Recipe:Torta di Miele

When I was a kid Christmas day always started early with a slice of pannetone and coffee (even when I was little I was served coffee on special occasions). The yeasty pannetone was more bread than cake, but it was sweet enough to be appealing to any kid. A few years ago I saw one of Mario Batali’s TV shows where he made a torta di Mele, a semi-sweet apple yeast cake. I’d eaten versions of that several times in central Italy, and the mother of a pizza maker in the West Village in Manhattan where I live used to bake one for his shop. The smell of it baking was enticing; sweet, slightly sour from the yeast, fruity, but with a strong cinnamon aroma. Maybe I detected a hint of some sort of liquor (grappa? brandy?). The cake didn’t really go with pizza, but often I’d drop into the shop just for a slice of it and a glass of wine. The pizza place is now gone, and I really miss that apple cake.I made up my own version by using Batali’s solid recipe as a base and adding spices and a bit of booze and more sugar until I came up with something close to the pizza shop’s cake. This year I’m making it for Christmas morning, in place of pannetone. You can serve it with espresso or cappuccino, but personally I like it best with a wake-up glass of prosecco. Merry Christmas to you!

Torta di Mele

(Serves 6 to 8)

1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing the pan
2 fairly plain biscotti (I used a mild almond-flavored type)
4 firm apples (Cortlands or Granny Smiths are good), skinned and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Calvados or cognac
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup flour
A few generous scrapings of nutmeg
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, separated
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 package yeast
Powdered sugar for the top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place the biscotti in a food process and pulse to a crumb. Coat the pan with the biscotti crumbs, shaking out any excess.

In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the Calvados or cognac, half the cinnamon, and a tablespoon of the sugar. Arrange the apples in the pan in a not-too-fussy circular fashion, making two layers.

In a large bowl mix until well blended the remaining sugar and cinnamon and the flour, nutmeg, egg yolks, milk, vanilla, and yeast. Let sit for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, pour the egg whites into another bowl and beat with an electric blender until they’re stiff and glossy. Add the whites to the batter, folding them in until they’re just blended but still a bit streaky. Pour the batter over the apples and bake until the top is browned and feels springy (and a tester (I use a wooden shish kebab skewer) comes out dry when inserted into the top), about 50 minutes. Cool on a rack for about 1/2 hour. Remove the rim from the pan, leaving the cake on the base. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Recipes:

Braised Salmon Pizzaiola with Gaeta Olives
Cavatelli with Fresh Salmon, Arugula, and Burst Cherry Tomatoes
Salmon Carpaccio with Marjoram and Pine Nut Vinaigrette
Seared Salmon on Fennel and Orange Salad

Salmon is not a fish native to Southern Italy, but it does show up on menus there, usually at upscale, contemporary restaurants where the chef likes to experiment. The chef is right to do so, for salmon’s rich, oily taste and texture marries beautifully with classic Southern Italian flavors such as capers, olives, anchovies, orange and lemon, fennel, artichokes, fine olive oil, tomatoes, arugula, basil (one of the best herbs for salmon), and good dry wine. I’ve explored some of these flavor combinations in the recipes I offer you here.

In my opinion salmon’s richness can get a little sickening; I find it needs to be broken up with fresh, sharp flavors. This is especially true for farmed Atlantic salmon, which is very rich. Wild pacific varieties, which I seem to find in my fish shops year round these days (I believe they’re frozen during harvest and then sold throughout the year), have unique flavors, with colors ranging from pale peach to crimson, and varying amounts of oil. King and sockeye are both really delicious. They’re rich in a more interesting way than the farmed variety.

I often serve some sort of salmon dish as part of my all-fish Christmas Eve dinner. Several years ago I made a salmon pizzaiola with Gaeta olives. The pizzaiola flavor in its purest form is achieved by blending the Southern Italian trio of tomatoes, oregano or marjoram, and some type of dry wine, producing a taste somewhat like pizza sauce. I prefer the gentler flowery flavor of marjoram over the dried oregano that they favor in Southern Italy. Salmon pizzaiola is an extremely simple dish, but one with vibrant flavor. I give you my recipe here.

Some Italian-inspired salmon dishes just don’t work, in my opinion. One of my all-time least favorite Italian-American restaurant items is pasta tossed with smoked salmon and cream. Heating brings out the worst in smoked salmon, and mixed with cream the strong smoky fish flavor permeates the entire dish. I actually find this a bit nauseating, and I have even left a restaurant when I saw it on the menu, since for me it’s a sign that the rest of the menu will be ill-conceived too. I have had success tossing chunks of freshly cooked salmon with pasta and adding various vegetables or a simple tomato sauce, and I include here a recipe for pasta with fresh salmon, arugula, and seared cherry tomatoes, which I think is delicious and in true Southern Italian style

Braised Salmon Pizzaiola with Gaeta Olives

(Serves 4 as a main course)

Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A generous pinch of ground nutmeg
4 approximately 1/2-pound salmon fillets (or a bit smaller), skinned (wild salmon is best, but you can get good results with the farmed variety too)
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
A generous splash of dry Marsala or dry vermouth
1 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, well chopped, with the juice
5 sprigs fresh marjoram, the leaves chopped
A handful of basil leaves, lightly chopped
A handful of Gaeta olives, pitted if you wish

In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt, black pepper, and a few scrapings of nutmeg. Brown the salmon very well on the rounded, non-skin side about 4 or 5 minutes, and then remove it from the skillet, using a slotted spatula to let excess oil drain off. Pour out all the oil from the skillet and add a tablespoon of fresh olive oil (if there are any slightly burnt bits from the salmon cooking, wipe those out with a damp paper towel before adding the olive oil). Add the shallot and sauté for about a minute just to soften it. Add the garlic and let it sauté for about another 30 seconds, until everything is fragrant. Add the Marsala or vermouth and let it bubble away. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and simmer, uncovered, at a lively bubble for five minutes. Add the salmon, browned side up, turn the heat to low, and simmer until the salmon is just cooked through, about 4 minutes longer, spooning the sauce over the salmon frequently. Add the marjoram, the basil, and the olives and simmer a few seconds longer, just to blend all the flavors. Check for seasoning and add a bit more salt or black pepper if needed. Serve right away with good Italian bread, a green salad, and a glass of dry white wine.

Cavatelli with Fresh Salmon, Arugula, and Burst Cherry Tomatoes

(Serves 4 as a main course)

1 pound salmon fillet, skinned (I prefer a wild salmon variety for this, finding the oil from farmed salmon a bit strong for pasta)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
A pinch of ground clove
6 large sprigs fresh thyme, the leaves chopped
1 pound cavatelli
2 pints sweet cherry or grape tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into thin rounds, using some of the tender green part
1/2 fresh, red chile, minced (and seeded if you like less heat)
A generous splash of dry white wine
1 large bunch arugula, stemmed and roughly chopped
A palmful of capers

Cut the salmon fillet into approximately 1/2-inch cubes and place them in a small bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil, salt, the ground clove, and about half of the chopped thyme, and toss gently with your fingers to blend all the ingredients.

Set up a large pot of pasta-cooking water. Bring it to a boil and add a generous amount of salt. Drop in the cavatelli.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the tomatoes, garlic, scallions, fresh chile, and the remaining thyme all at once. Season with salt and sear the tomatoes, shaking the skillet occasionally, until they start to burst, about 4 minutes. Add the white wine, and let it bubble for a few seconds. Turn off the heat.

In a another skillet, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over a high flame. When the skillet is very hot, add the salmon cubes and brown them quickly, about 3 minutes, leaving the middle slightly pink.

