Vermicelli alla Siracusana

There's no pasta in my stomach, but it is on my mind. I will dedicate this post in loving memory of one of my favorite dishes, Vermicelli alla Siracusana.


Could this be one of the reasons why I had to go on the South Beach Diet to begin with? Let's not answer that question right now.

Contents:

• Vermicelli pasta
  
• Olive oil
• Garlic
  
• Capers
• Anchovies
• Yellow pepper
• Eggplant
• Black olives
  
• Tomatoes
• Basil
  

Start by frying the eggplant in oil until it is cooked throughout and golden brown. Cook the yellow peppers (either by roasting them or just simply sauteing them). Over medium heat, begin to build your sauce. Fry the garlic, add the capers and anchovies. Add in the eggplant and yellow peppers. Add the pitted, fresh black olives. Mix in the tomatoes. (I like to use whole, canned Italian tomatoes and then mash them up with the back of my wooden spoon.) Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, mix into the sauce and finish the cooking. Top with lots of Parmesan cheese. Devour.

I first made this dish during one of my first cooking classes. It was also one of my first (knowingly) experiences with anchovies. Now I love anchovies. Well, "love" may be too strong of a word. I can tolerate them and appreciate the flavor they contribute to dishes like Vermicelli alla Siracusana. That being said, I still get a little creeped out when I pull one of those slimy little buggers out from the jar of oil. The little hairs get me every time. I just try to tell myself that those hairs are supposed to be there (and then chop them up as fast as I can).

This is one of those dishes that I could make in my sleep. I think it is so simple, and I love that it can essentially be ready to eat whenever I'm ready to eat. And since I believe the world should actually revolve around my eating schedule, this really fits the bill.

What makes this simple is that the only fresh ingredients that you really need to have on hand are the eggplants, peppers, and basil (and olives, if you are using fresh, which I hope you are!). I will assume that you most likely have pasta, olive oil, and garlic at home already. The capers and anchovies keep for a while so those fall more into the condiment category. The tomatoes are canned. They really are the best that way because they are canned at their peak. Unless tomatoes are in season and fabulous where you live, I really don't think it's worth the time peeling them for sauce.

Just be careful with the salt. The olives and capers add quite a salty bite to the dish, so additional salt is really up to your discretion, if necessary at all.

And if you want a true Italian experience but can't seem to be able to visit in person, do what I do: cook this dish, pour some white wine, turn on your Italian language audio book, set the sound machine to "waves" and pretend you're on the Sicilian coast instead of Manhattan.

Last Day of Pasta, Wine, Fruit, and All Things Good in the World!

Today marks my last day of pasta. At least for two weeks, that is. But to me, if it's for two weeks it may as well be forever. I'm beginning the Phase One of South Beach diet in hopes of being look halfway decent in my bikini when I go to the beach in a couple of weeks. So since tonight is my last night of carbohydrates, I fixed myself a giant plate of pasta. Also in Phase One, you aren't allowed any alcohol, which means no wine for two weeks. So I also fixed peaches (also considered a carb) soaked in sweet Italian dessert wine. Below is a picture of the wine with some biscotti (which I'm also not allowed to eat...).


There is quite a great story behind this wine. Initially, I went into my favorite Italian wine shop (Enoteca Di Palo) in search for Vin Santo to give to my friend that I had met in Italy whom I was going to visit for the weekend. Since dipping biscotti in Vin Santo is a Tuscan tradition, I thought this would be quite appropriate and nostalgic for both of us. After explaining what I was looking for to the owner of the shop (and being a total nerd by pulling out my Moleskin notebook with my list of wines to reference and asking some impossibly detailed questions), he offered me a bottle of dessert wine for free. "Seriously?!" was all I managed to say in my state of shock. The bottle itself would probably fetch for somewhere around $30, but it really is priceless because it isn't sold in America at all. Apparently the producers had sent him a bottle to try in hopes that he would purchase it for his store. He insisted that the wine was very special, and since I find him quite dreamy and incredibly knowledgeable on the subject, I believed him. I was full of anticipation. Once I get back to my apartment, I end up wanting to try the dessert wine so badly that I couldn't part with it. I decided to give my friend another equally as wonderful bottle of wine that is very similar to Orvieto Classico but is from the Lazio region (we both travelled to Orvieto together and fell in love with the wine, so I figured she would appreciate this wine as well). Anyway, I ended up drinking the dessert wine, and it was fabulous (but what did you really expect anyway?). Although dipping the biscotti in it was pretty good, I actually prefer to drink it by itself or with the peaches soaked in it.

