Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios

Ciao a tutti! I am so excited, I leave for Italy on Monday! I can’t believe it’s already here!! When I first signed up to attend culinary school and booked everything, it felt like so long ago and now it’s here. I will be in Italy for two months and I’m so excited to be sharing this wonderful experience with my mother who will be a part of this amazing journey. I will be posting on my facebook and twitter daily and will be sharing lots of beautiful pictures on my pinterest, so please be sure to follow me the entire way. And of course, I will posting here..recipes, photos, journals, you name it. My latest recipe is a Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios. That’s right, homemade ricotta!! When I tell you how easy it is to make homemade ricotta, you’re never going to buy the packaged stuff again. I used a recipe for the ricotta from one of my favorite chefs, Fabio Viviani! It’s appears in his cookbook, Fabio’s Italian Kitchen.

As I mentioned, I am planning on starting a business where I throw special dinners and events, so please stay tuned. I hope that some of you will able to join us, I have some AMAZING theme dinners planned. I served this, along with my Fried Pizzettes with Spicy Onions and Crispy Prosciutto at my Masquerade Pop Up last week, which was a big success!! I hope you like this recipe as much as I do!! The ricotta with honey and nuts on the crostini is amazing, it’s sweet, it’s savory, it’s crunchy, it’s creamy, it’s everything! And everyone couldn’t get over the fact that this was real, homemade ricotta. Enjoy!!

Crostini with Homemade Ricotta, Honey and Rosemary Pistachios

 

1 loaf of rustic Italian bread

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 bottle of honey

Homemade Ricotta

Rosemary Pistachios

 

Homemade Ricotta
 

1 gallon of whole milk

1/3 cup white wine vinegar

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Pinch of salt
 

Bring the milk to a boil in a large saucepan, let it reach 181 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a thermometer! Turn off the heat, add the vinegar, lemon juice and salt. As the milk starts to curdle, stir it with a whisk just a few times to mix the lemon and salt. Cover and let the mixture cool down for 2 about two hours. When it is cool, strain it through a cheesecloth over a pot, pressing the curds with a wooden spoon to squeeze out the liquid. It will keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
 

Rosemary Pistachios
 

2 tbsp. butter

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp. fresh rosemary

1 cup of roughly chopped pistachios

 

In a small pan over low heat, melt you butter. Add salt and rosemary. Add the

chopped pistachios and cook until roasted. Turn off heat and allow to cool.

Assembling the Crostini
 

Slice your bread and drizzle with olive oil. Toast until slightly crunchy. Spread the bread with the homemade ricotta, drizzle with some honey and top with the rosemary pistachios. Buon Appetito!!

Fried Pizzettes with Spicy Onions and Prosciutto di San Daniele

Ciao a tutti!! Remember I mentioned that I am hosting a Halloween Masquerade Pop Up Dinner? Well, this is one of the recipes that I’ll be preparing for the event….Fried Pizzettes with Spicy Onions and Prosciutto di San Daniele. These are just amazing…sinful and delicious. This is basically fried pizza dough that I top with caramelized spicy onions and some crispy Prosciutto di San Daniele. I used my King Arthur Flour Perfect Pizza Blend for the dough, it creates a fantastic product. I swear by King Arthur products, they never disappoint and there website is a bakers paradise, seriously. You can get step by step instructions for your most delicious baking through their Baking Banter blog or one of over 2,000 free recipes online. Learn more about our flours, our commitment to quality, and why you get so much more with King Arthur Flour. I hope you guys enjoy this recipe just as I much as I do! Enjoy!

Fried Pizzettes with Spicy Onions and Prosciutto di San Daniele

Fried Pizzette

2 cups of King Arthur Flour Perfect Pizza Blend

1 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. mixed dried Italian seasonings

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. dried active yeast

Warm water, as needed

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Pour your King Arthur Flour Perfect Pizza Blend on a clean, flat surface and shape into a mound. Add salt, dried Italian seasonings mix, olive oil and dried yeast to the flour and mix. Add warm water, just a little at a time, working until you get smooth, dough that is very elastic. Transfer the dough to a bowl and place in a warm spot to rise. While you are waiting for the dough to rise, you can start preparing your onions and Prosciutto di San Daniele….

