Persian herb and greens frittata / frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe

March 15, 2020 | Simona

Persian herb and greens frittata / IMG_3163

green to celebrate spring
(placemat by La FABBRICA del LINO)

Our Cook the Books Club selection this time brings us to Ireland (Irlanda), yet the flavors are those of Iran (whose cuisine we savored also in a recent edition¹). The novel Pomegranate Soup, by Marsha Mehran² (zuppa di melograno), follows the adventures of the three Aminpour sisters, who escape from political turmoil in their native country to the UK and ultimately settle in the small Irish town of Ballinacroagh, where they open a small café serving dishes from their home country.

The novel's cast includes the sisters' landlady, the town's priest, a young man with a passion for astronomy and other colorful characters. The author expertly weaves past events into the present narrative, so that as the story progresses we learn what pushed the sisters to run away from their home.

Marjan, the eldest Aminpour sister, is the main force behind Babylon Café: she watches as many locals come to appreciate the dishes she creates, their appealing aromas and comforting flavors. The book mentions many dishes and includes a recipe at the end of each chapter. I was particularly intrigued by the description of "a good apple khoresh, a stew made from tart apples, chicken and split peas" (page 60 of the hardback edition), but while I was searching for a recipe for that, I read about Kuku Sabzi, a kind of herb frittata traditionally prepared for Nowruz, the Iranian New Year that is celebrated on the spring equinox. I am a lover of greens, so I decided to try this recipe. I read a number of renditions³ and below is a description of what I made.

In terms of greens, I went with what I found fresh at the farmers' market, namely spinach (spinaci) and dill (aneto). Parsley, thyme and lovage (prezzemolo, timo e levistico) come from my garden. The idea is that you can use greens and herbs you like and have available. A different combination means a different flavor, so this is a recipe that can be repeated without becoming boring.

When I tasted the first bite of my rendition, my first reaction was: why have I not tried making this before?

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Persian herb and greens frittata (Kuku Sabzi)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 ounces / 130 g leek, white and light green portion, clean weight (set aside the dark green portion to make broth or stock)
4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 bunches / 14 ounces / 400 g fresh spinach
2 cups of finely chopped fresh herbs: in my case mostly dill (thick stems removed), some sprigs of parsley, leaves of a handful of fresh thyme sprigs and 2 sprigs of lovage
5 large eggs from pastured poultry
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Cut the leek in half lengthwise and slice into 1/8 inch / 3 mm half-moons. Rinse well in a colander, then place in a bowl and fill it with cold water. With your hands, swirl the leek pieces to clean them well, then scoop them out of the water with a sieve or slotted spoon and drain them in a colander.

Warm up a 10-inch / 25 cm skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons / 30 ml of the olive oil. Add the leeks, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover the skillet and cook on low heat until the leeks are soft (12-15 minutes), stirring every now and then, making sure nothing burns. Transfer the leeks to a plate and clean the skillet.

Wash the spinach carefully and drain. Discard the roots and thicker stems and chop the rest finely. This is a bit tedious but it makes cooking easier, because the amount of eggs is small with respect to the amount of greens.

chopping herbs finely

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add the cooked leeks, the chopped spinach and herbs and mix everything well. A silicone spatula works well for this step, which requires patience.

Heat the broiler: if your oven allows it, use the low setting; otherwise, move the oven rack down one level.

Heat again the skillet and pour into it the remaining 2 tablespoons / 30 ml of the olive oil, then swirl to coat. Empty the bowl into the skillet and use the spatula to spread the mixture evenly across. Cover the skillet and cook the frittata on low heat until the bottom is just set: check it after 8 minutes and estimate the remaining cooking time.

Uncover the skillet and broil, watching carefully, until the top is set, 1-2 minutes. Let the frittata cool slightly, then slide it onto a platter and serve.

Serves 4-8

Persian herb and greens frittata / IMG_3158

why have I learned about this dish only now?

The intense green of this dish nicely points at the coming spring season. The flavor is a treat for lovers of greens.

¹ My recent post featuring another Persian-inspired recipe: eggplant and yellow split pea stew
² The book introduction on the author's website
³ Some recipes: on Bon Appetit (with useful video), the Kitchn, the Splendid Table

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

frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe

or launch the frittata persiana di verdure ed erbe 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.]

This 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.

This is also my second contribution to the 38th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I started 12 years ago and that I continue to host.

