Posts filed under 'General Food Postings'
Saltimbocca means it tastes so good that the food literally jumps into your mouth. There are many different versions of this dish and some use veal instead of pork. I find that by tenderizing pork shoulder I get the benefit of a tender piece of pig while at the same time enjoying the incredibly rich flavor and texture of the shoulder cut.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & pepper
-3-4 pounds of best quality pork shoulder (for example, the “Picnic Roast” from Prather Ranch)
-1/4 pound of prosciutto or jamon serrano sliced thinly
-Bunch of sage leaves
-Meat tenderizer
-1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
-3/4 cup of dry white wine (room temperature)
-1 cup all purpose flour
Cut your shoulder into thin slices. Lay each slice onto a cutting board and hammer aggressively with the tenderizer. Start hammering in the middle and make your way to the outer edges. Do both sides. Sprinkle a bit of salt on what will be the inner layer. Add one slice of prosciutto and 1 sage leaf. Fold the pork over to enclose the prosciutto and sage. Hammer again to seal the package. It doesn’t have to be perfectly closed, just enough to stay together for cooking.
Prepare a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When almost smoking take your pork, dust in flour (shake off any excess) and add to pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. Work in batches. Leave in pan without moving until the bottom of the pork is nicely brown and caramelized (8-10 minutes). Turn browned pieces over for 30 seconds. Remove to a platter and continue browning remaining pieces.
Your pan is now empty and the heat is still at high. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits. Add all of the pork back into the pan with less cooked side down. Pour in the white wine (add more if necessary). Turn down the heat. Add the butter and grind in some pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the pork is tender and cooked through. Plate and spoon sauce over each piece of pork.
Buon appetito!
December 24th, 2008
The word carbonara comes from “carbone” which in Italian means coal. Many believe that carbonara dates back to Roman times while others believe it was the preferred dish of coal miners. There is even speculation that after WWII the Americans stationed in Rome approached the locals with ham and eggs and asked them to make a dish. The result? Carbonara pasta.
A good carbonara is a bit of an art form especially when one considers just how many recipe variations exist. The one we prepared together is the most authentic version I could find in Rome. It uses large chunks of guanciale and pancetta and never contains any cream. The other key ingredients are pepper, Pecorino Romano and eggs.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
-1 pound rigatoni pasta (a quality brand such as Rustichella)
-4 tablespoons salt (for the pasta water)
-1/4 pound pancetta cut into large cubes
-1/4 pound of guanciale cut into large cubes
-1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano plus more for plating the dish
-4 eggs (room temperature)
Put a pot of water on the stove over a high flame. Meanwhile, take a large sauté pan (12″ - 14″) and do the following:
-Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium flame
-Add the pancetta & guanciale and sauté, stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes. When cooked through and tender (but not overly crispy) remove from heat.
-In a non-reactive bowl, whisk the eggs together. Grind in a very generous portion of black pepper. You really want to add significant amounts of pepper to this dish. Add in the Pecorino Romano and gently bring together the mixture with a fork.
-When the water comes to a boil, add the 4 tablespoons of salt to the water and then add the pasta. Stir occasionally and cook until al dente according to the package’s instructions. Be sure and check for doneness a minute or two early and remove before completely cooked (the pasta will continue cooking for several more minutes).
-Right before the pasta is ready, take 1/4 cup of the cooking water and add to the pan with the pancetta & guanciale and heat over a medium flame.
-Drain the pasta and add to the sauté pan. Using tongs toss and mix and pasta into the oil and pancetta over a medium flame for 1 minute. Remove from heat.
-After removing from heat wait 30 seconds. Add the whisked egg mixture to the pan. Toss and mix for 20 seconds. Serve immediately with more grated Pecorino Romano.
December 24th, 2008
It’s been a while since I have updated the blog but I’m happy to say that I have been compiling a large slew of recipes over the past year and am ready to share. Most of these dishes have appeared on my supper club menus. One of my most recent favorites is this beautiful rabbit dish braised in red wine and served over braised pea shoots. Check back soon for the recipe. -J.
June 30th, 2008
This is a beautiful dish to start a meal. It’s elegant, light and very delicious. Burrata is cow’s milk mozarella that is extremely fresh that is stuffed with more fresh ricotta. It is best consumed the same day it’s made or as soon as possible.
I recommend you visit your local Italian specialty deli/cheese shop and see what they have on hand. If you can find local burrata get as it will be more fresh than the Italian. If you cannot find burrata then you can substitute a good quality mozarella di bufala. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you can buy Gioia burrata cheese at the Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building. Or you can call the Gioia Cheese Company (626-444-6015) directly and have them ship to you anywhere in the country.
