05.21.09

One Night in Toscana…

Posted in Dessert, Fungi, Italian, Pasta, Recipes at 4:47 pm by cecilia

Cooking classes are a great place to get recipe ideas, learn new techniques, and make foodie friends. My good friend Carol and I couldn’t resist the menu at the culinary center of a local Whole Foods. So we joined Chef Lesa Atkins in her class and cooked up a storm. Lesa is a classically-trained French chef who also spent a good amount of time in Italy being an intern. Having spent some time in Italy as a young(er) girl, I was swiftly reminded of how amazing Italian food is. It’s certainly one of the cuisines that triggered my passion for food as well as life itself.

On this particular evening, our theme was Small Dishes of Coastal Tuscany. The menu was provided by Chef Lesa. For some of us, it’s our attempt to recreate a small piece of our experience in Italy. For others, it’s simply an inexpensive way to get a glimpse of the culinary perspectives of our chef.

So we washed our hands, rolled up our sleeves, put on the aprons, and fired up the stoves.

Menu

Focaccia al Formaggio

~ cheese focaccia filled with artisan cheese ~

We made a flatbread version which means we did not use yeast. (Printable recipe here)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups durum wheat flour
1 lb. stracchino or fresh Ligurian soft cheese (something mild and creamy which melts easily)
5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste

1. Make a mound of flour on your work surface. Scoop a well in it, and pour 4 Tbsp of oil, a small ladle of warm water, and 2 healthy pinches of salt into the well.
2. Work the mixture into the dough and knead it until it is soft, smooth, and elastic.
3. Cover the dough for an hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 360°F (180°C).
5. Divide the dough into two pieces and roll them out into very thin disks the size of your baking sheet (a 12-14inch diameter metal pizza pan would be about right).
6. Lightly oil the pan and lay the first sheet of dough over it.
7. Shred the cheese and dot the dough with it.
8. Lay the second layer of dough over the first, roll the edges up and around to form a rim that seals, and give it a decorative pattern by pressing down on it with the tines of a fork.
9. Puncture the top here and there so the moisture can escape as the focaccia cooks.
10. Bake it for about 15 minutes, or until it’s golden brown.

For the yeast version:

1 oz. dry activated yeast
1/2 oz. sugar
2 oz. warm water

1. Combine the above ingredients and place in a warm spot until it gets frothy.
2. Add it to the dry ingredients in the original recipe and allow to proof uncovered for 2 hours.

Chef’s note: “Proofing” allows the flavor of the dough to develop. Without it, it will be flavorless and flat.

Scampi con Salsa al Prezzemolo

~ prawns with garlic parsley sauce ~

(Printable recipe here)

Ingredients

1 lb. prawns (16/20 or u20’s if you like larger ones)
1 lb. clams (or 1 can chopped clams)
1 tsp red pepper flakes (to taste)
3 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup Italian parsley, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste

1. Heat a dry dutch oven over medium high heat for 2 minutes.
2. Add 1 Tbsp oil, garlic, pepper flakes and sauté until the garlic just becomes aromatic. Do not allow it to brown.
3. Add the wine and reduce by 3/4’s the volume.
4. Add about half of the chopped parsley.
5. Add a dollop of butter, allow the sauce to simmer about a minute longer, then remove from heat and set aside.
6. In a separate large covered pot, steam clams for about three minutes after all clams have opened. Reserve the clam broth.
7. Shell prawns. Lightly sauté empty shells in remaining butter and olive oil. Remove shells, add prawns, a dash of salt and a grinding of black pepper. Sauté only until all the prawns have turned reddish.
8. Add clams, garlic mixture, and the remaining parsley. Stir and serve.

Chef’s note: Resist the urge to serve this with cheese. Classic Italian doesn’t serve seafood with cheese as the aged cheese overpowers the fresh flavors of the sea.

Trofie con Salsa di Funghi

~ spiral pasta with wild mushroom sauce ~

This dish requires a bit of slicing and dicing. It’s a good opportunity to practice your knife skills.

(Printable recipe here)

Ingredients

1 package Fusilli
1/2 lb. cremini mushroom, sliced
1/4 lb. shitake mushroom, sliced
1/4 lb. portobello mushroom, sliced
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1/2 large onion, diced
1 cup red wine
2 Tbsp thyme, minced
2 Tbsp Boursin cheese
Pinch of truffle pâté
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a dry skillet over a medium high flame for 2 minutes.
2. Add 2 Tbsp of oil, onions, and thyme. Sauté for 3 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms and sauté until pan roasted and slightly dried – about 15 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and sauté until aromatic.
5. Add the wine and reduce by 3/4.
6. Add a pinch of truffle paste to taste. Add salt, pepper, and Boursin cheese and stir to combine.
7. Taste for final seasoning and add to pasta.

Zuppa di Cozze

~ mussel chowder ~

(Printable recipe here)

Ingredients

2 lb. fresh mussels
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 dried red pepper, flame roasted and crushed
2 cup plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup dry, white wine
1 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper, to taste
1 cup basil, torn

1. Scrub the mussels, pull the beards and rinse under cool water. Set aside.
2. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.
3. Add the garlic and red pepper, and tomatoes. Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is aromatic.
4. Add the wine and reduce by half the volume.
5. Add the mussels, add the salt, cover and cook for 5 minutes over a medium-high heat. (The shells should be open after this cooking period. Discard any mussels that have not opened.)
6. Add the basil, a swirl of good Balsamic Vinegar. Stir and serve.

Crema con Banane al Rum

~ vanilla cream with bananas in rum ~

A good Italian meal would not be complete without a sweet ending. This is a very simple and easy-to-make dessert.

(Printable recipe here)

Ingredients

Serves 2-3 people

Crema:
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dry Marsala wine
1 seeded vanilla bean, reserve the pod
1 tsp champagne vinegar or lemon juice

1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer over medium-low heat.
2. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean seeds in a metal or glass heat-resistant bowl. Whisk until foamy.
3. Set the bowl over the simmering water, without letting the bottom touch the water, and continue to whisk constantly.
4. Gradually pour in the Marsala while continuing to beat. Note: Don’t let it boil.
5. Keep whisking vigorously for at least 5 minutes until the custard has doubled in volume and is very thick and deep yellow in color.
6. Spoon the custard (zabaglione) into a bowl for use with the bananas.

Rum Glazed Carmelized Bananas:
3 firm bananas
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup rum
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
Vanilla bean pod from above

1. Cut bananas in half lengthwise and then into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. Over medium-high heat, cook butter, spices, vanilla pods and brown sugar until bubbly.
3. Remove pan from stove. Be careful not to add rum near the flame. Stir in orange juice, rum, and bananas. If the pan flares up, just sauté it for a minute or two until the flame dies out. If there’s a lot of liquid in the pan, cook it down for a few minutes. If it’s too thick after the flame dies out, add a splash of orange juice.
4. Sauté until bananas are glazed but not mushy, about 1 minute.

What are your favorite Italian recipes? Perhaps you might try these sometime? Please share your ideas here. Happy cooking!

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