Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

In today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef, Cesare tells how he was able to shed some pounds while still spending hours in the kitchen at Vipore. Use his dieting methods to get yourself in tip top condition for the upcoming summer months!

CESARE VA IN DIETA

Cesare Goes on a Diet

Suggested Wines: Podere Fontarca, Fattoria Di Manzano (Grapes: Chardonnay, Viognier); Pergole Torte, Montervertine (Grape: Sangioveto)

In the winter in Pieve Santo Stefano, there was never much work, especially when it was very cold. For the farmers, there was little to do, and for the locals who maintained the villas of “I Signori” our name for the rich weekenders, even less. To pass the time, everyone came to Vipore, and by early December the bar metamorphosed into a winter piazza. Emilio, Camay, Pietro the butcher, Renzo the barber, and Papa played cards, drank, had coffee. I remember one particularly bad winter when the Signori never came, and the restaurant was deserted well into March. For me, it was the perfect moment to experiment in the kitchen.

We had a lot of pork that year because we’d slaughtered more than ever before. Every day I would try a variation on a favorite pork recipe. My first attempts were with pork cheeks, boiled and mixed with beans, sea salt, and olive oil. Then I turned to Pentolaccia, the dish we make during slaughter, which uses the less noble parts of the pig, like the tails and hooves. All of these dishes were very fatty- and very tasty. I started to feel it around my waistline. That had happened before, my growing a seasonal size. But this particular winter, I outdid myself. By the time March rolled around, I’d gained twenty-seven pounds.

Dieting isn’t easy for anyone, but for me it’s especially difficult. My job is to be with food, and if I’m cooking just for myself, I can’t do it. But that year, I had a brainstorm. I’d do a spa menu for Vipore. That way, even if I didn’t see any dishes to the clients, I’d still be able to eat low fat.

The surprise was that our clients actually liked the spa dishes. They were very Tuscan in concept, and flavorful, full of herbs and spices. Plus, we started putting bottles of olive oil on the tables so that customers could drizzle or douse their orders in as much oil as they pleased.

In less than two months, I not only sold our customers on the idea of spa cuisine, I lose all twenty-seven pounds. Then, when I wanted to get rid of the low-fat items, Papa balked. “They’re selling,” he declared. “They stay on the menu.” I didn’t really mind, it was just that after dieting so strictly, I wanted to splurge, and splurge for my clients, too. More to the point, I didn’t want word to get out that I’d been on a diet. In Italy, no one trusts a skinny chef.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

In today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef, Cesare imparts his knowledge about how to properly clean clams prior to utilizing them in your cooking. Follow his directions and you are sure to be on your way to a truly Italian meal in no time!

TO CLEAN CLAMS

At your fishmonger’s, check that the clams you buy are still alive. To do this, tap the shell with your finger. If they are alive, they will open slightly. When you get the clams home, take a very large bowl, and put a plate inside it, upside down. Place the clams on top and cover them with water and a little salt. This way, the clams continue to live and will kick out the sand that has settled in their shells. The sand will sift under the plate. Leave the clams in the bowl for two hours, stirring occasionally. Lift the clams out of the bowl, being careful not to jog the plate and disturb the sand. The clams are ready to cook.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Cacciucco, which is a Tuscan fish stew. This stew incorporates a number of different seafood elements that is sure to bring the flavors of Tuscany to your dinner table.