Ingredients (serves 6-8 as a light appetizer):
-1 pound best quality burrata or mozarella di bufala cheese
-1 pound mixed greens washed and spun dry (I like to create a mix of 12 different kinds, including wild arugula for it’s slightly bitter and peppery quality)
-Sea salt
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil or olio nuovo
-Aged balsamic vinegar (optional)
-2 pounds baby red and yellow beets
Pre-heat an oven to 425 degrees. Cut the tips off the top and bottom of the beets and remove the beet greens (save for another use as these can be cooked like spinach). Remove any excess fiber from the beets and wash in cold water. Place beets into a ceramic oven proof baking dish. Sprinkle a little more water on top and cover in foil. Place into the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. If the beets are larger then the cooking time will be longer. Check the beets after 20 minutes. When you can pierce them easily with a sharp knife you will know they are done.
Remove the beets and let them cool on a plate. Using a paper towel remove the skin from each. Using a paring knife remove any additional fibers or blemishes. Slice the beets into 1⁄4 inch pieces and refrigerate and cover in plastic until ready to plate (I like to remove the beets from the refrigerator half an hour before plating).
To plate the dish
Remove the burrata from the refrigerator one hour before serving and allow to come to room temperature. Place a small amount of greens on each plate. Slice the burrata from the center out into small wedges. Place a small amount onto the center of each plate on top of the greens. Everyone should get a bit of the mozarella curd (the harder outside covering) and the delicate ricotta inside. Next place a combination of red and yellow beets onto each plate around the cheese. Sprinkle a bit of sea salt over the cheese and greens. Finish with the beautiful extra virgin olive oil. This is where investing in a great early harvest oil makes all the difference in the world. I sometimes also put a few drops of aged balsamic vinegar over the beets but not on the cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
May 21st, 2007
These beautiful lamb riblets from Prather Ranch are a true delicacy. I like to prepare them with a Roman mint lemon pesto which compliments the rich flavor of the lamb.
Ingredients (serves 6-8 as an appetizer):
-1 rack of Prather Ranch (or from another quality, organic farm) lamb riblets (I usually serve 2 riblets per person as an appetizer)
-salt & pepper
-extra virgin olive oil
-1 large bunch of fresh mint leaves
-2-3 lemons
-ice for the ice bath
Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Trim off any excess fat from the riblets. A little is okay and makes the lamb taste even more rich and succulent. Just remove any large pieces. Salt and pepper the riblets and set aside to reach room temperature.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and have your ice bath ready. Using a strainer submerge the mint leaves into the boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and immediately plunge into the ice bath to stop the cooking and to retain the beautiful green color of the mint. Add the mint to a food processor along with a few small pieces of the ice cubes. Puree the mixture whilst drizzling in about 1⁄2 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Salt the mixture to taste and set aside in a bowl.
Roast your lamb in an uncovered roasting pan for approximately 20-30 minutes. Check regularly for progress and turn over half way through. Cook until medium rare. You want the lamb to be slightly pink but not too much on the rare side.
Remove the ribs from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Cut rack into individual pieces and arrange 2 on each plate. Drizzle the mint lemon pesto around the ribs onto each plate. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon. Serve immediately.
May 5th, 2007
Braised pork shoulder in the tradition of Puglia
Every Italian family has its own special way of preparing pork shoulder. Here’s how I learned to cook this beautiful dish during my last visit to Italia.
Ingredients (serves 8-12 as a main course):
-4 pounds of pork shoulder (Prather Ranch highly recommended)
-1 large yellow onion
-Salt & pepper
-Olive oil
-1 small bunch of parsley
-1 bay leaf
-1 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
-1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns
-10-15 green scallions (first layer of skin removed with green shoots still attached)
-1 bottle of medium-bodied red wine such as Sangiovese or Dolcetto
-1 lemon
-Caccio Cavallo for grating
-2 tablespoons of red pepper flakes
-Olio nuovo or best quality extra virgin olive oil for finishing
Take your pork shoulder and trim off any excess fat. It’s okay to have some fat but remove any large fat pieces and discard. Cut the shoulder cross-wise into 1 to 2 inch pieces. Lightly salt the pieces on both sides and place into a clean bowl. Pour the bottle of wine over the shoulder until it is just covered. Throw in the parsley whole and one bay leaf and the peppercorns. Let sit in the marinade for 2 hours.
