Cooking with Aleandra

Mondays are shopping days for Dr. C. and I.  There is a huge super market near Perugia, about 15 minutes away where I can get anything from Lindt cocoa to my very own leg of Prosciutto di Parma.
The store is called Hyper-Coop, as opposed to the smaller Coop's that are located in towns like Spello and Trevi.  Dr. C. is not a shopper, so I take the cart and maneuver it as fast as I can through the aisles (picture supermarket sweep but Italian style) so we can get in, get out and get on the road.  We fill in with other things here in town, but for big shopping we head to Perugia.

True confessions time, I am not a fan of chicken, at least the chicken we get in the U.S.  Dry and tasteless (yes, even the organic birds) I have a hard time cooking it at home, since I really don't like the results.  Yesterday I bought this adorable chicken, thinking that maybe I could make my grandmother's chicken cacciatore for dinner.  First of all look at how they truss this chicken, putting a slit into the skin, and pushing the legs through.  I hated to mess this up, but for grandma's chicken you need to cut it up into pieces.

This is my Nonna, Aleandra Ciuffoli Pasquini on a trip to Canada.  Nonna was born in Gubbio, a small hill town here in Umbria, about 30 to 45 minutes from Spello.  She and my grandfather were married when she was barely 18.  My Nonno emigrated to Old Forge, PA in the early 1900's and worked in the coal mines for 2 years, before Nonna and two sons sailed to Boston to eventually meet him in Old Forge.  I really can not even imagine how they did it, not knowing the language, and customs, and not being able to find the foods that were familiar to them.  When my grandfather saw that his sons would have to work in the coal mines, they moved to Northern New Jersey raising 5 children, and surrounding themselves with extended family who had emigrated from Gubbio and towns nearby.  And there were always picnics, huge steaks on the grill, potatoes roasted in the embers, and salads dressed with green olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Left to right, Aleandra, my Mom  probably pregnant with me, and my Nonno Giuseppe Pasquini

My Nonna was probably the best cook I've ever met; not a chef, but an incredible cook, knowing instinctively what a dish needed, and serving some of the best food I've ever eaten.  Eating in her kitchen constituted some of the best memories of my childhood, and later adulthood.  I loved being around her, with her unconditional love, and the aromas from the kitchen.  Like most Italian mamas she didn't let me help, maybe once or twice I could crimp the edges of the ravioli, or snip the tips off the beans, or peel potatoes, but there was no cooking allowed, so I watched and learned.  This dish is one she made often, and although my cousins and I have tried to replicate it in our own kitchens, it's never quite like hers----we get close, but it's not exactly hers.  I think the reason is the chicken, as I proved yesterday.  Here is the recipe, and I hope you'll try it, buy an organic chicken, preferably vegetarian fed, you'll pay more, but the results will have more flavor.

Nonna's Chicken Cacciatore

Serves 4 to 6

One 2 1/2 to 3 pound whole organic chicken cut into pieces 

salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup diced pancetta

3 garlic cloves, sliced

1 tablespoon chopped  fresh rosemary

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Wash the chicken in cold water, and cut the breasts in half, so there are 4 pieces.

Pat the chicken dry, season liberally with salt and pepper (like a dry brine)

Cover with paper towels and put into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, and up to 8 hours.  

In a large skillet, heat the oil, and saute the pancetta until it is crispy.  

Add the chicken to the pan, and brown on all sides, turning frequently.  While the chicken is browning, add the garlic and rosemary to the pan.  

When the chicken is browned on all sides turn up the heat and add the vinegar.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. 

 Serve the chicken with rosemary roasted potatoes, and your choice of green vegetable or salad.  

Olive oil, rosemary, sliced garlic, and potatoes, roasted at 400 for about 40 minutes turning occasionally till crispy

So I ate my entire piece of chicken, and loved it; it was juicy, tender, and most of all close to the real deal.

 I have asked Umbrian friends if this is a typical dish from the region and they say yes, but the qualifier is that it's usually made with rabbit instead of chicken---hence the name cacciatore, or hunter's style. The hunter would be in the woods, shoot his game, then cook it over an open fire with what he had, pancetta (cured meat) rosemary found on the forest floor, and some wine or vinegar.  I'm grateful that the generations in my family know how to make it and will carry on Nonna Aleandra's tradition.