When the cavatelli is al dente, drain and transfer to a large, warmed serving bowl. Add the tomatoes with all their pan juices, the capers, and the arugula. Add the salmon, leaving any skillet oil behind (too much salmon oil can give pasta an overly fishy taste). Give everything a generous drizzle of fresh olive oil and an extra sprinkle of salt. Toss gently (the heat of the pasta will wilt the arugula). Serve hot or warm.

Salmon Carpaccio with Marjoram and Pine Nut Vinaigrette

(Serves 6 as a first course)

3/4 pound very fresh salmon fillet, skinned (I prefer farmed salmon here since it’s very rich and oily and can stand up to a vinaigrette)
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
The juice and zest from 1 small lemon
1 shallot, minced
5 large sprigs marjoram, leaves lightly chopped
A generous pinch of ground, dried red chile (I like Aleppo pepper)
A tiny pinch of sugar
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

With a very sharp knife, cut the salmon on the bias into very thin slices, cutting almost parallel to the surface (the way you would cut smoked salmon). Lay the slices out in a sort of flower-petal pattern on six salad plates. Drizzle them lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and give each serving a sprinkling of sea salt.

In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, the lemon juice, zest, shallot, marjoram, a generous pinch of sea salt, the ground red chile, and a tiny pinch of sugar.

When you’re ready to serve, spoon a generous amount of the vinaigrette in the middle of each plate of salmon. Scatter on the pine nuts. Serve right away.

Seared Salmon on Fennel and Orange Salad

(Serves 4)

4 approximately 1/2-pound (or a bit smaller) salmon fillets, with the skin on (wild and farm-raised are both fine for this)
Salt
About 6 fennel seeds, ground to a powder
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced, plus a handful of the feathery tops, chopped, for garnish
The zest from 1 orange, plus 3 oranges peeled and sliced into thin rounds
A small head of frisée lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
1 large leek, well cleaned and sliced into thin rounds
2 oil-packed anchovies, minced
1 tablespoon Spanish sherry vinegar

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Press the ground fennel seeds, a bit of salt, and black pepper onto the skin of the salmon fillets.

Put the fennel, orange slices, frisée, and leek in a large salad bowl and set it aside.

In a small bowl, combine the orange zest, chopped anchovy, 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and the sherry vinegar. Add a pinch of salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Whisk to blend.

In a large skillet, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over high flame. When the skillet is hot, add the salmon fillets, skin side down, and sear until nicely browned, about 4 minutes. Place the skillet in the oven without turning the salmon.

Pour about 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the salad and toss. Divide the salad up onto 4 dinner plates. When the salmon is just cooked through, but still a bit pink in the center take it from the oven (probably about 4 minutes of oven time). Place one fillet, skin side up, on each salad. Drizzle the remaining vinaigrette over each fillet. Garnish with the chopped fennel tops. Serve right away.

Recipes:

Pears with Star Anise, Vanilla, and White Wine, Served with Fresh Goat Cheese
Pears Poached with Bay Leaf, Orange Peel, and Rosé Wine, Served with Mascarpone and Pine Nuts
Pears Poached with Thyme, Cassis, and Honey, Served with Young Pecorino Cheese
Pears Poached with Rosé Wine and Cardamom, Served with Crème Fraiche
Pears Poached with Red Wine, Rosemary, and Black Pepper
Pears Poached with Marsala and Cinnamon, Served with Ricotta Cream and Pistachios

Lately I’ve been poaching a lot of pears in a variety of wines, herbs, and spices. They have a very Christmasy smell, reminding me of the hot spiced wine people served at holiday parties during the l970s (though not my family; they took their wine straight). Trying to figure out what combinations of wine and flavorings taste best I’ve gotten a bit carried away with this pear project, and actually at the moment I don’t even want to smell another pear. But I’d like to pass my best recipe discoveries on to you.

Poached pears really are a perfect winter dessert; they’re easy but always look sumptuous on the plate, as if you went to the trouble of making something very regal. Wine is the best poaching liquid, since it adds sharpness, fruitiness, and richness at all once. I’ve found that light, non-oaky wines works best, since when boiled down they retain good fruit flavor. Unaged Beaujolais is one of my favorite choices, since it’s light and uncomplicated. Simple red Rhone wines also reduce nicely, not turning too concentrated or tannic. I tend to stay away from jammy-, oaky-, pruny-flavored wines for poaching pears, finding them too heavy and sometimes bitter when reduced to a syrup. With whites I tend to go for refreshing, dry types such as Frascati or Orvieto. Rieslings and other richer honey-scented whites like Greco di Tufo reduce with a touch of sweet perfume, which can also be lovely. Dry Provençal rose is another wine I’ve had good results with. I sometimes mix a dry white or rosé wine with a splash of something sweet like cassis, Grand Marnier, or port. Red wine can be fortified with a hit of Calvados or cognac. Sweet dessert wines are also great for poaching pears, but they tend to be expensive, so I’d rather keep them for drinking. Still, if I have a quarter bottle of a moscato left over, I’ll throw it in with a dry wine for a more complex poaching liquid. And I don’t know how many people keep a bottle of Lillet, the French vaguely orange flavored aperitif, around the house, but it also makes a wonderful poaching liquid, especially if you throw in a few strips of orange peel.

As for adding herbs and spices, vanilla mingles beautifully with wine and sugar to produce a just about perfect syrup for pears, but I’ve had luck with other spices too, either alone or blended with vanilla. Star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom, fresh ginger, and saffron are all interesting to play with. I find clove or allspice, which are typically used to flavor poached fruit, too strong, actually almost medicinal tasting when left to simmer.

Of the fresh herbs I’ve experimented with I’ve been happiest with bay leaf and rosemary used in small amounts, and also tarragon and thyme. Sage becomes very musty with long simmering, so I would avoid it. Oregano’s bitterness is amplified in a poaching liquid. Basil, which I though would be wonderful, actually takes on a cat-pee fragrance with long poaching. I do something scatter fresh chopped basil over poached pears as a garnish, and that’s delicious, especially if you’ve poached in a fennely or anise scented liquid. Fresh lavender can be nice, but again, I find it’s better just for scattering over the pears fresh than for poaching (long cooking can turn it bitter).

You’ll notice I’ve paired most of these poached pears with some type of mild cheese, something creamy, or a sprinkling of nuts. Most delicate cheeses, like fresh goat’s cheese, ricotta, unaged Pecorino, or anything not too pungent, mingle really well with a sweet pear-scented poaching syrup. Many people like blue cheese with poached pears, but I do not. Somehow the sharpness of the cheese with the sugary syrup combines to taste soapy to me. If I want to eat gorgonzola or something like that with pear, I’ll go for a fresh pear.

I’ve had very good luck poaching Bosc pears, which are always firm, in fact sometimes very firm and in need of long cooking. They have good flavor and really hold their shape. Slightly underripe Bartletts and Anjous are also good choices. Comice are generally too soft and juicy for poaching (but great raw with a slice of gorgonzola dolce).

Note: All my pear recipes are for pears served whole. If you like you can core them through the bottom with a melon baller. I do this sometimes for a fancy dinner party, but for casual dining I just leave them be.

