Un tema del limone

Tonight it was time to put some Christmas gifts into action. I really had a cooking-themed Christmas, with gifts including Jamie Oliver's "Cook With Jamie" book, the English-language version of Il Cucchiaio d'Argento, a wonderful violet apron with "La Cucina Viola" embroidered on the front, and a new knife.

We got a nice deal on some young chickens at the grocery yesterday, so I was on a mission to find a new recipe for it. It's always interesting to find things that don't use a lot of dairy - but a baked chicken recipe is bound to steer away from that. I also wanted a nice new veg recipe to try out, and I found a brilliant one in Jamie Oliver's book. I also tried a new salad. I'll start with the chicken dish.

Pollo al Limone - Ingredienti
1 chicken
1 lemon, halved
2 tbsp margarine
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1 lemon, strained
1 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprig, chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Gently rub the chicken cavity with one of the lemon halves, then slice the remaining half. Stuff the cavity with the lemon slices, half the margarine, and the garlic clove. Place the chicken in a roasting pan with the olive oil and remaining margarine, season with salt and pepper, and roast for 35 minutes. Then, sprinkle the lemon juice over the chicken, return to the oven, and roast for a further 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Place the meat on a warm serving dish, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve.

This dish was pretty good - though the lemon and garlic flavors didn't really shine through. Overall, a serviceable roasted chicken dish. Next up, the cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin, Coriander, and Almonds - Ingredienti
1 head of cauliflower, outer green leaves removed, broken into florets
sea salt
olive oil
margarine
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1-2 dried red chiles (optional)
1/2 cup of blanched almonds, smashed
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 400 F. Blanch the cauliflower in salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes, then drain in a colander, allowing it to steam dry (be sure not to leave any water or it won't roast properly). Toss the still-hot cauliflower in a big bowl with some olive oil and margarine. I used about 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of margarine.

In a pestle and mortar, smash the spices, chiles, and a pinch of sea salt, then mix with the almonds and place in a dry, hot, ovenproof pan on the stove in order to toast them. After a few minutes - add the cauliflower. When it gets a bit of color on it, add the lemon juice and zest and mix around well. Fry on the stovetop for a minute or two longer, then place in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes to let it crisp up.

This recipe was superwonderfulfantastic. Kudos to Jamie Oliver for continuing to impress. I added a bit more ground cumin and coriander with the lemon juice, just to make the flavors pop a bit.

Word of warning - the flavors in this dish are VERY subtle, and would get lost next to something more robust, or acidic (like pasta with sauce, something with lots of garlic or heat, etc.). Here's a pic of the final result:

The colors don't really pop on the white plate, I'll admit, but it was quite tasty - and will be seen again in La Cucina Viola :)

The salad was just a basic crunchy salad with a spinach base, lengthwise, thin-sliced carrots and celery, and flat-leaf parsley, along with a dressing of olive oil and lemon juice.

I'll say that Jamie Oliver has done wonders for my appreciation for veg - and this cauliflower recipe is no exception. The salad wasn't bad - but I wasn't hugely impressed. It was a nice salad - but tonight's trifecta of lemon could have caused a bit of overload....dunno.

Tomorrow it's Pollo Alla Ratatouille, also from the Cucchiaio d'Argento cookbook.

-C

Un Natale Freddo!

We spent a very nice Christmas with family in Michigan, but were greeted with typical midwestern weather for this time of year. Temps in the 50s on the first day (so warm that I was able to help out cleaning gutters - hooray!) to temps in the teens and below zero with windchill. It was so windy that some areas recorded wind gusts in the 70-80 mph range!

Did that stop my father from grilling chicken? Nope. We had a great time grilling between gusts of wind, and watching the grill temperature drop from 400 to 200 degrees in less than a minute. In the end though - we had very good grilled, barbecued Christmas chicken. Hilarious!

