Valentine's dinner for Jennifer

Hope you are all getting cozy with that someone special.

Tonight I cook not for myself but for my wife Jennifer who is at home in the states.
I love ya darlin'.

Valentine tasting menu

Insalate roll: Proscuitto & dolce gorgonzola with baby arugala and aged balsamic vineger

Steamed artichoke with garlic & lemon aioli

Pecorino cheese with sliced pear and pepper jelly


Olive oil marinated tuna in tomato with lemon vinaigrette


Fresh made tortolini with spinach, pancetta and mushroom broda


Ameretti Virginia, Vestri hazelnut dark chocolate bark and strawberries.


Hope you enjoyed looking at your dinner as much as I enjoyed cooking and eating it.
Happy Valentine's day!

Carnival

Went out to Viareggio yesterday for Carnival.
Beautiful seaside town. I am told much like Venice beach, CA. but with Tuscan architecture and on the Mediterranian.

So wouldn't you know it but my camera runs out of life after a few images. Good thing I caught the important one.

From afar I saw a vision of Arabian nights, sexy harem girls with pom poms??? Yes pom poms. Lots of jumping about and writhing to disco. I work my way through to see these young voluptuous lovelies giving their best.... and it's all women 50-60+. Having a blast, been up there shaking it for at least 2 hrs so far and loving it. The crowd too judging by the looks of it.

And that's Carnival 2008. Hopefully next year my camera will work and we will be in Brazil. Crazy Italians.

What to eat on a cold day.

Saw the weather report for back home. Cold and nasty (insert joke here if ya know it). So I thought a nice hot meal for the folks at home should do it.

Went to Ristorante del Fagioli (on the map) for something i'd been craving. My own steak. Haven't done that yet. Observe what some flame, salt and pepper can do to a fine piece of Bistecca alla Fiorentina. 600 grams of pure high grade beef. Zero marbling, buttery tender and tastes like heaven.

And this is what it should look like towards the center.
Such good healthy product that rare/raw is the norm for all steak. I swear it's delicious. Raw here tastes better than any cooked piece of meat in the USA.

And for dessert, something I saw the other day at Grom.
Cioccolata al latte (hot) with hazelnut gelato.
I think this one speaks for itself.

Note to wife: I walked about 4 miles today to work this off, really.

My last two weeks in Italy

With my time here at a midpoint I wonder what should be added to my list of things to do and see. If anyone from Italy reading this might give advice, your help would be appreciated.

Grazie mille

Francesco of Trattoria Mario.

Francesco, my apologies but some ladies have requested another picture of you. I think this is what they are looking for.

Winning quote goes here.

Picture: Courtesy of anonymous friend.

Francesco: Age 20, single. Bilingual chef & knows how to treat a fine steak.
Location: Trattoria Mario, Via Rosina, 2, Florence Italy.

Table for one please.

Remembered to shop today. Did it between Mario's and meeting friends for lunch. I wanted to do Braciola but with a twist. Usually it's made with breaded thin cut and pounded beef fillets which are fried then simmered in a simple pomodoro sauce with chopped parsley and garlic. But tonight was my last home cooked meal for a few days so I had to clear out the pantry.

Decision: Bracialo with a veal and mushroom Toscano ragu.

Recipe

Ragu:
-In plenty of olive oil saute: 2 minced shallots and 2 cloves garlic followed by 1/4lb ground veal meat and then 6 sliced mushrooms. Saute on high heat till shroom liquid is gone.
- 1 cup red wine and reduce
- 1 can whole tomatoes in juice, break up in your hands first. + 1 can water.
- Salt, pepper and spice Toscana (corriander,cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg,anise,cumin)
- Simmer for 40 minutes

NOTE: Mild jerk seasoning is pretty much the same thing. At the very least add a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

Meat:
- Egg wash & plain bread crumb two thin sliced and pounded beef fillets.
- Fry in enough oil to cover. Flip and finish other side.
- Place in baking dish, Sprinkle over some chopped garlic and parsley. Cover with sauce and into low oven for 45 minutes to heat and combine.

Typing this I thought of a change that will work nicely. Instead of garlic & parsley in the baking dish, how about a gremolata? After all this dish is similar to an Osso buco and it will really liven up the dish.

Gremolata:
1 cup parsley
2 teaspoon lemon zest
4 clove garlic

Rough chop or processor.
Sprinkle over the Braciola when plated

Lunch with the honeymooners

From Trattoria Mario I ran to meet up with Judy from Diva cucini who was giving the market tour to the newly weds (Rebecca and Josh of Memphis TN).

