Timpano: Food Chatter

In Italian, Timpano means: Big Drum.  To me, it's a giant exercise in patience and prayer. This is not difficult to make - not at all.  It's just time consuming and must be thought out well in advance.  There is cooking and chopping and baking and cooling that has to be taken into account.  But the result is so attractive and so pleasing. And when you cut into it, it's amazing to see that so much work went into one dish. It's no wonder that Tony Shalub (Big Night) was so passionate about his native food - who wants plain pasta and meatballs when it can be combined with salami, cheese, hard boiled eggs, homemade sauce, tiny meatballs and encrusted in a giant "bread."

I can't retype all the directions for this because there are trade secrets for the timpano! No, seriously, an entire book was made with the timpano as the basis.  The book was co-written by Stanley Tucci's sister and I must say, it's a terrific guide.  Many times I use the polpette recipe for simple dinner-fare. The kids and my husband simply love the meatballs so much that for my daughter's first birthday party I made these in the theme of "favorite foods."  They're a perfect bite.

I made the eggs and the meat balls two days before assembling, the sauce one day before and I sliced up the salami and the cheese way ahead of time. Hours before I assembled this, I had to make the pasta (3 lbs of it!) and allow it to cool.  Before making the dough, I shooed everyone out of the house: I needed complete and utter concentration.

Take solice in knowing that this is an undertaking that is fun, even though it's labor intensive. Maybe that's why people love to cook so much - it pleases people while tickling the senses.

Book: Cucina & Famiglia: Two Italian Families Share Their Stories, Recipes, and Traditions by Joan Tropiano Tucci and Gianna Scappin with Mimi Shanley Taft (forward by Stanley Tucci)

The Jewish New Year

I love the fall. It is a time for new beginnings, as far as I can see. For much of my career, I've relied upon September 1st as the start of a new fiscal year, a new school year, a new start, in general. Even my own children have begun their new year this September. And with the arrival of Autumn comes the Jewish High Holy Days.

Growing up, my family was never particularly religious. In fact, out of the three daughters, my older sister was the only one to go through Hebrew School and achieve her Bat Mitzvah. As an adult, I realize I should have endured the time-honored tradition of attending Hebrew School (and hating it like every other Jewish kid) so that I, too, could know more about my religious upbringing. Instead, as an adult, I rely on a meger religious-education I have picked up here and there and I couple that with what is very important to me...my family's love of Jewish tradition.

My mother, an unbelievable cook, makes our meals for most of the Jewish holidays. The meal is usually the same - it's not the kind of event where a great amount of experimentation is really acceptable. Instead, we eat the most amazing brisket (I can promise), the best matzoh ball soup anyone has ever eaten, for sure, and the proper accompaniments such as Potato Kugel, Noodle Kugel, Chopped Liver, Challah (round, to signify the cycle of life) and honey, among other things.

I have terrific memories of my family attending temple on the holidays and my younger sister and I managing to leave the service and run around downstairs with all of the other children. I loved watching my father kiss the Torah and kiss his prayer book with his Tallis. And the sounding of the Shofar - a ram's horn that is blown like a trumpet on Rosh Hashanah and then again on Yom Kippur.

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri. In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year." The Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

As Rosh Hashanah arrives in 20 days, and one of the most known observances of this holiday is apples and honey, to signify a sweet year, naturally I thought of food.

Below are a few books from my own library that have some great Jewish recipes - in case you're cooking for the holiday and need some new inspiration.

Saffron Shores, Joyce Goldstein: while my family would be considered "Ashkenazi" Jews (those from central or Eastern Europe), I have always loved the flavors of the Sephardic Jews(those from the Spain, Portugal, North Africa, Middle East). Joyce Goldstein's book is filled with beautiful photos and I particularly love the Moroccan Orange Salad with Olives.

Cucina Ebraica, Joyce Goldstein: I have said this before...I was Italian in my former life. I just know it. This book is one I adore as it marries Jews and Italians in food - what better way?? I made the Bocca di Dama (Passover Almond Sponge Cake). It tasted delicious but I had to make it twice - I surely wasn't going to let a mistake get the best of me! The second time was the charm. Well received!

The International Jewish Cook Book, Nina Froud: This was my grandmother's book. I've never made anything from this but I love looking at the recipes since they come from Jewish kitchens all over the world

The Book of Jewish Food, Claudia Roden: This is a renowned book and a James Beard Award Winner. I fell in love with this book about 10 years ago, when my then-boss, showed it to me. It's fascinatingly written as it's split into Ashkenazi and Sephardic sections. There are food musings, histories, photos, all throughout the book. It's wonderful and I make a few dishes from this book. All of them are terrific.