CACCIUCCO

Tuscan Fish Stew

(serves 6)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves coarsely chopped

2 dozen raw mussels, well scrubbed (don’t beard the mussels until you are ready to cook them)

1 sprig fresh sage, leaves coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 dozen raw clams, cleaned (see Box)

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 pound plum tomatoes, pureed

20 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

3 cups water or fish stock

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 large raw shrimp, shelled and cleaned

1 ½ cups white wine

¾ pound cleaned boneless fish (monkfish, salmon, tune, grouper, or halibut)

½ pound raw baby octopus, cleaned and cut into chunks

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

8 raw squid, cleaned and cut into 4 pieces each

4 slices Tuscan bread, toasted and rubbed with a cut clove of garlic

In a large soup pot, sauté the rosemary, sage, red pepper flakes, onion, and crushed garlic in the olive oil over medium heat. When the onion becomes translucent, after about 5 minutes, add the wine and cover the pot. Cook until the wine is reduced completely about 7 minutes. Add the octopus and cook for 10 minutes; add the tomatoes and the water or stock and cook for 15 minutes; add the shrimp, fish and salt and pepper, and cook for 8 minutes. The soup is ready when the calamari are tender. Discard any clams or mussels that don’t open. When ready to serve, spoon the stew into bowls and top each serving with a slice of toasted bread.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Fettuccine dell 'Ortolano, which is a dish of Greengrocer Fettuccine. This truly Italian pasta dish is sure to please everyone at your dinner table!

FETTUCCINE DELL’ORTOLANO

Greengrocer Fettuccine

(serves 4 as an appetizer)

In Pieve Santo Stefano, we call greengrocers, or anyone who travels the country roads and sells their vegetables out of the back of their truck, Vortolano. This pasta is in honor of our ortolani.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

1 small stalk celery, chopped fine

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

½ tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano

1 (14-ounce) can Italian tomatoes

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 ½ tablespoons white wine

3 quarts water

1 small eggplant, chopped fine

½ pound fettuccine

2 shallots, chopped fine

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 medium zucchini, chopped fine

1 small carrot, chopped fine

In a large saucepan, put the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes and sauté over medium heat until the garlic starts to color, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and continue cooking until it reduces completely, about 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together the eggplant, shallots, zucchini, carrot, onion, and celery and season them with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables to the saucepan and cook the mixture for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and their juices and cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. (If the sauce gets dense, you can thin it with a little water or vegetable stock.) Taste for salt and pepper, add the parsley, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add 1 ½ tablespoons of salt. Cook the fettuccine until al dente, then mix with the sauce and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano; and serve.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Calamari Ripieni, which is a dish of stuffed squid. This seafood dish is a truly Tuscan meal that is sure to bring the flavors of Italy to your table!

CALAMARI RIPIENI

Stuffed Squid

(Serves 6)

2 medium potatoes

2 slices Tuscan bread, crusts removed, soaked in water and squeezed dry (about 1 cup)

1 small red onion, sliced thin

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound raw cleaned squid, a third of it tentacles

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

6 medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

2 tablespoons water

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

4 tablespoons white wine

Paprika, to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups finely chopped zucchini

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes and onions together with 1 ½ tablespoons of the olive oil and the salt and pepper. Place the mixture in a 9-x-11-inch baking dish and sprinkle with the water and 2 tablespoons of white wine. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, place 2 tablespoons of the remaining olivfe oil in a large frying pan with the chopped thyme, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Heat the mixture over medium until the garlic starts to color, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes, then add the remaining 2 tablespoons of white wine and let it reduce completely, about 1 minute.

Mix in the soaked bread,making sure it is well blended. Remove the pan from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Rinse the bodies and tentacles. Chop the quid tentacles and the shrimp and stir them into the zucchini mixture. Stuff the squid bodies with the mixture.

Remove the potatoes from the oven and lower the hear to 325 degrees. Arrange th squid and cherry tomato halves on top of the potatoes and ovens. (If you have any leftover stuffing, form in into small balls and add them to the dish.) Drizzle the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil over tne squid and sprinkle them with the paprika. Cover the baking dish with the aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes. Turn the heat to broil and let the squid color slightly, about 3 minutes. Test the potatoes to make sure they are tender. The dish is ready. Sprinkle with the basil and serve.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's entry shows Chef Casella's spark and personality. The Diary of a Tuscan Chef offers more than recipes to its readers, it also gives them a little taste of the Tuscan culture.

LA ZUPPA DEI SOMMAZZATORI IN DIRETTA

Scuba soup, Live!

