Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's entry is a delicious dish to welcome the warm weather.

Farfalle al Salmore e Asparagi

Bow-ties with Salmon and Asparagus

serves 4 as an appetizer

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1/2 lb asparagus cut into 1 inch lengths, tip set aside

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1/2 lb salmon fillet cut into this slices

1 medium tomato, peeled and chopped

fresh ground black pepper to taste

3 quarts water

1 1/2 tablespoons salt, more to taste

1/2 lb bow-ties or other short pasta

Place the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, and asparagus stems (not the tips) in a large saute pan and cook over medium high heat, stirring for approximately 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden and the asparagus is a bright green. Add the parsley and stir. Add the salmon and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the tomato, along with the salt and pepper, and the asparagus tips. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for another 3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. Add the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and the bow-tie pasta and cook until the pasta is very al dente. Drain and add the salmon. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. serve. This is also nice served at room temperature as a salad.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Spumone al Miele, which is a Honey Mousse. This delicious dessert is a wonderful way to end any truly Italian meal - so try this recipe in your cucina tonight!

Spumone al Miele

Honey Mousse

serves 8

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup honey

4 eggs, seperated

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup heavy cream

In the top of a double broiler over boiling water, bring the water to a boil and add the honey, mixing well until the honey is completely dissolved. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together , then pour the mixture into the Honey-water syrup and mix well. Return the pan to the stove and stir continuously over medium-low heat ( do not let it boil) until the mixture starts to stick to the spoon, doesn’t separate and is a uniform golden color, 20 to 22 minutes.

Remove the pan from the stove, pour the mixture into a large bowl and set it aside to cool, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, and fold them gently into the cooled honey mixture. Then whip the cream and fold that in too. Cover the mousse with plastic wrap and refrigerate it until serving time.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef contains Chef Casella's thoughts on bay leaves and how he came to fully appreciate them. Try some of his tips as to how you can utilize bay leaves in your own cooking for a truly Italian meal.

Bay Leaf

Bay leaf, what we call in Italian alloro, is so common in Tuscany that it’s used to make funeral wreaths, as hedges to divide neighboring properties, and to hide anything unsightly- even garbage dumps. I sometimes use bay leaf in boiled chestnuts, pork livers or game dishes, but I never really appreciated alloro until I went to Arpege in Paris and ate Dover Sole with fresh bay leaves stuffed between the flesh and the skin. It was one of the most memorable dishes of my life. Its difficult to find fresh bay leaf in the United States, and its also expensive. Bay leaf is ofter available only in the dried form- either the California or Turkish variety. Both types taste different from the Tuscan alloro but add subtle flavor to everything from soups to vegetables.

Diary of a Tuscan Chef excerpt-

Piccione Ripieno
stuffed squab

If you make an extra squab or two, you can have an easy risotto or pasta. Just de-bone the bird, (or if you’re lazy cut it in pieces and let people eat the meat off the bone, which can be fun.) Mix the meat of one squab into a risotto (for 2 people) halfway through the cooking time; or dress up a plate of spaghetti with the squab, a little olive oil, some chopped parsley and fresh ground black pepper.

serves 4

4 squab
salt and fresh black pepper to taste
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 bay leaves
12 juniper berries
12 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
4 cloves garlic peeled
3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
1 onion quartered
½ cup onion roughly chopped
11 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano
2 cups cleaned, sliced, mixed mushrooms ( shiitake, oyster, cremini)
¾ cup red wine
1 stalk celery, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 carrot, cut into ½ inch pieces
4 slices panchetta

preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Wash and dry the squab well, removing the giblets and reserving them for another use.
With your fingers, pull off the extra fat (don't use a knife, you might cut the skin which keeps the bird moist.) Salt and pepper the flesh and cavities of the squab. Divide the fresh rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, juniper berries, cloves, cinnamon whole garlic cloves and onion quarters into 4 batches and use them to stuff the squab cavities.
To a medium saute pan, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped garlic and heat over medium. When the garlic starts to color, after 3 or 4 minutes add the oregano, mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste. Cook the mushrooms for 7 to 8 minutes, lowering the heat if the garlic starts to burn. Set the mushrooms aside.
Meanwhile, pour the remaining ½ cup of olive oil in large, ovenproof saute pan and heat over medium-high. When the olive oil is hot, add the squab and brown on all sides. (Be careful, the oil will splatter.) Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine. (Again be careful) .) Return the pan to the heat until the wine reduces completely, for about 1 minute. Add the celery, carrot, chopped onion and stir.
Turn the squab breast side up and lay one slice of panchetta on top. Place the squab in the oven and cook them for 15 minutes. Turn and cook for another 10 minutes. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor and puree. Stir the reserved mushrooms into the puree and pour the mixture back into the pan. Lower the oven temperature to 300 degress F. Return to the oven and cook the squab for another 15 minutes or so, depending on their size. They are done when the juices run clear.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Sardine Gratinate, which is a dish of sardines with bread crumbs. This truly Italian dish differs from how sardines are generally prepared in America, bringing a new variation on this fish when it is set on your table for dinner.

