appetizer

shishito peppers with cheese / peperoni shishito col formaggio

| Simona

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shishito peppers with cheese
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.

shishito peppers
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
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.

shishito peppers
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.

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Shishito peppers with cheese

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 ounces / 140 grams shishito peppers
  • 1 ounce / 30 grams Nicasio Valley Cheese Company tomino or similar cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Warm up a 10-inch/25-cm cast-iron skillet on medium heat. Drizzle the olive oil and use a cooking brush to oil the skillet evenly.

Add the shishito peppers and spread them in a single layer. They should sizzle slightly in the hot skillet. Turn down the heat to medium-low.

Cook for 3 minutes, until the peppers are blistered in spots underneath.

In the meantime, slice the cheese thinly and quarter each slice. Distribute the cheese on the bottom of a serving plate.

Flip the peppers and cook 2 minutes until they are blistered in spots and tender, but still a bit crunchy.

Sprinkle the sea salt on the peppers and quickly transfer them to the prepared serving plate.

Serve immediately.

Eat the peppers with a fork, making sure to scoop up a bit of the softened cheese along the way from plate to mouth.

Serves 1-2.

a batch of shishito peppers
a batch of shishito peppers included yellowish and reddish ones
(small bowl by Lily Haas5, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

This dish has become a favorite. My husband does not care for peppers which gives me an excuse to eat a whole basket by myself.

1 The book’s page on the author’s website
2 My Instagram account
3 Bovine Bakery in Point Reyes Station
4 Nicasio Valley Cheese Company, makes tomino
5 Lily Haas (Instagram feed)

Click on the Play button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

Cook the Books logoThis 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.)

The roundup of the event.

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.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

buckwheat blini / blini con farina di grano saraceno

| Simona

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versione in italiano

buckwheat blini
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.

making blini
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).

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Buckwheat blini

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup / 180 ml milk (2% or whole milk)
  • 40 grams buckwheat flour
  • 20 grams whole-wheat pastry flour
  • 50 grams all-purpose flour
  • 3/8 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 large egg, yolk and white separated
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • vegetable oil for frying (I use alga oil)

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.

buckwheat blini on a plate
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.

1 Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya Von Bremzen, John Welchman
2 Anya von Bremzen’s wheat blini recipe as written for the Food52 website: note that this recipe uses a double leavening process, while in the version in Please to the Table the process includes 3 periods of leavening.
3 The Please to the Table buckwheat blini recipe
4 Recipe for buckwheat blini by Erin Jeanne McDowell on the Food52 website
5 From briciole’s archive: eggplant caviar (ikra)
6 From briciole’s archive: tomato and date chutney
7 From briciole’s archive: red beet pkhali

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.

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graph divider

blini con farina di grano saraceno

buckwheat blini
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.

making blini
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.

buckwheat blini on a plate
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.

1 Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook di Anya Von Bremzen, John Welchman
2 Ricetta dei blini di grano di Anya von Bremzen sul sito Food52 (in inglese): questa ricetta usa una doppia levitazione, mentre la versione nel libro usa una tripla lievitazione
3 La ricetta dei blini con farina di grano saraceno da Please to the Table (in inglese)
4 La ricetta dei blini con farina di grano saraceno di Erin Jeanne McDowell sul sito Food52 (in inglese)
5 Dall’archivio di briciole: caviale di melanzane
6 Dall’archivio di briciole: chutney di pomodori e datteri
7 Dall’archivio di briciole: pkhali di barbabietole rosse

Un mondo d'ingredienti logolettera G logoContribuisco 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.

Copyright © 2007 – 2026 Simona Carini. All rights reserved.

recipe: buckwheat blini

| Simona

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red beet pkhali / pkhali di barbabietole rosse

| Simona

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[versione in italiano]

red beet pkhali / IMG_4927

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.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Red beet pkhali

Ingredients:

  • 2 red beets to obtain 6 ounces / 170 grams when cooked and peeled (see Note below)

For the walnut sauce:

  • 1 1/2 ounces / 42 grams walnuts, preferably freshly shelled
  • 2 small garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced red spring onion
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/8 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground fenugreek
  • A small pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons / 22.5 ml water
  • 3/4 tablespoon / 11.25 ml sherry vinegar

For the pkhali:

  • The roasted red beets from above
  • The walnut sauce from above
  • 1/2 tablespoon / 7.5 ml sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
  • Fine sea salt, if needed, to taste

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.

