MINESTRONE

I might have mentioned this before but I am going to say it again. I LOOOOOOOVE SOUPS!

Minestrone is no exception to the rule: yummy comfort food! Even now that I make it any time of the year and not just in the Summer like I used to do back at home.

I know: here in the U.S. most people feel that soups are mainly a winter (or at least cold-weather) dish, but if you think of it, what's more "in season" in the summertime than all the wonderful vegetables that make a good Minestrone? Plus, if you eat it lukewarm or even cold it's so refreshing too!

When people ask me if I can give them the recipe for my minestrone I always smile. It is against the concept of Minestrone itself to call for a recipe! Let me explain: ideally you go to the garden in your backyard during a summer evening, pick whatever is ripe and ready on that particular day/time, bring it inside and the next morning you dice every single vegetable, chop, mince, add cold water and salt and boil until cooked. Then you adjust with salt and pepper, add your favorite shape of noodle and cook it (I often skip this step, though: I like mine better without pasta). Then pour it in your bowl, drizzle with Extra Virgin Olive oil and gulp it down, enjoying every spoonful of it!

Whether there is a little more carrot or a little less celery, more beans or less zucchini it is not for you to decide: it's the garden! So don't let anybody fool you with the "perfect recipe" for Minestrone! Just use your senses and do in the produce section of your favorite supermarket (or favorite farmers' market, Shylah ;-) ) what my grandma used to do in her own garden and simply pick what you think looks, smell, taste at its best! THAT will be the perfect Minestrone!

Sugo Finto (Fake Sauce)

I love this name. It's a confession. It's a "don't tell me I did not warn you". This is a traditional Tuscan sauce that was basically invented to smell, taste and satisfy your palate and your belly the way a ragu' would, without the shadow of a piece of meat in the pot. That’s why the definition of "finto", "fake", was given.

This was back in the days when meat was a treat, an "upgrade" of the meal that we could not often afford. Veggies and herbs, even lots of them like you can find in here, in order to give this sauce the same texture a good ragu' has, were grown in the garden in the backyard, so those were never really a problem instead.

It takes the same basic steps to make this "sugo", the same attention, time and dedication that a good meat sauce would require. Cheaper, though, like I stated above. I would not be so sure to affirm the same, nowadays, when you need to rob a jewelry store before stopping by a farmers' market.

Funny though how so often the best ideas came out of poverty and hunger. In the Italian cuisine it happened all the time!

Happy Holidays!

With my son's smile I wish each and one of you, Cucinamore's friends, plenty of good things, inside and outside your kitchens!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Daniela

FLAVORS OF WINTER -Tuesday, December 15th - 6:00 pm

(Prosecco and Truffle Risotto)



Are you working on your menus for those special dinners during the Holidays?
Could you use a little help to make them deliciously different but still as simple as they can be?
Join me for this group class where I will share a few ideas with you, according to the usual “Dani-style”: tasty but easy!

This is what we are going to prepare together for our “festive” class.

See you there!



Mortadella and Pistacchi Mousse

Prosecco and Truffle Risotto

Rosa di Parma
(Hand-rolled tenderloin with Prosciutto and Parmigiano )

Sicilian “Fennel and Orange” Salad





(Rosa di Parma)

An Italian Touch to our Thanksgiving

How can you fit lasagne in a Thanksgiving dinner? I found a way!

I made my friend Michele's "Lasagne Zucca e Porri" (Pumkin and Leeks), a classic on the table of my "Cooker.net" circle of italian friends.

Color, aroma and taste were perfectly tuned with the big day: an orange and gold dish, warm and tasty, with a touch of spice from the nutmeg in the béchamel sauce.

I was happy I got a chance to contribute to the meal, remaining in my culinary territory but still without disrupting the traditional atmosphere.

Home Sweet Home

I went home.

Finally back to my beloved Italy after almost two years.

