La Platicona Habla: Tastes, Passions and Pursuits

I decided to attempt a copycat recipe (from a great local northern Italian restaurant) with some calamari I bought the other day. For this recipe you will need 4 calamari tubes (heads of the squid, tentacles removed, and internal parts washed out).

For the stuffing:
- 2/3 c bread crumbs
- 2 minced shallots
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 lemon
- handful of minced parsley
- 3 tbsp EVOO
- handful minced olives (green or kalamata)
- 1 tbsp pesto (you can replace this w/more spices and EVOO)
- handful of grated parmesan

Mix the ingredients around in a bowl. The mixture won't be paste, but it should stick together somewhat.

I had a request to add dijon mustard to the mix. I agree. I may alter this and repost.

Take the stuffing and use your hands to fill the calamari tubes. The stuffing expands when coked so don't worry if you can't fill it to the brim. Set aside.

For a simple ragu, set aside sliced 1/2 white onion, 2 tomatoes, chopped, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp capers, 1/2 c chopped green or kalamata olives, and some fresh herbs like parsley or basil.

In a cast iron skillet, heat 1/4 c EVOO, and place calamari tubes down, browning each side. When browned, add ragu ingredients, and 1 c white wine. Simmer for 15 minutes, covered. Add s&p to taste.

You should feel free to tinker with the stuffing, but the basics are bread crumbs and EVOO. Eat hot.

Labels: calamari, olives, onion, seafood, tomatoes

I slept in and made this delicious breakfast tart using some delicious Camembert brie cheese, and a simple ratatouille. For the tart crust, I opted for a traditional flakey tart crust, rather than my traditional savory tart crust. The main difference between the recipes is less flour and more butter. I will post separately with that recipe. The advantage of the flakey tart crust is the omission of pre-baking the crust. You can simply mold the crust into the tart pan and add your filling. The baking time is also less, which is especially important in summer when it can be too hot outside for baking inside.

For the ratatouille, basically a French version of random vegetables sauteed and sometimes roasted in an oven afterwards, I used the produce I found in my kitchen, including 2 plum tomatoes, 1/2 white onion, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of a yellow and red bell pepper, and dried herbs de Provence. Rather than labor over stove and onion, I decided to quickly sautee these vegetables in 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat to give them a quick browning. I cooked them for about 8 minutes and turned the burner off, letting the juice from the vegetables evaporate as the pan cooled down. You don't want watery or mushy vegetables, so this process of eliminating the moisture from them is key to keeping your tart intact and prevent it from breaking up.

After molding my crust, I layered the vegetables first, then slices of the Camembert brie cheese (I tried the brie version, and frankly, didn't like it as much as the other brand that was more firm). I poured in 4 eggs I'd whisked with 1/2 c of cream. Bake the tart at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. The result is rather amazing, considering all the butter put into that flakey tart crust! Enjoy.

Labels: bell pepper, cheese, eggs, herbs, onion, tart, tomatoes

I always wanted to try a Spanish Torta, but I never had a seasoned cast iron pan lying around until this last weekend when the Baking Master decided to make cornbread in a cast iron pan.

You will need:

- 6 red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c olive oil, plus extra to roast potato slices
- 8 eggs (use large brown eggs)
- herbs (rosemary works great)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Step One: toss potatoes and onions in 3 tbsp of olive oil with salt and pepper to taste; spread onto a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Step Two: Lower temperature to 350

Step Three: Whisk eggs with salt and pepper. Scrape cooled potatoes and onions into egg mixture.

Step Four: Heave 1/4 c olive oil in cast iron pan over a stove burner on high heat. Pour in the potato and egg mixture and cook stove top for 1 minute. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the center is firm to the touch. Remove and serve warm.

Labels: eggs, onion, potato, spices

Penne never gets old--especially dressed with some red onions and balsamic vinegar. This pasta is best served just warm, but you can also make it cold. I decided to use tri-colored bell peppers for this recipe as green peppers tend not to be as sweet and tender as the yellow, red, and orange pepers.

