Simple Italian Cooking

On a trip to Italy 15 years ago, Nancy Silverton discovered the Umbrian hilltop town of Panicale, on the outskirts of Perugla. The medieval village was so charming she bought a house there. Nancy Silverton is a chef in Los Angeles, and has three restaurants there, and doesn’t spend much time in her home kitchen. But when she is in Panicale, she says, “I’m not just inspired to cook; I’m inspired to cook simply.”

I really like the idea of cooking simply so the article in the January 2015 issue of ‘Food and Wine’ intrigued me. What fun it would be to return to Italy year after year and cook like the locals!! In Umbria the food is simple and all the menus are the same. But according to Silverton, “Everyone does not cook well.” Mostly women do the cooking in this place and are very guarded as to who gets into their kitchen. Silverton was allowed to get into the kitchen at Restaurant Mascolino, her favorite local restaurant in Umbria and the three women who run the restaurant showed her some of their secrets. She knew little Italian but she could figure out olio and rosmarino.

I tried some of the recipes given by Silverton and was so pleased at how delicious everything tasted. Everything was simply prepared so any one could do these.

These onions are flavorful and are baked until they fall apart.

Taken from January 2015 ‘Food and Wine’ magazine.

Baked Onions with Fennel Bread Crumbs

Serves 4-6

3 medium onions, peeled and halved lengthwise, root ends left intact

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing

Kosher salt

½ cup chicken stock

6 bay leaves, preferably fresh

1 tsp. fennel seeds

¼ cup panko

1 ½ tsp. minced sage

Preheat the oven to 425°. Brush the onion halved with olive oil; season with salt and arrange cut side down in an ovenproof medium skillet. Add the chicken stock and scatter the bay leaves around the onions. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 1 ½ hours; until the onions are very tender.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, toast the fennel seeds over moderate heat until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a work surface and let cool, then coarsely crush the seeds. Transfer to a small bowl, add the panko, sage and the two tablespoons of olive oil and toss. Season with salt.

Carefully turn the onions cut side up in the skillet. Spoon the fennel bread crumbs on top and bake for about 15 minutes longer, until the crumbs are lightly browned and crisp. Discard the bay leaves and serve the onions hot or warm.

In every little restaurant in Umbria, there are sautéed greens on the menu. In this recipe the spinach is blanched and sautéed in a garlic spiked oil. Yum!

Sautéed Spinach with Lemon-and-Garlic Olive Oil

Serves 4-6

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 garlic cloves, thickly sliced lengthwise

2 dried chiles de árbol, broken in half

Kosher salt

Thick strips of zest from 1 lemon

2 ½ lbs. spinach, cleaned, thick stems discarded

Freshly ground pepper

In a small saucepan, stir together the olive oil, garlic, chiles and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the lemon zest. Bring the oil to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook until the garlic begins to brown slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the oil infuse for 1 hour. Discard the chiles and lemon zest and reserve the garlic.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the spinach until bright green, 15 seconds. Using tongs transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 10 seconds. Drain the spinach in a colander, pressing down to remove all the water. Pat dry with paper towels.

Heat a large skillet. Add the spinach and cook over moderately high heat until beginning to sizzle. Add the garlic oil and toss until the spinach is hot, about 2 minutes. Transfer the spinach and reserved garlic to a colander set over a bowl to drain. Mound the spinach on a platter, season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

 

Ranch Dressing

I found myself doing recipes that had Ranch in the title and wondered where Ranch dressing got its name. The creators of Ranch dressing are Gayle and Steve Henson from a dude ranch outside Santa Barbara, California. The name of that ranch was Hidden Valley Ranch. The Henson’s opened the ranch in 1954 and visitors came to enjoy horseback riding and taking in the scenery. However, the more memorable experience of these trips was generally the taste of the homemade salad dressing served at the ranch. On the menu of the dude ranch was a special salad dressing made of buttermilk, mayonnaise and a dry mix of herbs and spices. The dressing became known as Ranch and soon was the only salad dressing served.

The rest is history. More and more guests liked the dressing and Steve Henson knew he had a success on his hands. The problem in the beginning was the powered packets needed users to have on hand the buttermilk and mayonnaise and many households did not keep buttermilk on hand. Steve Henson sold his brand in 1972 to the Clorox Company for $8 million, and the company decided to make it easier for customers. So the age of bottled salad dressing began and with the addition of preservatives, it did not have to be refrigerated. It could last 150 days.

Ranch dressing is very popular, and Ranch really grew when restaurants began using it in their recipes. Ranch became a dipping sauce on burgers, sandwiches and chips. Hidden Valley Ranch is the original Ranch dressing but many other companies have their own versions. The dressing is now in more than 30 countries.

