Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

Today's recipe excerpt from True Tuscan is Fagioli All' Uccelletto, which is the recipe for Stewed Beans. While beans may not have originated in Italy, Italian cuisine has utilized this crop to its fullest in a number of dishes. Try this recipe in your cucina for a truly Italian take on beans!

Fagioli all' Uccelletto

Stewed Beans

While we fancy ourselves bean experts in Tuscany, beans are actually a New World crop that didn't arrive in Italy until the late 1500's, when Columbus sailed back from America. Until then, the only bean that we had in Italy was the black-eyed pea, which came to us by way of Egypt. But we picked up on the idea fast. Fagioli all' uccelletto means "beans bird style" and was called that because we cook the beans in the same way that we cook the tiny birds we find in the hills around Tuscany. SERVES 8, ABOUT 9 CUPS

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups canned whole tomatoes, with their juice, pureed or crushed (You can also use pureed or crushed canned tomatoes, but I think the whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality.)

7 cups cooked canellini beans (3 cups cooking water reserved)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

WINE SUGGESTION: This dish is good as an antipasto, too. Serve it with a wine made from Sangiovese grapes - Bolgheri Piastraia or a simple Chianti.

1. Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil. Add the garlic and sage and saute over medium-high heat until the garlic is golden. Add the crushed red pepper and cook 30 seconds.

2. Add the tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10 minutes.

3. Add the beans, stir, and reduce the heat to meium-low. Cook for 30 minutes, using the reserved bean cooking water (or tap water) as needed to keep the beans moist. Taste for seasoning and serve.

Interview with Chef Casella on StarChefs.com!

Do you ever wonder how chefs get their start in the kitchen? Or what kind of training and background work was done for them to have arrived at chef status today? In the case of Chef Cesare Casella, you need not wonder any more! In his interview with StarChefs.com he answers these questions and reveals interesting information about his life as a chef. Check out the interview at: http://starchefs.com/cook/interview/interview-chef-cesare-casella-salumeria-rosi-part-1-new-york-ny

Prosciutto Puffs featured in the New York Post!

Love the Prosciutto Puffs from the deli counter at Salumeria Rosi? Well the puffs, made into sandwiches with tasty Mortadella, were recently featured in the New York Post as an Italian breakfast option for those mornings when you wake up with a bit of a hangover from the night before. Wether you're looking for a breakfast food that will aid in reversing the ill effects of one too many Cosmopolitans from last night, or just looking for a tasty treat, the Prosciutto Puff Sandwich is the way to go! Check out the article on the New York Post's Website to see the full article!

http://www.newyorkpost.com/p/lifestyle/food/hangover_helpers_3RK7f7TVXe7YQQxVpLH6uL?photo_num=4

Your Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

This True Tuscan Dish is the ideal way for a Tuscan to cook beans. If you do not have any beans, Sulameria Rosi carries many varieties of fagioli that you can try! Beans are a key ingredient in many cultures worldwide. If you are a bean person you will absolutely love this dish!

Fagioli

Basic Beans

You can either soak the beans overnight or use the quick-cook method. There are instructions below for both ways. If you want to freeze some of the beans, remove the quantity to be frozen at a point when they’ve softened a bit, but are still quite crunchy-that could be anywhere from twenty minutes to an hour of cooking time, depending on the freshness and type of beans. Place beans in a plastic container and cover them completely with cooking water. Let the beans cool and place them in a freezer. They will keep for up to a month. When you are ready to use the beans, defrost them, add some extra cooking water and cook until soft to the bite.

Yield: 7 cups cooked

1 pound (2½ cups) cannellini or any other type of dried beans

2 sprigs fresh sage

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 head garlic

1 carrot

1 stalk celery

1 onion, quartered

1 tablespoon salt

Extra virgin olive oil, for serving

Long-Soak Method:

1 Pick over the beans to remove any stones or bad or broken beans. Rinse thoroughly.

2 Put the beans in a stockpot and cover with plenty of cold water. Soak for 6 to 12 hours. (If it’s warm, put the beans in the refrigerator.)

3 Drain the beans and return them to the pot with 4 quarts fresh cold water.

4 Wrap the herbs and garlic in a 6-inch square of cheesecloth and add it to the pot. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Bring the water to a low simmer, then cook until the beans are done. Depending on their freshness and the variety of bean, this can take from 45 minutes to 2hours. Keep checking them for doneness. After 30 minutes of cooking, add the salt.

5 Remove and discard the cheesecloth bundle and the vegetables and drain. Serve the beans warm, drizzled with olive oil.

Quick-Cook Method:

1 Pick over the beans to remove any stones or bad or broken beans. Rinse thoroughly.

2 Put the beans in a stockpot and cover with 4 quarts cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pot from heat and let the beans soak in the hot water for 1 hour.

3 Drain the beans and return them to the stockpot. Cover with 4 quarts fresh cold water.

4 Wrap the herbs and garlic in a 6-inch square cheesecloth and add it to the pot. Add the carrot, celery, and onion. Bring the water to a boil and cook at a low simmer until the beans are done. Depending on their freshness and the variety of bean, this can take from 45 minutes to 2 hours. Keep checking them for doneness. After 30 minutes of cooking, add the salt.

5 Remove and discard the cheesecloth bundle and the vegetables and drain. Serve the beans warm, drizzled with olive oil.

Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

This True Tuscan Dish can be found in many restaurants and now it is yours to master. This is a quick and easy side to make for your favorite meat or fish. Enjoy this dish and use another recipe to top it off and make a full meal.

Spinaci Saltati

Sauteed Spinach

If you use baby spinach, you can add it directly to the oil without cooking it.

Serves 4 to 6

4 pounds spinach, well washed and tough stems removed

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons sliced garlic

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Place the spinach with the water still clinging to the leaves in a pot large enough to hold it. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the leaves just wilt, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain well in a colander, pressing out the excess water with the back of a spoon.

2 Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until it begins to color, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and sauté briefly, about 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Daily Recipe Excerpt from True Tuscan!

Today's recipe excerpt from True Tuscan is Frissoglia, which is a dish of Stewed Summer Vegetables. While it may not be the time of year for these vegetables, keep this recipe handy for warmer months - it will provide you with a truly Italian dish that will add delicious flavors to any meal.

Frissoglia
Stewed Summer Vegetables

This is a stewed mixed vegetable dish, with an emphasis on zucchini. At Vipore, it was a staple at the beginning of the summer when the gardens were full of asparagus and green beans and zucchini. With the zucchini flowers thrown into the mix, it was lovely to look at, too. You might say frissoglia is a little like French ratatouille, or if your sympathies are Italian, you might think ratatouille is a little like frissoglia. SERVES 6 TO 8

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup sliced scallions (both green and white parts)
2 cups sliced green beans (1-inch lengths)
2 cups sliced asparagus (1-inch lengths, keep tips separate)
1 pound Swiss chard, washed, stems cut into 1-inch lengths, and leaves chopped (8 cups)
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 pounds tomatoes, seeded and diced (6 cups)
1 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced into 1-inch lengths (3 cups)
Zucchini flowers, if available
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, for finishing

1. Coat the bottom of a stockpot with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper and saute over medium heat until the garlic begins to color.
2. Add the scallions, green beans, asparagus stems (not the tips), and Swiss chard stems. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the vegetables, stirring occasinoally, until all of the liquid they give off evaporates, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the asparagus tips, tomatoes, zucchini, basil, and marjoram and cook until the zucchini starts to soften, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the Swiss chard leaves and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the zucchini flowers and cook 3 minutes more. Taste for seasonings. Drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the Parmesan and serve.

Chef Casella at Eataly

When Eataly opened it's doors, Chef Casella was there to jump in and give cameras a tour of what the restaurant has to offer.

Chef Casella at the Congress Alma Viva 2008

In this video, Chef Casella is speaking at the Congress Alma Viva 2008. Check it out to hear what he has to say!

