The Cooking and Cuisine of Liguria

[hathor]

Mike, I think your foccacio looks pretty darn good. How are you dimpling the batter? Just use your fingers and stick them in there, 1st knuckle deep, lots of times. Did I mention I like to fool around with gooey things?? The gnocchi look perfect, and your thumb was exactly the tool you needed for the job.

Pontormo: Cozze Fan Tu Way! This all sounds pretty good to me.... even the marjoram. Does marjoram make your tongue tingle? It almost makes my tongue feel like I've eaten something dangerous.

Kevin, that calamari looks really, really good!

I adore whitebait, can't wait until I get back and its a cheap, cheap meal. Next time you try the shrimp fritters, maybe try chopping up the shrimp so that you get a more consistent fish presence.

The pesce looks excellent as well. What a good idea to add raw celery to the salse verde....

[hathor]

Last night was baccala` night. Plan A was to simply fry some baccala chunks and serve them with a parsley based salsa verde. Then I read Divinia's suggestion on the baccala` thread. So it was simple Ligurian baccala meets Livornese salsa over fusili.

Here's the baccala in the pan:

And here it is resting on the fusili:

The rich, fattiness of the baccala was a beautiful counterpoint to the sharp flavors of the livornese sauce.

Maybe today we have the salsa verde con prezzemolo....

[Kevin72]

So, are you over your bacala aversion then? After handing off your bad luck with making it to me?

And marjoram makes people's tongues go numb? Weirder and weirder. I knew about the cilantro thing but I had never heard the marjoram thing. And oregano doesn't do that?

[Pontormo]

Pontormo, you don't like marjoram but you do like oregano, then?

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Pontormo:Does marjoram make your tongue tingle?  It almost makes my tongue feel like I've eaten something dangerous.

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I don't think it was a placebo effect, exactly, that made me like the fresh marjoram in the Ligurian chicken that I prepared last week. I have always liked the dried herb in stuffings (remember how common stuffing--dressing in the South, USA--was for all poultry when some of us were little? Now it's just a Thanksgiving thing), for example.

However, there's a recipe for a kind of tuna polpette in Molto Italiano that contains lots of potato. For me, the combination of lemon zest and marjoram tasted like soap. Yuck!

I also don't care for marjoram when it's boiled--as was the case with the mussels.

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As for you, Kevin, you seem to have a REAL taste for squid! At least it has made many appearances in your cooking threads. It's wonderful you have an herb garden...and a source for pompano, a fish I don't recall seeing around here. I love olive trimmed plate & the fritters look good!

* * *

And okay, Hathor. The challenge looms before me. If you can do it, I can do it. Your photograph actually makes stockfish look edible.

I'm getting together with friends for Memorial Day. There are kids involved. I don't think I'll subject everyone to baccala, but maybe, just maybe I'll pick some up this weekend. Does anyone know if it can be cooked on a grill or will it just flake within minutes and fall into the coals?

Edited May 22, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[Pontormo]

First, here is the olive oil that graced my floor a few days ago, its quite wonderful.  This is very different from any other olive oil I have tasted.  It is very aromatic and floral but very mild at the same time.  I'd like to do a little side by side antipasti over the weekend with a few other oils we have.

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And Mike, if it's any consolation, your olive oil WAS a good deal in NYC vs. DC. I saw the same bottles in Balducci's this weekend. Down here the company's two different types cost between $25 & $29.

[hathor]

Kevin, I think it was a cardoon aversion I had! Not baccala.... I love baccala. Or maybe it was something else... lot of food has been cooked in the past years!

Pontormo: I wouldn't grill baccala. I could be wrong about that, but I don't think it lends itself to grilling. Small fried bits would be a nice antipasto though....

As far as the tongue numb, tingling thing with marjoram, I don't know anyone else who has had this reaction. All in all, I think its an 'odd' herb that needs special handling.

[NYC Mike]

Mike, I think your foccacio looks pretty darn good. How are you dimpling the batter? Just use your fingers and stick them in there, 1st knuckle deep, lots of times.

Yes, I am doing a mock piano player thing on it. Instead of dimples I was getting mini volcanos or inside out dimples when I pulled my fingers out so came the dough. Maybe I should oil my fingers first?

The baccala looks amazing, I have not enjoyed it so much in the past but its one of my wife's favorites. I think we will try again, this time fried! How long did you soak/change the water?

And Mike, if it's any consolation, your olive oil WAS a good deal in NYC vs. DC. I saw the same bottles in Balducci's this weekend. Down here the company's two different types cost between $25 & $29.

Thanks for that!! I am feeling pretty good about what I paid for the better of the lot!

Housekeeping note:

I've only received three peoples' votes for the next three regions we'll be covering during July, August, and September. Remember, I'd like to announce those regions in the first week or so of June to give everyone a chance to pick up related cookbooks and such in advance.