Food wise I will sum it all up by saying I put on about 5 pounds in 20 days. I guess that can crazily be considered a good sign among us weirdoes ;-)
I will have chances in my next posts to talk about this or that dish, this or that ingredient I stumbled upon during this trip, but today I want to share with you a wonderful experience I made, instead, that does not involve cooking for once.

I got to spend a whole long weekend in Tuscany, at my friend Betta's place, harvesting olives for the new oil of the season.

There is something about doing this work, those simple gestures, no mechanic help, just your hands and the tree, that gives you some sort of unnatural inner peace. Why "unnatural"? Well, we all live in a frantic world, we are all running around in our lives hardly ever finding time to stop. So at the beginning it feels strange to be there with your thoughts, busy hands and free mind, in a place and situation where time seems to have stopped and you feel like you have eternity in your hands.

Am I exaggerating? I don't know. I can only say that it's exactly the way I felt.

Figure I wasn't even alone: there were a bunch of funny friends on the hills with me, needless to say. We laughed, talked, sang and had a great time. But then there were those pauses where everyone seemed to be in their own world. I think it was therapeutic for us all. The newbies and the experts. And God only knows we can all use some good therapy sometimes ;-)

It's been great and I defintely recommend it to all of you. If you ever have a chance to go to Italy during the late fall/early winter let me know: I can hook you up with Betta. She always appreciates a couple extra hands for the job. You won't regret the hard work.

So now I'm back, people. See you around, my friends. But before you go, please check this out and let me know what you think: OLIVIADI 2009 - MARCO D'ELIA

For Food Obsessed People Only (Just Like Me)

How many times have I started my posts talking about "a very special dinner"? I bet you can't even count them.
I am sorry, but I really can't help it: food makes my day (and nights too) and the other day I had another of those dinners (lucky, aren't I?) and I have the urge to share!

We had a few friends over as it was my birthday so my husband and I, after fighting over who was going to cook, decided to pretty fairly divide the tasks. He was basically going to be in charge of the entrees while I was going to take care of the appetizers and the side dishes. Dessert, like it often happens at my house, was kindly provided by one of the guests.
I did not complain (for once) because I LOVE appetizers! I could dine on those anytime.

This was my choice for that night.
I decided to have an appetizer buffet for our friends before we were going to sit for the meal, so I toasted some sliced ciabatta bread and prepared a few toppings for it:

- An eggplant and walnut spread
- My "famous" (yeah, right) garbanzo bean and rosemary spread
- Some cherry tomatoes with garlic, basil and olive oil for a traditional bruschetta (PLEASE pronounce it "broos-kaet-ta": there are Italians around here)

Then I made some little spirals with puff pastry and some of that pesto I was telling you about a few days ago that I had frozen. Tasty!

All that went perfectly well with a bottle of chilled Prosecco that some of our friends brought!

Of course I wasn't done yet: I still had my last appetizer to serve when finally people sat at the table. I remembered this very simple dish my friend Michele did at my house in Italy once that I absolutely loved: I very quickly sautéed some baby bay scallops with curry and served them hot, over a fresh baby spinach and spring mix salad.



Then came my husband's turn with his spicy grilled shrimp, the lobster, home made mashed potatoes with fresh spring onion from our garden and stuffed portobello mushrooms.

I felt as stuffed as those mushrooms, by the time dinner was over, but I managed to find some room for the wonderful brownies with mocha icing that our friend Teri especially made for the occasion.

I hope I don't sound like I am showing off when I give you my reports of what I consider a great meals, as that is not the intent. It's just that I feel like we, food lovers or food obsessed as many call us, are not any different than any other group of people who share a passion: have you ever listened to how a couple guys who love football can spend hours talking about this or that player, this or that action in a game? Or how some women can talk forever about that new dress that they saw during the latest shopping day or...you name it! I can talk about food non stop and I know among you, my friends, I will always find a ear that is willing to listen!
Feel free to share your own latest special meal, food discover, or even disappointment! You have a friend in me here!