Italian Cookies

The Social Security Birthday - and a Four-Day Birthday Weekend

One of the [many] fun things about being retired, is I can take a 4-day birthday weekend and not have to use vacation days! We get to just go. Well... after arranging the Nonna-Sitter, and all... but, you get the idea. It's totally liberating to just do things when you want to and not have to figure out what's convenient for the job.

We have great friends up in Rochester, NY, that we hadn't visited in a while, so we thought a trek up north was in order. Next thing we know, friends from New Hampshire decided to join us, and we converged on Rochester on the day before my birthday for a long food-and-fun-filled weekend!

We arrived early Friday afternoon to Ann and Julie's house, and withing a few minutes, Marlene and Pat arrived. We immediately started eating - the Sandwich Board came out and a plethora of sandwich fixings of meats and cheeses, breads and rolls, spreads and greens. A Bean Salad to die for... Did I take a picture?!? No. Did I eat?!? You betcha!

After filling ourselves on one spread, it was time for the next.

Ann made the most delicious Roasted Chicken Provençal - a recipe she originally got from the New York Times and has tweaked over the years with her own herbs, seasonings, and touches. Again, I totally blew it - no pictures. but damn! It is good. So good, in fact, that I listened carefully to the tweaks she made, and then printed out the NYT recipe. I'm probably going to make it this week.

The weather was perfect - we could sit outside without a care in the world and sleep with windows open - and after a good night's sleep, we headed off to Niagara Falls. I had been to the falls many times - I opened the Hyatt Regency Buffalo in 1984 - and when in Buffalo in 1984, the hip thing to do was leave town whenever ya could. The honky-tonk of Niagara Falls never disappointed.

And it didn't this time, either! It was even more fun because Victor had never been to the falls, before!

Niagara Falls - American falls

We headed over to the Canadian side - hoping for asylum - and six people in a van, passports in hand - were let in with a smile and a wave. Last time I was there it was a simple show a driver license. My how times have changed.

First stop was to actually view the falls - the American Falls come up first. And then we walked down to the larger Canadian Horseshoe Falls. They are pretty spectacular. I do have to admit that the very first time I saw them I was a tad disappointed. Yosemite Falls fall almost 2500 feet and it is spectacular in its height. And then, I learned that, while at Niagara, the fall height is under 200 feet, it has the most massive flow rate of any waterfall in North America and the sheer volume of water flowing over the falls can top six million cubic feet of water every minute.

That's impressive.

From the falls, we headed to Niagara-on-the-Lake for lunch. The lake is Lake Ontario and it's about 25km from the falls at the end of the Niagara River. We meandered down the Niagara Parkway and soon entered a quaint English village.

Lunch was at the Shaw Cafe and Wine Bar. The food was great and our waiter was perfectly goofy - he climbed the spiral staircase to take the photo, kept coming back with riddles for us to solve - and we did! Needless to say, he got a good tip. It was a fun meal.

Niagara-on-the-Lake

And then it was time to head back to Rochester. As friendly as the Canadian Border agent was heading in, his US counterpart coming back was his polar opposite. Sad, to quote the Tweeter-in-Chief.

Home and more food... It was a great birthday!

Sunday dawned and Ann cooked us breakfast - bagels and yogurts and bacon and eggs, juices and schmears and pots of coffee. The perfect start to a day that was going to be non-stop eating!

Before coming up, Ann had casually mentioned that she would love for Victor to cook a typical Italian Sunday Supper for all of us and Julie's brother, Will, his Italian wife, Linda, and another friend, Ian. Ann and Julie had had the typical "We can't ask Victor to come all the way up here to cook us dinner" and "Of course we can. He can always say no if he doesn't want to." You know they're good friends when they have no qualms about asking - and you have no qualms about doing!

The one thing that made it interesting is Linda has celiac - as in diagnosed years ago and actually has it. She said don't make a fuss, she would just bring her own pasta... don't worry about it, don't go out of your way... Of course, that meant we were going to do a pasta-free meal. Italians don't only eat spaghetti!

The menu became Victor's Eggplant Rollatini and Sausages, Fennel, Peppers, and Onions with Polenta! The eggplants came from our garden, the sausages came from Martin's Meats in Reading Terminal Market, the polenta was stone ground yellow grits from Adluh in South Carolina...

