Good Morning.
I am totally in the mood for Italian. I'd like to be in Italy, anywhere in Italy, but such is not possible for a variety of reasons so I will dream up a menu instead. This is the way most of us travel anyway. We prepare and eat the food of a certain country and do the pretending thing. We learned this lovely survival skill before the age of five by dressing up as pirates or princesses and making forts and castles. For those considerably older, I'd suggest wearing comfortable jeans, throwing La Traviata on the stereo, and mixing up a classic Italian beverage, a Bellini.
1 16 oz. can sliced cling peaches, drained
1 cup club soda
1 cup peach brandy
Champagne
Puree the peaches with the club soda in your blender until smooth. Stir in the brandy. To serve, pour about a fourth of a cup
of this mixture into a wine glass and top off with chilled champagne.
This drink originated at Harry's Bar in Venice a couple of years after World War II and was named for the Italian Renaissance artist, Giovanni Battista Bellini. There was an exhibit of his paintings in Venice that apparently inspired the bartender at Harry's to create this bit of refreshment. It has enjoyed a lot of popularity in this country as well, an encouraging thought. Americans always seem to invent drinks with names that are not particularly reflective of higher forms of culture.
As an appetizer, we suggest Ricotta-Stuffed Zucchini.
2 zucchini
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan
1 tsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. dried basil
More salt and pepper
Cut the zucchini in half and scoop out the seeds. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl, mix the cheeses, lemon juice, basil, and just a titch more salt and pepper. Spoon this mixture evenly onto the four zucchini halves. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place the halves on it. Bake them in a preheated 450 degree oven until the filling is golden, probably close to 20 minutes. Watch carefully, remove from oven, and place each appetizer on a plate. Serve with a fork. Or not.
I assume the health problem with romaine is over and we can have a Caesar Salad. This recipe is a classic version with anchovies. They are mashed up so they don't stare you in the face. Give them a try.
3 cups rustic-style bread, torn with your hands, not cut with a knife, into crouton size pieces
3 tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
6 anchovy fillets packed in oil and drained
1 garlic clove, minced
Kosher salt
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh recommended
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tbsp. grated Parmesan out of a can
Freshly ground pepper
3 cups
Romaine
A fresh block of Parmesan
To make the croutons, toss the pieces of bread with the olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper. Place these pieces on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven until golden, about 12 minutes. Turn them occasionally. Make them a couple of hours ahead and leave on the counter, not in the fridge.
To make the dressing, chop up the anchovies and mix them with the minced garlic and a dash of salt. Mash these items into a paste with the back of a spoon or the blade of a knife, then place them in a medium-sized wooden salad bowl. Use a whisk to mix in the egg yolks and lemon juice. Gradually whisk in the olive oil until you have a thick, shiny dressing. Now whisk in the Parmesan from a can. Wash and shake into a colander enough romaine to fill the bowl. Leave the leaves whole. Add the croutons and toss carefully with the dressing. Use your hands for the best result. Top the salad with either shaved or grated fresh Parmesan and the salad of the gods awaits.
For the entree we have Roma Chicken.
8 Roma tomatoes
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. ground oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup flour
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs - use several day old bread and smush with your hands
4 slices mozzarella
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Parmesan
Place the Roma tomatoes, garlic, and oregano in an oblong baking dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Place this mixture in a blender, add a titch of salt and pepper, and process with 1/4 cup olive oil. Set aside. Pound the chicken breasts until they're about half an inch thick. In a large skillet, heat the other 1/4 cup olive oil. Whisk the eggs and milk in a dish.
Place the flour in another dish and the bread crumbs in a third dish. Dip the breasts in the flour and shake off the excess. Dip in the egg wash, then in the bread crumbs. Brown them for a minute or two on each side until golden. In an oblong baking dish, arrange the breasts, top with some of the sauce, then a slice of mozzarella, some fresh basil, and finish off with more sauce. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Top with lots of grated Parmesan the minute the meat is out of the oven.
For a side dish, we suggests a Mushroom Orzo.
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 pound cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup orzo pasta
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the shallots for a few minutes until tender, adding the garlic for the last minute. Now add the mushrooms and saute for maybe 5 minutes. Pour in the broth and wine and bring to a boil. Stir in the orzo, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the pasta is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. If any
liquid remains after the cooking time, remove the cover, raise the heat slightly, and stir until the liquid is gone. Season with salt and pepper and stir again. Top each serving with chopped fresh parsley.
If you like rice but prefer pasta, orzo is the perfect choice.
This is a fairly heavy meal, so dessert should be light. Stuffed Strawberries is just the ticket.
8 large strawberries
2 oz. mascarpone at room temp
1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely grated
Cut each strawberry in half lengthwise through the cap. Arrange the strawberry halves, cut side up, on a plate. Trim a bit from the bottom to make each half sit evenly. Using a small spoon, scoop out the center of each strawberry. Reserve the scraps or eat them. Combine the mascarpone and sugar in a small bowl and stir in the grated chocolate. Fill each berry
with this mixture. Each person gets 4 halves. Serve with espresso.
Ciao,
Elisabeth
*At the table one does not grow old.
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