sweet and crunchy with a note of cheese (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Family Tree by Susan Wiggs1. The novel follow Annie as the life she thought was perfect shatters (physically, as she is the victim of a major accident, and emotionally, as the accident happens on the heels of her discovering her husband’s infidelity) and is slowly rebuilt. I don’t think the publisher’s description “powerful, emotionally complex story” applies. However, if you enjoy stories about second chances, family and small towns you may like this novel.
pretty in bright green (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
At the beginning Annie is the producer of a TV cooking show called The Key Ingredient, starring her husband. At the end, she produces and stars in a food webcast called Starting from Scratch. I don’t watch television nor webcasts, so have no experience of either genres. Still, I played a game in my mind, imagining what I would do if I were given the chance to host a food-centric show. I decided that I’d probably roam farmers markets and interview farmers and also stop at farmstands and do a live version of the still lives with produce I’ve been composing and photographing for some time2. (I usually publish them on Sunday afternoon.)
Little Wing Farm stand near Point Reyes Station is a must stop
When I ride my bicycle, if I encounter a farmstand, I usually stop. One place where I like to do so is the Little Wing Farm‘s unmanned stand just outside Point Reyes Station in Marin County. The last time I stopped there, a couple of weeks ago, it had gorgeous bunches of flowers, which I could not look at too closely, since I couldn’t carry one on my bike. I focused on the baby arugula (rucola) and shishito peppers: I purchased a bag of the former and a basket of the latter and tucked them into my light backpack (which also contained an oat bran date pecan muffin from Bovine Bakery3, in Point Reyes Station, my fuel for the longish ride).
After Point Reyes Station, my ride brought me to the charming village of Nicasio, home of the Nicasio Valley Cheese Company4. Given the warm temperature and the fact that I’d be on my bicycle for at least another couple of hours, I didn’t stop to purchase cheese at the creamery (caseificio), but did so the following morning at the San Rafael farmers’ market and went home with some of their tomino.
just add cheese (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
The baby arugula brightened my dinner salad for several days. As for the shishito peppers, the most common way of preparing them is described also on the sign at the farmstand: cooked in a cast-iron skillet until blistered. Quick and easy, it gives an excellent result. The blistered peppers can be served as appetizer or side dish (antipasto o contorno). I wondered how the small, thin-skinned peppers would taste when paired with the tomino and went to work to find out. I liked the result and made the dish several more times, using shishito peppers from the farmers’ market.
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
a lot of dark leafy greens go into this dish (2nd version) (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Our current Cook the Books Club selection is Undercooked by Dan Adhoot1. The book is described as “a collection of hilarious essays about how food became one man’s obsession and coping mechanism, and how it came to rule—and sometimes ruin—his relationships.” It was the first time I listened to an audio book read by the author: it was interesting, and in this case, a necessity, I think. I am afraid I didn’t find the essays hilarious, rather mostly sad. Two essays I enjoyed listening to. In the first, Adhoot talks about his grandparents, Iranian Jews who emigrated to the U.S. Adhoot’s grandfather was treated horribly because of his religious heritage, but didn’t let that cow him. His grandmother was a great cook, who prepared sumptuous meals for the family as a way of sharing Persian food traditions and expressing her love. When Adhoot describes the grandparents’ relationship, he holds his usual jokes and finds moving words. I felt I was finally listening to the person, not the comedian.
In the second essay, Adhoot talks about living with his parents during the pandemic. It is around food that their relationship heals. One truly funny moment of the book is the phone conversation with his mother whom he called to ask for a recipe. It reminded me of surreal conversations with my mother on the same topic.
(L to R) beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi from the farmers market (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Adhoot lists a number of Persian dishes his grandmother used to cook, all meat-centered — not for me. He also talks about the lengthy process used in Iran to cook basmati rice. For a previous Cook the Books Club edition, I wrote about Kuku Sabzi, a kind of herb frittata traditionally prepared for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that is celebrated on the spring equinox2 so that was out from my list.
I then looked at the Jewish side of his heritage for inspiration. Some years ago, I acquired a book of Jewish Italian cuisine: La cucina nella tradizione ebraica, a rich collection3 of recipes, succinctly described and without photos. There I found tortino di spinaci, described as being an old Italian recipe (I decided it is a cousin of kuku sabzi). It uses raisins, pine nuts, anchovies (acciughe) and capers (capperi).
The original recipe calls for spinach, which I could not find at the farmers market when I first decided to make my version, so I used a combination of beet greens (foglie di barbabietola), turnip greens (foglie di rapa) and tatsoi. As usual, I adjusted the quantities to suit my taste. The result was excellent — but I didn’t take a photo.
baby turnip greens and spinach from the farmers market (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
For the next rendition, I used spinach and baby turnip greens from the farmers market. The flavor was different, as was to be expected, still excellent. The color was different as well, as the previous version included the stems of beet greens, which gave the dish a reddish tone.
Washing, chopping and cooking the leafy greens takes a bit of time and patience. However, once the greens are ready, the dish takes only some assembly, then the oven does the rest.
1 pound 10 ounces / 740 grams spinach OR a combination of spinach and other dark leafy greens, including beet greens, turnip greens, tatsoi
3/4 ounce / 20 grams raisins
3/4 ounce / 20 grams pine nuts
4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 anchovy fillets
1/2 ounce / 15 grams drained small capers
1 garlic clove
1 large egg from pastured poultry
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Wash the spinach and other greens, if using, carefully and drain them, letting a small amount of water cling to the leaves.
If you are using beet greens, tatsoi, or another dark leafy green with relatively thicker stems, separate those from the leaves and chop them.
Place the raisins in a ramekin and pour 1 tablespoon warm water on them and stir. Set aside.
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet. Do not walk away from the skillet and keep the pine nuts moving in it: they are small and delicate and burn easily. Set aside.
A handful at a time, chop the leafy greens. I make a small pile and slice it at 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm intervals. Transfer the chopped greens into a large bowl.
Warm up a large skillet over medium heat, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml of the olive oil. If you have them, add the chopped stems, stir well, cover, and cook them for 5 minutes or until tender. Add half of the chopped greens, stir well, cover and cook until the greens are tender (8-12 minutes, depending on the greens), stirring every now and then. Transfer the greens into a bowl to cool.
Repeat with the same amount of olive oil and the rest of the greens.
Mince together the parsley, anchovy fillets, capers and garlic, possibly using a mezzaluna.
Warm up a small skillet over medium heat, then add the remaining 1 tablespoon / 15 ml of the olive oil. Add the minced ingredients and cook for a minute or so, making sure the garlic does not turn brown. Remove from the heat, add to the cooked greens and stir well. Add the raisins and stir.
Roughly smash the pine nuts with a mortar and pestle. Add to the vegetable mixture and stir.
Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.
Oil the bottom of a 9.5″ / 24 cm glass pie plate. Dust it with fine breadcrumbs and remove the excess.
Break the egg into a small bowl, whisk it with a fork to blend yolk and white, then pour it onto the vegetables and stir to incorporate.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper, stir well and empty the bowl into the prepared pie plate.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Take the plate out of the oven. Serve immediately (it will cool slightly when you cut it and transfer onto plates).
Serves 4-6.