Pears with Star Anise, Vanilla, and White Wine, Served with Fresh Goat Cheese

(Serves 6)

6 firm pears, peeled but with the stems left on
2 whole star anise
1/2 vanilla bean, split open
About 3/4 bottle dry white wine (something light and non-oaky is best; I used a Frascati)
3/4 cup sugar
1 long strip lemon peel
1 log of fresh goat cheese, about 11 ounces (both French and American brands can be excellent)
A few sprigs of fresh tarragon, the leaves lightly chopped

Place the pears in a pot wide enough to allow them to lie lengthwise without overlapping (wide is better than deep, since it allows you to poach in less liquid). Pour in the wine. Add the star anise, vanilla bean, sugar, and lemon peel. Add enough water to just cover the pears. Turn the heat to high and bring it to a boil. Now turn the heat down low and simmer, partially covered (partially covering the pot works best since it keeps in enough heat and steam for cooking but also allows some steam to escape, reducing the liquid and giving you a head start on making your syrup). Simmer until the pears are just tender when poked through (I poke them with a shish kebab skewer, since it doesn’t make big cuts). Cooking time varies, depending on the ripeness and variety of your pears, but I’ve found generally it takes 20 to 30 minutes (really hard pears may take longer). When tender, lift the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place them, stems up, clustered together on a serving platter with a rim or a curve so it will hold syrup.

Reduce the liquid over high heat until you have a medium-bodied syrup (it’s ready when it starts to look thick and glossy and produces large bubbles on the surface). Let the syrup cool down for about 15 minutes, and then pour it over the pears, leaving the star anise and vanilla bean on the pears. (If you pour boiling hot syrup over the pears, it may become thin).

To serve, set up 6 little plates. Put two thick slices of fresh goat cheese on each one and sprinkle with the tarragon. Place the pears next to the cheese and drizzle each with a generous amount of syrup.

Pears Poached with Bay Leaf, Orange Peel, and Rosé Wine, Served with Mascarpone and Pine Nuts

(Serves 6)

6 firm pears, peeled, but with the stems left on
1 fresh bay leaf, preferably Turkish
2 long strips orange peel
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur
1/2 bottle dry rosé wine (I used a Provençal rosé for this)
3/4 cup sugar
1 small container of mascarpone, at room temperature
1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Place the pears in a wide pot so they’ll lie down more or less in one layer. Add the bay leaf, orange peel, Grand Marnier, rosé wine, and sugar. Add water if needed to just cover the pears. Bring this to a boil over high heat. Now turn the heat down low, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the pears are just tender when poked, usually 20 to 30 minutes, depending on their ripeness (really hard pears can take a long time; I usually find it necessary to test them a few times during cooking). Lift the pears from the liquid with a strainer spoon and place on a curved serving dish, stems up.

Boil the liquid down until you have a medium-thick syrup (when big bubbles start forming on the surface and it looks thick and glossy). Let the syrup sit and cool for about 15 minutes and then pour it over the pears, including the bay leaf and orange peel. Serve the pears on small plates with a dollop of mascarpone and a generous amount of syrup on top. Scatter the pine nuts on top.

Pears Poached with Thyme, Cassis, and Honey, Served with Young Pecorino Cheese

(Serves 6)

6 firm pears, peeled but with the stems left on
1/2 bottle light, dry white wine (I used a white Rhone)
1/2 cup cassis
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup honey (a not-too-strong wildflower variety like acacia works best)
3 large thyme sprigs, left whole, plus 3 sprigs, the leaves lightly chopped
2 strips lemon peel
1/2 pound young Pecorino cheese (a Pecorino Toscano or Fior di Sardegna would be a good choice)

Lay the pears down in a large, wide pot. Pour on the white wine and the cassis. Add the sugar, honey, the whole thyme sprigs, and the lemon peel. Bring to a boil over high heat. Now turn the heat down, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the pears are tender, turning them occasionally so they color evenly. They should take between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on their ripeness (test after 20 minutes by poking a skinny knife or shish kebab skewer into one to see if it’s soft). When tender, lift the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and place, stems up, on a serving platter (one with a curve or a rim that will contain the syrup).

Remove the thyme sprigs and then reduce the liquid over high heat until you’ve got a medium bodied syrup (when it’s glossy and big bubbles start forming on the surface). Add the chopped thyme leaves to the syrup and then let it cool for about 15 minutes before pouring it over the pears.

To serve, slice the Pecorino and lay two pieces on each plate. Place a pear next to the cheese and then spoon a generous amount of syrup over it.

Pears Poached with Rosé Wine and Cardamom, Served with Crème Fraiche

(Serves 6)

6 firm pears, peeled but with the stems left on
3/4 bottle dry rosé wine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
A few thin slices of fresh ginger
3/4 cup sugar
A small container of crème fraîche

Lay the pears down in a wide pot. Pour the rosé wine over them. Add the vanilla, cardamom, ginger, and sugar. Add enough water to just cover the pears. Turn the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Turn the heat down, partially cover the pot, and simmer until the pears are tender when poked through, between 20 and 30 minutes, depending on the firmness of the pears. Lift the pears from the liquid with a slotted spoon and arrange them, stems up, on a serving platter that will contain the syrup.

Boil down the liquid over high heat until you have a medium syrup (when it looks glossy and reduced and there are large bubbles all over the surface). Let the syrup cool for about 15 minutes, and then pour it over the pears. Serve the pears on small plates with a dollop of crème fraîche and plenty of syrup poured on top.

Pears Poached with Red Wine, Rosemary, and Black Pepper

(Serves 6)

6 pears, peeled but with the stems left on
3 small sprigs rosemary
3/4 bottle light, fruity red wine (a Beaujolais is good)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
2 long strips of orange peel
A few grindings of freshly ground black pepper

Lay the pears down in a wide pot. Add the rosemary, red wine, orange peel, vanilla, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the pears are tender when poked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. You should turn them once or twice so they color evenly (they should be a lovely crimson when they’re done). Lift the pears from the liquid onto a large curved or rimmed platter that can contain the syrup. Boil down the liquid over high heat until you have a medium-bodied syrup (when it starts to form large bubbles on the surface). Let the syrup sit and cool down for about 15 minutes. Pour the syrup over the pears.

To serve, place the pears upright in small bowls. Drizzle with plenty of syrup, and give each one a grinding of fresh black pepper.

Pears Poached with Marsala and Cinnamon, Served with Ricotta Cream and Pistachios

(Serves 6)

6 firm pears, peeled but with the stems left on
A cup of dry Marsala
About 1/4 cup rum
1/2 cinnamon stick
2 long strips lemon peel
3/4 cup sugar
Plus:
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup shelled, unsalted whole pistachios

Place the pears in a wide pot so they lie down flat. Pour in the Marsala and rum and add the cinnamon stick, lemon peel, and sugar. Add water to just cover the pears. Bring to a boil over high heat. Now turn the heat to low, partially cover the pot, and simmer until tender when poked through, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears.

Lift the pears from the pot with a large strainer spoon and place then upright in a large, curved serving dish. Boil down the liquid over high heat until you have a medium thick syrup (when the surface looks glossy and large bubbles start forming all over). Let the syrup cool for about 15 minutes, and then pour it over the pears.

Place the ricotta and powdered sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times until the mixture is smooth (if it seems overly thick, add a drizzle of milk and pulse again).

To serve, place the pears on small dessert plates. Give each a dollop of the ricotta cream and a generous drizzle of syrup. Top with a sprinkling of pistachios.