These recipes just seem appropriate for the Super Bowl tomorrow, but I found the chili delicious for any time. So get some mayonnaise or buttermilk and work on the Ranch dressing with a few new twists in these recipes.

Taken from January/February 2015 ‘Food Network Magazine’

Chili with Ranch Sour Cream

Serves 6-8

For the chili:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 red pepper, finely chopped

2 red jalapeño peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 canned chipotle chili in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 pounds ground beef chuck, (I used grass fed, of course!)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 14-ounce cans diced tomatoes

2 15-ounce cans kidney beans (do not drain)

1 bay leaf

For the Ranch Sour-Cream:

1 ½ cups sour cream

1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (Ours self-seeds and we have plenty but you can buy it or you can use parsley.)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 scallions, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Canned fried onions, for topping (I left out)

Make the chili. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and jalapeños and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, chipotle, chili powder, cumin, coriander and oregano. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are well coated, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the mixture gets to dry, about 3 minutes.

Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beans, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to a medium low. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 40-45 minutes. Remove the bay leaf; season the chili with salt.

Meanwhile, make the ranch sour cream: Combine the sour cream, vinegar, cilantro, chives and scallions in a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; whisk until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Ladle the chili into bowls; top with the ranch sour cream and onions.

Hot Ranch Crab Dip

Serves 8

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

¼ teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 clove garlic, finely grated

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

Kosher salt

3 scallions, thinly slices

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, plus more for topping

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through

Paprika, for topping

Toasted bread or crackers, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 375°. Combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, buttermilk and flour in a large bowl. Add the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, lemon zest, garlic, parmesan and 1 teaspoon salt; beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions, chives and crabmeat and continue beating until combined.

Transfer the mixture to a shallow 1-quart baking dish; sprinkle with more parmesan and bake until lightly golden and heated through, 25-30 minutes. Top with paprika and more chives. Serve with bread or crackers.

 

Celery

Most of us think of celery as a crunchy, low-cal vegetable or perhaps one of the ingredients in your Thanksgiving dressing. It may be time to rethink this vegetable and consider it a key part of your health support system.

In addition to well-known antioxidants like vitamin C and flavonoids, scientists have now identified at least a dozen other types of antioxidant nutrients in celery. The antioxidant support we get from celery is largely due to its phenolic nutrients that have been shown to help protect us against unwanted oxygen damage to our cells, blood vessels, and organ systems. If you steam your celery instead of boiling or blanching, you can retain 83-99% of these antioxidants.

As far as refrigeration of celery, a period of 5-7 days is recommended as a window of time for consuming fresh celery. Refrigerated for longer periods reduce the benefits of celery. It is also recommended that you chop your celery just before adding it to a salad, rather than chopping it up the night before.

Celery seems to give digestive tract support. Celery has a pectin-based polysaccharides including apiuman. This appears to have special importance in producing anti-inflammatory benefits which help with the integrity of the stomach lining, decrease risk of stomach ulcer, and better controls the levels of stomach secretions.

Regardless of what type of celery you buy or grow, there are nutrient benefits to be found in all parts of the plant, including the leaves, stalks, roots, and seeds. “Celery hearts” usually refers to the innermost stalks of Pascal celery. These stalks are the most tender.

A cup of raw celery is only 16 calories. But most people do not seek it out unless to use as a vegetable for a dip or in a tuna salad perhaps. The secret is to find recipes that make it tastier such as in a soup. Since we need more “green” in our diet I am always looking for ways to include green vegetables in my meals. I found a really good celery soup (my husband really liked it) and it is flavored with some bacon on top which makes is tastier. You could leave the bacon out of the soup and it is still very good. So go and get some celery and feel good about it! It certainly needs to be added to your list of good vegetables.

Taken from ‘Food and Wine Magazine’ 2015.

Celery Soup with Bacon Croutons

Serves 8

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter

3 medium leeks, halved and thinly sliced

2 medium onions, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Kosher salt and pepper

12 large celery ribs (2 lbs.), trimmed and thinly sliced

4 oz. bacon, finely diced

Three ½-inch-thick slices of country bread, cut into ½-inch dice

½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream (I used sour cream)

Lemon olive oil, for drizzling (I used regular olive oil)

In a large saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. Add the leeks, onions, garlic and a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 12 minutes. Add the celery and cook, stirring, until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to moderate. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender, 35-40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to half of a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the bacon fat. Add the bread and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until browned and crisp, 8 minutes. Transfer to the other side of the prepared baking sheet; season with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan, whisk in the crème fraîche or sour cream. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, topped with the bacon, croutons and a drizzle of olive oil.

Toast

I told my husband I was doing an article on toast! He said, “What can you say about toast?” Actually a lot I believe! My new cooking magazines all had something about toast…the latest thing to put on toast, so I began wondering how we got toast anyway. First of course there was bread!

