Pontormo

For the record, this post, I am guessing, is one of the reasons Ling began thinking of such a tart. And Ling, I respect the cautionary notes phlawless adds about retaining a seasonal spirit, but trust your gut. Figs have just come in and maybe lighten the tart by omitting the nuts. It's true that the tarts I've mentioned that had blue cheese crusts were autumnal if not wintertime desserts. As for garnishes: do something with raspberries. A classic combination for clafoutis is fig with raspberry.

Since I was born in Connecticut, today it is most fitting that I announce my conversion. It is with deep regret given my passionate commitment to all things dark and chocolate, moist, crumby and frosted--I will always look back fondly upon our time together, I truly will. Yet, until the day that the piles of apples outclass the peaches at the farmers market, I hereby declare my change in heart: I like pie.

Nonsense! Just trying to answer your question with a little information. Your raspberry schiacciata looks glorious and in the photographic sequence on its page, beautifully complements Ling's Basque cake. As I said before, I think a peach version would be perfect, but keep in mind I will be obsessed with peaches until the season ends.

For the first time in quite a while, I made something that provoked satori as soon as it came out of the oven. Now I understand why all you crazy, crazy people photograph your food. Seconds on peaches provide one of the great bargains of the farmers market. While I started out believing this was going to be a bummer year, recent crops prove utterly delicious. I decided to check out a number of dessert books from the library and with an open mind, included something by Martha Stewart that ended up my source of inspiration: an open-faced pie of unpeeled white Belle Georgia peaches. I peeled my bright yellow ones and tossed in some chopped crystalized ginger and grated fresh Hawaiian gingerroot. I didn't have quite enough even to fill a nine-inch pie plate, so I made a wide well in the center to accommodate blueberries, using zest from the lemon I juiced for the peaches and a just a small amount of cinnamon. The entire pie was dotted with butter. It is a thing of beauty: glistening surface of sugar and butter seizing up and tightening around clumps of peaches, their color deepened, edges rosy with some just a little crisped and golden brown, heaped in a circle around that dark, deep blue of berries that remain intact if wizened as they cool and lose the heaving quality they had when first brought forth from the heat. One of the great pleasures of not having a top crust is the same benefit you get from a crostada or galette: if you pile the fruit high enough, you get to pick at the edges, slide a small wedge out near the crust and close some of the syrupy goop over the wound.

Ling: I am so glad you're doing this! Brava! I've made a few pear tarts with blue cheese in the crust, something that would be good with ground nuts replacing some of the flour, so perhaps that is done as well. Recipes crop up from time to time in Gourmet, so you might try checking epicurous. I am pretty sure Stilton was used there since the firmer texture should crumb up like cold butter if you're incorporating it in a food processor. Gorgonzola's great with fruit, but I fear that even when chilled, it might gum up, requiring more flour, and ultimately lead to a tough dough. I see from this forum's counterpart to the Dinner thread why you thought about putting Stilton on top of the figs, but I like the idea of the crust best. Another possible would be assembing the tart as you would a fresh fruit tart: Bake the shell, with or without ground nutmeal (pistachios?) replacing some of the flour. Then make a "pastry cream" which incorporates blue cheese---in this case a creamy one one would be fine--and spread it on top of the cooled shell. Alternative: I'd be tempted to go Italian, though, and do a combination of perfectly fresh ricotta, blue cheese and a little egg & cream to bind. Pour into unbaked shells, bake until set, cool. Then top either with roasted figs, slightly syrupy under a perfumed honey glaze. Of course, fresh figs, glazed, would be lovely, too. Further variations thereof are endless.

I was going to ask about this, too!!! Actually, I noticed the same thing in Sicily where dried oregano was specified as the preferred seasoning because of its strong flavor. That's why I felt I had to justify using fresh oregano for the tomato, onion & potato dish I prepared, in part, because I didn't want the fresh herb to go to waste.