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.

frittata, spinach, dill, parsley, thyme, lovage, eggs, Persian cuisine

recipe: Persian herb and greens frittata

March 13, 2020 | Simona

Persian herb and greens frittata

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

Keywords: saute broil entree gluten-free low-carb nut-free soy-free sugar-free vegetarian spinach eggs leeks herbs Persian

Ingredients (4-8)

4 1/2 ounces / 130 g leek, white and light green portion, clean weight (set aside the dark green portion to make broth or stock)
4 tablespoons / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 bunches / 14 ounces / 400 g fresh spinach
2 cups of finely chopped fresh herbs: in my case mostly dill (thick stems removed), some sprigs of parsley, leaves of a handful of fresh thyme sprigs and 2 sprigs of lovage
5 large eggs from pastured poultry
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Instructions

Warm up a 10-inch / 25 cm skillet over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons / 30 ml of the olive oil. Add the leeks, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Cover the skillet and cook on gentle heat until the leeks are soft (12-15 minutes), stirring every now and then, making sure nothing burns. Transfer the leeks to a plate and clean the skillet.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the salt, pepper, and turmeric. Add the cooked leek, the chopped spinach and herbs and mix everything well. A silicone spatula works well for this step, which requires patience.

Heat the broiler: if your oven allows it, use the low setting; otherwise, move the oven rack down one level.

Uncover the skillet and broil, watching carefully, until the top is set, 1-2 minutes. Let the frittata cool slightly, then slide it onto a platter and serve.

Go to the full post on Persian herb and greens frittata

recipe: frità an bagna (frittata strips with parsley sauce)

April 24, 2012 | Simona

Frittata strips with parsley sauce

frittata strips with parsley sauce

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Keywords: egg parsley onion Italian

Ingredients

A medium onion, chopped
Olive oil
3 1/2 oz. [100 g] flat-leaf parsley, chopped
One cup [240 ml] broth (I used my homemade chicken broth)
1 tablespoon [15 ml] tapioca starch
2 tablespoons [30 ml] tomato purée sauce (I used the tomato sauce described in this post
6 eggs (I use pastured eggs)
3 tablespoons [45 ml] water
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Sea salt and freshly milled pepper, to taste

Instructions

Note on the parsley: my parsley is of the variety gigante d’Italia. The stalks are long and fairly thick. I weighed the parsley after removing the thick main stalk, which I set aside to add to various other ingredients to make chicken stock. With the precious help of my mezzaluna, chopping the parsley (divided into two batches) was a breeze.

Warm up some olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion, stir to coat and cook on gentle heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring often. Add the chopped parsley and stir. Cook for 2-3 minutes. In the meantime, warm up the broth, add the tapioca starch and stir to dissolve and finally stir in the tomato sauce. Pour the liquid into the saucepan, bring to a simmer and cook until the onion is soft. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

In the meantime, spray a large skillet with olive oil and warm up. I used my largest skillet, whose diameter is 12 inches [30.5 cm]. A slightly wider skillet would have worked as well, since the idea is to make a rather thin frittata. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly with a fork until just blended. Add the water, then a few pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Finally, add the cheese and give the eggs a final quick whisk to incorporate it.

Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the “low” setting.) Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don’t forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Roll the frittata and slice it into strips no more than 1/2 inch thick. Put the strips in the saucepan with the sauce ans stir delicately. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Go to the full post on frità an bagna / frittata strips with parsley sauce

frità an bagna / frittata strips with parsley sauce

April 8, 2012 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

my "frità an bagna"

Continuing our tour of the 20 regions of Italy organized by Trattoria MuVarA, we arrive in Piemonte (Piedmont), whose capital, Torino (Turin) was also the first capital of the newly united Italian state. It is difficult to do full justice to the many contributions Piemonte has made to Italian gastronomy. A random sample would include gianduia (hazelnut chocolate), Alba truffles (tartufi), several varieties of rice, bagna caoda, cheeses (for example, toma piemontese and bra), grissini (breadsticks) to name just a few highlights. And of course, we cannot forget the wines (Barbaresco, Barolo, Nebbiolo, etc.).

At the Parco del Valentino in Turin

This is a photo from my first visit to Torino, with my parents and brother. It was early December, cold and foggy. It was my first experience of the fog (nebbia) and it made a big impression on me. The city was padded with it: sounds were muffled and objects were faded. I think the photo, shot by my father at the Parco del Valentino, gives an idea of the atmosphere created by the fog. I didn't know at the time that some years later, I would move to Milan and would get very familiar with the thick fog typical of the Po Valley.

A couple of years after that first visit, I was in Torino again with my classmates and had another interesting experience: at the Museo egizio (Egyptian Museum) I saw the face of a mummy, unwrapped. My third and most recent visit was a short one, for a wedding.

None of the visits allowed me time to explore the culinary scene, so once again, for my contribution to the tour, I browsed the recipe section of the Accademia Italiana della Cucina website. Given my partiality for frittata, it is not surprising that I was drawn to a recipe called frità an bagna, which I believe means frittata in sauce in dialect. The English version of the recipe is available in the book by the Academy called La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy. In it, the recipe name is stewed frittata strips, but I made it in a way that it is not really stewed. The book indicates that the recipe is from Vercelli, a city in the heart of rice region.