This is an excellent way to prepare greens. The result has is a bit sweet, a bit nutty, a bit savory: each bite a small surprise.
1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website 2 From briciole’s archive: kuku sabzi 3 The cookbook’s page on the publisher’s website (in Italian)
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting the product on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
tanta verdura in questo piatto (seconda versione) (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
Un’altra cosa che tenevo a fare nel nostro viaggio era un piatto della tradizione culinaria ebraica in Italia. Nel libro La cucina nella tradizione ebraica, una ricca collezione1 di ricette descritte in modo succinto e senza foto, ho letto la ricetta per questo tortino che oltre a pinoli e uvetta utilizza acciughe e capperi.
(da S a D) foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa e tatsoi (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
La ricetta originale utilizza gli spinaci che io però non ho trovato al mercato il giorno che ho deciso di preparare la mia versione della ricetta. Allora ho utilizzato un misto composto di foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa e tatsoi (cavolo cinese). Come mio solito ho adattato le dosi degli ingredienti al mio gusto personale. Risultato eccellente ma non ho fatto una fotografia.
verdure dal mercato, comprese foglie giovani di rapa e spinaci (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
La volta successiva ho utilizzato foglie giovani di rapa e spinaci. Sapore diverso, come mi aspettavo, comunque ottimo. Anche il colore è diverso, dal momento che la versione precedente comprendeva anche gli steli delle foglie di barbabietola che hanno dato al piatto un colorito rosso.
Lavare, tagliare e cuocere le verdure a foglia verde richiede un po’ di tempo e pazienza. Ma una volta che le verdure sono pronte, ci vuole poco tempo per terminare la preparazione, poi il forno fa il resto.
Ingredienti:
740 grammi di spinaci, o un assortimento di spinaci e altre verdure a foglia verde, come foglie di barbabietola, foglie di rapa, tatsoi
20 grammi di uvetta
20 grammi di pinoli
4 cucchiai / 60 ml olio extra-virgine di oliva
2 cucchiai di prezzemolo fresco tritato
1 1/2 filetti di acciuga
15 grammi di piccoli capperi scolati
1 spicchio d’aglio
1 uovo codice 0
1 cucchiaino di sale fino
1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero macinato fresco
Lavate bene gli spinaci e le altre verdure (se le usate), scolateli, lasciando un po’ d’acqua sulle foglie.
Se utilizzate le foglie di barbabietola o la tatsoi o altre verdure che hanno steli relativamente spessi, separateli dalle foglie e tagliateli a pezzetti.
Mettete l’uvetta in una tazzina, versateci sopra 1 cucchiaio d’acqua calda, e mescolate. Mettete da parte.
Tostate i pinoli in una padellina a secco. Metteteli da parte.
Una manciata di foglie alla volta, tagliate le verdure. Io faccio un mucchietto e taglio fettine larghe 1-1,5 cm. Trasferite le verdure tagliate in un’insalatiera capiente.
In una padella grande scaldate a fuoco medio 1,5 cucchiai / 22,5 ml dell’olio. Se li avete, aggiungete gli steli tagliati a pezzetti, mescolate bene, coprite la padella e cuocete a fuoco basso per 5 minuti o fino a quando siano teneri. Aggiungete metà delle verdure tagliate, mescolate bene, coprite la padella e cuocete a fuoco basso fino a quando siano tenere (8-12 minuti, a seconda del tipo di verdure), mescolando di tanto in tanto. Trasferite le verdure in un’insalatiera.
Ripetere con la stessa quantità di olio e il resto delle verdure.
Tritate insieme con la mezzaluna il prezzemolo, i filetti di acciuga, i capperi e l’aglio.
In una padellina scaldate a fuoco medio il resto dell’olio (1 cucchiaio). Aggiungete gli ingredienti tritati e cuoceteli per un minuto, assicurandovi che l’aglio non imbrunisca. Togliete dal fuoco, aggiungete alle verdure cotte e mescolate bene. Aggiungete l’uvetta e mescolate.
Tritate grossolanamente i pinoli con mortaio e pestello. Aggiungete alle verdure e mescolate.
Scaldate il forno a 170 C.
Oliate leggermente il fondo di una tortiera di vetro da 24 cm e spolverizzatelo con pane grattato, poi rimuovetene l’eccesso.
Rompete l’uovo in una ciotola e sbattetelo leggermente con una forchetta, poi versatelo sulle verdure e mescolate bene per incorporare.
Salate e pepate, mescolate bene e versate le verdure nella tortiera.
Cuocete in forno per 30 minuti.
Sfornate e servite immediatamente (il piatto si raffredda leggermente quando lo tagliate e trasferite le porzioni sui piatti).
Porzioni: 4-6.
Questo è un ottimo modo per preparare le verdure a foglia verde. Il risultato è un po’ dolce, un po’ salato: il gusto di ogni boccone è una piccola sorpresa.
Contribuisco il mio tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta, piatto della tradizione ebraica in Italia alla lettera U di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall’azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
eggplant and tomatoes: summer on a plate (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
The combination of eggplant and tomatoes is a favorite of mine. A summer dish I particularly enjoy is my version of parmigiana di melanzane, where I roast the two main ingredients and use two types of cheese1. A few years ago, I made a Persian dish that brings together eggplant and tomatoes with yellow split pea1. Eggplant is a popular vegetable in the Middle East, as baba ganoush lovers may know. Recently I discovered a couple of eggplant recipes from Afghanistan, including Borani Banjan, a dish made with slices of fried eggplant (melanzane fritte) simmered in tomato sauce and served topped with yogurt.
farm fresh ingredients and my homemade yogurt (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
I found versions in which the eggplant is roasted2 (the garlic too) or grilled3 (the onion too). My version takes inspiration from those and adds some personal touches. I made it a few times to try different options and below is my current favorite.
6 ounces / 170 grams fresh red or Walla Walla onion
2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
4-6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound / 450 grams fresh, ripe, juicy tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
4 ounces / 1/2 cup / 112 grams low-fat or whole milk plain yogurt
water to dilute the yogurt, as needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or thyme leaves
Heat the oven to 400 F / 200 C.
Line two baking sheets (or one baking sheet and one cookie sheet) with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper.
Trim the eggplant and cut them crosswise into slices 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the slices and toss them with you hands. Distribute the slices on the prepared baking sheets, leaving a bit of space around each slice.
Cut the onion lengthwise into slices 1/4 inch / 0.6 cm thick. If the slices are long, cut them in half crosswise. Drizzle 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over the slices and toss them with you hands, separating the layers. Distribute the onion on the other prepared baking sheet or the cookie sheet.
Wrap the garlic cloves into aluminum foil, 2-3 cloves per small packet. Place the packets on the same sheet as the onion.
Place the sheets in the oven next to each other or the one with the onion on a rack above the other. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.
Take the sheets out of the oven. With a fork, flip the eggplant slices and with a spoon, toss the onion (make sure it does not burn). Put the sheets back in the oven, switching their position. Bake for 10 minutes. Take the sheets out of the oven. Let the vegetables cool for a few minutes, then transfer the eggplant onto a plate and the onion into a bowl. Unwrap the garlic cloves.