Side note: The biscotti I chose were nocciola - hazelnut - but also had an intense anise flavor that I don't really care for. Tonight I tried to mask the anise flavor with copious amounts of Nutella. Not quite a success, but still pretty tasty.

Mushroom Risotto

As I type this, I'm munching on a hunk of aged pecorino from the Basilicata region of Italy. It's super salty, which I love, and has a rich nutty flavor. No wonder, sheep's milk is the highest in fat, sugar, and protein than any other milk used to make cheeses. Totally worth it.

And what should one eat with this cheese? Mushroom Risotto.


To be completely honest, this dish was not actually inspired by the pecorino cheese (that was just a lucky coincidence). What really inspired this dish was the terrible, never-ending, omnipresent rain and clouds that have been covering New York City for the past three weeks or so. Being from Texas, wearing a jacket between the months of May and August has never once crossed my mind for a brief minute. The only exception to this would be when I would want to shield my body from the blasting AC in every building only because the temperatures outside were in the three digits. But here in New York, apparently, it is possible to need a jacket in June. Without a jacket at my disposal, I decided that I would just have to cook myself one; thus, mushroom risotto.

Contents:

• Onion
• Olive oil
  
• Arborio rice
• White wine
• Dried porcini mushrooms
  
• Chicken stock
• Pepper
• Salt
  
• Pecorino cheese

First begin by soaking the dried mushrooms in a small bowl of warm water for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, begin simmering the chicken stock on a back burner. Heat the oil in a pan and cook the chopped onions until translucent. Add in the rice and coat with the oil/onion mixture. This is to toast the rice, which will give it a nutty flavor that really adds to the dish. I usually let the rice "toast" for 3 minutes or so. Mix in the rehydrated porcini mushrooms. Pour in about a glass full of white wine. Simmer (little bubbles should appear) until the wine is absorbed by the rice. Now get in a comfortable position (a stool is helpful) because you will be doing this next part for quite a while. Add about a ladle full of the hot chicken stock. Stir the rice gently and occasionally until all of the stock is absorbed. Add another ladle full of stock and repeat. Continue to do this until the rice is tender. (For me this process usually takes me about 40 minutes. Just keep tasting the rice every time after the stock has been absorbed, and you will be able to gauge how much more liquid/time it needs.) Top with freshly grated black pepper and shavings, chunks, or shreds of pecorino cheese.

Notes:
The type and quality of the wine used really does effect how the entire dish will taste. I prefer to use a white wine that has a crisp, fresh kitchen herbs taste versus something that is more fruity and sweet. When heated, the wine becomes more concentrated; thus, the flavor is intensified. And personally, I don't want to be tasting mangoes with my mushrooms.

Now what really gives the mushroom risotto an extra kick is to reserve the mushroom soaking liquid and use it as you would the stock. This liquid has absorbed all of the intensity and flavor of the dried mushrooms. It's like adding pure mushroom essence to the dish. Just make sure to heat it (either by mixing it into the chicken stock or heating it on its own) so the temperature of the dish doesn't drop when you mix it into the warm rice. It is for this reason in particular that I prefer to use the dried mushrooms over fresh mushrooms for this dish.

The reason why risotto is such a creamy dish even when there is no cream what so ever is because the rice itself releases its starches when it is cooked in this manner. To me, this is one of the best dishes to make when it's cold and rainy. Take a warm shower or bath before. Put on your pajamas and some comfy socks. Then begin to cook. Once you are comfortable with the process of making risotto, I think it's an ideal dish to make when you have close friends over. You all can each take turns being the stir-er and you'll have plenty of time to talk/eat little nimblets (mixed cured meats and fresh olives, anyone?) before dinner is served.