Sardine Gratinate

Sardines with bread crumbs

Americans aren’t used to eating fresh sardines and anchovies which is a shame. These fresh items taste completely different from the kind preserved in oil that sit on grocery store shelves collecting dust. In seaside towns, like Viareggio and Pisa, sardines are a staple on restaurant menus: they’re delicate, subtle and best of all, plentiful and cheap. Montarey has some of the best sardines in the United States, which is why I included them on my Carmel menu. In most parts of the country they are admittedly hard to find. Ask your local fishmonger to order you some.

Serves 4

2 lbs (16 whole) fresh sardines, cleaned and fileted.

⅔ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 ¼ cups extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons chopped fresh italian parsley

4 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

½ cup thinly sliced red onion

1 ½ tablespoons bread crumbs

1 cup washed mixed salad greens

½ cup chopped tomato

Have your fishmonger clean and fillet the sardines, unless you want to try it yourself. If so, using a sharp knife , slit the sardine open along the belly and using a spoon remove the innards. There will be about a teaspoon. Cut off the heads and then pry the fish open, catch the end of the tailbone under the tip of the knife, and pull up. (This is easiest done under running water.) I also cut out the fin which is in the back. Wash the fillets and if you have time, marinate them for 24 hours in the lemon juice. ( If you are in a hurry, an hour or two will do.)

Gently remove the sardines from the lemon juice and pat them dry. They are now “cooked” and will break easily. In a dish large enough to hold all the sardines, combine the olive oil, parsley and oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and onion. Add the sardines, making sure they are all complete.y submerged in the oil. (they will keep in this preparation for 2 to 3 days.) Let them marinate for at least an hour.

You can eat the sardines like this, on a slice of toasted Tuscan bread with a little of the onion and herbs to garnish; they are delicious. Or you can remove them from the oil and lay them out in a broiler pan. Sprinkle them with bread crumbs, and broil them until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve them on a bed of salad greens, garnished with the chopped tomato.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Zuccotto, which is a dessert very much like semifreddo. Try this delicious Tuscan desert as a sweet way to end any meal!

Zuccotto

A zucchetto in Italian is a skullcap. This dessert is called zuccotto because it’s shaped like the Duomo in Florence, but you can also make the parfait in layers in a cake pan. The ingredients are similar to those found in semifreddo: In fact, zuccotto was probably the first semifreddo, a precursor of gelato. Though Catherine de Medicis is credited with bringing sorbet with her to France, what she probably served was semifreddo.

Serves 4-6

½ (12-ounce) sponge cake, cut into ½ - inch-thick slices (any spongy, non-frosted cake will do here)

1 1/8 cups heavy cream

1 18 cups fresh ricotta

½ cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

½ cup chopped toasted almonds

¼ cup chopped candied fruit

6-8 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste

3 tablespoons sweet liqueur (Benedictine, framboise, Grand Marnier)

1 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

2 ½ teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Completely line a deep, 1 ½ -quart bowl with the sponge cake. With an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium-high until it begins to thicken, then lower the speed and continue beating until it is thick and glossy. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta on medium speed for 3 minutes, until it is smooth. Combine the whipped cream with the ricotta. Incorporate half the chopped nuts and all of the candied fruit, blending well. Add sugar to taste and mix well.

Drizzle the liqueur over the sponge cake. Spread half the whipped cream and ricotta mixture in a 2-inch-thick layer of the sponge cake. There will be a well in the middle.

Mix the remaining whipped cream ricotta mixture with the chopped chocolate and the cocoa powder until it is well blended. Spoon the chocolate whipped cream ricotta mixture into the center of the zuccotto and sprinkle the top with the remaining chopped nuts. Place the zuccotto in the freezer until it is firm, about 6 hours.

Fifteen minutes before serving the zuccotto, remove it from the freezer. Invert the bowl onto a plate so the zuccotto drops out. Cut into wedges and serve.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Torta di Rsio alla Carrarina, which is a Carraran Rice Pie. This sweet dish is a truly Italian treat that will bring the flavors of Italy right to your kitchen.

Michelangelo got his best marble from Carrara, so it’s likely he go a taste or two of Carrara’s renowned rice pie. The proportion of rice to milk and eggs may seem odd, but don’t change it. The quantities are exactly as they should be. When this pie is just right, you’ll have a layer of custard over a layer of rice. If you want to experiment, add aniseed or a little aniseed to the custard.

