  6. Servire subito con pane fresco
  7. Buon appetito!

“Sticky” Potatoes, or Patate Impacchiuse (for 4 people)

This is an old Calabrian recipe, and I love it. My guests love it, too. I often prepare this as a hearty appetizer, particularly when the weather is cool.

Use a cast-iron skillet that has a good-fitting cover.

Use yellow (Yukon) potatoes, cut in slices of about ¼ inch (½ cm).  Use 1 or 2 potatoes per person -depending on size of the potato, what else you are cooking etc.

Ingredients

  • 2 – 8 Yukon potatoes, sliced about ¼ inch.
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced.
  • 2 Tb. Extra virgin olive oil.
  • 2-3 hot peppers, for example Calabrian red peppers or Thai peppers.
  • Salt and pepper

Preparation

  1. Add olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium.
  2. When the olive oil is warm, add the sliced garlic cloves.
  3. Allow the garlic to turn golden; then remove all the garlic, using a fork.
  4. Add the hot chili peppers and saute for a minute.
  5. Add the potatoes, mix them so that each has a light coating of olive oil, then fry on medium/high 2 to 3 minute per side (i.e., until they get a gold to slight brown patina on the outside, NOT black).
  6. Cover the pot and cook on low for about 15 minutes.  Do not stir or mix, let them stick (impacchiuse means sticky).  Mix the potatoes gently– -try not to break them—so that those that were on top go on bottom and cover again.  Continue cooking on low heat for another 10 minutes.
  7. Remove the lid, and if the potatoes released water and so there seems to be liquid in the skillet, cook on medium high 2 minutes per side until the liquid evaporates.
  8. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

 

Italiano: Patate Impacchiuse

Ingredienti

  • 2 – 8 potate, tipo “Yukon”
  • Sale e pepe a piacere
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio, schiacciati
  • 120 ml di olio extravergine di oliva
  • 2 – 3 peperoncino piccante calabrese italiano o, tritato (facoltativo) o altro Thai piccante, etc.

Preparazione

  1. Aggiungere l’olio d’oliva in una padella fuoco medio alto.
  2. Quando l’olio d’oliva è caldo, aggiungere aglio schiacciato.
  3. Lasciare che l’aglio diventi dorato; quindi toglierlo.
  4. Add the hot chili peppers and saute for a minute.
  5. Add the potatoes, mix them so that each has a light coating of olive oil, then fry on medium/high 2 to 3 minute per side (i.e., until they get a gold to slight brown patina on the outside, NOT black).
  6. Cover the pot and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Do not stir or mix, let them stick (impacchiuse means sticky).  Mix the potatoes gently– -try not to break them—so that those that were on top go on bottom and cover again.  Continue cooking on low heat for another 10 minutes.
  7. Remove the lid, and if the potatoes released water and so there seems to be liquid in the skillet, cook on medium high 2 minutes per side until the liquid evaporates.

Bon appetito!

Betti’s No-Knead Bread

 

No-knead bread

Home made bread is the best!

We started making bread at home when one of our favorite shops stopped making the type of bread we preferred — a crusty loaf with an airy middle.  After searching for recipes and a fair amount of experimentation, we found that this recipe works best for us.  We make it several times a week, with an extra loaf or two before friends come over for dinner.  It’s always a hit!

  • Yield One 1 loaf of bread (1/2 lb.)
  • Time 1 hour 30 minutes, plus about 20 hours’ resting time

This recipe is largely based on Mark Bittman’s original No-Knead bread recipe, one of the most popular recipes The Times has ever published, courtesy of Jim Lahey, owner of Sullivan Street Bakery (here’s the recipe link: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread).

While Mark Bittman’s original recipe did not require any kneading, the bread becomes airier when a small amount of kneading is done during the 20+ hour fermentation process.  See my variations on this great original Bittman recipe below.

Cooking Time

  • 45 minutes, plus 20+ hour fermentation

Ingredients if Using Active Dry Yeast

  • 430 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 390 ml tepid water (I use my kitchen scale to weigh the water as I pour it into the bowl with the flour, salt, and yeast.  One ml of water weighs 1 gram, so it’s easy.)