A sample of my exuberant parsley

Another element of the recipe that appealed to me was the use of a substantial quantity of prezzemolo (parsley). What you see in the photo is only a portion of the parsley I have available in my little herb garden. I planted some seeds and a seedling a few years ago and by letting one plant go to seeds every year, I ensure a constant supply of parsley throughout the year.

I have never eaten frità an bagna in Piemonte, so I don't know how my rendition compares to the traditional dish. However, I can tell you that I liked it and have already made it twice. My rendition differs from the original recipe in various ways: for example, I cooked the onion a bit before adding the parsley, used tapioca starch instead of flour (this makes the recipe gluten free), used water instead of milk in the frittata, and omitted the cooking of the frittata strips in the sauce for 10 minutes before serving. I just could not bring myself to further cook the frittata.

frittata cut into strips

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frità an bagna

Ingredients:

a medium onion, chopped
olive oil
3 1/2 oz. [100 g] flat-leaf parsley, chopped
one cup [240 ml] broth (I used my homemade chicken broth)
1 tablespoon [15 ml] tapioca starch
2 tablespoons [30 ml] tomato purée sauce (I used the tomato sauce described in this post)
6 eggs (I use pastured eggs)
3 tablespoons [45 ml] water
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
sea salt and freshly milled pepper, to taste

Note on the parsley: my parsley is of the variety gigante d'Italia. The stalks are long and fairly thick. I weighed the parsley after removing the thick main stalk, which I set aside to add to various other ingredients to make chicken stock. With the precious help of my mezzaluna, chopping the parsley (divided into two batches) was a breeze.

mezzaluna at work on half of the parsley

Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.) Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a cutting board. Roll the frittata and slice it into strips no more than 1/2 inch thick. Put the strips in the saucepan with the sauce and stir delicately. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

This is my submission for the fourth installment of the Abbecedario culinario d'Italia (Italian Culinary ABC), an event organized by Trattoria MuVarA that will bring us to visit all the 20 regions of Italy using the alphabet as guide. D come Domodossola is hosted by Stefania of CookingStefy.

This post contains the list of contributions: a very nice menu!

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

frità an bagna

or launch the frità an bagna 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.]

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frittata, onion, parsley, Italian recipe

frità an bagna

la mia version della "frità an bagna"

Continuiamo il tour delle 20 regione italiane organizzato da Trattoria MuVarA e arriviamo in Piemonte. Scusate, ma non posso fare a meno di pensare alla pubblicità del Digestivo Antonetto e a Nicola Arigliano che diceva: "Gruppo vacanze Piemonte, si parte!" E noi partiamo.

Al Parco del Valentino (Torino)

Questa è una foto della mia prima visita a Torino, con i miei genitori e mio fratello. Era l'inizio di Dicembre, faceva molto freddo e c'era la nebbia. Per me fu la prima esperienza della nebbia e mi ricordo bene la strana sensazione dei rumori ovattati e di edifici, alberi, semafori appannati. Credo che la foto scattata da mio padre al Parco del Valentino, renda bene l'idea dell'atmosfera. A quel tempo non immaginavo che qualche anno dopo mi sarei trasferita a Milano e di nebbia ne avrei vista tanta.

Un paio d'anni dopo quella prima visita, sono tornata a Milano con la scuola ed ebbi un'altra esperienza particolare: al Museo egizio vidi il viso di una mummia che era stata sbendata. La mia terza visita avvenne in occasione di un matrimonio.

Nessuna delle visite mi lasciarono tempo di esplorare la scena gastronomica e quindi per il mio contributo al tour ancora una volta ho cercato tra le ricette del sito dell'Accademia Italiana della Cucina. Data la mia parzialità per la frittata, non sorprende che sia stata attirata da un piatto che si chiama frità an bagna (credo che significhi frittata in salsa). La raccolta delle ricette del sito tradotte in inglese (La Cucina: The Regional Cooking of Italy) indica che il piatto è tipico di Vercelli.

Un po' del mio prezzemolo "gigante d'Italia"

Un altro elemento della ricetta che mi ha attirato è l'utilizzo in essa di una sostanziale quantità di prezzemolo. Quella che vedete sulla foto è una parte del prezzemolo che cresce nel mio orticello. Qualche anno fa piantai dei semi e una piantina e ogni anno lascio che una pianta fiorisca sparga i semi: in questo modo raccolto il prezzemolo tutto l'anno.

Non ho mai mangiato la frità an bagna in Piemonte, quindi non ho idea di come la mia realizzazione sia a paragone del piatto tradizionale: se qualcuno di voi conosce questo piatto, lasciatemi un commento con le informazioni che avete. Posso comunque dirvi che la frità an bagna mi è piaciuta molto e infatti l'ho preparata due volte nel giro di pochi giorni.