On any given Sunday in Italy, there are probably as many households glued to “Domenica In,” the six-hour long variety extravaganza, as there are families who attend mass. The show is wildly successful, partially because of its scantily dressed chorines, but also because the host, Pippo Baudo, a sauve Jerry Lewis type, gets the most popular comedians, singers, and politicians week after week. For a while, Baudo sponsored regional cook-offs and showcased the contestants on “Domenica In.” When the show called me to represent Tuscany in a contest with Le Marche and Lombardy, I felt as if I’d been knighted Chef Laureate. It was far better than being elected secretary of the Associazioni Cuochi ci Provincia di Lucca (ACPL), which I had already experienced, and almost as exciting as cooking for Henry Kissinger, which I would do later.

The basic rules were this: The presentation had to be made from regional products, it had to represent regional cooking, and everything in the presentation had to be edible. After talking to Giuliano Taccetti, the president of ACPL, I decided to make a mixed fish soup, with a centerpiece honoring the Sommozzatori Artiglio, Viareggio’s courageous World War Two SCUBA commado. The centerpiece itself would feature two SCUBA divers and a huge octopus crawling on a reef- all made from reduced ox fat- and tide pool made with blue gelatin, and live crabs.

Just rendering the three hundred kilos of ox fat into a claylike substance took three weeks, and it smelled so bad that after the first week Mama barred me from using Vipore’s kitchen. The soup itself took weeks to develop; Mama’s friend Maria Giustina made seashell-shape bowls to serve it in, and Nicola, an artist I knew, helped me sculpt the divers and the rocks.

Finally, the day of the broadcast arrived and I drove to Rome, where “Domenica In” was produced. By coincidence, it was Easter Sunday, a day when everyone in Italy stays home and Domenica’s ratings score higher than the soccer finals. I was understandably nervous. More than 30 million people would see me. Only the fact that Giovanni Spadolini, Italy’s very serious ex-prime minister, would precede me gave me solace. Next to him, I would come off great.

When the stagehand started his countdown for me to prepare tp wheel out my creation, I was ready. I took the live crabs from my pocket and let them loose over the ox-fat reef. Spadolini, however, wasn’t giving up the spotlight so easily. He kept talking, and I had to retrieve the crabs. This happened twice; but after the third false start, one of the crabs jumped off my reef onto the stage ans started crawling towards Spadolini. I unfortunately jumped after him with a little too much spring, right onto the stage. Spadolini got his first laughs ever, I think. When I finally got the chance to roll out my masterpiece out, the applause was wild. Whether it was for my handiwork or my sprint work, I’ll never know.

Suggested Wines: Vigna Bellaria, Ama (Grape: Pinot Grigio); Guado Al Tasso, Antinori

(Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot)

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Insalata di Coniglio e Radicchio, which is a rabbit and radicchio salad. This dish utilizes a meat that is not commonly used in America, so try this dish in your very own cucina for a taste of Tuscany!

INSALATA DI CONIGLIO E RADICCHIO

Rabbit and Radicchio Salad

(serves 2-3 as an appetizer)

1 rabbit loin (or half a rabbit)

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup of white wine

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2/3 cup homemade chicken stock or water

4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 ½ cups shredded radicchio

Rub the flesh of the rabbit with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, place ¼ cup of the olive oil, the garlic, rosemary and red pepper flakes, and sauté over medium heat. When the olive oil starts to sizzle, after about 3 minutes, reduce the hear to medium-low, add the rabbit, and brown it on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the wine and cook until it reduces completely, about 6 minutes, then add the chicken stock or water. Continue cooking for another 9 to 10 minutes, until the rabbit is tender. Remove the rabbit from the pan and turn the heat to high. Reduce the pan juices for 4 to 5 minutes and set them aside.

