briciole

crema di fave e scapi florali d'aglio

fava bean and garlic scape spread

a creamy shade of green

 For the current edition of Cook the Books, we are reading The United States of Arugula by David Kamp (2006). I don't think I can add much to the many reviews the book has received since its publication. It is undoubtedly an important book, very interesting and pleasant to read. Kamp's book paints a complete and complex picture that helps the reader understand how certain aspects of the food world in the US evolved to be the way they are now.

My perspective in reading the book is that of an outsider-insider: I am an Italian who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area (theater of a number of the developments narrated in the book) as an adult (18 years ago), with well-established food roots. I learned not only to cook but to enjoy doing so, and, as a result, I eat out only very rarely. Finally, I don't watch television. From this special perspective, the story told in the book is fascinating, and also puzzling. I am very much Italian in my approach to food and totally immune from the obsession with French cuisine depicted in the book. Such obsession puzzles me.

Kamp dedicates some thoughtful paragraphs to Italian cuisine. You can read an example here. This excerpt brought to my mind two things. First, the 1996 movie Big Night, which shows very nicely the tension between Italian regional cuisine and Americans' perception of it influenced by the Italian-American community. Then, an episode from my previous life. Before moving to the US, one summer, I worked at a Club Med resort in Morocco. The guests came from France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the UK. One evening, the dining room was divided into two sections: in one, guests would be served a French menu, in the other, an Italian menu. At dinner time, things did not quite go as expected: almost everybody wanted to go into one section — and it was not the one where French food would be served. As Marcella Hazan says in the passage referenced above with regards to Italian food, "it's food that you eat with pleasure... You don't have to analyze it, you just enjoy that it's so."

The recipe that follows is connected to another page of the book, where Ms. Betty Fussell's comment on food hype is reported, within the context of an assessment of Alice Waters' contribution to the discussion on food ways. (You can read the page here.) These Fussell's words made me smile: "little tiny Italian fava-bean grower down the road." I am actually happy that nowadays I can find fresh fava beans at the farmers' market (and fava greens too), a food that is quite common in Italy and that I ate often as a kid.

The other element of the recipe is garlic scapes. The scape is the elegant leafless "stem from which the seed head of the garlic bulb is formed" (source). Garlic scapes are a relatively recent entry in my kitchen: they have gained in popularity in recent years and are now easily found at farmers' market, appearing at the same time as fava beans, a coincidence that I interpreted as a suggestion.

Most recipes I have seen use scapes to make a variation of pesto, or as a side dish, roasted. My spread tastes of fresh fava beans, of aromatic garlic scapes and of pungent fiore sardo cheese. In this small dish, I bring together my Italian heritage and my experience with interesting ingredients I find in Californian farmers' markets. More than an exact recipe, this is an invitation to play with the main ingredients. It is also a variation on the classic Italian combination of fava beans and pecorino cheese.

Note: Savory has a flavor reminiscent of thyme, with mint and pepper tones. I have a bush of winter savory (santoreggia montana) in my herb garden, and I like to experiment with it. If you don't have it, try using one or two leaves of fresh mint (menta).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 lb. fresh fava beans in their pod (about 1 1/4 cup shelled)
• 2 1/2 oz. [70 g] garlic scapes
• 1 teaspoon fresh winter savory, optional (see note above)
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons freshly grated fiore sardo
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Fine sea salt, to taste

Shell fava beans and blanch them for one minute, drain them and plunge them into a bowl of cold water. Drain them again, then remove the skin from the beans to bring their bright green core to light. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Cut thinner portion of garlic scapes (above the bulge). Spread all the scapes onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and sprinkle with olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Bake for 12 minutes, then remove the thinner pieces. Bake the rest for another 3-4 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop scapes. (This seems complicated, but the top of the scapes ends up charred and I am trying to avoid that. If it still happens, snap off the charred portion and discard it before proceeding with the recipe.)

Put fava beans and scapes in the food processor and pulse to chop. Add herbs and process some more, then add the cheese and process briefly. While pulsing, dribble the oil into the feeding tube, then the lemon juice. Finally, sprinkle a bit of salt and process to a smooth paste by pulsing for several seconds at a time.

I have found that it is better to allow the ingredients to influence each other for a bit before changing the balance, so let the spread rest for 20 minutes or so, then taste and adjust seasoning (salt, lemon juice). Refrigerate until ready to use and take out of the refrigerator in advance, so that the spread in not cold when you serve it.

In the top photo, I am using a grissino as a vehicle for some of the spread.

This is my contribution to the current edition of Cook the Books, hosted by Jo of Food Junkie, Not Junk Food. You can find the guidelines for participating in the event here, and here is the announcement.

I am also sending this to My Legume Love Affair 47, the current edition of the popular, legume-centered event created by Susan, The Well-Seasoned Cook, and hosted this month by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

crema di fave e scapi florali d'aglio

or launch the crema di fave e scapi florali d'aglio audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

fava bean, garlic scape

 

sorpresa

surprise

homemade canestrato

The cheese that you saw in this post before aging looked like this when I cut it, about four months later, and was worth the wait. Even after three and a half years of making cheese, the moment I insert the blade into one has the same suspense and the first bite the same thrill as the very first time. This homemade canestrato was a rewarding surprise.