Caramelized Onions

4 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes

2 medium size onions, sliced
2 tbsp. brown sugar

In a medium size pan over medium heat, add your olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. Allow the oil to get hot and add your sliced onions. Cook until they have melted down a bit and are slightly caramelized. Add the brown sugar so it can melt. Now you can prepare your crispy Prosciutto di San Daniele!

Crispy Prosciutto di San Daniele!

3 tbsp. olive oil

8 slices of Prosciutto di San Daniele!

In a medium size pan over medium heat, heat your olive oil. Once it is hot, add a few slices of Prosciutto di San Daniele at a time and allow to cook until they are very crispy, do this with all of the slices. Let the slices drain on a paper towel.

When you have finished the onions and prosciutto and when the dough has doubled in volume, heat a large pan with a lot of vegetable oil. Form balls of dough into small, flat shapes with your hands. Put the dough in the hot oil, browning on both sides. Let them cook on each side for at 3-5 minutes, you can play this by ear, but you should certainly be able to see once they are done. After they are done, drain them on paper towels and top each pizzette with a tablespoon or two of the onions and a slice of the Prosciutto di San Daniele. Buon Appetito!!

Sicilian Braciole

Ciao a tutti!! If you're Italian, odds are..you know what Sunday Gravy is. Sunday Gravy is a rich tomato sauce that the meat simmers in…braciole, sausage, meatballs. There has long been a debate if it's called gravy or sauce...in my family we call it gravy! I know a lot of people who refer to it as both, but for me, it will always be gravy.  This is my Nonna Nettie’s Recipe for braciole, it is a classic Sicilian style made with a stuffing that has pine nuts and raisins…mmmmmm. Enjoy!!

Braciole

2 pounds of flank steak

¼ cup of raisins

2 tbsp. of red wine

8 tbsp. olive oil

3 tbsp. minced garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

2 tbsp. onion powder

1 cup of bread crumbs

½ cup parmigiana

½ pignoli

4 tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 egg, beaten

Sunday Gravy

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp. sliced garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

2 28 ounce cans of San Marzano tomatoes

2 tbsp. onion powder

2 tbsp. garlic powder

6 tbsp. of fresh basil, torn

Meat juice- Yes, meat juice!! From the pans that you cook the braciole, meatballs and sausage in first, add all of that golden liquid to the gravy!!!!

Start off by pounding that flank steak to death with a mallet, no seriously. You want it thin, but not paper thin. If the piece of steak you have is thick enough, you can also butterfly it. I also use a meat tenderizer (which will really break up the meat) and then pounded it. Now you can start making your stuffing. Soak your raisins in the red wine and just let it sit until you are ready for them. Prepare a medium size pan over medium heat with 4 tbsp. of your olive oil. Add your minced garlic and allow it to get soft, but you do not want it to roast or burn. Add salt, pepper and onion powder. Add your bread crumbs and let them toast a little; you will want to see them get slightly golden. Add your parmigiana and continue to mix it all together. Add the pignoli so they toast slightly, again, you don’t want to burn them though and then add the parsley. Take the stuffing off of the heat and allow to cool for ten minutes. Add the beaten egg and thoroughly combine.

Prepare another medium size pan over medium high heat with 4 tbsp. of olive oil. My piece of flank steak with very big, so I cut it into two. However many pieces you have, you will want to start evenly spreading the stuffing on the meat, then concentrate more on the center and be a little more generous. Start rolling the meat like a jellyroll. Once you’re done rolling, either using kitchen string or tooth picks, close the meat. Add it to the pan to fry and slightly cook. In the meantime…prepare your Sunday Gravy….

Prepare a large pot over low heat. Add your olive oil and garlic; allow the garlic to get soft. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and the tomatoes. Stir. Add onion powder, garlic powder, fresh basil and the meat juice. Stir again and allow to simmer.

