Sharon – Page 40

Say Ciao to Your Inner Italian

Posted December 4, 2008 by Sharon 3 Comments

Dolce fa niente…it’s sweet to do nothing.

Envying the simple, yet rich, life in Italy is nothing new. Shakespeare, who understood that location is the thing, set All’s Well That Ends Well, Much Ado About Nothing and many of his plays in this luminous land.

Five hundred years later, the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” defined the dream for millions in the new millennium. The adaptation of American Frances Mayes’ best-selling memoir begat caravans of tour buses chugging up and down Tuscan hills. The pilgrims fantasize about life in Cortona, Montepulciano, or San Gimignano populated with flirtatious dark-eyed shopkeepers, sunflowers by the armload, and languid afternoons at a caffè. There are no sick kids, overdue bills, cold rainy days, PMS, or arguments with your partner.

The allure of this ideal is quite simply irresistible-even to natives. My Roman friend Anna, who comes from an aristocratic family in Emilia-Romagna (and, from my perspective, has a pretty enviable life) was even given a translated copy of Under the Tuscan Sun by her mother!

The bad news about this fantasia all’italiana is that few Americans, Italians, or anybody else for that matter, can afford an ancient stone house like Bramasole. Fixer-uppers start at three-quarters of a million dollars. The good news is that imaginary Italian real estate is free. [Read more…]

Hunting for Porcini

Posted October 9, 2003 by Sharon 2 Comments

Dried porcini are easy to reconstitute and add intense mushroom flavor to many dishes.

My youthful encounters with wild mushrooms did little to prepare me for Italian porcini. The fungus of my childhood is the puffball (Calvatia gigantea). Every year at summer’s end, dozens of these absurd orbs ballooned in the grass of our front yard in central Pennsylvania. My dad picked piles of puffballs and proudly lugged them into the kitchen, where my mom sliced and seasoned them, dipped them in flour, and hauled out a cast-iron skillet to fry them in homemade lard. Thank goodness for the pork fat. If those puffballs had any flavor, they were keeping it to themselves.

Years later, I tasted fresh porcini (pronounced pohr-CHEE-nee) and my appreciation of wild mushrooms was drastically, permanently upgraded. It was autumn at a country restaurant in Tuscany. The cook cleaned one just-picked fungo porcino, removed its stem, drizzled the saucer-sized taupe cap with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, seasoned it with salt and the wild herb nepitella, and grilled it over a wood fire. He served the mushroom alone on a plate, which made it seem really special.

I bit into the juicy flesh. It tasted like meat from the earth—complex, rich, and woodsy. The body was substantial yet tender. Truly this was a mushroom so exciting, it deserved to be called wild.

[Read more…]

Pesto Potato Salad

Posted April 20, 2002 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Serves 4 to 6
In the port city of Genoa, pesto, the aromatic paste of fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, cheeses, and extra-virgin olive oil, is tossed with hot strands of trennette pasta and cooked potatoes. This simple salad combines only the potatoes with pesto to make a wonderful warm weather side dish for grilled chicken, pork tenderloin, or salmon.

6 to 8 medium red skinned potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds)

1/4 cup pesto

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bunch scallions, white and light green part, sliced

If the potatoes are large, cut into equal chunks about the size of golf balls. Place in a single layer in a microwaveable dish. Cover with waxed paper. Microwave for about 10 minutes, rotating occasionally, until tender. Remove and set aside for 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.

In a bowl, whisk the pesto, mayonnaise, and salt. Add the scallions. Cut the potatoes in 1/2-inch chunks. Add to the bowl. Toss.

Note: The recipe may be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings. Season with salt to taste.

Upside-Down Almond Cake with Caramelized Orange Slices

Posted April 16, 2002 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Upside Down Almond Orange Cake

Serves 8 to 10

Prepare this moist fruit cake up to a day before serving.

Cake

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) butter, softened, divided

2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup sugar, divided

2 navel oranges, unpeeled

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 package (7 ounces) almond paste

2 eggs

1 cup whole milk

Glaze

1/3 cup orange marmalade or apricot preserves

2 teaspoons orange liqueur

Whipped Cream

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons Amaretto or almond liqueur

To prepare the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides. Place in the oven for 1 minute to melt the butter. Remove and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir with a fork. Return to the oven for about 5 minutes, or until the sugar bubbles and browns lightly. Remove from the oven and set aside.

With a serrated knife, cut the oranges into very thin slices. Cut some of the smaller slices in halves. With a fork, spread some of the sugar mixture against the sides of the cake pan. Line the sides of the pan with half-circle orange slices, curved side down. Make sure there is sugar between the slices and pan.

Place a whole slice in the bottom center of the pan. Surround with orange slices, squeezing gently to fit in a single layer. Cut a few remaining slices into quarters. Fill in any empty spaces. Press gently to make sure the orange slices are in an even layer. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Cut the almond paste into thin slices. Process in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until finely ground.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the remaining 1 1/4 sticks of butter until fluffy. Crumble in the almond paste. Add 1/3 cup sugar and the orange extract. Beat for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl when needed, or until smooth. Break up any lumps of almond paste that remain. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the milk and the dry ingredients alternately, ending with the dry ingredients. Carefully dollop the batter in the pan so the orange slices aren’t disturbed.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the cake is browned and a tester comes out clean. Remove to a rack for 5 minutes. Place a serving plate over the pan. With both hands in oven mitts tightly holding the pan and plate, invert the cake onto the plate. If any orange slices stick to the pan, remove them with a butter knife and pat into place on the cake.

Cool the cake; cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Before serving, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

To prepare the glaze: Place the marmalade or preserves in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 1 minute or until bubbling hot. Press through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Stir in the orange liqueur. Cool slightly before brushing over cake.

To prepare the whipped cream: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar and 1 tablespoon Amaretto or almond liqueur. Whip for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the peaks hold their shape. Taste and whisk in more Amaretto if desired. Serve with the cake.

Baked Oregano Chicken and Potatoes

Posted April 4, 2002 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Serves 4 to 6

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper

2 1/2 to 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

6 medium-large red- or white-skinned potatoes (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, drained

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Coat a 16 x 10-inch baking pan with olive oil spray.

In a shallow bowl, mix the cheese, bread crumbs, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. Dip both sides of the chicken and potato slices into the mixture. Shake off any excess. Arrange the chicken and potatoes in slightly overlapping rows in the pan. Sprinkle with the tomatoes and the remaining crumb mixture. Drizzle with the oil.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. Serve with a mixed greens salad.

Chianti Beef Stew

Posted March 1, 2001 by Sharon Leave a Comment

Serves 6 to 8
3 pounds trimmed lean top round, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

3/4 cup flour

8 ounces brown or white mushrooms, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

2 onions, sliced

4 ounces thick-cut ham, finely diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, with juice

1 can (14 1/2 ounces) beef broth

1 1/2 cups Chianti wine

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine the beef and the flour. Toss with hands to evenly coat. Lift the cubes out, sifting through your fingers to shake off most, but not all, of the excess flour. Place in a 6-quart ovenproof Dutch oven. Add the mushrooms, carrots, onions, ham, garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss with your hands to incorporate the vegetables with the meat and flour. Add the tomatoes, broth, wine, and vinegar. Cover tightly with aluminum foil, then with the pan lid.

Bake for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is fork tender. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 30 minutes.