The Cooking and Cuisine of Tuscany

[Chufi]

Ribollita:

basically the recipe from Jamie O.'s Italy book, except I sauteed the vegetable base in lard, used celeriac instead of celery, and another type of bean. Oh and pecorino on top. regualr curly kale instead of cavolo nero (can't get that here - at least not easily).

While sauteeing the vegetables, some crushed fennel seeds are added and I think that was a great flavoring for the kale and beans.

[FoodMan]

Ribollita:

basically the recipe from Jamie O.'s Italy book, except I sauteed the vegetable base in lard, used celeriac instead of celery, and another type of bean. Oh and pecorino on top. regualr curly kale instead of cavolo nero (can't get that here - at least not easily).

While sauteeing the vegetables, some crushed fennel seeds are added and I think that was a great flavoring for the kale and beans.

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Who said Ribollita does not look good? This looks great Klary. Maybe it was the lard that helped the picture. You know it does make everything better.

[mrbigjas]

This recipe is especially for the Texans!

Simone Manetti in the market, created this pork roast called Brontasauras...

It is a rack of pork ribs, frenched, the rolled around a pork tenderloin ( cut in half and then remounted, the thinner parts together in the center, for even cooking.)

The pork that was 'frenched"  is then pulled away from the bones and wrapped around the pork tenderloin.

Season the ribs with chopped rosemary, sage, garlic , salt and fennel pollen if you have it.

Tie closed and roast at 350-375 for an hour!

enjoy!

We cooked potatoes under the rack.. and they were incredible!!!

Nothing beats pork fat!.. except Duck fat!

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oh man does that look good. and so impressive, too! i'm totally gonna do it one of these days.

[hathor]

well, i did make the bruschetta tonight, and i have to wonder why i never have before.  talk about a dish that transcends the sum of its parts... woo.  i mean, toasted/grilled bread with garlic, with some boiled kale on it, and splashed with a little of the salty, kale-y water.  i mean, what is that? at the very least just looking at it you'd think that it would need a little cheese or something, but it certainly doesn't.

and then in another nod to tuscany, i made some zuppa di farro, which brings up a question i have about this grain:  all the recipes i read say to soak it overnight and then cook it for two hours or something (like this here).  i'm buying some kinda fancy italian farro (triticum dicoccum, it says on the label), and i've used it a bunch of times, in farrotto, in soup, etc, and it doesn't take more than about 45 minutes to cook, with no pre-soaking.

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If you like the kale thing, try this: cook some cauliflower in salted water until it is mush. Spread the mush on Tuscan (or Umbrian!) bread that has been drizzled with olive oil, a little salt and rubbed with some raw garlic. A variation on this is to serve the cauliflower bread in a bowl of chicken broth. Its sort of like kid-comfort food, but highly addictive. I made it 3 times in one week....

I bought bags of farro in Ital that say the same thing about soaking...but, THEY LIE. It just isn't necessary.

Ellie, what are Piselli alla Toscana?

Judy/Divinia: New wine should only be consumed in very, very small quantities. It took me days to recover from San Martino and I swear my body smelled like yeast. Not a pretty picture....and I spilled out most of the wine I tasted!!

Somewhere this month, you called the toasted bread/olive oil/rub with garlic by a name I never heard before? What was it? In Umbria, its called 'bruschetta'!

I've been wondering why I haven't cooked more Tuscan dishes....and I'm a little stumped where Umbria cuts off and Tuscany begins....so many of the dishes are very similiar. Please dont' tell any Umbrians or Tuscans I said that or I'll never live it down!!

[divina]

Fettunta.. greasy slice!

fette is slice .. unta greasy..

I got over that new wine thing quickly.. BAD STUFF HERE!

Too chemical!

My friends new wine comes out tomorrow... but it is WINE!.will let you know.

[FoodMan]

well, i did make the bruschetta tonight, and i have to wonder why i never have before.  talk about a dish that transcends the sum of its parts... woo.  i mean, toasted/grilled bread with garlic, with some boiled kale on it, and splashed with a little of the salty, kale-y water.  i mean, what is that? at the very least just looking at it you'd think that it would need a little cheese or something, but it certainly doesn't.

and then in another nod to tuscany, i made some zuppa di farro, which brings up a question i have about this grain:  all the recipes i read say to soak it overnight and then cook it for two hours or something (like this here).  i'm buying some kinda fancy italian farro (triticum dicoccum, it says on the label), and i've used it a bunch of times, in farrotto, in soup, etc, and it doesn't take more than about 45 minutes to cook, with no pre-soaking.