Torta di Riso alla Carrarina

Carrara Rice Pie

Serves 6

1 ½ cups water

¼ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch

½ cup Arborio rice

Sweet butter, for the pan

1 tablespoon flour

7 eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar

¼ cup rum or brandy

Grated zest of 3 lemons

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk, at room temperature

In a heavy saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the ¼ teaspoon of salt. Stir in the rice. Cover the pan tightly and cok over low heat for about 25 minutes, until the rice is light and fluffy. Set the rice aside.

About 15 minutes before the rice is done, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a deep-dish 9-inch pie pan and dust it with flour, shaking off any excess.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar, rum, grated zest, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Mix well and stir in the milk.

With the back of a wet spoon, press the rice into the bottom of the prepared pan, then pour in the milk mixture. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the top of the pie is golden brown. Cool, and serve at room temperature.



Dialy Diary Exerpt

Semifreddo con Granella e Salsa di Cioccolato

Semifreddo with ground Nut Brittle and Chocolate Sauce

Semifreddo, which means “almost frozen,” unites the creamy coldess of gelato with the airy lightness of mousse. I grew up on it, and it’s added more than a handful around my midriff. The granella, a ground-up nut brittle, gives this semifreddo a tasty candy-bar crunch. (If you don’t want to make our own granella, you can buy a bar of peanut brittle and a bar of almond brittle, break them up, and grind them in a food processor.) For a really decadent flourish, serve the semifreddo with warm chocolate sauce and strawberries.

(serves 8)

3 medium eggs, separated 1/3 cup water

6 ½ tablespoons sugar Chocolate Sauce

½ cup Granella 3 cups fresh washed strawberries

1 ½ cups heavy cream

In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with 2 ½ tablespoons of the sugar until they are pale. Add the granella and mix well. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until it begins to thicken, then lower the speed and continue beating until the cream is stiff and glossy. Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and smoth.

In a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 tablespoons of sugar and the water to a lively bubble and let it cook for 3 minutes, or until the syrup is clear. Remove it from the heat. Turn you mixer to high, and slowly pour the syrup into the egg whites, beating the 2 ingredients together for about 3 minutes. The mixture should triple in volume. Turn the mixer down to medium and beat until the whites cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Fold the whites into the yolk mixture. Combine well but do not overmix, or the batter will fall.

Spoon the mixture into individual custard cups and freeze for about 6 hours, or until frozen completely like ice cream. Serve with the chocolate sauce and strawberries, if you wish.

Granella

ground Nut Brittle

¾ cup sugar

1 generous cup nuts (hazlenuts, almonds, peanuts) toasted and cooled

sweet butter- for the pan

melt the sugar in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly , then remove it from the heat, add the toasted nuts, and stir to coat the nuts well.

transfer the mixture into a well buttered sheet pan and spread to cover the bottom of the pan. let cool in room temp then move to freezer until it becomes brittle.

break the granella into chunks that will fit into food processor. process the granella until its course and crumbly. Granella can be used to garnish many sweets. store these ground nuts in a container wrapped with plastic in a cool dry place. will keep for about a month.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

This a power-house salad packed with nutrients!

Insalata di Rinforzo
Make-you-strong salad


1 quart water 10 cornichons, cut in half
8 shallots, peeled 2 tablespoons drained capers
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets 4 anchovy fillets, chopped
2 small zucchini, cut into 3-x-1/2 inch lengths 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste 1 red bell pepper, halved and seeded
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 tablespoons pitted, halved green olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley 3 tablespoons pitted, halved Italian black olives

Bring the water to boil in a saucepan and add the shallots. Cook them until tender, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on their size. Mix together the cauliflower and zucchini and steam them until they are tender-crisp, about 5 minutes.

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers, skinside up, 2 to 3 inches from the heat and watch carefully. When the skin blackens, turn them over and blacken on the other sie. Place the peppers in a closed plastic bag for 15 minutes. Peel off the skin and cut the peppers into chunks.
Toss all the vegetables, olives, cornichons, capers, and anchovies together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar with salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream. Add the parsley, and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss well and serve warm or at room temperature, with the mixed grill.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is Pollo, Tacchino, Agnello, e Manzo Arrosto con Insalata di Rinforzo, which is a mixed dish of chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef. This delicious combination of meats is served with an equally tasty salad, both of which are a hearty and healthy choice for a meal. Try this healthy Italian dish in your very own cucina!