And for college kids or people cooking for one, I think mushroom risotto is great because all of the ingredients are not quickly perishable. I find that to be one of the most challenging and intimidating parts of cooking for one. I don't want to cook an entire casserole's worth of food, knowing that I will never possibly be able to finish it all (and I would never dream of letting food go to waste). With the risotto, you can use just the amount you need of the rice, mushrooms, and stock and save whatever is leftover until you need them again.

Perfection!

Days Off

Morning is my absolute, hands down favorite time of the day. That being said, I'm not always so inclined to wake up during the actual morning. Nevertheless, I still demand at least 2 hours of "morning" even if it happens to fall between the hours of 11 am and 1 pm.

Since I had half of a carton of eggs leftover from baking brownies with my roommate, I decided that I would make pancakes. What better way to start off my day off from working than with warm, bready goodness.


Pancakes are quite the accomplishment for me because I lack what some people like to call patience. I usually turn up the heat way to high and flip the pancake too soon. I end up with a charred, soggy piece of bread that even the best maple syrup can't help. Luckily, in my newly acquired wisdom (in cooking at least), I decided to actually read the box instructions. (That's right, these are not from scratch. At least I didn't choose the "just-add-water" one. It was a close second though.) Aunt Jemima knows how to cook pancakes, let me tell you. Key: the griddle should be just hot enough to for drops of water to sizzle and "dance" around.

And since I'm the type of girl that can really put it away, I decided that I should be somewhat virtuous and buy the whole wheat pancake mix. I think the blueberries help in this department too. And I like to tell myself that even though I had real maple syrup on the cakes, at least I wasn't filling my body with cancer-forming, gene-mutating fake sugars.

Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo

Il brutto e il cattivo
Tonight I tried (and failed, yet again) to make spaghetti alla carbonara. It wasn't even worth taking a picture. I've concluded that the pasta wasn't hot enough to turn the eggs into the rich, creamy sauce that was suppose to result. Instead I ended up essentially eating pasta with raw eggs and bacon - still quite delicious, but not quite as sanitary. And to make matters worse, I bought the eggs from this sketchy store downstairs. I'm crossing my fingers that I don't get food poisoning.

My other attempts at spaghetti alla carbonara have not been as successful either. Once I ended up with a plate of spaghetti, bacon, and scrambled eggs (haven't we all...). I'm not quite ready on chalking this up to one of those dishes that is just best when ordered out. I don't trust the American restaurants to prepare the dish as I would. They all seem to want to sneak in cream - a true travesty.

Il buono
I will turn a blind eye to this whole matter and focus on something that is perfectly created (albeit, not by me) - GROM gelato. I initially discovered GROM in Firenze, just south of the Duomo. I actually got to a "tour" by the owner and hear him speak about three of flavors of his choice. (I put tour in quotation marks because the store itself is no bigger than 20 ft x 10 ft. And that might even be generous.) Although GROM has relatively expensive gelato for Firenze and its small amounts, it is by far worth the extra euro.

Aside from my general depression of leaving Italy, I was extremely depressed knowing that GROM would only be a memory of the past. However, the gelato gods must truly love me because there happens to be not just one but two GROMs in New York City. Now, at first I was quite skeptical of the quality, insisting in my mind that it just can't be as good as the store in Firenze. But the Italian atmosphere might be missing, but the gelato itself tastes exactly the same as it does in Italy, I assure you.

Even though a small (or piccola as I insist on referring to it as) will set you back $5, they generously pile it up (see photo). And think of it as an investment - in loving your life even more.

My suggestions:

• Crema di Grom (totally worth an entire cup full)
• Mela/Caramello (like the freshest caramel dipped apple)
• Nocciola/Bacio (for the Nutella lover in all of us)

The seasonal fruit flavors are also super fresh and delicate. And if you need something to cut the creaminess (never a problem in my opinion), they also offer wonderful Battifollo cookies (see photo) to purchase separately. It is these cookies that are crushed up in the Crema di Grom.