Building Things

While Dr. C. and I have been in Spello, one of the joys is reconnecting with friends we have met over the years, as well as sitting at the enoteca with the family.  A family we met about 6 years ago from London are here this week and we invited them to dinner at our apartment.  Keep in mind I have an easy bake oven and limited counter space, but that hasn't stopped me from thinking I can put on a full on meal, and yesterday I decided since it was a rainy day, that I'd make lasagna.  This is not the ricotta filled bomb that most red sauce Italian restaurants serve, rather lasagna Bolognese, made with traditional (kind of) Bolognese sauce and instead of the heavy ricotta filling, a bechamel that makes a lighter and more delicious lasagna.  It's simple to put together and can be made in stages, making the sauces ahead and then assembling the whole deal.

When I went to the supermercato, I found multiple choices of fresh lasagna noodles, but chose these because of the smiling man on the label.  Cook's note, they were OK, but I will try another brand next time.  Also dealing with pans that aren't quite the same size made it a cut and paste noodle layer--once it's cooked no one will know.

I've been using this brand of tomatoes for sauces and love them.  In San Diego you can find them at Mona Lisa

Making the sauce is simple, saute some veal or pork, I chose veal, with a bit of onion (not too much) some carrot and celery, then add a bit of beef stock, and tomatoes.  Simmer for about 30 minutes, season with salt, pepper, and if it needs it a bit of sugar to temper the acid in the tomatoes.  I finished the sauce with fresh basil, parsley and about 2/3 cup of cream.  

The most important part of a beschamel (cream sauce) is the beginning.  Melting butter, then adding flour, then cooking that flour for 2 to 3 minutes.  Cooking the flour cooks out the floury taste, and bonds it to the other ingredients giving you a smooth, creamy sauce.  I use 1/2 broth and 1/2 milk in the sauce, it lightens it up a bit.  I stirred in about 1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the sauce.  

A trick I learned at the American Academy in Rome was to grind (they had a huge meat grinder) or chop the fresh buffalo mozzarella and mix it with the dryer Parmigiano Reggiano.  This helps to keep the lasagna from being watery and is a genius method.  

basically it's a layering of Bolognese, noodles, bechamel, noodles, Bolognese, a bit of the cheeses, more bechamel, Bolognese, and then a nice sprinkling of Parmigiano Reggiano with the fresh mozzarella on the top.  You can see my cut and paste noodles work, it wasn't seamless (pardon the pun).

Ready for the oven.  This lasagna can be refrigerated overnight, or frozen for up to 4 months.  Make sure to defrost for 2 days in the fridge if you freeze it.  Always bring casseroles like this to room temperature before baking.  This one took almost an hour to get to room temperature.  

For the Bolognese

Serves 8 to 10

This classic sauce is delicious served with pasta, but also can be made and frozen for future use, or use it to make a classic lasagna Bolognese. 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ cup pancetta, diced small

¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

¼ cup finely chopped carrot

¼ cup finely chopped celery

3 sage leaves, finely chopped

½ cup Italian parsley, roughly chopped

⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ pounds ground veal (or ¾ pound lean ground pork and ¾ pound ground veal)

½ cup white wine

½ cup heavy cream

1 cup beef stock

4 cups tomato puree 

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat, and cook the pancetta until it has rendered its fat. 

 Add the butter to the pan, and sauté the onion, carrot, celery, sage, parsley, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and garlic, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.  

Add the veal, and cook until the meat is no longer pink.      

Turn up the heat, and add the wine, boiling to evaporate and concentrate the flavor.     Add the cream, and boil for 2 to 3 minutes, to thicken.     

Add the stock and tomatoes, and cook, uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened.