Pollo, Tacchino, Agnello, e Manzo Arrosto con Insalata di Rinforzo

Mixed grill of chicken, turkey, lamb, and beef with make-you-strong salad

4 lamb chops (loin or rib), trimmed of fat

8 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pound boneless shell steak, cut into 4 pieces

4 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped

Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 can of beer

4 chicken thighs

4 turkey wings

Make-you-strong salad (recipe follows)

Rub the lamb chops and steaks with salt and pepper and drizzle them with olive oil. Mix together the garlic and the herbs and rub half the mixture into the lamb chops and steaks.

Pour the beer into a large bowl and add the chicken and turkey, the remaining garlic-herb mixture, and salt and pepper. Let all the meat marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Heat the grill or broiler and cook the meat to desired doneness- approximately 4 minutes per side for the lamb chops (for medium-rare), 4 to 5 minutes per side for the strip steak(for medium-rare), and 15 minutes per side for the chicken. (If you broil the meat, it will take slightly less time than on the grill.) Serve with the salad.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is the recipe for Granchi Teneri Fritti, which are deep-fried soft-shell crabs. Try this truly Italian recipe in you very own cucina to bring the flavors of Tuscan seafood to your dinner table!

Granchi Teneri Fritti

Deep-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs

The traditional way to fry soft-shell crabs, back when they were plentiful, was to place the crabs (while they were alive) in a bath of beaten egg. The crabs would eat the egg and plump up. Then the chef would clean them, dip them in flour, and toss them into hot oil. This version is a little lighter.

Rinse the crabs under cold water. In a bowl, season the milk with salt and pepper, then soak the crabs in the milk for 30 minutes.

Mix together the cornmeal, flour, and salt and pepper. Fill a large saucepan one third full with peanut oil. (It should be at least 3 inches deep.) While the oil is heating, coat the crabs lightly in the cornmeal-flour mixture.

When the oil reaches 375, drop in the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Then drop in the crabs, 2 or 3 at a time, and let them cook until they are golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove crabs and drain them on paper towels. Serve the crabs accompanied by a fried garlic clove, a sprig of rosemary, a sprig of thyme and 2 lemon wedges.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

In today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef, Cesare tells of his first encounter with soft shelled crabs. Read his anecdote to get ready for the soft shell crab recipes that are soon to follow in the coming days!

Un Granchio Fuori D’Acqua

A Crab Out of Water

Granchi Teneri Fritti / Deep-Fried Soft-Shell Crabs

Granchi Teneri Saute / Sauteed Soft-Shell Crabs

Risotto di Granchi Teneri / Soft-Shell Crab Risotto

Zuccotto / Tuscan Parfait

Suggested Wines: Brut, Frescobaldi (Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Nero, Spumante); Le Grance, Caparzo (Grapes: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Traminer)

When I first started working at Coco Pazzo, I came into the kitchen and noticed two crates of crabs sitting in the corner. They didn’t look like any crabs I’d ever seen, and I was a little hesitant to ask what they were. Then Kevin, my sous chef, asked me how he should prepare the soft-shell crabs, and I played furbo (sly). “Make them the way you always do, and I’ll tell you if you make any mistakes,” I instructed, watching him closely. After work, I pulled out a few of the books I’d brought with me from home and looked up soft-shelled crabs.

What I discovered was that at the turn of the century, soft-shelled crabs, called granchi teneri or “tender crabs,” were a popular delicacy in Tuscan cooking. In Sesto Fiorentino, a small town northwest of Florence, there was even a professional association of soft-shell crab fisherman. During the molting season, the fisherman would place crabs in stacked terra-cotta boxes made by Sesto Fiorentino craftsman. Every day they would pour well water into the top box, and it would drain down, from one container to the next, washing over the crabs. After a period of days, when the crabs molted, they would be transferred to containers lined with damp grape leaves. Then the fisherman would take to the streets shouting “Granchi teneri!”

Armed with this information, I showed up for work the next day with a dozen ideas for soft-shell crab recipes. Here are a few of them.

Daily Excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef!

Today's excerpt from Diary of a Tuscan Chef is Cesare's recipe for Spumini, which are meringue cookies. These truly Italian treats are a delicious way to end end any meal - so try them in your own cucina to end your dinner on a sweet note.

Spumini

Meringue Cookies

(Makes 20 cookies)

3 egg whites Grated rind of ½ lemon 1 cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 225º. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium-low until frothy. Continue beating while adding the sugar in a slow, steady stream. Stir in the lemon rind. Turn the speed to high and beat for 5 minutes, until the mixture has tripled in volume and has become quite stiff, dense, and glossy. Drop spoonfuls of the meringue onto the sheet pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. The cookies should be dry and crisp all the way through. Cool, then store them in an airtight container. They will keep for up to a month.