9F on the 9th of December

I woke up at 6 o'clock this morning, went down to the kitchen to make my cappuccino and looked at the thermomether: 9F!!!
There is ice on the corners of my windows and I can see the landscape as though through a surreal picture frame. There is a light dusting of snow and the first gleams of dawn are just starting to soften the contrast between the white powder and the darkness left behind by night.

My mind wanders to times past, before cars, before electricity, before running water, when this was a working farm. The entire household would be awake by now. Someone would have milked the cows, brought in water, lit the stove and started breakfast for everyone. They would have done all this by the light of an oil lamp, without thinsulate-waterproof boots, without polypropilene underarmour or pile sweaters. I shiver at the thought!

When I first moved into this farmhouse with my family, several years ago, one of my goals was to return to a more simple lifestile. I fully appreciate the comforts of modern civilization and I have no intention of giving them up, but I believe that reaching a balanced compromise between living a healthier life and taking advantage of technological progress, will help me deal better with the stress of the everyday grind.

I have always preferred good, simple earthy food, to the over-processed genetically-altered alternatives available at fast-food restaurants or as ready-to-eat-meals at supermarkets, not merely because they are better for me, but mostly because they taste better, and are more fun to prepare. My recipes are not always "healthy" ones, often my meals are not perfectly balanced according to the food pyramid. I do make an effort to keep wellness in mind, but the main drive of my choices is taste. Good food makes me happy, I can work on quantities and frequency of certain items, but I will not sacrifice the flavors I like to just have a "healthy meal". Now, if it is healthful and tastes good... well then my goal is reached!

While Spring and Summer provide a wide range of fruits and vegetables to make salads and fill my diet with fibers and vitamins, etc., the Winter months call more for warming and fulfilling fares. This for me is the time for soups (which are a great way to get your vegetables) and hearty stews.
Living in the heart of Pennsylvania, even someones who does not hunt has several occasions to come across a fair amount of venison. Coming from a country where deer is a protected animal, I never had a chance to taste venison until a few years ago. I had heard the praises of this meat for years before I could actually taste it myself, and in all honesty I was quite disappointed. I found it tough, dry and not much flavorful.

I did not give up, thinking that if so many people loved this meat something good must come from it. I tried it over and over, without much satisfaction, until I decided to try and cook it myself. I went through my share of trial and error, until I tried this recipe. I adapted for use with a slow cooker from a recipe found in a book, and as usual changed a few ingredients according to taste and to what I had on hand. This is definitely one of my best stews, and one of the best venison dishes I have had.


APPLE VENISON STEW

2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp of mixed peppercorns
2 whole cloves
2 lb venison cut in 1 1/2 in cubes (I used a leg cut)
2 Tbs butter
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
2 Tbs flour (I used whole wheat, but white flour will work too)
1/8 tsp coarse salt
2 cups water
2 Tbs Marsala
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium apples, peeled, cored, cut into wedges
2 ribs of celery, sliced
flour or cornstarch for thickening, if necessary

Wrap bay leaves, peppercorns and cloves in a double thickness of cheesecloth and tie securely. Set aside.

You can get all your ingredients ready before getting started, but I suggest to wait to cut the apples until you are ready to use them, so they do not turn brown.

(If you do not have cheesecloth on hand, don't give up. I did not have any either, so I used a tea infuser; worked just fine.

In a large skillet, brown venison on all sides in butter, over medium heat.

Add onions; cook until lightly browned.

Sprinkle with flour and salt.

Add the Marsala and stir gently until about half has evaporated. Gradually add the water, stirring. Heat to boiling.

Transfer to a slow cooker and add spice bag (or infuser).

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours, until venison is tender.

As slow cookers vary, you may have now too much or too little liquid in your stew. At this point you may use a ladle to remove some of the liquid (save it to flavor a broth or to add to the stew to reheat leftovers) or add boiling water if your stew is too dry.

Add carrots, celery and apples.

