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Kyle's Burgers
<P>Once Again,<BR> A Happy Fourth to all who celebrate it! These aren't exactly Italian, but all my Italian in-laws, even those who normally recoil from <I>Svizzere,</I> as hamburgers are known in Italy, ask for more of these:</P> <UL> <LI>2 pounds (900 g) not-too-lean ground beef (too lean makes for a dry burger)</LI> <LI>3 cloves garlic, finely chopped</LI> <LI>1/4 cup finely minced parsely</LI> <LI>1/3 cup soy sauce</LI> <LI>1 teaspoon lemon-herb mix (bought in the US)</LI> <LI>8 slices cheese -- either prewrapped packaged or (preferably) hand-cut Fontina</LI> <LI>A couple of large sprigs of rosemary</LI> </UL> <P>Combine all the ingredients except the cheese and the rosemary and mix well; divide the mixture into 8 patties, pressing them flat between your palms. Since they will contract and thicken as they cook, you'll want them at the most 2/3 of an inch (1 1/2 cm) thick. Grill the burgers over hot coals, seasoning them with a little salt after you flip them -- exactly how long you cook them will depend upon your taste, though I prefer to cook ground beef medium (no blood) for safety's sake. At some point during the cooking add the rosemary sprigs to the fire to add a smoky rosemary taste to the meat, and when the burgers are just shy of being done lay the slices of cheese over them. Serve them on toasted buns, with a good dry <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa032797.htm">Lambrusco</A>.</P> <P>Last Thing: If you have the time, and want to be rather sinful, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/bellpeppers/r/blr1483.htm">grilled peppers</a> are a fine accompaniment!</P>
A Happy Fourth to All Who Celebrate It!
<a href="http://italianfood.about.com/b/2007/04/19/italian-in-english-la-bistecca-alla-fiorentina.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/M/G/bis1.jpg" ALIGN="right" HEIGHT=135 WIDTH=217 ALT="Bistecche alla Fiorentina" hspace="2" vspace="2" BORDER="0"></a>Many 4th of July cookouts feature <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/b/a/182350.htm">burgers</A>, or <I>Svizzere,</I> as they're known in Italy. <BR> A steak would also be quite nice, but there are <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa082199.htm">many other more strictly Italian grilling options</A>, for example <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/blr1642.htm">grilled pork loin</A>, with a zesty sun-dried tomato and olive filling, or <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickencapon/r/blr0252.htm">Vittorio's Grilled Chicken</A>, which continues to be one of my personal favorites in the summer months. To go with them <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/b/a/178738.htm">a variety of grilled vegetables</A> (I'll often do the peppers the day before), including <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/potatoes/r/blr1641.htm">potatoes</A>, a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/pastabasics/a/aa042804.htm">pasta salad</A>, and also <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatyrisotti/r/blr0098.htm">insalata di riso</A> and other <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/regionalmenus/a/aa060998.htm">picnic foods</A> that are nice served cool. To wash it all down, <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aboutwine/a/aa032797.htm">Lambrusco</A> (ice water with <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0114.htm">fruit syrups</A> for the kids), and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa052598.htm">Gelato</A> at the end.<BR>Again, Happy Fourth! <BR><BR> <B>More suggestions from the Food Channel:</b><br />During the long, hot days of summer this cool and refreshing <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://kosherfood.about.com/od/koshersaladrecipes/r/salad_cuc_kids.htm">Cucumber Salad</a> makes a great addition to any picnic or potluck. The kids love it, and with just 5 ingredients it is easy to make. Giora also suggests <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://kosherfood.about.com/od/koshersaladrecipes/r/tabbouleh.htm">Tabbouleh Salad </a>, a light, tangy, refreshing combination of bulgar wheat, vegetables and herbs.<BR> And finally, <B>if you like Potoato Salad,</B> Peggy Trowbridge has <A HREF="http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blpotatosalad.htm">all sorts of potato salads</A>, including one that's <A HREF="http://homecooking.about.com/od/vegetablerecipes/r/blv319.htm">red, white and blue</A>.