Once the braciole has cooked for around 20 minutes, you can now add the braciole to your Sunday Gravy pot. By now, the pot should be on low heat, so you will want the braciole to cook in there for hours….anywhere from 2-6 hours. Seriously, it’s on low so you won’t overcook the meat. What you end up with will be the most tender, braciole ever!! Melt in your mouth good. When it’s done, served a slice with a ton of gravy and some pasta. Buon Appetito!!

Timballo alla Nettie

Ciao a tutti!! I’m very excited to share that I have been invited to be a La Cucina Italiana Blogger Ambassador. La Cucina Italiana is an amazing magazine dedicated to Italian cuisine, it’s one of my favorites!! My first “assignment” was to create an original pasta dish using one of three cuts of Delverde Pasta that I was sent. I went with the Mezzi Rigatoni for my….drum roll please….Timballo!!

A Timballo is an Italian dish made with baked pasta and whatever delicious ingredients you want to add.  Meat? Why not! Veggies? Sure! Cheese? But of course! There really are no limits, that’s part of the fun. Every family has their own version and this is mine, which I named after my late Nonna Nettie. I made my Timballo encased in beautiful, thin slices of grilled eggplant. Inside, you will find wonderful layers of different textures, flavors and all around deliciousness. There is a layer of the Delverde Mezzi Rigatoni with some of the liquid from my Bolognese, there is a layer of Bolognese and there is a layer of a ricotta and parmigiana blend. Buon Appetito!!

Timballo alla Nettie

The Bolognese Layer

4 cloves garlic

2 stalks celery, roughly chopped

2 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped

1 medium carrot, roughly chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

¾ pound of ground beef, at room temperature

6 Italian sausage links, casing removed

½ pound of chicken

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups meat broth, preferably homemade

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups concentrated tomato puree

Put garlic, celery, onions and carrots in a food processor and process until very finely chopped. Add oil and butter to a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Let melt. Add the finely chopped vegetables, sprinkle with half of the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook until softened and most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking apart as much as possible. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook, stirring frequently, until the meat looks fully cooked, about 30 minutes.  Add the white wine and allow the liquid to reduce by half. Add the broth. Add the chicken and allow to cook for an additional ½ hour. When the chicken is cooked, take it out and chop very finely. Put the chicken back in the pan. Add the cream and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer and then reduce. Let the ragu cook 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Taste for seasoning. You can allow it to sit as long as you have time for so the flavor really develops. While that is cooking, start preparing your eggplant…

The Eggplant Layer

2 large eggplants

4 tbsp. olive oil

First, you will want to clean your eggplant. Next, using a mandoline, cut your eggplant holding it on its side in long thin strips. Once you have cut enough eggplant, prepare a large grill pan with the olive oil and begin grilling your eggplant. Just briefly grill it so the eggplant is cooked through, since the eggplant is thin, it will cook pretty quickly. Once you are done grilling all of the eggplant, put the slices on a plate to cool. After around ten minutes, you can start making the eggplant “encasing” for the Timballo.

You will want to use a very large cake pan, preferably one with a removable bottom, the one I used was a 9 by 5 inch cake pan. You will first want to spray the cake pan with a non-stick spray. First, start draping some of the eggplant slices over the rim on the pan, overlapping with each other to cover the entire side of the pan and hanging over the rim. Once the entire rim is covered, start layering the slices on the bottom, making sure it is completely covered. The idea is to have enough eggplant hanging off of the side so you can then “close” the timballo. Save a few slices to top the timballo with.

Now you can prepare your Ricotta Parmigiana Layer…

The Ricotta Parmigiana Layer

1 cup of ricotta

½ cup of parmigiana

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. dried mixed Italian seasonings

1 egg, beaten

In a medium size bowl, add your ricotta, parmigiana, salt, pepper, dried Italian seasonings and egg. Thoroughly mix. Now start preparing the pasta..

The Pasta Layer

1 box of Delverde Mezzi Rigatoni

Start boiling a large pot of salted water. Put your pasta in when it is boiling and cook until al dente. Drain and put the pasta back in the pan and add some of the Bolognese….there will be a lot of “liquid” that almost separates from the Bolognese itself because of all the fat from the meat, use a lot of that to cover the pasta! Now it’s time to assemble the Timballo!!

