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Italian Easter Salad: Fava Beans with Parsley, Pecorino and Lemon

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Fava beans show up in Spring and I was psyched to see them for the first time at our farmers' market last week. Their pods are about 7 inches long, containing 3 to 5 beans, and are padded with a fluffy, cottony lining.  Prepping fava beans is time-consuming and monotonous... but those aren't necessarily bad things in the kitchen.  If you have a second pair of hands and a glass of wine it's enjoyable.  

They take a lot of work because they need to be shelled twice.  After you remove the beans from the pods, blanch them in salted water for 1 1/2 minutes to soften the waxy outer skin. Immediately place in ice bath. Shell them again. Here is a great how-to.  

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In Italy, fava beans are traditionally paired with Pecorino, a hard and salty cheese made from sheep's milk.  I made this simple salad yesterday for Easter and it was lip-smacking delicious and the color was a vibrant grassy green. There are only 5 ingredients, and they all work to elevate the flavor of the dish.  After making the salad, I came across a great NPR article and realized I should have added some red pepper flakes.  

Fava Bean Salad with Parsley Pecorino and Lemon
serves 2 as a side or appetizer

Ingredients
1 lb fresh unshelled fava beans (yields about 1 cup cooked beans)
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tblsp fresh lemon juice
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tblsp finely chopped Italian parsley
2 oz Pecorino cheese, cut in 1/4 inch cubes
coarse salt and pepper

1.  Bring a medium pot of water to boil and salt it generously.  Prepare an ice bath next to the stove.  Follow the tutorial above to remove the beans from their pods.  Blanch them for 1 1/2 minutes and use a slotted spoon to immediately transfer them to the ice water.  Once cool, pop the beans out of the waxy casing.  Rinse them in cool water and dry on paper towels.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  In a slow, steady stream whisk in the olive oil.  Stir in the chopped parsley.  Add the fava beans and Pecorino and toss gently.

 

 

 

Filed under  //  holidays   salads   spring  
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A Rainbow of Pickled Vegetables: A treat for the eyes and the tastebuds

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I made these Pickled Vegetables for our holiday party in December, and they were so stunning and tasty that I made them to give as Christmas gifts.  Every year I struggle to decide on an edible homemade gift that is affordable, easy to make in bulk, and not immediately perishable.  I had my heart set on mustard this year (which needs to cure for at least 2 weeks) but wasn't able to find the time or the right ingredients.  Maybe next year...

This recipe comes from Food & Wine's Annual Cookbook 2009. The vegetables need 2 to 3 days to pickle, and can be refrigerated for another 5 days. They are tangy and sweet, infused with fresh ginger, apple cider vinegar and coriander.  They are great as a snack or antipasto, or even as a side to a rich meal.

I made the quantity detailed below, and had enough for 20 gift portions (mostly 8-oz Ball Jars, and a few larger containers for bigger families).

Crisp Pickled Vegetables 
Ingredients (10 servings)

3 cups cauliflower florets
1/2 lb carrots, quartered lengthwise, and cut to fit container
1 fennel bulb, cored and cut into 2-by-1/2-inch matchsticks
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2-by-1/2-inch matchsticks
1 zucchini (1/2 lb), cut into 2-by-1/2-inch matchsticks
1/2 lb combined yellow wax beans and haricots vert, ends trimmed

3 cups cider vinegar
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3/4 cup sugar
1 tblsp kosher salt
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
3 pinches red pepper flakes
1 tblsp julienned fresh ginger
1 bay leaf
8 garlic cloves, smashed

1.  In a large, deep nonreactive bowl or heatproof glass jar, toss together all of the vegetables.

2.  In a large saucepan, add the cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, sugar, salt, coriander seeds, black peppercorns, red pepper flakes, julienned ginger, bay leaf and smashed garlic cloves.  Add 3 cups of water and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

3.  Pour the hot liquid and aromatics over the vegetables and cover the bowl with a plate to keep the vegetables submerged in the pickling liquid.  Let cool to room temperature, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the vegetables for 2 or 3 days.

* The drained, pickled vegetables can be refrigerated in a container for up to 5 days.
* For serving, drizzle the vegetables with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with snipped chives and chopped parsley.

 

Filed under  //  appetizers   gifts   holidays   vegetables  
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Part 1 of our New Year's Tapas Menu: Salmorejo and Gambas al Ajillo

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Happy 2010!  New Year's Eve is an important event throughout the world, as we reflect on the past year and welcome the new one, with hopes of happiness and prosperity.  