When the rabbit is cool enough to handle, bone it. Whisk the red wine vinegar together with salt and pepper. Whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of olive oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings. Toss the rabbit with the radicchio and the dressing and serve.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is Cesare's personal anecdote about having to change what ingredients he utilized in his cooking when he came to America. Try changing up what ingredients you use in your cooking to find a new taste that might end up being your favorite dish!

PECORINO ROMANO

I never used pecorino Romano until I got to New York, and that was only because I couldn’t get pecorino Toscano. The two are not at all interchangeable: Romano is harder, sharper, and saltier, a cheese that’s primarily used in the south of Italy the way the north uses Parmigiano-Reggiano. In fact, if you mix grated Romano with grated Parmigiano, you get something approximating pecorino Toscano.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Scarpaccia, which is a Zucchini and Red Onion Scramble. This dish is quite similar to an omelet, and features a number of delicious vegetables. Try this truly Italian dish for something new and tasty on your table!

SCARPACCIA

Zucchini and Red Onion Scramble

(serves 4-6)

A scarpaccia in Italian is an ugly old shoe, but this scarpaccia- which should be as thin as the sole of an old shoe- is a delicious cross between a zucchini pancake and an omelet. It’s nice to make when you can get zucchini blossoms. I use five per person and add them when I add the zucchini.

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon each chopped fresh oregano, mint, and thyme

4 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 ½ cups thinly sliced red onions

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

4 cups thinly sliced zucchini

2 eggs

2 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium sauté pan, heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, oregano, mint, thyme, and red pepper flakes over medium for about 3 minutes. Add the onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for another 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and zucchini are almost translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and cool.

In a bowl, beat together the eggs, flour, water, parsley, salt and pepper, and the cheeses. Mix in the zucchini and onions.

Pour the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil into two 10-inch pie pans and heat it in the oven a few minutes. Remove the pans, swirl the olive oil around, and pour ½ the zucchini mixture into each. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, then put the two scarpacci under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes to brown the top. The scarpaccia is done when it’s lightly browned and has the consistency of a soft omelet. Remove, slice, and serve.



Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the tale of Cesare's first food competition, and how he prevailed even through his hesitations about competing against prominent Chefs while he was still so young. This was a great victory for Cesare, as it aided in helping him move forward to the skilled chef he is today.

IL VIN ITALY

The competition

Suggested Wines: Col Vento, Tenuta Del Terriccio (Grape:Sauvignon Blanc); Grifi, Avignonesi

(Grape: Prugnolo, Cabaret Sauvignon)

The first food competition I ever entered was Vin Italy, an annual wine exhibition in Verona. I was just twenty-four, the youngest of the seventy participating chefs, and very nervous. Giuliano Taccetti, one of my mentors, had helped me develop my entry- a whole stuffed boneless chicken served with radicchio and rabbit salad- and had been very supportive of my debut. But as the day of the competition neared, I still hadn’t worked out the final details of my peacock centerpiece, which, according to the Vin Italy rules, had to be made entirely from edible ingredients. A peacock body molded from butter with a tail from asparagus was as far as I’d gotten. I was stuck on what would make good body feathers.

Driving to Verona, I was so exhausted by anxiety, I fell asleep at the wheel. Luckily I wasn’t hurt, but Tutto il male non viene per nuocere, we say. Bad things don’t happen for nothing. I woke up in a ditch with a tree branch in my face and a vision of my peacock covered in sage leaves. My centerpiece was complete. It wasn’t until an hour later that my anxiety returned. Pulling into the Vin Italy pavilion, I noticed one after another of Italy’s most famous chefs, flanked by their sous chefs, unloading trucks of supplies, statues, and fancy cooking gear. I was by myself. All I had was my little peacock and what I had squeezed into my Cinquecento. I panicked and called Guiliano. There was no way I could win, I told him. I wanted to pull out. “You have to participate, and you have to win,” was all he said before hanging up. I downed a glass of red wine and went to work. All around me I could see these huge, complicated structures going up. When a friend showed up and invited me out to dinner, I saw my chance to escape. I approached Renato Ramponi, the president of the chef’s association, and excused myself. I wouldn’t be able to make the award dinner, I had another engagement, I explained. Impossible, he said, you’re a finalist. You have to be here. I was shocked, and even more so when they announced the winners: I’d split first place with two other chefs.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for La Torta Co'Bischeri, which is a Scalloped Pisa Pie. If you're in the mood for a truly Italian dessert, this is the way to go - with a long standing history in Lucca and Pisa, this dessert is sure to bring Tuscany to your dinner table!

