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Pontormo

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Everything posted by Pontormo

  1. Bavila: Thanks for taking the initiative. Over the past few years I've tried to make shopping at the farmers market a weekly habit and now volunteer there at least two weekends a week, even more lately. This past week, I spent $48 at supermarkets and $17 at the farmers market, the latter reflecting a discount a couple of the farms give me (3 items total). So, around 26% of this week's expenses went towards local farms. The supermarket in this case was Whole Foods. I usually shop at a number of other places, but didn't have the time or need. The Tenleytown WF carried only 5 local items in the Produce department, only mushrooms from Pennsylvania.* Last week, the Georgetown store, still much larger, had 18 local items and seems to make more of a concerted effort to find local sources and let shoppers know about them on chalkboards that resemble notices of Daily Specials at bistros and tratterias. It may be PR, but was worth noting. I rarely buy eggs or milk, and never buy meat at the market, due to expense. I also place great value on imported Italian, French and Spanish cheeses, pasta, oil, tomatoes, olives, anchovies and Asian items, too. I will never be as much of a diehard as one of the co-founders of FRESHFARM Market who says she rarely buys groceries elsewhere unless they're something like almonds. I don't see the point. *Ricotta from a dairy that also sells at local farmers markets is always in the cheese department, too.
  2. Phlawless: You've given me my first glimpse of cardoons in bloom. If you're really ambitious you can pick the thistle and use it to make rennet. Thank you for sharing your experiment with us this week. I hope to see your name appear from time to time in other forums. The rest of should think about starting threads related to locavorism. I know that in addition to budgetary constraints, I would not like to feel restricted to things produced nearby. Your need for Mexican food is understandable. Why not take advantage of an access to cheeses, hams, spices, oils and even produce that simply were not available to many of us until fairly recently?
  3. Elie: I love the shape of your loaves. The watermelon pudding looks wonderful too, here made with your own candied lemon peel. Mimmetta lo Motte has an elaborate version of the dessert calling for a layer of cake (pan di Spagna), orange flower water and Conserva di Zucca in which Chayote Squash is used. No chocolate. Cake forms base. Second layer is the watermelon liquid mixed with pistachios and squash preserves. Chill. Then final layer is plain watermelon liquid with nuts sprinkled on top. It's called Trionfo della Gola, or Triumph of Gluttony. Since you only had two of yours, I think you're safe. (And Chufi, thanks for the caponata advice.)
  4. Athinaeos, thank you for sharing your culinary memories from Palermo! Chufi: I linked Kevin's nerdy Sicilian posts early in the thread. Cassata is part of one of his later meals. In Italy, I just don't remember all that many loaf cakes since most were elaborate things you picked up at your favorite pasticcieria and presented as a guest on Sunday visits after church when there's nothing to do except eat and listen to your cousin complain about his boss. Here's the results from google image search, including Cassata High School and Christine Cassata. Decoration counts more than shape and the candied fruits look rather de rigueur. Speaking of which, what do people buy for candied fruit? Make your own? I admit to a prejudice I would like to overcome this month. (I also thought ricotta is traditional; with candied fruit, the chocolate sounds like overkill but see further.) Consulting one of the cookbooks I borrowed for this month's focus, I notice that Nick Malgieri has two different versions in his *Great Italian Desserts.* One's called pasticcieria style and is quite elaborate, the other's called casalinga, or home-style and is less complicated. Both require several days of work, beginning with the pan di spagna. The ricotta is supposed to be "dry" style whatever that means and does in fact call for a bit of chocolate in filling. There's rum syrup and for the shop version, apricot glaze and pasta reale--a marzipan fondant coating that is dyed green. The domestic one forgoes the glaze and marzipan and instead gets covered in whipped cream with chopped blanched pistachios pressed on sides. On top: Candied cherries and citron both, but in the La di da version, chocolate, too melted and with oil, used to pipe scrolls and flourishes. The pistachio cake looks wonderful, yes? Even the so-called mistake sounds good. * * * I just got back from the farmers market with what might be the last of the purple cauliflower (often called "broccoli" in Sicily according to Wright) left now that the heat is on. I also picked up pretty string beans, the first of the field tomatoes, mint, parsley, basil, and yesterday, almonds, pistachios, thin strips of beef, prosciutto, currants, oil-packed tuna, bread to make into crumbs, red wine vinegar, figs... La Terra Trema has been moved up to assume the first spot in my rental queue. About to boil water for Spaghetti alla Siciliana (Hazan's version of Norma). More later in the week. BTW: I remain enthusiastic about Clifford Wright's recipes and interesting focus. His introduction is a bit stiff, though. Not a vivid writer of historical and regional overviews, at least in this first effort. (And since it is almost time: Sforza Italia!)
  5. Pontormo