Tim and Victor

Getting ready to make a mess in Ann's kitchen! And then actually making one!

Making Rollatini

Again, I didn't take any pictures of the finished products, but I did get a picture of the Cookie Tray that Linda baked! It was simply stunning - and every one was hand-made by her!

Italian Cookies

Everyone knows that we make a bazillion cookies every year and we make a couple of these, ourselves. The truly amazing thing is she made every one of them gluten free using her family recipes she tweaked with a cup-for-cup flour. They were simply out of this world fabulous! Words fail - not simply because they were gluten free, but because they were so varied and so totally delicious.

We slept well...

And then, it was over. Another breakfast and it was time to start packing up the car for the ride home.

I have had some pretty awesome birthdays in my 66 years, and this one is certainly in the Top Five!

We had a lot of fun at the falls and decided we should come back and spend a couple of days right at the falls and see them at night, at daylight, at dusk... so we're looking at a train trip in late November and spending a couple of days just meandering around the town, the falls, and see what trouble we can get into.

And we won't have to use vacation days...


salads with steaks, beets, and peppers.

First Tomato From the Garden

Finally. Our first tomato has arrived! Well - the first we could eat, that is... Critters have gotten to a few of the ripe low-hangers. It's kinda what the hell - they need to eat, too.

The plants are really full of green ones - and they should all be ripe when we get back from our mini-vacation. Four days without going to the gym. I'm looking forward to this!

Today, during a stretching exercise, our trainer finally realized that I really can't touch my toes - as in not even close. The only time in my life I ever recall getting close was when I was 19 years old and in Boot Camp.  I can't touch my toes. Knees, almost. Toes... not a chance. So he got me down on the floor and into positions a contortionist - or an expensive sex worker - would have envied, pushing and stretching every muscle my legs had to stretch - and in directions I didn't know existed. I was a good boy - I only cried Uncle, once. And then it was Victor's turn... It's rather amazing that one can actually feel good after being tortured like that. But I really do feel good. Sore, but good.

We're headed back tomorrow, since we're taking off on Friday. No rest for the wicked - or weary.

The garden... The eggplant has been doing well, as have the hot peppers. Victor picked a slew of them and fried them up, today. They went right on the salads, as well. Freshly roasted beets, marinated in olive oil, garlic, balsamic vinegar, and oregano, hard cooked eggs, and a single strip steak shared between us - and a homemade vinaigrette, of course!

Salads... It's a good thing we actually like them - we've been eating a lot of them, lately. And, we've even managed to drop a few pounds. Nothing dramatic, but less is always better than more. We're in it for the long haul - and plan on losing weight and being able to touch my toes by this time next year.

Summertime eating is really easy but we're already planning for colder-weather vittles. I'm seeing lots of soups - I love making soups - and plan on reworking bread and roll recipes for both smaller quantities and to make them more whole grain.

Slow and steady wins the race.

And we're going to win!


shrimp and lentils

Lentils and Shrimp

Tonight we're blending cultures from Ethiopia and the Persian Gulf using the spice blends Berbere and Baharat.

Berbere is a very familiar spice to me. I worked with several Ethiopians when I was on staff at UCSF and even had the pleasure of going to a fabulous Ethiopian wedding. One woman I worked with, Mewded, would make Berbere every few months and bring it to me in quart mason jars. I would go through it in no time. It was rich, spicy-hot, and utterly flavorful - I used it on everything.

From The Spice House website:

This aromatic and spicy berbere seasoning brings the exotic taste of Eritrea and Ethiopia to your kitchen. Crucial for the renowned wat stews from the headwaters of the Blue Nile, Berbere powder adds an alluring, complex flavor to meats, fish, poultry, and many vegetable dishes.

This Ethiopian berbere blend can be used as a dry rub or blended with oil or water to create a flavorful paste. It’s essential for traditional Ethiopian dishes, or tasty as a rub for grilled vegetables, fish,and poultry.

Hand mixed from: paprika, onion, fenugreek seed, fenugreek leaf, salt, chiles, shallots, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, cumin, allspice, and cloves.