In the meantime, chop the tomatoes and place them in a bowl with their juices.
In a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring, until it turns pale golden, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, paprika, turmeric, sea salt and pepper and bring to a lively simmer. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes have broken down and become saucy, 6 minutes or so.
Squeeze the roasted garlic from the skin and place it into a small bowl. Mash with a small fork, then add the yogurt, stir and mash some more to make sure the garlic blends into the yogurt. If needed, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the yogurt is the consistency of thin pancake batter and can be drizzled. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
Add the onion to the tomatoes and stir well. Nestle the eggplant slices into the sauce and spoon some of the sauce over them. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the eggplant slices are very tender and have absorbed some of the sauce, but still retain their shape, 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let cool.
To serve, divide the eggplant and their sauce among individual plates, drizzle the yogurt on top and sprinkle the mint or thyme. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
melanzane e pomodori: l’estate sul piatto (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
Arrivati alla lettera M del nostro viaggio nel mondo degli ingredienti ho scelto di preparare un piatto con le melanzane, una delle mie verdure preferite, particolarmente abbinate ai pomodori. Cercando un piatto tradizionale di uno dei paesi dove non siamo ancora state, ne ho trovati un paio dall’Afghanistan, tra i quali Borani Banjan: fette di melanzana fritte, ripassate in sugo di pomodoro e servite con sopra dello yogurt.
ingredienti freschi dal mercato dei produttori e yogurt fatto in casa (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
Ho trovato versioni nelle quali le melanzane sono cotte al forno1 (e anche l’aglio) o sulla griglia2 (e anche la cipolla). La mia versione si ispira a queste ricette e aggiunge qualche tocco personale. L’ho fatta diverse volte per provare dettagli diversi e qui sotto è la mia preferita. Vi ricordo che 1 cucchiaio = 15 ml e 1 cucchiaino = 5 ml.
Ingredienti:
560 grammi di melanzane globose
170 grammi di cipolla rossa
2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
4-6 spicchi d’aglio non pelati
1 cucchiaio / 15 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
3 spicchi d’aglio, pelati e tritati
450 grammi di pomodori freschi, maturi e sugosi
1/2 cucchiaino di paprika dolce
1/4 cucchiaino di curcuma in polvere
1/4 cucchiaino di pepe nero macinato fresco
1/2 teaspoon di sale fino
112 grammi di yogurt bianco intero o parzialmente scremato non dolcificato
acqua per diluire lo yogurt, q.b.
2 cucchiai di foglie di menta or timo tritate
Scaldate il forno a 200 C.
Foderate due placche da forno con tappetino da forno di silicone o carta da forno.
Tagliate le melanzane per largo a fettine spesse 1,25 cm. Spruzzate 1 cucchiaio e mezzo di olio d’oliva sulle fettine e mescolatele con le mani per oliarle. Distribuite le fettine sulla placca più grande lasciando un pochino di spazio intorno a ciascuna fettina.
Tagliate la cipolla per lungo a fettine spesse 0,6 cm. Se le fettine sono lunghe, taliatele a metà per largo. Spruzzate 1/2 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva sulle fettine e mescolatele con le mani per oliarle, allo stesso tempo separando gli strati. Spargete la cipolla sull’altra placca.
Avvolgete l’aglio nella carta stagnola, 2-3 spicchi per pacchetto e mettete i pacchetti sulla placca con la cipolla.
Infornate le placche una accanto all’altra o mettendo quella con le cipolle un livello sopra a quella con la cipolla. Cuocete le verdure in forno per 15 minuti.
Sfornate le placche. Con una forchetta, girate le fettine di melanzana e con un cucchiaio mescolate la cipolla. Rimettete le placche in forno scambinado la loro posizione. Cuocete per 10 minuti. Sfornate e fate intiepidire le verdure per qualche minuto, poi trasferite le melanzane su un piatto e la cipolla in una ciotola. Scartate gli spicchi d’aglio.
Nel frattempo, tagliate a pezzi i pomodori e metteteli in una ciotola con il sugo che rilasciano.
In una padella larga e profonda, scaldate 1 cucchiaio di olio d’oliva a calore medio-basso. Aggiungete l’aglio tritato e cuocetelo, mescolando, fino a quando sia biondo, 1 minuto circa. Aggiungete i pomodori, la paprika, la curcuma, sale e pepe e portare a leggero bollore. Coprite e cuocete, mescolando frequentemente, fino a quando i pomodori siano ridotti ad un sugo, circa 6 minuti.
Sbucciate l’aglio arrosto e mettetelo in una ciotolina. Schiacciatelo con una piccola forchetta poi aggiungete lo yogurt e mescolate in modo da incorporare la crema d’aglio. Aggiungete acqua, 1 cucchiaio alla volta, fino a quando lo yogurt abbia la consistenza della pastella e potete spruzzarlo. Coprite e tenete in frigorifero fino a quando state per utilizzarlo.
Aggiungete le cipolle ai pomodori e mescolate bene. Mettete le fettine di melanzana nella padella e con un cucchiaio copritele con del sugo. Coprite e cuocete a fuoco basso fino a quando le melanzane siano molto tenere e abbiano assorbito parte del sugo, ma mantengano la loro forma, circa 5 minuti. Togliete le verdure dal fuoco e fatele intiepidire.
Dividete le melanzane e il loro sugo su piatti individuali, cospargetele di yogurt e distribuite la menta o timo. Servite le melanzane calde o a temperatura ambiente.
Contribuisco le mie melanzane dall’Afghanistan alla lettera M di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall’azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
blini are fun to make and a delight to eat (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Making blini, Russian pancakes, had been on my wish list for a while and it finally happened. The first source I consulted for inspiration is my copy of Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman.1 Published in 1990, the book includes recipes from a large area, from the Baltics to Uzbekistan.
In the section about blini (plural of blin), the authors present a recipe for wheat blini2 (referred to as “regular” blini) and one for buckwheat blini3 (Grechneviye Blini) and say that the latter version
is considered the classic Russian blini in the United States, although in the Soviet Union it’s not prepared nearly as often as are the regular blini.2
I chose to make buckwheat blini because I like the earthy flavor of buckwheat flour. I also substituted some of the all-purposed flour with whole-wheat flour.
The batter to make blini is yeast-risen. As in the recipe on the Food52 website4, I use instant yeast rather than active dry yeast (so I don’t need to activate the yeast). The leavening process delivers on the flavor side and it imparts a lightness to the result that makes blini a pleasure to eat. I choose to make small blini, which can be easily held in your hand and can be considered finger food.
right before the last step of batter preparation (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
This is a simple recipe that produces a delicious result. It is also fun to make and relaxing: cooking and eating blini for dinner has been a nice way to leave the busyness of the day behind. With my recipe I obtain some 22 small blini, a lot for a family of two. Thankfully, blini are still excellent when re-heated in a warm oven (forno caldo).
Warm up the milk in a pyrex cup in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove until it is just warm to the touch.
Put the 3 flours, yeast and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine and aerate. Pour the milk into the mixing bowl and mix briefly, then add the egg yolk and the olive oil. Whisk until combined so that there are no visible lumps of flour.
Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 1 to 1/1/2 hours (it will be bubbly).