GROM also participates in the Slow Food movement and labels particular flavors that are specially recognized by this group. See website for more information on these efforts and their Mura Mura organic farm.

If it wasn't pouring rain outside right now, I would walking to the Greenwich Village location right the second. And if you want to drool with me, here's the link to their website: http://www.grom.it/eng/index.htm

Lunch at Home

While on the topic of lunches, I thought I'd show you what I prefer to eat when I am in the comfort of my own home. Simple. Easy. Delicious. Spaghetti with a basil tomato sauce.

In the past, I've had some issues with getting the right consistency of tomato sauce. While in Italy, I would always make the sauce from fresh tomatoes, but here in America I prefer to buy canned whole Italian tomatoes which I find to be equally as good. And as an added bonus, I don't have to spend the extra time peeling the skins. Despite my best efforts though, my tomato sauce has always come out too runny. Maybe it's just that I've learned patience, but I found that it really is key to quite vigorously simmer the sauce for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. I'm sure this was mentioned in my cook book, but as a young 20-something it is my duty to ignore fine details like this and then blame the world around me when everything doesn't turn out how I would have liked.

Contents:

• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Whole tomatoes
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Fresh chopped basil

As for the pasta, make sure to boil it in plenty of salted water. A good rule of thumb (and one that I learned from Michele) is if you think you added a lot of salt, add more. The water should taste like the salt water from the ocean.

One point that I did not miss in my cooking class was the emphasis on the al dente quality of the pasta. Growing up I'm not quite sure if I ever experienced al dente, as my dad likes just about everything cooked for another 5 minutes to make sure it's "good and done". Thankfully, I have discovered al dente and make certain that my pasta adheres to this standard. And as for cooking for my dad, I make sure to remove my pasta well before his. You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Lunch at the Office

Behold! My latest love. Yes, the photo is out of focus and the sandwich has been wrapped in plastic for the past 12 hours, but its outer beauty does not reflect all it has to offer (and isn't that what love is all about?).

I typically am hard pressed for lunch ideas to take to the office. I'm one of those people that prefers to eat almost everything freshly cooked. I'm not a sandwich person. Even while living in Italy, I would always opt for soups or pastas before I would choose a panino. Blame it on all of the sack lunches of turkey on wheat that plagued my elementary and junior high and high school days.

But after refusing to take pasta to reheat and feeling guilty spending the extra 5 minutes away from my desk to heat up my homemade soup in the microwave at work, I succumbed to the pressure of the ever ready, always easy sandwich. However, I was not about to buy deli turkey and wheat bread in a plastic bag. (Anyone who knows me, how stubborn I can be about particular things in life...like sandwiches).

Contents:

• Freshly baked bread with sesame seeds
• Prosciutto
• Thin slices of Parmigiano Reggiano DOP
• Fresh arugula
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

For the sake of packing my lunch, I prepare the sandwich (sans olive oil) and wrap it up in plastic wrap. I pour the oil into a small baggie, so I can put it on my sandwich right before I'm ready to eat. This way the bread won't be soggy by the time 1pm (or 4pm as was the case today) rolls around.

The prosciutto was like butter, melting in my mouth. The parmigiano adds that extra sharp kick to give the overall flavor combo a complex, deeper quality. The arugula has a great peppery flavor that spices up the mellow and smooth flavors of the meat and cheese.

The bread, prosciutto, and cheese are all from what is becoming my new favorite store: Di Palo's Fine Foods in Little Italy.

i secondi

Tonight I have a new understanding of the purpose of the Italian secondi. Typically the i secondi - generally meats - follow, logically, i primi - the first course (paste, risotto, etc.). I swear these Italians think of everything! Well, in my dinner endeavour for tonight, I decided that I would cook up some chicken with lemon, capers, and white wine. The chicken itself was delicious, but my fatal flaw was placing it on top of pasta. Horrific! As I cut the chicken, I cut the pasta, which just seems wrong on some level.