Assembling the Timballo alla Nettie

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Put your cake pan with the already prepared eggplant on a sturdy surface. Start off pouring a layer of the pasta in the cake pan, covering the eggplant surface. Fill with around 2 inches of pasta. Then add a layer of the Bolognese, around 2 inches. Then add an inch of the Ricotta Parmigiana Mix. Top with a little more pasta. Then, using the eggplant that is draping over the side of the pan, bring it over the pasta, almost “closing” it. Then use your additional eggplant slices to cover the Timballo. Make sure it is covered with eggplant so nothing leaks out. Put the Timballo on a baking sheet and put in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. When it is done, take it out and allow it to cool for at least half an hour before slicing and serving. When those 30 minutes are FINALLY over, cut yourself a big slice and enjoy!! 

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Ciao a tutti!! I am so sorry for not posting for a while, things have been hectic. Between a recent family vacation, preparing for culinary school in Italy at the end of next month, an active social life and my fabulous internship with Feast on History, I've been pretty busy. But that’s the way I like it!! As I mentioned, I’m an intern with an amazing company called Feast on History where I recently got to help develop recipes and cook for their Feast of the Seven Fishes which was HUGE SUCCESS!! The kitchen space they used was so beautiful; it actually inspired me to use it for my own upcoming event!!! For more than a year, I have been toying around with the idea of doing a supper club. But where to do it? I didn't want to do it in my own apartment and all of the spaces I found where way too big for what I needed.

When I saw this space, I felt like Goldilocks. Not too bag, not too small, it was just right. So, I will be inviting close friends to this first event to get some feedback...it will be a Masquerade Pop Up Dinner tied in with Halloween. The theme is good vs. evil, as is showcased in the menu. Sweet, light and luscious vs. rich, spicy and indulgent. Eventually my plan is for people to purchase a ticket for the event, but I want to do a few test runs and receive some feedback first. For those that interested in the underground dining scene, does this sound like something that might interest you in the future? PLEASE COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW! So, I would like to share with you one of my recipes that will be served at my Masquerade….Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck…fried carbs  with a light, sweet mousse topped with a piece of smoky cured Italian meat…how good does that sound?

Fried Polenta Bites with Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse and Crispy Speck

Butternut Squash Mascarpone Mousse

1 Butternut Squash

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup of mascarpone

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. pepper

1 tbsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil. Clean and cut your butternut squash in half. You will want to remove all of the seeds and “guts. ”Rub with olive oil and top with 1 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Roast for 2-3 hours or until the butternut squash is tender. Scoop out the butternut squash and put it in a food processor (if you have a Vitamix, use the Vitamix, I swear by this thing!!). Process until smooth and creamy and no fibers remain. Add your mascarpone, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Puree until thoroughly combined and smooth. Put the butternut squash mascarpone mousse in a container to chill for 3 hours.

Fried Polenta

1 ½ cups of polenta

4 cups of water

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. crushed Aleppo chili

1 cup of neutral oil (canola, peanut)

1 cup of flour

Prepare 4 cups of water in a medium size deep pot over high heat. While waiting for the water, butter a casserole dish. When water is boiling, add your polenta and stir with a wooden spoon for five minutes. You want to get the polenta nice and smooth. Add salt, pepper, dried rosemary and Aleppo chili. Pour the polenta into the casserole dish and spread so it is even. Put it in the refrigerator to chill for two-three hours.

When the polenta is done “chilling”, take it out to fry. In a medium size pan over medium-high heat, heat your oil. Cut your polenta into 1 inch squares and lightly drench in the flour. Put in the oil and fry on each side for three minutes. Continue doing this with all of the polenta bites.

Fried Speck

6 slices of speck

1 tsp. olive oil

In a medium size pan over medium heat, add your olive oil. When it is hot, fry your speck very briefly, around 2-3 minutes. Take it out of the pan and allow to cool before breaking the speck into small pieces.