You will need:

- 4 cups of cooked penne pasta
- 3 thinly sliced bell peppers
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 5 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar whisked into 4 tbsp of olive oil
- seasonal herbs such as chopped fresh Italian parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh basil.
- 1/2 c of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Step One: In a saute pan, add 3 tbsp of olive oil, the garlic, peppers, and onions. Cover this pan with a lid or piece of foil and cook over medium heat for 7-10 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked, but still have a crunchy bite.

Step Two: Add the herbs and balsamic/olive oil mixture and cook for another 3-5 minutes until warmed through. Remove the pan from the heat and add the cooked penne pasta and Parmesan cheese, mixing until thoroughly incorporated. Serve while still warm.

Labels: bell pepper, herbs, onion, pasta, spices

For some reason 2 bunches of red beets decided to jump into my shopping cart as I quickly passed them buy in search of porcini mushrooms, and even more curious, I bought them without any inclination of what to do with these bulbs of fuscia bitterness. I searched all of my cookbooks, and would you believe that only one cookbook had a recipe? And would you believe that the recipe had nothing to do with the beets, but rather the beet greens?!

Yes, I was shocked to learn that the green stalks of the beets are edible, and in fact are more common to eat than spinach in many places throughout Britain and Italy (the bulb is sadly discarded or used merely for its intense fuscia colored juice). So, here is a Mario Batali quick and easy soup featuring the beet greens. The taste is slightly spicy, like how arugula can be spicy or a bit peppery. It may sound odd, but the flavor is rather aromatic and goes wonderfully with bread and salad (the bonus feature is that it took all of 20 minutes to cook).

You will need:

- 1/4 c of olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 small onion, finely sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick dice
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4 cups of washed and sliced beet greens (about 2 bunches of beets will do the trick)
- 1 c white wine
- 1/2 c vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 1/2 c of water
- 1 bay leaf
- grated parmesan

In a large stock pot, combine olive oil, garlic cloves, onion and cook over medium-high heat until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the potatoes, salt to taste, red pepper flakes, and the green beet leafs. Stir in the stock, water, wine, and bay leaf, simmering for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve in bowls with grated parmesan over the top and crostini or fresh french bread.

Labels: beets, onion, potato

I love making a batch of gnocchi when I have a little time during the evening to dedicate to that delicate recipe. As such, I decided to dress up my gnocchi with a couple of the onions laying around in my veg basket. The sauce is a simple combination of onions, garlic, fresh thyme, and broth, and makes another wonderful option to dress your gnocchi. This sauce is perfect for cloudy, rainy, and cool weather, but works just fine for a summer meal on the patio.

The picture unfortunately is very yellow, but I hope you get the idea and try this simple sauce out.

You will need:

- 1 small red onion, halved and sliced
- 1 small white or yellow onion, halved and sliced
- 2 cloves of minced garlic
- handful of thyme, picked
- nutmeg (pinch)
- 2 c of broth, veg and chx
- chile piquin to taste
- handful of chopped parsley
- 2 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil

Step One: Saute the sliced onions, garlic, chile piquin, butter, and olive oil in a heavy bottom pot over medium-high heat with the lid on. Stir to ensure that the onions don't burn. Cook these onions for 7-10 minutes or until the onions appear slightly browned and are limp.

Step Two: Add the broth, thyme, and nutmeg. I also added a bayleaf here, but that isn't necessary for this recipe. Cover and cook for another 7 minutes. Add parsley towards the end of cooking time.

Ladle the gnocchi into the pot and coat well. Serve immediately into bowls, be sure to add broth as well. Voila! A delicious bowl of goodness.