In a small bowl, beat the egg white until soft peaks form, then add it to the batter and gently fold it in.
Warm up a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Oil lightly the bottom (I use a brush to ensure an even coating). Once the oil is hot, turn down the heat to medium-low. Drop the batter one tablespoon (15 ml) at a time making a disk shape. Space the blini so they can cook properly and you can easily flip them (in my skillet, 5 blini fit at a time). Cook the blini 1-2 minutes then flip and cook 1-2 minutes, until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a plate kept in an oven set to “keep warm” (about 150 F / 65 C).
Repeat until all the batter is used.
Makes approximately 22 small blini (2 1/2-2 3/4 inch diameter).
Serves 4-6 as appetizer.
small, pillowy and ready for toppings (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Then unleash your imagination in terms of toppings. There are traditional ones, of course: sour cream (panna acida), caviar (caviale) and so-called vegetable caviar, of which I made the eggplant version.5 I like the pairing with fresh chèvre and my tomato and date chutney,6 which has quickly become a feature in my kitchen. I plan to make soon some red beet pkhali,7 which I expect to also be a nice topping for my blini.
Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
i blini sono divertenti da preparare e deliziosi da mangiare (tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)
Da tempo volevo preparare i blini, crespelle tradizionali russe e finalmente l’ho fatto. Per prima cosa ho consultato la mia copia di Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya von Bremzen e John Welchman.1 Pubblicato nel 1990, il libro comprende ricette provenienti dall’area dai paesi baltici all’Uzbekistan.
Nella sezione sui blini (plurale di blin), gli autori presentano una ricetta per blini fatti solo con farina di grano2 (che chiamano blini “normali”) e una per blini con farina di grano saraceno3 (Grechneviye Blini) e specificano che quest’ultima versione, considerata classica negli USA, di fatto nell’Unione Sovietica (che al tempo esisteva ancora) viene preparata meno spesso di quella “normale.”
Nota: sui siti italiani il nome usato è blinis o bliny. Io mi attengo all’ortografia del libro di cui sopra, che viene seguita anche negli USA.
Ho scelto di fare i blini con farina di grano saraceno, perché mi piace il sapore rustico di tale farina, che nella cucina italiana troviamo nei famosi pizzoccheri della Valtellina. Per accentuare tale nota ho anche usato un po’ di farina di grano integrale.
L’impasto per fare i blini è lievitato. Come nella ricetta sul sito Food524, io uso il lievito di birra secco istantaneo. La lievitazione contribuisce al sapore dei blini e a renderli leggeri. Il risultato è una delizia. I blini che faccio io sono piccoli e si possono tenere in mano.
subito prima dell’ultimo passaggio della preparazione dell’impasto ((tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)
La ricetta è semplice e anche rilassante da preparare. In queste ultime settimane, cuocere e mangiare blini per cena è stato un buon modo per lasciarmi alle spalle la giornata intensa. Con la mia ricetta ottengo 22 blini piccoli, che sono molti per una famiglia di due persone. Per fortuna, i blini sono ottimi anche il giorno dopo, riscaldati nel forno caldo.
Ingredienti:
180 ml di latte (intero o parzialmente scremato)
40 grammi di farina di grano saraceno
20 grammi di farina per dolci integrale
50 grammi di farina bianca
3/8 cucchiaino di lievito di birra istananeo
1/2 cucchiaino di sale fino
1 uovo codice 0, tuorlo e albume separati
2 cucchiai / 30 ml olio extra-vergine di oliva
olio per friggere (I uso olio di alghe)
Scaldate il latte fino a quando sia appena caldo.
Mettete le 3 farine, il lievito e il sale in una ciotola e mescolate bene. Versate il latte nella ciotola e mescolare un po’, poi aggiungere il tuorlo e l’olio d’oliva. Mescolare bene in modo che non ci siano grumi di farina.
Coprite la ciotola e fare lievitare per 1 ora – 1 ora e mezza (vedrete bollicine sulla superficie della pastella).
In una ciotolina, montate l’albume a neve soffice, poi aggiungetelo alla pastella e incorporatelo delicatamente.
Scaldate una padella antiaderente larga su fuoco medio. Ungete il fondo (io uso un pennello per ottenere uno strato uniforme). Quando l’olio è caldo, abbassate il calore su medio-basso. Versate l’impasto un cucchiaio (15 ml) alla volta formando un disco con la pastella. Lasciate abbastanza spazio tra un blin e l’altro in modo che possano cuocere bene (nella mia padella ne cuocio 5 alla volta). Cuocete i blini 1-2 minuti poi girateli e cuoceteli 1-2 minuti fino a quando siano dorati su entrambi i lati. Trasferiteli su un piatto tenuto in caldo nel forno a circa 65 C.
Ripetete fino a quando la pastella sia esaurita.
Dose per circa 22 blini piccoli. Porzioni: 4-6 come antipasto.
piccoli, soffici e pronti per essere conditi (tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)
Poi usate la vostra fantasia per condire i blini. Ci sono i condimenti tradizionali, come panna acida e caviale e anche il cosiddetto caviale vegetale, del quale ho fatto la versione con melanzane.5 A me piace accompagnarli con caprino fresco e il mio chutney di pomodori e datteri,6 che è diventato una constante presenza nella mia cucina. Conto di preparare presto del pkhali,di bababietole rosse,7 che sono convinta sia ottimo spalmato sui miei blini.
Contribuisco i miei blini con farina di grano saraceno dalla Russia alla lettera G di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall’azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
crisp, tender, savory: so good! (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
While looking up traditional recipes that use chives (Allium schoenoprasum) of which I get a nice supply from my garden, I discovered Korean pancakes (frittelle coreane) called Buchujeon1 made with garlic chives (Allium tuberosum, a.k.a., Chinese leeks, chinese chives), which also grows in my garden. While chives' leaves are tubular, those of garlic chives are flat.
young garlic chives in my garden…
Most of the recipes I read is vegan, made without eggs, and I adopted this format. I reduced the quantities to make a single pancake and proceeded to make experiments.
and on the cutting board
After my second try I had almost used up all my garlic chives. The result was excellent but I wanted to try another variation and also get a better photo. I planned to go shopping in some Asian grocery store, but a pleasant surprise awaited me at the farmers market:
small bags of garlic chives at the farmers market (center)
I thanked profusely the farmer who brought this small treasure to the market and allowed me to make two more pancakes and finalize my recipe.
To dip pancake bites, I made a simple blend of soy sauce and vinegar (salsa di soia e aceto). To be honest, I did not like it much. On the other hand, I loved the combination with the tomato and date chutney 2 I wrote about in my previous post (see top photo), both in terms of flavor and color.
accompanied with a more traditional sauce
These pancakes are easy to make and so good! Crisp, tender and with a delicate garlic/leek flavor.
Ingredients for one pancake (serves 1) to be multiplied as needed:
1 ounce / 30 grams garlic chives, clean weight
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch + enough wheat flour to make 1 ounce / 30 grams (I use half all-purpose flour and half sifted whole-wheat flour)
1/3 cup / 80 ml ice-cold water
A pinch of Korean chili flakes (Gochugaru)
A pinch of fine sea salt
2 tablespoons / 30 ml vegetable oil for frying (I use alga oil)
Tomato and date chutney to serve2
Cut the garlic chives in 3/4-inch / 2 cm pieces.