    Fig Gelato

    Since I do not own an ice cream freezer, take the suggestion under advisement. However, I wonder if you might derive a more intense flavor were you to use superior fig preserves or make a stew out of dried figs. Combine one or the other with chopped fruit to streak the gelato with fig. Second, how good are your figs this early in the season? Might you have better luck in a couple of weeks? Whatever you do should you try again, please report the results in this thread.
  6. Here's the thread I started in the D.C. DelMarVa forum on the same topic with similar results. Northern Italian cooking is still the general rule as an ambiguously defined outgrowth of the move towards introducing North America to "real" Italian food as something sophisticated and diverse. Given the history of Italian immigration to the US & Canada, Southern Italian cooking gets short shrift, again, kind of lumped together as the stuff with red sauce and lots of cheese. Exceptional are perhaps Roman classics such as Carbonara and desserts (tiramisu, cannoli, gelato...). The next new trend should be more "up-scale" Southern Italian cooking, especially from Sicily and Campania (Naples...).
  7. My favorite entry is on Oscar Mayer Bologna, though the comments might appear cruel to some. On a more serious note, here's the link to American Spoon's Sour Cherry Preserves as mentioned on the first page of this thread. Wonderful and not easy to find in stores these days unless you live in The Heartland, perhaps.
  8. Yes, on this. Descriptions of emulsion while filling orders for pasta especially strong. The act of cooking is rarely presented this well. Rest? Boh We'll see...
  9. While Henry already mentioned just how many threads concern Chicago's legislated ban and the ethics of foie gras, I thought this one on trans fat should be linked since it is in the Hearland's regional forum rather than up here among the Starters. I am reminded of something I probably have mentioned before, but when a food co-op took over a supermarket on a major artery in New Haven, Connecticut that joined lower-income neighborhoods to Yale and downtown, the earnest staff decided it would carry mainstream items such as ketchup and potato chips (radical circa 1980; no artisanal Organics then) to attract fok away from competition so they might be "taught" to eat better by browsing the other aisles. As an incentive, foods with high nutritional value were priced low and junk food, while available, cost more. Now, that may be patronizing, but at least the economic incentives provide options that a full-out ban does not. What bothers me most about Chicago's action is that it is also market-driven; it's not purely Ethics through Legislation. Cigarettes cause serious illness, death and cause huge medical expenses that affect non-smokers. They harm humans vs. the animals we raise to consume. Why doesn't Chicago simply ban smoking anywhere in the city instead?
  10. Noted. After looking through Wright, I'm wondering whether Sicily is going to be my new favorite region. I soooo want to go there. ETA: The recipe for chicken made with vin' cotto does look VERY good as mentioned in Kevin's post above. However, here's the grrrr we've made repeatedly this year , it's not listed in the index of the book as a Sicilian or even Sicilian-inspired dish. There's nothing in the paragraph above the recipe--only give aways are some of the ingredients, including Sicilian olives. Thus, I overlooked it. I've made a so-called Tunisian or Moroccan chicken with eggplant & almonds (epicurious) and eons ago, one with olives (Silver Palate) that I like, so... And rather than adding a new post, to Andrew regarding the caponata, thanks for the comments. I already prepared something else with the half of a large eggplant I added to last night's dinner to allow flavors to develop over time. However, trusting Shaya and Chufi, I intend to make the caponata once local eggplants appear on the scene. My balsamic is not of high quality, so I might just switch to a traditional red wine vinegar for a pronounced sweet & sour taste.
