Cook Here and Now

From our December dinner: Duxelles

Buonasera,
this is from Heather.
Enjoy,
Marco Flavio

Duxelles
Duxelles is a mixture of minced mushrooms with other good stuff.  For our dinner I folded it into phyllo triangles, but it is excellent with eggs, chicken (stuff breasts with brie and duxelles), stirred into soup, used with cream to make a sauce, just smeared on bread etc etc etc.  It freezes well.

Ingredients
2 oz dried porcini
1 c. Madeira
2 1/2 - 3 lbs Cremini mushrooms
1 stick butter
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 T fresh
salt, to taste
pinch nutmeg
black pepper, to taste
1/2 finely chopped parsley

Soak dried mushrooms in Madeira for at least 1 hour before starting.
Clean the fresh mushrooms and mince in a food processor -- this must be done in many batches.  Melt butter in very large skillet, add chopped shallots and onions and cook until soft.
Add fresh minced mushrooms. Lift dried mushrooms from sherry and grind in food processor -- add sherry if necessary to thin then add wild mushrooms and all of the sherry to skillet.  Add salt, nutmeg and pepper, and if using dried thyme, add now.
Cook mixture on low heat until mixture is reduced and thickened and starts to dry, about 40 minutes.
At end, stir frequently to ensure mixture does not scorch. Remove from heat into a bowl to stop cooking.
Add parsley. If using fresh thyme, add it here.

From our November dinner:Artichoke Parmesan Phyllo Cups

Buongiorno.
Thank you all again for making yesterday's dinner so well attended and delicious! This recipe is  Samsara's contribution to November's dinner. She also contributed another phyllo entree: Phyllo-wrapped wild-caught salmon with leeks and red bell peppers.
As you know, if you'd like to share your recipes (please do!) from our jointly-cooked dinners, just email them to me.

Again, thank you all so much, and special thanks to our gracious host Jeremy.
Grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

Artichoke Parmesan Phyllo Cups
They look gourmet ... but they're so easy to prepare. Simply use packaged phyllo cups from the supermarket. Makes 30 appetizers.

Ingredients
3 (6-ounce) jars marinated artichoke hearts, drained
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt or to taste
1  teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 (I5-count) packages mini phyllo dough shells
1 carrot, cut for garnish
Fresh thyme for garnish

Combine artichoke hearts, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, garlic salt and lemon juice in a food processor or blender. Pulse 4 times or until artichokes are finely chopped. Add cream cheese and process until combined.

Fill each mini phyllo shell with the artichoke mixture and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Arrange the phyllo cups on Serving Plate then garnish with carrot bits and thyme.

Another kind of pumpkin: Afghani kaddo bowrani

Buongiorno.
Thanks for making the November dinner such a success! As I receive the recipes from the participants, I'll be posting them here, so watch for them. And if you participated: Send in those recipes if you wish to share them.

Here's the first one from our fabulous host, Jeremy.
Grazie mille,
Marco Flavio
 

Afghani kaddo bowrani

Pumpkin
two 2 to 2.5 pound sugar pumpkins (they taste the best)
1 cup sugar

Yogurt sauce
1 cup plain yogurt
3 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
Salt & pepper to taste

Meat sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
4 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup tomato sauce or pureed whole tomatoes
1/2 cup water

Set the oven at 350.

Cut the pumpkin into quarters. Remove seeds and strings, peel the skin with a vegetable peeler, and cut down into about 3-4-inch pieces.

Transfer pumpkin to a roasting pan that has been sprayed with Pam.  Sprinkle sugar over pumpkin. Cover [with foil if using a roasting pan] and bake for 3 1/2 hours, or until tender and almost translucent.

Yes, this is a lot of sugar, but it tastes great. Get over it.

While the pumpkin is baking, make the yogurt sauce and the meat sauce.

Yogurt sauce: mix together yogurt with garlic and mint in a bowl; season to taste with salt & pepper.

