Monthly Archives: February 2015

condiments

Dressing Salad the Italian Way

Whenever we serve salad at our cooking classes, invariably half (or more!) of the class participants ask me what is in the dressing: “What did you put in the dressing?? It is so delicious and so light!” This is such a familiar question that I finally realized it was time to write about it. It is so very simple to make a good salad, but unfortunately most people don’t know how.

Here goes. Start with the very best salad greens; they should be perky and firm and unblemished. I usually choose several varieties (for example, arugula, Boston lettuce, Romaine, oak leaf, and radicchio) so there are textural and color and flavor contrasts, making the salad more interesting. Wash the greens thoroughly and spin them dry. A little clinging water will water down the flavors of the salad, so DRY the greens well. If you are not using the greens right away, refrigerate them in a large bowl that will allow easy tossing later, wrapped in several layers of paper towel.

When you are ready to serve, and no sooner than that, tear the greens (if needed) into bite-size pieces. Avoid cutting unless you are sure that your knife is very sharp. And here comes the most important part: Season amply with fine sea salt and give a gentle toss to coat well. Next, add the acid of your choice (most often, I use freshly squeezed lemon juice at home, or balsamic vinegar at the cooking school). Toss gently again to coat. Finally, pour in about twice to three times as much extra-virgin olive oil (the best you can afford) as the acid you used, and sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently again. Taste. Taste again. The salad should taste bright, lively, and full; if it is flat, add a touch more salt and toss gently again. Still flat? A bit more acid, and another gentle toss. Then onto plates right away before it wilts.

Notice the repeated emphasis on the word “gentle.” Greens should be tossed delicately, to avoid bruising, and your hands are the best tool for this job.

It is crucial to toss the salad in a very large bowl, also to avoid bruising the leaves. But the most important factor in achieving a salad with proper flavor and a light texture is to first season with salt, then with acid, and lastly, with fat. If you reverse the order in which you add the acid and fat, the fat will create a barrier that prevents the acid from coating the leaves, and the salad will be heavy as a result, lacking in brightness. And if you add salt after tossing with the fat and acid, the salt won’t flavor the greens as efficiently.

Here is a general recipe to follow. Less is more when it comes to salad, so you taste the greens and feel refreshed after eating the salad; salad should not be drowning in dressing, it should just be coated lightly with as much acid and fat as needed to bring out its intrinsic flavors. Serve salad after the main course to cleanse the palate, the Italian way, or before the meal if you prefer it as a palate-teaser.

Serves 2

  • 3 ounces salad greens, washed and thoroughly dried
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Tear the greens into bite-sized pieces if needed into a very large bowl. Season with the salt and toss gently but thoroughly. Sprinkle with the lemon juice or vinegar and toss gently again. Pour on the olive oil, and toss gently again. Season with the pepper, and toss gently again. When all the leaves are evenly coated, taste, and adjust as needed. Serve within minutes.

salad-bowl

Soup

Escarole and Egg Soup with Pesto and Crispy Pancetta

Soup: comfort in a bowl. In the winter, we eat soup at least once a day. Most of the time, we crave vegetable soups, full of chunky bits of goodness, with something to thicken the broth up: it can be a crushed potato, beans, or a roux. The soup below, thickened with beaten eggs, is a play on the spinach soup my husband grew up eating at home: his father Attilio cooked down spinach in broth until silky soft, then stirred in plenty of Parmigiano and beaten eggs just before serving. Here we use escarole instead of spinach, top it with crispy Pancetta for texture and meaty depth, add a squeeze of lemon juice to the eggs to lighten the flavor, and stir in pesto at the very end to brighten things up. Serve this soup with bread and salad, and you have a memorable meal fit for a chilly day indoors.

Serves 2
For the pesto:

  • 1/2 cup packed basil leaves (about 1/2 large bunch)
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 ounce (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

For the soup:

  • 1 ounce Pancetta, defatted and cut into 1/4-inch dice
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • water as needed
  • 1 head escarole (about 1 pound), washed thoroughly and chopped
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Make the pesto: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a fine paste; there may be some little basil strands here and there, because there is very little oil in this pesto, but that is fine. The purpose of this pesto is to lend flavor to the soup, not to make the soup creamy in texture, so a semi-chunky texture is fine. Remove to a bowl and lay plastic wrap directly on top of the pesto to prevent darkening. This can be done up to 2 hours before serving. Hold at room temperature until needed.

Make the soup: Place the Pancetta in a 2-quart pot. Set over medium heat and cook until the Pancetta is crispy and lightly golden, about 3 minutes; remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.

Place the olive oil, onion, and garlic in the same pot in which you cooked the Pancetta. Set over medium heat and cover. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often and adding a bit of water if needed to prevent scorching, until the onion becomes translucent. Add the escarole and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring often, until wilted and collapsed, about 8 minutes. Add the broth, season with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/8 teaspoon of the pepper, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the escarole is silky and the soup smells rich and deep. The soup can be made up to this point 2 hours before serving and held at room temperature. Reheat when needed to the boiling point.

When you are ready to serve, beat the eggs with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper. Return the soup to a boil. Pour in the eggs and let sit, undisturbed, until the eggs set, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir gently once or twice, being careful to leave the eggs in large fluffy clouds, swirl in the pesto, and adjust the seasoning as needed. Serve hot, topped with the crispy Pancetta.

escarole-soup

Vegetables

Braised Greens with Garlic & Chili Flakes

Turnip greens can be hard to find. When I happened upon a bunch of turnips, their leaves and stems intact, perky and green, I was so excited. I knew just what I wanted to do: the turnips would get blanched before baking with milk, caraway, and Parmigiano (so soothing on a cold day), and the greens and stems get treated to that typical Italian slow-cook that renders them meltingly tender, unctuous, just shy of bitter. If you can’t find turnip greens, broccoli raab works very well. You can also serve these greens as a pasta sauce, with short, concave pasta like orecchiette; just add freshly grated Pecorino when serving.

Serves 2

  • 1/2 pound turnip greens and stems, washed thoroughly and coarsely chopped
  • 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes
  • water as needed

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the turnip greens and stems and 2 tablespoons of the salt. Cover and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking, then shake dry.

Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, and chili in a 2-quart saucepan. Set over a medium-low heat and cook until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Before the garlic takes on any color, add the greens and stems. Stir well, season with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and cook, stirring often, about 20 minutes. You may need to add a splash of water now and again, to prevent the greens from sticking to the pan. There should always be some liquid in the pan; a few tablespoons is right.

When the greens are silky-soft, remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

turnipgreens1200