Chef Casella on making an Italian meal

Here is a video of Chef Casella giving you important pointers to think about when preparing an Italian meal.

Chef Casella on Best Thing Ever

Chef Casella and his Costina were featured on the popular television show "Best Thing Ever". Here's a clip from the show!

Daily Recipe Excerpt from True Tuscan!

Today's recipe from True Tuscan is Concicla a la Commodus, which is a dish of Green Pea Terrine. Try this truly Italian dish for a meal that will disappear quickly from your table!

Concicla a la Commodus
Green Pea Terrine

This recipe comes from Apicius, the Roman cookbook author. The first time I made it, I barely got a bite, since my wife devoured the entire batch. I've since learned to make a double recipe when we're eating together. SERVES 6

2 tablespoons butter, for greasing ramekins
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Pinch crushed red pepper
1/2 pound bacon or pancetta, finely diced (2 cups)
3 1/2 cups green peas, fresh or frozen
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh mint
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons honey
5 eggs, separated
1 tablespoon flour

WINE SUGGESTION: If you serve this as an antipasto, pair it with one of my favorites, Brania del Cancello, a Trebbiano and Chardonnay blend from Lucca.

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Butter six 4-ounce ovenproof ramekins and dust with 1/4 cup of the Parmesan.
3. Coat the bottom of a medium skillet with the olive oil. Add the onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, and bacon and saute over medium heat until the bacon starts to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the peas, marjoram, and mint. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
5. Add the wine and honey. Cook until the wine has reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.
6. When the wine has evaporated, removed a third of the pea mixture and pulse it to a coarse paste in a food processor. Add the egg yolks and the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan and pulse until they are incorporated. Add the flour and pulse again until just incorporated. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the reserved peas. Set aside.
7. Put the egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add a pinch of salt and beat at medium to high speed until they form medium peaks. Fold the whites into the pea mixture a third at a time.
8. Fill each of the prepared ramekins to the top with the pea mixture. Place the ramekins in a roasting pan and pour in water to reach halfway up the sides. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. The pea mixture should be dark brown on top and slightly puffy. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the center of a ramekin. Serve immediately in the ramekins.

Daily Recipe Excerpt from True Tuscan!

Today's recipe excerpt from True Tuscan is Patate alla Lucchese, which is a dish of roasted potatoes Lucca Style. Try this recipe in your cucina for a taste of the truly Italian cuisine that hef Casella prepared in his parents' restaurant.

Patate alla Lucchese
Roasted Potatoes Lucca Style

When I was still working in my family's restaurant, Vipore, this is how I roasted potatoes to serve with porchetta. They'd sit on top of an oven after being cooked, so they were always just warm, and I'd steal a few nuggets every time I passed by. SERVES 6

2 pounds new potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick (6 cups)
3 cups julienned fennel, fronds included (bout 1 1/2 pounds)
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced shallots or red onions
5 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 sprigs fresh sage
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and toss well.
3. Spread the mixture in a single layer in a baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
4. With the bottom of a pot or skillet, lightly crushed the potatoes to break them up and flatten them slightly. Stir to combine.
5. Return the potatoes to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. When done, the potatoes should be golden brown and crispy on the outside and light and fluffy on the inside. Serve, leaving the garlic cloves in for eaters who like peeling them and spreading the roasted garlic on bread.

Daily Recipe Excerpt from True Tuscan!

This True Tuscan dish may be a little intimidating to some but if you know your mushrooms your taste buds will go to heaven. The Roman emperor Claudius actually died in agony from eating a toxic batch of Porcini’s. There are poisonous impostors of Porcini and even old recipes included antidotes, even though they are very hard to find now a days. This dish dates back to Roman Times and throughout the years it has been perfected. Enjoy this True Tuscan creation at your pleasure.