La mia versione differisce da quella originale in alcuni punti. Per esempio, ho cotto la cipolla un po' prima di aggiungere il prezzemolo, ho usato l'amido di tapioca invece della farina (quindi la ricetta è priva di glutine), ho usato l'acqua invece del latte nella preparazione della frittata e non ho cotto le striscie di frittata nella salsa per 10 minuti prima di servirla (perché l'idea di cuocere a lungo la frittata non mi convince).

fettuccine di frittata

Ingredienti:

una cipolla media tritata
olio d'oliva
100 g prezzemolo tritato
240 ml brodo (io ho usato il mio brodo di pollo fatto in casa)
1 cucchiaio [15 ml] amido di tapioca
30 ml salsa di pomodoro (io ho usato quella descritta in questo post)
6 uova codice 0
45 ml acqua
2 cucchiai Parmigiano-Reggiano macinato fresco
sale fino e pepe nero macinato fresco, q.b.

Il mio prezzemolo è del tipo gigante d'Italia. Gli steli sono lunghi e piuttosto grossi. Ho pesato il prezzemolo dopo aver rimosso lo stelo centrale, che ho messo da parte per utilizzare, insieme ad altri ingredienti, per fare il brodo di pollo. Con l'aiuto prezioso della mia mezzaluna, tritare il prezzemolo, diviso in due mandate, è stato facile e veloce.

mezzaluna all'opera su meta del prezzemolo

Scaldare un po' d'olio in una pentola, aggiungere la cipolla e mescolare. Cuocere a fuoco leggero per 5-7 minuti, mescolando spesso. Aggiungere il prezzemolo e mescolare. Cuocere per 2-3 minuti. Nel frattempo, scaldare il brodo, sciogliervi l'amido di tapioca e infine aggiungere la salsa di pomodoro. Versare il liquido nella pentola, portare a lieve bollore e cuocere fino a quando la cipolla sia tenera. Aggiustare sale e pepe a seconda del gusto.

Nel frattempo, oliare bene una padella larga (30,5 cm) e scaldarla. Una padella un po' più larga va bene lo stesso, dal momento che l'idea e quella di fare una frittata piuttosto fina. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere l'acqua e un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Infine, aggiungere il formaggio e sbattere leggermente per incorporare.

Accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.) Versare lentamente le uova nella padella. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio di minuti. Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi far scivolare la frittata su un tagliere, arrotolarla e tagliarla strisce larghe circa 1 cm. Deporre le striscie di frittata nella pentola della salsa e mescolare delicatamente. Servire immediatamente o a temperatura ambiente.

Questo è il mio contributo all'Abbecedario culinario d'Italia, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare tutte le regioni italiane utilizzando come guida l'alfabeto. D come Domodossola è ospitata da Stefania di CookingStefy.

Questo post contiene la lista dei contributi: che buon menu!

E mando questo piatto ricco di prezzemolo a Brii di briggishome che questa settimana ha ospitato l'edizione numero 328 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii stessa.

frittata di pasta / pasta frittata

March 6, 2012 | Simona

with pink tagliatelle

My first vacation away from my parents, at age 16, was quite adventurous, food-wise. I spent 10 days or so in the Calabrian city of Rossano, and during that time, I tasted for the first time a whole array of foods that I liked a lot, like caciocavallo silano and swordfish. One day, my host prepared a frittata with leftover spaghetti. It sounds pretty basic, but I had never had anything like that before. My mother always weighed pasta before cooking it, so we never had leftover spaghetti or rigatoni. If we had leftover tagliatelle al ragù, she would warm them up in an oiled frying pan: the result is quite good, just not a frittata.

Unlike my mother, I often turn leftover pasta into a frittata. This is not so much a recipe as a recycling approach. The frittata is a bit different every time, depending on the base pasta and possible additions, usually cheese. I adjust the number of eggs and pan size to the amount of pasta at hand and choose among the cheeses I have available the one that I think pairs better with the pasta.

The spaghetti frittata I tasted many years ago was made with pasta that had been set aside for the purpose right after draining (scondita, i.e., not yet dressed). In my examples here, the leftover pasta had some dressing (condita):

pasta made with roasted red beets turns a lovely pink color: while farfalle are pretty, they take time to make, so more often I cut the dough into tagliatelle and dress them with burro e parmigiano
pasta made with borage, on the other hand, turns into a speckled green; if I have some of my homemade ricotta, I use that to dress these tagliatelle, otherwise, good old burro e parmigiano is always a winner
pasta al pesto (recently featured) appears regularly in my kitchen and leftovers make a tasty frittata

with borage tagliatelle

The cheese on the pink tagliatelle frittata was my homemade robiola. The cheese on the borage tagliatelle was my homemade French Neufchâtel and over the pesto pasta frittata I sprinkled a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

with fusilli al pesto

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for frittata di pasta

Ingredients:

leftover pasta
olive oil
eggs of good quality (I used pastured eggs); if you have leftover whites, this is a good place to use one or two
1 tablespoon of water for each two eggs
sea salt, to taste
cheese of choice, thinly sliced or crumbled or grated, depending on consistency

Spray a skillet with olive oil and warm up. Empty leftover pasta container into the pan. Warm up the pasta and lightly sauté it for a couple of minutes, stirring every now and then.