The second surprise is that this week, I have the honor of hosting Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event. Send your contribution at simosite AT mac DOT com, namely

• your name
• your blog's name
• the image(s) (max 500 px wide, either orientation)
  

You have until Monday, May 14 at 6 pm Eastern time to do so. If you are unfamiliar with the event or need a reminder of the rules, you will find the details in this post. Feel free to use the logo below (it can also be found here). If you have a photo, but no blog, send it to me and I will include it in the roundup, which will be published on Wednesday, May 16.

Since messages can get lost, please, contact me again if you don't get an answer to your email or a comment on your blog within a couple of days of emailing me.

And the third surprise is that May 15 marks the fifth anniversary of briciole. To celebrate another milestone of my blogging journey, I will send a little gift to a randomly chosen participant of the event I am hosting this week. What the gift will be is, as you can imagine, a surprise, which I will announce together with the winner, on May 16.

This is my first contribution to edition #32 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Simona of briciole.

The photo was shot in color and then converted to sepia.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the current and future editions of the event.

formaggio (ancora)

cheese (again)

making caciocavallo: stretching the curd

To learn a lot and get answers to many questions, I traveled again to lovely Shelburne Falls to take a cheesemaking 201 workshop with Jim Wallace. The photos are from the first of two days making Italian cheeses. Above, an image of caciocavallo curd being stretched: caciocavallo is in fact a  pasta filata cheese. Caciocavallo being one of my favorite Italian cheeses, I can't wait to make this at home. (This page shows some Caciocavallo Silano.)

Taleggio in the mold: early phase of draining

After filling the mold and letting the curds drain for a short while, Jim flipped the Taleggio so the upper side shows the markings of the bottom of the mold. This plastic mold is in my wish list: the marking resemble well those made by wicker baskets.

More stories and images from the workshop will appear in a future post.

This is my contribution to edition #31 of Black and White Wednesday - A Culinary Photography Event created by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook and hosted this week by Siri of Cooking with Siri.

The photos were shot in color and then converted to sepia.

This post contains the gallery of photos submitted to the event.

On this page, you can find out who is hosting the current and future editions of the event.

lassi alla fragola

strawberry lassi

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

strawberry lassi made with kefir

Having a steady supply of homemade kefir means being able to experiment with it on the spur of the moment. My husband likes Indian food and when he eats at an Indian restaurant, he always orders a mango lassi, so it was not difficult to choose that fruit flavor for my first try at using kefir to make the beverage. But then, of course, I had to invent something different.

You may remember from last year (and if you don't, I'll remind you right now) that I tried roasting strawberries (fragole) flavored with balsamic vinegar, then explored a couple of ways of using them, namely gelato and frittata. To be totally honest, the first time I prepared strawberry lassi, I used fresh strawberries and the verdict was: not enough strawberry flavor. So then, the idea of using roasted strawberries formed itself.

roasted strawberries

Strawberries are available at the Temescal Farmers' Market, in Oakland, one of the places where I shop, so it was easy to go from thought to action and the result was greeted with warm approval. Hence, this has now become a standard item on the breakfast menu at our house.

it was good!

Print-friendly version of briciole's recipe for lassi alla fragola

Ingredients for two portions (porzioni):

• 8 oz. [225 g] organic or pesticide-free strawberries
• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (aceto balsamico) of good quality
• 1/2 teaspoon ultra-fine sugar
• 2 cups [475 ml] plain kefir, possibly homemade
• agave nectar or honey, to taste (the quantity depending on the sweetness of the strawberries and your personal preference)

Wash strawberries and carve out stem. Place in a bowl, sprinkle balsamic vinegar and sugar, and toss gently. Heat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat that is wider and longer than the sheet, so no juice can escape from any side. Place strawberries on the sheet on a single layer. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Let strawberries cool completely. They will juice while baking, so when moving them to the blender in the next step, scoop up the juice as well.

Put half the strawberries and juice into the blender, add 1 cup of kefir and a bit of agave nectar. Add a bit more kefir, if you wish, depending on your personal taste in terms of flavor and texture. Blend, taste and adjust sweetener. Pour into a tall glass and serve. Repeat with the rest of the strawberries and the other cup of kefir, or make one portion and store the strawberries for later use.

This is my contribution to edition #329 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Simona of briciole (a.k.a., me).

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

lassi alla fragola

or launch the lassi alla fragola audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

[jump to Comments]

kefir, strawberry

Per i lettori italiani

lassi alla fragola fatto col kefir

Avere a disposizione kefir fatto in casa vuol dire poter fare esperimenti non pianificati. A mio marito piace la cucina indiana e quando mangia in un ristorante indiano da bere ordina sempre un lassi al mango. Il lassi è una bevanda preparata con yogurt che può essere sia dolce che salata. La prima volta che ho provato a fare il lassi usando il mo kefir sono andata sul sicuro e ho usato del mango. Ma poi, naturalmente, ho voluto inventare qualcosa di diverso.