Funghi Misti Trifolati

Sauteed Wild Mushrooms

For Tuscans, mushroom means porcini, and even today half the fun of eating porcini is foraging for them yourself. It’s a little dangerous, of course, since not everyone knows how to recognize porcini from poisonous impostors. The Roman emperor Claudius died in agony after eating a toxic batch; just in case foragers got it wrong, many old recipes even included antidotes. I like preparing porcini in the simplest ways possible: grilled or tossed with Boston lettuce and parmesan. In this recipe I call for mixed mushrooms because porcini can be hard to find, but if you get fresh porcini, by all means, use them. You can serve this as a side dish for grilled meats, over crostini as an appetizer, or as a pasta sauce. SERVES 6

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

½ pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed, and cut into 1/4 –inch slices (2½ cups)

¼ pound oyster mushrooms, stems removed and cut into ¼-inch slices (2½ cups)

½ pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut into ¼-inch slices (2½ cups)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup canned whole tomatoes, with their juice, crushed (You can also use crushed canned tomatoes, but I think the whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality.)

½ cup dry white wine

Wine Suggestion: If you serve this as an antipasto, pair it with Lucente, a new red wine from the Robert Mondavi-Frescobaldi family collaboration. Lucente’s made from Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and has a nice spiciness to it.

1 Coat the bottom of a large skillet with the olive oil. Add the garlic and chopped fresh herbs and sauté over medium heat until the garlic starts to brown.

2 Raise the heat to high, add all of the mushrooms, and season well with salt and pepper. The mushrooms will release moisture, but if they seem dry add up to ½ cup water. Saute until softened, 5 to 10 minutes.

3 Remove the mushrooms from the skillet to a bowl. Add the tomatoes and wine to the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan and cook an additional 5 minutes. Taste for seasonings and serve.

Your Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

This True Tuscan dish is an American favorite with a Tuscan miners’ touch. Buglione was traditionally made around a campfire and miners would throw everything they could find into this stew. This dish is best with mutton but since it is very hard to find you can use lamb instead. Buglione, lamb pot pie, is perfect for this cold weather and would be a holiday treat.

Buglione

Lamb Pot Pie

This dish comes from Maremma, a coastal area of Tuscany that historically was famous for its wild horses, but today is best known as an emerging wine center. There used to be a lot of coal in the area, too, and when miners would camp out in the woods, they’d throw everything and anything they could find into the campfire stew, from vegetables to mutton bought from a shepherd. They would have sopped it all up with a thick slice of bread, but I decided to top it off with a pie crust to seal in the flavors. This dish is a little like an Italian shepherd’s pie, minus the mashed potatoes. I prefer mutton in this stew, but since it can be very hard to find, use lamb instead.

Serves 8

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Flour for dusting

3 pounds lamb, cut into 1½ inch cubes from the leg

8 cups diced celery

4 cups diced carrots

5 cups diced onions

2 cups diced fennel

3 tablespoons minced garlic

1½ cups dry red wine

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced (6 cups)

3 bay leaves

2 cups peas, fresh or frozen

3 cups sliced asparagus (½ inch pieces)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme

2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley

1¼ pounds focaccia dough

Eggwash: 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Wine Suggestion: I like a strong, peppery red with this pie, like Castello di Fonterutoli, a Chianti from the producer Mazzei. Or go with any Chianti made from 100 percent Sangiovese grapes.

1 Coat the bottom of a stockpot with the ¼ cup olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Season the flour with salt and pepper and use dust the lamb cubes. Add the lamb to the pot and brown well on all sides, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. This should take 8 to 10 minutes.

2 Add the celery, carrots, onions, fennel, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic. Cook until the vegetables start to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.

3 Add the wine and reduce by half.

4 Add enough water to just cover the lamb. Add the potatoes and bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour, stirring frequently to prevent sticking and burning. Add more water if needed.

5 Add the peas, asparagus, the remaining 1 tablespoon garlic, and the fresh herbs. Stir well and simmer for 40 minutes. Taste for seasonings. The stew should be thick and flavorful.