Cover and cook for 1 hour or until vegetables and apples are tender but not mushy.

Remove the spice bag and thicken with flour or cornstarch, if necessary.

I served this stew with bread rolls, corn on the cob and stir-fried green beans. I wish I had some polenta, though....

Minestra di Spinaci

"Minestra di Spinaci" (spinach soup) is a basic soup we enjoy year round, as it is easy and fast to make, nutritious enough to be served as a main dish, and everything needed to make it is usually on had in the house at any given time. In warmer weather it can be enjoyed warm, as an appetizer, first course or main dish, or accompanied by a seasonal salad. In cold winter days such as these I like it as hot as can be managed, served with cheese sandwiches or focaccia or some sturdy home made bread.

Yesterday was my day off, and although I had a million things to do, as usual, I pretty much wasted it trying to keep warm and to get rid of this annoying headache that has been tormenting me for too long now. I am still recovering from a stomach flu that floored me last weekend and as part of my path to better health I am trying to eat more balanced meals. During the last few days I have pretty much survived on the B.R.A.T. diet, or just fasting, now I need to recharge with some vegetables. What better way than concentrate some in a hot bowl of soul fulfilling soup?

Since I was in a lazy mood and did not want to make a second course, I decided to load-up the soup with some home grown corn I had in the freezer. Also I only had enough Parmigiano for the recipe, so I shredded some Muenster cheese I had on hand for serving. Everyone had seconds and there were no requests for dessert... so I guessed it worked out pretty well.

Here is my new variation on this classic soup:





Ingredients:

1 ear of corn (I had 3 small chunks, frozen)
1 TBS olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
1 c small pasta (I used tubetti)
3 c frozen spinach
3 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano or Grana
3 beef bouillons cubes
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded Muenster cheese
(serves 6)

Place 2 qts of water and frozen corn in a soup pot and bring to boil.




In the meantime, slice the garlic and sautée with the spinach in olive oil until spinach are completely thawed and no excess liquid is in the pan.





Beat the eggs with the Parmigiano, nutmeg and salt.



When the water boils add the bouillon and stir to dissolve. Set aside one ladleful of broth and let cool.
Let corn boil in water for 5 minutes, then add the pasta.



Remove corn from water, cut from cob and return to the pot.




Add the cooled broth and the spinach to the eggs and stir.
When the pasta is cooked, add the spinach mixture to the pot and boil for 2 minutes, stirring.




Serve in warmed bowls and garnish with a generous sprinkle of the Muenster cheese.

Puntarelle with Polenta

I am back in the US for all of you who did not know yet. So much has happened and I have so much to write. My life is really like a bruschetta at the moment: things fall off and slide around all over the place!

I thought I would ease into the habit of blogging by posting a recipe I came up with while still in Italy but never got around to publish.

Have you ever gone to the market and saw something that looks really cool, but you have no idea what it its? Well I did. This bright green bunch of leaves, with some strange sort of sprout in the middle, was looking so fresh, so healthy and so apetizing that I just had to buy it! It is called Puntarelle and it is a variety of Chicory, that much I could tell by the name tag on the crate and the look of the leaves.

Once home I unwrapped my prized new acquisition and admired it longingly, while realizing I had no idea what to do with it!
The only recipe I could find was for a salad. It seams that if you thinly slice the inner part of the bunch and toss it in ice water it curls up and looks really pretty in a salad. But I did not feel like salad, I had in mind to cook the thing! And cooking it I did, and added a few things I had on hand to make a meal of it, still not knowing what it would turn out to be.

Of course I would not bother publishing it if I did not think it was delicious, so I took the risk off of your plate! Now, I have never seen Puntarelle in this part of the world, but I believe any variety of Chicory will do, or even some sort of Chard... well come up with something and let me know!

