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Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 4 Issue 84 - April 24, 2003 Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Un/Subscribe: Un/Subscribe: http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, What a great response we've had from Chef Giovanni's tour of Italy. Thanks for all your notes and questions, I've tried to answer them all. Yesterday, one of our Club members wanted to know what a White Truffle was, as Chef Giovanni had used it as an optional ingredient in his Chicken Marsala dish. White truffles are mostly of Italian origin and are harvested in late October and November. They have a pungent, acrid smell some people find offensive at best. Ah, but the flavor! They are very rare and expensive. They grow underground and it takes a certain knack to find them, some people using pigs or dogs to unearth them. Some folks will say you can substitute mushrooms for a truffle, but it just isn't so. The only thing they really have in common is that they are each a fungi. If you don't have truffles, omit them from the recipe, like Chef Giovanni indicated by saying it was an optional ingredient. Enjoy today's continuing "Tour of Italy" -------------------------------------------------- Our journey continues Southwards and how could we not stop by, perhaps, the most important city in the whole world? Here is where civilization began, with the most powerful empire that the world had ever seen. Yes we are in Rome! Part of the distinctive flavor of Roman cooking is said to come from the nature of the soil around Rome, a treeless, sun-scorched belt of land of volcanic origin. The mineral content of the soil is believed to enhance the flavor and the quality of the vegetables that grow here such as artichokes, peas, beans and celery just to name a few. Rome abounds in sheep, suckling kid and lamb, which appears on each table. The most famous of all these dishes is Abbacchio, a suckling lamb that has not yet eaten grass, killed when it is barely 3 weeks old and weighs about 22 pounds. Pork is also very popular and good and it is served in a variety of ways from guanciale (a type of bacon) and as porchetta, which is a pig killed when it is six or seven months old and weighs about 110 pounds, boned and flavoured with aromatic herbs and roasted. How could we not mention pasta. The most famous of all pasta dishes is no doubt "Spaghetti All'Amatriciana" which originates from a little village in the Sabine country. The sauce is based on guanciale, diced and mixed with roasted onion, tomatoes and peppers. Finally, we have the wine, worthy accompaniment of great Roman cooking, and the best comes from the area of the Castelli. Leaving Rome by Via Tuscolana, you come in to Frascati, where Cicero used to retire from work over two thousand years ago. Then we have Monte Porzio Catone, Monte Compatri, Rocca Priora and so on. Most of the wines from the Castelli are white, both dry and sweet, great with both poultry and fish. The most famous of red wines is the EST! EST! EST! I'll give you the story behind the name on another occasion. Well let's get ready to cook up a Roman feast! Today's menu Cuscinetti di Pandorato- Fried Bread Cushions Cosciotto di Agnello Arrosto- Pot roasted Leg of Lamb with Herbs Indivie Intere A Crudo- Belgian Endives Braised With Garlic Ricotta Fritta- Ricotta Cheese Fritters -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, Interested in having New York's most popular chefs and wine connoisseurs enlighten you about their passion of the culinary world? With informative articles, innovative recipes and tricks of the trade revealed, your kitchen will become a gastronomic feast that will impress all. Explore http://www.exclusivelygourmet.com to see for yourself and enter the world of culinary delight. Receive a free copy of our "Online" Magazine just by signing up. Note: I've seen both the print and online version of this magazine. There is a special offer on the above link, buy 1 year and get another one for free. You will receive two years of the printed version for only $15 and the online version is only $6. Both include an e-book with over 80 recipes that is worth the subscription price alone! -------------------------------------------------- Cuscinetti di Pandorato 1 large rustic Italian bread 1 lb. of Mozzarella thinly sliced 5 oz of Parma prosciutto Flour Milk 3 eggs Salt Lard or oil for deep frying (I prefer Peanut Oil) Slice the loaf thickly, trim off the crust and with a sharp knife slit each slice through the middle without cutting it completely through, like a cushion cover. Stuff each slice with a mixture of cheese and ham. Flour each "Cushion" lightly and dip quickly into milk and arrange in a deep dish. Beat the eggs with a little salt and pour them over the top and leave it until the eggs are completely absorbed by the bread. Heat plenty of lard or oil and deep fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towel keep warm until they are all fried and serve warm. -------------------------------------------------- Sukey and John Jamison have been raising lamb on their farm in western Pennsylvania for twenty-five years. Since the late 80's, they have been dealing closely with and learning from many of the young chefs who are now superstars. This lamb which is featured on menus of the best restaurants in the country is now available over the Internet at http://www.jamisonfarm.com -------------------------------------------------- Cosciotto di Agnello Arrosto 3 to 31/2 lb. Leg of Lamb 6 sprigs of Italian flat parsley finely chopped 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 sprigs of marjoram, finely chopped 2 sprigs of rosemary finely chopped 1/4 lb. Parma Prosciutto (Ham) thinly sliced in thin strips Salt and pepper 2 tbsp. olive oil 4 oz. butter 1 cup dry white wine Wipe the meat with a damp cloth, remove some of the harder skin and make a dozen or so deep cuts over the entire surface. Mix together the herbs and the garlic. Coat the strips of ham with the herb mixture and push them into the slits of the meat. Rub the meat with the olive oil and then with salt and pepper and the remainder of the herb-garlic mixture. In a heavy pan or stove to oven roasting pan brown the meat in the butter, turning it occasionally and basting it with a little of the wine. When the meat is brown all over, pour in the rest of the wine, cover the pan and cook slowly for 40 minutes or longer, or until tender, moistening with a little more wine if necessary. A Californian Syrah would be a great match for this great dish or some Valpolicella. -------------------------------------------------- Athens Foods is the world's largest producer of fillo dough and fillo products. We produce more fillo than anyone, everyday, all over the world! With over 40 years of experience in perfecting the fillo dough process, we are committed to continually creating new recipes and fillo appetizers, desserts and delicacies. Athens creates the highest quality, most flavorful and easiest to use fillo dough pastry sheets in the world. Athens® and Apollo® products include Fillo Dough, Mini Fillo Shells, Baklava, and new Ready to Go Fillo Dough for chefs and home cooks. For great recipes using fillo dough, click here: http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=121 -------------------------------------------------- Indivie Intere a Crudo 6 Large Belgian Endives 1/2 cup of Olive Oil 3 Cloves of Garlic, crushed 1-2 sprigs of mint and basil Salt and pepper Trim the endives and remove the outer leaves, wash thoroughly to remove all traces of dirt. Arrange them still dripping with water, side by side, in a heavy pan. Add the garlic, oil, mint and basil, some salt and pepper. Cover and cook over a low heat until tender, discard the garlic, the mint and the basil, and serve alongside the leg of lamb. -------------------------------------------------- Sign up for a FREE Subscription to Food Arts Magazine. The Magazine for the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry. U.S. residents only. Click Here: http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=242 -------------------------------------------------- Ricotta Fritta. 1/2 Lb. Almond macaroons 1 Lb. fresh Ricotta Drained for 2 hours (bought at Italian or Gourmet Shops, Not the watery kind in the plastic container!!!! Pinch of ground cinnamon 2 large eggs Flour 1 egg beaten Fine dry breadcrumbs Butter Crush the almond macaroons to a powder. Put them in a bowl and add the ricotta, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 2 large eggs. Mix thoroughly, flour your hands, break off pieces and roll them into balls dip into egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Fry in butter, a few at a time, until golden brown. Remove with a perforated spoon and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and enjoy them hot or cold. -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net |