Forse vi ricorderete (altrimenti ve lo rammento io adesso) che l'anno scorso ho provato a cuocere al forno le fragole aromatizzate con aceto balsamico e poi le ho usate per fare il gelato e la frittata. In tutta onestà, la prima volta che ho provato a fare il lassi alla fragola ho usato fragole fresche e il verdetto è stato: insufficiente sapore di fragola. E allora mi è venuto in mente di provare ad usare le fragole arrosto.

fragole arrosto

Le fragole le trovo al Temescal Farmers' Market, ad Oakland (la stagione delle fragole in California è molto lunga, grazie al clima), quindi mi è stato facile passare ai fatti. Il risultato è stato ben accolto e quindi il lassi alla fragola è entrato a far parte del menu della colazione a casa nostra (mio marito, da buon americano, necessita di una colazione sostanziosa).

che buono che era!

Ingredienti per due porzioni:

• 225 g fragole bio
• 1/4 cucchiaino aceto balsamico di buona qualità
• 1/2 cucchiaino di zucchero finissimo
• 475 ml kefir bianco, possibilmente fatto in casa
• nettare di agave o miele a piacere (la quantità dipende dalla dolcezza delle fragole e dal gusto personale)

Lavare le fragole e privarle del picciolo. Mettere le fragole in una ciotola e spruzzare aceto balsamico e aggiungere zucchero. Mescolare bene con delicatezza. Scaldare il forno a 175 C. Foderare una lastra da forno con un tappetino di silicone che sia più lungo e più largo, in modo che il succo prodotto durante la cottura in forno non finisca sotto il tappetino. Disporre le fragole sulla lastra. Mettere in forno e cuocere per 30 minuti. (La temperatura in gradi Fahrenheit che uso io, 350, è un po' al di sopra di 175 C e un po' al di sotto di 180 C. Ho deciso di specificare la temperatura più bassa poiché preferisco essere cauta. Potete lasciare le fragole in forno qualche minuto in più, ma fate attenzione che il succo non bruci.) Lasciar raffreddare le fragole.

Trasferire metà delle fragole e del succo che producono durante la cottura nel frullatore, aggiungere metà del kefir e un tocco di nettare di agave o miele. Aggiungere un poco di kefir, a seconda del gusto per quanto riguarda sapore e consistenza. Frullare, assaggiare e, se necessario, aggiungere del nettare di agave o miele. Versare la bevanda in un bicchiere e servire. Ripetere il procedimento con l'altra metà delle fragole e del kefir, oppure preparare una porzione sola e conservare le fragole per usarle più avanti.

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 329 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Simona di briciole (cioè me).

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.

formaggio fresco di kefir fatto in casa

homemade fresh kefir cheese

kefir cheese with dukkah and cacao nibs

As I mentioned in the post on homemade kefir, for my first attempt I used kefir culture. The flavor of the kefir was a bit too acidic for our taste, and at that point, I had not yet learned all the ways in which to use kefir that I know now. I decided to see how the kefir would taste once the whey was removed, so I poured the kefir into a cloth-lined colander, then made a bundle and hung it up to drain for 24 hours (at room temperature).

I then chopped up finely a sample of herbs from my little garden: dill (aneto), mint (menta), chives (erba cipollina), parsley (prezzemolo), added a bit of salt and freshly milled pepper and mixed into the drained kefir, then molded it using my favorite heart-shaped mold.

The mold rests on a small grid for draining

I let the kefir cheese drain in the fridge for 3-4 days, then unmolded and tasted it.

kefir cheese with fresh herbs

The flavor was pleasantly tangy and the herbs gave it a nice nuance. It was particularly nice spread over a slightly sweet bread like my homemade challah.

After this success, I obtained kefir grains (grani di kefir), as recounted in the previous post. I made kefir using them and then made kefir cheese again, but this time instead of herbs, I added dukkah and cacao nibs (granella di fave di cacao). If you don't know what dukkah is, read on.

A few years ago, I attended an evening class on sourdough bread. It was not only the beginning of my sourdough baking adventure, but also of an acquaintance that turned into a friendship with Rhonda, who taught the class. For the bread tasting, Rhonda made some dukkah, something I had never seen before.

my rendition of dukkah

Dukkah (also spelled duqqa or dukka) comes to us from Egypt: it is a mix of toasted and ground spices and nuts.

The word is derived from the Arabic for "to pound" since the mixture of spices and nuts are pounded together after being dry roasted to a texture that is neither powdered nor paste-like. The actual composition of the spice mix can vary from family to family, vendor to vendor though there are common ingredients, such as sesame, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper. [source]

The recipe I use comes from 101 Cookbooks. I halve the quantities, because the full recipe makes quite a bit. And I like it coarsely ground (I use the food processor to do the grinding).

fresh kefir cheese (drained kefir)

Back to the kefir, this time I drained it using a double layer of cheese netting instead of cloth. As I was about to gather some herbs to repeat the process followed before, my eyes encountered the jar where my freshly made dukkah was stored and I interpreted that as a sign. Next to it, there was the container where I keep cacao nibs (which I get from Dick Taylor Chocolate). Having successfully used cacao nibs with hard cheese, it was not difficult to decide to add those as well (after all, they are also toasted and ground, like the spices and nuts in dukkah).

I added a teaspoon each of dukkah and cacao nibs, relying on my sense of balance to make an educated guess. I wanted the flavor to be detectable, but not overpowering, a balance I had previously achieved with the herb mix. I also added a bit more of salt, mixed lightly and then filled the heart-shaped mold. Once again, I let the cheese sit in the fridge and drain further for 3-4 days and then tasted it: I was very happy with the result.