While the pasta is warming up, break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly with a fork until just blended. Add the water, then a few pinches of salt and whisk briefly. If you are using grated cheese, you can add it to the eggs, if you wish; I like to distribute it on the surface, so I hold on to it until later. Turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. With the fork, gently arrange the pasta so it is evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. After the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

Evenly distribute chosen cheese on the surface. Place the skillet in the oven, leaving the door ajar, for a couple of minutes. The frittata will puff up a bit. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let rest of a couple of minutes, then slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Final note. Rossano is famous for the Codex Purpureus, an amazing VI century illuminated manuscript of the New Testament written on purple-dyed parchment.

This is my contribution to edition #254 of Presto Pasta Nights. The event was created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and is hosted this week by Simona of briciole (that would be me).

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

frittata di pasta

or launch the frittata di pasta 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.]

frittata, pasta, egg

recipe: pasta frittata (frittata di pasta)

March 5, 2012 | Simona

Pasta frittata

by Simona Carini

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Keywords: pasta egg cheese Italian

Ingredients

Leftover pasta
Olive oil
Eggs of good quality (pastured eggs, if possible); if you have leftover whites, this is a good place to use one or two
1 tablespoon of water for each two eggs
Sea salt, to taste
Cheese of choice, thinly sliced or crumbled or grated, depending on consistency

Instructions

Spray a skillet with olive oil and warm up. Empty leftover pasta container into the pan. Warm up the pasta and lightly sauté it for a couple of minutes, stirring every now and then.

Go to the full post on frittata di pasta / pasta frittata

Novel Food #14: frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine / roasted Asian pear frittata & tartlets

November 13, 2011 | Simona

Recently, my husband and I watched on DVD the Maigret movies from the early '90s starring Michael Gambon and enjoyed them a lot. Chief Inspector Maigret is the protagonist of many novels and stories by Belgian-French writer Georges Simenon. When I was a kid, il commissario Maigret was popular in Italy thanks to the TV movies starring Gino Cervi.

I had read only one of the Maigret novels, so during a recent visit to a bookstore, I decided to correct that, but got attracted by one of Simenon's novels without Maigret: La chambre bleue, from 1964 (in Italian La camera azzurra and in English The Blue Room).

Tony and Andrée have had a relation for 11 months, during which they have met eight times in the blue room of the hotel owned by Tony's brother. Tony is married to Gisèle and they have a daughter, Marianne. Andrée is married to Nicolas. The novel opens in the blue room, at the end of what will turn out to be the last meeting of the two lovers. The novel then moves to some time after that event and we understand that Tony is in jail. However, it is not immediately clear of what crime he is accused. As Tony answers questions and remembers past events, the story of the intervening months is revealed.

Tony's story brings the reader into a quiet corner of France, where life goes on fairly steadily, but where nothing goes on unremarked (as Tony will find out). It's difficult for me to say more without spoiling the pleasure of reading the novel. I found every element of it interesting: the story itself, the way it is told, the characters and how they are portrayed, the ending.

One important element of the story is the contrast between Gisèle and Andrée. Tony's life with his wife is quiet and follows a certain routine, partly dictated by their daughter's needs and partly by his work schedule. Here's the sentence that inspired the first dish:

They had sat down to dinner as usual: soup, a ham omelette, salad, a camembert, and, for dessert, apricots.

I wish I could tell you about making camembert at home. I have actually done it earlier this year, and the result was positive, but I have no photographic proof, and for various reasons I have not repeated the experience. Aging requirements would not allow me to have a homemade camembert ready in time, so I focused on the ham omelette: in the Italian version of the book, which is the one I read, it is frittata col prosciutto. This is a dish that would be quite easy to make in Italy, but where I am, it is a different story. Still, I was set on making a frittata, and if this were apricot season I would have tried to make a roasted apricot frttata on the same line of my roasted peach frittata. Alas, summer is over, so there are no fresh apricots (albicocche) around, but there are beautiful local Asian pears and so my inspiration produced a roasted Asian pear frittata.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for roasted Asia pear frittata ¹

Another passage of the book inspired me to prepare something else. In the story, fruit preserves play an important role. The first mention is not particularly remarkable:

Marianne only liked strawberry jam, whereas her mother, who was allergic to strawberries — even in jam they gave her a rash — preferred plum jelly. In the early days of their marriage, he had teased Gisele about her taste in food, which often made him smile.

But later, Gisèle's preference becomes a pivotal element of the story.

