Posted on 06/22/2016 4:01:36 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
One of my favorite television chefs is Nick Stellino. He has a wonderful, warm presence and engaging presentation - the sort of person who, when you watch him on television, makes you feel as if you've known him forever; and he manages to pack a LOT of information into a very short video without becoming boring or didactic.
This recipe is from what I believe was his first book 'Cucina Amore', in which each recipe is accompanied by family memories of his youth in Sicily. I wanted to try the recipe this week and didn't have time; but I will soon, and let you know how it goes. In the meantime, the combination of ingredients is intriguing, especially to those of us who are fans of 'sweet-and-savory'. At the end there's a link to a video of Nick preparing Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Mixed-Up Cauliflower (Nick Stellino)
Serves 4
5 tablespoons raisins
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound fresh cauliflower florets, cut into 1-inch pieces, parboiled and patted dry
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce
1/2 cu water or Chicken Stock
1/16 teaspoon saffron powder
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Place the raisins in a bowl of hot water to plump fo 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Pour 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a large nonstick skillet and heat on high until the oil is almost smoking, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, stir and cook for 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Wipe the pan clean, raise the heat to medium-high, add the remaining oil, drained raisins, pine nuts and red pepper flakes and cook for 3-4 minutes, Add the remaining salt, the tomato sauce, water or stock, saffron, balsamic vinegar-sugar mixture and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil and simmer until most of the sauce has been absorbed, about 4-5 minutes.
Serve with slices of hearty Italian bread.
Here is Nick's website, with lots of recipes:
and one of his videos, where he does Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MhHp6YZA4Q
-JT
I love dishes like that - pine nuts and raisins and capers, Oh My!
But I haven’t done it with fish, so will save this.
-JT
Rigatoni Carbonara
SAUCE Caramelize lb diced bacon in hot pan; add/sweat diced Spanish onion; add 6 sliced gar/cl. Color garlic on low heat. Pour out bit bacon fat; add qt h/cream; stir/simmer/bubble/reduce 12-15 min. Add lb cooked rigatoni; pinches rosemary, sage, sea salt, 1/2 tea pepper.
Plate pasta; grate 4 oz Pecorino Romano over.
SERVE garnished w/ basil chiffonade
Your mention of ‘Spanish Onion’ interested me; I found this, which seems to indicate that the Spanish onion is the one most found in US markets:
http://www.epicurious.com/archive/seasonalcooking/farmtotable/visualguideoniongarlic
But I remember seeing Bermuda onions in the stores when I was growing up, and never see them now. They’re apparently similar to Vidalias...
-JT
Thanks very much. I’ve copied and saved.
-JT
You’re welcome. :)
It really is nummy.
My Nonna was actually an awful cook, but luckily Mt zias (aunts) were wonderful cooks. I couldn’t replicate their dishes since the ingredients weren’t available for the longest time, although I see more imported Italian staples now.
I’ve made this lasagna many times - it has 5 stars and almost 10k reviews, so maybe it lives up to it’s name as the World’s Best Lasagna (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/23600/worlds-best-lasagna/). It’s heavy on the sauce and light on the ricotta, but people I have over seem to like it better than the more cheesy one I throw together. The sauce is really good and I use it on pasta too.
I made extra Bolognese sauce the other day and just layered the Bolognese with lasagna noodles and bechamel for something like a pasticciata that my Zia Graziella used to make. She had a Barbie-sized kitchen and cooked the most scrumptious meals for 10-12.
That looks like the same one that Califreak posted! It’s definitely a ‘must try’ now, with even our Freepers endorsing!
Thank You!
-JT
oh sorry, califreak, I didn’t notice the URL was the same!
I think you’ve just given more evidence that it’s a good recipe :-)
Hope SkyDancer sees it.
-JT
Summer always brings to mind “Toasted BLT Sandwiches with Avocado Slices”. The recipe is available everywhere but I find it simply as Toasted Bread, Lettuce ,Ripe Tomatoes,Sliced ripe avocado Salt and pepper, and mayo on both inside slices of bread.
One to start, two to feel the flavor and three will make you full of fantastic joy!
Fantastic sammich!
“Go watch a Cubs game or Formula 1 race and let it simmer.”
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LOL! That’s how my husband cooks - He’s usually reading a book at the same time; and thankfully, nothing has boiled-over yet!
And he also just ‘eyeballs’ ingredients, like you do. It’s hell getting him to write a recipe down; it’s just all in his head, and he has no patience for my need to be exact :-)
-JT
As you said, I find the lasagna goes over big when I pile on the meat sauce and go light on the cheese.
A forkful of the unctuous meat sauce, maybe a bit of pasta and cheese clinging to it, is over the top.
Just have to make sure the meat sauce is nicely seasoned, is reduced to a thick sauce, and is chockfull of meat.
Yep, just did this morning. Looks like a nice project for this weekend. Thanks. SD/janey
I remember summers when I made whole meals of tomatoes on toast with lots of mayo, salt and pepper. We didn’t have much access to avocados then, but even in the grocery store you could get wonderful tomatoes.
Now, you have to have a friend with a garden ;-)
(When my FIL was alive, he would pack up his first tomatoes each year and mail them to us in a box from Pennsylvania. They almost always arrived in perfect condition. He was very proud of both his eating tomatoes and the ones he grew for sauce.)
-JT
Here is another recipe I really like. It is from Mario Batali. I use bone-in chicken thighs.
http://www.marthastewart.com/316794/spicy-sicilian-chicken
Not Italian but my cauliflower dish (again, something that is rare in my store and $$$$) is steaming it and mashing it and seasoning it like mashed potatoes.
And, of course, fresh with dip.
Years ago, an “all natural organic” teacher I worked with freaked that I would even suggest serving mashed cauliflower to her toddlers. Absolutely came unglued because it was a low carb recipe. Never mind that she steamed and seasoned the flowerettes and served them to her toddlers. The same thing minus the mashing. But, low carb is eeeeeeeevil!!!!!! Yeah, whatever, ding bat. Total lack of common sense. Sadly, I found out later the reason her littlest was chillin’ big time at the beginning of the week was that she’d drink on the weekends and then pump because she didn’t want the little one suckling beer straight from “the tap.” She thought pumping somehow eliminated the alcohol.... sigh.
We had the first of the season corn on the cob last night with a roasted chicken and a salad with a tomato from the garden.
Tonight, I’m boning the chicken and boiling the carcass to freeze the stock for later. I can count on one hand how many cans of store bought broth I’ve my entire life. It’s just too easy and FREE! to make it yourself. The meat is going on chalupas and just turned off the pressure cooker full of pinto beans. Tomorrow, whatever is left of the meat will go into a rice and mushroom soup casserole or maybe Chinese.
Our tomatoes are just starting to ripen now. Husband planted 70 of them. Whew!
Sounds good.
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