Other culinary highlights of the trip included a trip to Asuka (used to be called the Rice House) in Battle Creek, MI where I had salmon, squid, and tuna sushi, as well as a selection of Kimchie and pickled turnips. My wife had beef fried rice, and my mother had a spicy chicken dish. All were quite good!

We had some Chesapeake-style shrimp, as well and a Christmas morning meal of baked chicken, spinach fettucine, and a baby salad mix. I love these impromptu meals on visits home.

As for the panforte, biscotti, and my wife's wonderful Christmas baked goods - well, there were plenty of other baked goods around and I think some got lost in the shuffle. Not to worry though - reports came in later that all were enjoyed.

We'll be taking round 2 of the baked goods to my wife's family for Christmas -- can't wait!

-C

La Notte di Biscotti

Il biscotto con i pistacchi ed i mirtilli
Biscotti with pistacchio and cranberry
Il biscotto cioccolato bianco con i pistacchi ed i mirtilli
White chocolate biscotti with pistacchio and cranberry
Il biscotto con i pecan e le cannelle
Cinnamon Pecan Biscotti
Il biscotto originali - con le mandorle e l'anice
The Original Biscotti - with almonds and light anise flavoring

Tonight was truly a festival of baking in La Cucina Viola. My wife was busy putting the finishing touches on Christmas cookies, followed by me working up 3 batches of the thing that got this all started - biscotti.

The biscotti will be doled out as holiday goodies over the next week or so, and I'm excited to get my side of the family's take. My wife's family really enjoyed them, so I'm optimistic.

No recipe this time, ragazzi - this one's a family secret :) You'll have to wait 'till they hit a store near you!

-C

Panforte! Finalmente!

On the second try, I think I got it right. This is a treat that I tried and enjoyed in Siena, where it originates, and have wanted to replicate to some degree since. I have substituted figs and raisins for some of the candied fruits because of personal tastes, and I also added cocoa powder. From time to time you see Panforte made with cocoa, but the original Margherita typically is done without the cocoa.

Ingredienti:
3/4 cup almonds
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup candied orange peel, chopped
1/3 cup raisins
2/3 cup chopped dried figs
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch ground white pepper
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup sugar
1 3/4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (+ a little for coating pan)
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven 300 F.

Toast separately the almonds and hazelnuts in a non-stick pan on the stovetop until slightly browned. If not skinned, place the hazelnuts into a kitchen towel and rub vigorously to remove the skin.

Chop coarsely the almonds and hazelnuts together.

Rub olive oil on the bottom and sides of an 8 inch (20 cm) diameter cake pan, then cover the bottom and partway up the sides with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine the chopped nuts, chopped fruit, cocoa, flour, and spices.

In a small saucepan place the sugar, honey, and the 1 3/4 tbsp olive oil. Turn heat to medium, and stir until it reaches about 245 degrees F (about 8 minutes).

These next two steps have to be done very quickly as the mixture hardens at a rapid pace.

Quickly combine and stir the melted honey-sugar-olive oil into the bowl with the nuts mixture, until well combined.

Once combined, quickly transfer this compound into the cake pan. Wet your hands or a flat spatula and push the mixture evenly in the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, place inverted on a rack and peel off the parchment paper when cool.

Dust with confectioner sugar.

Auguri, tutti - e Buon Natale.

-C

Insalata del sud-ovest

Thought I'd share a lime, garlic, and cilantro dressing that I adapted from an existing recipe for our lunch today. I put it on a salad consisting of iceberg, spinach, green onions, sliced tomatoes, yellow corn, black beans, and broken taco shells (corn).

Cilantro-Lime Dressing
1.5 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried cilantro (if given the choice I would use fresh cilantro, and probably more of it)
1 clove garlic, diced
pinch ground sea salt

This makes enough for 2 small/medium salads, or 1 really large one.

-C

Una festa molta festive

Last night was the much anticipated holiday party, and it was truly one of those rare occasions that the lived up to the hype. I thought I'd take some time and highlight the food, which was fantastic.

On the way up the driveway, we were greeted with the island sounds (!), emanating from the backyard tent which had been set up for the occasion. We could only imagine that there would be an island holiday theme inside!

Upon entering the party, we were greeted with some fantastic smells coming from the kitchen area of the house - always a great sign. There were many servers carrying around small plates of what were called "hearty h'ors doeuvres" in the invitation, but actually made a very nice Tapas-esque dinner experience. I made my way to the wine to start, which included a Beaujolais, a Cabernet, and a Merlot selection of reds, and a Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay selection of whites. I started with the Beaujolais, which was very nice. I also had the Cabernet (good), and the Pinot Grigio (meh). I am normally very much a Pinot Grigio "tifoso," but this one was virtually tasteless, even once it warmed up from the ice bath it was enjoying prior to being poured. Being no wine expert, I won't attempt to review the wine any further.

Among the tables of food inside the house were the following:

Antipasti Table
A selection of marinated olives**
Roasted pepper mix
Cut tomato in garlic and olive oil**
A selection of Italian and Italian-American meats (sausage, pancetta, salami, pepperoni)
Roasted red pepper hummus
Grilled asparagus spears**
Crusty bread
Asagio pita quarters

Sushi Table (complete with sushi chef)
Nigiri (salmon, tuna, squid, and octopus)**
Norimaki (crab, tuna, salmon, avocado)**
Spring roll

The other options inside included freshly cooked plates of food which were being carried around and offered by a service staff.

Small Plates
Chicken satay with rice
Sausage rigatoni with shaved Parmesan
Mushroom risotto with red wine reduction
Cheese ravioli with butternut squash pieces**
Grilled salmon and white beans
Greek pita and spiced lamb

In the tent outside, we were summoned by the sounds of a steel drum and accompanying guitar and drum which created an island feel. Within the tent, there was a coffee station with various flavored syrups, a bar serving various tropical adult drinks, wine, beer and soda, as well as a chocolate fountain with a pale-colored chocolate stream. There were pretzel sticks, strawberries, rice krispy treats, peanut butter balls, pineapple, marshmallows, and cookies on offer to dip in the fountain. Finally, there was a table of food here as well.

Island Table
Crab cakes (cooked on the spot)**
Grilled shrimp
Boiled shrimp
Oysters on the half shell
Island / fruit salsa**

You've no doubt noticed the **asterisks** located next to certain items in my lists. These were the stars of the evening, food-wise.

It should be said that the bartenders in the tent were very kind, and made a cranberry juice/pineapple juice/sprite concoction for my wife to enjoy (no alcohol - baby doesn't like it). The praise shouldn't stop there, however. Putting on such a spread for us was very generous of the University, and the socializing that occurred was fantastic as well. The servers were attentive and offered much more food than could be consumed even by the hungry yet appreciative throngs in attendance. So much food was on offer, in fact, that my wife developed an aversion toward the end of the evening. Now THAT, amici, is a good party.

So, aside from having a bit of a red stain to my teeth, and mis-identifying the department of a colleague of mine (ack), it was a fantastic evening overall.

-C

L'inizio

Here's the honest version: I am starting this blog as much for me as anyone. You should know that I am about 11 months into a food related transformation. The beginning of this transformation could really be called enlightenment, since, for the first time, I took a good hard look at what I was putting in the ole' gas tank....and it wasn't pretty.

As a result, I made a complete 180 on all matters dietary. Calories in went down, and quality in went way up. Yes, my weight went down substantially, but probably the greatest lesson I learned was how to eat properly. I discovered freshness, flavor, and variety. Ironically, I thought I had understood these concepts previously, but quite obviously I did not.

I have always enjoyed cooking, but it has become an even greater adventure with my new culinary paradigm. If you like, I invite you to come along and experience the recipes and other food related ramblings contained within.

Andiamo!

-C