Recipes:

Sicilian-Styled Grilled Meatballs with Lemon Peel and Bay Leaf
Currant and Pine Nut Meatballs with Escarole Salad
Ziti and Meatballs in a Rosemary Marsala Sauce

The aroma of polpettine, meatballs, frying in olive oil is one of the vivid taste memories of my childhood. A scent arises the moment the meatballs hit the hot oil, and an enticing sourness is released when the pecorino or provolone cheese that has been mixed in gets slightly scorched. These were the smells of Sunday supper. Every Italian American I’ve talked to about this memory has recalled their urge to grab a few just-seared meatballs and eat them before they got lowered into the big pot of dark red sauce to simmer. It was like licking frosting off the mixer blades before it went on the cake. Anyone who grew up in a family where they were prepared regularly knows that meatballs led two lives. In the first life they were crisp, juicy, greasy, with a core of pink, snatched hot from the pan. That was the appetizer of choice for me, with all its flavors, including cheese, garlic, parsley, and even a hint of nutmeg, vibrant and defined. The second life, really the main event, was when the finished dish arrived at the table, with the meatballs transformed by gentle simmering in sauce into tender, suave mouthfuls, infused with wine, tomato, and herbs.

One mellowly simmered meatball dish my mother often made when I was a kid included potatoes, string beans, and a winey tomato sauce. She made the meatballs with a mix of beef chuck and ground pork and sometimes included pine nuts and raisins, a custom of her father’s Sicilian family. I often make them that way, adding a pinch of cinnamon to round out all the flavors (this recipe can be found in my book The Flavors of Southern Italy). I also fondly remember baby meatballs simmered in a light broth along with bitter greens like dandelions or escarole. As a child I thought that a very refined dish. And my family served more rustic-style meatballs simmered in tomato sauce and presented alongside a bowl of penne or ziti dressed with some of the sauce. These meatballs were seasoned with a generous hit of pecorino, parsley, and nutmeg. Occasionally the meatballs appeared as a second course, after the pasta, accompanied by a vegetable such as broccoli rabe. I make versions of that classic dish all the time, playing with the seasoning, changing it to suit my mood. The one I offer you here is flavored with the musky fall aromas of Marsala wine and rosemary.

The hot, crisp, just-cooked first-life meatball was not considered a proper meal by my family, but I make it often now. I like to serve fragrant, just-sautéed meatballs over a cool salad, a mix of slightly bitter greens such as arugula or chicory with maybe a slightly sharp lemon-juice-and-olive-oil dressing to cut the meatballs’ richness. I offer you here a version of that, borrowing the pine-nut-and-raisin meatballs from my mother’s string bean dish to plop on top. Another option, when I want meatballs in their juicy, crisp state, is to grill them. For that I make versions of a classic Sicilian recipe of meatballs skewered with lemon leaves and cooked over a flame. I can’t often find lemon leaves in my markets, but a mix of lemon peel and fresh bay leaves works fine, providing a different aroma but one that preserves the spirit of the dish.

Meatballs were created to make a little meat go a long way, and they are a classic in the Italian cucina povera kitchen, but their aroma is so enticing that I view them as an opulent treat and tend to season them elaborately. If I’m serving grilled or sautéed meatballs, I’ll include a few sprigs of fresh herbs, such as mint, marjoram, flat-leaf parsley, or a bit of rosemary or sage, for a bright and vibrant taste. Often I add a little finely chopped salami to meatballs I’m only grilling; the quick cooking keeps the salami’s rich taste strong. Lemon or orange zest in the mix provides a shot of acidity to balance the meat’s heaviness. When I’m simmering meatballs in a sauce, I sometimes add minced shallot or onion, whose raw edge will mellow with the cooking. A little shot of Marsala or red wine often finds its way into the mix too. Pine nuts with either raisins or currants make up a classic seasoning duo in Southern Italian meatball recipes, and I occasionally use a handful of chopped pistachios or almonds instead of the pine nuts. A dollop of ricotta worked into the meat lightens the texture of a simmered meatball, and spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ground fennel seed, or a hint of clove or allspice add a roundness of flavor while also releasing some of their own essence into the sauce.

Sicilian-Style Meatballs with Lemon Peel and Bay Leaf

These meatballs are very fragrant and juicy. Keep them a bit pink in the center and serve them with rice or couscous

(Serves 4, or 5 as a main course)

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
3 thin slices of soppressata, cut into very small dice
1 large egg
1 thick slice of day old Italian bread with its crust (the inside should still be a bit moist), ground to medium crumb in a food processor
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Leaves from 4 marjoram sprigs, lightly chopped
A few gratings of nutmeg
The grated zest from 1 small lemon
1 tablespoon dry Marsala or vermouth
1 medium garlic clove, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
About 24 fresh bay leaves, preferably the Turkish variety, soaked in a small bowl of water for 5 minutes (so they don’t burn)
The zest from 2 lemons, removed in wide pieces with a swivel style peeler or a sharp paring knife (including as little white pith as possible), plus 1 lemon, cut into wedges, for garnish
6 8-inch metal skewers (wooden ones are fine, but you’ll need to soak them in water for a few minutes so they don’t burn)

In a large bowl combine the ground pork, soppressata, egg, ground bread, Grana Padano, marjoram, nutmeg, lemon zest, Marsala or vermouth, and garlic. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, add a tablespoon of olive oil, and mix everything with your hands just until all the ingredients are well distributed. Form the mixture into approximately 1-inch meatballs (you should get about two dozen meatballs). Skewer the meatballs, putting a bay leaf and a piece of lemon peel between each one (use 6 skewers with only 4 meatballs on each for easy handling).

Season the skewers lightly with salt and a little fresh black pepper and drizzle them with olive oil.

Grill over medium heat on either an outdoor grill or a stovetop grill plate. Turn the skewers 4 times so they’re nicely browned all around. The total grilling time should be about 8 minutes. When they’re done they should have a very slight pinkness in the center.

Currant and Pine Nut Meatballs with Escarole Salad

I’ve made these meatballs without any bread filler, but include instead a little ricotta, which keeps them moist and light. They make for a casual meal meant to be shared with family or close friends who don’t mind straight-from-the-skillet informality, as the meatballs need to be plopped right on top of a waiting salad the second they’re browned and hot.

I like to serve them with a side of hot sauce. I usually have a tube of harisa, the Moroccan red-pepper sauce, hanging around the kitchen, and I thin it with a little hot water or broth and dab a bit on the meatballs.

(Serves 5 as a main course)

For the meatballs:

1 1/2 pounds ground pork
1/4 cup currants soaked in about 2 tablespoons dry white wine
1/4 cup pine nuts, plus a handful lightly toasted for garnish
A pinch of ground cinnamon (less than 1/8 teaspoon)
A drizzle of honey (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup grated pecorino
1 garlic clove, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup whole-milk ricotta
About 6 basil leaves, well chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1/2 cup more for sautéing
Salt
A pinch of cayenne pepper

For the salad:

1 large head escarole, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small shallot, thinly sliced
12 sweet cherry tomatoes, left whole (to echo the shape of the meatballs)
A small palmful of capers
1 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
A pinch of sugar
Salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix everything together quickly with your fingers, just until all the flavors are well distributed (overworking them can make them cook up a little tough). Form into 1-inch meatballs and refrigerate until you plan on sautéing them (since there’s no bread in them, the mix is a bit soft; keeping them refrigerated helps firm them up).

When you’re ready to assemble the salad, set out five large salad plates. In a large salad bowl, combine the escarole, shallot, cherry tomatoes, and capers. Pour the vinegar into a small bowl. Add a pinch of sugar and a slightly larger pinch of salt. Add the olive oil and whisk to blend.