I was invited to lunch! We took them to Trattoria Gozzi to share pasta al forno, done a bit differently here:

And a killer Florentine steak! That's for the four of us by the way, really. I swear. Seared on the outside with fire, salt and pepper. Rare, very rare on the inside. Who's a happy guy?
Then took these new friends on a walk to Grom of Gelato fame for their first non touristy gelato. Rebecca very quietly consumed an Italian hot chocolate with a big dollop of fresh made whipped cream and Josh had the espresso gelato. A good day was had by all. Congrats again and have a great honeymoon in Italy.

Pasta al forno OR how to eat 1000 calories and feel good about it.

Spent my last day at Trattoria Mario observing in the kitchen. Saturday is a day of plenty. A day to sit back and eat some stick to your ribs foods. Florentine steak, Osso bucco and Pasta al forno. Let's talk about that last one. Forget baked ziti and really forget lasagna (way too much work). Pasta al forno is a dish of ease, of richness, of well o.k. i'll say it. A fat mans meal but in a good way. Little work, big return, sumptuous, warming and oh so rich in that creamy, heavenly and childhood happy sort of way.

It's such a good dish that I bet you are still drooling puddles after that description. I wish I had a pic but alas the drooling clogged my head and I just stared at it.

Recipe: Cook off medium shell pasta, drain and into pan. Take left over meat ragu and mix with fresh made bechamel sauce. Take this creamy oozing meaty sauce and mix it into the medium shells reserving some to spread over the top. Sprinkle this lovely mess with grated parmesan cheese and now spread over the reserved ragu bechamel sauce. Into the oven to combine and reheat. Serve with some good chianti and as many friends as you can cram around the table. It will feel like mama's house on a Saturday afternoon somewhere in Toscano. Keep dessert simple, maybe some biscotti and vin santo or perhaps some bacci (chocolate and gianduja, a hazelnut and chocolate paste.). After all a meal like this is about pleasure, family and friends.

The crew of Trattoria Mario.

From left to right: Fabio, runs front of house. Brother of Chef Romeo. Translator.
Andrea, Cook. Part of the family. Good man.
Chef Romeo. Great chef, generous with time and recipes.
Francesco: Up and coming future head chef. Son of Chef Romeo. Translator.

A great family run restaurant. Good people and delicious food.
They took me in, showed me their secret recipes and made me part of the family for a short period of time.

And God bless Fiorentina (the Florentine soccer team)
Forza Viola!

Quick fire challenge: Friday night dinner

Too busy enjoying the sunshine and forgot the markets close at 2pm.
The challenge: What do make for dinner???

Grab an espresso and start thinking. Ok, back at the flat got anchovies, dried porcinis, gorgonzola, pasta, vin santo, eggs and truffle honey. Went to a supermarket and picked up Sliced proscuitto Toscano!, bread, crimini shrooms and a baby basil plant.

Results: I think Padma would have flirted with me for sure on this one. Crazy.

Pappardelle with porcini & crimini mushrooms plus anchovy garlic paste.
Proscuitto 2 ways. 1st with gorgonzola & basil. 2nd with olive oil fried egg and truffled honey.
Wine: Benanti Biancodicaselle Etna, Sicily.


Let's get a closer look at the Crostini.

Dessert
Sicilian oranges with home made chocolate hazelnut salami.
Dessert made during class with Divina cucina.

Thursday dinner or home home on the range.

Tonights 2 course meal

One is the traditional bean & bread soup of Florence called Ribollitato (means reboiled) and the recipe (the beans must be cooked already).

The other is mine. Veal polpette with rosemary & lemon, inspired by the wonderful meats of Tuscany. Simple as can be because you do not want to interfere with the fantastically fresh ingredients.

Veal polpette: 1/2 pound rough ground veal (best you can get), 1/2 lemon zest and juice, 1.5 teaspoons fresh ground (equal parts) rosemary and sea salt, 2 grinds black pepper.
Mix and form into 2" balls.
Heat enough olive oil in small pot to cover halfway the polpettes. When at fry temp. add meatballs and fry till just brown on both sides. Remove and rest on paper towels to remove oil.

Presentation: Very thin slices of lemon, short 2" sprigs fresh rosemary. place one slice lemon on each polpette then skewer on top with rosemary sprigs. The lemon juice will seep down into the polpette. Enjoy.

By the way, I've had two 2003 Chianti classico reserve and it seems to be an amazing year.
Try these two companies: Antinori & Leandro.