I only know just as much as we have covered in the past two threads. I have a genuine love for eating Italian food, I think it has helped me cook what I have but as far as voting for next month etc. I am clueless. Someone vote a second time on my behalf.

-Mike

Edited May 22, 2006 by NYC Mike (log)

[Chufi]

Everything looks so good. Hathor, the fusilli with baccala.. I have never made baccala.. this might push me over the edge!

I had plans to make a simple tomato & leek sauce for spaghetti tonight, from the Plotkin book. But while I was cooking I realized I was not in the mood for pasta. (sometimes that happens. You have plans for a dinner of pasta, sausages and salad, and next thing, your plans are soup and frittata )

So, I just thinned out the sauce until it was leek/tomato/basil soup.

Is it Ligurian?

Let's presume sometime, somewhere in Liguria some housewife had the same issues and served this soup.

It was good!

[hathor]

Mike, I think your foccacio looks pretty darn good. How are you dimpling the batter? Just use your fingers and stick them in there, 1st knuckle deep, lots of times.

Yes, I am doing a mock piano player thing on it. Instead of dimples I was getting mini volcanos or inside out dimples when I pulled my fingers out so came the dough. Maybe I should oil my fingers first?

The baccala looks amazing, I have not enjoyed it so much in the past but its one of my wife's favorites. I think we will try again, this time fried! How long did you soak/change the water?

For the focaccia, try putting a coating of oil on top of the batter/dough. Also keeps things a bit moist. Also, try listening to reggae while 'dimpling'. I find it very....inspiring!

The baccala was soaked for about 24 hours with maybe 5 changes of water. I'd rather get most of the salt out, and then put back the amount of salt I want. Taste it as you go and you can tell if enough of the salt is out.

OH. and no one is buying the "I'm clueless. Go and vote twice routine." Your meals look like they are far from clueless!!

edit: I screwed up the quote thing, but I think you get the gist of it....

Edited May 22, 2006 by hathor (log)

[Kevin72]

Yeah, I'm not buying the "someone else vote for me" line of thinking, either, Mike.

Go look at the start of the thread where Pontormo and I list what regions are left to be covered. Ponotormo even has a great little snapshot of each of the regions. Which ones sound most appealing and interesting to you? Which ones feel appropriate for the NY summer heat, when you'll be cooking?

[NYC Mike]

OK! I voted! And, I am hooked! Made from Liguria again for dinner tonight.

I have foccaccia issues . I tried the sausage variation from the Plotkin book tonight. I got it to stay closed BUT this time the dough was so dry it was too brittle to cut and broke like glass. Anyone ever experience that? Did I work it too much or did it need more water? The final product didn't taste much better, it was as dry tasting as it looks below.

Made the moscardini in umido all'aglio. I followed the recipe to the letter, 20 minutes, don't uncover etc. The end result was some very tough baby octopus, so I wonder what went wrong. The broth on the other hand was fantastic with crusty bread! edited note:those are baby squid, hell if I knew the difference.

The star of the night was Burrida. I've wanted to try this since the begining of the month when Adam made his and it was well worth the wait and the attempt. Very very good on a cold day!

-mike

Edited May 24, 2006 by NYC Mike (log)

[Shaya]

Kevin, what a beautiful meal.

Mike - amazing, your are truly amazing, keep up the awesome cooking.

Trout alla Ligura before it went into the oven.

Stuffed with parsley and garlic, and surrounded by olives, potato and lemon slices

Served with green beans and salsa verde - no anchovies in the house so it has lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil.

I sort of improvised as I went along. I had a vision of the thinly sliced potatoes surrounding the fish, and I knew I wanted a salsa verde, and I had green beans in the fridge so there they are. Only later did I realize that they must be a perfect Ligurian match - after all, don't they add potatoes and green beans to the pesto?

Edited May 24, 2006 by Shaya (log)

[mrbigjas]

wow shaya, how did you get the potatoes to brown that much without overcooking the fish?

nycmike, your focaccia disappointments are making me feel better about my various failures, if it makes you feel any better.

[Shaya]

wow shaya, how did you get the potatoes to brown that much without overcooking the fish?

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I cut them very thin and blasted the broiler for the last 5 minutes

[FoodMan]

That is some lovely food people. Especially that Baccala form Hathor and Kevin's squid. I admit that Liguria absolutly surprised me with it's veggie-friendly and diverse cuisine. I did not expect much more than pesto and a couple of Genovese pasta plates .

I am back to cooking green and tonight I made a recipe from Paula Wolferts's "Mediterranean Grains and Greens" that she attributes to the Tuscan/Ligurian coast, so it is belongs here in my book. It a lovely torte filled with a variety of greens (the real deal is supposed to use "wild foraged greens" but Paula offers a nice variety of store-bought stuff to pick from), shredded pumpkin, rice, homemade ricotta....should I go on? It is a vegeatrian's delight. The crust is so simple and easy to work with made with flour, olive oil and water.

