Papa al Pomodoro

Agriturismo IL GREPPO

Our Autumn 2010 trip to Italy was incredible. We spent two wonderful weeks in Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany. One of our favorite Tuscan experiences was a wine tasting at the Il Greppo winery.

 (We thought it was the Garden of Eden.)

The wine, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Il Greppo, was incredible, and the food was out of this world delicious.  The  first course, soup, was Papa e Pomodoro, Tomato and Bread Soup, a dish that I often serve my own family and guests.

True Italian cooking is simplicity at its essence. The ingredients for this dish are indeed simple: tomatoes, bread, chicken stock, olive oil, garlic, basil,  salt and pepper.

INGREDIENTS

 4 lbs. peeled and seeded plum tomatoes or 3-28oz cans

1/4 cup olive oil, plus a bit more to drizzle 

4 cloves garlic, chopped and mashed

3 or 4 slices Tuscan style bread

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper
pinch of red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons fresh basil leaf chiffonade

Peel and seed 4 pounds of plum tomatoes, OR use 3-28ounce cans IMPORTED Italian Plum Tomatoes (whole, peeled). You will want to remove any basil that is packed with the canned tomatoes, remove any hard stems, and remove most of the seeds by cutting the tomatoes in half and squeezing out the seeds. You can then crush them by hand and they are ready for use. These imported tomatoes are really good, there is a difference. There are lots of brands out there, try to get a brand that comes from the San Marzano valley, in Campania, where my Grandpa Tony was born...  

Anyway, start by heating the garlic in the oil in a stock pot over medium heat. When the garlic is fragrant and lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes,) add tomatoes and red pepper flakes and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for another ten minutes. Add chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir everything together and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so. Add the basil saving a few leaves for garnish.

Roughly shred the slices of bread and stir into the stock pot until the bread soaks up the tomato and stock. The bread will fall apart as you stir it and it will become a chunky sloppy soup. The soup is thick and hearty and should be served hot. Drizzle olive oil over the soup  and garnish with a few basil leaf shreds. You could also have a little grated Pecorino Romano on hand to add to the soup. (optional)

Papa al Pomodoro, delizioso!

 Mangiare e godere...

Home made German Pretzels

There was a recipe in the January Food & Wine magazine (p.57) for German style pretzels. This was in the "What to cook next" section of the magazine, although I find it hard to imagine the average home cook opting to cook with food grade lye, which this particular recipe calls for.

Yes, I am goofy enough to go ahead and order the lye from www.essentialdepot.com and try it out.  And, yes, the recipe turns out some flavorful, awesome pretzels. But you better be very careful because that lye is dangerous stuff.  The recipe is from chef Hans RÖckenwagner of Los Angeles.

Here is the recipe verbatem from Food &Wine:  

Ingredients
3 3/4 cups bread flour (20 ounces), plus more for dusting
1 1/2 cups warm water 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
10 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup food-grade lye micro beads 
Coarse salt or pretzel salt, for sprinkling

Directions
In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 3 3/4 cups of bread flour with the warm water, yeast, kosher salt and butter and knead at medium speed until the flour is evenly moistened, 2 minutes. Increase the speed to high and knead until a smooth, elastic dough forms around the hook, 8 minutes.
 

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Cover loosely with a dry kitchen towel and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and form each one into a ball. Cover the dough balls with the towel and let rest for another 5 minutes. 

On an un-floured surface, roll each ball of dough into an 18-inch-long rope, tapering them slightly at both ends. To shape each pretzel, form the rope into a U shape. Cross the ends over each other twice to form the twist, then bring the ends to the bottom of the U and press the tips onto it. Arrange the pretzels on 2 large baking sheets lined with parchment paper and let stand uncovered in a warm place for 45 minutes, or until slightly risen. Refrigerate the pretzels uncovered for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

Preheat the oven to 400°. While wearing latex gloves, long sleeves and safety goggles, fill a large, deep ceramic, plastic or glass bowl with the lukewarm water. Carefully add the lye (always be sure to add lye to water, never the other way around) and, taking care not to splash, stir the solution occasionally until all the beads have fully dissolved, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, gently lower a pretzel into the solution for 15 seconds. Carefully turn the pretzel over and soak it for another 15 seconds. With the spatula, remove the pretzel from the lye solution and return it to the baking sheets. 

Sprinkle the pretzels with coarse salt and bake on the top and middle racks of the oven until shiny-brown and risen, about 17 minutes; shift the pans halfway through baking. Let the pretzels cool slightly on the baking sheets before serving.

Pretzel buns

My first batch (uncooked and cooked, above) came out as pretzel "buns" which tasted great, but since they rise again after you form the shape, there was only a faint resemblance to a pretzel. I was after pretzels, not buns, so I made a second batch with skinnier dough ropes. The second batch worked nicely.

They are delicious, but their goodness only lasts a day or so, unless you freeze them unsalted and reheat in the oven at 275º for about 20 minutes, if you do this, moisten with a little water and salt them before reheating. 

If any of my local friends want to try this recipe, stop by our house for some lye, I have plenty left. 

Boy Scout Spaghetti Dinner...

We served 290+ people on Sunday at the annual fund raiser...  By my calculation we made about 10 gallons of marinara sauce. Of course there was a batch with hot Italian Sausage. My buddy Dan and I prepped on Saturday afternoon and served from 5:00pm until 8:00pm on Sunday. Here are some pics...

 Garlic...

...10 cloves in 3/4 cup of olive oil, per each #10 can of imported peeled Italian Plum Tomatoes,

 ...and 10 lb. chopped onion.

 This pot contains 4 #10 cans of Italian tomatoes.

 A number 10 can...

 Dan and the "prepped" tomatoes...

Tio with 80lbs. of pasta.  Note the red wine stain on the apron.

 Tio tends the marinara...

 Eddie is on the pasta, three turkey fryers do the trick.

 Anne enjoys a plate of pasta.

 All for a good cause,  Troop 17 Boy Scouts of Northfield.

Tuscan Bean Soup

The lovely Andrea bought some Kale the other day. She does that, she buys things she has never cooked and says "here, you cook this!"  But I don't mind, I get to try out different recipes that way.  Kale is one of those leafy green vegetables that are so good for you, rich in vitamins and minerals, but they can be very bitter if not cooked correctly. Swiss Chard, Mustard Greens, Escarole, Collards, there are many varieties of this ilk, but I think you can interchange them all into this recipe for a delicious and hearty meal.

I am giving you the quick version of this and, in my opinion, it is just as good as the long version. But if you want to use dried beans you can soak them overnight and cook them with a bay leaf, keeping them covered by an inch of water until tender.  (Remember, when cooking dried beans, do not add salt until they are fully cooked. Otherwise they will come out tough instead of soft and creamy.)

Tuscan Bean Soup

2 quarts homemade chicken stock or store-bought broth

1 bunch fresh kale

2-15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed in cold water

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1- 5 oz. can tomato paste

1 medium onion chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

4 sage leaves, each cut into 3 pieces

2 tablespoons of olive oil, plus a bit more

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon or more sea salt

1/4 teaspoon or more ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh basil (optional)

grated Pecorino Romano (optional)

Wash your kale, trim off and discard the stems, or save them for making stock. Chop the leafy parts and set aside.  Meanwhile, in a saute pan on a medium flame, heat chopped garlic and crushed red pepper flakes in two tablespoons of olive oil. When garlic starts to brown slightly add tomato paste and lower the heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or more. Do not allow the garlic to burn.

Bring chicken stock to a boil in a 4 quart or larger soup pot. When broth begins to boil, lower to a simmer add the kale and the cannellini beans and about a teaspoon of sea salt, spoon the tomato and garlic from the pan to the pot with the beans and kale. Add the thyme to the soup, stir gently. Place the chopped onion to the saute pan, add a little oil if necessary, and increase the flame to medium and add sage. When onion begins to caramelize slightly, scrape remaining contents of the saute pan into the soup and stir gently.

If you want to add basil, do so at this point as basil is a tender herb and its flavor is best when not overcooked.  Taste and adjust seasoning, stir and cook for a couple more minutes and serve hot. 

Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a little grated Pecorino Romano cheese, if you like. Great with a crusty Italian bread and a glass of wine.

We had a Pinot Grigio with this meal and it paired quite nicely.

We are having leftovers tonight, but no one is complaining...

If you try this recipe, please, let me know how it turns out.

Comfort Food, Episode 2

I have many dishes that fit in the category "comfort food", maybe that's why I can't seem to lose weight. We have all heard the old adage, don't trust a skinny cook.  But my being "built for comfort, not for speed", as has been my physique for a number of years now, you can be certain that you can trust me.

Dad and Mom 1935

I have heretofore discussed Meat Loaf as a comfort food, Pot Roast is yet one of those foods that keeps me in a comfortable state, so to speak. My earliest memories include Sunday mornings before we went to church, when Mom would start the roast and Dad's "job" while we were at 12 o'clock Mass was to watch over the pot.  We would always have an early supper on Sundays, around 3:00 or 3:30pm. So the smell of the slow cooking pot roast that was emanating from our kitchen all afternoon really helped stoke my appetite as it was ingrained into my soul. Thank you Mom and Dad, for that wonderful memory.

My recipe for Pot Roast is guaranteed to give off the same extraordinary aromas as the one my wonderful Dad watched over all those many Sundays ago...  I hope you can create the same kind of memories...

3 lb boneless chuck roast                                            click on pics to see larger images
1/4 cup flour
Kosher salt & black pepper
garlic powder
1 or 2 bay leaf
4 whole cloves
3 onions
3 cloves of garlic
several carrots, cut into chunks
2 or 3 potatoes, quartered
2 stalks celery cut into 3 inch pieces
1 sprig fesh rosemary (optional)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)
1 cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon beurre manie (equal parts butter and flour, rubbed together, used as a thickening agent.)


Pre-heat oven to 350

Salt, pepper and sprinkle garlic powder on your roast. Dredge the meat with flour and brown it in hot Dutch oven or large cast iron frying pan with olive oil on a medium high flame,on the stove-top, about 5 minutes each side. 

 

 







Stud one onion with the bay leaf and clove,  Place the studded onion in the pan along with the garlic cloves. 





 

Pour the wine and chicken stock into the pan, the liquid should reach half way up the side of the meat. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with foil and.place the pan in the oven for one hour. 














After an hour add the rest of the vegetables, and herbs, check the liquid level, taste liquids to see if you need to add a little more salt or pepper. Cover with foil again and place back in the oven for another hour, or until meat is fork tender.









Remove the pot roast and the vegetables to a serving platter, keep warm. Reduce pan liquids over a high flame with burre manie mixture, whisking until slightly thickened, adjust seasoning.









Strain thickened gravy over pot roast and veggies and serve with either egg noodles or a nice crusty baguette.

Home-made Italian sausage

Every Autumn we participate in the local Rib-Fest and Pie contests that are part of the Village of Northfield's "State Fair".  Our friends Phil and Marsha usually chip in and help us get it together and this year they bought a case of babyback ribs.  I trimmed those ribs and saved the scraps, freezing about 5 lbs of pork fat and lean meat for later use.  Sausage!

A couple of months later Mike and I give it a go with my Grandpa Tony's sausage maker, a meat grinder with a sausage stuffer attachment. The Sausage stuffer is basically it is a tube that helps you stuff the casing. Casing is pork intestine lining that is cleaned and washed and used to give the sausage its tubular form. 

So lots of mashed garlic, Kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper, fennel seed and hot red pepper flakes get mixed into the ground pork and about 45 minutes later we have some pretty tasty hot Italian sausage!  

Surviving the blizzard of 2011...

We planned it perfectly. 

Our flight left O'Hare Airport on the 30th of January, bound for Naples, Florida. We had made plans to meet up with my niece Ana and her husband Brad. The storm hit Chicago 3 days later. After 6 days of 80+ degree weather, we flew home to fairly decent road conditions and a perfectly clean driveway. Thank you, son! ( I told you that over-sized snow blower would pay off one day.)

I've experienced every big storm that has hit Chicago in the last 55 years, 1967, 1978/79 and all the others in between or after, and I think I prefer the way I survived the Snowmageddon of 2011 best of all. On the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico in South Florida!

 

We had a great time. Good food, fantastic weather... And none of the snow or ice that paralyzed the Midwest while we were gone...