A few days ago, I made a crostata (tart) with a layer of strawberry and rhubarb preserves and over it a layer of fresh apples. Gisèle could not have eaten it, due to her allergy. I did not make any plum preserves last summer, but I still could not let go of the idea of making something related to that sentence, something with fruit preserves.

I had never made tartlets before, so I decided to do that: the filling for the one on the left is my apple and mango preserves and for the one on the right is my Asian pear butter (burro di pere asiatiche) flavored with some fresh ginger (zenzero). After making a somewhat traditional lattice for one crostatina, I decided to hint more directly at the story that had inspired me and reached for the small heart-shaped cookie cutter. I did not glaze the pasta frolla, so the two hearts (cuori) are a bit pale.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for crostatine ¹

Gisèle is the character that interested me the most. Did she know or suspect what was going on between Tony and Andrée? Was she ever worried or afraid?

Because of her golden hair, her pale skin and oval face, people frequently remarked that she had an angelic look. But she only liked pungent foods: pickled herrings, salads flavored with garlic and liberally dressed with vinegar, and strong cheeses. Often she would be chewing at a large raw onion as she worked in the vegetable garden. On the other hand, she never touched sweets or pastries. He was the one with the sweet tooth. This was not the only anomaly in their domestic life…

Given her preferences, it's unlikely that Gisèle would have tasted my tartlets, though maybe the ginger-flavored pear butter would have convinced her to try. On the other hand, I think that Tony and Andrée would have liked them.

Between the photo at the bottom and the one at the top, my husband's tasting occurred. He liked the crostatina with Asian pear butter better. When I saw the two half crostatine on the plate, I thought they were an apt metaphor for the lonely halves in the story, whose leitmotif is the inability to communicate. This inability, which we see in every character, not just the main ones, has tragic consequences.

¹ To keep the post within a reasonable length, I am making an exception to my usual blog format and give the recipes on a separate page.

This is my second contribution to the 14th edition of Novel Food, the literary/culinary event that Lisa of Champaign Taste and I have started some time ago (this time I am hosting solo as Lisa is taking a break from blogging).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine

or launch the frittata con pere asiatiche arrosto & crostatine 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.]

frittata, pear, dessert

frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa / frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta

September 18, 2011 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

After the success of my gelato with roasted peaches, it was natural to try to use the same fruitful concept in a frittata, like I had done with strawberries (fragole). The result was just as excellent.

The first couple of times I made it, I used the same cheese as before, my homemade French Neufchâtel cheese, a bloomy-rind cheese (formaggio a crosta fiorita). But then I tasted my homemade caciotta and I thought it would work great in the frittata: I was right. I am planning to write more about caciotta: for now, suffice it to say that it is a kind of cheese produced in various regions of Italy that comes in many varieties. It is ripened for a brief period, and is soft in texture and mild in flavor. I called caciotta the very first pressed cheese I made.

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta

Ingredients:

10-11 oz. ripe, tasty peaches
olive oil
6 pastured eggs (uova)
sea salt
1 oz. wedge of [homemade] caciotta, or similar cheese(e.g., Monterey Jack or Colby, plain)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat that is wider and longer than the sheet. Wash peaches and quarter them. Peel them now or after they are baked. Place peaches on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let peaches cool while you prepare the eggs. If not done before, peel the peaches. Cut each quarter in half lengthwise and then slice each piece.

Oil a 10-inch skillet and warm up. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly until just blended. Add a couple of pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Add the juice possibly released by the peaches during roasting plus enough water to make 3 tablespoons. Whisk lightly to incorporate.

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Gently slide the peaches into the pan and arrange them so they are evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. In the meantime, turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Cut the wedge of cheese into thin slices. When the edge of the frittata is set, evenly distribute the cheese on the surface. After the edge is well set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

When the eggs are set, place the skillet in the oven for a couple of minutes, leaving the door ajar. Take the skillet out of the oven (don't forget that the handle is hot) and let the frittata rest for a few minutes, then slide it onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve. As as is usual with frittata, you can store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them the following day, at room temperature.

This frittata has everything: the sweetness of peaches, the savoriness of cheese, the silkiness of eggs. Given the results of my first two experiments, I am planning to continue exploring the realm of frittata with fruit.

This is my contribution to edition #301 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Graziana of Erbe in cucina (Cooking with Herbs).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

frittata con pesche arrosto

or launch the frittata con pesche arrosto 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.]

peach, frittata, egg, cheese

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frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa

Dopo il successo del mio gelato con le pesche al forno, c'era da aspettarsi che avrei provato a usarle nella frittata, come avevo fatto in precedenza con le fragole. Il risultato è eccellente. Le prime 2-3 volte che l'ho preparata ho usato lo stesso formaggio, il mio neufchâtel fatto in casa (un formaggio a crosta fiorita). Poi ho tagliato la mia forma di caciotta fatta in casa, l'ho assaggiata e ho deciso di usarla nella frittata: un'ottima scelta.