 For the Bechamel

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken broth

1 ½ cups whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper

1 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, melt the butter.  When the foam subsides, whisk in the flour.  White bubbles will begin to form on the bottom and sides of the pan.  Once the bubbles begin to form, cook the roux whisking constantly for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Diva Wisdom: The reason to cook the roux this long is to cook the flour, so the resulting sauce doesn’t have a floury taste.  If you have ever had a sauce, gravy or soup that tastes like flour it’s because they didn’t totally cook the flour before adding the liquids.  Also, the flour and fat form a bond that prevents the sauce from separating when it’s reheated.  
3. Gradually add the broth, whisking until blended.  Add the milk, salt and pepper, and bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. 
4. Remove the sauce from the stove and gradually stir in the cheese, until it melts.  Taste the sauce for seasoning and correct with additional salt and pepper as necessary. 

 Assembly

One 13-by 9-inch baking dish or two 9-inch baking dishes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

One 9-ounce package Barilla no-cook lasagna noodles or fresh lasagna noodles (see note)

Bolognese (see above)

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

½ cup freshly grated Romano cheese

Diva Romano Cream Sauce (see above)

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, drained and chopped finely

•  Note:  Barilla makes a thin lasagna noodle that needs no pre-cooking or soaking in water and I find that a real plus.  When using the no-cook noodles, remember that you will need extra sauce to soften the noodles that is why there is a greater quantity of sauce in this recipe than there would be if you were using pre-cooked or fresh pasta noodles.  If you use fresh pasta sheets, you don’t need to pre-cook the noodles, just proceed with the recipe as directed.

1. Heavily coat the bottom and sides of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish or two 9-inch square baking dishes if you would like to make smaller lasagna with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Spread 1 cup of the Bolobnese on the bottom of the dish and top with lasagna noodles. Combine the Parmigiano, Romano and mozzarella cheeses in a bowl.  
3. Spread a thin layer of the Romano cream sauce across the top of the noodles, top with mozzarella mixture, and continue layering, using 4 layers of noodles and ending with the Bolognese.  
4. Top the casserole with the remaining mozzarella and grated cheeses.  Cover the casserole and refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for 4 months.  Defrost and bring the casserole to room temperature before baking.  Any remaining Bolognese may be frozen for a later use. (You shouldn’t have any cream sauce left)
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the lasagna covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until the casserole is bubbling, the cheese is melted, and beginning to turn golden.  Remove the lasagna from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Cut into squares and serve.   

 For dessert I figured chocolate (since we were drinking Sagrantino with the meal)  Beth Hensperger, a colleague and fabulous cookbook author posted this on Facebook the other day, and I rushed to the easy bake oven to see if it would work, and presto!  This is a decadent chocolate cake, and worth the calories.  It's simple to prepare in one bowl then melt some chocolate in heavy cream, and glaze it. Click here for the recipe and thank her for sharing Alice Medrichs' magic.  

Buon appetito tutti from Spello.

Amatriciana

The village of Amatrice is famous for its pasta all'Amatriciana, a simple preparation made with guanciale (cured pork jowl), a bit of onion or garlic but usually not both, pinches of red pepper depending on your heat meter and tomatoes.  Some finish it off with a bit of Italian parsley, while others toss it with the pasta, and sprinkle with cheese (usually Pecorino, since this is sheeps' milk cheese country) I used Buccatini, which is traditional, but I've also made it with penne, or rigatoni which catches bits of the guanciale in its holes.
This is a simple dish, yet its simplicity belies the sum of its parts; one can eat an entire bowl of this pasta, savouring each bite just as the first.
Sadly the Amatriciana festival was this weekend, and the small historic village is a heap of rubble.  In honor of this beautiful place in this proud country, I made Amatriciana for our family at the enoteca. I've cooked for lots of people in my day but cooking for Italiani is another story!  These people know their pasta, and flavors and I wanted to get this one just right: no overcooked pasta, no bland sauce, but not too much pepperoncino.  There were smiles and words like complimenti when they dug in.  Phew!  This is a great weeknight dinner, and if you can't purchase guanciale in your supermarket, pancetta, which is readily available is an adequate substitute.

Pasta All'Amatriciana

Serves 6

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 

4 ounces guanciale, cut into fine dice

1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I used a red onion for sweetness)

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley stems (see note)
pinch red pepper flakes (I like just a bit of heat)

2 cups tomato puree (I use Mutti brand passato)

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsely

1 pound buccatini, cooked 3 minutes short of al dente

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

In a large skillet, heat the oil, and cook the guanciale until it is crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes on medium high heat. 