NOTE: If you are making this with all whole-wheat flour, use 420 ml of water, because the whole wheat flour needs a bit more water.

Ingredients if Using Live Sourdough Starter

If you are using a live sourdough starter (lievito madre),  you need to “play” a little bit with adding the water.

Start with the all-purpose flour and the salt:

  • 300 grams all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

Use a whisk to mix the all-purpose flour and salt in a bowl. Then, using damp hands, add the 150 grams of lievito madre.

  • 150 g of active starter
  • 300 – 325 ml tepid water (the amount of water depends on the consistency of the live sourdough starter, so you need to to play with it a little bit).

Mix gently with damp hands, adding tepid water until it reaches a sticky, shaggy consistency. You are now ready to follow the next steps, which are the same whether you use the active dry or lievito madre.

Preparation

  1. In a large glass or metal bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients thoroughly.
  2. Add the tepid water (120° – 130° F) and stir until blended; the dough will be shaggy and sticky.
  3. Cover the bowl with a tight-fitting lid. Let the dough rise at room temperature until it has doubled in volume.
  4. Remove the lid, wet your hands with warm water from the kitchen faucet, and then pull the dough from the outside edge to the middle. Rotate the bowl as you pull until you have rotated the bowl completely around (360-degree rotation), and then quickly flip the dough upside down.
  5. Let the dough rise another couple of hours in the bowl, then repeat the “pulling” process.
  6. Cover the bowl and put it into the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.  You can keep it in the refrigerator up to 36 hours, but I like it best after 12 hours.
  7. Remove the bowl from the refrigerator at least 8 – 10 hours before you plan to bake the bread.
  8. Lightly flour a silicone pad (or an airtight plastic proofing container, which I show in my video) and place the dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold the dough over on itself once or twice. Cover the dough loosely with plastic wrap (or with the proofing container’s lid) and let it rest about 15 minutes.
  9. Wet your fingers so that the dough won’t stick to them.  Gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Sprinkle the silicone mat/proofing container generously with flour, then put ball down on the silicone pad and dust it with more flour. Cover the container, or loosely place plastic wrap over it if you don’t have a container, allow it to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, until you plan to bake it.
  10. When it is ready, the dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
  11. At least a half-hour before you plan to bake the bread, heat oven to 450°F. Put a 6-to-8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in the oven as it heats. (This is especially important if you are using a ceramic pan because it will break if it does not heat in the oven from cool to 450°F).
  12. When the oven is pre-heated, carefully remove the pot from the oven. Wet your hands and quickly and gently lift the dough from the proofing pad and place it directly into the pot.  It may look like a mess, but that is okay. Shake the pan once or twice if the dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover the pan/ceramic bowl with its lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake another 15 minutes (or so), until the loaf is beautifully browned.
  13. Cool on a rack.

Focaccia

Foccacia with rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes

Focaccia with rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes

This is a recipe from Kitchen & Craft, with some very slight modifications.  Check out the excellent video posted on YouTube called Amazing Focaccia Bread | How to make it in 6 easy steps.

Even though there are a lot of steps in this process, each step is easy, and the results are fantastic.

Cooking Time

  • 35 minutes, + start at least 12 hours in advance – for example, start the dough the evening before you plan to cook the focaccia.

Ingredients for one 9” by 13” loaf of focaccia

  • Total flour: 4 and ½ cups, or 600 grams: You can use all-purpose flour, or a combination of all-purpose and wheat flour. In the pictured version shown here, I used 400 grams of organic all-purpose flour and 200 grams of wheat flour.
    • All-Purpose Flour, 100% – 400 G
    • Wheat Flour – 200 G (total of 600 grams, or 4 1/2 cups of flour)
  • Warm Water, 75% – 450g (2 cups)
  • Coarse Sea Salt, 1% – 6g (3/4 tsp.)
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 3.3% – 20g (2 tbsp.)
  • Active Dry Yeast, 0.15% – 1/4 tsp
  • Handful chopped sundried tomatoes