Assembling the bites:

Take one of the polenta squares and using a small ice cream scoop, scoop some of the butternut squash mascarpone onto it. Top with a small piece of fried speck. Buon Appetito!! 

Stuffed Calamari for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History

Buongiorno mei amici!! Next up for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History…Stuffed Calamari!! No Feast of the Seven Fishes would be complete without it. Like the other recipes, I wanted to keep it traditional with a bit of a twist. I made mine stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta. It’s a wonderful mix of flavors and textures and the tomato sauce is reduced with some white wine. For more information on the upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes be sure to head over to Feast on History for information on purchasing tickets for the dinner. Enjoy!!

                                     

Stuffed Calamari

1 pound of calamari tubes (around 6 tubes)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

2 tbsp. crushed red pper

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 cups of mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp. Italian parsley

2 cups of bread crumbs

½ cup of ricotta cheese

¼ cup of parmigiana

White Wine Tomato Sauce

2 cups of diced canned tomatoes San Marzano tomatoes (in my opinion, they’re the best!)

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 cup of white wine

Begin by cleaning your calamari in cold water. Add olive oil to a medium size pan over medium heat. Add salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and garlic. Cook until slightly golden. Add the chopped mushrooms and cook until they are tender. Add the parsley and turn off the heat. Put the mushrooms in a medium size bowl and add the bread crumbs, ricotta and parmigiana.

Meanwhile, in another medium size pan, add the diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Add the white wine.

Stuff your calamari with the mushroom stuffing. I like to use a tiny spoon to really get in there and then I press down the stuffing with my thumb. Put the stuffed calamari in the sauce and cook until opaque and tender, around 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Buon Appetito!! 

Stuffed Clams with Feast on History

Ciao a tutti!! I am so excited to have started my recipe testing for The Feast of the Seven Fishes with Feast on History. For those that have not heard, I recently became an intern with Feast on History. A wonderful new company that specializes in wine and food events and allows the guests to experience food and history together. It’s hard work, but someone’s gotta do it!! Up first were the Stuffed Clams. I love stuffed clams and I wanted to keep them traditional with my own special twist…enter speck. Speck is a cured smoky Italian meat and when you fry it, it gets nice and crispy. I thought some speck would lend itself perfectly to the clams. I mean, parmigiana, clams, bread crumbs, white wine, you can’t go wrong. Be sure to stay tuned for some other tempting recipes and of course, if you want to experience them for yourself without doing as much of the work, be sure to come to our upcoming Feast of the Seven Fishes Dinner on August. 30^th. Mangia Bene!!

Stuffed Clams

For the liquid

1 pounds of clams (we used Manila Clams)

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of chopped garlic

2 tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. salt

3 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

1 cup of white wine

1 cup of water

For the stuffing

4 tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves of chopped garlic

1 tbsp. salt

1 tbsp. pepper

1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

6 slices of speck

1 cup of bread crumbs

2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

½ cup of parmigiana

½ cup of white wine

½ cup of the liquid from steaming the clams

Begin by cleaning and rinsing your clams in a large bowl with cold water. Get rid of any grit or sand. After rinsing them, begin preparing your steaming liquid. In a large pot, add your olive oil, garlic, red pepper, salt, pepper and chopped parsley. Cook briefly until the garlic is slightly golden. Add the white wine and water and bring to a boil. Put the clams in the liquid, cover them and lower the heat. Simmer gently until the clams have opened.

Once they opened, turn off the heat and let them cool in the pot while you prepare the stuffing. Do not throw out the liquid!

In a medium pan, add the olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Cook until the garlic is slightly golden.

Add the chopped speck and cook until it is crispy. You will notice that the speck will get darker as it gets crispier. Add the bread crumbs and parsley. Cook until the crumbs are slightly toasted. Add the parmigiana, wine and clam liquid. Turn off the heat. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with foil and drizzle with olive oil.

Now take your clams out of the shell and roughly chop them. Add the clams to the stuffing mix. Do not put the heat back on; you do not want to overcook the clams. Stuff the shells with the clam stuffing and put in the oven for 25 minutes. Enjoy immediately with a fine glass of white wine. Buon Appetito!!