In a large skillet, heat about 1/2 inch of olive oil over medium high flame. When the oil is hot, add the meatballs (if the skillet gets too crowded, do the meatballs in batches). Brown them all over, leaving them slightly pink at the center. This should take about 5 minutes of occasional turning. As they brown, place them on paper towels to absorb the excess oil.

Grind a little fresh black pepper over the escarole, add the dressing, and toss. Divide the salad up onto the plates. Place a few meatballs around each salad and garnish with toasted pine nuts. Serve right away.

Ziti and Meatballs in a Rosemary Marsala Sauce

When I’ve ordered pasta with meatballs in Southern Italy I’ve always been served it not with spaghetti but with a chunky, sturdy pasta like ziti or rigatoni, and the meatballs have almost always been on a separate plate. That’s how it was served in my family too. The flavors of Marsala and rosemary give this dish, to my culinary mind, the taste of autumn.

(Serves 4 or 5)

For the meatballs:

3/4 pound ground beef chuck
3/4 pound ground veal
3 very thin slices Prosciutto di Parma, excess fat removed and saved to use in the sauce, and the meat well chopped
1 small shallot, minced
The leaves from 1 medium sprig rosemary, minced
The leaves from a few large flat-leaf parsley sprigs, well chopped
1 clove, ground to powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus about 1/2 cup for sautéing the meatballs

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
The prosciutto fat from the meatball recipe, well chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into small dice
1 large garlic clove, very thinly sliced
2 large sprigs of rosemary, left whole
1 bay leaf, preferably fresh
1 clove, ground to powder
1/2 cup dry Marsala
2 28-ounce cans plum tomatoes, with juice, pulsed in a food processor until roughly chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
The leaves from a few large flat-leaf parsley sprigs, lightly chopped
1 large chunk of Grana Padano cheese for grating

1 pound ziti, penne, or rigatoni

To make the meatballs: Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with your hands just until everything is well distributed. Make sure to season well with salt and black pepper. Shape the mix into approximately half-inch balls and refrigerate until you cook them.

To make the sauce: In a large saucepot or casserole, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium flame. Add the prosciutto fat, shallot, and carrot and sauté until the vegetables have softened and the fat has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, bay leaf, and ground clove and sauté a minute or so longer, just until fragrant. Add the Marsala and let it boil for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and black pepper, and cook at a lively simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, set up a large skillet over medium-high flame and pour in the half cup of olive oil. When the oil is hot add the meatballs and brown them all over (you may need to do this in batches). When the meatballs are browned add them to the sauce, turn the heat down to low, and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 35 minutes. Taste the sauce, adding a bit more salt and some freshly ground pepper if needed.

Set up a large pot of water for cooking the pasta and add a generous amount of salt. Bring to a boil and add the ziti.

Scoop the meatballs from the pot, along with some sauce, into a large serving bowl. Garnish with the chopped parsley. Keep warm.

When the ziti is al dente, drain it and add it to the sauce, giving everything a good toss over low heat to blend all the flavors. Transfer the ziti to a large warmed serving bowl and grate a little Grana Padano on top.

Serve the ziti first, with the remaining chunk of Grana Padano brought to the table, and then bring out the meatballs with a vegetable such as sautéed escarole or broccoli rabe, or a green salad.

]]> http://ericademane.com/2004/11/01/the-double-life-of-meatballs/feed/ 0 feallen http://ericademane.com/2004/10/01/hunting-for-and-cooking-with-chanterelles-plus-a-good-recipe-for-sweet-red-peppers/ http://ericademane.com/2004/10/01/hunting-for-and-cooking-with-chanterelles-plus-a-good-recipe-for-sweet-red-peppers/#comments Fri, 01 Oct 2004 18:33:21 +0000 Erica http://ericademane.wordpress.com/?p=171 ]]>

Recipes:

Chanterelle and Arugula Salad with Parmigiano and Cognac
Bruschetta with Mushrooms and Mascarpone
Mushrooms and Fennel Braised with Sweet Wine
Chanterelles Braised with String Beans and Tomatoes
Tagliatelle with Chanterelles, Dry Vermouth, and Prosciutto
Spaghetti with Roasted Pepper and Basil Purée

Several years ago, when I was in southeastern Sicily in a town called Gangi, I saw several locals traipsing through the woods hunting for mushrooms. I assumed they were gathering porcinis, and since I sadly happen to be highly allergic to porcinis, their activity struck me more as a threat than as a pleasure. But when I asked I learned that they were foraging for the pastel-orange chanterelles that Italians call finferli. They grow wild in that area. They looked very much like the fancy grocery-store chanterelles I was used to cooking, so I bravely ate some for dinner that night at a local restaurant. They were absolutely delicious simply sautéed with garlic and parsley, and I felt fine afterward. A few years later during the early fall I was in upstate New York, near Phoenicia, at an inn my husband and I have been going to for years, and the French owner told us that she’d been hunting for chanterelles in the woods all morning and had found so many she had put them on the evening menu. I was very surprised to learn that these special mushrooms grow wild only a few hours from Manhattan. After several very bad adventures in porcine eating, I’m always a little hesitant to try any wild mushroom, especially those collected by an amateur mycologist, but my memory of the wild chanterelles in Sicily gave me courage and desire. The upstate chanterelles looked identical to the ones I had tried in Sicily, but the kitchen prepared them French style, seeped in cream and cognac and finished with a flurry of tarragon; they tasted almost fruity.I went mushroom hunting for the first time this September in Duchess County, New York, near Rhinebeck, with a friend who had recently become interested in this pursuit. He showed me the cinnabar chanterelles that grew in clusters near logs in his woodsy backyard. They were about a quarter of the size of the more familiar peachy-beige chanterelles and their color was a brilliant pinky orange. They did however share the trademark chanterelle trumpet shape, and they smelled and tasted and looked very much like the larger ones. Also, they kept their bright color after cooking, though I did find their texture just a touch slippery.

I buy big peachy-beige local chanterelles from July through early fall at the Union Square Greenmarket. They’re collected by the owners of Honey Hollow Farm from the woods of Scoharie County, New York, a bit farther upstate than I usually venture. Their flavor is wonderful, gentle but musky, with a particular fruity undertone that I don’t taste in other wild mushrooms. In mid-September the Honey Hollow people start collecting local porcinis, which look wonderful, but which I don’t dare go near. You, however, can substitute porcinis for any of the recipes I give here for chanterelles .

Chanterelles need gentle cooking to become tender and to bring out their aroma. Flash cooking on high heat can leave them tough (this is also true of porcinis). I often start them in a hot pan with a mix of butter and olive oil and let them sauté about a minute. Then I’ll add wine or brandy, turn the flame to low, and let them gently simmer for about 3 or 4 minutes to cook through. They’ll start giving off some juice that will mingle with the liquor essences to produce an intense little glaze.

Since I’m deprived of porcinis, I now find chanterelle mushrooms a very special treat, and I’m always looking for new ways to prepare them. Here are a few of my recent chanterelle recipes, along with some good Italian-inspired recipes for other wild or cultivated mushrooms. I often buy big cultivated oyster mushrooms at the Greenmarket, and I also enjoy the big, woody hen of the woods. I like the taste of shittakes too, but they add a decidedly non-Italian flavor to a dish, so when I use them I often mix them with a few neutral creminis. The mushrooms in all these recipes are pretty much interchangeable, so use what you can find.

Mushrooms aside, I’ve also started hoarding last-of-the-season sweet peppers, and I love them roasted and then puréed and tossed with spaghetti. The sauce may sound luxurious, but in fact it’s simply constructed, made in a food processor. I share my recipe with you here.