←

If you like the kale thing, try this: cook some cauliflower in salted water until it is mush. Spread the mush on Tuscan (or Umbrian!) bread that has been drizzled with olive oil, a little salt and rubbed with some raw garlic. A variation on this is to serve the cauliflower bread in a bowl of chicken broth. Its sort of like kid-comfort food, but highly addictive. I made it 3 times in one week....

I bought bags of farro in Ital that say the same thing about soaking...but, THEY LIE. It just isn't necessary.

Ellie, what are Piselli alla Toscana?

Judy/Divinia: New wine should only be consumed in very, very small quantities. It took me days to recover from San Martino and I swear my body smelled like yeast. Not a pretty picture....and I spilled out most of the wine I tasted!!

Somewhere this month, you called the toasted bread/olive oil/rub with garlic by a name I never heard before? What was it? In Umbria, its called 'bruschetta'!

I've been wondering why I haven't cooked more Tuscan dishes....and I'm a little stumped where Umbria cuts off and Tuscany begins....so many of the dishes are very similiar. Please dont' tell any Umbrians or Tuscans I said that or I'll never live it down!!

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Judith, here is the recipe for the peas[

[mrbigjas]

well, i did make the bruschetta tonight, and i have to wonder why i never have before.  talk about a dish that transcends the sum of its parts... woo.  i mean, toasted/grilled bread with garlic, with some boiled kale on it, and splashed with a little of the salty, kale-y water.  i mean, what is that? at the very least just looking at it you'd think that it would need a little cheese or something, but it certainly doesn't.

If you like the kale thing, try this: cook some cauliflower in salted water until it is mush. Spread the mush on Tuscan (or Umbrian!) bread that has been drizzled with olive oil, a little salt and rubbed with some raw garlic. A variation on this is to serve the cauliflower bread in a bowl of chicken broth. Its sort of like kid-comfort food, but highly addictive. I made it 3 times in one week....

thanks hathor, i bought some cauliflower this weekend expressly for this purpose, and will report back...

[hathor]

Thanks Elie...that looks excellent. (psss...I'm a pea snob....I'm going to wait until spring....really obnoxious, aren't I!!! )

How did it go mrbigjas? I tried the whole roasted cauliflower over the weekend. Looked pretty when served, and easy to quarter...sort of wound up having a florally orange flavor.

[Pontormo]

November is new oil!

To celebrate oil.. nothing is better than the toasted Tuscan unsalted bread and then great salt sprinkled on top.

I don't always rub garlic on my bread. I enjoy the flavor of the oil to come through.

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FYI, if you haven't caught the Minimalist's no-knead bread bug up in the baking forum, hi thee there anon. Nothing can replicate the beauty that is Divina's oil, but these slices sopping up the brilliant green remind me so much of the effect you get from making the bread. Felt the same way looking through Jamie Oliver's new book on Italian food. Great just as fettunte, slathered with greens, liver, or cauliflower, too...

Now in these last few days of November, might I recommend a diet of bread, water and vitamin pills in preparation for the month ahead?

[mrbigjas]

Thanks Elie...that looks excellent. (psss...I'm a pea snob....I'm going to wait until spring....really obnoxious, aren't I!!!   )

How did it go mrbigjas? I tried the whole roasted cauliflower over the weekend. Looked pretty when served, and easy to quarter...sort of wound up having a florally orange flavor.

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oh i haven't done it yet--just bought the thing yesterday. it's an orange cauliflower, so it should end up kind of interesting once it's cooked. tomorrow maybe; we're still finishing up thanksgiving leftovers over here...

[Kevin72]

Last night we had pasta with arugula pesto, based on a dish we ate at Osteria Dai Benchi in Florence:

I can't ever get that intense wash of arugula flavor that they had there, though.

I make it like a pesto, using walnuts instead of pinenuts, and pecorino toscano only. Gemelli is the pasta.

[FoodMan]

Last night we had pasta with arugula pesto, based on a dish we ate at Osteria Dai Benchi in Florence:

I can't ever get that intense wash of arugula flavor that they had there, though. 

I make it like a pesto, using walnuts instead of pinenuts, and pecorino toscano only. Gemelli is the pasta.

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That so looks like my plates!

Very nice looking dish Kevin. About getting that "wash of arugula flavor" have you thought about using more Arugula, blanching it, squeezing it dry and then using it? This might give you a more concentrated Arugula flavor than using it raw.