Happy New Year or "L'shanah Tovah"

Plum Crazy: Recipe

This morning I wandered through the Lynbrook farmers market, which took all of 6 minutes, and purchased only a ball of fresh mozzarella to go with the fresh tomatoes and basil in my garden. I wasn't inspired this week. However, when I went to the grocery store I was inspired by very ripe, very cute, prune-plums that are sometimes called Italian plums. They were small, oval, and had a beautiful purple skin. Each one, even ripe, felt firm. I was game - I love to try anything new.

I picked up a great book from my home cookbook library called "Local Flavors" by Deborah Madison and found a recipe for a plum tart that I used as further inspiration.

Italian Plum Tart
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small bits
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1/4 cup buttermilk

8-10 prune-plums, sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a tart pan with removable bottom with Pam spray to coat.

In a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar and salt. Add in the butter bits and pulse until fine crumbs are created. In a glass measuring cup, mix the eggs together and add in the extracts. Pour in enough buttermilk to bring the measure up to 1/2 cup. Add the liquid to the flour and mix until it forms a thick paste. It will look more like a batter than a traditional "dough." Brush hands with flour and spread the dough into the tart pan.

Arrange the plums decoratively over the dough, leaving about 1/4" of dough around the outside. Pour melted butter over the top of the plums and sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Bake for about 45-50 minutes. Remove and cool about 15-20 minutes. Can be made same day - up to about 3 hours before serving. Keep at room temperature.

Ode to a Lost Magazine

Can I really be the only person who has noticed this? Better yet, can I really be the only person who is annoyed and frustrated by the change? I can't.

I haven't asked my older sister or my mother who both read it...but I know if I did they would agree. My mother and I once lamented that Saran Wrap had changed its God-awful packaging for something even worse (do you recall? It was this crazy slider-thing that zipped across from left to right "virtually slicing" the wrap and then sliding back from right to left on your next piece...only it didn't always slice and you'd be stuck trying to yank it off. I suppose the makers of the Saran Wrap did it to avoid a law suit caused by their razor-like apparatus that cut the plastic. Oh we cursed and cursed some more and I suppose someone heard because I've not seen that ridiculous blue slicer in nearly a year).

Anyway, I'm off track. Bon Appetit mag has become much more "upscale" and I hate it. The photos have become so artsy that you can rarely even see the food as it's supposed to look like on the plate. Sometimes (many times) there are illustrations of the food, instead of photos. Uhm...hello Barbara Fairchild? Is there a reason you can't find a photo of CORN??? Sheesh. Then there is the layout of the magazine - I suppose to match up with Haute Cuisine the font has changed, there seem to be fewer recipes, and the format looks (oh what's the word???) different! I want to scream every time I receive one in the mail whereas I used to tear open the plastic wrap and devour the periodical cover to cover. Now there are three months worth on the side of my bed. It's my own personal boycott, I suppose.

Don't get me wrong - I love this magazine. In fact, I have every single issue from 1997 through today. Clearly I use them for inspiration or to simply follow many recipes. I know that the magazine has changed its look in years past but this time it seems much more snooty and it's frustrating to me. I thought I might stop my subscription and instead I ordered Gourmet (I do love Ruth Reichel but that's about it with regard to that magazine) but alas, a telemarketer called and offered me 2 years worth of BA at some obscenely cheap price and I took it. How could I not?

I've had other magazines - Saveur, Food and Wine, and several others but really, nothing compares with Bon Appetit. It is the industry standard as far as food magazines is concerned (that is my opinion, thanks).

Ms. Fairchild...if you're reading, please cycle back to the old BA. I miss it so.

Quick Thinking: Recipe

You know, this blog thing can be pretty stressful at times! Yikes. I want to make something easy for dinner and then write about it - but hey! Easy isn't always...well, easy!

But tonight I raced to the market after you know what (the trip to the gym) and grabbed the most perfect sausage. You don't all live in Lynbrook, naturally, but I have to tell you that this place where I buy meat is so great (for those of you who do, you know it...it's Cross Island!) and the pinwheel sausage is out of this world. Moral of the story is to find a butcher - the meats and the service there are always superior to what you'd find in a supermarket.