For my second batch of kefir cheese, I increased the amount of both dukkah and cacao nibs to 1 and 1/2 teaspoon each and let the cheese rest in the fridge 5 days. If you try, I recommend you start with the lower quantity and see how you like it. (I suspect that the combination would also work with labneh, but have not tried it.)

Ingredients:

• 10 oz drained kefir (see Note below)
  
• a generous pinch of sea salt
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon dukkah (see text above)
• 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon cacao nibs (see text above)

Note: How much kefir? I use kefir made with non-fat milk and drain about 7 cups (1.65 l). I don't make that much kefir all at the same time. I usually make a pint (2 cups, 475 ml) or a quart (4 cups, 950 ml), depending on what my plans for using it are. (According to this site, it is actually better to let kefir ripen for a day or two before using it.) Pour kefir into a cloth-lined colander (I use a cotton napkin with a tight weave or a double layer of cheese netting). Gather the corners and make a bundle. Hang it over a bowl and let drain for 24 hours. (I don't have a photo of my set up, but this is quite similar: note the colander placed over the pot: if for whatever reason the bundle falls, it doesn't splash into the whey.) Reserve the whey and use it.

Sanitize a 4 1/4-inch heart-shaped mold (or other mold of choice) in boiling water. Sprinkle salt, dukkah and cacao nibs on the drained kefir and mix in. Place into mold and pack lightly.

Place a small grid at the bottom of a container and put the mold on it. Cover the container and refrigerate. Every day, discard the whey that collects at the bottom of the container.

After 3-5 days, unmold the cheese ahead of time and serve at room temperature. If the cheese is still very wet, put the leftover back into the mold and the draining container. If the cheese is not too wet, store it in cheese paper. Either way, put the cheese in the fridge. Ideally, you should bring to room temperature only the amount of cheese you will consume, so the rest can remain at constant temperature.

curry pumpkin and ginger scones

My favorite combination is kefir cheese spread over curry and pumpkin scones made with kefir instead of buttermilk and brown butter (details in an upcoming post).

Exciting update (May 26, 2012): my kefir cheese story is featured in today's post on the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company blog.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

formaggio fresco di kefir fatto in casa

or launch the formaggio fesco di kefir fatto in casa audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

kefir, cheese, dukkah, cacao nibs

kefir fatto in casa

homemade kefir

mango lassi made with kefir

A couple of months ago, I made kefir using this culture. The process was straightforward and in about 24 hours, we could taste it. I ended up making fresh cheese with it: I will described that in an upcoming this post.

While my first adventure with kefir was unfolding, Jeri, who writes the blog of the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company, published a three-part summary of information received by readers of their newsletter: 1. ordering kefir grains; 2. growing kefir grains; 3. using kefir grains.

In the first post, I learned more about kefir grains (grani di kefir) and the difference between them and the culture I had used. The cultures have probiotics in them, but "nowhere near as many as in the living grains." Probiotics are defined as living organisms, which upon ingestion in certain numbers, exert health benefits beyond inherent basic nutrition.

Kefir is a unique cultured dairy product due to combined lactic acid and alcoholic fermentation of lactose in milk. Kefir is produced by microbial activity of “kefir grains” which have a relatively stable and specific balance of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. [source]

I decided I needed to get some first-hand experience of the interesting-looking kefir grains. At the same time (and I guess this was all part of a grand scheme), Claudia of Honey from Rock wrote about her adventures with kefir. Shortly afterwards, I spent a few days on the Big Island and visited Claudia

Among the many goodies that Claudia gave us (I already mentioned one in this post), there was a small bag with some kefir grains in a milk bath. They did fine on the trip back and as soon as I got back home, I started my first batch of kefir.

Basically, it does not get easier than this. You still need to be careful about sanitizing the tools you are using, but really, making kefir at home is a breeze: you only need a glass jar, a strainer and a spoon or something similar to move the kefir grains. I sterilize the glass jar in the oven and the lid with boiling water. When the jar has cooled, I strain the kefir grains (from the previous batch of kefir or from the milk in which they were resting in the fridge).

The photo above is from a while ago. Most recently, instead of straining the kefir grains, I spoon them out, taking advantage of the fact that they tend to be at the surface of the jar of ready kefir. I then strain the content of the jar to separate small grains left behind. I have not read this anywhere: I feel like this way I stress the grains less. In any case, when straining kefir grains, be gentle.

Add milk of choice to the jar (I use pasteurized organic milk straight from the bottle) and then the strained kefir grains, cover the jar (leaving the lid just a bit loose to allow the CO₂ produced to escape), then set it aside in a warm, dark place (or wrap it in a kitchen towel). The kefir grains will take it from there and deliver kefir within a certain number of hours. It takes me 24 hours to get kefir, sometimes a bit longer, depending on the temperature. Once strained, I store kefir in the fridge and let it ripen for a day or two before using it.

Rather than go into the details of the set up, which is described in details in a number of places on the web — like this page and also this page, the one most people reference — I have summarized in a diagram the ways in which I have used kefir in its natural or drained state (arrows pointing down from "kefir"). The arrow pointing up from kefir grains means that I reculture milk with the grains strained out of the previous barch. I don't make kefir continuously. When I don't need more kefir than I have, I place the grains in a jar, cover them with milk and put them in the fridge for a few days. Since the grains grow while also making kefir, you may want to find a friend who wants to try and give her/him the extra grains that you get.