Sauteeing the filling

putting on the filling

Oven ready

G, B & D

The tart or torte or pie might seem like "light" fair but with the semi-dense filling I could not eat more than one slice of this pastry. Oh well, more for lunch and dinner tomorrow.

[Kevin72]

OK! I voted!  And, I am hooked!  Made from Liguria again for dinner tonight. 

I have foccaccia issues  .  I tried the sausage variation from the Plotkin book tonight.  I got it to stay closed BUT this time the dough was so dry it was too brittle to cut and broke like glass.  Anyone ever experience that?  Did I work it too much or did it need more water?  The final product didn't taste much better, it was as dry tasting as it looks below.

Made the moscardini in umido all'aglio.  I followed the recipe to the letter, 20 minutes, don't uncover etc.  The end result was some very tough baby octopus, so I wonder what went wrong.  The broth on the other hand was fantastic with crusty bread!  edited note:those are baby squid, hell if I knew the difference. 

The star of the night was Burrida.  I've wanted to try this since the begining of the month when Adam made his and it was well worth the wait and the attempt.  Very very good on a cold day!

-mike

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You know, I'm uncovering some problems with Plotkin recipes. For instance, when we did Friuli in March and I made a pasta from his book, that was a disaster. And last year I made the chestnut trofie from Paradise and it wound up also not working. Granted, part of that was because the flour was rancid, but also, unless the condition of the flour played into the cooking properties as well, they were way undercooked when I followed his directions and I had to toss them back into the pot to cook more.

So, all that is to say, I think the octopus cooking time of 20 minutes is too little. 40 minutes to an hour would have done it, and I'm also firmly in the "cooking them with a wine cork" camp.

For the focaccia, I'd say more liquid and maybe even more fat would've worked in the crust. But again, kudos to your ambitions.

[Kevin72]

Allow me to return the compliments to both of your dishes, Foodman and Shaya. Fish and potatoes is a great thing, isn't it? And I love that touch of shredded pumpkin in the tart!

I'm glad you've been so surpised by Liguria, FM. I was really delighted by discovering it last year, too, and it definitely plays into my cooking style this time of year. I love all the herbs, the delicate vegetables, and the different sauces.

I'd been wanting to do a vegetable tart this month as well, and a fish soup, but we're running out of time already!

[FoodMan]

Allow me to return the compliments to both of your dishes, Foodman and Shaya. Fish and potatoes is a great thing, isn't it?  And I love that touch of shredded pumpkin in the tart!

I'm glad you've been so surpised by Liguria, FM.  I was really delighted by discovering it last year, too, and it definitely plays into my cooking style this time of year.  I love all the herbs, the delicate vegetables, and the different sauces.

I'd been wanting to do a vegetable tart this month as well, and a fish soup, but we're running out of time already!

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Yes we are running out of time and I am scrambling to make a couple more "must-try" recipes before it is over. Both recipes I'm hoping to squeze in are from the same Wolfert book, a dumpling with walnut one and a squid with greens one. Well, one more week to go....

[Kevin72]

Yeah, calamari en zimino is good stuff. It was my capper for Liguria last year.

[hathor]

Elie, that vegetable tarte looks just beautiful, and I' m betting the left over taste even better today.

You do have a way with dough!

Fish soup...mmmm....god, I love fish soups....! Looks like that's on this weekend's menu.

[hathor]

Kevin, I'm a forgetful dunce...where are we 'going' in June? Sardinia, right??

[Kevin72]

Yes, Sardinia. Get your notes ready!

[hathor]

Yes, Sardinia.  Get your notes ready! 

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Geez!! Why do you think I was asking??

[Pontormo]

What riches appeared overnight!

Shaya, I love the still life you present before you cooked your ingredients, let alone the tempting shot of perfectly flaked trout, crisp potatoes...

The vegetable tart is gorgeous, too! I was curious when you mentioned the dish earlier, Elie, especially since I just don't see pumpkin around in the spring; we only get the most common winter squash of all: butternut. The way it's shredded before being mixed into the rest of the filling is novel. It does look delicious.

And finally (right?), Mike, we are so lucky you decided to join us! You contribute so much to this thread, your spirit, adventurousness and enthusiasm are so welcome. I'd love to hear some running commentary about what your kids think about all this new Italian food.

[FoodMan]

Pontormo-

butternut squash is what I used actually. No pumpking here either. Although for the small portion used I can see carrots being a good substitute.

Kevin mentioned this earlier, but where are the Ligurian desserts. Other than a tart early on with jam filling (not Ligurian per se is it?) dolci have been scarce. I certainly did not make any. Any suggestions for a last Ligurian meal with dolci?