Meat sauce: in a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the onions until lightly browned. Add ground beef, the second clove of crushed garlic, and salt & pepper. Mix well and cook until beef is browned. Add tomato sauce and water, mix thoroughly and bring to a simmer, lower heat, and cook about 20 minutes until it cooks down to a thick sauce.

To serve: spoon yogurt sauce onto dinner plates, add a portion of the cooked pumpkin, and top with meat sauce. Serves 8.

You have to eat all three things together- the sweet pumkin along with the savory yogurt and meat sauce. Enjoy!

This recipe makes enough for 20 as appetizer or 12 as a main course.

Babejan: Sweet and sour eggplant stew

Buonasera.
This recipe from our September 17th dinner comes from Benny Zadik. He has sent it to us from his father Moti's website, a collection of recipes and anecdotes drawing from Moti's Jewish-Iraqi heritage, his love of hot Mexican food, and herbs from East Asia — all spiced with his friendly, outspoken commentary. Ahh... a kindred soul. So go check out his site, you'll learn something.

And for the dinner participants: We'd all like to have your recipe, so get on that computer and send it in.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Babenjan (Sweet & Sour Eggplant stew)

Try This recipe serves 3-4 people.
There are lots of egglplants out there and many ways to cook them. I think the Japanese ones, which are small and flavorful, work best.

Ingredients                      

6-10 pound of Japanese eggplants

1 16oz can whole peeled tomatoes                      

1 small onion, diced

3 cloves garlic

1 Tbs lemon juice (or citric acid)

Sugar or sweetener to taste

Olive oil for frying

1 stick lemongrass and/or 2 kefir lime leaves (optional)

Spices: cinnamon, tumeric, black pepper, salt, etc. to taste


This is a  delicious stew, not unlike the bamia dish. However, the whole tomatoes and tumeric give it a different flavor and consistency.        

This is what I do: that I make is as follows: In a large pot sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil. Cook until yellow, and then add one pound okra (cut in half, or smaller if bigger then 2").                 

Add salt, pinch black pepper, 1-2 teaspoons of tumeric, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Stir, and now add the tomatoes. The best canned tomatoes, by the way, always come from Italy. If you can get San Marzano tomatoes (available at Whole Foods and other nice supermarkets), it tastes that much better! If you happen to have lemongrass and kefir lime leaves on hand, toss them in. They will really bring out a much more fragrant lemon flavor to the dish!

Add  lemon juice and sugar to taste. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, using as much oil as necessary fry the eggplants, flipping once. If you use a larger kind of eggplant, you'll have to cut them in slices first. This is another reason why the Japanese eggplants work really well in this recipe. Remove from the pan and add a little sea salt. Next place the cooked eggplant into your tomato stew and cover and simmer for 15 more minutes to let the spices soak in.

You can enjoy this stew as a main dish or as a starter soup. Garnish with cilantro for a special touch!

Best of luck,            

Moti                                            

Pizza Margherita: Justice is served.

Buonasera.
This is the sequel to my previous post: Thin pizza crust: The Roman way.
To make the dough for this pizza, start there.

This post will cover one of our most famous pizzas: Pizza Margherita.

The name comes from the Italian Queen Margherita of Savoia, wife (and cousin... yes, you read that right) of Umberto I, one of our most controversial kings. A Neapolitan pizzaiolo (pizza-maker) made the pizzas as a tribute for the royal couple, and the one with the 3 colors of the Italian flag (red tomato sauce, white mozzarella and green basil) was so liked by the queen, he named it after her. The irony here is Umberto I is also known for the 1898 bread riots in Milan. When a general opened fire with cannons on the demonstrators, Umberto I decorated him. So that patriotic pizza was made with a special ingredient: fear.

King Umberto I fought in the third Italian war of Independence (it took us a while, we weren't that effective). But when he was elected king, he allied himself with Austria and Germany, our former enemies and masters, and began a rather repressive regime in Italy at the end of the 1800s. He expanded the Italian colonies in Ethiopia and central Africa, and as a result of his domestic and foreign politics, he was the only king to be assassinated after Italy's unification (by an Italian-American anarchist).