Here is my version of PUNTARELLE WITH POLENTA

- One medium bunch of puntarelle, sliced
- Half red onion, sliced
- One clove of garlic, sliced
- One tablespoon olive oil (extra vergin, of course)
- Eight small slices of polenta
- One tablespoon of butter
- Three or four slices of cheese, any kind that will melt well
- 1/4 cup grated Grana

Preheat oven to 375F.

Sautée puntarelle with onion and garlic in olive oil until the leaves are wilted and the stalks are tender.



Place 4 slices of polenta in a greased oven pan. Drop a few flakes of butter on top of the slices.




Top with half the sautéed vegetables.



Cover with the sliced cheese.




Add the remaining 4 slices of polenta and a few more flakes of butter.



Add the rest of the sautéed vegetables and prinke with the grated Grana.



Bake for about 15 minutes or until heated through and the cheese is melted.



Serves 2 as a main dish, or 4 as a side





As always, Buon Appetito!

Sauteed Salad

After a morning of house cleaning and laundry, I sat on the sofa to give my legs some rest.
I quickly became hungry for a refreshing salad that would be quick and easy to prepare with things I had on hand. I made my way to the kitchen and searched the fridge. This is what turned out, and I am quite pleased with it!

Ingredients for 2:

(I made it for myself, but had plenty left over)

1 small red onion
1 bunch of radicchio

2 cups baby spinach

1 and 1/2 cups steamed roman broccoli

3 slices grilled eggplant

1/3 cup smoked Scamorza (or any smoked cheese)

1/4 cup shaved Grana (or Parmigiano)

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
olive oil and balsamic vinegar

2 crusty bread rolls

Slice the onion and sauté in olive oil.

In the meantime, thickly slice the radicchio.

Add the radicchio to the onion and sautée just until wilted.

Place the baby spinach in a salad bowl. Cut the roman broccoli and eggplant in chunks and add them to the spinach.

Slice the Scamorza, cut into strips and add to the vegetables in the bowl.

Top with the sautéed onion and radicchio, the shaved Grana and walnuts.

Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve with the bread.
Yes, that in the glass is delicious red orange juice, from sicilian oranges!

Buon appetito!

Another dinner for one

My daughter spent the afternoon at the library with a friend, then stayed out for pizza.

I got hungry ealry, maybe tired form a busy day like I had not had in a while. As I usually do when searching for ideas on what to cook, I opened the refrigerator and freezer and looked at what was available. A bag of frozen spinach gave me the idea for this quick meal that has been a favourite of my children for quite some time.

SPINACH WRAPS

Ingredients for one:

1 tsp olive oil
2 cups frozen spinach
1 clove of garlic
salt and pepper
2 small tortillas
2 slices of cheese
1 TBS salsa (optional)

Heat the oil and spinach in a skillet. When spinach are almost completely thawed add the sliced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Sautée for 3 or 4 minutes after they are completely thawed (Even if the instruction on your frozen spinach say to add water, DO NOT DO IT! Unless, of course, you like your spinach to turn to mush).


In the meantime, steam the tortillas over boiling water, to allow them to soften.



Top tortillas with spinach.


Add a slice of your favourite cheese (or whatever cheese you have available)
If you like, you may add 1/2 TBS of salsa at this point or spoon it over the wraps later.


Roll the tortillas into wraps and set on a baking sheet with the flap side down.


Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to pour out of wraps.

Tonight I had the wraps with a cup of leftover soup. (A staple at my house, lately). I cooked a little extra spinach, so I added them to the soup with a tablespoon of Grana cheese.


Buon appetito!

4 February 2010

I went for a nice walk this morning and I took some photos to share!

These are things I see on my usual routes to run errands or shopping.

I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do!

I was alone for lunch today, so I just reheated leftovers!

I giorni della Merla (The days of the Blackbird)

According to Northern Italian Folklore the last 3 days of January are called "I giorni della Merla" (the days of the Blackbird), and they are believed to be the coldest days of Winter. Although studies have proven this to not be scientifically accurate, popular beliefs have more to do with feeling and perception than with scientific research. Studies show that actually these 3 days are about 1C warmer than the average for the month of January, but couldn't it be that we may feel the cold more? Maybe because we are getting tired of Winter, or maybe because our body is running out of the fat it stored to ward off the cold, or perhaps our wood pile is dwindling and we are being a little more conservative about heating our house....