Baharat, on the other hand, is less familiar. The word baharat means spices in Arabic - and this is one flavorful spice blend. Baharat hails from the Persian Gulf and Middle East.

From The Spice House website:

Baharat means spices in Arabic, and this premium blend has a complex balance of spicy flavors. Savory and slightly sweet, with a lingering heat, Baharat spice is a unique all-purpose blend that recalls the wonderful flavors of Middle Eastern cuisine.

Cooks in the Persian Gulf area often turn to the Baharat blend to add spice and a little heat to ground meat dishes, vegetables, vegetable stuffing, couscous, and Tunisian egg tagines. The flavorful and subtly exotic taste of this Arabic spice mix are great for MedRim style cooking, and a simple way to spice up plain dishes like rice and meatballs.

This baharat spice is hand mixed from: Tellicherry black pepper, coriander, cumin, Ceylon select cloves, Saigon cinnamon, cardamom, Spanish paprika and Chinese Tien Tsin chile peppers.

Sound interesting?!? I will always maintain that the best way to know someone is to eat their native foods. Prejudice and closed mindedness melt away when one immersed in the foods of other people. Buy some different herbs and spices and start learning about the world!

Our fairly non-traditional but totally flavorful dinner, tonight, was lentils, fennel, carrots, and leeks with the baharat, and shrimp with the berbere.

I sauteed the leeks, fennel, and carrots until wilted and lightly browned, and then added a splash of white wine and a pinch of salt. I cooked the lentils separately, and when they were done, I added them to the vegetables with the Baharat.

I dusted the shrimp with the Berbere and placed it in a hot skillet, flipped them, and cooked the other side - total time about three minutes.

Lentils on the plate, shrimp on top.

That was it.

What made tonight's dinner even better was the spices were part of an awesome going away/retirement gift from my friend, Jeff, at work. From specialty pizza flour to champagne, numerous spices, specialty rice, and grits, it's the sort of multicultural gift that will keep me traveling around the world for a very long time!

Here's to food and friendships!

 

 


Chicken and Peaches

Chicken and Peaches

Leftover chicken is a luxury - in a matter of minutes, dinner can be on the table. And when it started out pretty well-seasoned, it's even easier.

Once upon a time, there probably wouldn't have been any leftover chicken, but we're now into Week Two of our new fitness regime. My, how things change...

The only difficult part, thus far, has been not baking. Even though I really have cooked more than I have baked, I think I consider myself a baker more than a cook. There's a different sort of satisfaction in baking a loaf of bread, a cake, or a pie and I would just waltz into the kitchen whenever the mood struck and create something. All of that is currently on hold. Not forever, mind you, but definitely while we adjust to some lifestyle changes.

So no ooey-gooey desserts. I'll survive. Hell, I survived our trainer beating the shit out of me, today - so no desserts is easy, comparatively speaking.

I started dinner tonight by sautéing half a bell pepper and 6 ounces of assorted mushrooms. I added some pimento, and then a splash of sherry.

When that cooked down, a bit, I added two peaches and the shredded chicken. A pinch of ginger and a pinch of garlic powder, some S&P, and tamari sauce. Chopped fresh basil and parsley, to finish.

Served with rice.

Totally easy and totally delicious.

 


spatchcocked chicken

Spatchcocked Chicken

Tonight's dinner is brought to you by the Food Section of the New York Times.

I'm a NY Times subscriber and get regular emails from the food section. I like the Times recipes because they're time-tested - if you follow their recipe you will have good results. That's not necessarily true of other recipe sites out there. The Times can be trusted.

I saw a recipe for a Spice-Rubbed Spatchcocked Chicken, and since we had a chicken in the freezer, decided that was to be dinner, tonight.

It is said that the word spatchcock is an old culinary term and the Oxford English Dictionary states:

n. A fowl split open and grilled after being killed, plucked, and dressed in a summary fashion. Originated in Irish use, later chiefly Anglo-Indian.

It may be an old culinary term, but in all my years of cooking, I do not recall ever hearing anyone say they were going to spatchcock a chicken - we just butterflied the damned things. And it's a term I would have noticed and remembered. I tend to have a Junior High School mentality when it comes to certain words and terms, and I'm reasonably certain I would have come up with a few inappropriate retorts had it been used. The term seems to have come back into fashion in the late 20th century - probably by someone who wanted to charge more for a butterflied chicken. It definitely sounds more exotic than mere butterflying...

From spatchcocking, we went to Mark Bittman for Sweet Potato Fries. How can you go wrong with Mark Bittman?!? He's another one who knows his way around a kitchen and can throw together some pretty awesome dishes.

I used one 11 ounce sweet potato for the two of us and it was plenty. I also added some asparagus to the sweet potato sheet pan for the final 10 minutes of baking.

All-in-all, a very successful dinner. I have lots of chicken left over for at least one - if not two - additional meals this week. Maybe a chicken salad and maybe a chicken and vegetable pasta dish?!?

We'll see...

 


Limoncello

Limoncello

When life hands you lemons, it's time to make Limoncello!

As we all must surely know by now, Limoncello is an Italian cordial - but what we may or may not know, is that it's a relative newcomer to the game. There is no historical documentation regarding the use of Limoncello before the beginning of the twentieth century, and outside of a handful of families and social circles, few drank it before 1988, when the entrepreneur Massimo Canale of Capri registered the trademark “Limoncello di Capri.” The rest, as they say, is history.

The lemons of Southern Italy are what makes Limoncello so extraordinary... It is assigned the denomination of Indicazione geografica tipica (IGP), using the characteristic oval lemons from Sorrento. This lemon must be produced in one of the town districts of the area that spans from Vico Equense to Massa Lubrense and the island of Capri.

Who knew there were regulations on the types of lemons?!? But, unlike the USofA, Europe takes their food seriously.

This is one of those items that is relatively easy to make at home. You're probably not going to easily find fresh Italian lemons - although they are available in the USofA - so use a good organic lemon. Organic, because you're using the peel to make this and you don't want pesticides in your beverage.

**since originally coming up with this recipe in 2006, we have cut back the sugar tremendously. This is the revised recipe.

Limoncello

  • 15 organic lemons, well scrubbed
  • 1 1.75 liter bottle vodka (80 or 100 proof - higher proof=stronger)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup water

Wash the lemons well and pat dry. Carefully zest the lemons with a zester or vegetable peeler so there is no white pith on the peel.

Step One:
In a large glass jar (1-gallon jar), add the vodka and the lemon zest. Cover the jar and let sit at room temperature for at least 10 days and up to 40 days in a cool dark place. The longer it rests, the better the taste will be. (There is no need to stir – all you have to do is wait.) As the limoncello sits, the vodka slowly take on the flavor and rich yellow color of the lemon zest.

Step Two:
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water; cook until thick and syrupy, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Cool the syrup and then stir into the limoncello mixture. Allow to rest for another 10 to 40 days.

Step Three:
After the rest period, strain and bottle: discarding the lemon zest. Keep in the freezer until ready to serve.

It's a process - and takes a couple of months to do it right - but it's well worth the wait!

Limoncello

It's also fun to make a lot of it and share it with family and friends!

I get my bottles and other supplies at Fillmore Container in Lancaster! Great prices and a great staff!


fig sauce

Fresh Figs

Fresh figs have arrived - and my tummy is smiling! I picked up a small container of them, yesterday, with the sole intent of making a savory topping for steaks, tonight. I don't often impulse-buy something with a definite purpose, but I knew I had steaks in the 'fridge that were going to be tonight's dinner and figs and beef really go well together. It's amazing how menus create themselves.

We have pretty well-stocked vegetable bins - and tons of fresh herbs out back - so the fig topping pretty much came together on its own. I had a white onion out and then looked into the refrigerator and realized I had two full bunches of scallions - the white onion went back. There are also lots of leeks in there... I think I'll use them for tomorrow night...

In the meantime... measurements are estimates - I just kinda went for it!

Fig Sauce

  • 10 oz black mission figs
  • 1 bunch scallions
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
  • 1 tsp chopped fresh basil
  • salt & pepper, to taste

Chop figs. Chop scallions. Mince garlic. Combine in bowl with lime juice balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mint, and basil. Add S&P, to taste.