Labels: gnocchi, herbs, onion, potato

I often go to my local bookstore and sit in the cooking section, browsing for cookbooks that I covet for my shelf of cooking wonders. I usually attend these leisurely reading sessions with pen and paper so I can jot down the ingredients to recipes that my catch my eye, or multiple recipes for the same dish so I can compare the ingredients. Recently, thumbing through the pages of the Barefoot Contessa's many cookbooks, I found a very simple recipe for corn chowder. I insisted on modifying her recipe, however, because she always adds way too much fat (butter, bacon grease, and cream) to her recipes and I just think that grease swimming at the top of your soup bowl will only bring you pesadilla and indigestion throughout your sleepless belly-aching night. I have modified what was obviously a recipe to feed a football team, and I have embellished the recipe with some of my own typical recipe touches (read garlic and fresh herbs here). Feel free to alter the recipe with the "optional" ingredients listed here, or not at all. This recipe is not gluten free, nor is it lactose free, so if you are either/or, adjust with corn starch and try a plain soy milk.

You will need:

- 3 tbsp of butter
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, cut in half, then sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 c flour
- 5 c of vegetable or chicken stock
- 6 small boiling potatoes (I used golden potatoes)
- 10 ears of fresh corn, kernals off the cob, or use 1 pkg of frozen sweet summer corn
- 1/2 c of cream or half-and-half
- 2 sprigs or 1 tsp of thyme
- optional: in lieu of olive oil, cook 6 slices of bacon or pancetta until slighlty crispy. Chop up bacon and set aside, and use 3 tbsp of reserve bacon fat for soup (I know some of you are just wincing in pain and disgust, but hey, if you see what the Barefoot Contessa actually looks like, and you still want to follow her instructions on using ALL the reserve bacon fat, more power to you)
- optional: 1 tsp of turmeric

Step One: In a large stock pot, saute the onions and garlic in the fat (whatever fat you choose above) over medium-high heat. After 7 minutes, add the flour, pepper to taste, and optional turmeric. Stir this around so the flour becomes totally incorporated into the mix and thickens into a roux, (like a paste). This takes about 5-8 minutes, depending on how often you are stirring. Add the stock and quartered boiling potatoes. Let this boil for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Step Two: Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, bring 4 c of water to a boil, then toss in the corn to blanche for 4 minutes. Drain immediately and add 1 c of this cooked corn to the stock pot with the potatoes and onions. Reserve the rest of the corn. Take the contents of the large stock pot and puree them in a blender. You may have to divide this up into two "trips" because the blender could overflow otherwise. Return the puree into the large stock pot and add reserved corn, and bacon if any. Pour in the cream and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve soup with fresh thyme. Barefoot Contessa served her soup with large handfuls of sharp cheddar cheese, but I find this combination to be vile and only suggest it if you'd like to further clog your arteries. The soup as is (minus the bacon and cheese) is like velvet with the bits of corn contributing to the overall look of the soup. I left a couple of potatoes to the side and chopped them up for more texture. Feel free to experiment with this recipe, it is very basic and yearns for your creativity.

Labels: corn, cream, onion, potato, soup

Lydia Bastianich is the genius behind Felidia restaurant in NYC and a host of fabulous cookbooks. Surprisingly, she is nowhere to be found on the Food Network. No, this lily in the bog of faster food television is dedicated to a cooking philosophy that appreciates the act of cooking as a medium for love, nourishment, and even seduction.

Lydia often cooks with her toddler grandchildren crawling all over her, stirring pots of hot tomato sauce and managing not to overcook her homemade pasta in the process. Watching her PBS cooking show, you see this Italian grandmother graciously floating around her very modest kitchen dolling out dishes you swear you can smell in your living room. Well, one lazy afternoon while visiting with my mama, we happened to catch an episode of Lydia's home kitchen while she made the most simple calabasa salad with summer squash out of her garden. I replicated this dish for a light supper with a hearty bread and crab apple butter and couldn't have been happier. I hope all this talk of Lydia will inspire you to try some of her other delicious recipes from her various cookbooks, and discover (as I have) the exquisite simplicity of her many creations (i.e. gnocchi).