Happy fall cooking.

Chanterelle and Arugula Salad with Parmigiano and Cognac

A splash of cognac, brandy, or Calvados will deepen the taste of any wild mushroom but marries especially well with chanterelles. I find that it brings out their fruity quality.

(Serves 4)

1 large bunch arugula, trimmed of tough stems
A large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, stemmed but left whole
1 shallot, very thinly sliced
A handful of lightly toasted pine nuts
12 medium chanterelles, halved
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cognac
1 small chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano

For the dressing:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
A few scrapings of nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the arugula, parsley, shallot, and pine nuts in a large salad bowl. Set up four small salad plates.

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.

In a medium skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium flame. When hot, add the chanterelles, season with salt and black pepper, and sauté a minute to bring out their flavor. Add the cognac and let it boil away. Turn the heat down a bit and let the chanterelles cook another minute or so to become tender.

Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently, and divide it up onto the four plates. Distribute the chanterelles over the salads. With a sharp vegetable peeler shave a few thin slices of Parmigiano over each salad. Serve right away.

Bruschetta with Mushrooms and Mascarpone

(Serves 4 as a first course)

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 scallions, thinly sliced, using some of the tender green
About 2 dozen mushrooms(perhaps a mix of cremini, shittake, and maybe one porcini or a few chanterelles)
1 juniper berry, ground with mortar and pestle
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, lightly chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A splash of cognac or brandy
A squeeze of lemon juice
A heaping tablespoon of mascarpone
A handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly chopped
8 slices good-quality crusty Italian bread

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. When the skillet is hot add the scallions, garlic, and mushrooms. Season with the ground juniper berry, thyme, salt, and black pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add about a tablespoon of cognac or brandy and let it boil away. Add a squeeze of lemon juice. Turn down the heat and let the mushrooms continue to cook for another 3 minutes to become tender. They should now have started to give off some liquid.

Toast the Italian bread on both sides and brush one side of each piece with olive oil.

Turn the heat off under the mushrooms and add the mascarpone and the parsley, mixing everything well. Taste to see if it needs a bit of salt, and add a few grindings of fresh black pepper.

Place the toast on a large serving platter and divide the mushroom mix up onto all the slices, making sure to distribute all the skillet juices. Serve right away.

Mushrooms and Fennel Braised with Sweet Wine

This is a highly seasoned dish to bring you into the world of fall flavors. And it’s a perfect dish for just about any type of pork preparation. It’s especially good with something simple like pork chops sautéed with only a touch of rosemary, alongside which the flavors of the mushrooms and fennel can really stand out.

(Serves 4 as a first course or a side dish)

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 medium fennel bulbs, cored and sliced
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
A small palmful of fennel seeds
A few scrapings of nutmeg
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup sweet wine, such as Muscat de Beaumes de Venise or an Italian moscata
1/2 cup low-salt canned chicken broth
About 2 dozen mixed mushrooms (such as shittakes, a few chanterelles or porcinis, and creminis)
1 large garlic clove, thinly sliced
A few small rosemary sprigs
A splash of Spanish sherry vinegar

In a casserole large enough to eventually hold all the ingredients, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the fennel and the shallots, the fennel seeds, and a few scrapings of nutmeg. Season with a little salt and black pepper and sauté until very lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add half of the sweet wine and let it boil for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth, turn the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, until the fennel is tender, about another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, heat another tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot add the mushrooms, garlic, rosemary sprigs, and a pinch of salt, and sauté about 2 minutes. Add the remaining sweet wine and let it boil for about a minute. Add the mushrooms with all their skillet juices to the casserole with the fennel, and simmer uncovered for another minute or so over medium-low heat to blend all the flavors. Add a splash of Spanish sherry vinegar (about 1/4 teaspoon). This will sharpen all the flavors and bring them into focus. The vegetables should be nice and tender and have a moist glaze all over them with just a bit of liquid at the bottom of the casserole. Give everything a stir and taste for salt, adding a bit if needed. Give the dish a few grindings of black pepper and a drizzle of fresh olive oil. Serve warm.

Chanterelles Braised with String Beans and Tomatoes

I’ve served this alongside a simple but crispy roast duck and the match was delicious. I also like it with a roast chicken or a straightforward grilled or roasted lamb dish.

(Serves 5 as a side dish)

1/2 pound string beans, trimmed
Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 thin slices pancetta, well chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
About 10 medium chanterelles, halved
A few scrapings of nutmeg
Leaves from 3 or 4 large thyme sprigs, chopped
1/4 cup dry Marsala
1 15-ounce can plum tomatoes, with the juice, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of lightly salted, boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain and run cold water over them to stop the cooking and to bring up their color. Drain well.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté until crisp. Add the garlic and the chanterelles at the same time. Season with a little salt, the nutmeg, and the thyme, and sauté until the chanterelles are just starting to get tender, about 2 minutes. add the Marsala and let it bubble for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and simmer at a lively bubble, uncovered, until the mushrooms are very tender and the sauce is reduced a bit, about four minutes. Add the string beans, give everything a good mix, and simmer for another minute or so, just to blend all the flavors. Add another little pinch of salt, a few generous grindings of black pepper, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil. Serve hot or warm.

Tagliatelle with Chantarelles, Dry Vermouth, and Prosciutto

The saltiness of the prosciutto balances the fruitiness of the chanterelles, and the chanterelles seem to bring out the sweetness of the prosciutto, so in my opinion, this creates a very fine marriage of flavors, in a really simple but elegant pasta dish.

(Serves 6 as a first course)

Salt
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
About 15 medium Chanterelles, cut in half (quartered if they’re large)
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3/4 cup low-salt canned chicken broth
1 pound fresh tagliatelle
4 very thin slices Italian prosciutto, chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
A large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly chopped
A chunk of Grana Padano cheese for grating

Set up a large pot of pasta cooking water. Add a generous amount of salt and bring it to a boil.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter over medium flame. When hot, add the shallots, and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the chanterelles, season with a little salt, and sauté for about 2 minutes, to bring out their flavor. Add the vermouth, and let it bubble until almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth, lower the heat a little, and let this simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes.

Spaghetti with Roasted Pepper and Basil Purée

I’ve been finding beautifully gnarled, red sweet peppers at my Greenmarket so far this fall. Here’s one of the things I’ve been doing with them. I generally use a mix of bright red or even the dark red-wine-colored bell peppers, and a few long, red Italian frying peppers, which are quite sweet.

(Serves 5 as a first course)

7 very ripe, sweet red peppers
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
A very small pinch of ground clove
A pinch of sugar
Leaves from a few sprigs of thyme, chopped
Salt
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
The zest from 1/2 lemon
1 pound spaghetti
A large chunk of Grana Padano cheese
12 basil leaves, cut into thin strips
Freshly ground black pepper

Place the peppers on a sheet pan and place the pan under a broiler, turning the peppers often until they’re charred all over. Peel and seed them and cut them into large chunks.

In a large skillet, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and the butter over medium flame. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, the roasted peppers, the pinch of clove, sugar, thyme, and a sprinkling of salt, and sauté until everything is soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and let it boil for about a minute. Add the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered, for another 2 minutes, just to blend all the flavors. Pour everything into the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth.

Pour the purée back into the skillet and add the lemon zest.

Cook the spaghetti al dente; drain it, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water; and add the spaghetti to the skillet. Add a few grindings of black pepper, a pinch more salt, and a drizzle of fresh olive oil, and toss over low heat for about 30 seconds. Pour the spaghetti into a large, warmed serving bowl. Add the basil and grate in about a heaping tablespoon of the Grana Padano. Toss gently, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta cooking water if necessary for a nice creamy consistency. Serve hot with the remaining chunk of Grana Padano brought to the table.