6 Preheat the oven to 475 F.

7 Divide the stew among 8 ovenproof bowls.

8 Divide the focaccia dough into 8 equal balls. Roll each ball into a disk large enough to cover each bowl, with some overhang.

9 Brush the sides of each bowl with eggwash. Mold a disk over the top of each bowl, being sure to bring it down the sides so it is well anchored. Press the dough onto the side of each bowl to prevent it from coming loose during baking. Brush the dough on each pot pie with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. When done, the crust should be golden brown and very firm. Serve immediately.

True Tuscan Excerpt!

Today’s True Tuscan excerpt is similar worldwide. From Texas all the way to Milan pork chop Milanese is almost the same. The only main difference is that in the old days of Milan people would use the bone on the pork chop as a handle to eat it. This variation of Milanese di Maiale is a True Tuscan creation.
Milanese di Maiale
Pork Chop Milanese
I was in Texas recently and laughed when I saw chicken-fried pork chop on the menu. It sounded so southern American but was, in fact, exactly the same as the classic Milanese pork chop, which is pounded super-thin, big as a dinner plate, then breaded, fried, and topped with arugula. In Milan, people call this cotoletta, a variation on the Italian word for rib, because in the old days, people used the bone like a handle to eat the pork chop. If you want to be more of a purist, you can leave off all the fancy additions like tomatoes, mushrooms, and truffles in the salad, but I think they add good texture and flavor.
Serves 4
½ pound cremini mushrooms
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh marjoram
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and sliced lengthwise
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Four 10-ounce bone-in pork chops, butterflied and pounded ¼ inch thick
1 cup all-purpose flour
Eggwash: 3 eggs beaten with ¼ cup whole milk
2 cups Bread Crumbs
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
1 bread slice
2 cups loosely packed arugula or lettuce mixture
1 fresh black truffle (optional)
Wine Suggestion: A sturdy red is what you need with this pork dish. I am partial to Siepi, a Sangiovese and Merlot blend that’s produced in a vineyard more than 800 feet above sea level.
1 Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and cut off the tip of the stems. Slice the mushrooms very thin and put in a bowl. Add the herbs, tomatoes, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the salad aside.
2 Sprinkle each pork chop on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour, shaking off the excess. Dip each chop into eggwash, letting any excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs.
3 Pour enough canola or peanut oil into a large skillet to measure ½ inch. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. (To test the temperature, drop a piece of bread into the oil. When it sizzles, remove it-the oil is hot enough to use.) Lay the pork chops in the pan one at a time and cook until golden brown and crispy, about 2½, minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
4 Add the arugula or mixed lettuce to the mushroom salad and toss. Arrange each pork chop on a dinner plate and top with generous helping of the salad. If using, shave the truffle into thin slices. Scatter the truffle slices over each plate and serve.

Your Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

Today’s True Tuscan excerpt features another of Chef Cesare’s great stories! A food critic was once not happy with this dish, saying it was completely inauthentic Tuscan food and spareribs are for cowboys. Little did she know, there are actually cowboys in Maremma! This dish is a nice mix of Tuscan and Southern deliciousness and is served at Salumeria Rosi daily.

Maremmana

Tuscan Spareribs

I received lots of good reviews when Beppe opened, but I only saved one, where the critic poked fun at me for serving inauthentic Tuscan food. I laugh now, but at the time it drove me crazy, especially her “proof” that there’s no fish in Tuscany and no cowboys who’d eat my “Tuscan spareribs.” Putting aside our miles of coastline and towns like Forte di Marmi and Viareggio (she’d obviously never left her hotel when she visited Florence), it was the cowboy reference that got me worked up. Granted, Americans might think of cowboys as beef-not pork- eaters. But we not only have cowboys in the Maremma-the famous butteri-when Buffalo Bill competed against them in a traveling rodeo show, he lost.