1 The book's page on the publisher's website
2 From briciole's archive: Red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad
3 Cook the Books club read von Bremzen's memoir some years ago, and, inspired by the book, I made Mushroom and egg salad
4 Section on pkhali in Please to the Table: The Russian Cookbook by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

pkhali di barbabietola rosse

or launch the pkhali di barbabietola rosse audio file [mp3].

[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.]

CtBThis 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.)

The roundup of the event. 

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.

red beets, walnuts, salad, spread, Georgian cuisine

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pkhali di barbabietole rosse

red beet pkhali / IMG_4927

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.

1 Sezione 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

UnMondoIngredientiLogo 329221889_1929099054116173_1830165923816230171_nContribuisco 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.

 

recipe: red beet pkhali

| Simona

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strawberry, fava bean, fennel and radish salad / insalata di fragole, fave, finocchio e ravanello

| Simona

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IMG_4362

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).

fava beans, fennel, strawberries / IMG_4360

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.

IMG_4361

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.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Strawberry, fava bean, fennel and radish salad

Ingredients :

  • 7 ounces / 200 grams strawberries, possibly organic
  • 1 teaspoon / 5 ml balsamic vinegar
  • 1 pound / 450 grams fresh fava beans
  • 1 small fennel bulb
  • 1 radish
  • 2 tablespoons / 30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon / 15 ml balsamic vinegar
  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
  • A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon stone-ground mustard
  • 4-5 leaves of fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 1 teaspoon minced fennel frond

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.

1 The book's page on the publisher's website
2 Big Night
3 From briciole's archive: Strawberry, fava bean and fennel salad
4 My favorite image of Mastroianni, by Diane Arbus

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post

insalata di fragole, fave, finocchio e ravanello

or launch the insalata di fragole, fave, finocchio e ravanello audio file [mp3].

[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.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by Deb of Kahakai Kitchen. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

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.

strawberry, fava bean, fennel, radish, salad

recipe: strawberry, fava bean, fennel and radish salad

| Simona

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red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad / insalata di barbabietole rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo

| Simona

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IMG_4299

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.

IMG_4296 (1)

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).

Print-friendly version of briciole’s recipe for Red beet, carrot, apple and egg salad

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.

1 The book’s page on the publisher’s website
2 A review of the novel on the NY Times
3 The wikipedia article about rosolli and a recipe for rosolli on the Finlandia Foundation website
4 Point Reyes Bay Blue cheese, “a rustic-style blue cheese with a natural rind. It is known for its mellow flavor and sweet, salted caramel finish.”

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

insalata di barbabietole rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo

or launch the insalata di barbabietola rosse, carote, mela e uovo sodo audio file [mp3].

[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.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.  

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.

red beet, apple, carrot, egg, salad

honeynut squash, blue cheese and walnut bites / bocconcini di zucca, formaggio erborinato e noci

| Simona

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IMG_3604 / honeynut squash

Appetizer in progress
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our current Cook the Books Club selection is the novel The Secret, Book and Scone Society by Ellery Adams1, a mystery that revolves mainly around a bookstore (libreria). 

The bookstore's owner, Nora, having once been healed by books, has chosen to do the same with other people. Besides Nora, the society of the title includes three other women, quite different from each other, each with a secret, a story she will at some point share. One of them is a baker with a special gift of baking 'personalized' scones, which evoke intense memories (ricordi) in those who eat them.

The novel strikes a balance between the murder plot and the background stories of the four women, particularly of Nora. She emerges as a courageous person and steadying force in the group. 

It would have been fitting to develop a recipe for scones, a pastry of which I have been a great fan ever since tasting it for the first time in London, many years ago. This blog includes eight recipes for scones2 using ingredients like carrots, persimmons, strawberries, red beets (see the complete list at the bottom of this post). But as the story focuses on the slow opening up of each woman to the others, I thought I would prepare a dish that could be shared during one of their meetings.