Italian Sausages with Grilled Grapes and Rosemary
Grilled Zucchini a Scapece
Potato Salad with Summer Garlic
Cantaloupe with Sweet Marsala

Italian Sausages with Grilled Grapes and Rosemary

Buy two or three Italian pork sausages per person. Place them on a medium grill about 3 or 4 inches from the flame, and grill them, turning them several times, until they’re browned all over and cooked through, about 10 minutes. While the sausages are grilling, place a large handful of seedless red grapes, a few small sprigs of chopped rosemary, a drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and a few grindings of black pepper on a large piece of aluminum foil. Close up the foil, and place the package on a low-heat area of the grill. Heat just until the grapes are fragrant and starting to soften but not fall apart, about 4 minutes. Place the sausages on a serving platter, and pour the grapes on top, along with any juices they’ve thrown off. Serve hot.

Grilled Zucchini a Scapece

The Sicilian term a scapece refers to a method of cooking where you sauté something, usually a vegetable, and then marinate it in vinegar, garlic, mint, or basil, or sometimes hot chilies. You then serve it at room temperature. For a grilled version, cut 4 medium-sized zucchini horizontally into approximately 1/4-inch slices (you want long, thin strips), brush them with olive oil, and grill them on a low area of the fire just until grill marks appear, turning once, about 2 minutes per side. Lay the slices on a platter. Sprinkle them with a bit of chopped fresh garlic, salt, and black pepper. Drizzle on a bit of good white wine or champagne vinegar (not more than about 1/2 teaspoon), and add a drizzle of fresh olive oil. Scatter on chopped mint leaves. Let the dish sit for about 15 minutes before serving, so it can develop flavor.

Potato Salad with Summer Garlic

I often wrap little new potatoes or fingerlings in aluminum foil and throw them on the grill, but making a simple potato salad with fresh herbs and summer garlic is easy enough too, and I love that. What you want to do is cut about 1 1/2 pounds or so of small potatoes in half and place them in a pot of warm water with a generous amount of salt. Put the pot on the hottest part of the grill and bring it to a boil. Cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain very well, and place the potatoes in a serving bowl. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of white wine over the potatoes and give them a toss. Let them sit for a few minutes, soaking up the wine. Place a heaping tablespoon of bottled mayonnaise into a small bowl, along with about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Add a finely minced summer garlic clove and a thinly sliced shallot. Now slowly drizzle in about a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil, whisking to blend it well (it’s amazing how a bit of good olive oil can make jarred mayonnaise taste like homemade). Season with salt and black pepper. Add a few chopped sprigs each of flat-leaf parsley and tarragon, and mix everything well. Pour this over the potatoes and toss. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cantaloupe with Sweet Marsala

Here’s an amazing flavor combination I learned about in Sicily. Take a ripe summer cantaloupe, seed it, and cut it into small cubes (you can use a melon baller if you have one). Place the cantaloupe in a serving bowl, and pour on about 1/2 cup of sweet Marsala. Toss and let sit for a few minutes to develop flavor before serving. Garnish with mint sprigs, if you like.

Lamb Spiedini with Peppers, Savory, and Ricotta Salata on Herb Salad
Grilled Eggplant Salad
Grilled Plums with Grappa and Mascarpone

Lamb Spiedini with Peppers, Savory, and Ricotta Salata on Herb Salad

Leg of lamb is perfect for grilling. It is tender and cooks quickly. You can grill a large, boneless piece or cut it into chunks for kebabs. For this dish, take about 2 pounds of boneless leg of lamb and cut it into approximately 2-inch chunks. Skewer them on four long skewers, alternating them with pieces of green bell pepper and sweet onion (Vidalia, for instance). Lay these spiedini (spiedini is Italian for shish kebab) on a platter, drizzle them with olive oil, and give them a splash of red wine. Grate on some lemon zest, and sprinkle on a few chopped sprigs of summer savory. Sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar over the spiedini (this will help them brown), and let them marinate for about 1/2 hour before cooking.

Grill the spiedini over medium heat about 3 or 4 inches from the coals. Season them with salt and black pepper as you turn them. You want a nice browned crust all around, but the middle should still be pink (aim for medium rare). About 10 to 12 minutes of grilling should do it.

While the spiedini are grilling, place a large bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, a smaller amount of basil leaves, and a few mint leaves or some tarragon on a large platter. You want enough whole herb leaves to make a nice bed for the spiedini. Dress with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Place the spiedini on top, and scatter crumbled ricotta salata over the top of everything. Serve right away.

Grilled Eggplant Salad

Choose eggplants that are long and on the thin side. Coat three medium eggplants with olive oil and place them on a medium-low grill about 3 to 4 inches from the coals. Grill them slowly, turning them often, until they’re charred all over and soft through when poked with a knife. This should take about 20 minutes. At the same time grill a red bell pepper and a jalapeño pepper until charred all over. Skin the peppers and the eggplants, removing as much black as possible. Chop the peppers into small bits, and place them along with the eggplant in a serving bowl. Add a dollop of yogurt, a minced shallot, a minced garlic clove, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice, a tiny drizzle of honey, and a pinch of cinnamon. Add about a tablespoon of fresh olive oil and a few chopped mint and parsley leaves, and mix everything together. Serve with pita bread that you’ve lightly toasted on the grill.

Grilled Plums with Grappa and Mascarpone

Halve about 2 plums per person and remove their pits. Place them in a bowl, and add a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of grappa, and a tablespoon of sugar. Toss. Place the plums, cut side down, on a low grill, preferably a clean part where no meat was cooked. Grill slowly until grill marks appear and the fruit feels just slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Place the plums on a platter, sprinkle with a bit more grappa, and fill each plum with a dollop of mascarpone. Garnish with mint or basil sprigs. Eat hot.

Tuna Spiedini with a Fennel Marinade
Green Tomato Salad with Mozzarella, Pine Nuts, and Basil
Grilled Corn on the Cob
Peaches with Red Wine

Tuna Spiedini with a Fennel Marinade

Take about 2 pounds of thick tuna steak and cut it into approximately 2-inch chunks. Thread them onto 4 long skewers, alternating with chunks of red onion, bulb fennel, and lemon slices. Lay the skewers on a platter. Sprinkle them with fennel seeds, olive oil, and a splash of Pernod or another pastis. Turn them around a few times to distribute all the ingredients. Cover and let sit for about 1/2 hour to develop flavor.

Grill the spiedini (spiedini is the Italian word for shish kebab) over medium heat, about 4 inches from the flame, turning them once or twice and seasoning them with salt and black pepper as you grill them. About 4 or 5 minutes of total grilling should do it (you’ll want to leave the fish pink at the center). Place the spiedini on a serving platter, and drizzle on some fresh olive oil and a tiny splash more of pastis. Garnish with chervil or a few sprigs of tarragon. Serve hot. I’d choose a medium-bodied, slightly acidic red wine to serve with this. Try a Cerasuola di Vittoria from Sicily.