Klary singled out the one new dish that caught my eye, too. I'm used to recipes in which the flesh of the eggplant is either scooped out raw, or the vegetable is roasted until it collapses, then split, etc. This is an interesting alternative, if not appropriate for a week of low-fat cooking. Perfect for the small varieties of eggplant that even American supermarkets offer regularly now. Everyone's dishes look wonderful from the efforts of Elie onward. This seems to be a month of baking! It's so good to see you here in this forum, Abra. Thanks for the recommendation. We're turning to Naples and the region of Campania in September, as you may already know. Plenty of pizza, but perhaps you & Elie could teach us more about sausage-making then. N.B. Be sure to look at the beginning of the thread and vote for the months we'll cover as the year draws to a close.

I believe the Health Food movement helped increase the popularity of using amaranth seeds as an alternative to rice, couscous, etc. especially since they are an important source of protein. When I was looking for information about the mature, iron-rich leaves I purchased as Jamaican spinach or callaloo, I found lots of web sites promoting them as the perfect crop to grow internationally given their historical significance as an extremely nutritious food. The ones you see as magenta micro-mix leaves are gorgeous fully grown and popular in Asian communities according to one of my sources. (See my posts in regional thread for the Caribbean.) I've never seen the plant in Italy. Since this is so off-topic, I will add that I am returning to Sicily for dinner tonight.

Any self-respecting religious community would use the refectory, south of the conventual church, close to the cloister! Monkfish would make a special meal there any day of the week, though St. Peter's fish might be even more welcome. Only bread and wine served in liturgical setting, though altars are decorated richly by laiety with offerings of fruit, cakes, etc. on special feast days, often devoted to local saints. As for brown-clad, tonsured sandal-wearers, they're Franciscan friars, members of mendicant orders, not to be confused with monks. Brown distinguish them from the white or black habits worn in most Western convents based on Benedictine monasticism. Cistercian regulations expressly forbid gold and stained glass; just unadorned silver liturgical vessels such as the chalice for the wine. N.B. No time for a search, but look for Adam Balic's compelling photographs of monkfish before they are skinned, gutted and filleted. They are one of the ugliest things you'd ever encounter in the sea. While the flesh may seem rich and therefore a potential trap for monks, friars or nuns fearful of the sin of gluttony, the fish's appearance is definitely a reassuring sign that it is humble fare.

Simply French (Patricia Wells) is a cookbook I picked up years ago, but then found nothing I really wanted to cook, that is, until recently. Besides having about 5-6 recipes for madeleines, Joel Robuchon's roasted monkfish is perfect now that tomatoes are in the markets. Sliced onions and shallots (lots, halved) are placed in the bottom of a baking dish, topped with bay leaves, thyme sprigs and drizzled with olive oil. Salt. Fish next, membrane removed and divided into individual portions (around 1/2 lb ea.). Place thinly sliced zucchini, tomatoes and lemon around and on top of the fish, then pour in dry white wine, half way up sides. More thyme & evoo. Roast uncovered 350 F about 30-40 mins until fish is just cooked through.

Great looking focaccia, Mike! Vegetable and cheese and meat inside, right? What else do you need? Mrbigjas: What colorful eggplants! We have little round ones called Thai by one of the farmers. I have heard great things about Jamison's lamb. Hathor: communal ovens go way back in history. Lots of references to them in Middle Ages and I think Andrew would confirm their presence in antiquity.

Second yes. It's called schiacciata, traditionally made with grapes in Tuscany as in this version on the blog of an eGullet member, Divina Cucina. This type tends to be flatter and pleasantly moist on top since the fruit covers much of the surface. Yours looks gorgeous, Pille! I bet peaches and blackberries together would be wonderful, too.