Ingredienti:

280-300 g di pesche mature
olio d'oliva
6 uova fresche codice 0
sale
30 g di caciotta [fatta in casa], o formaggio simile

Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone per forno che sia più lungo e più largo della lastra. Lavare le pesche e tagliarle in quattro. Sbucciarle ora o dopo averle passate in forno. Disporre le pesche sulla lastra e poi passarle in forno per 20 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le pesche in forno un paio di minuti in più.) Far intiepidire le pesche mentre preparate le uova. Se non lo avete fatto prima, sfilare la buccia dalle pesche, poi tagliate ogni quarto a metà per il lungo e ogni pezzo a fettine.

Oliare bene una padella (25 cm) e scaldarla. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Aggiungere il succo emesso dalle pesche durante la cottura in forno, se presente, più abbastanza acqua da arrivare a 45 ml. Mescolare per incorporare il liquido nelle uova.

Versare lentamente le uova nella padella, poi far scivolare le pesche nella padella e distribuirle in modo uniforme. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Nel frattempo, accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.)

Tagliare il formaggio a fettine sottili. Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, distribuire il formaggio sulla superficie. Passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio di minuti. (Se avete scelto l'opzione a calore basso, probabilmente ci vorranno 3 minuti.) Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire. Come al solito con la frittata, potete conservare gli avanzi in frigo e mangiarli il giorno dopo a temperatura ambiente.

Questa frittata ha tutto: pesche dolci, formaggio saporito, uova soffici. In base ai risultati positivi dei miei primi due esperimenti, ho in programma di continuare ad esplorare il territorio delle frittate con frutta.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 301 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Graziana di Erbe in cucina.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

recipe: frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta (frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa)

September 18, 2011 | Simona

Frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta

by Simona Carini

Ingredients:

10-11 oz. ripe, tasty peaches
olive oil
6 pastured eggs
sea salt
1 oz. wedge of [homemade] caciotta, or similar cheese(e.g., Monterey Jack or Colby, plain)

When the eggs are set, place the skillet in the oven for a couple of minutes, leaving the door ajar. Take the skillet out of the oven (don’t forget that the handle is hot) and let the frittata rest for of a few minutes, then slide it onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve. As as is usual with frittata, you can store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy them the following day, at room temperature.

Back to the post on frittata con pesche arrosto e caciotta fatta in casa / frittata with roasted peaches and homemade caciotta

frittata con fragole arrosto e neufchâtel fatto in casa / frittata with roasted strawberries and homemade French Neufchâtel cheese

August 14, 2011 | Simona

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

Yes, you read correctly and, yes, it sounds quite strange. It sounded strange to me too, when the idea formed in my mind. In fact, I resisted it: I tried to come up with reasons why it would not work. Then, I yielded: I suspended my disbelief, ready to resume it, if necessary, after tasting the result. You see, after the success of my gelato with roasted strawberries, I became obsessed with the idea of using roasted strawberries in a savory combination. My first attempt (a pairing with roasted new potatoes) was unsuccessful, but the strawberries were not wasted: eating them convinced me even more firmly of their potential as a savory ingredient.

Then, one morning, the thought hit me: frittata — which would allow me to encase the strawberries in a tender matrix and use the juice produced during roasting. The addition of some of my homemade French Neufchâtel cheese, a bloomy-rind cheese (formaggio a crosta fiorita) with the right level of tang, would provide a light contrast to the sweet strawberries.

The strange idea turned into an excellent dish. I offered the second rendition of the recipe to our dinner guests last Sunday evening. Our dear friends Christine of Christine Cooks and her husband are used to being served experiments, so they were fine with trying yet another one — even a really weird-sounding one. After a taste, they were convinced. (The dinner included another new dish: farfalle rosa)

I love this frittata. And so does my husband, head of my Quality Assurance department. From now on, all the strawberries that arrive in my kitchen will get roasted and then used to make either gelato or frittata.

juicy nuggets

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for Frittata with roasted strawberries and homemade French Neufchâtel cheese

Ingredients:

10 oz. strawberries
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) of good quality
olive oil
6 pastured eggs (uova)
sea salt
1.5 oz. [homemade] French Neufchâtel cheese (a bloomy-rind cheese), or similar cheese, or Havarti (the latter is an alternative I have tested successfully)

Wash strawberries and carve out stem. Place in a bowl, add balsamic vinegar and toss gently. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Place strawberries on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Let strawberries cool slightly while you prepare the eggs. Cut them in half lengthwise (quarter the very large ones, if any).

Oil a 10-inch skillet and warm up. Break the eggs in a bowl and whisk them lightly until just blended. Add a couple of pinches of salt and whisk briefly. Add the juice released by the strawberries during roasting: tilt the baking sheet and let the juice flow into the bowl, making sure the strawberries don't go the same way. Whisk lightly to incorporate.

