Alchemy in the Kitchen: An Italian "al fresco" evening in the Tri-Cities

Finally, my weeks of sitting around trying to get something going are coming to an end. On Monday, I am teaching my first class in quite a while, over in the Tri-Cities. The wonderful Italy compatriot Sandralini is the hostess, along with other Italy trip veterans KT Wright and Mary Pat.
Since the class is full and I have to work up my shopping lists, I thought I might post some recipes of the delights we are to have. Winemaker Neil Cooper will be there as well providing some libation, so it should be a great time!

Menu:

Frascarelli with truffled grape tomatoes and parmigiano
Antonio’s ricotta flan with pecorino fonduta
Heirloom tomato panzanella
Rosemary Spiedini (Pork tenderloin, bacon, chicken livers) grilled
Saltimbocca, zucchini gratin, sautéed escarole, grilled polenta cakes
Fresh ricotta with cinnamon and sugar, fresh peaches
Espresso and grappa

The Story of Antonio: I first met Antonio years ago through a mutual friend. Tall, handsome, and charming he is the dream of the Italian Chef. He came to CC west Seattle in 2006 and taught a couple of cooking classes and then did an awesome Gypsy dinner. In '08 we all went to Italy to visit him and have a wonderful Italian cooking adventure. Debbie and I hosted/ran the trip and Antonio was the star. He shared some of his own recipes like this Frascarelli and his Tortino.

Antipasti

Frascarelli: Antonio's grandmother made this pasta up, technically translated, Frascarelli are the little goobers that stick to your hands when making pasta. This pasta dish is supposed to be made with only one hand so "she could smack the little kids misbehaving and clinging to her skirts".

Frascarelli serves 8

22 oz flour

4 eggs

1 tsp kosher salt

Make Pasta: Sprinkle flour in a fine layer on a cutting board. Beat the eggs in a small bowl with the salt. Using the whisk drizzle the eggs all over the flour. Using your fingers squish the eggs into the flour to form little lumps. Make sure to work all of the eggs in, but leave the lumps pretty big.

Finish: Place pasta in a fine sieve and shake gently to get excess flour off.

Cook: Cook in heavily salted boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and add frascarelli to a pasta sauce, or toss with olive oil. Serve with Parmigiano and halved grape tomatoes (warmed) and truffles.

2nd

Our next course will be another Antonio creation. Now, I don't know about y'all, but I tend to think of pecorino as a garnish cheese, not a sauce. But this works beautifully, melts smooth and delicious

Tortino serves 6

flan

3C good fresh ricotta 2 egg whites

1 T cornstarch 1 T heavy cream

Sauce

1 C grated pecorino romano 2 C heavy cream

Garnish

Nutmeg, freshly grated Marjoram sprigs

Preheat oven to 375°F

Make Flan: Mix ricotta together with the egg whites in a small bowl. In another small bowl, combine heavy cream and cornstarch until combined. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the ricotta mix. Pack into buttered ramekins. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned on top and risen slightly.

Meanwhile make sauce: Place the cream in a small pot and over medium heat, reduce by half. Add the grated cheese. Simmer until just thickened. Hold warm.

Serve: Pool ½ C of warm sauce in the bottom of each bowl, and unmold the flans in the center of each bowl. Grate some nutmeg over each and serve with a sprig of marjoram.

3rd- Salade

There is nothing that says summer like a good heirloom tomato. During the season, I try to make panzanella at least 20 times, and I never get tired of it. It is fun and easy to quickly grill the bread to add more character.

Grilled Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad) serves 8

10 oz coarse country bread, stale

3 ripe heirloom tomatoes, cut into large chunks

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 C torn basil leaves

2 T red wine vinegar

kosher salt and pepper to taste

⅓ C extra virgin olive oil

Prepare the Bread: Rub the bread lightly with olive oil and then grill over on a hot grill, until well marked. Cool. Cut the bread into 2” chunks and combine with the tomatoes, onions, and basil.

Toss salad: Dissolve salt and pepper in the vinegar. Add the oil and mix well. Drizzle with vinegar and toss well. Allow to sit for 1 hour for flavors to meld. Serve at room temp.

4th- Primi

Livers (fegato) are something that has taken me a long time to get comfortable with. I love me some pate, and make about a million types, but just straight up eating liver has been a challenge. This dish is wonderful and so simple as to be comical. It is literally cubes of bacon, chicken liver, and pork tenderloin, threaded on rosemary branches, and grilled. Nothing could be easier! The only catch is make sure the coals are burned down low enough to prevent flare ups... or grill these guys over an indirect heat.