[Kevin72]

That so looks like my plates!

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Williams Sonoma?

Very nice looking dish Kevin. About getting that "wash of arugula flavor" have you thought about using more Arugula, blanching it, squeezing it dry and then using it? This might give you a more concentrated Arugula flavor than using it raw.

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I've considered it, but I don't like the bitter elements that come out of cooking arugula. And, from what I recall when we ate it, it was very fresh and "pure" tasting, and I'd think that cooking would mute that. But then, the arugula used over there is reputedly much more intense than what we get stateside.

[Pontormo]

Very attractive plating, Kevin. In the summer, another Tuscan variation on dishes associated with other regions is the simple raw tomato, garlic and basil combination for pasta made with torn arugula instead of basil and a semi-mature ricotta in curls instead of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Over here, the tougher, almost thick leaves of arugula grown in the ground during hot weather tend to have a stronger, sharp taste that is a bit too hard to take in a salad, but perfect for cooking.

Hydroponic methods of growing tender leaves of arugula really cater towards raw use in salads. The flavor is blunted too much to be of much use sautéed in pasta and it may be that the taste does not come through when blended raw, especially competing with good oil and walnuts. At Whole Foods, there is one organic producer that sells its arugula in gritty bunches like spinach vs. washed and pristine in clam shells or bags; it tends to be uglier and a bit of a wallflower as a result, despite the fresh, powerful fragrance. Sometimes it's a bit hardier and assertive, too, though it's hard to predict when a watery taste will cancel out the bite once it hits the pan and wilts.

This is something I've discovered when making a simple recipe Deborah Madison published in Gourmet years ago. (Doesn't seem to be on Epicurious.) The first time I prepared it, I jotted down three or four stars in the index and was puzzled at the second attempt when large amounts of the arugula rendered little flavor. It involved sautéing the leaves, but when successfully made, the flavor is pronounced and peppery vs. as bitter as broccoli rabe.

I also doubt we have quite the variety of arugula in the US as is available in Italy. Here are just two links in English that discuss & critique the use of the term "rucola selvatica" or wild arugula. Italian explanation: here (clicking on Union Jack results in no change).

Edited November 28, 2006 by Pontormo (log)

[hathor]

What if....

you took the arugla, blanched it, froze it, thawed it over a strainer and then used the juice?

It works with fruit, concentrates the flavors...but arugula, non lo so.

The stuff here in the US just doesn't have much flavor.... and that's the long and short of it. What do you do? Grow it? Boh?

[mrbigjas]

for what it's worth, growing arugula (or any of the lettuce-y plants, really) is really easy as long as you don't have varmints that eat it out from under you.

this year my parents overplanted, and for the last few weeks since the weather has turned cool, we've been inundated with fantastic greens. leaf lettuce, mizuna, chervil, arugula, sorrel... it's out of control.

anyway, arugula grown in dirt is really noticeably different and more flavorful than the stuff you get in a grocery store--especially if it's slightly older. the first leaves you pick are nice and sharp and good for salads; as the plant gets older and shoots up more leaves the next few rounds get more and more strongly flavored. it may not be the same stuff we saw the folks picking in the fields down along the appian way, but it's a lot better than the baby arugula in bags in the supermarket.

hm.... you know what? yeah, what pontormo said.

[pedie]

for what it's worth, growing arugula (or any of the lettuce-y plants, really) is really easy as long as you don't have varmints that eat it out from under you.

I am reading "The $64 Tomato" by William Alexander and he talks about growing wild arugula. Said he let one plant overwinter and go to seed and the next spring three gardening beds and the gravel path were overrun with arugula!

[Kevin72]

What if....

you took the arugla, blanched it, froze it, thawed it over a strainer and then used the juice?

It works with fruit, concentrates the flavors...but arugula, non lo so.

The stuff here in the US just doesn't have much flavor.... and that's the long and short of it. What do you do? Grow it? Boh?     

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That preparation sound mighty French to me, Judith! What would the Tuscans think?

Thanks to Pontormo's breakdown and links, I'm really convinced that it's partially due to the differences in arugula available in the U.S. vs. Italy. She also hit on something else I was suspecting: that the walnuts, garlic, and cheese may blunt some of the flavor. I wonder if when we ate it in Florence it was more or less just arugula pureed with mild olive oil . . .