This was really good. It would be excellent as a bruschetta topping - or on top of a blue cheese burger.

Versatility, thy name is fig.

Have fun!


South of the Wall Sandwiches

Back in the late '80s or early '90s, I subscribed to Eating Well magazine. I was working in Nutrition and Dietetics at the time, and was actually starting to learn about food as fuel for the body and not just have it look pretty on a plate. I knew the science behind making a cake - flour and eggs for structure, sugar and fat for tenderness, and how different batters react to different pan shapes and temperatures  -  but didn't know the science behind the ingredients - and how they reacted in the body and how the body transformed and used them. For all intents and purposes, I still don't - but I have a better idea today than I did 30 years ago... I'm still a cook, not a Dietitian.

But... life is all about learning, and I wanted to learn healthier ways of putting things together. I ended my subscription because the magazine morphed into more of a woman's health magazine with recipes, but not before I bought the Eating Well Cookbook. I've been hauling this book around since 1992 and it's made the cut every time I've done a cookbook purge - there are a couple of recipes in it that I like. I probably hadn't opened it in 10 years, but it has always made the cut.

Today, I opened it.

I did a produce run to Gentile's after the gym, and saw some really nice tomatillos. And a perfect poblano pepper. I started thinking back to a chicken recipe in Eating Well and headed downstairs to get the book. I found the recipe. Naturally, it was nothing like what I had remembered, but it gave me a starting point for something else.

It also gave me a reminder about different cooking methods. Poaching a chicken breast in a pot with water and flavorful herbs and spices not only makes a flavorful piece of chicken - but it makes a flavorful broth that can be used, as well. It's all coming back to me, now...

I had rolls but no tortillas, so I made sandwiches. Next time I'll make the tortillas!

Shredded Chicken with Tomatillos

poaching liquid

  • 8 oz chicken breast
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp peppercorns
  • 2 tsp Mexican oregano
  • 1 tsp sweet basil
  • 1/2 tsp salt

sauce

  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 large tomatillos, chopped
  • 1 large poblano pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • salt and pepper, to taste

directions

Place chicken breast, water, shallot, bay leaf, peppercorns, oregano, basil, and salt in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through - about 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow chicken to cool completely in the poaching liquid. When cool, shred chicken and reserve 1 cup of the poaching liquid.

In a medium skillet, saute onion and poblano pepper until vegetables are wilted. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add cumin and cook about a minute.

Add tomatillos and cook until they are broken down completely.

Stir in shredded chicken and heat through. Add additional broth as necessary to maintain desired consistency.

Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper, desired.

This easily made three hefty portions - more than we needed, tonight. Lunch portions for tomorrow!

I think it would have been great with a perfectly-ripe avocado. I did pick one up but it wasn't quite there... Fresh tortillas would have been nice, as well - and cheese... but we were being good.

I think it's going to be fun to revisit those thrilling - thinning - days of yesteryear.

And on a totally unrelated note...

Hard boiled eggs. They're good for you. I really like them. They're a pain-in-the-ass to peel.

I have tried every system under the sun - starting with cold water starting with hot water adding salt adding baking soda adding vinegar bringing to boil turning off heat letting sit... Every one of then will work sometimes. Every one of them won't work sometimes.

BUT... I have now steamed the eggs on two different occasions - different eggs from different cartons - and every egg has peeled perfectly.

We shall see how the third time goes...

 

 


burgers

Burgers

I've never been a goal-maker. I don't even have a bucket list. Yes, there are things that I would like to do - like see an opera at Teatro alla Scala in Milan - but I'm not going to lose any sleep if it doesn't happen. I have always been very happy just letting life sweep me up. I have had so many experiences, seen so many things, been to so many places, and have had so much fun, that setting goals has always seemed a bit redundant - or selfish. I'm already doing it all! And, of course, there's the very simple fact that I've always just been a bit too undisciplined to make goals in the first place. I've just never seen the need.

But there's a short-term goal that has just arisen - my annual physical in two months. I've decided that I don't want to be the old fat guy walking into the Doctor's office. Okay. In two months I'm still going to be the old fat guy walking into the Doctor's office, but I want to be the old fat guy walking into the Doctor's office who has dropped a couple of pounds and who has a plan to be the old guy who doesn't look too bad for his age at the next physical.