Add the onion, red pepper and parsley stems, and saute until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.  

Add the tomatoes, and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.

Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and a bit of sugar, if needed.  Since tomatoes are acidic, a bit of sugar can temper the acid, and smooth out the sauce.  Add the parsley, and simmer another minute.  

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss until the pasta has absorbed the sauce.  

Serve the pasta immediately garnished with Parmigiano or Pecorino.  

Cook's Note:  Parsley stems will sometimes end up in your compost bin, but they are terrific to use when you are starting a sauce or soup.  Not only do they add flavor, they are what I call a neutralizer that can help to balance harsh flavors like garlic and onion.  I chop the stems and freeze them for use right out of the bag.  

Buon appetito!

Too Hot to be Outside

The outside temperature today in Spello is 33 degrees Celsius, which is about 96 degrees F.; way too hot to be outside, and so it's another day inside, getting settled, and looking for things to do.
On Thursday we went to the huge supermarket in Perugia called Hypercoop, and bought provisions.  I'd bought a box of peaches that looked promising, and since we hadn't eaten any, I thought I'd use them up, and turn on the oven---I mean what else do you do on a day when it's 96 degrees?
I've been experimenting with a crumble/pat in crust that I'm beginning to think is my new best friend, and it's worked beautifully in this recipe.  Although some of the peaches were soft, most were a little too hard, so I poached them in a bit of butter, with a tablespoon of sugar.
It never ceases to amaze me when we come to Italy that we do with a lot less here.  No Cuisinart, mixer, or other electrics, but I can still get the job done.  We are in a rental apartment without All-Clad pans, and state of the art gadgets, but going back to basics is what makes all of this a lot of fun, using all the skills I have to make something delicious.  Hoping to share this one with our Angelini family if they haven't melted from the heat.

Spello Peach Pie

Serves 6 to 8

6 medium to large peaches, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sugar

Heat the butter in a large skillet, and add the sugar.  Stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the peaches, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the peaches begin to release some juice, about 5 minutes.  Set aside to cool while making the crust.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
1 large egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and coat the inside of a 9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Put the flour, sugar, butter, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl, and cut the butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender, your fingers or a blending fork.  The ingredients should begin to come together like a crumble.

Add the egg, and continue to mix until the ingredients begin to come together.

Measure out half of the mixture and press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Top with the peaches and their juices.

Crumble the reserved topping over the peaches.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the crumble is golden brown and the peaches are bubbling.
Allow the pie to rest for at least 30 minutes before cutting and serving with vanilla ice cream, or gelato.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Terremoto

This is the town of Amatrice, which was devastated at 3:30 a.m. European Central Time.  So far 124 people are known dead, and there will be more, since they are having a hard time digging through the rubble to save those that are still alive.
The earthquake hit the central mountain areas of Umbria, Lazio and Le Marche.  Dr. C. and I spent last night in a hotel at the Rome airport; the earthquake woke me up out of a sound sleep; for those of us used to this in California, it felt like a shaker that went on for about 30 seconds.  There was no damage that was reported in Rome, and we headed for Spello (central Umbria) at 11:30---there was no damage that we saw along the way, and when we got to Spello (a medieval town) there was no damage that we could find.

 Our family's wine bar is fully functioning, without any damage, and the apartment that we are staying at is just fine.  The reason is that these buildings, although medieval, have had a seismic retrofit.  We have heard from friends that there hasn't been any damage of note, in the towns around here, Assisi, Todi and Orvieto.  There will be aftershocks, and that will be devastating to the areas that have been the hardest hit.
How can you help?  I'll update this page, but right now the best bet is donating to the Red Cross.  We aren't able to donate blood since we haven't donated here before and they need the blood immediately.  This weekend was going to be the celebration of the pasta that Amatrice is famous for, pasta all'Amatriciana.  I have no idea what will happen now, but pray for the people who have been affected by this tragedy.  I'll be back with an update here and on my Facebook page.  Until then ciao and buona notte.
Update:  Go to this link for ways to donate:
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-to-help-victims-italy-earthquake_us_57bf020de4b085c1ff27f8c5?section=&