I have already shown one of the ways in which I use kefir in this post, where it substitutes sour cream topping for soup. The mango lassi in the top photo was made with

• chopped ripe mango
  
• kefir
  
• a bit of agave nectar as sweetener (the quantity depending on the sweetness of the mango and your personal preference).
  

And the beautiful scones below were made using kefir instead of buttermilk (latticello).

curry pumpkin and ginger scones

If you go to Honey from Rock and enter "kefir" in the Search field, you get the list of posts where Claudia talks about her adventures. The idea is that once you have kefir, you come up with various ways to use it. That is, at least, what happened to me.

Due to the claimed health benefits of kefir which include reduction of lactose intolerance symptoms, stimulation of the immune system, lowering cholesterol, and antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties, kefir has become an important functional dairy food and consequently, research on kefir has increased in the past decade. [source]

There are indeed a number of scientific papers describing research that looked more closely at the composition of kefir grains and at various effects of kefir administration to mice and rats. There are studies on specific health effects of kefir consumption in humans. For example, in this one on people with lactose maldigestion, kefir improved lactose digestion and tolerance. In other areas, results have been mixed (as this article summarizes): I hope larger studies will be conducted. In the meantime, I will continue enjoying making and using kefir at home.

Exciting update (May 26, 2012): my kefir story is featured in today's post on the New England Cheesemaking Supply Company blog.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

kefir fatto in casa

or launch the kefir fatto in casa audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

kefir

superficie

surface

One of the cheeses I have made this year is this pretty canestrato, for which I followed Jim Wallace's recipe. Jim's post describes the cheese, whose name comes from canestro (basket), and includes a number of nice photos. Not having a canestro, I used a ricotta basket to mold the cheese. My rendition looked really pretty at this stage.

The cheese is about half way through its aging period (stagionatura): I will cut it in a couple of months and then share the result of the tasting.

Black and White Wednesday is on hold while Susan takes some time off to focus on her health. Following on the footsteps of Brii and Haalo, I am publishing a black and white photo post on Wednesday as a special well-wishing card for Susan.

The photo was shot in color and then converted to sepia.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

superficie

or launch the superficie audio file [mp3].

 [Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

pesto secco

dry pesto

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

rocchetti al pesto

The name pesto comes from the past participle of the Italian verb pestare (to pound). In fact, pesto is made by placing the ingredients in a marble mortar (mortaio). I read that, once basil leaves are added, circular movements of the wooden pestle (pestello) against the sides of the mortar are preferred to pounding: they are applied until the sauce attains the desired consistency.

The traditional recipe requires the Genovese cultivar of sweet basil (basilico). The flavor of pesto depends on the flavor of the basil used, but the quality and quantity of the other ingredients play an important role in highlighting the taste of the herb, while at the same time providing different nuances. The first published recipe (in 1863) included formaggio d'Olanda (Dutch cheese) among the ingredients, together with parmigiano. Pecorino from Sardinia later took the place of Dutch cheese.

In July 2010, I read a post on pesto secco by Mitì Vigliero, a.k.a. Placida Signora. That original post is no longer available, but more recently, Mitì wrote again about the recipe in this post. What I read, prompted me to adapt my old recipe to the novel concept of a pesto made without oil. In her post, Mitì explains that in the days before refrigeration, pesto was prepared this way during the height of basil season to preserve it for longer storage (for example, in the villages on the Ligurian Apennines it was then stored under snow).

The recipe I use was inspired by that on the Pesto Championship website. To make it, I use California walnuts (noci) instead of imported pine nuts (pinoli) and the food processor instead of mortar and pestle. The full recipe yields enough pesto for two one-pound batches of pasta. When I make "regular" pesto, I divide it into half and use one immediately to season a pound of pasta (often linguine), and freeze the remaining half for later use. If I make pesto secco, I divide it into two and prepare it for storage (see below). Depending on the amount of basil I have, I may make half the quantity (for immediate use or for storage). Having pesto in the freezer allows me to make pasta al pesto any time I want, especially when I want to bring a taste of summer to the table.

Below, I will give you my recipe in both the "regular" and "dry" variation, so you can make either version, depending on your needs. 

Ingredients for pesto secco:

• 2.5 oz. [70 g] basil leaves, washed in cold water and patted dry
• 1 big or 2 small fresh garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup walnuts, lightly toasted (I blanch them briefly and dry them in the oven at 300 F)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 oz. [55 g] freshly-grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1 oz. [30 g] freshly-grated pecorino¹

Additional ingredient for regular pesto:

• 1/4 cup + 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil [see below for olive oil to add right before using pesto secco]

Mince the garlic clove(s) and nuts in the food processor.  Add the salt and the basil leaves, then start the food processor again. When the basil starts dripping a bright green liquid, add the cheeses.

The following instructions apply only if you are making regular pesto: With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil through the feeding tube. Process only until blended, to avoid overheating the mixture by attrition. Divide the pesto into two and use half immediately to dress a pound of pasta. Place the other in a small plastic container, cover surface with a piece of wax paper, put lid and freeze (don't forget to label the container with both content and date of preparation).