One legend says that Blackbirds were originally white. One year, the last 3 days of January were so cold and bitter that a female blackbird and her babies sought shelter inside a chimney. On the 1st day of February they emerged completely black, and have been that colour ever since. Another version tells the story of a beautiful white bird that, always tormented by the harshness of Januray (that originally lasted only 28 days), decided to store food and live in hiding the entire month. She emerged from her shelter and mocked January, who in turn, vindicated himself by borrowing 3 days from February and throwing at the bird his most fierce winter storms. The poor bird hid in a chimney and emerged once again, completely black.

Popular beliefs also use these days to forecast Spring weather. If the days of the blackbird are cold, a nice Spring will arrive soon, if they are mild, Spring will be arriving late. For many years farmers used these guidelines (and others) to plan their planting.

I also found another semi-historical story about these notorious days. Toward the end of the 1700s, the last three days of January had been so cold that the River Po froze completely. This allowed Napoleon Bonaparte's troops to transport a huge cannon from one side of the river to the other, and with it they defeated the Austrians. This cannon was named: Merla.

Winter is not my favourite season, although I do like the snow, I enjoy watching it fall, while sipping hot cocoa by a roaring fire. I like playing in it, making snow angels, and buildings snowmen with the kids. And what a bright and fantastic vision, to wake up to a white blanket of fresh snow, fallen unexpectedly during the night!

But, given my relatioship with food, one of the greatest pleasures that Winter brings to my taste buds, comes in the form of a bowlful of hot, wholesome, nourishing soup. And, as I get as much enjoyment from cooking as I do from eating, I love busying myself in front of a bubbling pot filling my kitchen with steam and the heart-warming aroma of basic nourishment.

This soup I threw together with what I had on hand, when I found myself craving heat, energy and hearty flavour during one of the bitter "Giorni della Merla".

MERLA SOUP (I assure you, no bird was harmed in the making of this soup)

Ingredients for 4-5 portions:

Olive oil
1 cup sliced swiss chard stalks
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/3 sliced leeks
(these 3 ingredients, I usually have on hand frozen. Whenever I buy the fresh produce to use in a recipe, I freeze the excess, already chopped or sliced, for future uses)
2 TBS chopped onion
2 quarts vegetable broth (hot)
1 cup frozen peas
1 potato
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1/2 cup of rice
2 sage leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Grana cheese

Coat a soup pot or large sauce pan with olive oil. Sautée swiss chard, celery, leeks and onion until just golden.
Add the frozen peas and and sprinkle 1 tsp of coarse salt. Coat with pan juices for 2 minutes, add one cup of hot broth, cover and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, adding broth if necessary.
Cut the potato and carrot into thick slices. Sautée in olive oil, in separate pan, with the thyme, for about 5 minutes.
When the liquid in the pot is completely evaporated, add 1TBS of olive oil and  the rice. Stir to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add about 1 quart of  hot broth and the sage leaves. Simmer for about 15 minutes, adding hot broth if necessary.
Cut the zucchini in thick slices and add to potato and carrot. Add some oil if necessary. Sautée about 5 minuets, until all vegetables are golden brown but still hold their consistency.

When rice is about 3/4 cooked, adjust the soup for flavour and add broth to favourite consistency. This soup should be quite thick, but of course use your own preference.

Add the sautéed vegetables and stir very gently, as to not break the delicate zucchini.
Let the soup simmer for about 5-10 minutes to give all flavours time to blend. Check that rice and all veggies are ready, adjust for consistency and salt and pepper.
Serve very hot, with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of Grana cheese.

I completed this soup with a bruschetta, topped with left-over ratatouille and shaved Grana.
Buon appetito!