Anyway, I picked up a wheel of lamb sausage (watch the BBQ flare-ups from the fat) and some watermelon. I thought I'd round out the dish with some homemade pesto for pasta but by the time I walked in the door at 6:01 p.m., my children looked like they were going to eat me - so waiting another 25 minutes while my husband cooked the meat and I made some pesto sauce and pasta didn't seem like much of an option.

And then it hit me (see, these things aren't always so organized): I made a whole bowl of fava bean puree/dip the other night for our get-together but because there was so much food already out that I was sure someone would mistake me for a lunatic, I didn't serve it. I took the bowl out of the fridge and set it on top of the stove - right next to the burner that I was using to boil the pasta (so it warmed to room temp faster). I sliced up some cherry tomatoes from my garden and threw them into a giant bowl. I added the pasta and the puree and mixed it all up. Then I took a veggie peeler and peeled off some Parmigiano-Reggiano curls on top. Delicious and it only took about 18 minutes.

see the link to the post about Fava Bean Spread: http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/fava-beans-recipe.html

Recipes from Party Night

I'm only offering recipes on the items that I made that were my own creations. You know I tend to follow recipes from time to time. There are some great recipes out there that I love and love to make...they just don't happen to be mine. That's ok. You should enjoy them, too.

Toasted Baguette with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion and Sundried Tomato


1 baguette, sliced in 1/4" thick slices
1 vadalia onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
2 Tbsp. good olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
Olive Oil
8 oz. goat cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned in oil
1/4 cup basil, chopped
salt, pepper
dried parsley
dried basil
dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400. Slice bread and brush each side with olive oil. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper, parsley, basil, and oregano. Bake 7 minutes, turn, and bake 6 more minutes. Cool on cooling rack.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat and saute onions until very translucent - about 10 minutes. Add sugar an saute another 5 minutes - stirring often. Add wine and allow it to boil. Stir well. Cover for about 10 minutes - stirring once or twice. Should be very brown and Carmel color. Place in a bowl.

Smear each bread slice with about 1 teaspoon of cheese. Cover with about 1 teaspoon of onion. Then put a piece of sundried tomato over each piece and sprinkle with basil.

Can be left at room temperature at this point for about 3 hours. Do not cover.


The White Bean dip comes from Giada's book, "Everyday Italian." I have listed this book on my blog before as I think it's a great book. I love the way she makes good food with simplicity.


My peach Salsa recipe has been profiled before. Here it is: http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/05/dont-let-fruit-go-bad-peach-salsa.html


The Eggplant crisps are pictured here. They were delicious - especially since I grew the eggplant myself; an added bonus. They came from Martha Stewart's book on Hors D'Ouevres - a great source of inspiration.



Ahh...the Spinach Dip - you know the one...the Knorr Vegetable Dip mix recipe made with mayo, sour cream, water chestnuts, scallions, chopped spinach served in a giant bread bowl. Hmmmm... It's on the back of the dip mix package.

The frozen margarita - it's from the can like pink lemonade. It's made by Bacardi and it's really good!!!!

the Sangria...I sliced up a ton of fruit (peaches, apples, oranges, and grapes) and I put them into a pitcher with a whole bottle of white wine and about 3 cups of seltzer. Nice and dry and really potent.

The Tuscan Skirt Steak
This should be made several days ahead of time. I made a dry rub mix with the following and I rubbed it all over the steak and let it sit in the fridge for about 42 hours before BBQing it.

4 lbs. skirt steak
1/4 cup dried oregano
1/4 cup dried basil
1/4 cup dried parsley
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 Tbsp. Smoked Paprika
1 Tbsp. red pepper
1 Tbsp. ground savory
1 Tbsp. Adobe seasoning
ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. dried rosemary

In a small bowl, combine all herbs and seasonings. Mix well. Lightly score the steaks on both sides. With your hands, rub hand fulls into the steak on both sides - using a small fist-full for each side of the steak. Fold up each steak and place in a plastic bag. Refrigerate at least overnight.

Grill each steak about 6-8 minutes per side.


Fried Artichokes. See the link - but here is the photo

http://meredithsfoodforlife.blogspot.com/2008/06/artichokes-recipe.html


Orzo with Feta, Cherry Tomatoes and Herb Butter

1 box orzo
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 cup assorted herbs (basil, mint, sage, rosemary, chives)
1 stick of butter, very soft
salt
8 oz. feta cheese, crumbled

In a large pot, boil and cook orzo according to directions. Meanwhile, in a food processor, shop herbs finely. Add the butter and pulse a few times until herbs are well incorporated. Sprinkle butter with salt and pulse two more times. Gather butter into a ball and place in plastic wrap. Roll into a lot and refrigerate about 20 minutes or until cold.