Remove from the marinade and place onto paper towels. Pat all sides to dry as much as possible. Retain the marinade for later. In a large Dutch oven over high heat bring 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the point of almost smoking. Carefully lay in the shoulder pieces. Work in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. Caramelize the pieces on one side and then flip and lightly brown on the other. It’s very important that the first side is heavily caramelized as this will create all of the flavor. Once the pieces are ready remove them to a plate. Continue working in batches until all pieces are nicely browned.
At this stage I typically turn off the heat and let the pot cool so that I can quickly clean it. The reason is that more often than not some of the oil will have burned a bit and we do not want that flavor getting into our final sauce. Rinse the pot in hot water (no need to use soap) and wipe dry with a towel. Put back on a medium-high flame with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dice the yellow onion into medium pieces. Add them to the pot. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Add the thyme leaves and sauté until soft (6-8 minutes). Add the marinade to the pot and bring to a boil. Place the shoulder pieces into the pot and make sure they are covered (or almost covered) by the liquid. Be sure to add in the juices from the meat that have dripped onto the plate.
Once the whole thing has come to a boil turn down the heat to very low and cover. Simmer slowly for approximately 4 hours. Check periodically and give the meat a little stir and be sure to baste any exposed pieces with the liquid.
Once completely soft and falling apart, use a ladle to remove the fat that has risen to the surface. Before serving use a wooden spoon to press down and break the meat apart so that it’s almost shredded. Season with salt and pepper as necessary.
Right before serving, take the scallions and put them into either a large hot sauté pan with olive oil or on a grill. Cook until tender and sprinkle with sea salt and lemon juice.
To serve, take a large platter and place the entire contents of the pot into the center. Sprinkle over the red pepper flakes. Drizzle the very good olive oil over the top. Grate some caccio cavallo over this. Take the green scallions and lay around the sides of the dish. Serve immediately.
April 5th, 2007
This is a very simple dish that it easy to prepare. However, please note that it’s only worthwhile to do this if you have find super fresh sardines (caught the same day) and make the dish the same day. Sardines are delicious but they perish very quickly. Waiting even one day to eat them is not advised.
Ingredients (serves 6-8):
-Salt
-Extra virgin olive oil
-1 cup San Marzano crushed tomatoes
-Zest of one orange
-1 cup fresh bread crumbs
-2 pounds fresh wild sardines
-2 lemons sliced into thin wedges
-1 clove garlic chopped coarsely
Tomato Sauce
Pre-heat your oven to 425. In a large sauté pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sliced garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20 minutes. Season with salt and set aside.
Bread Crumbs
Take a big piece of fresh bread (day old is fine too) and break into pieces. Add to a food processor and chop until coarse but not too fine. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a 10-12″ sauté pan and add the bread crumbs. Toss with the oil until lightly toasted. Add in the orange zest and season with salt. Set aside.
Sardines
Wash and pat dry your sardines. In a large not-stick pan heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Lay the sardines into the pan (do in batches if there not enough room to accommodate all of them) and sauté 1 minute on each side. Remove the sardines–taking care not to break them–and set aside on a plate.
Take the large pan with the San Marzano tomatoes and add in all of your sardines. Do not stack them on top of one another. Add the toasted bread crumbs on top and cover with the lemon wedges. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and insert into the 425 degree oven. Roast for approximately 15 minutes or until you can easily pierce the sardines with a knife. Serve immediately.
January 6th, 2007
This is a new dish I recently concocted and I love it! The bitterness and crunch of the rapini alongside the tomatoes, the mint and the capricious heat of the hot peppers is truly a wonderful combination. It’s a simple dish but takes some care to come together in the right away. Pay attention to what you are doing when preparing this divine pasta. You will likely find dishes similar (or even the same) to this in Rome. Romans love the headiness of tomatoes, pepper flakes and fresh mint.
Ingredients (serves 4-6):
-Extra virgin olive oil
-Salt & pepper
-2 cloves garlic chopped coarsely
-1 and 1/2 cups of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
-2 cups of Rapini or Broccoli Rabe, washed and sliced into small pieces
-1 tablespoon of crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2 cup of fresh mint, chopped finely
-1 pound of best quality dry pasta such as Rustichella (if using a major name brand go for DiCecco)
Tomato Sauce
In a large sauté pan (12-14″) heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté until translucent (not browned). Add the crushed San Marzano tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until cooked. Season with salt and pepper along the way. Set aside.
Rapini
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt followed immediately by your Rapini. Blanch the Rapini for approximately 5 minutes or until slightly cooked but still crunchy at the stems. Drain and set aside. Cover to keep warm.