Toppings

  • Fresh shredded rosemary
  • Handful freshly grated Parmigiana cheese
  • Coarse salt

Preparation

  1. Watch the video for a quick tour of the whole process.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour and active dry yeast. Use a whisk to mix the yeast and flour.
    • If you are adding chopped sun-dried tomatoes or chopped olives, add them now and give the flour, yeast a quick mix to distribute them through the dry ingredient bowl.
  3. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, combine the tepid/warm water with the salt. Stir to combine.
  4. Pour the water and salt into the large bowl containing the flour, active dry yeast, and the optional sundried tomatoes or olives. With a wooden spoon, mix the combined ingredients together in the bowl for a minute or two until you have a doughy ball that is slightly damp.
  5. Add the 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, then use your hands to knead the dough for a couple of minutes. You can pinch the dough with your fingers as you gently knead it together until it forms a soft, damp ball.
  6. Coat another large bowl with a bit of olive oil and transfer the dough to the oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and allow the ingredients to rest for a half an hour.
  7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the ingredients to rest for a half an hour.
  8. Now, for a total of 4 times, every twenty minutes, “pull” or “fold” the dough in a rotating fashion until you have rotated/folded the dough 360°. Re-cover the bowl and allow it to rest until another 20-30 minutes have passed.
  9. After you’ve completed the rotation/folding process at least 4 times, re-cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, or a couple of hours before you plan to bake it, take the bowl out of the refrigerator.
  10. Coat a 9” by 13” baking pan  with a layer of extra-virgin olive oil. (I have have experimented with aluminum and ceramic baking pans and have concluded that the aluminum baking pans are best, because the foccacia never sticks to the bottom).   Transfer the dough into it and gently stretch the dough evenly until it is spread through the whole pan.
  11. Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and put it into an un-heated oven with its light on. The temperature needs to be around 80- 90°F, which is generally the temperature of an oven with its light turned on. If you aren’t confident of the temperature, you can boil a small pot of water and put the steaming pot into the bottom of the oven beneath the bread. Leave the dough to proof for about an hour. This is the second proof.
  12. Remove from the oven, take of the plastic wrap, and with wet fingers, gently press into the dough to dimple it. Re-cover with plastic wrap and pop it into the unheated oven for another 45 minutes.
  13. Take it out of the oven. Bring the oven to 450° F. While the oven is pre-heating, you can finish the focaccia dough by sprinkling the top with fresh rosemary leaves. Add some sea salt on top and then sprinkle some olive oil over the entire surface (I use a plastic squeeze bottle to spread the olive oil evenly).
  14. Put the dough into the pre-heated oven. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
  15. Remove from the oven and put the hot pan onto the top of the stove or a rack. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then gently remove it from the baking pan and let it sit on the rack. (If you wait too long, it will stick, and it’s a devil to get it out of the baking pan!)
  16. Add a little more olive oil to the top surface. Now — avoid temptation and let the focaccia rest on the rack for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy the results!

Linguine or Spaghetti with Broccolini (“cime di rapa” in Italian) for 5 people

This is a variant to the classic recipe “spaghetti con le cime di rapa” that I developed recently and love. Hopefully, you will like it too. Is very simple to make.  Here’s a very detailed recipe so you get it right the first time.

Ingredients for 5 people

  • 1 box of linguine (use brands Seggiano, Rummo, or any top quality Italian pasta for best results).
  • About 30 – 40 filets of anchovies (so, 15-20 whole anchovies depending on how big they are), cut in about ½-inch pieces.
  • 3-4 spicy Calabrian peppers minced (or 1-2 Thai or Hawaiian hot peppers (the difference is that the Calabrian peppers are hot and also have an aroma).
  • Two cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and smashed.
  • ½ lb. of sea-fish filet (swordfish, grouper, corvina), whatever looks fresh, it should be about ½ – 2/3 inches thick (1.5 -2.0 cm). Chop into 1 x 2 inches.
  • 1 bunch (1/2 pound) of broccolini cut into small pieces: divide them so that the distal part of the stem of the broccolini -i.e., the base of the stem, the hardest and largest part, is separate from the upper part of the stems and florets. Put the chopped florets and the soft stems in one bowl and the distal chopped hard stems, in another.
  • Fresh Italian parsley, about 1/3 cup, minced.
  • 5 oz. freshly grated Italian Pecorino cheese (either pecorino romano, or pecorino calabrese or sardo stagionato -i.e., hard pecorino not fresh soft pecorino).
  • Extra-virgin Italian olive oil.