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and place into a small bowl. Drain orzo and return to cooking pot. Add herb butter to hot orzo and mix until melted. Add tomatoes and crumbled cheese. Mix very well. Serve room temperature.

This gratin was soooo good that I truly wish I could take credit. But I can't. It comes from Ina Garten's "Barefoot in Paris". It was so wonderful.

And then there was dessert.
Neither one was my recipe. But both came from epicurious.com

Rustico Cooking

I suppose it's been more than 10 years since I subscribed to The Magazine of La Cucina Italiana (I'm not even sure it still exists but I do have every issue I received). It was a gorgeous magazine that was all about Italy and it's varied regions and the glorious food that comes from those regions. It was an amazing read and becauase of it I have fallen in love with places I've never even been to. Each and every time I read the magazine and saw the photos, I grew more and more curious about the woman responsible for making me so happy to read these articles and cook the foods she wrote about. Micol Negrin was her name. I was so interested that I took a class with her that was hosted by the magazine and I made a phenomenal dish that I just loved.

Shortly thereafter I stopped getting the magazine but I did take a cooking class with Micol at the Institute of Culinary Education. In fact, I took two classes with her - she was great.

I did keep in touch with Micol after those classes as she was tremendously accessible and I thought I could glean from her everything there was to know about starting up a business of my own. She was very generous with her time and wisdom and I've never forgotten that.

She did leave the magazine to branch out on her own and she has been enormously successful. I receive her regular newsletters and review her website often. I think she's amazing and through her I believe I've gotten, at the very least, an education on what real Italian cooking is all about. Clearly it's about the regions and about local foods.

Anyway, I offer this to you as a resource. Use it!!! She's awesome!
http://www.rusticocooking.com

Guilt - the Great Motivator: Recipe

I think I've come to realize that I am compelled to act when I feel guilty - by act, I mean cook, naturally. I was leaving at 1PM Sunday for a work-related overnight trip when my husband looked at me and sweetly said, "so what should I make the kids for dinner tonight?" I stood there and thought for a minute and then I looked at the clock. It was Noon - on the dot. I was packed and I was relatively ready so I said, "well I can put up some dinner for you now and you can eat it later, when you're ready."

In a moment I knew what to do. I actually had a loin of pork in the refrigerator that I was supposed to have made several nights in a row before this day but I ignored the loin each time. So I grabbed it and a big pot and put up some dinner for my family. I was feeling guilty for leaving them on a Sunday - a nice day, to boot. So I now know that 1) I can be manipulated into cooking; 2) I have the ability to make a really good dinner in a hurry; and 3) I love my family and despise leaving them so I do whatever I can to ensure they have as much of me as they can - even when I'm not around to enjoy it.

This recipe is a tough one to alter, actually...so I wouldn't dare. I find it near impossible to mess with any of Marcella Hazan's recipes which is where this comes from.

Roast Pork with Vinegar and Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil
2 lbs. pork loin
salt
1/2 tsp. whole black peppercorns, mashed
3 Bay leaves
1/2 cup red wine vinegar


http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/c235/index.cfm?pkey=cckwdut&ckey=ckwdut
In a large Dutch Oven melt butter and oil together over medium-high heat. When it's foamy, put in the pork and brown all over until deeply brown - about 7-8 minutes. If you see the butter begin to burn, lower the heat a bit. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, generously.

Once the pork is well browned, remove it from the pot for a moment. Pour in the vinegar and scrape up any bits - do not let it evaporate, so deglaze pan quickly. Add the bay leaves and peppercorns and mix well. Put the pork back in the pot and turn several times in the sauce. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Allow it to cook about 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is cooked. During the course of the cooking be sure to turn the meat at least once. If at any time the liquid looks like it's been reduced too much, add water - 1 tbsp. at a time.

Remove roast to a platter and allow it to sit a few minutes. Meanwhile, bring the sauce to a boil and allow it to thicken a bit - about 3-4 minutes. Then slice the meat and pour the sauce over. Serve immediately.

Poll Results: Ming Tsai Recipe

I can't believe it. Not one person who voted on this poll would choose to dine with Ming. How can that be? His food is delicious and so I thought it would be a good idea for you to try a recipe. This comes from his book, "Simply Ming." His food is fresh and innovative. I love this recipe and it wasn't until just now that I remembered just how much.