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and the flour(s) with the water to form a smooth batter (pastella). Mix in the chili flakes and sea salt. Add the garlic chives and mix well.
Warm up a cast-iron skillet on medium heat and then evenly distribute 3/4 of the oil on the bottom. When the oil if hot, pour the pancake batter into the skillet and quickly spread it to form a thin pancake. Cook the pancake at medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes then flip it. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, letting it slide under the pancake.
Press the pancake lightly with the spatula a couple of times. After you flip it, cook the pancake 6-8 minutes longer until the batter is cooked.
In the meantime, make sure the chutney is at room temperature.
Transfer the cooked pancake onto a plate. You can leave it open, letter-fold it or cut it into bite-sized pieces (with a pizza cutter). Serve it immediately with the some chutney on the side.
The pancake is best eaten hot from the skillet, but if you prepare a number of them and have leftovers, they are good the following day, warmed up or at room temperature.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
leggermente croccante, tenera, saporita: ottima! (tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)
Arrivati alla lettera E del nostro viaggio alfabetico, ho subito pensato all'erba cipollina1 (Allium schoenoprasum): da diversi anni cresce nel mio orticello e mi regala le sue foglie aromatiche. Una ricerca di ricette tradizionali con chives (il nome in inglese) mi ha fatto scoprire le frittelle coreane chiamate Buchujeon2 a base di erba cipollina cinese3 (Allium tuberosum), in inglese garlic chives or Chinese chives, anch'essa presente nel mio orticello. Ho deciso di farle.
erba cipollina cinese nel mio orticello…
Le foglie di erba cipollina sono cilindriche e cave, e hanno un delicato odore e sapore di cipolla, mentre le foglie dell'erba cipollina cinese sono piatte e hanno un delicato odore e sapore di aglio (da qui il nome garlic chives).
La maggior parte delle ricette che ho letto è vegana, senza uova, e io ho seguito questa direttiva, riducendo le dosi in modo da fare una frittella sola.
e sul tagliere
Con la mia seconda prova ho ridotto quasi a zero il mio tesoretto di erba cipollina cinese. Il risultato è stato ottimo, ma volevo provare a fare un'altra variazione (e una foto migliore). Ho pensato di andare a far spesa in un negozio di verdure asiatiche ma una sorpresa mi attendeva al mercato dei produttori:
sacchetti di erba cipollina cinese in vendita al mercato (al centro della foto)
Ho ringraziato il signore che ha portato questa ricchezza e mi ha permesso di fare due ulteriori frittelle e finalizzare la mia ricetta.
Come salsina per intingere i bocconci i di frittella ho preparato una semplice miscela di salsa di soia e aceto. Onestamente non mi è piaciuta molto. Invece ho trovato che il chutney di pomodori e datteri4 descritto nel mio post precedente si sposa perfettamente con la frittella (vedi foto in alto), sia come gusto che come colore.
con salsina più tradizionale
Queste frittelle sono semplici e gustose: un po' croccanti un po' morbide e con un delicato sapore tra l'aglio e il porro.
Ingredienti per una frittella (o crespella, monodose) da moltiplicare a seconda delle porzioni necessarie:
30 grammi di erba cipollina cinese mondata
1/2 cucchiaio di amido di mais + abbastanza farina di frumento per un totale di 30 grammi (io uso metà farina bianca e metà farina integrale passata al setaccio)
80 ml di acqua ghiacciata
un pizzico di peperoncino coreano in polvere (Gochugaru)
un pizzico di sale
2 cucchiai / 30 ml di olio per friggere (io uso olio di alghe)
chutney di pomodori e datteri e per servire4
Tagliate l'erba cipollina cinese in strisce di 2 cm.
In una ciotola mescolate l'amido di mais e la farina (o farine) con l'acqua fino a formare una pastella omogenea. Aggiungete il peperoncino e il sale e mescolate. Aggiungete l'erba cipollina cinese alla pastella e mescolate.
Su fuoco medio, scaldate una padella di ghisa poi versateci 3/4 dell'olio. Quando l'olio è ben caldo, versate l'impasto e rapidamente formate una frittella alquanto sottile. Cuocetela a fuoco medio-basso per 8-10 minuti, poi giratela. Aggiungete il resto dell'olio alla padella e fatelo scivolare sotto la frittella. Pressate la frittella con la spatola un paio di volte. Dopo averla girata, cuocete la frittella per altri 6-8 minuti fino a quando la pastella sia cotta.
Nel frattempo assicuratevi che il chutney sia a temperatura ambiente.
Traferite la frittella su un piatto. Potete lasciarla aperta o piegarla a lettera o tagliarla a bocconcini (con un tagliapizza) in modo da poterla mangiare con i bastoncini. Servitela subito insieme al chutney.
La cosa migliore è mangiare questa frittella appena emerge dalla padella, ma se fate diverse frittelle e avete degli avanzi, sono buoni il giorno dopo riscaldati o a temperatura ambiente.
Contribuisco la mia frittella coreana di erba cipollina cinese alla lettera E di Un mondo d'ingredienti evento creato dall'instancabile Aiu' di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
ready to spoon some? (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan1 which tells the story of four women in Kent, UK, during WWII. The food rations in effect at that time play a central role: they affected everyone and cooks in particular, tasked as they were to prepare nourishing and tasty meals with what the rations provided. (Vegetable gardens and foraging enriched the limited availability of ingredients.)
The novel's title refers to a BBC program devised to provide ideas on how best to make use of those rations. The four women compete to become the program's co-lead by cooking a starter, a main dish and a dessert that showcase what's possible within the confines of the wartime pantry.
The book includes the competition recipes and a few others. It is interesting to read the alternatives people devised for ingredients that were in short supply, like sugar. The one surprise in the story is the croquembouche Zelda (the chef among the four women) brings as her entry for the dessert part of the competition.
Red beets are mentioned several times in the book using their British name, beetroots. Audrey grows them in her garden and they are featured in a couple of the recipes provided in the book. I don't grow them, but like to get them at the farmers market, particularly when they are sold with their greens, which are delicious in their own right.
I last featured red beets in a salad2 inspired by Finnish rosolli. This time, for inspiration I turned to Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen3 and John Welchman. The book includes recipes from a large area, from the Baltics to Uzbekistan. In the Zakuski section (appetizers, antipasti), I read about Georgian pkhali, a dish made from a finely chopped cooked vegetable (like spinach, eggplants, beets) with a dressing of ground walnuts (noci tritate), garlic, vinegar, spices and herbs. I decided to make Beet Pkhali.
I halved the recipe and adjusted a couple of other things, most notably 1) I toasted the walnuts; 2) used parsley instead of cilantro; 3) used sherry vinegar since I couldn't find tarragon vinegar.
The headnote says that pkhali must be made "at least 6 to 8 hours ahead for the flavor of the garlic to settle properly" (page 25). The result? Oh my! The vinegar and spices balance out the distinctive sweetness of red beets and the walnuts provide a light body to the soft texture of cooked beets. Pkhali is served as a pâté but I've also read it defined as a spreadable salad. It is a bit addictive: you taste a small spoonful, spread some on a cracker, drop a dollop on green salad, and before you know it, it's gone.