Of course, you won’t find a recipe for ribs this way in any Italian cookbook. They are, however, quintessentially Tuscan for me, braised alla cacciatora, or hunter’s style, in a spicy tomato sauce. You also won’t find broccoli rabe in Tuscany, but that’s what I serve with my “inauthentic” ribs, because I like the way it complements the smoky spiciness of the meat. This is definitely a plan-ahead dish. The spareribs need to marinate with the dry rub overnight. Plus I think they taste better if you cook them a day or two in advance and keep them in the refrigerator until the time you want to serve them.

Serves 6

¼ cup minced garlic, plus 2 cloves sliced

¼ cup finely chopped fresh sage leaves

¼ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

7 pounds pork spareribs

7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3½ cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed (You can use canned crushed tomatoes, but I think the whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality.)

1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1½ tablespoons hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)

1 cup dry white wine

Wine Suggestion: A pure Merlot is perfect here, but if you want to go bigger, try one of the Super-Tuscans like Masseto, a Merlot from Maremma that’s reached cult status in the last few years.

1 For the ribs: Combine the minced garlic, sage, rosemary, salt, black pepper, and 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper. Rub the spareribs well with this mixture and let them marinate, wrapped in plastic, at least 24 hours or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.

2 Preheat the oven to 375 F.

3 Coat large baking pan with ¼ cup of the olive oil and lay the ribs in the pan. Roast stirring, every 20 minutes. After an hour, turn ribs over and roast 1 hour more. Check the ribs periodically; if the bottom of the pan starts to burn, add a little water.

4 For the tomato sauce: Coat a large skillet with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the sliced garlic and remaining 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper and sauté over medium heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper sauce. Add 1½ cups water and bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside.

5 When the ribs have browned on both sides, remove from the pan and drain off any excess fat. Return the ribs to the pan, adding the wine and the tomato sauce. Cover the pan with foil and braise the ribs for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and roast an additional 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

Your Daily True Tuscan Recipe Excerpt!

Today's excerpt from True Tuscan has a French background. Today’s dish is called Francesina, otherwise known as a Sausage and Potato Stew. This recipe was traditionally made with left over meats from making broths. When the French were stationed in Livorno in the 1800’s, they would wear hats with red pom-poms on top. This is where the tomatoes come in: because they look like the poof of the French’s hat. This dish has a comical background and is an affordable and delicious meal.

Francesina

Sausage and Potato Stew

When the French navy was stationed in Livorno in the 1800’s its sailors had a reputation with locals for being stingy. The French also wore hats with red pom-poms. What is the connection to Francesina? Well, the Francesina is the quintessential bargain dinner: The old-fashioned way was to mix meat left over from making broth and potatoes(I use sausage because it’s more practical). The tomatoes got tossed in because they were about the same size as the pom-poms the French wore on their hats. A big bowl of Francesina was one of my favorite foods as a kid. Etymology aside, I loved the spark or acidity from the tomatoes and the way the potatoes soaked up the sausage juices.

Serves 6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 whole fresh sage leaves

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 cups celery chunks

1 cup carrot chunks

2 cups red onion chunks

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 pound Italian sausage, cut into 1/2 –inch slices, still in casing; half sweet, half hot

¼ cup dry white wine

2 cups whole canned tomatoes, chopped, with their juice (You can use canned chopped tomatoes, but I think whole ones are less acidic and of higher quality.)

2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks (6 cups)

Wine Suggestion: I’ve tried this dish with just about every wine there is, and the best pairing by far was with a Cabernet Sauvignon. One of my personal favorites, because it is so full, is Farnito from Carpineto.

1 Coat the bottom of a stockpot with olive oil. Add the garlic, sage, and crushed red pepper and sauté over medium heat until the garlic begins to color. Add the celery, carrots, and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sauté the vegetables until they begin to soften, 10 to 15 minutes.

2 Add the sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

3 Add the wine and reduce by half.

4 Add the tomatoes, potatoes, and 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer the stew for 1 ½ to 2 hours, stiring occasionally and adding more water if the mixture becomes too thick. The francesina is done when the potatoes are very soft and falling apart. Spoon the stew into bowls and serve.