We're in the Midst Of Fruit Season...
<IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/d/5/1/claudiegals.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=190 WIDTH=200 ALIGN="LEFT" ALT="Plums!">I agree, as a title the above is not very good, but it is true: There are still strawberries in Italian markets, cherries are being sold by the box, plums have begun to appear, and so have peaches. Italian (as opposed to Spanish) peaches, and since peaches stop ripening when picked, and a really ripe peach is too soft to travel far, with the arrival of locally grown peaches we're beginning to get really good peaches. <BR><BR> And yes, wild berries are also beginning to ripen -- not blackberries, which are still green, but I've seen raspberries and a few others. And one mustn't forget either cantaloupes or watermelons, both of which are quite tasty this year.<BR><BR> <strong>So what does this mean?</strong> Much good eating, to begin with: Few things as as tasty (I think) as a voluptuously ripe peach sliced into a glass of wine, and then eaten by spearing the slices on the tip of a knife. Or as refreshing as a slice of crisp cold watermelon. <BR><BR> But now is also the time to put some of this bounty away:<Br> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/weekly/aa053099.htm"><strong>Jams and marmalades</strong></A> to enjoy at breakfast (or use in desserts) during the winter months, <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/saucescondiments/a/aa121405.htm"><strong>Mostarda</strong></A> (zesty fruit in syrup) to accompany boiled meats or cheeses, and <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0116.htm"><strong>fruit liqueurs</strong></A> to sip on long cold winter evenings.<BR><BR> A few personal favorites: <UL> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/preservesetc/r/blr1172.htm">Confettura di Lamponi e Pesche</A>:</B> The combination of peaches and raspberries makes for a wonderful jam.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/preservesetc/r/blr0507.htm">Many Jams, including plum, raspberry, blackberry, currant, and cantaloupe</A>:</B> Recipes from Il Re dei Cuochi, which was published anonymously in Florence in 1885.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/saucescondiments/r/blr0834.htm">Mostarda di Cremona</A>:</B> A most voluptuous mostarda.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/saucescondiments/ss/aa121305.htm">Mostarda, Illustrated</A>:</B> A rich mostarda with all sorts of fruit.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/aperitifscoffee/r/blr0487.htm">Cigliegiolo</A>:</B> Ciliegiolo is a perfect after dinner cordial, to be enjoyed with friends on a cold winter night when cherry season is far away.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/cookedfruit/r/blr1577.htm">Conserva Antica</A>:</B> This drunken fruit can be quite spectacular; I recall a restaurant in Rome that kept a big jar of it on the counter, adding more fruit or alcohol when the level dropped.</LI> </UL> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/piesandtarts/r/blr1787.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/I/o/2/1/crostatamores.jpg" ALIGN="RIGHT" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=164 WIDTH=200 ALT="Crostata"></A>Winding down, another thing to do with fresh fruit: <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0253.htm">Make a Crostata</A>! Elisabetta used freshly picked blackberries <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/piesandtarts/r/blr1787.htm">here</A>, but other fruit will work well too.