The second time I made the recipe I measured the ingredients more precisely, then the next time I adjusted some more. Below is my current version and further down there is a link to the recipe that inspired me.
Note: If possible, purchase red beets with their greens. Cut off the greens about 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the root and consume them as soon as possible like you would other types of dark leafy greens. (You can also use them, together with spinach, to make Spinach Pkhali) For efficiency's sake, I recommend that you roast more beets than you need for the recipe and add the extra ones to a soup or salad.
Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
Scrub the red beets well. Wrap each beet in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Put the beets in the oven and roast them until easily pierced with a blade. Check after 45-60 minutes (depending on the beets' size) and gauge the cooking time remaining.
Let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off the skin. Weigh the amount you need for the recipe. Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces and set them aside.
To make the walnut sauce Heat the oven to 350 F / 170 C.
Distribute the walnuts on an unlined baking sheet or cookie sheet and place in the oven. Roast the walnuts for a few minutes until they smell fragrant. Remove them from the sheet and let them cool.
Ground the walnuts in a food processor. Place the ground walnuts in a bowl and add all the other sauce ingredients. Mix well and set aside.
To make the pkhali Process the roasted red beets until coarsely minced. Add to the bowl with the walnut sauce. Mix well.
Add the other pkhali ingredients and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (6 to 8 is better).
Take out of the refrigerator the pkhali ahead of time, spread it on a serving plate and smooth the top with a spatula. (I shaped it more like a low mound.) With a knife, make a pattern of diamonds on the top.
Serve at room temperature.
Serves 4 as an appetizer.
A colorful, delightful way of serving this nutritious root vegetable.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
pronti all'assaggio? (tovaglietta di La FABBRICA del LINO)
Le barbabietole rosse sono una delle verdure che amo comprare al mercato dei produttori, soprattutto quando hanno ancora le foglie attaccate (come nella foto in basso), che sono una delizia.
In un post dell'anno scorso le ho presentate in un'insalata ispirata al rosolli, piatto tipico finlandese. Stavolta l'ispirazione me l'ha data il libro Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya von Bremzen3 e John Welchman. Il tomo racchiude 400 ricette provenienti dall'area che va dalle repubbliche baltiche all'Uzbekistan. Nella sezione Zakuski (antipasti), ho trovato il pkhali, piatto tipico della Georgia composto da una verdura cotta e tagliata finemente (come spinaci, melanzane, barbabietole) condita con una salsa di noci tritate, aglio, aceto e spezie. Ho deciso di provare a fare il pkhali di barbabietole rosse.
Ho dimezzato le dosi e ho cambiato dei dettagli: 1) ho tostato le noci; 2) ho utilizzato il prezzemolo invece del coriandolo fresco (che negli USA si chiama cilantro); 3) ho utilizzato l'aceto di sherry perché non ho trovato quello al dragoncello.
La ricetta nota che il pkhali deve essere preparato "almeno 6-8 ore in anticipo in modo che il sapore dell'aglio si assesti" (page 25). Il risultato è eccellente. Aceto e spezie bilanciano il sapore dolce delle barbabietole e le noci danno una leggera corposità alla consistenza morbida delle barbabietole cotte. Pkhali viene servito come pâté ma ho anche letto una definizione di insalata spalmabile. Ne assaggi un cucchiaino, ne spalmi un po' su un cracker, ne aggiungi un cucchiaio ad un'insalata verde e in un batter d'occhio non ce n'è più.
La seconda volta che ho preparato la ricetta ho misurato le quantità con più precisione e la volta successiva ho fatto minimi aggiustamenti. Qui sotto c'è la versione corrente e più in basso il link alla ricetta che mi ha ispirato (in inglese).
Ingredienti:
2 barbabietole rosse per ottenere 170 grammi, peso cotto e netto (vedi Nota in basso)
Per la salsa alle noci:
42 grammi di noci, preferibilmente appena sgusciate
2 piccoli spicchi d'aglio tritati
1 cucchiaio di cipollotto rosso tritato
1,5 cucchiai di prezzemmolo fresco tritato
1/8 cucchiaino di coriandolo in polvere
1/8 cucchiaino di fieno greco (trigonella) in polvere
Un pizzichino di pepe di Caienna
1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino
1,5 cucchiai / 22,5 ml d'acqua
3/4 cucchiaio / 11,25 ml di aceto di sherry
Per il pkhali:
Le barbabietole rosse arrosto (vedi sopra)
La salsa alle noci (vedi sopra)
1/2 cucchiaio / 7,5 ml di aceto di sherry
1 cucchiaio di prezzemmolo fresco tritato
Sale fino, q.b.
Nota: Se possibile, acquistare barbabietole rosse con ancora le foglie attaccate. Tagliare le foglie un paio di cm al di sopra del bulbo e consumarle prima possibile (si possono preparare come altre verdure in foglia). Per essere efficienti, raccomando di arrostire più barbabietole di quante ne servano per la ricetta e utilizzare il resto come ingrediente in una zuppa o insalata.
Scaldare il forno a 190 C.
Pulire le barbabietole rosse. Avvolgere ciascuna barbabietola in un pezzo di carta stagnola e metterle su una placca da forno. Infornare e arrostire le barbabietole rosse fino a quando si possono perforare facilmente con un coltello. Controllare dopo 45-60 minuti (a seconda della grandezza delle barbabietole) e valutare il tempo di cottura rimanente.
Far intiepidire le barbabietole, poi pelarle. Pesare la quantità necessaria per la ricetta. Tagliare le barbabietole a pezzi e metterle da parte.
Preparare la salsa di noci Scaldare il forno a 170 C.
Distribuire le noci su una placca da forno. Tostare le noci per alcuni minuti. Toglierle dalla placca e farle freddare.
Tritare finemente le noci nel robot, versarle in una ciotola e aggiungere tutti gli altri ingredienti della salsa alle noci. Mescolare bene e mettere da parte.
Preparare il pkhali Tritare le barbabietole rosse nel robot. Aggiungerle alla ciotola con la salsa alle noci. Mescolare bene.
Aggiungere gli altri ingredienti del pkhali e mescolare bene. Coprire la ciotola e tenerla in frigo per almeno 4 ore (6-8 ore anche meglio).
Tirare fuori dal frigorifero il pkhali in anticipo, versarlo su un piatto da portata e lisciare la superficie con una spatola. (Io l'ho gli ho dato la forma un po' a collinetta, invece che piatta.) Con un coltello marcare la superficie con una decorazione a losanghe.
Servire a temperatura ambiente.
Serve 4 come antipasto.
1Sezione su pkhali in Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya von Bremzen e John Welchman (in inglese) 2 Il libro di memorie di Anya von Bremzen: L'arte della cucina sovietica
Contribuisco il mio pkhali di barbabietole rosse dalla Georgia alla lettera B di Un mondo d'ingredienti evento creato dall'instancabile Aiu' di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
flavor and color bursting from the bowl (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
The novel Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies by Vicky Zimmerman1 is our current Cook the Books Club selection. I enjoyed the story of the friendship between Kate and Miss Cecily and the style in which it is told. It was a reading that satisfied well the need for something light during an intense period.