To me this pizza is a reminder that justice, like a delicious meal, will be served in due course.

Buon appetito — and don't forget to share.
Marco Flavio

Pizza Margherita

Ingredients

1 recipe of Roman pizza dough, out of the refrigerator for 2 hours. Makes 4 pizzas.

1 2-lbs can of Muir Glen organic tomato sauce, or 2 lbs of homemade tomato sauce. If you are going to use canned peeled tomatoes, drain them first through a colander, and chop them finely.

1 lb fresh mozzarella, diced in small cubes (Do NOT use a cheese grater, as the pressure of passing it through even the larger holes will change its texture, and it will not make the lovely melted mozzarella puddles on the tomato sauce.)

1 cup of basil leaves (fresh and fragrant)

Salt and pepper

Extra-virgin olive oil (use the best you have, we’re going for flavor here.)

Finely chopped garlic

Extra flour

Necessary tools

A pizza stone

It would be very useful to have a peel. Otherwise, use an edgeless baking sheet.

A rolling pin

Directions
Divide the dough in 4 equal balls and set them aside, covered with a kitchen towel.

Preheat the oven to 500F with your baking stone on the bottom oven rack for about an hour, and no less than 30 minutes (in case you forget, I know how these things go...).

Take one ball of dough, sprinkle some flour on the peel, center the dough on it and with the rolling pin, pushing always in one direction (don't go back and forth, it won't work) start rolling the dough flat. Add flour as needed; it shouldn't be sticky. As you push the dough with the rolling pin, turn the dough 1/4 turn. Then roll again, keep doing it until it's approximately a 12" circle and 1/16 of an inch thick (like a vinyl LP record, if you remember them). Always make sure it's not sticking to the peel. Add flour under it, if needed; it should slide on the peel freely.

If you don’t have a peel, use an edgeless baking sheet. It'll work in a pinch.

Spread the tomato sauce with a spoon, and use the back of the spoon in with circular motions, touching the surface of the pizza with it to spread the sauce.

Do not soak the dough. The layer of sauce should be fairly transparent. With such a thin crust, if you put too much sauce it’ll become soggy.

Add 1/4 of the mozzarella (more if you like).

Scatter a few of the basil leaves on top of it.

Sprinkle with the garlic, salt and pepper.

Finally, top it with the fragrant Extra-virgin olive oil. We’re going for flavor, so don't use the cheap stuff.

Slide the pizza off the peel/baking sheet and onto the preheated baking stone in a 500F oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until crust is browned and cheese has melted.

Slide the peel under the pizza to remove it from the baking stone. Place it on a cutting board, slice, and devour immediately. Repeat with remaining dough balls for the next pizzas.

Buon appetito!
Marco Flavio

Thanks for all the fish: Phyllo-wrapped wild-caught salmon with leeks and red bell peppers

Buongiorno.
What an exhilarating evening it was! Thank you all for coming and cooking here and now with us. It was truly rewarding and wonderful to see everybody there, see dishes being made, and sharing the jointly-made dinner with new friends. Some photos have been posted on flickr by Cook Here and Now participant Mini Kahlon. Go ahead and check them out!

Now as requested, I'm sending out a call for your recipes. I'd like to post them so that we can make these dishes at home. The idea is to learn, get inspired, and try the new and different. Our dinner was a remarkable example of that: Our wild-caught salmon dishes ranged from Dan's delicately smoked coho to Mini's kick-in-the-pants Bengali mustard salmon.

So send them over to me when you get a chance. It's OK if you take your time. I'll post 2 or 3 recipes per week, as I get them, so that they can always be accessible here on the blog.

Again, thank you all so much, and special thanks to our gracious host Jeremy.
Grazie mille,
Marco Flavio

This first recipe from our dinner is from Samsara. Grazie.

