Category — My Books

Pastiera 2013

Every year my nieces and I get together to make Pastiera di Grano.  The recipe we use is one I have written about before.  It comes from my Grandmother who was born on the island of Procida in Italy over a hundred years ago.  Of course she never wrote it down, but she taught it to my mother, who was also a great baker.  Mom and I figured out the measurements to get the cake to look and taste just like Grandma’s.  You can find the recipe in my book 1,000 Italian Recipes.  I think that my Grandmother would be very proud to know that we celebrate her memory this way every year.

I can find most of the ingredients to make Pastiera easily in my area of New York City.  I buy the grano, which is wheat grain that has been polished to remove the hull, at Kalustyan’s, and fresh ricotta from Calabro at Fairway Market or Whole Foods.  I bought a big bottle of orange flower water the last time I was in Italy (though many markets like ALC Italian Grocery in Brooklyn or Di Palo’s in Manhattan sell it) as well as a whole piece of candied citron.  The biggest problem for me is always the candied orange peel.  The commercially made peel is dried out  and lacks flavor, so this year I decided to make my own.   It was easy to do and a perfect project for the cold rainy day we had earlier this week.  I made a big batch, so that we would have plenty for our cakes plus more to nibble as a small sweet after dinner.  The pieces are crunchy with sugar, yet tender inside and the flavor is intensely orange.   Next time, I will dip some in dark chocolate, a flavor combination I adore.

Wishing all a Buona Pasqua!

Candied Orange Peel

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

Makes about 4 cups

4 or 5 large navel oranges, preferably organic

4-1/2 cups sugar

Scrub the oranges with a brush under warm water.  Cut off a 1/4 inch slice from each end.  With a small sharp knife, score the peels into six wedges, cutting just down to the flesh.  Remove each segment of the peel and cut it into 1/4-inch thick strips.  Reserve the oranges for another use.  (I made them into a salad with arugula, fennel and black olives.)

Have ready a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil.

Bring a large pot of water to boiling.  Add the peels and cook for 15 minutes.  Drain and rinse the peels.

Rinse out the pot.  Add 3 cups cool water and 3 cups of the sugar.  Bring the liquid to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the orange peel and bring the liquid to a simmer.  Add a little more water if needed so that the peels are just covered.  Cook over medium low heat until the peels are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Drain the peel well.  Toss the pieces with the remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar to coat.  Separate the pieces and place them on the parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to as low as it can go, about 175 F.  Place the baking sheet in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes so that the peels can dry out slightly.  Let stand at room temperature until the surface coating is dry, about 24 to 48 hours.   Cover them with a clean kitchen towel if you like.

Store in an airtight plastic bag for 1 week or in the freezer for 3 months.

It’s been all over the news recently, yet it is hardly news at all.  We’ve known since the ’80′s that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest around.  I’m talking about eating fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and olive oil and keeping red meat, animal fats and sugar to a minimum.  It’s really not that hard to do, especially if you have help in the kitchen.  What?  You don’t have an assistant to do the chopping, cleaning and cooking?  Well, neither do I, or anyone else I know, but we do have our slow cookers to help.  While it won’t do the prep work, a slow cooker is a great way to cook simple, healthful meals without fuss.  And to make it easier, you can buy vegetables pre washed and trimmed.  They cost a little more perhaps, but it’s a lot less than take out food would be and far better for you.

Here’s a recipe from The Mediterranean Slow Cooker.  It is a Moroccan-style vegetable tagine made with golden vegetables like carrots, squash, and rutabaga, sometimes called yellow turnip.  Don’t like them?  Try something else, like sweet potatoes or celery root.  The vegetables are sweetened with dried apricots and flavored with fresh ginger, cumin and cinnamon.  Cook until tender, adjust the seasonings, and serve with couscous or rice for a warming cold weather meal.

All three of my slow cooker books have recipes that fit into a Mediterranean diet eating plan.  In The French Slow Cooker, try the Creamy White Bean Brandade or Salmon Steaks with Mustard and Parsley.  In The Italian Slow Cooker, you will find Cherry Spiced Pears and Turkey Meatball and Escarole Soup, and much more.

GOLDEN VEGETABLE TAGINE

The warm, sunny colors of this Moroccan style tagine make it perfect for a hearty winter meal.  Serve it over rice or couscous as a main course or as a side dish with grilled lamb chops or chicken.

Serves 6 to 8

2 tablesoons olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

6 medium carrots, peeled and quartered

1 pound rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 cups 1-inch chunks peeled butternut squash

12 dried apricots, halved

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

Salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 cups Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, mint or flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a medium skillet.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender, about 10 minutes.

Scrape the onions into a large slow cooker.  Add 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining ingredients except for the cilantro in a large slow cooker and toss well.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Taste for seasonings.  Just before serving, sprinkle with the cilantro.

Coffee Caramel Flan

Carnevale begins this week.  It is traditionally celebrated as a time for feasting before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday.  But how do you prepare a feast when you are busy with so many other things?  With your slow cooker, of course!   I’d like to suggest  Bargemen’s Beef Stew, a recipe from my book The French Slow Cooker that gets its name from the men who operated shipping barges on the Rhone River.  They were too busy to spend a lot of time cooking, but wanted something delicious to eat, so they developed this simple recipe with an unusual technique.  The cubes of beef — I prefer chuck — are tossed with a bit of flour and layered in the slow cooker with sliced onions.   That’s it.  The meat and onions will cook in their own juices.  Put the lid on, turn on the cooker, and come back hours later to tender meat.  That’s when you add the flavoring ingredients.  Finely chopped garlic, parsley, and anchovies are blended to a sauce with mustard and vinegar.  Stir it into the meat and it’s ready to serve.  It’s great with noodles.

Of course, it wouldn’t be much of a feast without dessert.  My choice is a Coffee Caramel Flan.  It’s made with only 6 ingredients, most of which you probably have in the pantry.  I’ll make it the night before I plan to serve it so that it has a chance to chill before serving.  This is one of several flan recipes and other desserts, like Cannoli Cheesecake and Bittersweet Cocoa Almond Cake, you will find in my new book, The Mediterranean Slow Cooker.  First you make caramel which is simply sugar and water cooked until brown, then you add a creamy filling made with coffee, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.  In the gentle steamy heat of the slow cooker, it cooks up satiny smooth and rich tasting.  Serve it as is or with a dollop of whipped cream.  Here is the recipe, but before you begin, check to see that you have a dish or pan that will fit inside your slow cooker.

Coffee Caramel Flan

Spain

Dark strong coffee is a popular beverage throughout Spain.  It’s even used to make this version coffee flavored version of flan.  Canned sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk are convenient to have in the pantry so you can put this dessert together any time.

Serves 8

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

2 large eggs

2 egg yolks

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

Place a rack in a large slow cooker.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and the water.  Cook over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved about 5 minutes.  Simmer the mixture without stirring until it begins to turn brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Gently swirl the pan until the syrup is evenly caramelized.

Protect your hand with an oven mitt.  Pour the hot syrup into a 6-cup soufflé dish, turning the dish to coat the bottom evenly.  Let cool until the caramel is just set.

In a bowl, whisk together the evaporated and sweetened condensed milks.  Beat in the eggs, yolks, and coffee until blended.   Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.

Place the dish on the rack in a large slow cooker.  Pour hot water to a depth of 1 inch of around the soufflé dish.  Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Protecting your hands with oven mitts, carefully remove the dish from the slow cooker.  Let cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, several hours or overnight.

To serve, run a knife around the inside of the dish.  Invert a serving plate on top of the dish and quickly invert the two.  Carefully remove the dish allowing the caramel to drizzle over the cream.  Cut into wedges to serve.

Looking for inspiration for comforting slow cooker meals this winter?  How about Chicken with Chorizo, Red Wine, and Roasted Peppers, or Turkey Meatloaf with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Mozzarella, or Pork Ribs with Tomato Balsamic Sauce?  These are just a few of the recipes you will find in my new book, The Mediterranean Slow Cooker, just published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.   I’ve traveled around the Mediterranean and discovered 125 new recipes for everything from appetizers — try the Beet and Goat Cheese Dip with warm pita bread — to hearty soups, like Tuscan “Cooked Water” made with mushrooms, tomato and eggs — to a luscious and easy Cannoli Cheesecake, made with ricotta, chocolate chips and cinnamon that work great in the slow cooker.

Here’s a recipe for a hearty Winter Squash and Chickpea Soup that will brighten any winter meal.  We will have it with a kale salad with ripe pears and tangy pecorino.

Winter Squash and Chickpea Soup

North Africa

A big handful of fresh chopped cilantro at the end of the cooking time gives this sweet, mellow soup extra flavor.  It may not be typical, but I like to serve it with the addition of small cooked pasta, like orzo.

Serves 6

2 medium onions, peeled and chopped

2 pounds butternut, acorn, or other winter squash, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup peeled, seeded and chopped fresh tomatoes, or canned tomatoes

2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained

2 cups beef or Chicken Broth or Vegetable Broth, or water

3 cups water

Salt  and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Chopped cilantro, mint or Italian parsley

Place the onions, squash, tomatoes, chickpeas, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.  Add the broth and water.  Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours until the squash is very soft and falling apart.

With a potato masher or immersion blender, crush some of the vegetables and chick peas to make a chunky soup.  Stir in the butter and taste for seasoning.  Serve hot, sprinkled with the herbs.