When the story feels like it is sliding under a shadow of predictability, Zimmerman inserts a surprise to keep the reader's interest alive. This happens even beyond the ending, as the interview with the author, which I found at the end of the book, brought some interesting details.
The story shines a light on the importance of mentors in one's life. Miss Cecily is not an easy one, but Kate perseveres, understanding that the elderly woman's sometimes sharp words come from a place of affection and wisdom.
In the 1950's, Miss Cecily wrote a cookbook (Thought for Food), which contains menus and practical advice for different occasions (for example, Tea for a Crotchety Aunt). The recipes belong to that era and the menus mentioned are not keen on vegetables, which are what I mostly eat, so I thought I'd contribute a vegetable dish of my liking for balance.
summer flavor thanks to a winter surprise (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Kate could prepare this avocado salad for Ben whom in the story she scolds for buying store-bought guacamole instead of preparing it fresh. The salad was inspired by the avocado salsa cruda recipe in The Latin Table by Isabel Cruz. The main ingredient change I made is the use of arugula (rucola) instead of cilantro (coriandolo).
I love avocados! Mashed avocado makes a great dressing for many vegetables, including roasted Brussels sprouts and steamed purple sprouting broccoli. A local farmer2 is growing tomatoes (pomodori) in hoop tunnels, so between those and locally grown arugula, I have been enjoying bowls of this brightly flavored salad.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
una ciotola piena di colore e sapore (tovaglietta de La FABBRICA del LINO)
Si dice "avocado" ed è facile pensare al guacamole, salsa messicana preparata nel molcajete (mortaio), ma per questo viaggio virtuale nel mondo degli ingredienti, ho preparato una ensalada de aguacate ispirata dalla ricetta per avocado salsa cruda in The Latin Table di Isabel Cruz. Ho sostituito il coriandolo, del quale non sono una fan, con la rucola.
In uno dei mercati dei produttori che frequento, in questo periodo trovo avocado raccolti qui in California (e il cipollotto rosso). Avocado di produzione messicana si trovano facilmente nei supermercati tutto l'anno. La varieta più comune è Haas ma ce ne sono anche altre1.
Grazie ad un produttore locale in vena di esperimenti al mercato vicino casa ho trovato dei bei (e buoni) pomodori, nonostante la stagione. Di produzione locale è anche la rucola.
Ingredienti per una porzione:
110 grammi di pomodori piccoli o ciliegini
30 grammi di rucola, peso pulito
1 cucchiaio di cipollotto rosso (o scalogno) tritato
1/2 avocado medio maturo
1/8 cucchiaino di sale fino o q.b.
1 cucchiaio / 15 ml di succo di lime o q.b.
1/2 cucchiaio / 7.5 ml di olio extra-vergine di oliva, facoltativo
Affettare i pomodori. Se usate i ciliegini, taglieteli a metà o in quarti a seconda della loro grandezza. Mettere i pomodori in una ciotola.
Tagliare la rucola e aggiungerla alla ciotola, poi aggiungere il cipollotto (o scalogno).
Tagliare a dadini l'avocado e aggiungerlo alla ciotola.
Spargere sull'insalata il sale e il succo di lime e mescolare bene, delicatamente.
Assaggiare e correggere sale e/o succo di lime, se necessario. Per un'insalata più ricca, spargere l'olio d'oliva e mescolare di nuovo.
Contribuisco la mia insalata di avocado dal Messico alla lettera A di Un mondo d'ingredienti evento creato dall'instancabile Aiu' di Trattoria Muvara
FTC disclosure: Ho ricevuto gli articoli di lino gratuitamente dall'azienda produttrice (la FABBRICA del LINO). Non ho ricevuto e non riceverò alcun compenso per presentarli sul mio blog. Le opinioni espresse nel post sono interamente personali.
flavorful and brightly colored (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
The novel Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson1 is our current Cook the Books Club selection, hosted by yours truly. I chose the book from a list of food-rich ones because the title intrigued me. Fernet-Branca is a popular digestivo (digestive liqueur) in Italy, not a cooking ingredient. A splash of it can be added to an espresso to make a version of caffè corretto. A Fernet caldo (warm) is meant to help digestion.
While I don't know what Fernet-Branca tastes like, I remember well how much I liked its TV ads when I was a kid. The ads2 featured ever-shifting shapes made with modeling clay.
"An opera buffa with recipes" is how the NY Times review1 describes the novel, and I agree. The story and the events are somewhat outlandish and hilarious. The protagonists, Gerald and Marta, whose voice and perspective we hear in turn, keep the reader's attention and so does their turf war — fought in a corner of Tuscany, which for both of them is a foreign country.
Gerald, a British ghost writer, is also a creative cook. His recipes, like the book's plot, are — shall we say — unusual and often enriched with Fernet-Branca (to which Marta introduced him). The inspiration for my salad came not from Gerald's creations, but from a connection I made between bitter liqueur (amaro) and its digestive properties, and bitter greens, like beloved radicchio.
group photo: salad ingredients (minus the microgreens) (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Last month, I spent a few days in Venice (Venezia) and ate radicchio every day, raw or cooked. All the varieties were available at the store where I usually shop for vegetables, which made me happy. In recent years, I have been able to obtain radicchio from some vendors at farmers' markets in California,3 and when that happens I always make a point of thanking the farmer for growing a beloved vegetable.
While the round, wine-red radicchio di Chioggia is the most common salad variety, I sometimes find the burgundy-flecked variegato di Castelfranco.
before the final tossing (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
With their delicate sweetness, Fuyu persimmons, now in season, and great in salads, provide a lovely contrast to radicchio. The other ingredients contribute to the salad's flavor and texture profile.
1 ounce / 28 grams Fuyu persimmon (about 1/2 of a medium persimmon)
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
A splash of sherry vinegar + 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, possibly homemade OR 2 tablespoons vinaigrette
1/2 ounce sweet blue cheese, crumbled
Chop the clean radicchio and leaf lettuce and place into a bowl.
Scrub the carrot and scrape its surface to remove a thin layer of skin. Grate the carrot using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater. Add the grated carrot and the microgreens to the bowl.
Core and thinly slice the persimmon, then add to the bowl.
Sprinkle the salt on the salad then distribute the mayonnaise or vinaigrette on the surface. Toss gently and thoroughly.
Sprinkle the blue cheese, toss again, plate and serve.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
Farm-fresh iceberg lettuce inspired this serving option (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the memoir Taste by actor Stanley Tucci1. The book included a couple of interesting sections, one pertaining the history of the highly enjoyable movie Big Night (1996),2 in which Tucci played the younger brother, Secondo. I didn't know that he had written the screenplay. If you haven't seen it, I recommend it.
The other section I enjoyed was where Felicity (now Tucci's wife) prepared roasted potatoes in a way that first surprised then alarmed the author, but that in the end won the family's approval. Although the last part of the book focuses on the cancer diagnosis Tucci received, the intense treatment he underwent and his recovery, overall the book is pretty light. I wish—and this is on the publisher, not the author—that it had been proofread by an Italian.