Phyllo-wrapped wild-caught salmon with leeks and red bell peppers

This recipe can be prepared 6 hours ahead.
Refrigerate and bake as needed. Serves 6.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter

4 cups red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks size strips

1 large leeks, (white and pale green) cut into matchstick size strips

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon salt

12 sheets phyllo sheets

6 5-ounce skinless and boneless salmon fillets

Preparation

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add bell peppers and leek and sauté until leek is tender, about 5 minutes. Add wine and crushed red pepper to skillet. Simmer until liquid evaporates.
Transfer vegetable mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the basil and salt.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Brush with some melted butter. Top with a second phyllo sheet; brush with melted butter. Place 1 salmon fillet crosswise on phyllo sheet. Top salmon fillet with a heaping tablespoon of the vegetable mixture. Fold sides of phyllo and roll salmon to enclose in pastry, forming a rectangular packet.
Transfer to a heavy large baking sheet, vegetable side up. Brush packet with melted butter.
Repeat the same process with remaining phyllo sheets, salmon and vegetables.
Bake salmon until pastry is pale golden and salmon is cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Thin pizza crust: The Roman way.

Buongiorno.
Of all the pizzas in the world, this one catapults my memories to bustling pizzerias back home in Trastevere, Rome. Loudly shouted demands for brick-oven-birthed pizza, shiny paper tablecloths, gutsy deep-red house wine and the warmth and din of other revelers all around you … people you never met, but recognize as that chaotic, energetic, sassy crowd that makes Romans feel so at home, so alive. The crowd is the secret ingredient that transforms a good dinner into a memory. And that’s not unique to Romans, right?

When I was growing up, there was no Cantonese, sushi, burritos or even deep-dish pizza to be had. There was only our pizza: Roman, thin-crust, cooked in a wood-fired brick oven and lightly topped with your choice of savory tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella, same-day-picked zucchini blossoms and lightly salted anchovies, or porcini mushrooms and dry-cured prosciutto. (Mmmm…thank you, Mr. Pig.) And no, I never felt deprived. I loved it. Flavors so overwhelming to the senses, they possessed the capacity to embed themselves in your memory and leave you lusting for them for decades to come. I looked forward to it every single time. At age 8, I recall asking my mother for a whole month, "When are we going out for pizza?" until finally she replied in exasperation: "Tonight." (It's still one of my fondest childhood memories.)

In Italy, Rome and Naples compete for bragging rights to the best pizza. As a Roman, I must admit Neapolitan pizza is not bad... edible at the very least. Knock yourself out. Woo-hoo. (Perdonami, Ilaria.) It's a different style, with a larger cornicione (the edge of the pizza, rather thick in a Neapolitan pizza) and a softer, more bread-like consistency. Either has its advocates. There'll never be a consensus who makes the best kind, like crowning the best burrito place in San Francisco. I have to give Neapolitans credit for bringing pizza to the States, and for having the good manners to return to the New World the favor of gifting Europe the tomato.
Roman pizza crust is thin and crunchy but never, ever hard to chew or like a cracker. When you bite into it it will have a little of the softness of bread, counterbalanced by a crisp bottom, and the whole thing should almost melt in your mouth.  Cooking it in a pan will not allow the dough to release moisture, leaving it thin and soggy. Cook yours in the now ubiquitous and inexpensive pizza stones, which absorb moisture throughout the cooking process and guarantee crispness.

Roman thin-crust pizza dough recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups pastry flour (very important for its final consistency)

1/4 cup semolina flour (this helps with making it crisp)

1 teaspoon instant yeast (or 1 and 1/4 teaspoon dry-yeast)

1 3/4 teaspoons sea salt

1 3/4 cups plus a couple of tablespoons of water (do not use distilled, purified water, since you’ll need some of the mineral salts present in water to add to the flavor; Roman water is extremely mineral-rich)

Directions:

If using dry yeast, dissolve it in a large mixing bowl with the warm water and wait five minutes. Mix in the rest of the ingredients.