My personal knowledge of early culinary history in Western Europe is very limited, however, it is my understanding that the discussion of heavy seasonings, odd combinations and "exotic" meats concerns exceptional dining practices, such as banquets among the elite. The variety and quantity of produce, dairy, fats and protein we consume in a single meal is one of the major distinctions between contemporary diets in the "West" and those of Greco-Roman and medieval civilizations, no? Rarely if ever do I manage to eat the 10-12 recommended daily servings of grain-based products, preferring to focus on fruits and vegetables at this time of year. Yet, bread, porridges and other forms of cereals were the principal components of the two meals consumed by those fortunate enough to have something in the pantry* "back then." According to my reading, medieval Italy compares to Ancient Greece in referring to food as "bread" and "that which is eaten with bread." *Yes, the roots of the word "larder" are Middle English according to one of the tools on my computer's dashboard. From lardier and further back, lardarium. Meat vs. panterie, paneter, panarius, panis, bread.

The cherries made it to Moscow!! Lovely and interesting blog, Alinka! Having lived further north before, I envy you the length of your days during the summer. Since I have never been to Russia, I am quite surprised by some of the things you have shown us just in these first few pages. Very different from reports of visits that predate your move to the U.S. I can see why you say the culture seems new.

Very interesting regional differences in pasta-making tables. You know we've got to know more about this! Is there a female version?

Nathan, another great inaugural meal! You always have beautiful artichokes. (And lucky you, re the Spanish gift!) Ada Boni has a recipe for the same torta, using olives. I prefer your cherry tomatoes, especially after seeing Franci's first demos. And Franci, your new post is fascinating; you've really introduced something we would not have encountered in any other resources at our disposal. I would never have thought of topping a thick, dried pasta with a breadcrumb mixture. Your commentary clarified how the dish should taste ideally. However, if your own mother isn't satisfied with her polpette, you can't expect us... * * * At the moment, the only book I have at my disposal is Ada Boni's. I am impressed with the variety of dishes that all rely on a few key ingredients. Since we're now in the middle of tomato season, this is the perfect time to explore Puglia. Mussels are going on my shopping list next week for a dish in which rice cooks in the liquor strained from the opened shells and tomatoes that have been passed through a sieve.

It was calaloo, although from what I have read, there are LOTS of different kinds. My small leaves were rather thin and tender; they wilted quickly since I was out in intense sun for several hours before I took them home. Judging from online photographs, your initial experience was probably with a different variety and possibly grown under different conditions. I boiled mine in chicken stock. Didn't keep track of time, but it could not have been much more than ten minutes when I strained the leaves, chopped them and mixed them as specfied above, drizzled with olive oil. Silky, tender, really, quite nice. I also used reserved stock successfully. I understand the iron content in the leaves is quite high, more than spinach for example, though I don't know how cooking affects their nutritional value. The name of the plant is more familiar to me as a grain. In fact, I have tiny little beads of amaranth in the cupboard, although I have not yet cooked it. It's supposed to be a good source for protein.

Seeking approval from photographer.

Another bump-up, hoping to hear more. Since I've been trying to buy at least one item each week that I have never had before, I picked up amaranth at the market last week and ended up boiling the leaves in chicken stock before chopping them up fine and mixing them with a mild Greek feta, eaten at room temperature with a drizzle of olive oil. The leftover broth was an unattractive but fragrant muddy brown. I borrowed a copy of Sunday Suppers at Lucques and was inspired to use it to prepare a kind of green rice that sounds quite similiar to a version Docsconz first prepared during a recent trip to Mexico. I heated up the broth, added a little water and blended the liquid with chopped fresh herbs: chives, cilantro and parsley. The result was a beautiful shade of green. After sauteing celery, garlic and onion and coating grains of rice with the mixture, I poured in the broth. The pilaf retained the vivid color along with the flavors of the vegetables and herbs. (I also figured out a way to transform an unending supply of caponata to go along with the rice, but would not wish to insult traditionalists.) ETAccommodate yet another merge as per request.