The following instructions apply only if you are making dry pesto: Process briefly to incorporate the cheeses. Divide the pesto into two and shape each half into a kind of fat sausage, wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate or freeze (don't forget to label the foil with both content and date of preparation). According to Mitì, the dry pesto lasts in the fridge 10 days or more. I have never tried this option, preferring to freeze it for use during the winter.

When you are ready to use the pesto:

If you are using a frozen container of regular pesto, take it out of the freezer, and let thaw at room temperature. As the water for the pasta is coming to a boil, empty the container into the bowl (insalatiera) where you will dress the pasta.

If you are using frozen dry pesto , take one package out of the freezer and let thaw at room temperature. As the water for the pasta is coming to a boil, open the package and empty the content into the bowl where you will dress the pasta. Dilute the dry pesto with 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil.

Drop one pound of dry pasta of choice into salted water at a rolling boil and cook until al dente. Add a tablespoon or so of the cooking water to the pesto to make a creamy sauce. Drain the pasta and add to the bowl, then stir well. Serve immediately.

For my first use of the pesto secco I had made a few months ago, I chose a shape of pasta I like a lot called rocchetti (small spools).

rocchetti

My husband was very happy to have a bowl of pasta al pesto for lunch, its bright green color a promise that spring is just around the corner, then summer will arrive and with it, more basil to turn into pesto.

¹ Sometimes I used another sharp cheese instead of pecorino.

The language corner: Besides as the name of the sauce, pesto is used in the expression buio pesto (pitch dark).

This is my contribution to Presto Pasta Nights Presto Pasta Nights Turns Five, a special anniversary edition of the popular pasta event. The event was created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast and is hosted this week by the creator herself.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

pesto secco

or launch the pesto secco audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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pasta, pesto

Per i lettori italiani

rocchetti al pesto

La ricetta traditionale del pesto richiede il basilico genovese. Il sapore del pesto dipende dal sapore del basilico usato, ma la qualità e quantità degli altri ingredienti gioca un ruolo importante nel sottolineare il sapore dell'erba aromatica e allo stesso tempo fornire sfumature diverse. La prima ricetta del pesto pubblicata (nel 1863) aveva tra gli ingredienti il formaggio d'Olanda, insieme al parmigiano. Il pecorino sardo più sostituì il formaggio d'Olanda.

Nel Luglio del 2010, lessi un post sul pesto secco di Mitì Vigliero, la Placida Signora. Quel post non è più online, ma di recente Mitì ha parlato ancora della ricetta in questo post. La lettura mi ha indotto ad adattare la mia vecchia ricetta per il pesto al nuovo concetto del pesto preparato senza olio. Nel suo post, Mitì spiega che prima dell'avvento della refrigerazione, il pesto veniva preparato in questo modo durante l'apice della stagione del basilico per conservarlo a lungo (per esempio, nei paesi dell'Appennino ligure, poi veniva conservato sotto la neve).

La ricetta che uso è ispirata da quella sul sito del Pesto Championship. Per preparare il pesto, utilizzo noci della California (produzione locale) invece dei pinoli di importazione e il robot invece di mortaio e pestello. La ricetta intera dà abbastanza pesto per due volte volte (cuocendo ogni volta una libbra di pasta). Quando faccio il pesto "normale" lo divido in due e uso una metà subito per condire una libbra di pasta (450 g, di solito linguine), e surgelo l'altra metà per uso futuro. Avere il pesto nel freezer mi permette di preparare la pasta al pesto in qualsiasi momento, specialmente quando voglio portare in tavola una ventata di sapore estivo.

Qui sotto trovate la mia ricetta per il pesto in version sia "normale" che "secco," così potete preparare la versione che più si addice al vostro bisogno.

Ingredienti per il pesto secco:

• 70 g foglie di basilico, lavate in acqua fredda e asciugate su un canovaccio che assorbe l'acqua
• uno spicchio d'aglio grosso o due piccoli
  
• 35 g noci leggermente tostate (io le tuffo nell'acqua bollente per un minuto, le scolo e le metto su un canovaccio per assorbire un po' dell'acqua e poi le tosto in forno a 150 C fino a quando sono ben asciutte)
• un cucchiaino [5 ml] di sale marino fino
• 55 g di Parmigiano-Reggiano appena grattugiato
  
• 30 g di pecorino grattugiato fresco (possibilmente fiore sardo)¹

Inoltre, per il pesto normale:

• 60 ml + mezzo cucchiaio [7,5 ml] olio extra-vergine di oliva [vedere sotto per quanto riguarda l'aggiunta di olio d'oliva al pesto secco prima del suo utilizzo]

Tritare aglio e noci nel robot. Aggiungere sale e basilico e fare ripartire il robot. Quando il basilico comincia a produrre del succo verde, aggiungere i formaggi.

Quanto segue vale solo se fate il pesto "normale": Col robot in azione, aggiungere lentamente l'olio attraverso l'apposita apertura. Far andare il robot solo fino a quando l'olio e incorporato ed evitare che il pesto si surriscaldi per attrito. Dividere il pesto in due e usatene metà subito per condire una libbra (poco più di 450 g) di pasta. Mettere l'altra metà in un piccolo contenitore, coprire la superficie con della carta oleata, tappare il contenitore e congelare (non dimenticate di etichettare il contenitore specificando la data di preparazione).