Other than my grave mistake of chicken placement, the meal was nicely flavored. The vegetable was broccoli rabe, initially boiled in salted water and then sauteed with olive oil and garlic. If I were to go back in time, with my current insight, I would have combined the spaghetti with the broccoli rabe to make a twist on the typical Apulia dish of orecchiette e cime di rape. *Note to self: must buy anchovies (an essential ingredient in the dish that I have been living for too long without). Another change I would make would to not shave parmiggiano over the chicken. The cheese ended up sticking to the lemon slices and not mixing into the pasta. As you can see in the picture, this brilliant thought struck me midway though grating the cheese; thus, the hunk of cheese at the top of the plate.

Well, that sure is enough critiquing of myself for tonight. Moving on to bigger and better things...the wine! Typically, I choose reds over whites. However, with this terrible rainy and cool weather in June, I've been craving some summery foods; and a crisp white wine says just that to me. So I schlep over to my favorite wine store Enoteca Di Palo. The owner advises me, expertly, on the white wines (all from Italy, mind you). I'm a huge fan of Orvieto Classio (from Umbria) and Gavi (from Piemonte), but today I want to expand my palate and my knowledge, so I ask for something different. Sam, the owner, recommends his all time favorite Italian white Timorasso. Who am I to question this man? I'm certainly not going to begin now. So I take the wine (heavily discounted thanks to my charms and wits) and schlep on back to my apartment.

Lacking the proper glass (a large, bulbous one Sam recommends), I make use of my short drinking cup exclusively purchased at the near by K-Mart. The color: light straw yellow. The scents: kitchen herbs and possibly some fresh sliced apples. Persistent. The taste lingers in my mouth long after I've swallowed. All the components are there and balanced. There is a slight pucking feeling on the sides of my cheeks which I like. Crisp, clean - this is summer. Could this be my new favorite white as well? Only time can tell.

Wine:
La Colombera
Colli Tortonesi
DOC
Timorasso
2006

Food:
Chicken sauteed in olive oil, garlic, capers, lemon, white wine
Spaghetti
Broccoli Rabe with sauteed garlic
Parmiggiano cheese

A Brief History

No one likes to eat alone. However, in my small, practically window-less Manhattan apartment I find that most of the time this is my reality. So in order to combat my singleness, I say "un'altro bicchiere per favore!" to my non-existent waiter who jumps at my every command. What would you like? Coffee? Wine? The ever-fashionable water? It doesn't matter. Now that you have a libation, sit and stay a while.

But before we begin, I must give you a clear history of my cooking experience via photographs. I've always loved food, but being good at preparing it is a whole other story. In Figure 1, left, it is quite clear that I have amazing focus - an essential quality for any young cook. As you can see I'm so engrossed in searching for whatever is in that cabinet that I have no idea that there is a fire soon to be engulfing the entire kitchen. That's determination. ("Photoshop" you say? Why would I ever try to trick you, dear reader? I've never been one for exaggeration.)

In Figure 2, right, I finally wised up, flew to Italy and took a cooking course. From the photograph, it's clear that I was the star of the class as you can see the girl in the red admiring my mad skillz of mixing chocolate. I was bound for success and she knew it.

However, it was all in vain. Our chocolate cake failed miserably (see below). Somehow I managed to earn an A in the class. I will chalk it up to the immense amounts of butter and chocolate-y goodness that abounded in said cake. Rest assured; we covered the cake in enough powdered sugar to hide all of the flaws - and making it even more delicious (and fattening) than before.

So now that I have wiped all trust, hope and faith from you in my cooking abilities, I ask you (I beg you) to take my self-deprecating introduction with a grain of salt (or pepper, cinnamon, Mrs. Dash for those of you on a low-salt diet) and join me on my exploration of gastronomy. As this journey continues, I hope to find some kind of relationship between my Texan roots, my Italian obsession, and my East Coast location that will weave together a unique pattern that is not just my dietary habits but also my passion.

Salute!