Pasta
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta followed immediately by 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Be sure and remove the pasta 1 minute or so before to ensure it remains al dente. Three minutes before the pasta is ready to come out add the Rapini to the pan with the tomato sauce. Heat the mixture over medium heat. Now drain your pasta and add to the pan with the Rapini and tomatoes. Add the hot pepper flakes and toss for 1-2 minutes over high heat. Off the heat add the mint and toss once more. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and bring everything to the plate. Serve immediately.
January 5th, 2007
My brother-in-law, Pepi (from Napoli) taught me this very southern version of Pasta alla Bolognese. It’s made with San Marzano tomatoes and slow-cooked for at least 3-4 hours. The first time I tried this pasta I had 3 enormous helpings, something which is very unusual for me.
See the video of James making this pasta by clicking here!
Ingredients (Serves 6-8 as a small pasta course):
-Tagliatelle or Parpadelle egg pasta (1 pound)
-2 medium carrots, chopped into 1 inch pieces
-1 yellow onion, diced
-1 can (28 ounces) of San Marzano tomatoes (crushed by hand into a bowl)
-1 pound of ground beef
-Best quality extra virgin olive oil for finishing
-Good quality extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing
-Salt & Pepper
-Parmigianno Reggiano for grating
Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to a heavy sauce pan over medium high heat. Add your carrots and onions and a bit of salt and sautee for 8-10 minutes or until soft (not browned). Take your meat and break it into small pieces and add to the pan. Stir occasionally to lightly cook all sides of the meat (approximately 5 minutes). Add your crushed San Marzano tomatoes and stir to combine. Fill your empty can of San Marzano tomatoes half way with water (this is going to allow us to cook our sauce for a very long time) and add to the pan. Once everything has reached a boil, turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook for at least 4 hours. Stir the mixture every 15-20 minutes to ensure even cooking. The sauce should be gently bubbling the entire time. Add salt and pepper along the way.
Once the sauce has come together turn off the heat. Adjust seasoning as needed. Add a drizzle of best quality extra virgin olive and stir to combine. Bring your pot of pasta water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Drop your pasta in and cook according to the package instructions, remembering to remove it at least 30 seconds to 1 minute prior so that it remains al dente. Drain your pasta and add it back to the same pot you cooked it in. Ladle a bit of Bolognese sauce over the pasta and stir gently to combine. You do not want to over sauce this dish so only add what you need.
To plate, take add a bit of pasta to each plate. Ladle over additional sauce and pieces of meat as desired. Grate fresh Parmigiano Reggiano over each dish and drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately. Buon appetito!
To see a video of me making this dish from start to finish visit this link!
See the video of James making this pasta by clicking here!
December 28th, 2006
Cortina is one of the oldest and most exclusive ski resorts in the world. Located in the Dolomite Mountains north of Venice, Italy, Cortina di Ampezzo is visually stunning. Every winter thousands of Italians, Europeans, Russians and others from all over the world descend onto this magical valley to enjoy the skiing, cuisine, spas and nightlife.
After a long day of skiing, hanging out at the spa or whatever takes your fancy Cortina offers a variety of options for late night goers. One of my all-time favorite spots is the VIP Club, located in the historic Hotel Europa in the center of downtown. This small, intimate club offers a unique experience compared to the American club scene. Instead of a DJ playing the latest house or hip hop compilation the VIP Club features a very Italian experience. Francesco Bernardini performs nightly on the piano and sings famous Italian songs throughout the night. Accompanied by DJ Jean Michel the music switches between Francesco on the keyboard and Jean Michel bringing the crowd to life with mixed Italian music. It’s a great counter balance and keeps the party going well past 4am.
The thing I like about the VIP Club is its intimacy. First off, I feel like I am in a rustic ski cabin (which I am). The same people are there every year to welcome me. In addition to Francesco and Jean Michel, we have Roberto (the owner and manager, always impeccable in his suit and tie), Giacomo (from Venice) behind the bar, etc. Many people have dinner and appetizers at the VIP earlier in the evening before it turns into a full nightclub. It’s a very special experience and difficult to explain if you are not there in person. It’s as if the whole world could come to an end the next day and so everyone is just out there having a great time. It’s well worth dropping in next time you are in Cortina di Ampezzo!
For information please visit http://www.hoteleuropacortina.it or contact Roberto Cardazzi at
Vip Club - Hotel Europa
RSVP: Roberto Cardazzi Cel. 335 - 6293250
Corso Italia, 207
32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL) Italia
Tel. +39 0436 3221 r.a.
Fax +39 0436 868204 r.a.
E-mail vipclub@hoteleuropacortina.it
December 5th, 2006
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