Then life happened: in early November, I fell on the sidewalk, broke my left little finger and have had my left hand in a half cast and bandage ever since. Everyday things, like washing my face, chopping foods, picking up a pan, typing, became difficult and tiresome. I still clung to my original idea and the recipe below reflects the season with its availability of countless varieties of winter squash. No matter how many new ones I try each fall, the following year I find some new ones. 

honeynut squash, blue cheese and walnut bites

Almost ready: a quick stay in the oven and then: Buon appetito! (bar board 
by BHV Woodworks5, placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

The honeynut squash looks like a mini butternut squash: it has the same elongated shape, solid neck, bulbous end, but it is smaller, darker in color and sweeter in flavor. When I see a new-to-me type of winter squash, I always think that I had not been looking in the right place. But honeynut squash is indeed a relatively new variety, as a 2017 article in Bon Appétit explains3. A recipe for blue cheese and butternut squash crostini on an advertisement page in the current edition of Edible East Bay4 and honeynut squash in my squash stash contributed to the creation of this appetizer (in particular, the idea of toasting walnuts in rosemary-flavored oil).  

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Honeynut squash, blue cheese and walnut bites

I am not giving set quantities but general directives. Assume 4 bites per person as an appetizer and estimate 1 honeynut squash will serve 3-4 people, depending on size.

Do not worry about preparing extra squash slices and/or topping components: they can be stored for a couple of days or used in other dishes.

Ingredients:

  • Honeynut squash
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Walnuts, possibly freshly shelled
  • Needles from a fresh rosemary sprig (rametto di rosmarino), chopped
  • Shallot or red onion, chopped finely
  • Fine sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Blue cheese of good quality
  • A small amount of milk, dairy or not

Heat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. Prepare a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat.

Using a sturdy swivel vegetable peeler, peel the squash. Slice off top and bottom. Cut the squash into 1/4-inch thick slices. When you get to the seed cavity, cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds and strings (a grapefruit spoon is my favorite tool to do this). Cut the squash into 1-inch sections to form small boats.

Distribute the squash pieces on the baking mat and bake them for 15 minutes: they should be tender. If not, flip and bake a few minutes longer. Transfer the squash onto a plate.

In the meantime, warm up a small frying pan and oil it lightly. Add the rosemary needles and stir. After 30 seconds, add the walnuts and toast them until fragrant, stirring often. Remove the walnuts and rosemary from the pan and transfer onto a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Let the walnuts cool slightly then chop finely. Set aside.

Again warm up the frying pan, add some olive oil and cook the shallot or onion until crisp/tender, stirring often and paying attention not to burn it. Sprinkle some sea salt and black pepper, stir again and set aside.

In a ramekin, crumble the blue cheese and add enough milk to turn into a thick cream, using a small fork to mix.

Assemble the bites: take a piece of squash, deposit a bit of the shallot or onion, top with a bit of the cheese and sprinkle some walnuts on top. Repeat until you have as many bites as needed. Avoid piling up too much topping: you want to be able to use your hands to pick up a bite and to taste all the flavors without one being overwhelming.

Put the baking sheet in the oven at 300 F / 150 C for a few minutes to just warm up the bites.

Transfer to a plate and serve immediately. 

1 The novel's page on the author's website
2 Scone recipes from the blog: strawberry, persimmon, pear & coconut, baby zucchini & walnut, roasted carrot, red beet, apple & pistachio, curried pumpkin & ginger, ricotta & poppy seed
3 Bon Appétit article on honeynut squash
4 Edible East Bay
5 I purchased the board and coaster from BHV Woodworks

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

bocconcini di zucca, formaggio erborinato e noci

or launch the bocconcini di zucca, formaggio erborinato e noci audio file [mp3].

[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.]

CtBThis is my contribution to the current selection of our Cook the Books hosted by me, Simona of briciole. (You can find the guidelines for participating in the event on this page.)

The roundup of the event.

FTC disclosure: I have received the table linens 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.

winter-squash, honeynut squash, blue cheese, appetizer, walnuts

recipe: honeynut squash, blue cheese and walnut bites

| Simona

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