LA TORTA CO’ BISCHERI

Scalloped Pisa Pie

(serves 8)

This pie is a specialty of Lucca and Pisa. Locals will tell you it was invented by a witch with a sweet tooth who longed for the best dessert in the world. It was one of Byron’s favorite sweets during his stay in Pisa.

La Pasta

The Crust:

2 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons sifted baking powder

1 egg plus 1 yolk

1 stick (1/2 cup ) sweet butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons rum or sambuca liqueur

Il Ripieno

The Filling:

3 tablespoons finely chopped candied citron

1 ¾ cups milk

2 eggs, beaten

½ cup arborio rice

Grated zest of 1 orange

3 tablespoons sugar

2 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, grated

¼ cup toasted pine nuts

2 tablespoons rum or sambuca liqueur

For the crust: In a large bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and extra yolk, the vanilla, lemon zest, add rum or sambuca. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients. Chill the dough for about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling: In a heavy saucepan, combine the milk and rice. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then turn to low, cover tightly, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice isn’t sticking. When the rice is tender but firm, remove from the heat and stir in the sugar. Let the rice cool, then add the pie nuts, candied citron, eggs, orange zest, grated chocolate, and the rum or sambuca. Let this mixture sit for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and butter an 8-inch pie pan.

Divide the dough into two pieces, one slightly larger than the other. Roll the smaller portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 1/8-inch thick circle about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer the dough to the pan, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Pour the rice mixture into the piecrust. With a knife, trim the overhang into scallops and fold it over the filling. Roll the remaining portion of the dough 1/8 inch thick and cut into pieces. Arrange the pieces, as if for a cobbler, on top of the pie filling.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden brown, 50 to 60 minutes. It is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.



Chef and the Associated Press, Part II!

After Chef Cesare was featured by the Associated Press a few days ago, a number of other newspapers and online sites have picked up the article to bring his culinary ideas to more people around the world! The following sites are now featuring the article:

• Brandon Sun (a Canadian newspaper): http://www.brandonsun.com/lifestyles/breaking-news/let-no-grape-go-to-waste-chefs-get-creative-in-using-up-leftover-wine-117599403.html?viewAllComments=y

• Philly Burbs (a newspaper for the suburbs of Philadelphia): http://www.phillyburbs.com/lifestyle/wine/article_e5971c70-49b6-11e0-b46b-0017a4a78c22.html

• News-Leader (a Missouri newspaper): http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110309/LIFE02/103090354/?odyssey=nav%7Chead

• Go Green: http://gogreen.me/2011/03/08/go-green-with-your-vino-recycle-it

• Wine-R.com: http://wine-r.com/go-green-with-your-vino-recycle-it

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef gives you an idea as to how you can utilize leftover bits of cheese to create a truly Italian meal. This particular recipe for Spaghetti con Pecorino will not only give you a way to use all of your cheese, but it will also keep everyone around your table wanting more!

SPAGHETTI CON PECORINO

Spaghetti with Pecorino

(serves 4 as an appetizer)

When I have a few leftover pieces of pecorino and am feeling lazy, this is the first dish that comes to my mind.

3 quarts water

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

1 ½ tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons sweet butter

½ pound spaghetti

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

10-12 tablespoons freshly grated pecorino cheeses (the more types of pecorino you have here, the better, Try Sardo and Toscano, but don’t use just Pecorino Romano)

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the salt and spaghetti. When the pasta is al dente, reserve ¼ cup of the pasta water and drain the spaghetti.