If you’re using an electric mixer, mix with the dough hook for about 4-5 minutes, until the flour gathers into a coarse ball. Let the dough rest for 5 minutes, then mix again for 2 to 3 minutes. It should clear the sides of the bowl and be just a tad sticky, like used tape. If it’s too sticky, add a little bit of flour, a tablespoon at a time and mix a bit more; if too stiff, add a tablespoon of water and mix it in. Do not knead the dough too much, as this might overdevelop the gluten network, making the dough too chewy for Roman pizza. This is very important and something to watch out for, especially with an electric mixer.

If mixing by hand, knead for about 4-5 minutes until the dough stiffens, and add a bit of flour or water, depending on need. Don't add too much flour; the dough needs to stay a little wet and supple.

Once the dough becomes a little stiff and comes together, let it sit covered with a damp cloth for 5 minutes, then knead again for 2-3 minutes. Again, very important: Do not overknead.

Once the dough feels ready, soft, slightly wet and supple, shape it into a ball. Grease a bowl with a couple of teaspoons of olive oil, place the dough in it, roll it so it gets coated with the olive oil, then cover with plastic wrap. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then place it in the refrigerator overnight, so that the yeast can do its magic and extract all the flavor from the flour. If you need to use it the same day, let it sit out for a couple of hours, then refrigerate it for a couple of hours, and take it out and shape it 2 hours before you will need to cook it. Make it in the morning for use at dinner.

If you used the flavor-enhancing overnight method, take it out a couple of hours before kneading it to let it come back to room temperature and revive the yeast. The dough is now ready to be shaped, topped and cooked.

For Part II: Topping and Cooking go here.

Enjoy!
Marco Flavio

 

Risotto cooked in Spumante with summer squash, zucchini and basil

Buongiorno.
I know. You are also happy it's summer. Even in San Francisco, where the sun is as elusive as a sane ad on Craigslist's personals. But it is and those summer squash looked amazing this weekend. How could I resist?
This recipe is based on my Risotto. Start Here. post so use that as a guideline. As always, if you make it let me know how you liked it.

Ingredients:

All the ingredients from the Risotto. Start Here. post plus:

2 Tbs butter or Extra Virgin olive oil

3/4 lb. zucchini, diced

3/4 lb. summer squash, diced

2 cups of Italian Spumante or California sparkling wine.
Warm, NOT out of the fridge.

1 cup of basil leaves

1/4 cup of heavy cream (optional)


How do I do it?
You make the standard risotto recipe, but when you are cooking the onion at the beginning you also add the extra butter and the diced vegetables. When you are supposed to add the wine use 3/4 of a cup of the Spumante instead.
Half-way through the cooking use the remaining spumante to cook the rice as you would use the broth. It will impart a sweet and tangy flavor to the risotto, complemented by the zucchini and the squash and offset by the basil at the end.
Only when the risotto is cooked you add the basil as a garnish or tossed in right before serving. The oils from basil are very sensitive to heat. If you cook them too much, they will lose their aroma very quickly.

If you are using the squash in the photo, before dicing them slice their very top off and use it as a garnish. Even the eye gets its fill.
Have a fantastic dinner and serve with the remaining Spumante or sparkling wine.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Risotto. Start here.

This is the dish you need to have under your belt to earn your Italian cooking credentials. Until then you will always be a dabbler. I know it, you know it. Once you have this down you can say buon appetito and mean it. The variations are endless and one pot serves 6 people.
The photo is of my Summer squash, zucchini and basil risotto cooked in Spumante, you will get the recipe in a couple of days... I promise.

What rice do I buy?
Italian rice is cultivated to have specific qualities that create the creamy texture of risotto.
The creaminess comes from the layer of starch that surrounds the kernel. For this reason, never rinse Italian rice.
The right temperature and method of cooking dissolves this starch creating the effect we have come to covet. It's not the butter or oil or cheese that do that (well, ok, they do help).
Arborio is the most readily available (Trader Joe's carries it). Other better but hard-to-find options are Carnaroli or Vialone Nano. Use only these kinds if you want a real risotto.

What pot do I use?
You will need a 5-6 quart heavy bottomed pot. A Le Creuset 5.5 quart is ideal (it also looks great on the table, mine is obviously flame-red) but an excellent alternative is any pot that distributes heat slowly and in a diffused manner. One of the many stainless steel pots with a thick aluminum disk at the bottom (like All-Clad, Calphalon or Cuisinart Chef's Classic) will do the job just fine. We used to use a copper pot back home.

What ingredients do I need?

1 medium onion

salt and pepper (freshly ground, please)

1/4 cup of olive oil or 4Tbs of butter

1 lb of Italian rice

2 quarts (depending on the rice) of  stock, homemade if possible. You have the chance to add a lot of flavor here; don't underestimate the stock in risotto.
Vegetable or chicken stock works best, depending on the recipe. Beef is too strong.

3/4 Cup of dry white whine. Warm, NOT out of the fridge. If the wine is too cold it will shock the rice and leave you with a hard kernel at the center in the end. (Sauvignon Blanc works well, Chardonnay is a bit too buttery, not tangy enough. If that's what you have, go for it.)

1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese. (Not Pecorino, it is too pungent.)

How do I do it?
The process is similar for most risotti:
Place a minced medium onion and a 1/4 cup of olive oil (I am a southerner, therefore I don't use butter in it) in the pot over a low flame. You can use 2 Tbs of oil, and 3 of butter. That also works very well, especially for spring vegetable, saffron or mushroom risotti.
Once the onion is soft (not brown), add the rice and toast it with no liquid for 5-7 minutes stirring constantly so it does not burn or stick. The kernels should look translucent; their edges will look almost transparent and milky. This is very important for its final consistency. If you add the liquid right away and cook it, it will eventually became soggy and offer no bite. It must be toasted.

Now add the warm wine and let the rice absorb it, always stirring.
Once the wine has been absorbed, start ladling the stock in 1/2 a cup at a time (eyeball it, please! No measuring). The rice needs to cook in liquid mantaining a steady simmer (adjust flame). Not too much or too little of it and it must to be stirred constantly with a wooden or plastic (ack!) spoon. Metal might damage the kernels (I know, I know, so much to think about. But really, it's not that bad).

The idea is to have enough liquid for it to be stirred comfortably (about 2/3 covered) but not be completely submerged. You should always see about an inch of liquid at the bottom when you stir. If you see the bottom of the pot, it's too dry. As it absorbs water, add enough for 2/3 of the rice to be in liquid. If you run out of stock, warm water can finish the job. Add broth until barely al dente, about 20-25 minutes. If you like it firm, stop adding broth and let it finish cooking on the dry side. If you like yours more wet in the Venetian style we call All'Onda (Wave-style), add some more broth.

Once cooked, this is when you add the Parmigiano and a Tbs or 2 of butter and you do the mantecato (stir it in after cooking). If you are in a mood to wow and need your friends to give you money, toss in 1/4 Cup of heavy cream at this point. Out of control creamy and delicious.
Let sit for 3 minutes (you'll have to gather the dinner guests) and serve.

You're home safe.

A presto,
Marco Flavio

Balsamic vinegar syrup

Hello there,
I received quite a few inquiries about this, so I thought I would separate the recipe from the original post for easy reference. Enjoy, and if you use it let me know.
Ciao,
Marco Flavio

Balsamic vinegar syrup

In a small sauce pan, heat up 2 Cups of balsamic vinegar and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and simmer until reduced by half. Let it cool off, then put it in a spray bottle for ease of use, or a jar and spoon it when needed. Try to buy a good balsamic (but not the $20 and up for a small bottle), hopefully not the Trader Joe's. Whole Food carried the 365 line (about $5), that works really well. This syrup can also be used on meats, salads, even cheeses. I use it to top my portobello mushroom, carmelized onions and fontina pizza (that is for another posting). The slight sweetness and zing take the savory over the edge.

Enjoy!