Spiedini alla Florentine serves 8

8 pieces chicken liver 16 bay leaves (fresh if you can find them)

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 16 pieces 8 strips bacon

16 sage leaves 2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 sturdy rosemary branches 16 (2”) bread cubes, stale

kosher salt and pepper to taste Extra virgin olive oil

Build a fire in a charcoal grill and burn until the coals are covered in white ash

Marinate: In a large bowl, toss the liver, bacon, tenderloin pieces, garlic, sage, and bay together. Add 1 C olive oil along with several large pinches of salt and lots of pepper. Marinate 1 hour.

Skewer: Using the rosemary branches as skewers, thread 1 piece of liver, 2 pieces pork tenderloin, 1 strip of bacon, bay leaves, sage leaves, and 2 bread cubes (dip in the olive oil first). Alternate all of the pieces, repeat to make 8 skewers. Drizzle with all of the remaining marinade.

Grill: Grill over hot coals until done, serve with a nice chianti.

5th-Secundi

Our main course will combine lots of elements to round out the class and because I really want to have something "jump in my mouth" ;)

Saltimbocca alla Romana serves 4

4 pieces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut in half crosswise

1# pork scalloppine, cut into 8 pieces

8 large sage leaves

¼ C extra virgin olive oil

¼ C dry white wine

1 C Veal stock

4 T butter, in small pieces

Prepare the pork: Pound the pork very thin. Place 1 slice of prosciutto on top of each slice of pork, center a sage leaf on top of the prosciutto, then thread a wooden toothpick through the sage, prosciutto, and pork to hold all three in place. Set aside.

Cook the meat: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add meat to skillet, prosciutto side down, in a single layer, (work in batches if necessary) and sauté until prosciutto is lightly browned and crisp on the edges and pork is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. As meat is cooked, transfer to a warm platter.

Make sauce: Pour off and discard fat from skillet. Return skillet to medium high heat, add wine, and cook, scraping browned bits up, until alcohol has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add stock and accumulated juices from platter, and reduce by ¾, about 10 minutes, then whisk in the butter.

Return meat to skillet to warm through, then transfer to a serving platter, prosciutto side up, and spoon sauce around. Remove toothpicks before serving.

Garlicky Lemon Escarole serves 4-6

2 large bunches escarole ½ C olive oil

15 cloves garlic, sliced 1 T balsamic vinegar

kosher salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp chili flakes

Juice of 2 lemons

Blanch: Blanch the escarole in heavily salted rapidly boiling water and shock in ice water to cool.

Sauté: n a large sauté pan heat olive oil and sauté the garlic and chili flakes. When starting to brown add the escarole and the lemon all at once. Cook 5 minutes. Sauté until everything is hot and saucy. Season and serve.

Simple Polenta Cakes

2 C Polenta 1 T Kosher Salt

2 C Light Chicken Stock ½ C Parmigiano Reggiano

2 C 2% Milk 1 stick Butter

2 C water 1 T roasted garlic paste

Bring to a boil: Combine all ingredients except cheese and butter in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, slowly, over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Make sure to get all lumps out—there should be none to start.

Reduce to a simmer: When simmering, stir frequently with a wooden spoon and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, until each grain of polenta is tender, not gritty. Stir in butter and cheese.

Cool, set, fry: Pack into a buttered 9x13 pan. Using plastic wrap, smooth the top; cover and refrigerate. Cut into desired shapes and pan-fry.

Zucchini Gratin serves 4

1# zucchini

2 C highly seasoned tomato sauce

Kosher salt

1 C grated parmigiano

2 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F

Prep eggplant: Trim zucchini and cut them in very thin slices, lengthwise. Salt the slices and set them aside for 30 minutes to drain. Drain well, and dry with a cloth.

Assemble: Oil a heatproof dish. Make a layer of zucchini in the bottom, then a layer of thick, highly seasoned tomato sauce. Top with another layer of zucchini and finish with sauce. Top generously with grated cheese, sprinkle lightly with olive oil.

Bake: Bake for 25 minutes to until hot and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes to set up. Serve.

6th Dolci

This one brings back memories for me. When I was 15 years old I started having regular dinner parties (parents gave me money for food and then skipped town for long travel) and I had a very interesting friend who was an opera singer and a world traveler, and very loud and flamboyant and very gay. For a 15 year old in Centralia WA, Stephan was a trip. This was his favorite "Italian" Dessert.