Toss the pasta with the reserved water, the cheese, salt, lots of fresh black pepper, butter and olive oil. Let the spaghetti sit a minute or two to melt the cheese. Serve with one last grating of cheese on top.



Little Kid Cesare!

Ever wonder what Cesare looked like as a little boy? Well wonder no more! Eater NY recently posted an article with pictures of well known chefs from their youth - check out http://ny.eater.com/archives/2011/03/photos_of_new_york_chefs_when_they_were_little_kids.php to see how Cesare has changed over the years!

Chef Casella and Salumeria Rosi in Associated Press!

Chef Casella was recently interviewed by Associated Press, speaking about how he is able to efficiently use all of the leftover wine at Salumeria Rosi to help create his tasty dishes. While some restaurants may throw out unused wine at the end of the night, Cesare utilizes any leftovers in marinades that will aid in creating the dishes have brought the flavors of Tuscany to the Upper West Side. You can find the entire article at the following locations: http://www.cnbc.com/id/41966974 or http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Chefs-have-some-grape-ideas-for-recycling-wine-1047525.php.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef contains Chef Casella's thoughts on parsley and how he likes to use it while cooking. If you are not accustomed to using parsley in your own culinary creations, incorporate Cesare's tips for the taste of a new herb in your meal!

PARSLEY

In Tuscany, Italian parsley, sage, and rosemary are the three predominant herbs, but I’d say Italian parsley has an edge over the other two. In fact, when someone is in the newspaper or on television too much, in Tuscany, we say he’s like parsley. You can find parsley in everything from our soffritto, the sautéed vegetable mixture that serves as a base for many of our dishes, to anchovy marinade. I like using parsley stems, which have a celerylike flavor. Americans seem to have the idea that parsley is bland, an ingredient that adds color, but not taste, to a dish. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In fact, in medieval Italy, parsley was considered so strong and peppery, pregnant women were advised not to eat it.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is a story from Cesare's youth in which a run of the mill picnic on a mountain turned into a feast of a number of different cheeses. This lead to his creation of a delicious spaghetti con pecorino that proved to be one of his favorite pasta dishes of all time.



CAMPOCATINO

On my Mountain



Suggested Wines: Paleo Bianco, Le Macchiaiole (Grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino); Carmignano Vill Di TRefiano, Capezzana (Grapes: SAngiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Canaiolo)



My grandfather, sometimes called Il Gallo (the rooster), was born in Upper Vagli and Grandma (nonna), in Lower Vagli. Between Upper and Lower, there may have been one kilometer, but when Il Gallo and nonna married, neither wanted to move to the other’s village; it would have been like acceding to a foreign power. I guess that was a good choice, seeing as how half of Lower VAgli is now under water. That happened about seventy years ago, when the local power authority moved all the villagers out of the center, flooded it, and built a dam. Now, the only time you can see all of Lower Vagli is the day the authority drains and cleans the dam. I used to go sometimes and watch, it was like the unveiling of our own Tuscan Atlantis.

But the real reason I liked visiting Lower Vagli was because it gave me an excuse to drag my friends to Campocatino, a nearby mountain valley where Il Gallo owned a few hectares of land. I loved thinking of my family as mountainowners and showing off the property. One year, my cousin Paolo and I brought a few friends with us, and boasted that after seeing Lower Vagli, we could picnic on “our family’s mountain” in Campocatino.

What would have been a run-of-the mill picnic turned into a pecorino feast when two local sheperds tried to charge is two thousand lire a person to enter the valley. I pointed out that as Il Gallo’s grandsons and heirs, Paolo and I would be entitled to a portion of any fees the sheperds might collect. That’s all I needed to say. The sheperds apologized profusely, explaining that they were just trying to discourage campers, and sent us on our way.