In the beginning there was no grocery store, baker, fridge, or freezer, so a lot of bread became stale. Probably at some point, somebody got fed up and tossed a piece in the fire, or at least meant to. Instead, it landed near, and only got browned.

The Egyptians generally get credit for leavened bread; the British Museum houses 5,000 year old Egyptian loaves, and King Tut was buried with a stalk of wheat, the symbol of royalty. But Romans usually get the credit for toast. Whether they actually discovered that fire plus bread equals an entirely different savory golden-brown treat, or whether they just liked the idea and popularized it, is uncertain, but either way they took charge of the branding. “Tostum” is Latin for scorched, and toast was made by putting stale bread on a stone near fire, and later on a wire frame over fire.

For the next several hundred years, toast and bread were in a way, a hot button issue. While his subjects toasted brown bread in abundance, Caesar made the serving of brown bread to a Roman elite a crime punishable by prison time. Years went by, empires rose and fell, the toasting fork was invented, and bread remained central to Western culture. Passion for bread mixed with politics produced the French revolution; tired of coarse rye and barley they were forced to buy, the peasants demanded the soft wheat of the aristocrats. Throughout the 18^th century there were riots, until a bread shortage led to massive protests. Bread was not the only food that the French peasants had to eat, and it was not just hunger that drove the bread riots. It was also a desire for what good bread represented: pleasure, comfort, and leisure---all luxuries unavailable to peasants.

A look through patent records gives the impression that the toasting fork was the iPhone App of the Victorian Age: everyone wanted to invent the next best one. There were three-pronged and two-pronged forks, forks with small trays below the prongs to keep the toast from falling in the fire, and forks with racks instead of prongs so that more than one piece of toast could be made at once. With all this interest in toast forks, it is not surprising that the toaster was the first household electrical appliance to appear once electricity was invented, second only to the lamp. The first toaster, introduced in 1893 by the British Crompton and Company, wasn’t very good. It was a dangerous appliance with all its wiring on the outside and it only toasted one piece of bread at a time.

But improvements came fast, in a slew of new patents, and by 1920 the first pop-up toaster with a timer was introduced by a Minnesotan named Charles Strite, who had long been bemoaning the burnt toast in his company cafeteria. Sliced bread followed shortly after, in 1928, and toaster sales boomed.

Europeans love of toast had taken root and flourished even as stale bread became an easily preventable issue. In Britain it was integral to both tea time and breakfast. Though they did not adopt tea time, the necessity of toast at breakfast was a preference that the first British in America did bring with them, and today egg dishes at restaurants across the country still invariably come with toast. There are endless variations: toast with butter, toast with jam, beans on toast, peanut butter toast, cheese toast, Texas toast, egg and soldiers, toad-in-a-hole.

Today, seventy-five million Americans eat toast every day. Toast is no longer a sign of unattainable privilege; in fact it’s generally the cheapest of edible indulgences. So why this continued obsession? Perhaps, as Margaret Atwood wrote in Oryx and Crake, “toast cannot be explained by any rational means;” so few of our obsessions can.

After all that, here are some new things to put on your toast:

Avocado toast is taking over. Especially on social media. If you want to make some, smash up one avocado, add some lemon and salt, spread on toasted bread and drizzle with olive oil. Add a few red pepper flakes for a kick. There has been some news this week that an avocado a day will help your heart. I had this for breakfast all last week. Cut in bite sized pieces it would also do well as a pick up at your next party.

Ricotta, kale and mushroom toast is easy to make. Toast some bread (any kind) and spread with ricotta, plus sautéed mushrooms and kale with garlic and chili plus some white wine vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast some whole grain bread with softened butter seasoned with salt and pepper. Add a sliced pear plus some bee pollen (I used some honey) and add more salt and pepper.

The most interesting use of toast came in the January 2015 issue of ‘Saveur’ magazine. The idea is to burn your toast and make a powder out of the burnt toast. Supposedly, the fragrant charcoal-like dust lends a nutty, smoky element to spice mixes and sauces, chicken and roasted vegetables.  Now the kicker is that it was used as a mixture to put over vanilla ice cream. So here is a recipe for Burnt-Bread Powder. Try it over ice cream and see how it goes. I have not tried this yet! My husband just rolls his eyes.

Burnt-Bread Powder

Slice 4oz. bread, preferably yeast-risen with a heavy crust, about ¼ “ thick. Using a grill or broiler, toast bread, turning as needed, until evenly burnt, 4-6 minutes. Transfer bread to a baking sheet fitted with a rack; let it sit overnight until completely dried out. Chop bread into ½ “ pieces. Working in batches, grind into a powder using a spice grinder. Makes about 1/3 cup.