Preparation

  1. Put a large pot with water for the pasta on the stove on high heat, and immediately add the chopped distal hard stems of the broccolini.
  2. Next, pour olive oil to cover the bottom of a 10–12-inch diameter pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, or similarly heavy skillet. Add the filets of anchovies, the two cloves of garlic, and the hot peppers. Do not turn on the heat until the water in the pasta is boiling.
  3. When the water in the pot for the pasta comes to a boil,
    1. Turn the heat for the skillet containing the anchovies, peppers, garlic and oil, to high. Using a wooden spoon, move around the filets of anchovies till they start to melt (about 3 minutes).
    2. Remove the garlic from the skillet with a fork.
  4. Now you can put the linguine into the pot of boiling water. Add salt to taste and allow it to boil vigorously.
  5. Now that the pasta is starting to cook, you add the chopped pieces of fish to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the fish with the anchovies, olive oil, and pepper.  Cook for about 3 minutes as the fish takes on color from the heat (but is not yet fully cooked).
  6. Add the chopped broccolini florets and soft stems them, stirring around with the rest of the ingredients as the pasta continues to boil. After about 3 minutes, add a ladle of the water from the pan of boiling pasta to the skillet with the fish and broccolini. You can continue to add “pasta water” to the skillet as needed, in order to create a liquid consistency in the skillet. It’s not a broth, but more of a smooth sauce.
  7. About two minutes before the linguine are fully cooked, take one cup of boiling water from the pot and set it aside. Quickly drain the linguine and broccolini stems in a colander, and then add the drained linguine/broccolini stems to the skillet containing the fish, anchovies, and broccolini florets.  The heat should still be on high.
  8. Moving fast, mix the linguine together with the other ingredients in the skillet. Mix the linguine and sauce constantly until the sauce reduces a little bit and is smooth – about 2 minutes. If the sauce looks a little too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water to the skillet.
  9. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the minced parsley and grated Pecorino to the skillet. Mix well for another minute or so, and then enjoy this delicious pasta!

About salt: Add at the end after you taste the pasta. There is always a risk of over-salting when using anchovies, pecorino and water from the pasta that already contains salt.

Italiano: Linguine con cime di rapa

Ingredienti

  • 450 – 500 g. linguine
  • 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati
  • 30 – 40 filets alici, cioè 30-40 alici intere, tagliati a pezzetti di 1-2 cm.
  • 3-4 peperoncini calabresi -o meno se non vi piace il piccante.
  • 230 g. circa di filetto di pesce da taglio – corvina, pesce spada, cernia, ecc. -quello che preferite basta che è fresco.
  • 1 mazzo (circa 225 g.) di cime di rape tagliate a pezzetti, mettete la parte del gambo più dura direttamente nell’acqua di cottura il resto gambo morbido e cime mischiati insieme andranno in padella.
  • Un pugno di prezzemolo
  • 130 g. grattato (Pecorino Romano, o Pecorino Calabrese o Sardo stagionato -quello che preferite, a me piace di più quello calabrese