A Goal. Totally doable.

As I mentioned earlier, we're committed to a year at the gym, but a year is too abstract to grasp. September is right around the corner - and a date and time-frame I can actually see and understand. I know how quickly May 1st to June 28th went - I have no doubts that this will be just as quick - and even more rewarding!

So, of course, to meet that short-term goal, I need to continually work on portion control. It's amazing to see how big the meats and poultry portions are that I froze last month compared to what I portioned yesterday. It's also amazing that I never paid attention to it, before. Or not. Let's face it - we love food and love to eat... try new things... play in the kitchen and have fun! Paying attention has never quite been in my vocabulary. Old dog, new tricks. Paying Attention has been added.

Week One is almost done and I haven't quite found my groove, yet. I'm still feeling my way around. Food-wise, we're eating well and our portions have dropped considerably. Our nightly dessert - something I refuse to give up - is now fresh fruit. Simple, maybe some fresh herbs tossed in... but no added anything else. If I learned only one thing in all those years I worked in Nutrition and Dietetics, it's that deprivation does not work. Need a snack? There's a bowl of little apples on the table.

I made burgers for dinner, tonight - 6 oz burgers with diced green chiles and a minced hot pepper from the garden mixed in and then grilled. Served on the side was fennel, carrot, leeks, and a sweet potato - oven-braised in a splash of white wine, garlic, and oregano, and then finished in the oven with some chicken stock.

It was really good - and all the better because we were actually hungry when we sat down to dinner. What a concept, eh?!?

And to start getting into the groove a bit more, I think I'm going to head downstairs and  dust off a few of the books down there and see what fun things I can come up with.

That September appointment will be here in no time!

 


Ratatouille

Ratatouille From The Garden

We have achieved vegetables!

Not a whole lot, but the zucchini and eggplant are looking good. Well... the eggplant is. The zucchini has some issues - I had to get rid of half of the plant - but it's still producing as only a squash plant can!

The tomatoes are slow, the peppers are starting to come on strong... I'm sure everything will be in abundance just as we head north for a few days...

A nice-sized eggplant and several small zucchini definitely call for ratatouille - and a NY Times recipe suggested serving it over farro and topping it with an egg. Works for me!

Ratatouille is another one of those basic clean-out-the-refrigerator dishes. All recipes are pretty much the same - eggplant, zucchini, onions, bell peppers, garlic, and tomatoes - with a few variations on herbs and spices. But it's still put it in a pot and make it hot. And then serve it hot or cold. I added an assortment of wild mushrooms and some baby broccoli because I wanted to use them up. Plus fresh basil and oregano we dried. When it was all done I added a splash of Sangiovese just to brighten it a bit.

I served it over wheat berries and topped it with a perfectly poached egg, a chiffonade of basil, and freshly-grated pecorino.

Not bad, at all.

And I even got the portions down right!

 


Summer Salads

Salads and Sore Muscles

Today was our first actual workout day at the gym. Other than some sore leg muscles, I'm feeling pretty good. Not being an anatomy major - I think they're the quadriceps I'm feeling. Whatever. I used them, today. What a concept!

On the plus side, it actually went better than I thought. I'm 66, overweight, and haven't been inside of a gym in 10+ years - and even then it wasn't like I was serious about anything. The simple fact that I walked out alive, today, is a step in the right direction.  Our trainer is a great guy who is probably mid-to-late 50s - not a 20-something jockhead - and he gets it. He pushed but was patient, he explained things. His best sage advice was talking about training the mind to learn how to do all of this, because, while it's all physical work, it's the mind that's driving it. That was my aha moment - and the moment I realized that I really can do this. Lord knows I'm stubborn, pigheaded, and obstinate - they're the perfect qualities for this! The other thing is we're in this for the long term. 3 days a week for a year. A whole year.