Quanto segue vale solo se fate il pesto "secco": Far andare il robot solo fino a quando i formaggi sono incorporati. Dividere il pesto in due e dare a ogni metà la forma di un salsicciotto, avvolgere bene in alluminio e mettere in frigorifero o congelatore (non dimenticate di etichettare il pacchetto specificando contenuto e data di preparazione). Mitì scrive che il pesto secco dura 10 giorni o più nel frigorifero. Non ho mai provato, perché preferisco congelare il pesto e usarlo durante l'inverno.

Quando volete utilizzare il pesto:

Se utilizzate un contenitore di pesto "normale" congelato, tirarlo fuori dal congelatore e farlo scongelare a temperatura ambiente. Quando l'acqua per la pasta sta per bollire, svuotare il contenitore nell'insalatiera dove condirete la pasta.

Se utilizzate un salsicciotto di pesto secco, tirarlo fuori dal congelatore e farlo scongelare a temperatura ambiente. Quando l'acqua per la pasta sta per bollire, mettere il salsicciotto nell'insalatiera dove condirete la pasta. Diluire il pesto secco con 2 cucchiai e mezzo cucchiaino (32,5 ml) di olio extra-vergine d'oliva.

Cuocere al dente una libbra (poco più di 450 g) di pasta. Aggiungere al pesto un cucchiaio dell'acqua di cottura della pasta per farne una salsa cremosa. Scolare la pasta e versarla nell'insalatiera, poi mescolare bene. Servire immediatamente.

Per il mio primo utilizzo del pesto secco che avevo fatto alcuni mesi fa, ho scelto un tipo di pasta che mi piace molto: i rocchetti.

rocchetti

Mio marito è sempre contento di mangiare della pasta al pesto per pranzo.

¹ Alle volte uso un altro formaggio piccante invece del pecorino.

Questo è il mio contributo all'Abbecedario culinario d'Italia, un evento organizzato dalla Trattoria MuVarA che ci porterà a visitare tutte le regioni italiane utilizzando come guida l'alfabeto. G come Genova è ospitata da Cristina di Tutto a occhio.

Questa pagina contiene la lista dei contributi all'evento e uno slide show delle foto.

 

un cuore di formaggio

a heart of cheese

homemade kefir cheese (with dukkah and cacao nibs)

The original plan was to post the details of how to make the heart-shaped cheese (formaggio a forma di cuore) above today, but I had and have other tasks to attend to and so, in the meantime, I am sharing a photo to whet your appetite (far venire l'acquolina in bocca).

And since today is heart day, here is another heart-shaped cheese from last year

homemade French neufchâtel cheese

You can see other heart-shaped dishes on the Valentine hearts page of Very Good Recipe.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

un cuore di formaggio

or launch the un cuore di formaggio audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

valentine hearts, kefir, cheese

yogurt a colazione

yogurt for breakfast: yogurt + fruit + nuts = a flavorful and healthy combination

[cliccare il link per andare alla versione in italiano]

yogurt, pear and pistachios

Breakfast option #1: homemade plain, non-fat yogurt, diced baked pear (pera), chopped toasted pistachios (pistacchi). My husband does not use any sweetener. Sometimes I add toasted pecans instead of pistachios.

To prepare the pear, preheat the oven to 350 F. Wash a ripe but firm pear (e.g., Bosc) and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices lengthwise. Take the slices that include some of the core, cut each in half lengthwise and carve out the core. Distribute on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat and bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on pear variety). Let cool, then dice. Depending on the size of the pear, you may not use it all, in which case, do not dice the leftover slices until needed. (You can add diced baked pear to a lunch or dinner salad.)

Variation on option #1: cooked cracked oats (or oatmeal) at the bottom, then yogurt (a smaller quantity than in the original option), fruit and nuts as above.

yogurt, kiwi, blueberries and pistachios

Breakfast option #2: homemade plain, non-fat yogurt, sliced kiwi (kiwi), blueberries (mirtilli), chopped toasted pistachios. Again, no sweetener added.

I have started making yogurt at home only recently: there was no reason to prevent me, really. I just never decided to try. Then, one day, I did — using this culture. The process is straightforward and the result quite pleasing. (I will talk more about yogurt making in a future post.)

Yogurt entered my life when I was about 18 and has never left it, in the sense that I have been eating yogurt pretty much every day ever since. I like it and it is good for my digestive system. Recently, an observational study brought attention to yogurt. In summary, what you eat matters in many ways, including long-term weight gain (or lack thereof). Below is a quote from the paper describing the study and the results:

Relationships between Dietary Changes and Weight Changes
[...] The dietary factors with the largest positive associations with weight changes, per serving per day, were increases in the consumption of potato chips (1.69 lb), potatoes (1.28 lb), sugar-sweetened beverages (1.00 lb), unprocessed red meats (0.95 lb), and processed meats (0.93 lb)... Weight gain associated with increased consumption of refined grains (0.39 lb per serving per day) was similar to that for sweets and desserts (0.41 lb per serving per day). Inverse associations with weight gain, per serving per day, were seen for increased consumption of vegetables (−0.22 lb), whole grains (−0.37 lb), fruits (−0.49 lb), nuts (−0.57 lb), and yogurt (−0.82 lb).