1,000 ITALIAN RECIPES has a new look!  First published in 2004 by Wiley Publishing, this book is the culmination of my many years of cooking, eating, and researching Italian food and now it sports a jaunty red cover.  Comprehensive and far ranging, 1,000 ITALIAN RECIPES  really does contain 1,000 recipes.  Believe me, I counted them.   Inside you will find old family favorites that I grew up with, such as Struffoli (Honey Balls), Neapolitan Lasagna as my mom and grandma made it, plus recipes I learned in my travels around Italy, like Crispy Pasta with Chickpeas (Ceci e Tria) from Puglia and Roman Style Braised Oxtails (Coda alla Vaccinara).

Too many zucchini?  There are more than a dozen recipes to choose from.  In the mood for a chocolatey dessert but don’t want to turn on the oven?  Try the no-bake Chocolate Salami.   No matter what you are looking for, chances are you will find it in 1,000 ITALIAN RECIPES.  The recipes range from the simple to the complex so it’s an ideal gift for new brides and graduates, as well as experienced cooks.  But don’t take my word for it–Mario Batali called the book “a masterpiece,” and Lidia Bastianich said that it is “A must have for any serious Italian cook.”

Here is a recipe from the book.  This was my dad’s Sunday special, a traditional recipe that he learned from his mother.  In Naples it is called Gatto’ di Patate, but we just called it Dad’s Potato Pie.

Dad’s Neapolitan Potato Pie

Gatto’

Makes 6 to 8 servings

2 1/2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon gold

Salt

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup warm milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 ounces fresh mozzarella, chopped

4 ounces salame or imported Italian prosciutto, chopped

1. Scrub the potatoes with a brush under cold running water. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with cold water to cover. Add salt to taste. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil. Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly.

2. Place a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter a 2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

3. Peel the potatoes, put them in a large bowl, and mash them with a masher or fork until smooth. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the butter, the milk, 1 cup of the Parmigiano, the egg, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. Fold in the mozzarella and salame.

4. Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano. Dot with the remaining 1 tablespoon butter.

5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until the top is browned. Let stand briefly at room temperature before serving.

© 1,000 ITALIAN RECIPES  by Michele Scicolone 2004 Wiley Publishing

Everybody wants to do something special for their mom on Mother’s Day.  Flowers are a possibility, or perfume, or some other gift, or take her to dinner in a restaurant, but I say forget it.   Flowers don’t last, she doesn’t need another perfume, and her favorite restaurants will be too crowded on Mother’s Day.  What your Mom, if she is anything like the other moms I know, wants more than anything is to spend the day with you and the rest of the family.   I suggest you stay home and make Mom a great lunch instead.

It doesn’t have to take a lot of time.  In fact, if you put your slow cooker to work, you can make a great meal in practically no time.  Think of something with a little flair that everyone will enjoy.  My suggestion is Chicken Bouillabaisse, a recipe from The French Slow Cooker.  You may know bouillabaisse as a fish stew, but in Provence it is also made with chicken and I have adapted the recipe to the slow cooker.  Together with some seasonings, the chicken goes into the cooker with some white wine, and tomatoes.  They all cook together until the chicken is fork tender.  Serve it as they do in France with toasted bread and Rouille, a spicy garlic sauce.

For starters, a great salad would be my choice, perhaps with a slice of goat cheese.  And for dessert, buy a cake from the bakery, or make the flourless chocolate cake published on this website about a year ago.  You can make it a day or two ahead and serve it proudly with some fresh strawberries.

CHICKEN BOUILLABAISSE

Serves 4 to 8

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chopped canned or fresh tomato
• 1/2 cup tomato puree
• 2 3-inch strips orange zest
• Big pinch saffron threads, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• Pinch of piment d’Espelette or cayenne
• 8 chicken thighs, skin removed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 8 1/2 -inch thick slices toasted French or Italian bread
• Rouille (see page 00)
•             In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook until tender and golden, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a simmer.  Pour the mixture into a large slow cooker.  Stir in the tomato, puree, orange zest, saffron and fennel.
•             Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.  Place the pieces in the slow cooker, spooning some of the sauce over the top.  Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until the chicken is tender and coming away from the bone.
•             Serve the chicken and sauce in shallow bowls with the toast and Rouille.

ROUILLE

You could make this luscious rosy red pepper sauce from scratch by first making a mayonnaise and then adding roasted peppers, but I like this convenient shortcut method just as well. Serve it with a fish or vegetable bouillabaisse, grilled fish, as a dip for raw vegetables or as a spread for sandwiches.
Makes 1-3/4 cups

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, either homemade or from a jar
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Pinch of cayenne or Espelette pepper
•             In a blender or food processor, finely chop the peppers and garlic.  Add the mayonnaise, oil, lemon juice and cayenne and process until smooth.  Store the sauce in a covered jar in the refrigerator.