Pour the eggs slowly into the skillet. Gently slide the strawberries in the pan and arrange them so they are evenly distributed. Cook over low heat until the eggs are set. In the meantime, turn on the broiler. (If your oven allows it, choose the "low" setting.)

Cut the cheese into thin slices and then each slice into pieces (1/2 inch or so). When the edge of the frittata is set, evenly distribute the cheese on the surface. Also, after the edge is set, run a spatula under it and shake the frittata gently to ensure the bottom does not stick to the pan.

This frittata has everything: the soft juiciness of strawberries, the slight tang of the mold-ripened cheese, the silkiness of eggs diluted with strawberry juice.

This is my contribution to edition #296 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Lynne of Cafe Lynnylu.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

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

frittata con fragole arrosto

or launch the frittata con fragole arrosto 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.]

strawberry, frittata, egg, cheese

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frittata con fragole arrosto e neufchâtel fatto in casa

Avete letto giusto e lo so che suona piuttosto strano. Suonava strano anche a me, quando l'idea si è formata nella mia testa. Infatti, ho resistito, ho provato ad elencare i motivi per i quali non avrebbe funzionato. Poi ho ceduto e ho sospeso la mia incredulità, almeno fino al momento di assaggiare il risultato. Dopo il successo del mio gelato di fragole arrosto, ho deciso di provare a usare le fragole in un piatto salato. Il primo tentativo (un accoppiamento con patate novelle arrosto) non è riuscito, ma le fragole non sono andate perse, e infatti mangiarle mi ha convinto del loro potenziale come ingrediente nel salato.

Poi, una mattina, si è accesa la lampadina: una frittata — che mi avrebbe permesso di avere le fragole immerse in una matrice morbida e di utilizzare il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno. L'aggiunta di un po' del mio neufchâtel fatto in casa, un formaggio a crosta fiorita offre un leggero contrasto di sapore con le fragole dolci.

La strana idea si è trasformata in un piatto eccellente. Adoro questa frittata. E piace molto anche a mio marito, che è a capo del mio Dipartimento Controllo Qualità. D'ora in poi, tutte le fragole che compro verranno cotte al forno e utilizzate per preparare il gelato o questa frittata.

Ingredienti:

280 g di fragole
mezzo cucchiaino (2,5 ml) aceto balsamico
olio d'oliva
6 uova fresche codice 0
sale
40-45 g di neufchâtel a crosta fiorita [fatto in casa], o formaggio simile, oppure il formaggio danese Havarti (un'alternativa che ho utilizzato con successo)

Lavare le fragole e privarle del picciolo. Mettere le fragole in una ciotola e aggiungere l'aceto balsamico. Mescolare con delicatezza. Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone che sia più lungo e più largo della lastra, in modo che il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno non finisca sotto il tappetino.

Mettere in forno e cuocere per 20 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le fragole in forno un paio di minuti in più.) Lasciar intiepidire leggermente le fragole. Tagliarle a metà per lungo (o in quarti, se sono molto grosse).

Oliare bene una padella (25 cm) e scaldare. Rompere le uova in una ciotola e sbatterle leggermente. Aggiungere un paio di pizzichi di sale e incorporare. Aggiungere il succo emesso dalle fragole durante la cottura in forno: inclinare la lastra da forno e far scorrere il succo nella ciotola, facendo attenzione a non far scivolar via le fragole. Mescolare per incorporare il succo nelle uova.

Versare lentamente le uova nella padella, poi far scivolare le fragole nella padella e distribuirle in modo uniforme. Cuocere a fuoco dolce fino a quando le uova sono rapprese. Nel frattempo, accendere la parte alta del forno. (Se il vostro forno lo permette, scegliere l'opzione a calore basso.)

Tagliare il formaggio a fettine sottili e poi a pezzetti (1-1,5 cm) Una volta che il bordo delle frittata si è rappreso, distribuire il formaggio sulla superficie. Poi, passare una spatolina sotto il bordo e scuotere la padella (delicatamente) per evitare che la frittata si attacchi.

Quando le uova si sono rapprese, mettere la padella nel forno, lasciando lo sportello socchiuso, per un paio minuti. (Se avete scelto l'opzione a calore basso, probabilmente ci vorranno 3 minuti.) Tirare fuori la padella (fare attenzione: il manico scotta) e far riposare un paio di minuti, poi mettere la frittata su un piatto, tagliare e servire. Come al solito con la frittata, potete conservare gli avanzi in frigo e mangiarli il giorno dopo a temperatura ambiente.

Questa frittata ha tutto: la tenera succosità delle fragole, la leggera acidità del formaggio a crosta fiorita, la sofficità delle uova diluite col succo delle fragole.

Questo è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 296 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once e la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana dalla stessa Brii.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.