CityMama™

Truffled Zucchini Salad with Shaved Pecorino Romano

Summer is juuuuuuuuuust around the corner!  Can you feel it?  That means picnics and pool parties and barbecues are just around the corner, too! It's the perfect time of year to start making this simple and delicious zucchini salad.  See what can happen with just a few ingredients working together to create magic.

I first had this salad at Ristorante Ideale in San Francisco (it's probably my favorite Italian restaurant in San Francisco because it is truly Roman.) We've been known to go there and order this salad and then one right after it. My mom was able to deconstruct it so we could make it at home, and here is that recipe.

TRUFFLED ZUCCHINI SALAD WITH SALAD WITH SHAVED PECORINO

• 3 zucchini, shaved into noodley strips with a vegetable peeler or mandoline or box grater
• black truffle oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• shaved (again with vegetable peeler) pecorino romano to taste (8-10 strips)
• Optional: Chopped truffle paste (available at fancy Italian delis like AG Ferrari in the Bay Area or well-stocked gourmet grocers)

Place zucchini noodles into a bowl and pat gently with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Drizzle with black truffle oil, add sea salt and pepper, and toss gently. If desired (and I like this touch), add a teaspoon or two of truffle paste and toss again.  Finish with shavings of pecorino.  Serves 6-8 as a potluck side dish.

Buon appetito!

Chicken Cacciatore for all you Crock-Potters

Yesterday afternoon I was working away when suddenly I caught a whiff of something yummy wafting through my house. "Someone is cooking something that smells delicious!" I thought, and then I realized that that someone was ME. I had completely forgotten about the chicken cacciatore* that I prepared at 7:00 AM.

I have to thank you, dear readers, for suggesting so many FABULOUS recipes that I can make with my new Crock-Pot. If you haven't seen the post, please go here and read every. single. one. of the comments.  I can't wait to get cracking on your recipes. You've inpsired me to use my new gadget with delicious results.

Last night's dinner was easy as pie. Actually, it was easier than pie because I didn't measure anything. I just tossed everything into the Crock Pot and turned it on and left it to do its thang.

CROCK-POT CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Note: I have a 6-quart pot.

Put the following into your Crock-Pot in this order:

• 1 can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 each: red (or orange) and yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced (green, too, if you like)
• 1/2 cup of dry white, red or rosé wine
• 1 clove of chopped garlic
• 1/2 a red onion, sliced
• a sprinkling of sea salt to taste
• two packages of FROZEN (no, you won't die) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs), I used Empire kosher brand

For later:

• a sprig of fresh rosemary
• pepper to taste

Turn on Crock-Pot and set to 10 hr/low setting. At the half way point, the chicken should be thawed. Give the mixture a quick (I know, you aren't supposed to open the pot) stir then leave it to finish cooking.  During the last 30 minutes of cooking stick the sprig of rosemary down into the pot. Finish the dish with a grind or two of black pepper.  (This is a WW-friendly dish, too!)

*If you were to ask my mom this is NOT chicken cacciatore how it's prepared in Italy.  Let's not get her started, though.  Let's just say, this is the EYE-talian-American version of the dish.

Ox tail party in photos (and a recipe, too)

 

Ox tails on the table.

Last weekend, J. and I kicked off the holidays with a small dinner party. We invited a few friends and I cooked up a big batch of Roman style ox tails and polenta to go with it. We love to throw dinner parties, and with the girls ensconced at their grandma's for the night, it almost felt like the kind of parties we used to throw. (Know what I mean?)

I had so much fun tinkering with the table setting, setting out candles, and selecting the different wines. Five bottles and some Jameson's later, we were playing a furious game of "girls against boys"  Guess The Celebrity (girls rule, boys drool), which devolved into a penis-y game of charades.

A great time was had by all, especially us.  Here are some photos from the party if you want to take a peek.

As far as the ox tails, go, here is my basic recipe (which I tripled for the party).  If you've never had them before, they are so worth cooking. They are fall-off-the-bone tender and taste just like beef shortribs.  One tip I have for you, though, is to get the ox tails from a Korean market if you have one near you. (I go to Han Kook in Sunnyvale or Kukje in Daly City.)  They are much cheaper at a Korean market where I paid about $13 per 2.5 lb package.