Green Tomato Salad with Mozzarella, Pine Nuts, and Basil

You can toast pine nuts on the low-heat area of your grill if you lay them out on a sheet of aluminum foil, but keep a close eye on them, as they can go from creamy white to black in a matter of seconds. I’d just use them raw. Take about 3 green tomatoes and slice them into thin rounds (I like them when they’re slightly tinged with red). Slice a small ball of mozzarella. Alternate slices of both, along with basil leaves, on a serving platter. Top with the pine nuts, drizzle on your best olive oil, and give it all a sprinkle of sea salt. Garnish with a few chopped chives, if you like. I think this salad is best without black pepper, so you can appreciate its creamy and sour notes in their pure form.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Select about two ears per person, and pull the corn’s husk back, leaving it still attached at the base. Now pull out as much of the corn silk as possible. Drizzle the ears with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Then pull the husk back up, to cover the ears as much as possible. Twist the top of the husk so it closes. Dunk the husks in water for a few seconds, and then throw them on a slow grill, letting them steam-grill and turning them every few minutes, until they are hot and tender. This will probably take about 10 minutes of grilling in all.

Peaches with Red Wine

Here’s a backyard barbecue dish from my childhood. My father always made it with an acidy Chianti wine, but if you choose the Cerasuola di Vittoria I suggest with this meal, that will do perfectly. All you need to do is slice a few peaches into thick wedges and place them in a large bowl. Pour in enough red wine to cover them about halfway. Toss a few times and serve.

Grill-Roasted Black Olives with Garlic and Thyme
Grilled Calamari with Pomodoro Crudo and Couscous
Grilled Figs with Caciocavallo

Grill-Roasted Black Olives with Garlic and Thyme

Pile a few handfuls of whole black olives onto a large piece of aluminum foil (Gaeta or Niçoise are good choices for this). Drizzle with olive oil, add two or three peeled, whole garlic cloves, the leaves from a few thyme sprigs, a few small pieces of lemon peel, and a grinding or two of black pepper. Mix everything well with your hands and close up the foil. Put the package on the slow part of the grill until the olives smell fragrant, about 5 minutes. Open up the package and eat warm.

Grilled Calamari with Pomodoro Crudo and Couscous

Couscous is an easy way to round out a barbecue, for the quick-cooking variety actually needs no cooking at all. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of couscous into a serving bowl. Pour 2 cups of low-salt chicken broth into a small saucepan, and put it on the fire. Add a drizzle of olive oil, a large lump of butter, a bay leaf, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg, and a generous pinch of salt. Let this come to a boil, and then pour it over the couscous. Cover the bowl and let it sit for about 20 minutes, so the couscous absorbs all the liquid. Now fluff the couscous with a fork, adding a handful of pine nuts and some chopped parsley.

To make the pomodoro crudo, or raw tomato sauce, chop 3 ripe summer tomatoes and let them drain in a colander for about 20 minutes. Pour them into a large serving bowl. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil, a small amount of minced summer garlic, a small, minced fresh chili, a few chopped marjoram sprigs, salt, and the zest from 1/2 a lemon. Mix everything together, and let it sit while you cook the squid. You’ll need about 2 pounds of cleaned squid, left whole, the tentacles detached. Chose squid that’s on the small size; it will be more tender. Toss the squid in olive oil and season it with salt. Grill it over a hot but not flaming fire until good grill marks appear. Turn and grill the other side. The squid will take only about 3 or 4 minutes. When it’s opaque, with good grill marks, it is done (if you cook it any longer, it’ll get tough). Slice it into thick rings, and drop it, along with the grilled tentacles, into the tomatoes. Add a handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley and toss everything quickly. Serve right away, with the couscous. I’d make a green salad to go with this as well.

Grilled Figs with Caciocavallo

Take about 8 ripe figs, either green-skinned or purple-skinned, and cut them in half lengthwise. Coat them lightly with olive oil and stick them, cut side down, on a slow part of the grill (try to find an area free of any remains of squid). Grill until you see light grill marks, about 2 to 3 minutes. Line a serving platter with thin slices of Caciocavallo cheese (look for Caciocavallo Ragusano, from Sicily). Place the figs on top of the cheese, grilled side up, give everything a few grindings of fresh black pepper, and garnish with mint leaves, if you like. Serve right away.

Ricotta with Black Olives and Thyme
Bruschetta
Avocado, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Anchovies
Skillet-Grilled Mussels with White Wine, Tarragon, and Shallots
Strawberries with White Wine and Vanilla

Ricotta with Black Olives and Thyme

Drain about a cup of whole-milk ricotta in a colander for a few minutes to get rid of excess water, and then put the ricotta in a shallow bowl. Scatter black olives all around it (Gaeta are a good choice), drizzle it with extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with a mix of chopped flat-leaf parsley and a smaller amount of fresh thyme. Give everything a sprinkle of sea salt and a few grindings of fresh black pepper. Serve with bruschetta (see right below).

Bruschetta

Classic Italian bruschetta is simply grilled bread slices brushed with olive oil. It makes a great accompaniment for the mussels and also a very nice one for the ricotta. Cut half-inch-thick slices of good Italian bread and place them on a slow part of the grill. When grill marks appear, turn and grill the other side. Pull the slices from the grill and brush them with extra-virgin olive oil. Season with sea salt and a little freshly chopped parsley.

Avocado, Tomato, and Red Onion Salad with Anchovies

Line a serving platter with arugula leaves. Slice a ripe Hass avocado and arrange the slices on top of the arugula. Slice a large summer tomato and arrange the slices on top of the avocado. Scatter on a few anchovy fillets and a few very thin slices of red onion. In a small bowl mix together a dressing of extra-virgin olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Add a crushed garlic clove and a pinch of sea salt, and mix again for a few seconds. Pour this over the salad and serve right away.

Skillet-Grilled Mussels with White Wine, Tarragon, and Shallots

When I remember to bring a large skillet to the country with me, I like to fill it with clams or mussels and let them open up on the grill. It’s much easier than cooking the shellfish directly on the grill rack, where they wind up loosing juices, yet they still pick up a slight smoky taste. Choose a large straight-sided skillet (one with enough rim to catch all the mussel juices), and place it on the grill. Medium to high heat is best for this. Add a generous amount of olive oil to the skillet and let it heat for a few seconds. Add three sliced shallots and let them sauté for a minute, just to start them softening. Add 2 pounds of cleaned mussels (I always buy cultivated ones for this, so I don’t have to debeard them and worry too much about dirt; a brief soaking in a pot of cold water is all they need). Add about 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter and a small wineglass of dry white wine (Orvieto is a good wine to drink with mussels and also to cook them in). Stir the mussels around so they can heat evenly. When they start to steam, cover them loosely, either with a skillet lid or a piece of aluminum foil. Let them cook a few minutes more, then uncover and stir them around again. They should start opening after about 5 minutes. When they’ve all opened, take the skillet from the fire, and add a few large sprigs of chopped tarragon and a few sprigs of chopped flat-leaf parsley. Add a little sea salt and a more generous amount of black pepper. Give everything a toss. Ladle the mussels and broth directly from the skillet into serving bowls.

Strawberries with White Wine and Vanilla

Take about a cup of the white wine you’re drinking with the mussels, and pour it into a small saucepan. Place this on a hot spot on the fire. Open a small piece of vanilla bean lengthwise and drop it into the wine, along with about 2 tablespoons of sugar and a piece of lemon peel. Let this boil and reduce to about 1/4 cup of liquid. Take it off the fire and let it cool for a few minutes. Meanwhile hull, but otherwise leave whole, a pint of sweet local strawberries. Place the strawberries in a serving bowl, and pour the warm wine syrup on top. Toss a few times, and then let sit for about 15 minutes. You’ll now have strawberries with a sweet, bright-pink, winy syrup. Add a few mint leaves if you like.