  11. Method-journalism? At his book-signing, Buford spoke about the origins of his work. During a staff meeting at The New Yorker, he proposed a profile on Mario Batali. Everyone thought it was a good idea, though who would write it became the question. Buford thought of Jay McInerey--the birthday boy at the dinner party at the beginning of Heat--but ultimately it was decided that he do the piece. In order to understand his subject, he decided not simply to trail MB, but to go through some of the experiences that made the suburban Seattle native decide to reclaim his grandmother's culinary heritage, go to Italy, and cook himself, at Babbo, with the advantage of getting to know the restaurant that MB built and the impressions he makes on his staff. Over time, the original motive for the magazine's profile gives way to a narrative that unfounds chronologically as the author's culinary skills develop, he moves from station to station and visits Mario's training grounds in Italy. I have not finished reading the book, so I don't have any final opinions on the matter. However, it is true that this is Celebrity Chef Biography by inspiration and association only; otherwise, it is an account of self-transformation and discovery in which the narrator is the hero of a picaresque tale. The common device of switching from one focus to another in alternating chapters, in this case, BB's story and MB's story, is not maintained. If there's a flaw, it may be due to the way some chapters might have worked better standing on their own as magazine pieces than they do integrated into the book's sequence of chapters. Too early for me to say. The author is entertaining, funny and articulate...easy to read at bestseller pace without the bad prose and stock character types. This is not particularly deep, insightful character analysis of either party involved. The only real fault I find with the publication is a quibble: the cover. The melting letters are cute, but it's rather blank and boring.
  12. Thank you, too, Brad. (My bottle of cooking Marsala is Santini vs. Cantine Florio.) And Ling, gorgeous! Looks like you've come up with a solution to the old North/South problem in Italy by transforming Venice's famous fegato into a Sicilian dish. By the way, Molto Mario has a recipe for calf's liver with orange, i.e a flavor strongly tied to Sicily. FYI: Another article from the NYTs: "In Sicily, an Appetite for the New," where you'll see platings of elegant currency. * * * I relied on Batali's book last night by preparing a recipe traditionally made with rabbit, Pollo in Stemperata, a one-dish meal which Clifford Wright says is not uncommon on the island. Since antipasti, in particular, tend to be skipped or eaten separately as a kind of snack or merende, Sicily is kind of an Anti-Piemonte. The chicken is sauteed until golden then set aside while tomatoes, eggplant, colored bell peppers, potato, capers, dried chilies and pitted olives are tossed in with olive oil. All are united with red wine and simmered. At the end, mint, parsley and red chili pepper flakes are added and the dish is meant to rest until it reaches room temperature. It was fine, but just that. I'd give it around an 83, a solid B without the qualifying minus but lacking potential for greatness. Either I am getting sick of chicken stews, braises, etc. or I missed the onions and/or garlic, ingredients whose omission in the recipe made me curious. (Who is it here who has "Eat More Chicken Skin" as a signature line? I agree on roasted, but s/he can have mine when it comes to preparations like this.) For leftovers, I think I will prepare a simple cuscusa with pistachios, zest and currants or golden raisins. * * * Speaking of greatness, get your hands on Clifford Wright's Cucina Paradiso.* The author is a respected authority in Middle Eastern Studies and concentrates on the Arabian legacy of Sicilian cooking. I picked up a copy at the library yesterday and find just about everything worth making. Slim, no pictures, but pithy. In addition to the brief introductory essay, recipes, and extensive bibliography it supplies, there is a section devoted to the Sicilian pantry. There is a recipe for cookies I will make with my pistachio paste. It is actually similar to the Christmas cookie recipe Alberto posted on Il Forno last December in calling for nut flours that you are expected to grind yourself. However, I'd like to know why one is asked to include PEANUTS along with almonds and hazelnuts. Did someone forget to tell me peanuts were brought to Italy from the New World along with squash, tomatoes or were they carted over in the 9th century by the Saracens along with oranges, pistachios...? *Cucina, feminine; Paridoso, masculine. I forget how this relates to our linguistic questions concerning "salsa marinara." Maybe it doesn't.
  13. I am in awe of your skills--and Chuck's when it comes to your beautiful kitchen. The entire dinner from last night was gorgeous. Is your visitor Devotay?
  14. Pontormo

