Sangria - recipe

Amici per Sempre

Amici per Sempre...

Once again I'm back in Italy and besides having the joy of being with my children, there's time to spend with friends that have left their mark on my life while in Verona. This was a privilege I really didn't have while living here as often happens when one is busy raising children and working.

Today, I had Sunday dinner with my first Italian friend...Marta! Although we had lost track of each other for about 15 years, we just picked up where we had left off. Ah, real friendship!

The pure elegance and simplicity of a typical Italian meal never ceases to impress me. It had all been prepared yesterday or at least ahead of time and one course seemed to just flow into the next. We began by eating appetizers of Sgombro or mackerel that was boiled for about 20 minutes and left to marinate over night in the fridge in a pool of olive oil & balsamic vinegar seasoned with finely chopped parsley, garlic, capers and a dash of salt. This was accompanied by homemade whole wheat bread and garlished with two spiedini of mozzarella balls, basil fresh basil leaves and cherry tomatoes. Then the next fish dish, this time baked,appeared together with a fresh toss salad and a baked stuff tomato. As is custom after serving fish, a cool sorbetto di limone (lemon sherbet) followed. Then a macedonia fresh fruit salad and of course ended with an espresso. Total satisfaction!

Tortellini in Broth

Someone at school had the brilliant idea that we should take turns bringing homemade soups and their trimmings to share in the ESL room where we teach at Eisenhower School. It was a welcomed change to our diet of too many boxed microwaved meals. Soon one delcious treat after another started coming in and leaving an inviting perfume in the halls, so it's time we start to collect these delicious recipes. This blog could provide a space to do just that.

When it was my turn, I was glad to have the excuse to make a hearty broth and tortellini soup which was a traditional winter meal in my family. There's nothing like it to take the chill out of a cold winter's day. That was followed by the meat and vegetables used to make the broth, dipped in a fresh green pesto sauce, as a second course to complete the meal. It was all so easy to make and maybe it can become your tradition, too. Here are the recipes that I found, and adapted, from La Cucina Italiana for you to follow:

Ingredients:

FOR BROTH

1 1/2 pounds beef brisket or chuck, cut into 2 pieces 1 pound beef shank bones 1 (4- to 5-pound) chicken thighs

1 large pealed and cloved studded white onion

carrots cut into pieces

celery stalks cut into pieces

1 tablespoon salt

4 1/2 quarts cold water

Instructions:

In a large stockpot, combine beef, beef shank bones, chicken, clove studded onion, carrots, celery and salt. Cover with the 4 1/2 quarts water and bring to a boil over high heat, skimming foam and fat from surface. Reduce to gentlest simmer and cook for 4 1/2 hours. Strain twice, first through a fine mesh sieve, then through a sieve lined with cheesecloth. (I strained through a mesh sieve). Let broth cool. Skim fat from surface. Season to taste with salt. Broth can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.

PESTO GENOVESE

2 cups, enough to dress 1 to 1 1/2 pounds pasta.

Making pesto by hand in a mortar produces the most authentic and delicious results. If your mortar is too small to accommodate whole basil leaves, use a food processor to gently and minimally chop leaves before proceeding. Delicious tossed with pasta, pesto also makes an excellent topping for pizza. Try a little served along with grilled chicken or drizzled over slices of ripe summer tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pine nuts (I used walnuts)

2 cups tightly packed basil leaves

2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, peel removed.

Coarse sea salt

6 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

I mixed everything in my food processor. Pesto is best used the same day but keeps, its surface covered with a thin layer of olive oil and tightly covered, chilled, for 3 days. To dress pasta, dilute pesto with a tablespoon or two of pasta cooking water, toss with hot pasta (just cooked and drained), add a tablespoon or two of butter and toss again. Serve at once.

Christmas Ties

Not having much time to dedicate to the customary tradition of baking cookies, this year my "homemade" gift was flavored pretzels that could be added to the appetizer table at various holiday festivities. They are one of my favorites and I was pleased to learn that there is actually a "tie" to Christianity in this little snack, so I'm sharing this article which explains. The Pretzel–Tying knots.By Michael ProcopioPretzels are a snack food to which I havenever given much thought. They’re crunchy and salty, or soft and chewy. Greatwith beer, great with mustard. Plain, dipped in chocolate or yogurt, theysatisfy the basic urge to nosh mindlessly. Legend has it that the pretzel wasinvented by a monk experimenting with leftover bread dough in or around theyear 610 C.E.. He twisted the dough into the shape of a child’s arms foldedacross his (the child’s, not the monk’s) chest in prayer, a position not unlikethe one made when jumping off a very tall cliff into the sea. I think that boththe willingness to believe this tale and the act of cliff-jumping are alike intheir need for a certain amount of blind faith in order to be successful. Thepriest gave these bready pretiolae or “little prayers” as rewards tochildren who managed to learn their prayers well. These treats became ratherpopular, spreading throughout Europe over the centuries, most notably in theGerman-speaking countries, where they became known as pretzels.What is certain is that medieval monksused the inter-connected loops of the pretzel to help children grasp theconcept of the Holy Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all rolled up intoone chewy treat. According to a number of sources, they became “an important symbol of Church life.”Pretzels soon came to symbolize good fortune,bringing prosperity and spiritual wholeness with every bite. Wedding couplesfell into the practice of breaking a pretzel, much like one might break awishbone on Thanksgiving– the person with the larger piece was assured domestichappiness. What the loser was left with, besides a smaller bit of pretzel, isunknown. The pretzel, over time, came to symbolize the tying of the marriageknot.So with a bit of trivia, may this little snack help bring you some Christmas Cheer!

Visiting with friends

June 23

It's not the precious hand woven linen towel offered to freshen up with before lunch...

...nor the homemade fried eggplant sauce garnished with slivers of ricotta nor the family's own champagne,

but the reunion around the table with dear friends catching up on the lastest news and sharing once again flashes of each other's lives.

La Tagliata with Arugula salad

June 24 This tender meat was delicious and I can't wait to try it on the grill outside or inside in a very hot skillet. You'll need:
2lbs beef tenderloin, sliced about 1/4" think

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2T each finely chopped rosemary and mint

1 1/3 C extra-virgin olive oil

2T lemon juice

1T balsamic vinegar from Modena

6C arugula

1/4C parsley leaves

2 plum tomatoes, wedged

1 thinly sliced stalk celery heart with leaves

Season beef with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with rosemary and mint and pour on 1C olive oil. Refrigerate for 2 hours (or up to 24hours).

Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, salt and pepper and slowly drizzle in remaining oil. Just before serving, combine the arugula, parsley, tomatoes and celery in a bowl; toss with the lemon dressing.

Grill the beef, basting it with its marinade, for 2 minutes, turning once. Place a mound of arugula salad on each of 4 plates. Surround with the very tender grilled beef and serve immediately.

The attention to the flavors, perfume and even color made this an elegant meal, but the best part was the coffee prepared and served by 11 year old, Matilde, a former student.

Pasta and Creamed Salmon

Ahh...it's good to be back in Verona, especially because the days are sunny and slightly breezy. Andrea's immediate request was for this summer dish...one we discovered from a friend last year. I was more than happy to offer this as our first meal together. Make the sauce to your desired thickness, by heating up and mixing some creamed cheese, milk and adding pieces of smoked salmon. Serve over pasta cooked in lightly salted water. I like the little bows, but it can be any kind of ribbed pasta that holds the sauce. This recipe can be varied by first sauteeing a bit of finely chopped red onion and crushed garlic in a T of olive oil and garnishing with capers or black olives, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley or rosemary depending on your favourite flavors.