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Weekly Cooking (and related issues)Thread

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:

http://www.nickstellino.com/

and one of his videos, where he does Classic Spaghetti and Meatballs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MhHp6YZA4Q

-JT


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: cauliflower; italian; spaghetti
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To: pugmama

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


21 posted on 06/22/2016 6:16:27 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630
This isn't Nick's recipe...but I think he made something similar.Rich bacon cream sauce, the ultimate Italian comfort food; Great for company; has no eggs; can do ahead.

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

22 posted on 06/22/2016 6:17:25 PM PDT by Liz (SAFE PLACE A liberal's mind. Nothing's there. Nothing penetrates it.)
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To: Liz

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


23 posted on 06/22/2016 6:28:15 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Califreak

Thanks very much. I’ve copied and saved.

-JT


24 posted on 06/22/2016 7:03:15 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630

You’re welcome. :)

It really is nummy.


25 posted on 06/22/2016 7:17:53 PM PDT by Califreak (Madeleine Albright says I'm going to hell. Cruz' dad called me an infidel. Long live the Uniparty!)
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To: SkyDancer; Jamestown1630

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.


26 posted on 06/22/2016 7:38:04 PM PDT by CottonBall
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To: CottonBall; Califreak

That looks like the same one that Califreak posted! It’s definitely a ‘must try’ now, with even our Freepers endorsing!

Thank You!

-JT


27 posted on 06/22/2016 8:17:17 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630; Califreak

oh sorry, califreak, I didn’t notice the URL was the same!


28 posted on 06/22/2016 8:19:23 PM PDT by CottonBall
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To: CottonBall; SkyDancer

I think you’ve just given more evidence that it’s a good recipe :-)

Hope SkyDancer sees it.

-JT


29 posted on 06/22/2016 8:28:00 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630

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!


30 posted on 06/22/2016 8:43:20 PM PDT by Randy Larsen (Trump, or no more republicans)
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To: henkster

“Go watch a Cubs game or Formula 1 race and let it simmer.”
***************************************************

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


31 posted on 06/22/2016 8:51:12 PM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: CottonBall; Jamestown1630

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.


32 posted on 06/23/2016 4:48:43 AM PDT by Liz (SAFE PLACE A liberal's mind. Nothing's there. Nothing penetrates it.)
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To: Jamestown1630

Yep, just did this morning. Looks like a nice project for this weekend. Thanks. SD/janey


33 posted on 06/23/2016 6:18:02 AM PDT by SkyDancer ("They Say That Nobody's Perfect But Yet Here I Am")
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To: Randy Larsen

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


34 posted on 06/23/2016 7:00:37 AM PDT by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, If you can keep it.")
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To: Jamestown1630; SkyDancer
I've made Tyler Florence's Ultimate Lasagna. I had enough from just one recipe for two disposable 9"X11" aluminum pans, so I froze one (before baking). We've eaten both, and they came out great.
35 posted on 06/23/2016 7:07:20 AM PDT by Hoffer Rand (Bear His image. Bring His message. Be the Church.)
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To: Jamestown1630

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


36 posted on 06/23/2016 9:34:52 AM PDT by pugmama (Ports Moon.)
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To: Jamestown1630

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.


37 posted on 06/23/2016 9:46:52 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: Grampa Dave

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.


38 posted on 06/23/2016 9:55:24 AM PDT by bgill (CDC site, "We still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
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To: Jamestown1630

Our tomatoes are just starting to ripen now. Husband planted 70 of them. Whew!


39 posted on 06/23/2016 10:15:41 AM PDT by pugmama (Ports Moon.)
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To: bgill

Sounds good.


40 posted on 06/23/2016 10:40:22 AM PDT by Grampa Dave (La Raza thugs in America are Mexico's form of Isis terrorism/terrorists/invaders!!)
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