    Baking 101

    I was about to pipe up to say there were cakes baked long before the development of electronic kitchen appliances. You should be fine. I don't know how urban your life is, but now is high season for yard sales. I bet you could find a hand mixer for a few bucks at just the right one. Mine is an inexpensive hand-me-down and has been humming along effectively for decades. Not as pretty as a lemon yellow or forest green KitchenAid, but it does speed up some things and cost much less than a copper bowl.
  15. Pontormo

    Galettes

    Ultimately, I decided to reserve the pistachio paste for a more traditionally Sicilian dolce some time later in the month since I am participating in the Cooking and Cuisine of Sicily thread. Malawry confirmed the wisdom of that decision and recommended one thing I learned via a number of sources: pairing almond with cherries. I used pulverized amaretti in addition to a tiny bit of almond extract. The galette was delicious; I am especially partial to Deborah Madison's recipe for the pastry as opposed to pie crust: thicker and very light with melted butter and sugar coating the parts of the dough that are folded over to enclose the fruit. That said, I suspect a pie would have better in dealing with the cherries. There was so much juice that a pie pan would have been more appropriate for the filling. This was the first time I bought sour cherries, probably the last week they were available in our farmers markets. I was equally conservative when it came to the amount of sugar I added. I love the tartness with a dab of sour cream.
  16. More: Here and Mr. Wright and Mario. Interesting? I think I saw recipes, too. And since Andrew mentioned The Leopard with relevant citation, here's a list of classic movies set in Sicily; Criterion's new release of Visconti's movie based on the novel mentioned is worth renting for a night you're cooking Sicilian at home. And if there IS anyone here who hasn't seen The Best of Youth, I'm nagging again.
  17. What a great photograph---chocolate in caponata? I overlooked that recipe, but plan to make something else from Batali tonight. And thanks Kevin & Ling. I don't think my public librarires have that particular cookbook, but I am sure I'll come up with a filled cookie or pastry of sorts before the month is over. MrBjas, as per your request, here are some of the Web sites I found that seem to have a wealth of recipes for Sicilian dishes. I am including Mario Batali's shows even though a quick search suggested that many of the ones originally posted by the Food Network have expired. About Sicilian dishes. Agrigento among other Sicilian towns; click around the site for different locations on the island. Epicurious feature, though I don't think there are recipes tied to the article as was the case with Sardinia. Cookaround.com Virtual Italy So-so site that starts out looking promising.
  18. Pontormo