Our group wasn’t twenty minutes into our picnic when the taller of the sheperds reappeared at the edge pf our blanket. I came to apologize again, he said, and lay a straw basket down I front of us. Inside there must have been three kilos of five different homemade pecorinos, fresh, studded with peppercorn, medium- and well-aged, and a slab of sweet ricotta. I nabbed the aged cacao, declaring I wanted to bring it to my parents, Rosa and Pietro. What I had in mind was grating it on a steaming bowl of spaghetti, with lot of fresh ground pepper, olive oil, and butter. I suspected it would be one of the best spaghetti con pecorino of my life, and I was right.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Frittelle di Sn Giuseppe, which are Father's Day Fritters. This tasty dessert is a delicious way to end any meal, and will bring the flavors of Tuscany to your very own cucina!

FRITTELLE DI SAN GIUSEPPE

Father’s Day Fritters

(makes 45-50 fritters)

When we first started to make these for the San Guiseppe holiday ( Italian Father’s Day, March 19), we didn’t have an electric mixer, so Aunt LAnda and Aunt Anna- “La Spezina”- were put to work beating the dough by hand. They were very relieved when I started taking the dough to the pastry shop of some friends, and I liked the new system, too. I’d dawdle and talk to customers, barely making it back in time to fry the fritters for dessert.

1 cup water

6 eggs, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

½ cup of granulated sugar

¾ cup sweet butter

Vegetable oil, for frying

1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons sifted flour

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar

Place the water, salt and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. When the butter melts, add the flour all at once, and lower the heat. Mix the dough rapidly until a ball forms. It will be very stiff. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

Place the dough in the bowl of an electric mixer, and beat in the eggs, one at a time, until they are well incorporated. The batter should be thick, shiny, and smooth. Mix in 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar. Stir the batter for 5 minutes.

Fill a large sauté pan or saucepan one third full with the vegetable oil and heat it to 375 degrees. In batches, spoon scant tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil. Mix the frittelle regularly to help them puff up. When the frittelle are evenly browned, after 2 or 3 minutes, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Mix the remaining granulated sugar with the confectioners’ sugar and dust the frittelle. These are great with Moscato, a sweet sparkling wine from Piedmont.

Exerpt of Diary of a Tuscan Chef

Today I am introducing to the blog a wonderful recipe. Enjoy my friends!

OSSO BUCO CON PURE DI PATATE
Veal shank with Mashed Potatoes
(serves 4)

This dish is much more popular in American than it is in Italy.

4 tablespoons chopped fresh Rosemary 2 cups white wine
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 1 ½ cups roughly chopped red onions
6 tablespoons chopped garlic 1 cup 1-inch-long carrot pieces
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1 cup 1-inch-long celery pieces
4 sections veal shank, each 2 inches thick 3 cups crushed canned tomatoes
(5 pounds total) (or peeled, chopped fresh tomatoes)
1 cup flour 4 cups water
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Mashed Potatoes (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the chopped herbs, garlic, and salt and pepper. Cut 2 or 3 slits in each veal shank and stuff them with the chopped herbs and garlic. Dredge the shanks on all sides, generously, in flour.
Pour the olive oil into a 4-quart ovenproof casserole or a large saucepan with a lid. Heat over high heat and add the shanks, browning them well on all sides. If there is still oil in the casserole, drain it, then add 1 cup of the wine, stirring to scrape up an bits that have stuck to the bottom of the casserole, and add the onions, carrots and celery. Cover the casserole and reduce the heat to medium. Stir occasionally. After 8 to 10 minutes, add the second cup of wine. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir well. Re-cover. After another 10 minutes, add the water.
Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Bake for 2 hours. The meat should be very tender.
Serve with the mashed potatoes.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Pasta con Verdure alla Griglia, which is a dish of pasta with grilled vegetables. Try this truly Italian meal in your very own cucina for the original tastes of Tuscany at your dinner table!