Pan Seared Soy-Dijon Hamburger on Toast, by Ming Tsai
serves 4

2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup Soy-Dijon Marinade (see below)
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
8 slices of bread, toasted
8 tender leaves of romaine lettuce
1 large tomato, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced

In a large chilled bowl combine the meat and marinade and using your hands mix gently just until the marinade is incorporated. Don't overwork mixture. Form 4 patties. lightly season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. add the butter and when it melts swirl to coat pan. Saute burgers, turning once until done 2-4 minutes per side for medium rare.

Place a slice pf toast on 4 serving plates. cover with romaine and top with burgers, tomato and onion. top with remaining toast and serve!


Soy- Dijon Marinade
Makes 6 cups, lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated
1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns
salt to taste
1 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup soy sauce
8 sprigs of fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup minced garlic
2 1/2 cups canola oil

In a small, dry saute pan, heat the peppercorns over medium-high heat until they are fragrant and beginning to smoke, about 2-4 minutes. Transfer to medium glass bowl and add salt, wine, mustard, soy sauce, thyme, and garlic. whisk in oil gradually to emulsify the mixture.


Poll Results:
Which celebrity chef would you most like to dine with?
44% said...Julia Child (and who wouldn't! I wish she were still alive to do so)
22% said Mario Batali (my 2nd choice behind Julia...so in essence, my first choice!)
22% said Paula Deen
11% said: Bobby Flay, Ina Garten, and Giada
0% said Ming Tsai and Cat Cora

What would Pasta be without "Sauce"?: Recipe

Well tonight's dinner was perfectly yummy but it was not the intended meal. I try to follow the weekly menus I set up on Sunday nights but when I opened the container of sour cream I had in the fridge, it seemed that perhaps it didn't smell quite right...not bad, per se, just not quite right (it was not opened previously). So I smelled again. And again. And then I looked on the bottom for the date. YIKES! Did it really say "jan 9 2008"??? Yikes. It went in the garbage instantly. So there went the Alfredo sauce.

Sauce. What would pasta be without it? Sticky. Boring. Pasty.

So sauce - whatever kind you make - is really the finishing touch, of course. I made a quick but irresistible tomato sauce that cooked while the water boiled and the pasta cooked. It's Marcella's recipe but I know it in my head as:

Simple, Sweet, Tomato Sauce

1 32 oz. can of San Marzano Plum Tomatoes
5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 tsp. salt
1 med-large onion, peeled and halved
1 lbs. pasta

Bring water to a boil for the pasta. In a saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Submerge the onion and the butter. Cook on a low, low simmer - do not let boil. Mix occasionally as the fat from the butter will separate and float to the top. Mix it back into the sauce being careful not to disturb the onion (don't let it fall apart).


Let sauce simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove onion halves and with a stick blender, puree sauce in the saucepan until lighter and creamy (about 1 minute).

Entertaining: Recipe

If you haven't gone out to buy this book yet (and if you don't already own it), might I entice you with the following recipe...

Mango Daiquiris
serves 4

1 cup ripe mango slices
3 large strawberries
1/2 cup light rum
Juice of 2 limes
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 cups crushed ice

In an electric blender, blend all ingredients until smooth and frothy. Serve in chilled glasses garnished with strawberries.

Fava Beans: Recipe

Fava Beans are finally back in season (as if you needed another thing to add to your list of things to remember). These special beans arrive for just a short time in the spring/summer and in the Italian Riviera they make what is called Maro (there's an accent over the "o"), which is a creamy emulsion of raw fava beans, cheese, garlic, and olive oil and it's used as a spread or dip.

While I'd love to lay claim to this recipe, I cannot. Because it is so utterly perfect, I have yet to even attempt to alter it in order to make it my own. So here I offer the recipe from my most favorite Italian cook, Marcella Hazan (from her book: Marcella Cucina). This is wonderfully delicious.

Fava beans come in a long, green, pod and when you open the pod, the beans are putty white, large and smooth. To make this dish, you simply peel off the thin layer of "skin" on the outside of the bean and toss them into a measuring cup to ensure you have about 1 cup of beans. This takes no time at all and while the weather is warm and you're relaxing outside with friends, enjoy this dip with slices of crispy bread or toasted pita. Serve with a crisp white wine from Italy.



Ligurian Raw Fava Bean Spread

1 1/4 lb. unshelled fava beans (1 cup, once shelled and peeled)
2 Tbsp. grated romano cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic, finely chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
6 fresh mint leaves
pepper, freshly ground

Put all ingredients into the food processor and process into a creamy consistency. Serve room temperature.