And here is an excerpt from an article on the findings aimed at the public at large:

The data also showed that eating specific high-quality foods was linked with less weight gain over time. In fact, the more daily servings people ate of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and yogurt, the less weight they gained. The yogurt finding — each extra daily serving prevented 0.82 lbs. of weight gain — was unexpected, Mozaffarian says: "This clearly deserves further attention to determine if this is cause-and-effect and, if so, why."

Finally, this is a short video where the lead author (Dr. Mozaffarian) summarizes the results of the research.

Note that the breakfast options I presented above include servings of three of the foods associated with better outcome: yogurt, nuts and fruit. By adding cracked oats, the variation on option #1 includes also a fourth one, whole grains (cereali integrali).

This is my contribution to edition #320 of Weekend Herb Blogging, an event started by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Astrid of Paulchen's Foodblog?!.

This post contains the roundup of the event.

Click on the button to hear me pronounce the Italian words mentioned in the post:

yogurt a colazione

or launch the yogurt a colazione audio file [mp3].

[Depending on your set-up, the audio file will be played within the browser or by your mp3 player application. Please, contact me if you encounter any problems.]

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yogurt, fruit, nuts

Per i lettori italiani

 yogurt + frutta fresca + frutta secca lipidica ¹ = un connubio buono e salutare

yogurt, pera e pistacchi

Colazione numero 1: yogurt fatto in casa, bianco e magro, pera cotta a dadini e pistacchi tostati tritati. Mio marito non aggiunge alcun dolcificante. A volte uso noci pecan tostate invece dei pistacchi.

Per preparare la pera, scaldare il forno a 175-180 C. Lavare una pera matura ma soda (per esempio, Bosc) e tagliarla per lungo a fettine di mezzo centimetro di spessore. Tagliare a metà per lungo le fettine che comprendono parte del torsolo e rimuoverlo. Distribuire su una lastra da forno coperta con un tappetino di silicone e infornare per 10-15 minuti (a seconda della varietà di pera). Far intiepidire e tagliare a dadini. A seconda della grandezza della pera, non la userete tutta, nel qual caso non tagliare a dadini le fettine che rimangono. (Potete farlo dopo e aggiungere i dadini di pera ad un'insalata per pranzo o cena.)

Variazione della colazione numero 1: fiocchi d'avena cotti, poi yogurt (in quantità minore che nella versione originale) poi frutta e frutta secca lipidica come sopra.

yogurt, kiwi, mirtilli e pistacchi

Colazione numero 2: yogurt fatto in casa, bianco e magro, fettine di kiwi, mirtilli e pistacchi tostati tritati.

Ho cominciato a fare lo yogurt in casa da poco tempo. Veramente non c'è nessun motivo per non averlo fatto prima. Semplicemente non avevo mai deciso di farlo e poi un giorno ho deciso e l'ho fatto, utilizzando questo mix di fermenti. Il processo è semplice (non uso la yogurtiera) e il risultato buono. (Descriverò in un post futuro come faccio.)

Ho cominciato a mangiare yogurt a 18 anni e non ho più smesso, nel senso che da allora lo mangio praticamente tutti i giorni. Mi piace e fa bene al mio apparato digerente. Di recente, i risultati di uno studio hanno portato l'attenzione sullo yogurt. In breve, quello che mangiamo è importante in molti modi, compreso il lento aumento di peso che si osserva nelle persone andando avanti negli anni o l'assenza di tale aumento. L'articolo che descrive lo studio e i risultati osservati è stato pubblicato sul New England Journal of Medicine. Nella versione in inglese del post ne riporto un paragrafo.

Qui di seguito ho tradotto un paragrafo di un articolo sui risultati scritto per il pubblico non specializzato:

I dati mostrano che il consumo di certi cibi di elevata qualità è legato ad un minore aumento di peso nel tempo. Infatti, più porzioni di frutta, verdura, frutta secca lipidica, cereali integrali e yogurt le persone osservate nello studio hanno consumato e meno peso hanno acquistato. Il dato relativo allo yogurt — ogni porzione giornaliera in più ha prevenuto un aumento di peso di 372 grammi — è stata una sorpresa, dice Mozaffarian: "Questo dato chiaramente merita ulteriori ricerche per stabilite se c'è un rapporto di causa-effetto e, in caso positivo, il perché

Se siete interessati a saperne di più, in questo breve filmato il dr. Mozaffarian, autore principale dell'articolo su NEJM, offre un riassunto dei risultati della ricerca.

Da notare che le opzioni per la colazione che ho presentato comprendono tre delle categorie di cibi menzionati nell'articolo per essere associati ad un risultato positivo: yogurt, frutta fresca e frutta secca lipidica. Avendo i fiocchi di avena, la variazione all'opzione numero 1 comprende anche una quarta: i cereali integrali.

¹ In inglese la parola nuts è un termine generico che descrive noci, mandorle, nocciole, ecc. cioè un sottoinsieme di quella che in italiano chiamiamo frutta secca. Questa pagina fa la distinzione tra frutta secca lipidica e frutta secca glucidica che ho adottato in questo post.

Questo post è il mio contributo all'edizione numero 320 di Weekend Herb Blogging, un evento creato da Kalyn di Kalyn's Kitchen, organizzato ora da Haalo di Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once, la cui versione italiana è organizzata da Brii di briggishome, e ospitata questa settimana da Brii stessa.

Questo post contiene il raccolto dell'evento.