PASTA CON VERDURE ALLA GRIGLIA

Pasta with Grilled Vegetables

(serves 4 as an appetizer)

The first time I went to restaurants in Milan, I couldn’t get over how many vegetarian entrees were on the menus; this was something rare in Tuscany, where vegetables were eaten as side dishes. But I liked the idea, so when I went back to Vipore, I raided our garden, and went to work in the kitchen. This was the result.

3 quarts water

2 plum tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1 ½ tablespoons salt, plus 2 teaspoons

1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

½ pound short pasta, such as penne or fusilli

1 small zucchini, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/4-inch slices

1 sprig fresh basil, chopped

1 sprig fresh oregano, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and quartered

1 sprig fresh thyme, chopped

4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 small red onion, cut into ¼-inch thick slices

2 scallions

¼ bulb fennel, fronds trimmed, cut into ¼ inch slices

Bring the water to a boil in a large pot. Add the 1 ½ tablespoon of salt.

Heat the outdoor grill or oven broiler. Sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and the red pepper flakes, then drizzle them with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

When the grill is very hot, add the vegetables, cooking them for 4 minutes on the frist side, 3 on the second. (If you don’t have a grill, you can broil the vegetables for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they become soft and slightly browned.) When the vegetables are cooked, cut them into strips. In a large sauté pan, sauté the garlic in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until it colors slightly, about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente.

Add the chopped herbs to the sauté pan, sauté for 1 minute, and add the vegetable strips. Cook the mixture for 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, toss it with the vegetables and the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and serve immediately. 

Chef Casella in Vogue Magazine!

Chef Casella was recently featured in Vogue Magazine, alongside Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich, for their multiple accomplishments in the world of Italian cuisine in America. The article describes each chef's personal recognitions and some which have been attained in group efforts. Check out http://www.vogue.it/en/uomo-vogue/people/2011/01/casella-batali-bastianich to see the full article and further details on the three chefs and their contributions to Italian cuisine!

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Insalata di Carciofini, or Baby Artichoke Salad. This delicious recipe is followed by some helpful information about artichokes that will be useful when making this truly Italian dish. Try this recipe in your very own cucina for the tastes of Tuscany at your table.

INSALATA DI CARCIOFINI

Baby Artichoke Salad

(serves 4)

In Italy, artichokes are believed to have all kinds of restorative powers. Growing up at Vipore, we always fed the tough outer leaves to our rabbits because it helped them digest their food and made their meat more tender. I remember in the ‘50s and ‘60s, there was even a famous amaro, or bitter, named Cynar, which was made from an artichoke base. It’s slogan was “Bevi Cynar Contro il Logorio della vita Moderna” (Drink Cynar to combat anxiety and stress of modern life). The ad showed a radiantly calm man drinking Cynar in the middle of a traffic jam.

16 baby artichokes

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano

4 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 bunches arugula, well washed

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Peel the outer leaves from the artichokes until you reach the part where the leaves are mostly a creamy yellow. Cut the top inch off the artichoke and trim away the stem so that you are left with a golf-ball-size artichoke heart. If you aren’t going to eat the salad right away, put the artichokes into a bowl of water with 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. To prevent the artichokes from turning black, lay a paper towel on top of the water to keep air from getting to them. Refrigerate.

When you are ready to prepare the salad, drain the artichokes and slice them lengthwise as thin as possible. (If you have an electric slicer, that’s ideal.) Place the artichokes in a bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of the lemon juice, the olive oil, salt and pepper, and oregano. Toss.

Divide the arugula among 4 plates. Top each plate with some artichoke mixture. Shave slices of Parmigianno-Reggiano over each salad and serve.

ARTICHOKES

Artichokes are very reactive. They turn your hands black and turn black themselves if exposed to air too long. When I prepare artichokes, I always wear surgical gloves, a trick that’s useful in handling any food that might stain your skin, like beets, or leave it smelling unholy, like Gorgonzola or garlic. When you work with artichokes, don’t touch other foods, otherwise the artichokes will turn bitter. At the end, wash your hands with lemon juice.