For New Year's Eve 2007, Greg and I were on our honeymoon in Barcelona.  We were drinking champagne in a sea of thousands of people in Plaza Catalunya as the countdown started and the fireworks exploded.  Here we learned of the Spanish NYE tradition: at each of the twelve strokes of midnight, pop a grape in your mouth as a symbol of good luck for the new year.

This year, at home in LA, we went for an equally deluxe alternative...staying in and eating well.  The indulgent NYE meal has become an American tradition, with caviar, lobster, and steak on many holiday tables .  For our menu, I recreated some of our favorite tapas from our trip to Spain... and of course our mouths were full of grapes at midnight.

Salmorejo is a tomato and bread dip (or soup) from Spain's Southern region of Andalusia.  It is served cold, and garnished with hard-boiled egg and Spain's celebrated Iberico Ham.  It has a beautiful pink-orange color and is absolutely delicioso.  I combined several recipes to make mine.

You've probably tried Gambas al Ajillo at your favorite tapas spot.  They are fried garlic shrimp, finished with a dash of sherry vinegar and fresh parsley.  I followed the tips provided by America's Test Kitchen to maximize the garlic flavor: marinating the shrimp in minced garlic, infusing the cooking oil with crushed whole cloves of garlic, and frying thin slices of garlic with the shrimp as they cook.

Stay tuned for the next course, Mussels with Chorizo, and Spinach with Golden Raisins and Pine Nuts.

Salmorejo
Ingredients

1 lb ripe tomatoes (about 5 medium sized)
1 5-inch piece of baguette, crust discarded
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup extra-vigin olive oil
1 tsp good quality sherry vinegar (or to taste)
2 paper-thin slices of Iberico ham (or prosciutto), julienned

1.  Score the bottom of each tomato with a small X.  Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen the skins.  Immediately dunk them in an ice water bath.  Drain and peel off the skins.  Core and quarter each tomato.

2.  Soak the bread in warm water for one minute, then squeeze out the water with your fingertips.  Discard the water.  Mash the garlic and the salt to form a paste with the back of your knife.  Blend garlic paste and bread in a food processor until combined.  Slowly add the olive oil as the machine is running, blending until thick and smooth.  Add tomatoes and sherry vinegar and blend until as smooth as possible, about 1 minute.  Force soup through a sieve into your serving bowl, discarding the solids.

3.  Cover and chill until cold and the flavors meld, 2 - 3 hours.  Garnish with hard boiled egg and Iberico ham.  Serve with sliced baguette to dip.

Gambas al Ajillo
Ingredients (for two app portions)

12 large shrimp, cleaned & deveined, shelled, with tail on
about 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 garlic cloves, left whole, slightly crushed 
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
salt and fresh pepper
2 tblsp sherry vinegar
1 tblsp fresh Italian parsely, chopped

1.  Marinate the shrimp for 15 minutes in the minced garlic with a few tablespoons of olive oil and well-seasoned with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Toss in the whole garlic cloves and let them sizzle until they turn golden brown.  Remove and discard.  

3.  Add the sliced garlic to the skillet, then the shrimp in one single layer.  Use tongs to flip the shrimp when they curl and turn pink on the first side, about 1 1/2 minutes.  Cook until pink on both sides and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes total.  Finish the dish with sherry vinegar and fresh parsley.  Plate and season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Filed under  //  appetizers   holidays   seafood   tapas  
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Mom's Italian Cookies...How-To for A Holiday Classic

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Of the myriad baked goods that my mother-in-law makes for the holidays, these simple cookies are my favorite.  (Well maybe it's a tie between these, carrot cake, ginger molasses cookies, and coffee cake).  We are visiting her in Massachusetts this week, and I made sure to observe the process to share on the blog.  She reminisced with me about all the showers she's attended, where a group of women would roll out the knots and ice the cookies around a big table.  You can find these in any Italian bakery worth its salt, but making them for loved ones is extra special.  

The dough isn't particularly sweet, but has a lovely anise undertone. Make sure all of the ingredients are at room temperature.  Decorate the royal icing with eye-catching sprinkles.

To my beloved Italian husband, Happy Anniversary! 