You will need:
- 3 yellow squash (medium or small)
- 3 zucchini
- 1/2 red onion finely sliced
- 7 tbsp of red wine vinegar
- 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
- handful of chopped Italian Parsley
- fresh cracked pepper and sea salt

Step One: In a stock pot, bring water to a boil and add your squash and zucchini in WHOLE. Lydia warns that cutting of the stems or cutting these in half will result in soggy squash. Cook for about 7 minutes.

Step Two: Remove squash from the water and place in an ice bath to cool. When chilled, cut the stems off the squash and cut into small pieces; set aside.

Step Three: In a large bowl, pour in the vinegar and while whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until well incorporated. Whisk in salt and pepper to taste. Add onions, Italian parsley, and squash. Toss thoroughly so squash is coated well.

Serve this salad with bread, or even as a side for grilled fish.

Labels: onion, salad, yellow squash, zucchini

Jamie Oliver's family dinner cookbook has a killer simple
recipe for onion soup. He debates whether onion soup is really French or not, and I can't say whether it is some cruel British joke, or a way to get a cook to cry. I can say, however, that this soup is rather simple, but slightly time consuming, and requires a good heavy bottom stock pot.

I also discovered how "forte" gruyere cheese really is when it sits under a broiler to toast, so if you aren't prepared for an overwhelming smell of feet, I suggest you try a milder melting cheese.

You will need:
- a heavy bottom stock pot, preferably one that does not have teflon;
- 3 tablespoons of butter;
- 3 tbsp of olive oil;
- 3 large white onions cut in half and sliced thinly;
- handful of picked over fresh thyme;
- 2 bay leaves;
- 4 large cloves of crushed garlic;
- 6 c of stock (vegetable, chx or beef);
- 1 c of white wine.

Step One: In a large stock pot on medium-low heat, cook the butter, olive oil, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and onions with the lid on the pot for 15 minutes. Stir this every few minutes to avoid sticking and burning.

Step Two: Remove the lid and cook onions on medium-high heat for 7 minutes, stirring often until the onions carmelize, literally turning golden in color. Add wine to cool off the onions. Reduce heat to medium and add the stock. (I used chicken stock but I don't recommend it. Frankly, I would try mixing 3 c of beef stock and 3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock. Simmer this over medium heat for 10 minutes.)

Step Three: If you don't have oven safe bowls, then cut slices of rustic french baguette and toast them int he oven with a generous helping of gruyere on top. Using the oven's boril function, these should toast in 3 minutes. Be sure to keep an eye on them so they won't burn! The cheese should be slightly browned and bubbling on the bread. Serve the soup in warm bowls and place the cheesy bread on top. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

If you have oven safe bowls, take that bread, throw it in each bowl, smother it with cheese and bake under the broiler for 3-4 minutes until the cheese browns. Remove the bowls from the oven carefully, and serve hot.

Labels: herbs, onion, soup

This version of potato and leek soup employs the process of puree to give it a thick consistency that is easy to reheat.

You will need: 2 leeks, peeled and chopped up; 2 medium sized russet potatoes peeled and diced, 3 stalks of chopped celery; handful of chopped flat leafed Italian parsley; 3 minced garlic cloves; 1 c of water; 1/2 c wine; 1 1/2 c of vegetable stock; 1/4 c cream; 1/4 c grated parmesan; salt and pepper to taste; wedge of lemon.

Step One: In a stock pot, combine celery, potatoes, leeks, garlic, and 3 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until veggies are translucent.

Step Two: Add wine and cook off for 4 minutes. Add water and stock. Boil this on medium high heat for 7 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.

Step Three: In a blender or food processor, add parsley, cream, salt, pepper, and another 2 tblsp of olive oil. Ladle in the hot mixture (from the pot) into the blender. Blend until smotth (Blend this mixture a few cups at a time so you won't have spills from the blender). Return mixture to pot to reheat. Serve in bowls with a lemon wedge and grated parmesan. Eat with salad and warm bread.

Labels: onion, potato, soup