Also make them one day ahead, not only because they'll taste better, but also because after you refrigerate them you can degrease them almost completely.

I changed my original recipe slightly by doing the following:

• sauteeing some chopped pancetta with 3-4 bay leaves, shallots, celery and garlic before adding the oven-browned ox tails, tomatoes, and wine.
• adding about 6 cloves to the simmering sauce (I put them in those DIY tea bags, the kind for loose teas, so I can remove it later)

Other than that, the recipe is about the same. It's very forgiving--just think of it as making a rich, meaty spaghetti sauce (we served the ox tails over pasta the next night), and the meat you are adding is ox tails.

Easy Pasta with Shrimp

My girls have a new-found love for shell-shaped pasta and why not? They're cute, they hold sauce well, and they are the perfect size for kids to bite. It wasn't a shape I normally bought, but one trip to an Italian restaurant changed all that, and it's now a staple in our house. 

I like to serve the shells with shrimp to continue the "ocean" theme, and this dish literally comes together as the pasta itself is cooking.  It couldn't be easier or tastier. It's a perfect weeknight dinner when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.  Just make sure you leave the shrimp to thaw in the fridge the night before.

EASY PASTA WITH SHRIMP

• 1/2 bag of Trader Joe's cooked, peeled shrimp, thawed
• olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 cup of halved organic cherry tomatoes
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• juice of half a lemon or orange
• a handful of chopped, fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
• 1/2 box of Barilla shell pasta

Put pasta water on to boil (be sure to salt the water).  In the meantime, put 3-4 glugs of olive oil in a saute pan and heat over medium heat.  When garlic starts to turn golden, dump in cherry tomatoes and shrimp and warm through. This should only take a minute or two. Do not "cook" the shrimp, just warm them, or they will get tough. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Cook pasta about a minute less than package directions indicate (my trick for perfect al dente pasta every time). Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.  Dump pasta into a bowl along with the tomato-shrimp sauce and enough of the pasta cooking water to loosen. You may not need all the water.  Squeeze lemon or orange over, add parsley, toss and serve.  Cheese isn't served with this pasta.

Uncooked spaghetti sauce: Italian tuna, heirloom tomatoes, mint, and orange

This pasta reminds me of all the flavors of the Amalfi coast. It's a simple, uncooked sauce—perfect for summer—which comes together while you are cooking the pasta. The key is to use a really good imported tuna packed in olive oil, sweet summer tomatoes, and the freshest herbs.  Mint and tomatoes go really well together. So do tomatoes and orange. I decided to gild the lily and throw everything together and it worked quite nicely. It was so delicious that Bunny and Wallie ate every speck and were licking their pasta bowls. I think I'll call this one:

Spaghettini Positano

• 1 lb spaghettini or spaghetti
• 1 5 or 6 oz can or jar of imported Italian or Spanish tuna (Genova or Flott) packed in olive oil
• 3-4 glugs of extra virgin olive oil (1/2 cup or so)
• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes (different colors are lovely), seeded and chopped
• 1/3 a bunch of chives, minced (about a handful)
• 1/2 a Vidalia, Texas Sweet or Maui sweet onion, chopped
• 6-8 fresh mint leaves, rough-chopped
• the juice of one orange, if you don't have an orange, a lemon (if you don't have fresh citrus, skip it)
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• small dried Tuscan chilis to crumble over your serving (or chili flakes)

Cook pasta for about a minute less than the box indicates in generously salted water.

Place remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl, toss together gently, then season to taste with salt and pepper. When pasta is cooked and drained, dump into the bowl and toss with the sauce. Serve at once. (Cheese is not served with this sauce.)

Here is the sauce hanging out, waiting for its pasta partner.

Pasta with wild coho salmon, peas, and dill

This is one of those recipes that has become a new classic. I often see it on menus at Italian restaurants and because I love salmon, it's hard for me to resist.  It couldn't be simpler to make at home, and best of all, it's a great way to use up leftover salmon and that last 1/3 of a bag of frozen peas that is cluttering up your freezer.