Mom's Italian Cookies
Ingredients (makes 4 - 5 dozen)

5 eggs
3/4 cup shortening, softened
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
8 tsp baking powder
Anisette liqueur to taste (about 3 or 4 tblsp)
5 cups flour

Icing
3 cups Confectioner's Sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
Anisette liqueur (until you can smell it, about 3 tblsp)

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the dough hook attached, mix together eggs, shortening, salt, sugar, milk, baking powder and Anisette liqueur at medium speed, until well combined.

2.  Reduce speed to low.  Add all of the flour and continue to mix until the dough comes together in a firm ball.  Scape down the bowl as needed. Place the dough on a clean, cool surface.  Knead in a bit of flour if it feels sticky.  Break off pieces of dough and roll under the palm of your hand, to create smooth 5-inch logs with a 3/4 inch diameter.  Cross the ends of the rope in a loop, and tuck one end under the loop (see picture).  Repeat the process with all of the dough.  

3.  Spray two large baking sheets with cooking spray.  Place the knots on the sheets, 2 inches apart. Bake the sheets in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching once, 8 - 10 minutes.  Bottoms of the cookies should be lightly browned.  Cool completely on racks.

4.  Using the whisk attachment on an electric mixer, combine the icing ingredients to make a goopy frosting (see photo).  Thin with more milk if too thick.  Spread out a layer of wax paper on a large table or counter.  Dip the top of each cookie in the icing and shower with sprinkles.  Set the cookies on the wax paper and let the topping harden.  Arrange on a platter.

 

Filed under  //  baking   cookies   dessert   holidays  
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Homemade Whoopie Pies with Crushed Peppermint Sprinkles... perfect #holidayrecipes

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Greg requested Whoopie Pies as the dessert for our holiday party, and they met the criteria I was trying to fill... festive and hand-held.  

Whoopie Pies are a traditional Amish dessert, and have since spread through New England and the rest of the U.S.  According to the New York Times, they are enjoying a national resurgence in bakeries from New York to LA.  They are cake-like cookie sandwiches, with a sweet, creamy filling.  According to legend, Amish children would exclaim "Whoopie!" if they found the cakes in their lunch boxes.

This highly-rated recipe comes from Epicurious.  The cakes are even better the day after they are made... put between layers of wax paper and seal in an airtight container.  Roll the pies in crushed candy canes, sprinkles or chocolate chips for a decorative finish.

Whoopie Pies
Ingredients (makes 10 sandwiches)

For Cakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg

For Filling
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
2 cups Marshmallow Cream (like Fluff)
1 tsp vanilla

Make Cakes
1.  Preheat oven to 350°.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a small bowl.

2.  Beat together butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes (5 minutes with a hand-held mixer).  Then add egg, beating until well-combined.  Reduce speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk mixture in batches, beginning and ending with the flour.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally, mix until smooth.

3.  Spoon 2 tblsp mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto 2 large, buttered baking sheets.  Bake in upper and lower thirds of the oven, switching them halfway through baking, until tops are puffed and cakes spring back when touched, 11 to 13 minutes.  Transfer with a metal spatula onto racks to cool completely.  (Do this the night before... store between layers of wax paper in an airtight container at room temp)

Make Filling
Beat together all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Assemble Pies
Spread a rounded tablespoon of filling on the flat side of half of the cakes and top with remaining cakes.  * Optional:  Crush up 3 candy canes into fine sprinkles and spread on a plate.  Roll the outside of the pies in the sprinkles so they adhere to the frosting.

Filed under  //  christmas   dessert   holidays   recipes  
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Arancini: Sicilian Fried Rice Balls that will rock your world

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This Saturday Greg and I threw a holiday party to celebrate the season with great friends and lots of food.  I planned a menu of bite-sized hors d'ouervres, to facilitate grazing and minimize clean-up.  We asked our guests to bring champagne...the perfect pairing for fried apps, fresh cheeses and decadent desserts.  

Judging by the number of empty bottles (25 champagne + 10 wine, 1 case Heineken Light, 30 pack Tecate and 1 bottle of Columbian Aguadiente), a great time was had by all.  We sampled several lovely bottles of champagne, including a great rosé by Piper-Heidsieck and an organic De Meric that was 100% Meunier.

I've been dying to make Arancini since I learned about them in Urban Italian.  Arancini are a Sicilian dish, said to have originated in the 10th century.  They are balls of risotto, coated in breadcrumbs, and fried (or baked).  Is your mouth watering yet?  Their name, which means "little oranges", describes their golden color and round shape.  They are a perfect party food.  