Preparazione

  1. Mettete l’acqua sul fuoco -insieme ai gambi tagliati a pezzetti.
  2. In una padella preferibilmente di ferro coprite il forno con olio d’oliva e poi mettete a freddo, le alici, l’aglio, il peperoncino. Quando l’acqua inizia a bollire, allora accendete il fuoco sotto la padella al massimo.
  3. Con un cucchiaio di legno mischiate un po’ le alici col resto finche` non si cominciano a sciogliere – circa 3 minuti. Togliete l’aglio.
  4. Calate la pasta.
  5. Aggiungete il pesce in padella e rigirate per circa 3 minuti -quando prende colore.
  6. Aggiungete le cime di rapa e i gambi “morbidi” a pezzetti. Continuate a rigirare e dopo 3 minuti aggiungete un mestolo di acqua della pasta, fuoco sempre alto.  Come si va asciugando aggiungete altra acqua.
  7. Quando la pasta è molto al dente, cioè circa 2 minuti prima di toglierla, prendete una tazza di acqua dalla pentola, e mettetela da parte, subito dopo scolate la pasta e mettetela in insieme ai gambi che avete cucinato con la pasta, nella padella in cui state cucinando pesce e cime di rape. Rigirate per circa 3 minuti aggiungendo acqua se necessario.  Deve essere una salsa, ne troppo liquida ne asciutta.
  8. Togliete la pentola dal fuoco, spostatela su un fornello freddo, aggiungete pecorino grattugiato e prezzemolo e rigirate bene, senza fermarvi per 2 minuti.
  9. Aggiustate di sale.
  10. Buon appetito.

 

Beef Roast Brasato, or Brasato di Manzo (for many people)

I love this recipe, it is easy to make and feeds easily 10-14 people or more. It’s perfect if you busy and have little time to prepare a dinner, it takes about 45 min to put it to get into the oven, then it cooks on its own for 2 hours: you will impress your guests for sure.

Ingredients

  • Beef roast with 3 – 4 ribs (about 9-12 pounds) , depending on how many people will be over for dinner.  You need to make sure you have a big enough roasting pot for the roast – for a 4-rib roast, you need a 12 inch cast iron skillet with a cover
  • 3 – 4 celery stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 3 – 4 carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large red onion cut in small pieces
  • A bunch of fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and bay leaves tied into a bunch (I use a tea bag to hold the fresh spices in a sack).
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • ½ cup of all-purpose flour
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 1 TB. olive oil
  • ½ box (about 400 grams) of Pomì chopped tomatoes or homemade canned tomatoes
  • 2 cups (1/2 liter) of meat broth
  • 1 bottle of a good red Italian wine, for example a Nebbiolo (use a good quality wine)

Preparation

  1. Put salt and pepper on the roast and massage it in with your hands.
  2. Put a half cup of all-purpose flour into a large brown bag and put the roast into the bag. Shake it up so that the entire roast is lightly covered with flour.
  3. Melt 1 stick of butter with 1 TB of olive oil in the skillet.  Put the floured roast into a pan.  Use high heat, rotating every 2 – 3 minutes, allowing the roast it take a nice gold color all around.
  4. Once the entire roast is lightly browned, add the onion, carrots and the celery 3 minutes.
  5. Keeping the heat on medium-high, add the herb sac and 1 bottle of Nebbiolo (or other good strong Italian wine) – look, if you use a wine of high quality, you will have a dish of high quality, and vice-versa. Allow about 1/5 of the wine to evaporate.
  6. Add 1/2 box (400 grams) of crushed Pomì tomatoes -or better if you have them home made canned tomatoes) let it cook 5 minutes and then add the homemade meat broth. Cover and put in the oven for 2 hours.  Turn the roast only once.
  7. During the last 30 minutes or so, remove the cover so the sauce becomes denser.
  8. After 2 hours turn off the oven and leave the pot in the cooling oven: Ideally let it “sit” in the oven 4 hours or so before you serve it (just warm if up before serving it).

Italiano: Brasato di Manzo

Ingredienti

  • Arrosto di manzo o vitello 3 – 4 costole, circa 3-5 kg dipende quanti siete.  4 kg bastano per 12-14 persone.  Prima di comprarlo misurate la pentola da forno che deve avere il coperchio, per essere sicuri di comprare un arrosto che entra nella vostra pentola e nel vostro forno.
  • 3 – 4 gambi di sedano a pezzetti di circa 2 cm
  • 3 – 4 carote, a pezzetti di circa 2 cm
  • 1 cipolla rossa grande a pezzetti
  • Un mazzetto di timo, maggiorana, rosmarino e lauro legato insieme o mezzo in una bustina da te, oppure “libero” se non avete bustina o come legarlo
  • Sale e pepe nero
  • 3-4 pugni di farina
  • 1 bastoncino di burro
  • 1 cucchiaio d’olio d’oliva
  • ½ pacco di Pomi (circa 40o g), meglio se avete la costra conserva di pomodoro fatta in casa
  • ½ litro di brodo di carne
  • 1 bottiglia di Nebbiolo, Barbera, Cirò o altro vino rosso di qualità`.

Preparazione

  1. Massaggiare la carne con sale e pepe
  2. Infarinarne la carne, senza esagerare.
  3. Squagliate il burro con l’olio nella pentola, alzate il fuoco a medio alto o alto -dipende dalla potenza dei vostri fornelli- e rosolate la carne 3-4 min per lato finche` si colora bene.
  4. Aggiungete cipolla, sedano e carote e cucinate per latri 3-4 min.
  5. Aggiungete il mazzetto aromatico e 1 bottiglia di vino rosso, fate evaporare circa 1/5 del vino poi aggiungete il pomodoro e appena bolle, il brodo di carne.
  6. Coprite e infornate per due ore girando l’arrosto dopo un’ora
  7. Verso la fine, cioè a circa 30 minuti dalla fine scoprite per fare condensare il sugo.
  8. Spegnete il forno ma lasciate la pentola scoperta nel forno per altre 2-4 ore, la carne prenderà più sapore.
  9. Buon Appetito!

Confit of Cherry Tomatoes

This is one of the easiest and most delicious recipes I’ve tried. I think the reason it’s so delicious is because the flavor of the cherry tomatoes is dominant, and the combination of sweet and tart reminds us of summer days at any time of the year.  It’s great on its own, as a simple sauce for pasta, gnocchi, or a slice of crusty bread.  But it can also be used as a basis for many other recipes, including a mussel soup.

The confit can be stored in your refrigerator for up to two weeks, so I always buy several pounds of the cherry tomatoes and make a big batch. I’ve never actually made it to the two-week mark without using all the confit in one recipe or another.

Tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and garlic

The ingredients all go into one pot at the same time.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. of cherry tomatoes (I use a mix of red, yellow, and orange tomatoes because they each have different levels of acidity. The brand “Wild Wonders,” available almost anywhere in the US, works very well.)
  • Good quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 full head of garlic, skin on, sliced horizontally
  • 2 bunches of fresh basil
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

If you want to prepare a lot, just buy more tomatoes, and use a larger casserole dish!

Preparation

Pre-heat your oven to 250° F.

After cooking, the cherry tomatoes are still whole. the sauce is a combination of juice and olive oil.

Cooked confit of cherry tomatoes. After cooking, the cherry tomatoes are still whole. the sauce is a combination of juice and olive oil.

  1. Wash the cherry tomatoes and put them into a deep-dish casserole or a Dutch oven.
  2. Pour enough olive oil to fill about 1/3 of the casserole containing the tomatoes.
  3. Add salt and black pepper, then mix the tomatoes gently so that each one is coated with oil and the salt and pepper are distributed.
  4. Now insert the garlic heads and basil into the casserole, covering them with the tomatoes.
  5. Put the casserole into the oven uncovered and cook for about one and a half hours.
  6. Cover the dish without disturbing the contents and let them cook for another 30 minutes.
  7. Remove the casserole dish from the oven. You’ll see that the tomatoes remain whole, but a lot of the juice from the tomatoes will fill mix with the olive oil, creating a delicately flavored sauce. Allow to cool and then remove all the garlic cloves from the mixture. (Leaving in the garlic will change the flavor of the dish because it overpowers the tomatoes.) That’s it!  I like it best when I prepare the confit the day before and then refrigerate it overnight.  The flavors combine into a more subtle sauce.