A Summer Grigliata
<P>A grigliata is a bit different from a standard Italian meal with first course, second course, and so on: People gather round the grill, eying the meats as they cook, and when it's all ready, dig in! Some ideas:<BR><BR> <B>To Start Things Off</B><BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0509.htm">Melanzane alla Griglia</A><BR> Marinated eggplant grilled and returned to the marinade to be eaten cool -- very nice!<BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0722.htm">Grilled Zucchini</A><BR> Thin-sliced zucchini, grilled, then spread with breadcrumbs and grated parmigiano, and lightly browned.<BR><BR> <B>Accompaniments</B><BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0106.htm">Panzanella</A> <BR> An extraordinarily refreshing bread salad that's great picnic food too. Peasant cuisine at its best. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0098.htm">Insalata di Riso</A> <BR> Wonderful in summer, and unbeatable on a picnic. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr1013.htm">Farfalle Con Peperoni e Rucola</A><BR> Butterflies with a zesty summer sauce of peppers and arugola. If you add tomato, mozzarella, and chill, you've got picnic food! <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0195.htm">Insalata Caprese</A> <BR> Mozzarella and tomatoes: In small portions this is a nice summer appetizer; in larger amounts it is refreshing summer meal or fine picnic food. <BR><BR> <B>From the Grill</B><BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0568.htm">Bistecca alla Fiorentina</A> <BR> The classic porterhouse cut done over the coals is a rare treat. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0390.htm">Pollo al Mattone</A> <BR> An old, possibly even Etruscan way of grilling a chicken. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0837.htm">Braciole di Maiale alla Calabrese</A> <BR> Pork chops rubbed with hot pepper and fennel, and grilled. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0494.htm">Pancetta alla Griglia</A> <BR> An unusual recipe for uncured pancetta (fat back), rubbed with spices and herbs, and grilled. <BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0602.htm">Agnello Scottadito</A> <BR> Properly grilled lamb chops are an inspired gift of the Gods. <BR><BR> <B>Il Dessert</B> <BR><BR> <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/library/rec/blr0115.htm">Gelati and Sorbetti</A> <BR> About ice creams and sherbets, which are wonderful in the summer and perfect year round. </P>
It's Time to Make Tomato Sauce!
<A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesandsidedishes/ig/Frutta-e-Verdura/index.03.htm"><IMG SRC="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/M/5/1/pomodorisanmarzanogals.jpg" BORDER=0 HEIGHT=198 WIDTH=200 ALT="San Marzano Plum Tomatoes" ALIGN="LEFT"></A>Italian markets are beginning to fill with San Marzano tomatoes, the wonderfully rich plum tomatoes that grow on the flanks of Mount Vesuvius, and supermarkets are also putting out racks of canning jars for those who will be transforming pounds of those wonderful tomatoes into sauce, to go over pasta (witha sprig of basil and a dusting of cheese), spread <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/breadspizza/a/aa042205_3.htm">over pizza</a>, make <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0111.htm">pappa al pomodoro</a>, or simply to set aside for the winter months. A few recipes: <UL> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0022.htm">Pomarola</A>:</B> The Classic Tuscan tomato sauce.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr1780.htm">Dino's Marinara Sauce</A>:</B> A treat from Dino Romano. Make a LOT.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0023.htm">Quick Cooking Neapolitan Pummarola</A>:</B> Simplicity, and as it says, quick.</LI> </UL> And things to use your sauce for: <UL> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0592.htm">Pasta alla Carrettiera</A>:</B> A Carrettiere is a cart driver, and this is the sort of thing one expects to find in a truck stop -- simple, tasty, and satisfying.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/meatsauces/r/blr1007.htm">Bucatini all'Amatriciana</A>:</B> This zesty pancetta and tomato sauce is commonly associated with Lazio and Rome, but is actually from the town of Amatrice, which was just over the border into the Abruzzo before Mussolini redrew the maps</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0044.htm">Sugo alla Puttanesca</A>:</B> There are a number of stories about the origins of puttanesca sauce, the raciest being that a Puttana, or (ahem) Lady of the Evening, could cook it in the time it took her to take care of a client, and enjoy it while recovering from her exertions. Whatever, it is good.</LI> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0019.htm">Spaghetti alla Norma</A>:</B> When I was quite little my father worked on an excavation in Sicily, and Spaghetti alla Norma, spaghetti with rich, sensual tomatoey eggplant sauce, is one of the earliest dishes I remember.</LI> </UL>