    Galettes

    Sour Cherry and Pistachio A galette of fruit from the farmers market with pistachio paste swept across the pastry before the filling is added. Wadda think ? There are some threads right now on Cherry Overload and Sicilian Cooking and lots of old threads I found via an eG search for pistachio paste, but mostly questions about where to find it. I got my hands on a free 8 oz. jar of Organic pistachio paste from Sicily ($22-$35 online plus shipping ) and I hate to squander it. I was planning on making something like filled cookies or budini di riso with the paste in which the taste was pronounced. Then I thought about this combo and wonder if it's a bit of an overkill and a waste of the paste. (Could always just use a few ounces for a corner and save the rest for part of a batch of something else.) Alice Waters adds almond paste to her peach galette, thusly. Traditional complements. I notice there are a number of recipes online that pair pistachios with the proposed fruit, such as a creme brulee of the former with sour cherry sauce, but this dessert gives the two breathing room. Also, I wonder if there is just going to be a soggy mess of goo, the paste compromising the thickening of the cherry juice. Was about to give up on the idea, but then found this from David Lebovitz. Scroll down to the Tarte Griotte I was thinking this might be a nice way to be diplomatic about the finalists in the World Cup should France continue to maintain its current lead (?) in the game: an Italo-French dessert. I'm about to make the dough and pit the fruit. I'll check back for nays or ayes.
  19. Scroll down to Pistachio Cream. Purely by accident, I found a jar at Whole Foods, sent with almond and hazelnut pastes that the store ordered. Since it could not be scanned, I got it for free instead of $22. There may be other retail stores. On Amazon.com, you will find an inferior product for much cheaper: Note the additives, etc.
  20. While we're all pretty familiar with the best web sites for recipes by now (and tend to stick to books anyway), I have found some interesting links to share. I'll post some recipes later, but for now, I will start with information: Alas, 'tis not the season for blood oranges, but we have already acknowledged the importance of citrus fruit to Sicily. Here's what Slow Food thinks you might like to read. As for pistachios, here's something on Bronte's claim to fame. Here, you are smack in the middle of the the Museo devoted to our understanding of olive oil, including Sicily's role in securing its importance to Italian culture. An article in Bon Appetit here. Something from The NYT, still readable. For future reference, it's on pasta and written by Florence Fabricant, August 24, 2005. The list would not be complete without a bow to Alberto and his entry on sfinciuni.
  21. Whether or not the dishes align more closely to Campania than Lazio, it is wonderful that you have taken our hands out of the bocca of Rome where we spent so much of our time that month. Thanks for the bibliographic reference, too.
  22. For what it's worth, my responses to the "zucca" biz, etc. have been defenses, not accusations. All posts were written before I was able to check out a copy from the library. Now that I, too, have read the passages you've cited, I see the one source I mentioned (Maestro Martino, though I erred in thinking he was from the Mantuan court; he served the Patriarch of Aquilea) was the one Buford uses himself. For Buford, the point was to trace the tortelli di zucca served to him by Miriam Leonardi and by grandmothers before her to an august, distant past and establish the fundamental importance of tradition in Italian cooking. I do agree with Russ Parsons, though, that it is regretable that culinary history has not been taken very seriously until recently, with a few major exceptons (e.g. Irish potato famine). It's also exciting that it is starting to elbow its way into the center. And Megan, you will find an answer to your questions upthread, towards or at the bottom of page 1, right before Shaya uses the information to express happy anticipation of things to come.
  23. Great meals, Elie & Andrew, both inspirational! The salt crust is truly impressive. I've only baked potatoes in a salt bed before. I'll have to try this. And yes, the gatto, so different from some of its less fortunate Roman peers, is adorable. Good thing you didn't try to pose it with the fish. Since I have just started to read Buford's Heat, it's hard to read about stuffed branzino without thinking of the description of grilling them on a diagonal facing one way first, then flipped and placed in the opposite direction...
  24. In response to Busboy, I am guessing a nice Barolo with dinner and at the end, a lovely wedge of tarte de l'humilite'. ETA: To clarify: on July 14, after the final game should France win today as expected.
  25. Psyched here, too! Grew up in a largely Sicilian Italian-American neighborhood and have lived in others later, though, never, alas have I been further south than Naples. Elie, I look forward to your meals. Since it has been useful in the past, I am linking Kevin's nerdy resolution here on the entries related to Sicilian food. I am crossing my fingers for local eggplant at the farmers market before the month is through. Watermelon will appear shortly, I know. A book I picked up some time back is Mimmetta Lomonte's Classic Sicilian Cooking which combines personal family history with recipes. I've not made much more than Condimento al Pescespada or swordfish sauce with pasta. Delicious!!! Eager to do more. Back in December when I was baking gifts, I read Alberto's recipe for cookies filled with something special he brought back from Sicily. Tried to track down the ingredient in vain . This past weekend, at Whole Foods (sometimes you do got to love them), I saw interesting jars on the top shelf. The labels said "Hazelnut" and "Almond Paste $9.99." However, when I got up on the ladder, I found a single jar of bright green pistachio paste which must have been put in the box by mistake. So it was given to me for free Now, WWLD ?* *What Would Ling Do?
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