Mussel Soup with Cherry Tomato Confit

This is a wonderful, fast recipe. I recently hosted a dinner party, and everyone loved it and asked for more!

Ingredients

  • Confit of cherry tomatoes (4 cups)
  • 3 lbs. fresh mussels, cleaned and bearded
  • Fresh minced parsley (as a garnish)
  • Black pepper and salt to taste
  • 1 bunch of fresh basil

Preparation

  1. In a medium-sized pot with a tight lid (for example, a 15-quart pot), add the confit of cherry tomatoes.
  2. Bring them to a gentle boil on medium heat. As soon as they start to boil, add the fresh mussels and the basil. Gently stir to combine them with the confit. Cover the pot.
  3. Allow them to boil, covered, for 3 minutes. Open the lid and stir the mixture again, trying not to break too many tomatoes. Re-cover the pot cook another 3 minutes or so – you can tell when they are ready: when they all open their shells. Be careful to avoid overcooking them!
  4. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with minced parsley, and serve with a crusty bread.

Confit di Pomodori

Ricetta semplicissima, con questo sugo potete farci tante cose, di sotto suggerisco una zuppa di cozze buonissima.

Ingredienti

  • Circa 2 kg di pomodorini piccoli (latterini).
  • 2-3 mazzi di basilico, lavato e fatto a pezzetti con le mani
  • Olio d’oliva di ottima qualità
  • Sale

Preparazione

  1. Forno a 125 C
  2. Mettete i pomodori e il basilico e un po’ di sale in una pentola da forno, aggiungete olio d’oliva a coprire fino a 1/3 dalla base della pentola I pomodori -cioè tanto olio!) e infornateli scoperti per un ora e mezza, poi togliete il coperchio e cuocete per altri 30 minuti.
  3. FATTO! Vedrete che i pomodori sono ancora interi.
  4. Togliete l’aglio, poi potete farli raffreddare e conservare in frigo per 1-2 settimane, o surgelarli per uso future.

Ricetta con le Cozze

Ingredienti

  • 5 Kg di confit di pomodori
  • 5 Kg di cozze
  • 1 mazzo di basilico fresco
  • Pane di giornata

Preparazione

  1. Portate a ebollizione il pomodoro, aggiungete 1.5 Kg di cozze e un mazzo di basilico fresco, e coprite.
  2. Girate dopo 3 min, aspettate altri 3 minuti circa, appena le cozze si aprono portate a tavola e buon appetito (serve naturalmente pane fresco da intingere nel sugo).

Risotto alla Milanese

Risotto alla Milanese (with saffron)

There are many “interpretations” of this risotto. I found this recipe in an old 1950s magazine and maybe over the years I modified it a little bit.  It is one of my preferred risotto dishes, and best made together with Ossobuco (see recipe) since for an outstanding risotto you need the veal bone marrow – buccbut is excellent without it, too.

Time: it takes about 22 minutes from the time you pour the rice in the casserole pan.

Ingredients for 6 people:

  • About 500 ml of either meat broth – that is what I usually use; or chicken broth, which also works also very well. Bring to a boil before you start cooking then lower heat to a simmer.
  • 50 grams of butter and 1 TB olive oil
  • 500 grams of risotto, “Carnaroli” best, alternatively “Vialone nano.”
  • 1 medium red onion, minced
  • ½ cup dried porcini – which you will put in a cup of warm broth before you start cooking – or 50 grams or so of fresh porcini or some good fresh mushrooms cut into ½ inch thick slices
  • 1 cup of red wine (Nebbiolo grape is best)
  • About 2 grams of saffron dissolved in 1 cup of warm broth. You will dissolve the saffron before you start cooking as it takes some time to completely dissolve
  • Bone marrow from about 3-4 osso buchi
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano (about 50 grams); more can be grated on the plate

Preparation:

  1. In a good round pot, La Creuset, Staub, etc., or in a copper pot, melt the butter and oil.
  2. Bring the heat to medium-high and add the minced onions. As soon as they start to soften, add the risotto. While constantly stirring it, cook for about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the mushrooms, stirring constantly for 1 more minute.
  4. Add 1 cup of red wine, and allow it to evaporate almost entirely
  5. Add the hot broth, 1 ladle at time. As it is incorporated into the risotto, add more.  You need to stir continuously as the risotto, mushrooms and onions cook in the hot broth.
  6. When you are close to 20 minutes of cooking time, add the broth in which you have dissolved the saffron. How much saffron? Well different saffron have different power, so 2 grams/500 grams of rice is a suggestion that may need to be modified depending on the type of saffron you use.  Anyway it is pretty simple: The rice should turn yellow orange: if is pale yellow you need to dissolve more saffron in broth and add more, if it starts turning orange, as soon as that happens, stop adding broth with saffron and continue instead with broth without saffron
  7. Once the rice is ready –taste it to know when is ready–add the bone marrow, mix well, turn off the heat and move the pot on a cold burner.  Add the Parmigiano, mix well, taste for salt and eventually add more as needed (it depends if the broth had or did not have enough salt).  Black pepper? Tell your guests to add it if they like.
  8. Buon appetito!

 

Italiano: Risotto alla Milanese

Tante “intepretazioni” questa ricotta l’ho trovata in una vecchia rivista degli anni 50 a casa dei miei nonni, l’ho copiata e probabilmente modificata un po’ nel corso degli anni.  È uno dei miei risotti preferiti.  Suggersco di offrirlo insieme all’ossobuco, perchè per un risotto alla Milanese perfetto serve un po di midollo di vitello, ma va bene anche senza, non perfetto, ma ottimo.

Tempo: Ci vogliono circa 22 minuti dal momento in cui buttate il riso in casseruola.

Ingredienti per 6 persone:

  • Circa mezzo litro di brodo di carne o se non lo avete di pollo che mettete sul fuoco finchè bolle, poi abbassate al minimo
  • 50 grammi di burro e 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva
  • 500 grammi di risotto, “Carnaroli” oppure “Vialone nano”.
  • 1 cipolla media a pezzettini
  • 1-2 pugni di porcini secchi messi a mollo in circa 200 ml di brodo tiepido
  • meglio circa 50 grammi di porcini freschi o altri funghi buoni a pezzetti
  • 1 bicchiere vino rosso (nebbiolo meglio)
  • Circa 2 grammi di zafferano dissolto in circa 250 ml di brodo tiepido –ci vuole un po perchè i dissolva perciò mettetelo a dissolvere appena cominciate, quando mettete il brodo a scaldare.
  • Il midollo di 3-4 ossi buchi
  • Circa 50 grammi di parmigiano –poi chi vuole ne mette altro

 

Preparazione

  1. In una buona pentola rotonda, La Creuset, Staub, etc., o di rame, squagliate il burro con olio –fuoco basso.
  2. Alzate il fuoco e aggiungete cipolla a pezzetti e riso girando costantemente, 3 minuti.
  3. Aggiungete i funghi, girare 1 altro minuto.
  4. Aggiungere 1 bicchiere vino rosso fare evaporare quasi completamente.
  5. Aggiungere 1 mestolo di brodo per volta fino a cottura – circa 20 minuti.
  6. Quando il riso è quasi cotto, 5 minuti prima di spegnere il fuoco, aggiungere il brodo in cui avete dissolto lo zafferano. Quanto zafferano? Quando il riso è giallo/arancione (colore mandarino) è la quantità giusta: se è solo giallo serve più zafferano, come diventa un po’ arancione, fermatevi.
  7. Quando il riso è quasi pronto aggiungere il midollo di vitello che avrete preso dagli ossibuchi mischiare, spegnere il fuoco spostare la padella su fornello freddo aggiungete il parmigiano e mischiate. Sale? Dipende se il brodo lo aveva, comunque assaggiate e se necessario aggiungetelo. Pepe nero? Un po’ ci sta bene, ma fate fare ai commensali a gusto proprio.
  8. Buon Appetito.

 

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