On The Naming Of Italian Recipes
A number of years ago I was watching TV and saw the mayor of a Ligurian town show how to prepare <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0687.htm">Panissa</A>, an extraordinarily frugal chickpea farinata. It looked good, so I dug out my Ligurian cookbooks and wrote up a recipe; a couple of Ligurian residents commented upon it, and Maria sent me a recipe for <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/chickpeaslentils/r/blr0714.htm">Calentita</A>, A Gibraltarian fried version of Panissa, which came by way of Genoese sailors.<BR><BR> Today, however, I got a note from Marla, who says Panissa is a northern Piemontese rice dish -- not the farinata made in Liguria. I dug out my Piemontese cookbooks, and By God, she's right: In the Vercellese <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beans/r/blr1859.htm">Panissa</A> <em>is</em> a rich rice-and-beans-with-pork dish, and in the nearby Novarese there's <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beans/r/blr1860.htm">Paniscia</A>, which is made with fewer beans, pork, and more vegetables. <BR><BR> So which is the real McCoy? Both. <BR><BR> The areas where the two versions of Panissa are made are several hundred miles apart, and while this might not see important today, in the past the peasants who made these dishes wouldn't have traveled that far, and even if they had chanced to meet, would have been unable to communicate because their dialects would have been so different as to be unintelligible (until the middle of the last century, outside of Tuscany only the wealthy and educated could speak Standard Italian, which derives from Tuscan). Put simply, the names arose independently. <BR><BR> I've run across this sort of thing before: The word <I>Migliaccio</I> can refer, among other things, to a rich, sweet pig's blood pudding or a sweet or savory fritter made with flour and pig's blood (these kinds of migliaccio are now rare because fresh pig's blood is difficult to find), or to a <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/piesandtarts/r/blr0294.htm">flat chestnut flour dessert</A> made in Tuscany, or to a delicate <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/piesandtarts/r/blr0298.htm">Neapolitan Easter cake</A>. Again, very different dishes from different places share a name. <BR><BR> Artusi touches upon the problem too, in <I>La Scienza in Cucina E L'Arte di Mangiar Bene,</I> the most influential turn of the (last) century Italian cookbook: <BR><BR> "Cacciucco! Let me say something about this word, which is probably understood only in Tuscany and along the Tyrrhenian coast, since the word <em>brodetto </em>takes its place in the towns along the Adriatic Sea. In Florence, on the other hand, <em>brodetto </em>is an egg soup served at Easter, made by crumbling bread in broth and thickening the mixture with beaten eggs and lemon juice. The confusion between these and other similar sounding words from province to province in Italy is so bad that it wouldn't take much to make a second Babel. <BR><BR> "Now that our country is unified, the unification of spoken Italian, which few promote and many hinder, perhaps because of misplaced pride, or perhaps because they are comfortable with their dialects, seems to me a logical consequence." <BR><BR> Unfortunately, uniformity still hasn't come, more than a century after Artusi's request. <BR><BR> But we can enjoy Panissa, and given the uncommonly cool wet weather we're having any of the three versions I know of would be appropriate today in Italy: <UL> <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0687.htm">Panissa alla Ligure</A>,</B> a frugal chickpea farinata. <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beans/r/blr1859.htm">Panissa alla Vercellese</A>,</B> rich pork, rice, and beans. <LI><B><A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beans/r/blr1860.htm">Paniscia alla Novarese</A>,</B> pork, rice, and beans with lots of vegetables. </UL>
Almost Eggplant Parmesan: A Lighter Version Of Eggplant Parmesan
<A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/eggplant/r/blr0183.htm">Melanzane alla Parmigiana</A>, Eggplant Parmesan, is one of Naple's signature dishes, and extraordinarily good. However, preparing it is time consuming, and it is quite rich -- not the sort of thing one can make when rushed or on a diet. <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/eggplant/r/blr1858.htm">This lighter version</A> is easy to do, and goes quickly when I make it.