And, so... the food consumption is going to change, a bit. Not a diet, but a bit of a change in direction. In spite of the ridiculous desserts and such that I've made and posted over the years, we actually eat pretty well. We just eat too much. I make something and at any given moment, the neighborhood could drop by and there would probably still be leftovers. And being raised in the '50s when there was no such thing as wasting food and the mantra was you cleaned your plate because of the starving children in China has had it's psychological effect, as well. That needs to change. It's part of the mind driving it - a conscious effort to pay attention to what I'm preparing and plating. Cook less. Smaller portions. Stop eating when you're full. It's okay to leave food on the plate. And that will help me hone my portioning.

Summer really is the perfect time for me to start this. The garden, plus local produce, is going to make for some great meals and there's several months before we transition to fall offerings. I should have a pretty good grasp on this by then. We're not counting calories, per se, but I am going to be paying a bit more attention to them - making smarter choices.

And it's being realistic about our goals. We want to lose some weight, we want better mobility, we want better stamina, we want to be active at 80 - there are so many people we haven't annoyed, yet.

And we're not expecting anything to happen any time, soon. Nor are we expecting miracles and GQ Bods. I wasn't buff when I was 25 - I'm not expecting I will be 40+ years later. On the other hand, it would be nice to see my toes, again.

I'll settle for the little victories!

 

 

 


focaccia

Focaccia alla Molisana

Here's one from Mary Ann Esposito - another of my favorite Italian chefs. Her show, Ciao Italia has been on TV for almost 30 years - the longest-running TV cooking show, ever. Not bad for a girl from Buffalo!

One of the things I like most about Mary Ann is that she didn't start out to be a cook. She learned to cook from her family but she went to school and became an elementary school teacher - definitely useful skills in a teaching-cooking environment. It really wasn't until after visiting Italy with her husband and taking a cooking class that her Italian cooking passion surfaced. She began learning the history of Italian cooking - region by region - and traveling back to Italy for cooking lessons. And even with an Italian background, she had to go school to learn to speak Italian. Cooking classes, Italian classes... It didn't just happen - there's a bit of drive and dedication, here!

In this episode, she started off by talking about focaccia. Every region of Italy has something they call focaccia - and no two places are alike. The focaccia we had in Sicily is totally different from the focaccia of Genoa - they don't even remotely resemble one another. And all of them are different than the flat-breads made with pizza dough - and they're all made with yeast.

This one hails from Molise - southeast of Rome, northeast of Naples, and bordering the Adriatic Sea. It's more like a cracker dough - unleavened.

Focaccia alla Molisana

adapted from Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito

  • 3 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 heads escarole, cleaned and chopped
  • 10 black olives, chopped
  • 1 tbsp capers
  • red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 8 anchovies in oil
  • 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated pecorino or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
  • black pepper, to taste
  • Egg wash for top of dough
  • Black Garlic Salt and additional pecorino for the top - optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a food processor, combine the flour, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and white wine and form a dough. Set aside in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap while you make the filling.

Sweat the escarole leaves in a little water in a large sauté pan until leaves are wilted; drain and squeeze very dry. Chop.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sauté pan; add garlic, escarole, olives, capers, red pepper flakes, raisins, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes, and anchovies; cook 3 to 4 minutes.

Mix well, then add grated cheese. Set aside to cool.

Divide the dough in half and roll out to 12-inch diameter and place one half in a greased and parchment lined rimmed cookie sheet. Spread cooled filling over the dough leaving a 1" border and top with second rolled out piece of dough. Pinch edges closed. Cut vent holes in the top of dough to let air escape as the focaccia bakes. Brush top with beaten egg and sprinkle with black garlic salt and pecorino. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Cut into wedges and serve warm.

This is one for the ages! The crust is totally unique. It's cracker-like in its structure, but juuuust soft enough. It is sturdy enough to actually pick up one of those wedges without it drooping, but tender at the same time.

And the filling... Everything balances with the bitter escarole. The salty anchovies, capers, and olives pair with the red pepper flakes and the sweetness of the raisins. A perfect little crunch from the pine nuts. Every bite was a taste sensation.

I can envision a dozen different fillings, from broccoli rabe and sausage to leeks and fennel with lots of cheese.

We actually toyed with the idea of cutting everything in half and making a smaller one - our fitness goals, you know - but decided to make it all and then have luncheon leftovers. I'm glad we did!

We'll be making this, again. And again.