Since threads whiz by so quickly in this forum, I am bumping it back up to consult in tandem with the related thread in General Topics. Since taking inventory of all stored foods, not just the cupboards, I have used up a bag of Chinese vegetable noodles I froze late last fall along with the oldest thing in the freezer: peanut sauce with coconut. I have also tried to cook at least one thing with dried beans every week, waiting to replenish supplies until after more jars are empty. Chickpeas are gone. Only a handful of black beans. Already have made lentil salad with Le Puys, however, the old brown lentils just don't seem right for anything but soup. Barley risotto with flageolets, roasted corn and heirloom tomatoes? What to do with two jars of dried tangerine peel?

It's not you, it's me. This has been a truly satisfying experience for me because: 1) I have been able to chart how my role in your kitchen contributed to the popularity and growth of the business. Since I've been here X has increased Y percent, etc. 2) I learned a lot about teaching from the best who trained me, and here for the first time I have been able to apply what I valued the most from those lessons to training Moe and Mildred who came to this kitchen without any previous experience, yet now can do A & B. I look forward to the opportunity to refine my new pedagogical skills in a different environment. 3) Our working relationship has taught me a lot. For example.....(something specific and sincere). My own catering business, thanks for your help, BTW, couldn't have done it without you, gives me a chance to do C & D, both outgrowths of my culinary training and reasons I got into this business. Over the past few months, I've gotten more and more interested in E & F and gotten much better at them. I find that I can't do those things here in your kitchen given budgetary constraints. I appreciate your situation. These are the things that I wish to explore now, in the next stage of my career. I look forward to a new venue. Let's stay in touch. Nice tie, looks good with that shirt. Take out the stilted stuff and speak genuinely. No need to spill guts or explain that they have uninformed palates and a shoddy set of priorities. You're just not a good match, but don't say that either. No need to mention recipes or anything else. Let them bring up the subject, if they do. Then, you've already gotten good advice here on that subject.

Brava! Brava! Campiona del mondo! Franci, forgive us if it takes a while for this thread to build. I confess that because I have so many things at home I need to use up first (making Sicilian swordfish dishes, finishing caponata ...), I will probably wait another week to join in. When I do, I will be rushing to the market to buy cherry tomatoes since the technique of squeezing out the juice, THEN placing the remains on top seems like a brilliant idea! A variety of eggplants should appear pretty soon in the market place along with more fresh chilis and other peppers. One farmer used to bring fresh shelling beans, though they are very expensive. And BTW, if you recall the confusion over the words I used for the balls of boiled greens on sale in Florence, I wonder if they were a type of what we can turnip greens here in the States. I didn't look at them closely, but think I would have been able to tell if they were beet greens. Marcella Hazan translates "cime di rape rosso" as beet greens in the cookbooks she published before Americans ate the variety of leafy greens currently available in this country.

Glad you liked it too! Funny, when I bought these greens the first time, I prepared them as if they were spinach or beet greens, without boiling and found them both too tough and quite bitter. I was surprised by the taming effect of boiling. Do note that Franci mentions them in the Puglese thread, too. It's kind of OT for Siciliy if not for greens, but I would be interested in learning about what you did with amaranth you mentioned somewhere--perhaps in the Reading Terminal thread. My goal is to try every green I come across and just cooked this for the first time using a method Paula Wolfert recommends (as reported by E. Schneider): boiled in stock instead of water, chopped and mixed, in my case with a mild feta made from goat & sheep's milk. The use of stock instead of water has a wonderful effect; reserved stock should be good for a quick soup, and back on topic, it might be a good idea to try cooking greens for some of these regional dishes in stock, then returning the resulting broth to the pan to finish cooking the pasta.

Bermuda Triangle effect? What's a broken link? I can't find the thread.

You might be interested in reading Alberto's report of a visit to a medievalizing restaurant in Tallinn that he found pleasingly un-Disneylike. This is a link to Il Forno, the food blog of the erstwhile host of the Italian regional forum here at eGullet. Also, see this link to an episode of This American Life. Skim the text until you reach Act Three. Ira Glass visits a hokey medieval place with a brilliant young professor from The University of Chicago, Michael Camille (d. 2002), who does not react as one might expect despite the sardonic tendencies of the program's host.