Reading the book in the run-up to the 16th anniversary of my little blog, made me think of all the recipes I have created for it. I decided to select a recipe from the early years and update it based on my current eating habits. The recipe I chose comes from a July 2008 post3 and features seasonal ingredients quite representative of Italian cuisine. The salad also happens to include the colors of the Italian flag (called tricolore): white, red and green (bianco, rosso e verde).
before the salad there are pretty ingredients (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
When I first moved to California, 28 years ago, it was hard to find fava beans and fennel, two foods that had been part of my life since childhood. In time, the situation changed and now I can easily purchase them where I live, when in season.
Fava beans make me think of my father, who loved them eaten fresh from the pods, with just a bit of salt. Fennel reminds me of my godfather, who ate some at the end of every meal (wiped clean with a cloth, not washed, an instruction I follow).
Even after so many years in California, our long strawberry season still thrills me. As a child, the weeks during which strawberries were available always seemed to pass too quickly. Now I know that I have time to enjoy a favorite fruit for several months.
Ready for bright colors: the view from above (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
For this update, I added a radish to the ingredients, a small peppery note to balance the sweetness of berries. (I had the idea after taking the photo above, so the radish is absent from it). Finally, a beautiful head of iceberg lettuce (lattuga iceberg) inspired me to make small boats for serving. To eat, close the leaf into a wrapper and enjoy the combination.
Wash, hull and slice the strawberries, then season them with the balsamic vinegar. Toss and set aside to marinate.
Shell the fava beans and blanch them for 30 seconds, then drain them and plunge them into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop the cooking. Slit the skin with your thumbnail then pinch or twist to slip the bright green core out of its coat and into a small bowl. Set aside.
Trim and clean the fennel bulb, leaving an inch or so of the green stalk to hold it when slicing. Quarter, cut off the core, and slice thinly using a mandoline. Set aside.
Grate the radish using the extra-coarse side of a hand grater.
Bring the ingredients together in a serving bowl.
Pour the olive oil and balsamic vinegar into a small glass jar. Add sat, pepper and mustard. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss.Taste and adjust seasoning, as needed.
Sprinkle basil and fennel frond.
Toss again and serve as a side dish (contorno) or appetizer (antipasto). Alternatively, spoon some salad on iceberg lettuce leaves and serve.
Serves 3 (4 if served on iceberg lettuce).
For future reference (i.e., when it will be my turn to host Cook the Books. Tucci describes a meal he shared with legendary Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni4:
After dinner Marcello ordered a digestivo. This consisted of a half a shot of amaro and a half a shot of Fernet-Branca.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
Colorful salad: the view from above (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the spy novel Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews1. I chose this book for our Club in early June 2021. I had no idea that by the time I started reading it, it would feel like current events. It was hard to believe the book was published in 20132.
While I am an avid reader of mystery novels, this was my first experience reading a spy novel. I was attracted to it because each chapter ends with a short recipe (ricetta): more a list of ingredients and a sketch of the preparation than a real recipe. Still the contrast is intriguing.
The author is a former officer of the CIA’s Operations Directorate, so he wrote the novel from a place of personal experience. I was interested in the language (acronyms and some spy jargon) and the window the novel opens on the mechanics of some secret operations. I found the main characters in the novel interesting, in terms of how they end up doing what they do and also with respect to the question: how do they keep their humanity? How do they maintain friendships, marriages? Those relationships are rooted in trust, openness, sincerity, and yet the spy’s main role is to dissimulate and violence, some of it quite brutal (torture, murder) is part of the job.
salad ingredients ready to be tossed together (placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)
As the story travels to different countries, the recipes span a number of culinary traditions. When the novel moved to Helsinki, I looked for Finnish recipes, since an important part of the novel takes place in the Nordic capital: that’s where Dominika meets and falls in love with CIA operative Nate, and befriends fellow Russian Marta, whose disappearance pushes Dominika to step over to the other side. In my search, I read about rosolli, a salad
made of cooked, diced root vegetables, especially beetroot, carrot and potato, often combined with one or more of pickled cucumber (of either the vinegar or brine type), raw onion and apple. Variations may also include additional ingredients such as pickled herring or boiled egg…3
Then in chapter 40, I read:
On the way back to Tallinn, Benford stopped at a highway café grill, to see how the Lada would react. Surveillance proceeded two hundred meters and waited on the side of the highway. Benford made himself stretch out a lunch of boiled sausages, pickles, herring, Baltic rosolje salad, black bread, dark loamy beers.
and a recipe for Estonian Beet Salad—Rosolje appears at the end of the chapter, signaling that various versions of this dish are typical of the larger Baltic region. In fact,
Similar dishes are found throughout northern Europe, from the Low Countries across Scandinavia to Russia. Especially the Russian vinegret is very similar to the Finnish rosolli.3
The salad I made is a free interpretation: I roasted red beets and carrots, omitted potatoes, pickles, herring and the “cooked beef or pork” mentioned in the book’s version, used my homemade mayonnaise (maionese) as dressing and added blue cheese (formaggio erborinato). The combination is quite nice: sweet, tender vegetables, crisp apple, egg, a hint of sharpness in the cheese. You can roast the vegetables ahead of time, then assemble the salad right before the meal. I imagine preparing the ingredients and allow the guests to make their own salad, which can be served also as an appetizer (antipasto).
Ingredients per person (to be multiplied as needed):
2 small red beets
2 small carrots
1 large egg, from pastured poultry
1/2 medium apple
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
A splash of sherry vinegar, to taste
1-2 tablespoons / 15-30 ml mayonnaise, possibly homemade, to taste
1/2 ounce / 15 grams Point Reyes Bay Blue4 OR other sweet blue cheese
Note: I recommend you purchase a bunch of red beets with their greens. Cut off the greens about 1 inch / 2.5 cm from the root and consume them as soon as possible like you would other types of dark leafy greens.
Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C.
Scrub the red beets well. Scrub the carrots well and scrape the surface with a blade to remove a thin layer of skin. Wrap each in foil and place them on a baking sheet. Put in the oven and roast the vegetables until easily pierced with a blade. Check the carrots after 30 minutes and the beets after 45 minutes and gauge the cooking time remaining for each.
Let the carrots cool until easy to handle, then slice them (half the slices if the carrot is wide) and set them aside. Let the red beets cool until easy to handle, then slip off the skin. Cut the beets in bite-sized pieces and set them aside.
In the meantime, hard-boil the egg, let it cool, then peel it and dice it. Crumble the cheese. Just before assembling the salad, dice the apple (peeling optional).
Compose the salad using the vegetables, apple and egg. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar and toss. Add the mayonnaise and toss, then add the blue cheese, toss one last time, and serve.
[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]
FTC disclosure: I have received the table linen free of charge from the manufacturer (la FABBRICA del LINO). I have not and will not receive any monetary compensation for presenting it on my blog. The experience shared and the opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own.
This is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Claudia of Honey From Rock. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)
Contribuisco il mio tortino di spinaci con pinoli e uvetta, piatto della tradizione ebraica in Italia alla lettera U di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di 
Contribuisco le mie melanzane dall’Afghanistan alla lettera M di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di 
Contribuisco i miei blini con farina di grano saraceno dalla Russia alla lettera G di Un mondo d’ingredienti evento creato dall’instancabile Aiu’ di