Braciole Alla Livornese: Zesty, Tomatoey Twice-Cooked Beef
Livorno, one of Tuscan's major ports, is known for <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/fishdishes/ig/La-Galleria-del-Pesce/Triglia-Scoglio--Reef-Mullet.htm">triglie alla livornese</A>, reef mullet cooked in a zesty tomato sauce. To simply cook beef braciole in tomato sauce would be drab, no matter how zesty the sauce, and Livornesi are not drab. However, if you first bread the cutlets and fry them before finishing them up in the tomato sauce, they become much more interesting. And you have <A HREF="http://italianfood.about.com/od/beefbracioleetc/r/judyfrancinibraciole.htm">Braciole alla Livornese</A>. <BR><BR> Comfort Food OF the Finest Kind, from <B>Secrets from My Tuscan Kitchen</B>, a new book by Judy Witts Francini.
Thinking About Pesto Sauce...
The past couple of days have been very hot in much of Italy, and though the weather people say it may not last, it's time to think of cooler more refreshing summer dishes. The Ligurians, who are squeezed into a sunny swath between impenetrable mountains and the rocky shores of the Mediterranean, collect wild herbs, -- basil especially -- pine nuts, garlic, and cheese -- now Parmigiano but in the past things that were cheaper -- and grind them in a mortar with olive oil to make a wonderfully creamy sauce that's perfect over pasta, but not only:<BR> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/greenvegetable/r/blr0013.htm">Trenette col Pesto</a>:</strong> Trenette are similar to linguine, but a bit thinner -- they look like flattened spaghetti -- and when served with pesto sauce are generally cooked with string beans and potatoes. A perfect match!</li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/bakedpasta/r/blr0012.htm">Lasagne col Pesto</a>:</strong> Quite nice, quite refreshing, and another summer favorite. Good cool, too.</li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/heartysoups/r/blr1389.htm">Minestrone alla Ligure</a>:</strong> Ligurians are known for their love of vegetables. And of pesto sauce, which makes a nice addition to Minestrone.</li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/turkey/r/blr0154.htm">Tacchino al Basilico</a>:</strong> Turkey and basil work surprisingly well together; the combination is quite refreshing, and if need be you can use chicken too. </li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr1463.htm">Conchiglie al Pesto Rosso</a>:</strong> This is a bit different -- the word <I>pesto</I> derives from the verb </I>pestare,</I> to step on or grind, and therefore applies to any sauce made from ground ingredients. In this case, sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, which will balance each other quite well.</li> </ul> <strong>Pesto Not What You Had In Mind? <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/blfeat.htm">The General Recipe Index</a></strong>
Viva La Pappa... Al Pomo-Pomo-Pomo-Pomodoro!
<img src="http://z.about.com/d/italianfood/1/0/H/5/1/pomodoricostolutigals.jpg" alt="Pomodori Costoluti" WIDTH="193" HEIGHT="200" ALIGN="LEFT">Sang Rita Pavone, who donned a boy's suite to play Gianino Stoppani in the film version of Gianburrasca, Vamba's children's classic (she sings the song for TV <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqIKVEh9BPI">here</a>). Of course in the story, Giannino and his friends, who are in reform school, are leaving grains of red dye on their plates, which gradually color the rinse water the cook and the dishwasher keep from Sunday to Thursday and use to make soup on Friday (the best meal of the week). Faced with unexpectedly red rinse water, the cook makes pappa al pomodoro... <BR><BR> Which Giannino and his friends keep the others from eating. He would have been quite happy to eat <a href="http://italianfood.about.com/od/primivari/r/blr0111.htm"><strong>real pappa al pomodoro</strong></a>, however -- it's one of the most classic and best loved Tuscan summer dishes, invariably serving fewer than one would expect because everyone demands seconds.<BR><BR> And a couple of other tomatoey ideas:<ul> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/blr0095.htm">Insalata Caprese</a>,</strong> Tomato and Mozzarella Salad</li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/tomatoes/r/blr1504.htm">Pomodori Marinati</a>,</strong> a Tasty, Zesty Tomato Salad</li> <li><strong><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://italianfood.about.com/od/vegetablesauces/r/blr0021.htm">Pasta all'Ammiraglio</a>,</strong> a Delightfully Tomatoey Pasta Salad.</li>