I pan-fried the balls just before the guests arrived, and kept them warm in a low oven until I was ready to put them out.  I served a homemade San Marzano tomato sauce alongside.  Of all the recipes I've posted on Pezzo, this is the clear winner.  Noah, thanks for taking this incredible photo!

Keep a look-out for more recipes from the party, including stuffed mushrooms, pickled vegetables, and home-made whoopie pies.  To all who were there, thanks for coming and Happy Holidays!! 

Arancini with Fontina and Fresh Chives

Ingredients (10 servings)

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tblsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup plus 2 tblsp arborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
6 tblsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tblsp butter

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), divided
1/2 cup packed, coarsely grated Fontina cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsely
3 tblsp chopped fresh chives
1 large egg yolk

2 large eggs
Canola oil for frying

1.  Bring the broth to a simmer in a small saucepan.  Reduce heat to low and cover to keep warm.  Heat olive oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add rice; stir one minute.  Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 30 seconds.  Add broth 1/2 cup at a time, and simmer until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more.  Stir constantly.  This will take about 20 - 25 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Mix in 6 tblsp Parmesan and 2 tblsp butter.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Spread risotto in a large pan and cool completely. 

2.  Mix 1/2 cup panko, Fontina cheese, parsely, chopped chives, and 1 egg yolk into the risotto.  Shape into 2 inch balls.  Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet.  (The balls can be made 2 days ahead.  Cover and refrigerate)

3.  Preheat the oven to 250°.  Set another rimmed baking sheet in the oven.  Beat eggs in a shallow bowl to blend.  Place 1 cup panko in another shallow bowl.  Dip risotto balls in the beaten egg, then into the panko to coat.  Pour an inch and a half of canola oil in the bottom of a large skillet.  Heat oil over medium-high heat.  It will be hot enough when a coarse salt crystal sizzles in the oil.  Working in batches, pan-fry the risotto balls until crisp and brown, rolling them for an even surface.  Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven.  Serve warm with tomato sauce.

Filed under  //  appetizers   holidays   recipes  
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Thanksgiving Recap: Sage Stuffing and Fennel Mashed Potatoes

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I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving!  We had a delicious meal with an Italian bent, thanks to all of our friends' cooking prowess.  The menu included glazed ham, fresh cranberry sauce, roasted squash, brussel sprouts, asparagus with Frico, vegetable lasagna, and my contributions, sage stuffing and fennel mashed potatoes with rosemary.  After we stuffed our bellies, we sipped on Rhys' homemade Limoncello while the boys held an impromptu music session, with Adam on the guitar, Greg on the accordion (!), and Anthony spitting some freestyle rhymes.  

Big ups to Lauren for your famous pecan tarts!  Thanks Kat...What a perfect night with great friends, food and conversation!

After much research, I think I decided on the perfect Thanksgiving sides.  The Sage Stuffing is a gourmet and modern update on my all-time favorite... Stovetop.  I made the buttermilk cornbread from scratch, as the recipe details.  But I left out the chicken livers.  Find the recipe form Epicurious here:

Usually my go-to Thanksgiving mashed potatoes are made with roasted garlic.  This holiday, I went with my new obsession, roasted fennel.  These mashed potatoes have so much flavor and richness... you can't go wrong with rosemary, crème fraîche and a stick of butter!  And they can be made ahead and reheated in the microwave for added convenience.  

Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Fennel & Rosemary
Ingredients (serves 8-10)

2 large fresh fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered through core, center core trimmed and discarded, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 3/4 inch pieces
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp fine sea salt, divided
3 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tblsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1/2 cup crème fraîche

1.  Preheat oven to 375°.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Toss fennel and onion with olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and fresh pepper and spread in a single layer.  Roast until fennel and onion are very tender, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly.  Transfer to a food processor and puree until almost smooth.

2.  Cook potatoes in a large pot of salted water until tender, about 25 minutes.  Drain well, cool slightly.  

3.  Melt butter with rosemary and remaining salt in a small sauce pan.  Place potatoes in a large bowl with fennel puree, melted butter and crème fraîche...mash well.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with more olive oil. (Can be made 6 hours ahead.  Place in a microwave safe bowl and reheat on high for 4 minutes until heated through).

 

Filed under  //  fall   holidays   recipes   side dishes  
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