[Kevin72]

Final Tuscan meal this month:

We started with grilled polenta, topped with a, I dunno, compote? of sauteed olives and rosemary.

Grilled boar chops followed. These had been marinated in a mixture inspired by Luongo's recipe for game marinades in A Tuscan in the Kitchen: red wine, rosemary, juniper, garlic, then grilled. The marinade didn't carry through, strangely. The chops were also, unfortunately, rather gristly, so there were only a few good nuggets of tender meat on there. But now I recall Judith's writings that there is a special fondness for tough, gristly cuts of meat there so maybe I was being authentic? On the side, roasted potatoes.

Dessert was roasted pears with red wine, honey, and parmigiano:

If you've never tried this type of dessert before, I urge you to do so. It's one of those "synchronicity" dishes where everything comes together and creates a whole new flavor and experience that is more than the sum of its parts. The pear flesh takes on an almost custardy texture after being in the oven; the clove-spiked red wine picks up the runoff from the pear, the parmigiano adds little nutty, salty notes, and the honey melds everything together.

[pedie]

That preparation sound mighty French to me, Judith!  What would the Tuscans think?

They would probably say it was Tuscan to begin with since "we all know that Catherine di Medici took all the Italian recipes with her when she went to France and thus developed French cuisine!" or so the myth goes...

[pedie]

If you've never tried this type of dessert before, I urge you to do so.  It's one of those "synchronicity" dishes where everything comes together and creates a whole new flavor and experience that is more than the sum of its parts.

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Kevin, that dessert looks wonderful!

Last night I cheated a bit and started with a Trader Joe's Spelt with red and green bell peppers...but I built on it with pancetta, sausage, beans, rosemary, swisschard and stock. The end result was a fantastic thick tuscan soup with grilled pane that hit the spot on our "chilly" Southern California evening.

[hathor]

Kevin, that pear looks perfect! I love poached or baked pears...I've got a pear roasting with gorgonzola as I'm type this. Beautiful plating...perfect dish!

As far as the "French" style arugula...this is a technique I picked up while we were doing Sicily and I was playing around with granitas. French? Boh?!

Boar chops....I'll be honest here, I've only ever had cinghiale is in some sort of braise or ragout. I think those suckers are just too tough...they are certainly mean looking! Was the grizzly part tasty? Like grilled, charred, gnaw on it tasty? Where did you get the boar chops? Are they bred? Feel free to answer just what every questions you feel like!

ciao!

[Chufi]

Stupid question coming up.. where are we going next month? I can't find it.. I'm planning a dinner party for Sunday and was thinking of going the Italian way with our next region..

edited to add: the Search function can be your friend, when eGulleters from overseas are still asleep Emilia-Romagna, here we come!

Edited December 1, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Kevin72]

Boar chops....I'll be honest here, I've only ever had cinghiale is in some sort of braise or ragout. I think those suckers are just too tough...they are certainly mean looking!    Was the grizzly part tasty? Like grilled, charred, gnaw on it tasty? Where did you get the boar chops? Are they bred? Feel free to answer just what every questions you feel like!

ciao!

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I'm a gristle initiate at this point and not liable to go much further: it tasted like rubber bands. In fact, the meat itself wasn't even all that great or terribly flavorful.

Most boar in the U.S. comes from Texas, in fact, and they are domesticated and raised on a farm, so they're pretty mild.

[FoodMan]

Kevin-

Those pears are beautiful, literally an inspiration (see below).

My last Tuscan meal this month was last night's dinner:

I baked a loaf of Pane de Ficchi (fig bread) from The Italian Baker. I toasted a couple of slices and we munched on them topped with fresh mozzarella while dinner was baking.

I am so glad I managed to get around to making those Cannelloni all Toscana that Mario Batali demonstrated in the Sweet Lucca episode of Molto Mario (the same one I got the recipe for the peas and lemon meatballs from). The cannelloni are basically Crespelle or crepes. for the filling I omitted the chicken livers he asks for since my wife would not like it. The end result is delicious and very much a new confort food to me.

The dish before topping and baking

Baked...they so look like enchiladas huh?

Plated

Dolci. I was really not planning on any dessert on a week night due to limited time, then I saw Kevin's pears yesterday and I soon figured that I have all the ingredients at home. So, I also made baked pears in a spiced sweetened wine (we drank a Valpolicella we had at home with the meal and used some of it for the pears). I served the pears with a small scoop of vanilla gelato too. What a fantastic finale (and we still have two pears for tonight) ! Thanks Kevin!