My recipe contains dill, and dill is one of those herbs that I never thought my children would like, but it turns out, they are as crazy about the stuff as I am.  Back before I had kids, I was an English (ESL) teacher, teaching English to students from other countries who wanted to take the TOEFL test to go to university here and for new U.S. immigrants. It was one of the best jobs I've ever had and one of the most enlightening experiences of my life.

Sicilian-style broccoli sauce for pasta

Broccoli, garlic, onions, raisins, anchovies (omit if desired), white wine, double-concentrated tomato paste (from a tube), and a pinch of saffron. Came together in about 10 minutes.Try it. You'll like it.

Penne with slow-cooked red pepper sauce

This is another one of those unusual pasta sauces that I learned from my aunt who lives in Rome. I fantasize about publishing a book with her pasta sauce recipes in them because they are so unique and delicious. You just don't find them in American Italian restaurants. 

Oftentimes her sauces only contain one main ingredient, usually a vegetable and usually not tomatoes. This is one example. The red bell peppers are cooked slowly until they take on a stewed consistency. By the time you toss the sauce with the penne they coat the pasta with mellow, melty pepperiness. Think roasted red peppers, but not as assertive, tossed with pasta and lots of luscious cheese.  Here's how you do it.

PASTA WITH SLOW-COOKED RED PEPPER SAUCE

• 4-5 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3-4 generous glugs of olive oil
• 1 chicken bouillon cube* (or my preference, an equivalent amount of chicken base)
• 1/2 to 1 cup of water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 box of penne
• pecorino romano cheese

*my aunt's secret weapon

Cooking with Kids: Thin Crust Pizza

Bunny was delighted to learn that her new first first grade teacher was known throughout her school as "The Cooking Teacher." Never mind that her school has all sorts of really wonderful fringe benefits (like science classes taught at the science museum; drama, music, and poetry classes taught by resident members of the local community theater; music; afterschool chess, sports, French, and Spanish; a perceptual motor skills class in addition to P.E.taught by a real Ph.D.) that make us bite a huge financial bullet to live where we live. It's a charmed public school with so much to offer students, but nothing compares to the fact Bunny has a teacher that loves to cook.

And sure enough, on Back to School night, her teacher outlined how she uses cooking in her classroom: it not only teaches an important life skill, but requires reading, math, and time-telling knowledge. As I perused her three-page grocery list of ingredients that she hoped parents would donate (15 lbs each of flour and sugar, chocolate chips, every spice, extract, and herb imaginable) I knew Bunny was in for a memorable year. 

My girls, ages 4 and 6 love to help in the kitchen, and I encourage it at every turn. Bunny will be champion chef in her class because she has so much hands-on opportunity at home. One of my girls' favorite meals to make is homemade pizza. This is something even little kids truly can do themselves from start to finish (aside from putting it into/taking it out of the oven).

I was recently sent a couple of tubes of Pillsbury Pizza Crust Thin Crust version to try. It's not unlike the dough we buy from Trader Joe's except that it's much easier to deal with. It rolls out nicely and really does crisp up but remains tender. I would definitely recommend it for times when you don't have time to make your own dough but still want homemade pizza. (Would be nice to see it in a whole wheat version.) We thought the dough was a great success. See for yourself!

Start by stretching the dough to fit a cookie sheet:

Penne with raw tomato-pepper sauce

This sauce is completely raw and probably not like anything you've ever had on pasta. I first had it when I was visiting my family in Rome. My aunt made a version of it (I hope I am doing it justice) and it blew me away. I had never tasted anything like it and as soon as the explosion of flavors hit my mouth, I knew I had to learn to make it.  Thankfully, it's easy.  Easy but tastes hard. And sometimes that's what it's all about, right?

I've never seen this on any menu in any Italian restaurant in the States, or even in Italy for that matter. It also doesn't appear in my numerous Italian (as in, written in Italian) cookbooks.  I hope you enjoy it.

Here is our cast of characters, and aside from olive oil, basil, salt and pepper, this is pretty much it: