6 Weeks of Home Cooking All rights reserved Danielle Oteri & Christian Galliani

In March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended our daily lives. Restaurants were closed and whether we liked it or not, we were forced to cook.

This book is a memory and an inspiration from that time.

Arthur Avenue Food Tours arthuravenuefoodtours.com Instagram @arthuravefoodtours RECIPE 1

POLENTA AND SPINACH SOUP Mondays are often soup days in Italy. Sunday dinners are often large, heavy meals enjoyed with family that get balanced out by eating lighter on Monday. Broth and vegetables will always get you back on track. This traditional soup comes from the Friuli region in Northern Italy where polenta rules over pasta and good soup greens like spinach and dandelions are coming up. The addition of just half of teaspoon of nutmeg brightens the flavor of the corn and perfectly compliments the spinach. Don’t have spinach? No worries, any sturdy green will do including swiss chard and kale.

Polenta and Spinach Soup Serves 4

 1/2 cup yellow polenta or a medium or coarsely ground cornmeal.  4 cups of hot chicken or vegetable broth (broth made from bouillon is fine)

3  3 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife  3 tablespoons of salted butter (If you only have unsalted butter, you’ll just add more salt at the end)  1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg  Kosher salt to taste  1/2 pound spinach leaves, rinsed (or any hearty spring green you can find)  Heat up the broth over a low flame in a wide sauce pan. Just as it starts to boil, whisk in the polenta so that it mixes with the broth to be smooth and loose.  Add the garlic cloves, butter, nutmeg and a teaspoon of salt. Cook the soup at a bubbling simmer for about 15 minutes, whisking it frequently to avoid lumps.  Add the spinach leaves and cook for 10 minutes more.  Taste the soup to see if it needs more salt. Some like more, some less — it should be salted to your desired taste.

Serve immediately.

Wine Notes From Christian

On the surface this might seem like a simple, rustic soup, but the nutmeg elevates it and highlights the sweetness and round notes in the polenta. Graceful, elegant and understated, it calls for a Chardonnay to tie it all together. The “baller” pairing would be Gaja “Rossj-Bass 2017 from Piemonte but if you don’t feel like parting with $110 a bottle for your soup pairing, then try Sturm Chardonnay “Andritz” from Friuli for around $22 or any nicely balanced Chardonnay really- just make sure it isn’t too oaky, as it will run over the the soup’s flavors.

4 RECIPE 2

TUNA RAGÙ WITH SPAGHETTI Italian food is simple. It relies on good ingredients, not fancy techniques. Just like a closet with a few key pieces of high-quality clothing, a good Italian pantry will take you far. This dish is proof. Feel free to use any canned tuna you have in the cupboard. I recommend the Rio Mare brand from Italy because it has an excellent reputation for best practices. I’m not getting a kick back or a commission on this, I just really appreciate the quality. For years I thought I hated capers, but that’s because I had only tasted terrible vinegar capers and would roll them off of smoked salmon or whatever dish they’d intruded upon with a sneer. Good capers, packed in salt, not vinegar, have a bright lemony flavor. They taste like olives that come from the sea. Agostino Recca is an excellent brand. Finally, anchovies have gotten a bad rap for years, again, because people have often only tried the way-too-salty ones from those flat yellow cans. Good anchovies are plump and meaty in the center of the fillet. They completely dissolve inside a sauce, leaving behind the coveted umami flavor; that subtle rush you get when you just want to keep on eating because damn… there’s something in there that tastes so good! Finally, you may be wondering what “ragù”means. I know what you’re thinking…Isn’t that a bad brand of jarred tomato sauce? Ragù comes from the French word ragout, because France and Southern Italy were both under the same crown for intermittent centuries. Ragù and ragout refer to meat stewed in vegetables.

5 Tuna Ragù With Spaghetti Serves 2

 Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil. The water should taste as salty as the sea…go ahead and taste, this is part of developing your instincts in the kitchen.  1 6 oz. can of tuna  3 cups of passata (pureed tomatoes)  1 tablespoon of salted capers, lightly rinsed, but with some salt left clinging to them  2 anchovy fillets  1 teaspoon of red pepper flake (optional)  4 oz spaghetti, bucatini or linguine  If you’re using tuna packed in water, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the bottom of a saucepan and place over a low flame. Drain the water, then add the tuna to the olive oil, and break it apart gently with a wooden spoon.  If you’re using tuna packed in oil, dump the entire can, tuna and olive oil, into the sauce pot.  Add the tomatoes and stir everything together for two minutes. Be sure to keep the flame low. Add the anchovies and the capers (and pepper flake), stir once again, then cover it, and lower the flame to a whisper.  Add the spaghetti to the boiling water for 8-10 minutes. Grocery store brands like Barilla cook very quickly while the higher quality ones will take up to 15 minutes. Bite into the pasta to see when it reaches al dente texture — you want some resistance, but the

6 noodle should be fully cooked through. Drain the water or remove the pasta from the water with tongs.  Add the spaghetti to the pot of tuna ragù and stir everything to together with tongs over the low flame. Plate and serve immediately. It drives me nuts when I see advertisements that show a blob of sauce sitting on top of pasta. That’s some weird American thing because Italians coat their pasta with the sauce to enjoy every last drop of it. Often I like to cook my pasta in boiling water until it is 75% of the way cooked, then I let it finish cooking inside the sauce so that all the flavors fully absorb into the pasta.

Wine Notes From Christian

This dish features Sicilian staples: capers, spicy anchovies, tuna, olive oil, and tomato. If it grows together, it goes together so I pair this dish with Frappato. Frappato is a light, aromatic, earthy and fruity red that will highlight this light tomato ragù and the salinity of the capers, without upstaging the tuna. My go-to is COS Pithos Rosso from Sicily for $35. (Click the link to purchase from Arthur Cantina on Arthur Avenue. Another really good one: Planeta Frappato 2017 for $23

7 RECIPE 3

CHICKEN CUTLET CAPRICCIOSA Ready to learn a little Italian? The word is capricciosa. You may have heard of pizza capricciosa that has a capricious assortment of things on top! Today, it applies to a chopped tomato and red onion salad that we’re putting on top of a crispy chicken cutlet. If you’re a vegetarian make this with a cutlet of fried eggplant instead. The inspiration comes from Cafe Al Mercato, the little Italian diner in the back corner of the Arthur Avenue Retail Market. This version doesn’t exactly match what chef Ralph Esposito makes — his you’ll just have to wait to experience for yourself, hopefully someday very soon. In the meantime, this is a version you can easily make at home. What you’re aiming for with this dish is the contrast of a hot, freshly fried cutlet and an acidic tomato salad on top. (Fat is balanced by acid.) It’s wonderful with those little grape tomatoes I find to be the most flavorful in the cold months, and stellar in the height of tomato season. Just be sure to use plums or beefsteak tomatoes. Heirloom tomatoes are usually too sour and don’t provide enough contrast.

Chicken Cutlet Capricciosa

The chicken capricciosa at Cafe al Mercato

Serves 4

First make the tomato salad so that the flavors have time to come together.

8 Tomato Salad Ingredients

 About 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2-to 1-inch chunks (about 4 cups)  1 small red onion, thinly sliced  6-8 leaves fresh basil or mint, torn or coarsely chopped  1/2 teaspoon salt, more more to taste  3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  A splash of red or white wine vinegar. Nothing fancy. I don’t recommend balsamic here.  Mix everything together in a serving bowl, then put it aside on the counter while you prepare the cutlets.

Chicken Cutlets Ingredients

 1 cup breadcrumbs  1 tablespoon dried oregano  1 teaspoon salt  1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

9  2 large eggs  1 pound boneless chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets  1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil Method:

 Stir the breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, and pepper together in a shallow bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs well with a fork.  With a fork or tongs, dredge the chicken in the beaten egg, then transfer to the breadcrumb bowl to coat evenly.  In a heavy skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat, then add the breaded cutlets, about two at a time. Cook approximately 4 minutes per side, turning when the cutlets are crispy and golden brown.  Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.  Plate your cutlets then spoon the tomato salad over the top, letting the dressing run all over the surface.

My homemade chicken capricciosa made with the tomatoes I had available and no red onion because…I forgot to buy one! Include it if you can though.

Wine Notes From Christian

Growing up, chicken cutlets were a staple in my Lombard/Argentine household, and this is one of my favorite iterations. The bright acidity of the tomatoes dressed in vinegar balance the golden fried cutlets perfectly. Danielle loves rosé with this dish so I suggest La Kiuva rose from Valle D’Aoste for $19. Nebbiolo rose shows enough fruit and some pleasing minerality that makes all the components on the plate come together. Plus it reminds me that summer and better days are on the horizon. My choice is Valtellina. Light to medium bodied- with more cherry fruit and slightly less tannin than Barolo (Again its a mostly Lombard dish, and Nebbiolo is the red of my ancestral home so if it grows together....) Ar Pe Pe Rosso di Valtellina 2015 is my “Ride or Die” at a mere $34. If this wine were produced in the fancier zip code of the commune of Barolo- a few kilometers away it would fetch ten times the price

10 RECIPE 4 EGG AND CHEESE BATTERED BROCCOLI & CAULIFLOWER Do you have freezer full of broccoli and cauliflower florets? I’ve got something different you can do with them. Egg and cheese battered broccoli and cauliflower comes from true Italian home cooking, not something you’d find in a restaurant. The only place I’ve found this is at Tino’s Deli on Arthur Avenue, which very much feels like an Italian home complete with Rai Italia on the television. Rosa Paciullo, the chef/owner is from Salerno and only makes this occasionally. Whenever she does, I buy as much as she can pile into a large takeout container. Perfection is the enemy of this dish. The egg and cheese batter is not going to coat the florets evenly, nor can you possibly pan fry them to be even on both sides. Instead, enjoy the little egg crepes that form between florets in the pan. Forgo the idea that vegetables must be crispy. That concept was pushed forward during the Alice Waters 1970s and it’s certainly not the rule. Italians cook their vegetables very well, and this dish is best with tender broccoli and cauliflower. (Don’t believe me? Read thisexcellent article by Samrin Nosrat of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat fame about her mushy vegetable epiphany in Italy.)

11 Egg And Cheese Battered Broccoli & Cauliflower Serves 2

 1 bag frozen cauliflower or broccoli  3 large eggs  1/3 cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese  2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  Bring a pot of salted water (salty as the sea) to a boil and and cook the cauliflower/broccoli for 4 minutes or until fork tender. Drain the water and set the vegetables aside in the colander.  Beat the eggs and cheese in a large mixing bowl. (Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper if you like.) Add the vegetables to the bowl and use your fingers to turn them and coat each floret with the egg and cheese mixture.  Heat a frying pan with olive oil over medium heat. Test to see if the oil is hot enough with just a drop of the egg mixture — if it sizzles, you’re ready to fry.  Use tongs to place all the vegetables into the hot oil and drizzle any remaining batter over the tops right inside the pan. When the egg begins to set, turn and cook on the other side. When all the batter is lightly browned, remove to a clean paper towel and immediately sprinkle with coarse salt. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Christian’s Wine Notes

I pair this hearty contorno (vegetable side dish) with a bright, clean, citrusy white like Antinori Guado al Tasso Vermentino from Tuscany for $20 or La Selva Vermentino also for $20.

12 RECIPE 5

CRUSTLESS RICOTTA CHEESECAKE If you’re hosting a party (remember those?) and want to make a homemade dessert that takes no time at all, this is what you make. There are dozens of variations on ricotta cheesecakes in Southern Italy which are usually enjoyed during the Easter season. This recipe comes from the grandmother of a one of our Cookbook Club members — Tina Ruggiero. About seven years ago I helped Tina compile a box of handwritten family recipes into a printed keepsake cookbook to share with her family. In a way, that project was the genesis of this Cookbook Club! This recipe labeled “pizza dolce” (sweet pie) became something I made over and over again. I like to top pizza dolce with fresh fruit like strawberries or fresh figs. This time I used the amarena cherries I had in the fridge, usually reserved for making Manhattans, and the combination was ideal.

Crustless Ricotta Cheesecake Or Pizza Dolce

 3 cups fresh ricotta  1/4 cup flour (omit the flour if you want the recipe to be gluten-free. The cake will just be a little less dense and no less tasty.)

13  1 tbs grated lemon zest  1 tbs vanilla extract or 1 tsp of cinnamon  4 eggs  1 cup of sugar  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  Beat the eggs with an electric mixer, adding one at a time until they get thick and foamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Add to a lightly greased pie pan and bake for 45 minutes. The top of the cake should be golden brown and may rise a bit, then sink when the cake cools.  Serve at room temperature with fruit or plain.

Christian’s Wine Notes

A light, crisp, minerally sparkling wine like Bisson Glera Frizzante NV is my choice here. The peach notes and tart mid-palate will balance the richness of the ricotta and cleanse the palate. Organic, elegant and only $16 Ultimately though, if you can’t source this particular selection, any dry sparkling wine will highlight this great dessert.

14 RECIPE 6

ITALIAN LENTIL SOUP Lentil soup is a dish that teaches you how to cook with love. You could follow all the steps of this recipe and the soup would come out just fine, but I find that whenever I make this mindfully — taking the time to chop all the vegetables evenly, stirring it gently with a well-worn wooden spoon, tasting and adjusting the salt, it’s infinitely better. It also gets better after a day in the fridge. When reheating it, add a little water as the lentils may continue to absorb the broth. I prefer this to be a hearty soup, but if you like it thinner, feel free to add more broth, though taste it, to adjust the salt. In Southern Italy, it’s common to add broken thin spaghetti to lentil soup. I’ve included this optional step in the recipe below. Neapolitan style lentil soup with broken spaghetti

Italian Lentil Soup Serves 4

 4 tbs extra virgin olive oil  1 medium white or yellow onion, finely chopped  2 carrots, finely chopped  2 celery ribs, finely chopped

15  1 large garlic clove, peeled and smashed with the side of the knife  1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)  1 and 1/2 cup passata (pureed tomatoes) or 1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes  1 tbs tomato paste  1/2 lb dried brown lentils, rinsed clean in cold water  4 cups beef broth  1 tbs Kosher salt  OPTIONAL: 1/4 cup broken thin spaghetti  Heat the broth separately over a low flame.  In a soup pot, add the olive oil, chopped onion and turn on the heat to a low flame. Sprinkle the onions with a half of the salt, and stir until the onion starts to glisten and soften.  Turn the heat up to medium and add the chopped carrot, celery and garlic. Continue to cook with the cover off for 3 minutes.  Add the pepper flake, tomato and tomato paste and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until everything is well combined.  Add the lentils and stir to completely coat them with the vegetables.  Now add the hot broth and add the rest of the salt. Cover the pot, adjust the heat to low so that the soup cooks slowly cooks and simmers. Stir it occasionally and taste to see if it needs more salt.  The lentils should be tender in about 45 minutes, but the quality of lentils varies widely and older ones may be drier. If the lentils need more time and there there isn’t enough broth, add more broth or hot water in 1/2 cup increments. Also, some people prefer their lentils to be al dente while others like the lentils to very soft. It’s up to you.  OPTIONAL: When the lentils are cooked, add 1/4 cup of broken thin spaghetti and stir it in to the soup. Cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes or until the spaghetti is cooked through.  Serve hot with a generous sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano on top.

16 Christian’s Wine Notes

Lentil soup is a dish my mother made often. It’s a dish from the intersection of Emilia Romagna, Veneto, and Lombardia. To highlight the earthy, umami flavors without upstaging it, go with a crisp, minerally white wine of the area. Zeni Lugana is a great example at only $16. If you’ve never had a Lugana, the grapes are called Turbiana and some Friulano. It’s like a more interesting cousin of a Sauvignon Blanc for reference. So if you like minerally, crisp wines, this is one to try.

17 RECIPE 7

CARBONARA Once you master carbonara, any insecurities you harbor about making delicious Italian food at home will disappear. Not because carbonara is difficult, but there is something magical about this particular alchemy of ingredients. First and foremost: There is no cream in carbonara. Never. I don’t care what Olive Garden told you. Because carbonara requires your full attention during the final steps, restaurants looking to streamline things will cheat by adding heavy cream. This adds a ton of unnecessary calories and distracts from the true flavors. Second, feel free to use whatever shape of pasta you like except for angel hair spaghetti. I like a thick spaghetti or bucatini, fusilli, rigatoni or penne with ridges. The texture helps hold the sauce. Thirdly, this makes a really good brunch because this could easily be called — pasta with bacon and eggs. A special Tuesday brunch might be a fun way to make the best of things right now.

Carbonara Serves 4 Ingredients

 2 teaspoons of olive oil  6 egg yolks (Keep the egg whites and freeze them. We’ll be using them in Week 4.)  3/4 cup of grated pecorino Romano cheese  1 tsp ground black pepper

18  1/2 pound guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta, diced into small cubes. If you can’t find either, use uncured bacon.  1 16 oz package of pasta

Method

 Set a large pot of salted water over a medium flame to boil.  In a large serving bowl scramble the egg yolks. Add the pecorino cheese and the black pepper, then use a fork to gently blend everything together. Set aside.  When the water is boiling, add the pasta to cook, about 8-12 minutes.  While the pasta is cooking, take a small frying pan, add the olive oil and place over a medium flame. Add the cubed guanciale and cook until crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Move the cubes around in the pan so each side gets browned. Watch the guanciale carefully as it can go from brown to burnt quickly. Remove the guanciale cubes with a slotted spoon and add them directly to the the egg and cheese mixture.  Take the serving bowl and place it very near the stove because the last step must be done quickly. Have a set of clean tongs ready to use.  When the pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and then immediately dump the pasta into the serving bowl. Use tongs to quickly toss the pasta with the egg, cheese and guanciale, coating it thoroughly. The egg will cook directly on the hot pasta. Work quickly so that the egg doesn’t scramble in the bowl. The result is a creamy sauce without an ounce of cream.  Plate and serve immediately. Add an additional dusting of pecorino if you like!

19 I recommend saving the fat from the guanciale! I keep mine in a takeout container and it’s an invaluable cooking fat. Every time I make guanciale or pancetta, I pour it right on top.

Christian’s Wine Notes

Carbonara is in the cannon of classic Italian pastas that calls for a classic wine pairing. It is as rich and opulent as it is satisfying. The umami of the guanciale and the richness of the egg and pecorino should be balanced by a full bodied, tart and tannic red. The Sangiovese grape is my choice, and Brunello di Montalcino is the wine I recommend. This glamorous zip code boasts some of the world’s most renowned and celebrated wines. It’s easy to go nuts here, but I will keep the price reasonable: The first choice is La Manella Brunello di Montalcino 2012 at $50 which has all the complexity, length and fruit of a much more expensive wine like say, a La Gerla (just for a tiny fraction of the price). The tier right below is the Banfi Rosso Di Montalcino for $25 Rossi and Brunelli are the same wines, but the Brunello is the wine selected to be the best of the vintage and aged longer and given the Brunello name, while the rest of the harvest is classified as Rosso di Montalcino. Remember to use promo code: COOKBOOK10 for a 10% discount! Salute!

20 RECIPE 8

SAUSAGE AND BROCCOLI RABE Sausage and broccoli rabe is a great dish for when you want a full meal, but you’re really not in the mood to do a lot of cooking. Bitter greens like broccoli rabe are beloved in Southern Italy, but aren’t very popular in the United States. Much like eggplant, broccoli rabe is chronically ill-prepared here, leading many to think they just don’t like it. The key to broccoli rabe is to pair it with sausage like the they do in Naples. The bitterness cuts the fat and balances all the flavors.

Sausage and Broccoli Rabe Serves 4

You can use any sausage you like; hot, sweet, links or a coil. Grill it or cook it in the broiler until it is brown and crispy on the outside. In Naples it’s common to split link sausages in half lengthwise and then cook them in a cast iron skillet. As for portion, I recommend two links per person, but that is entirely up to you. Here’s how to make the rabe:  3 tbs extra virgin olive oil  2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of knife

21  2 anchovy fillets  1 teaspoon red pepper flake (optional)  1 bunch of broccoli rabe or rapini, trimmed of stalks that are more than 1/8 thick and freshly washed  Add the olive oil, garlic and anchovy fillet into a skillet and heat slowly over low heat. Use a wooden spoon to mash the anchovy fillet until it starts to dissolve. When the garlic begins to soften, add the dripping wet broccoli rabe.  Raise the heat to medium and stir occasionally with tongs so that the leaves all get coated with olive oil. The water on the leaves will steam cook the broccoli while the olive oil, garlic and anchovy give it flavor and salt. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the stalks are fork tender.  Plate underneath your sausage and serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

The simple things are often the most satisfying. Sausage and broccoli rabe is as simple and satisfying a dish as you’ll find. As such, I pair a very simple but likewise satisfying wine: Villa Sparina Barbera di Monferrato $19 Don’t forget to use promo code COOKBOOK10 for a 10% discount. The pronounced red fruit and tartness will balance and cut through the richness of the sausage, but you wont get a ton of tannin to make the broccoli rabe seem TOO bitter. Careful! This wine goes down REALLY easily. Salute!

22 RECIPE 9 OVEN ROASTED MUSHROOMS AND FARRO Earthy mushrooms, whether you have shii- takes, oyster mushrooms or the portobello mush- rooms that are reliably found in the grocery store, are made so much more delicious when roasted in the oven. Paired with farro, an ancient whole grain most similar to spelt, and you have a hearty side or a main course for a lighter meal like lunch. Root around in your spice drawer and see what you have. Tonight I found thyme, rosemary and sea salt. But you could fennel, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper — feel free to experiment with the flavors you most enjoy!

Oven Roasted Mushrooms and Farro

Shitake mushrooms with thyme, rosemary and salt.

Serves 2

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees  1 cup farro  5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil  1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

23  1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary  1 teaspoon kosher salt salt  1 box of mushrooms (about 8 oz) of whole mushrooms (portobello, shiitake or oyster)

For the farro  Boil 2 cups salted water in a medium saucepan. Add the farro then cover the pot and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook until the grains are al dente. Drain any excess water then remove the farro to a large bowl and dress with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Taste to see if it needs additional salt.  Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil on a cookie sheet, then place the mushrooms heads down.  Combine the thyme, rosemary and salt in a small bowl and mix them together well, Using your fingers, sprinkle the salt mixture all over the mushrooms. Drizzle with the rest of the olive oil, then place in the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Keep an eye on them as the smaller mushrooms may cook more quickly, where big portabellas make require more time. Test by using a fork to pick up a mushroom, if the head is crispy, they’re ready to enjoy.  Add to the dish of farro and enjoy hot or at room temperature.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This dish is filled with texture, nuance and delicate flavor. The mushrooms are umami and the farro lends distinct nutty and earthy flavors. With a nod towards central Italy, where farro is most commonly found, my white pairing is Arnaldo Caprai Grechetto “Grecante” for $22 the DOC white of Umbria. For red, I pair a light to medium bodied one like Masciarelli Montepulciano D’Abruzzo for $13 so as to highlight the flavors as opposed to running them over. (Like if I paired it with a Sagrantino or California Cabernet) As always remember to use your exclusive promo code: COOKBOOK10 for a 10% discount at Arthur Cantina. Salute!

24 RECIPE 10

POLENTA CAKE WITH RICOTTA Think of this like an Italian cornbread, perfect for breakfast with a drizzle of maple syrup, or after dinner topped with strawberries and a sprinkle of sugar.

Polenta Cake With Ricotta Ingredients

 3 tbsp melted butter  1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour  3/4 cup polenta, or medium ground cornmeal  1 tsp baking powder  1/2 tsp baking soda  2 large eggs  5 tbsp sugar  1/2 tsp salt  2 cups whole milk  3/4 cup ricotta

Method

 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees  Grease a standard pie plate and set aside

25  In a large bowl, use a fork to gently mix all the ingredients together except for the ricotta. When well combined, pour half of the mixture into the pie plate. WIth a spoon, place dollops of ricotta on top and smooth it to cover the surface. Don’t worry if there are gaps here and there. Then cover the ricotta with the remaining batter.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. The ricotta ribbon may poke through the top as well. Let it cool for fifteen minutes and serve warm, ideally with fruit.

Christian’s Wine Notes

What’s more Northern Italian than polenta? The slur for us Northerners is polentone! So what would be a more fitting pairing than the quintessential Northern Italian dessert wine, moscato! Fascino Organic Moscato $14 is the ideal pick here. Remember to use promo code COOKBOOK10 for a 10% discount at Arthur Cantina.

26 RECIPE 11

ESCAROLE AND BEAN SOUP Whenever I arrive in Naples, my very favorite city in Italy, I have a ceremonial first meal at Don Maccarone, a small osteria in the Chiaia district that specializes in Neapolitan home cooking. This escarole and bean soup is the most humble dish of Southern Italy, but here, extra attention is paid to the broth. It’s so rich flavorful that I assumed it was chicken broth, but no — the owner lavished me with the details of how he had cooked carrots, onions, celery — and many other vegetables — slowly, over hours, to make this healthful broth. I recommend starting a plastic storage bag full of vegetable odd and ends that you store in the freezer. Every time you’re left with a cauliflower stump, the white nubbins of green onions, or the tough tops of carrots, rinse them clean and add them to the collection. When the bag is full, simmer them all together for 3 hours to make your own vegetable broth. In the meantime, chicken or vegetable broth or even just water is fine for this recipe.

Serves 2 Ingredients

 1 head of escarole, soaked in cold water to remove all dirt or grit, then chopped into bite size pieces.  2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil  2 cloves garlic, sliced very thin

27  1/2 tsp red chile flakes  1/2 tsp salt  3 cups water, chicken broth or vegetable broth  1 can cannellini beans, preserve the liquid in the can  Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Method

 In a large soup pot, add olive oil and minced garlic garlic and saute for 1 minute.  Add the escarole leaves salt, red chili flakes, broth or water and then simmer for 5 minute. The escarole will begin to wilt and turn bright green.  Add the beans and water from the can. Simmer over a low flame for 15- 20 minutes more or until the white ends of the escarole are translucent. Taste to see if it needs more salt.  Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of pecorino cheese and a hunk of crusty bread.  This deliciously rich and earthy soup is a Campanian staple. As such, I pair a classic Campanian white.

Christian’s Wine Notes

My choice is the citrusy & clean Nativ Falanghina for $14. The bright lemony flavors will highlight and balance the richness of the cannellini beans and cleanse the palate perfectly. Enjoy!

28 RECIPE 12

FRITTATA DI SPAGHETTI As I write this I’m looking forward to watching the penultimate episode of Season 2 of My Brilliant Friend. Have you been watching? Every scene is so beautiful it belongs in a museum! Those beach scenes on Ischia put this recipe on my mind. On the beaches of the Vesuvius coast it’s a regular sight to see Italian sun bathers peeling aluminum foil off of a frittata di spaghetti. No taboo around carbs in Southern Italy. It’s common to make a spaghetti pie for such purposes from scratch with just cooked pasta and eggs. Make too much spaghetti with tomato sauce? Go ahead and use that as well. Easily transported, and fine to eat hot or cold, frittata di spaghetti is ideal picnic food.

Frittata di Spaghetti Ingredients

 1 lb thick spaghetti or bucatini  6 large eggs  1 cup of pecorino romano or parmigiano reggiano, grated  6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Method

 Cook spaghetti until al dente, drain and let cool for 20 minutes.

29  Beat the eggs into a large bowl and then pour over the spaghetti. Add the cheese. Mix everything together with tongs until all the pasta is well coated.  Coat the bottom of a large non-stick or cast iron pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil begins to sizzle, dump the entire mixture into the pan. Let cook for about 5 minutes or until the egg toward the bottom of the pain starts to set.  Traditionally, the frittata is then flipped in the pan. I instead remove the pan from the stove and place it under the broiler for 3 minutes to cook the top portion. (It’s easier!)  Finish by sprinkling with more cheese. Let cool and enjoy it warn or at room temperature.

Christian’s Wine Notes

Frittata di spaghetti is a very rich dish. All that, egg, cheese and starch needs a strong palate cleanser. As such I pair this full bodied Campanian red: Vestini Kajanero $19 (Use code: COOKBOOK10 for a 10% discount.) It’s a blend of the two main red grapes indigenous to Campania: Aglianico, and Pallagrello Nero along with some Syrah to add structure and length. Rich black fruit, vegetal notes, a little mint and a dusty tannic finish are exactly the notes I want to balance out the richness of the dish.

30 RECIPE 13

SALT CRUSTED BRANZINO It’s Christian’s turn to cook! Here is something he picked up from his nights in the restaurant world. Fresh fish can be tricky when cooked in the oven or the grill, but packing it in salt is a foolproof way to ensure it is cooked perfectly without drying out or losing any flavor.

Ingredients

 6 egg whites (1 cup if you’re using egg whites in a carton)  6 cups of Kosher salt  2 branzinos, gutted and cleaned. You may also use monkfish, sea bass or porgy.  1 lemon cut into thin slices  6 sprigs of dill

Method

 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl use a fork to combine the sea salt and egg whites until the mixture looks like wet sand.

31  Spread a half inch thick bed of salt down on the center of a baking sheet, then lay the fish down on it, leaving the head and tail exposed.  Stuff the branzino with the lemon slices and dill. Use your hands to cover the top of the fish with the rest of the salt mixture, packing it tightly.  Place in the oven and bake until the salt turns golden brown, about 15 minutes.  Use the handle of a knife to crack open the salt crust. It will break apart in large chunks exposing a perfectly cooked, moist fish. Fillet and serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

Branzino, dill and lemon. Simple, but flavorful, and perfectly balanced. A racy, clean, white is order. How about: The ultimate wine for fish! Argillae Orvieto DOC 2018 $17 Use code Cookbook10 for a 10% discount. Orvieto used to come in those fish shaped bottles my Dad would order in Italian restaurants in the 1980’s. So while marketing and standards of taste have evolved, the principle is sound. Pair Orvieto with fish. Salute!

32 RECIPE 14 FRIED EGGPLANT WITH CHICKPEA FLOUR This is a recipe of my own invention that marries two of Sicily’s signature ingredients; eggplant and chickpeas. In Palermo, panelle are a common street food — just chickpea flour and water, mixed into a paste, spread out onto a baking sheet, cut into squares and then fried in olive oil. Hot- from-the-fryer and salted, panelle with a cold beer have a pleasant nutty flavor, but honestly…they’re a little bland. Paired with eggplant though and chickpea flour is a revelation. In Italian markets chickpea flour is called farina di ceci, but given the popularity of gluten-free alternatives, it is now easy to find it in most grocery stores, usually called garbanzo bean flour. (It’s all the same thing.) Definitely keep a bag in your pantry as this eggplant recipe is one I guarantee you’ll be making regularly.

Fried Eggplant With Chickpea Flour Serves 2 Ingredients

 1 medium sized eggplant or two small Japanese eggplants, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices  2 eggs, beaten  1 cup chickpea flour

33  1 tablespoon Kosher salt  1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil (You may need more)

Method

 Prepare a little assembly line for your eggplant slices. A flat wide bowl for the beaten eggs, a plate with the chickpea flour and salt mixed together, a wide frying pan with olive oil, and a plate lined with paper towels. To test that your pan is hot enough to fry, drop a bit of the chickpea flour in the oil — if it sizzles, you’re ready to fry.  Dip the eggplant slices in the egg, covering both sides well, then do the same with the chickpea flour, then place the battered slice carefully in the hot oil. Leave 1/2 inch of space around each slice.  Fry on each side for approximately two minutes or until golden brown. Turn the slices very carefully with a fork. When done, place on the paper towel, and sprinkle with salt.  As you fry, the oil may become smoky from the excess flour. If so, remove the darkened flour with a spoon and add a bit more fresh oil, two tablespoons at a time, and continue frying the slices until finished.  Serve immediately as a snack or appetizer. These go well with the roasted mushrooms from last week, or a nice hunk of pecorino cheese.

Christian’s Wine Notes

Eggplants are the quintessential Sicilian veggie. This savory fried treat is salty and very satisfying. I pair it with a minerally Sicilian white wine with some salinity to it: Caruso e Minini Cataratto $20. It’s organic, refreshing and easy drinking.

34 RECIPE 15

TORTA CAPRESE If you’ve been to Italy with us, then you know torta caprese. It’s a decadent chocolate cake with its origins on the island of Capri. It’s also a dream come true for people who are gluten-free, as it’s made with almond flour.

Torta Caprese Ingredients

 12 ounces of almond flour  6 tablespoons sugar  8 ounces bittersweet chocolate  8 ounces (2 sticks) butter at room temperature  6 eggs separated  10 tablespoons of sugar  1/4 cup sugar

Method

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with wax paper or baking parchment. Butter and flour the lining.

35  In a large bowl mix the almond flour with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.  In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter together.  In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks until lemon colored, about 5 minutes, then gradually beat in the 4 tablespoons of sugar.  Add the melted chocolate and butter to the egg yolks. Stir to mix well. Fold in the almond flour/sugar and stir well to incorporate.  In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the final 1/4 cup sugar until they are stiff.  Fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter in 2 additions.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake on a cookie sheet in the lower third of the preheated oven for 90 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool on a rack 15 minutes before removing the sides of the springform.  When the cake has cooked, turn it upside down onto a serving plate. Remove the wax paper or parchment.

Christian’s Wine Notes

I’m going to go against the “ if it grows together it goes together” rule here. For chocolate cake I was torn between a juicy red or a sparkling wine, so I split the difference here. Let’s go with a Lambrusco like Donelli Lambrusco Reggiano Demi Sec $19.

36 RECIPE 16

PASTA FASULE For all of our soup recipes, I’ve stuck closely with the classics. Soup is comforting, inexpensive and usually healthy. You can add cheese if you want, or some red pepper flakes, but there’s no need to innovate what Italian nonnas have perfected over centuries. Everyone should know how to make a good pasta fasule. Fasule is the Neapolitan word for fagioli, the Italian word for beans. You may have heard it pronounced “fa-zool” which you should go ahead and say, like it’s 1pm in Naples and you’re hungry for lunch. Somehow it makes it taste even better.

Pasta Fasule Ingredients

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil  2 canned, peeled tomatoes  1.5 teaspoons of salt  3 cups of canned white beans  6 ounces of tube shaped pasta like ditali  1 clove crushed garlic

37 Method

 In a medium sized pot, add water and 1 teaspoon of water and bring to a boil. Cook the pasta until almost cooked or very al dente. Drain but reserve 1 cup of the pasta water.  While the pasta is cooking, use a separate saucepan, gently heat the olive oil and garlic until the garlic becomes translucent.  Squeeze the tomatoes with your fist and let them drop into the pot. Stir with a wooden spoon to further crush them and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Add the beans and the bean water from the cans. Bring the entire mixture to a light boil and then simmer so that the beans absorb the flavor of the garlic, tomatoes and olive oil.  Add the pasta and the reserved pasta water to the bean and tomato mixture. Simmer over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes or until the pasta is fully cooked through. The pasta should be very soft, not al dente.  Ladle into a bowl and serve hot with a sprinkle of grated pecorino cheese.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This soup is ubiquitous all over Italy. It is rich, rustic, and comforting. To highlight and balance the beans, pasta, and a touch of tomato, I choose an earthy, light to medium bodied red like Elena Walch Schiava $19 from Sudtirol Alto Adige.

38 RECIPE 17

GNOCCHI SORRENTINA Gnocchi are perhaps the oldest pasta in Italy having been found in an archaeological dig from the Neolithic era. However, potato gnocchi come long after the New World explorations, when potatoes were brought to the Italian peninsula from Peru and tomatoes from Mexico. When this now classic dish was first made in Sorrento in the 19th century, it was considered very avant-garde.

Gnocchi Sorrentina Serves 6

To make the gnocchi

Ingredients

 1 1/2 pounds of baking potatoes, peeled  1 teaspoon of salt  2 large eggs, beaten  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for working with the dough  4 tablespoons of olive oil  2 jars of tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)  4 leaves of basil  1 small ball of mozzarella, shredded by hand in to 1 inch pieces

39 Method

 Put the potatoes in a large pot with cold water that covers them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a steady boil and cook just until they are easily pieced with a fork. Don’t overcook the potatoes because if they take on too much water, the gnocchi will disintegrate when they are boiled.  Remove the potatoes from the water and let them drain for about 10 minutes. While they’re still hot, but cool enough to handle, press through a ricer or a food mill. You want to do this quickly so their moisture will evaporate. Then spread the mashed potatoes in a thin layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and them dry for at least 20 minutes or as long as 3 hours.  Prepare a clean working surface, either a board or a clean marble countertop. Pile the potatoes into a loose mound, pour the beaten eggs over them, then sprinkle 1 cup of flour on top. Use your hands to combine everything, first working in the eggs, then combining the flour and potatoes. When everything is combined, knead for several minutes, scraping any sticky pieces from the board. Add extra flour only as needed to hold everything together — too much flour will make the gnocchi heavy and dry.  Cut the finished dough into 4 pieces. Dust your work surface with flour, then roll one piece with your hands to form a cylinder, then continue to roll it into a long rope that is about 2/3 of an inch thick. Then use a sharp knife to slice the rope into 1/2 inch long pieces. Sprinkle them with flour and set them aside underneath a clean towel.  If you’re not going to cook the gnocchi right away, put them in the freezer. (They will take on too much moisture in the refrigerator.)  Now it’s time to serve the gnocchi like they do in Sorrento…  In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over a low flame for 2 minutes. Add the tomato passata, one basil leaf and continue to cook for 10 minutes.  5. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. (Remember, salty like the sea.) Gently add the gnocchi, a handful at a time so that they don’t stick together. After you have added all the gnocchi, use a slotted spoon to stir them gently, especially any that may stick to the bottom of the pot.

40  As soon as the gnocchi float, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon and place them in the tomato sauce.  Place half of the gnocchi in tomato sauce into a large casserole/ oven safe dish. Scatter half of the torn mozzarella on top along with two of the basil leaves, also torn.  Cover with the rest of the gnocchi, then scatter the rest of the mozzarella and basil on top.  Bake it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the mozzarella just begins to get crispy. Serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This is a classic dish of Campania. As such, I go right to one of the lesser known rustic wines of the area: Cantine Astroni Piedirosso (or red feet). It features red fruit on the nose, and is medium bodied, tart, with a beautiful flinty quality and lively tannins due to its origins in the volcanic soils of the Campi Flegrei on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius.

41 RECIPE 18

VINEGAR PORK CHOPS Christian is a meatatarian and besides a good steak, I think vinegar pork chops are his favorite dish. The original recipe was inspired by the Venice episode of the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. My riff uses vinegar from a jar of peppers rather than the classic white vinegar.

Vinegar Pork Chops Ingredients

 4 Berkshire pork chops (with bone) from Vincent’s Meat Market, patted dry with paper towels and dusted with kosher salt on both sides. Make sure they are room temperature to ensure they will cook all the way through without drying out.  2 cups of breadcrumbs, preferably from Terranova Bakery  1 tablespoon salt (mix the salt into the breadcrumbs)  2 eggs, beaten

42  1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil  1/2 cup vinegar from jar of peppers or white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Method

 Use a meat tenderizer to pound and flatten the pork chops.  Dip the pork chops in the eggs, then dredge it in the breadcrumbs.  Add the oil to a cast iron skillet (preferred though not required), and heat over a medium-high flame.  Carefully place the pork chops in the hot oil and fry on each side until the breadcrumbs become deep golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side, but the cook time will vary depending on whether you use a gas or electric stove. Judge doneness by the color of the breadcrumbs.  When the chops are cooked on both sides, leave the flame on and pour the vinegar directly over the chops. It will sizzle and smoke as it works its magic tenderizing the chops. Flip over once in the pan so that each side gets coated with vinegar. Add a few of the jarred peppers to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes.  Plate and serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

For this dish I can either pair a Venetian red: Marion Valpolicella Superiore $29. Full bodied, featuring black fruit, notes of eucalyptus and chocolatey, firmly tannic finish make this a great counterpoint. Or try a sparkling wine: Ca Del Bosco Franciacorta, $40. Made in Lombardy in the traditional method, it’s a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco. Floral and yeasty with hints of yellow apple, and citrus, this is also a nice counterpoint to the richness of the fried pork chops.

43 RECIPE 19

STUFFED PEPPERS Sweet, savory, crunchy, these stuffed peppers have got it all. This is a very simple, very traditional recipe from Southern Italy that has so much depth and flavor. And you’d like to add meat to the peppers, just crumble a 1/2 cup of sausage into the filling.

Stuffed Peppers Ingredients

 4 yellow or red peppers  4 eggs, beaten  1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs  3/4 grated pecorino romano cheese  6 anchovy fillets, cut in small pieces  1/4 cup white raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes  1/4 cup pine nuts  1 teaspoon red chili flake  2 tablespoons parsley, chopped  3 tablespoons olive oil

44 Method

 Preheat oven to 400 Slice the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and white ribs on the inside.  In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together with a fork until well combined. Use a spoon to stuff the peppers, all the way to the tops.  Drizzle the olive oil in a shallow, oven safe pan. (Cast iron works well) Place all the peppers in the center and bake for about 30 minutes or until the tops start to crisp.  Remove and top with more grated cheese. Serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This classic Cilento dish calls for one of my favorite white wines of the area: San Salvatore Trentenare $20. The grape is Fiano and a staple of the Cilento. This wine is by one of the wineries we visit on our Italy tours. Its slightly citrusy, with hints of peach, and a crisp tart finish, it is the ideal pairing here, It also happens to be named after a charming hill town in the area, where we happen to zipline across the gorge between towns.

45 RECIPE 20

SWEET TARALLI My grandmother always had a jar of homemade cookies ready for afternoon coffee. Often they were rock hard biscotti, but sometimes she made these softer, sweeter taralli, scented with lemon zest and glazed with sugar. Now that we’re all spending so much more time at home, I encourage you to create a ritual around afternoon coffee or tea. It creates a lovely interlude.

Sweet Taralli

Makes two dozen cookies

Ingredients

 2 1/4 cup flour  3 tablespoons of white sugar  1 teaspoon baking powder  1/2 teaspoon of salt  3 eggs  3/4 cup of vegetable oil  Grated lemon zest

46 Method

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees  Add the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder to a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment on slow speed. Then add the eggs, vegetable oil and lemon zest and mix until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. If you’re doing this by hand, use a baking spatula — it should take about 5-8 minutes.  Transfer the dough to a board and knead gently into a ball for 2-4 minutes. If the dough sticks too much to the board, add a bit more vegetable oil. Then cut the dough into four pieces, just like you’re making gnocchi, and begin to roll each one out into a rope.  With a knife, cut 4 inch long pieces and form them into rings. The ends may slightly overlap. Place them on a cookie sheet with plenty of space around each one as they will expand when they bake.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let the taralli cool for 30 minutes.  For the frosting  2 cups of white sugar  3/4 water  Add the water and sugar to a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Stir constantly as it comes to a boil, then continue for three more minutes.  Set up a wire rack for the sugared taralli ahead of time with a piece of parchment or aluminum foil underneath.  Use a wide pie plate and place 8-10 taralli inside, then use a large wooden spoon to cover them with the hot glaze. Once the taralli are fully coated, remove and place it on the wire rack, repeating as you go. Work quickly as the sugar will harden. Use tongs as the sugar may be too hot for your fingers. If you need to re-melt the sugar, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time.  Allow the taralli to dry completely, 30-40 minutes.

47 RECIPE 21

RIBOLLITA People often worry that the Italian food they cook at home is not authentic enough. While there are a few hard rules, like no cream in the carbonara, the best Italian dishes derive from doing the best with what you have. Case in point: Ribollita, a hearty soup from Tuscany that could easily be called “clean-out-the-crisper-and-use-up-the-bread” soup. As such, there’s no single recipe that is correct. Let this one be your guide, but improvise with the odds and ends you don’t want to go to waste.

Ribollita Serves 4 Ingredients

 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1 white or yellow onion, chopped  1 large carrot, chopped  1 celery stalk, chopped  2 garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife  2 teaspoons kosher salt  2 cans of cannellini beans

48  1 15-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes  3 cups vegetable broth or water  1 spring of fresh rosemary or thyme (optional)  1 pound chopped kale, preferably lacinato kale sometimes called dinosaur kale  4 large, thick slices of toasted bread, cut into 1 inch pieces

Method

 Add the olive oil to a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the pot, sprinkle the salt over the top, and let it all cook, uncovered for 10 minutes.  Add the broth or water, the beans and their water from the can, and the tomatoes with their water as well. Also add the fresh herbs if you have them. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. With a wooden spoon, press the tomatoes against the side of the pot to crush them. Then let it cook with the lid on for 20 minutes.  Stir in the kale, then taste the soup to see if it needs more salt. Add the pieces of toasted bread, then cover the pot, turn off the flame, and let it rest for 5 minutes.  Pour the soup into bowls, sprinkle with the parmigiano cheese if you like, and serve immediately.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This soup calls for a local Tuscan wine. A clean citrusy white like Vernaccia for $15 is just perfect here. Use code Cookbook10 to get 10% off at Arthur Cantina.

49 RECIPE 22

TRUFFLE RISOTTO I’m not sure how this notion that risotto has to be constantly stirred came about. Risotto is one of the easiest dishes to make, for one, or for a crowd. With a good starchy rice like Carnaroli, the possibilities for flavor are endless. Guests of our food tours have all had the chance to taste the extraordinary Moliterno al Tartufo cheese, known more commonly as truffle cheese at Joe’s Italian Deli. It’s a high quality sheep’s milk cheese (pecorino) from Sardinia that is injected with macerated black truffles. Then the cheese is wrapped and grass and left to age so that the truffle infuses with complex flavors. If you love truffles, this cheese is a revelation. If they’re not your thing, you won’t be converted. Use parmigiano reggiano instead.

Truffle Risotto Serves 4 Ingredients  4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil  8 cups vegetable or chicken broth  1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature  1 shallot, sliced into paper thin slices  Kosher salt

50  2 cups carnaroli rice  1 cup finely grated truffle cheese or parmigiano reggiano cheese

Method

 In a medium saucepan, heat the broth over a low heat. Keep a ladle handy as you will use it to scoop broth into your rice.  In a saute pan, warm the olive oil over a medium-low flame, then add the sliced shallot. Use a wooden spoon to spread them out evenly across the pan’s surface, then sprinkle with salt. When the shallots soften and the garlic is glistening, (about 4-5 minutes, add the rice to the pan and turn the heat up to medium high. Use the wooden spoon to move the rice around in the pan so it becomes fully coated with the olive oil and shallots. The rice will gently toast during this process, so keep the rice moving for 2 minutes. Stop stirring the second you smell the aroma of toasted rice.  Add a large ladle full of broth to the rice. This will deglaze the pan so expect some dramatic hissing and smoke. (Deglazing is my absolute favorite cooking technique) Stir to move any rice that is stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Add three more ladle fulls of broth and let it simmer over a medium flame for about 5 minutes. When the broth is close to having fully cooked off, taste the rice and add salt as needed. Then add the rest of the broth, stir it once, and let it continue to cook.  The risotto is ready when the rice is al dente and has the texture of a porridge. If it tastes done and you haven’t used all the broth, don’t worry — it’s better to have too much than too little. Run your wooden spoon through the risotto — the official Italian rule is that the risotto should be like a wave that slowly rolls back to the shore!  Add the butter and stir it into the risotto for extra creaminess. (Skip the step if you like.) Plate your risotto in large, wide bowls, then cover the top with a blanket of the grated truffle cheese.

51 Christian’s Wine Notes

This dish has its roots in Lombardia, the birthplace of risotto, with a central Italian twist: The Moliterno al Tartufo pecorino cheese from Sardinia featuring black truffles. As such, an earthy, full bodied red like Argiolas Cannonau di Sardegna $18 is a great match here. Black fruit, low acidity with earthy flavors and smooth tannins are just what the dish call for.

52 RECIPE 23 VEAL SCALLOPINI WITH OLIVE, CAPER AND ANCHOVY RELISH Many years ago when I was a graduate student in Florence, Italy, Fortuna granted me the opportunity to do research at a 400-year old villa in the heart of Tuscany. Italy is filled with formerly noble families. The Risorgimento, which unified Italy in 1861, broke apart a society which was not far from feudal, and families of noble rank saw their power, status, and riches slowly begin to disintegrate. The Ducci family was one of many. Signora Isabella Ducci, the family matriarch, lived in the family villa surrounded by art, antiques, friends, and her extended family. Little 3-year old Duccio Ducci was tearing around the rooms when I arrived, with a fellow student, to begin my investigation of their art collection. We worked with quiet amazement and reverence at the treasures that were before us, occasionally looking at each other with stupefied smiles. Our hearts were beating wildly as we held 400-year old flaking canvases painted by students of Raphael. In the meantime, Mrs. Ducci was busy cooking for us. With incredible simplicity and ease, she prepared scallopini. It was dusted in flour, then pan-seared in olive oil and butter. It was lovely. We felt obligated to return to the paintings, to earn our keep, but Mrs. Ducci clearly took great pleasure in feeding us. And she taught me one of life’s greatest lessons: When you can, use butter and olive oil.

53 Veal Scallopini With Olive, Caper And Anchovy Relish Ingredients

 1 cup green olives, pitted and chopped  3 tablespoons of salted capers, rinsed  4 anchovy fillets, chopped  1 lemon, juiced  1 cup of flour  1 lb veal cutlets, sliced thin (about 6 cutlets)  1 teaspoon Kosher salt  1 tablespoon of salted butter, cut in half  6 tablespoons of olive oil  3/4 cup dry vermouth

Method

 Mix the olives, capers, anchovies and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.  Drag the cutlets through the flour so that they are lightly coated on both sides. Sprinkle them with Kosher salt.  In a large saute pan, heat half the olive oil and half the butter over medium-low heat. Test to see if the oil is pan is hot enough to fry with just the corner of a cutlet. When it sizzles, add the cutlets (3 at a time) to the pan. Cook on each side for about 2 minutes or until

54 the edges begin to brown. Add half of the vermouth to deglaze the pan. As it smokes and sizzles, use a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Remove the cutlets, and repeat the same process with the remaining pieces.  Spoon the relish on top of the culets and serve immediately. The acid from the capers and olives will create a beautiful tang with the fat from the butter and olive oil

Christian’s Wine Notes

I love the flavor profile of this dish. It really hits all the notes: meaty, buttery, tart, and a touch of salt. Veal is really versatile for wine pairing, but I think an orange or skin contact white wine like Movia Rebula is perfect here. It’s cloudy and a little funky, but in the best possible way. It tastes like they left Sauvignon Blanc in a smoker over night.

55 RECIPE 24

GATTÒ DI PATATE During the Rococo era, Naples and Paris were rivals for the most sophisticated cities in Europe. They also shared a lot in common. Marie Antoinette’s sister was the Queen of Naples and Parisian and Neapolitan citizens both shared an extraordinary love of food. Gattò, from the word gâteau, is a rich potato and cheese cake that was prepared for the aristocracy by their chef, a monzù or monsieur. Gattò in spite of its aristocratic origins, is essentially a mashed potato pie. You can make it in the morning and set it aside and simply warm it up later in the oven.

Gattò di Patate (Neapolitan Potato Cake) Serves 8

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients

 3 lbs yukon gold potatoes  2 eggs, beaten  4 tablespoons butter  1 cup scamorza or mozzarella cheese cut into 1 inch cubes  2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat- leaf parsley  1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

56 Method

 Boil the potatoes and mash them with a potato ricer. Let the mashed potato mixture cool in a large bowl, then add the eggs, 2 tablespoons of butter and parsley. Gently incorporate all the ingredients with a fork.  Coat a pie plate with butter, then sprinkle half the breadcrumbs to coat the entire surface.  Add a layer of the potato mixture with a spoon, careful not to press down, but still cover the entire surface about 1 inch thick.  Add the cubed cheese to the top, covering the entire surface but leaving a inch ring along the outside so that the cheese won’t run through the edges once melted. Cover the cheese with the other half of the potato mixture. It can be flat or rounded like a pie. Cover the top with breadcrumbs and crown with the remaining chunks of butter.  Place in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve immediately so that the cheese remains molten when served.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This is a classic old school Campanian dish. Hearty, rich, and satisfying. As such, this calls for the most traditional wine of Campania: Aglianico. Mastroberardino “Radici” Taurasi Long dubbed the “Barolo of the South” due to its exquisite complexity and aging potential. Mastroberardino is the flagship of Aglianico and Taurasi was the very first wine to be given DOCG designation in Campania. It features rich black fruit, tart mid palate and tannins as deep as the Irpinian valleys where it comes from.

57 RECIPE 25

PASTA FROLLA This basic shortbread is the foundation to so many Italian pies and cookies. It requires only a fork though if you have a stand mixer, the dough will be smoother and easier to roll out, especially if you’d like to use it for a crostata. If you’re an impatient baker like me, roll the dough into small logs, slice them in to 1 inch thick discs, make a depression with you thumb, and add an espresso spoon full of fig jam. It also cooks quickly — about 15 to 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Pasta Frolla Ingredients

 2 cups of all-purpose flour  1/2 cup sugar  1 teaspoon baking powder  1/4 teaspoon salt  1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes  1 large egg  1 large egg yolk  1.5 teaspoon lemon zest

58 Method

 Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Add the butter cubes and use a fork to start combining everything. Make well in the center and add the eggs. Use the fork to continue combining everything into a ragged dough. When everything is well combined, but there are still pea sized chunks of butter, pour out onto a floured board and use your hands to form a ball of dough. Don’t overwork it as the heat from your hands will make the butter too soft.  Wrap the dough tightly in plastic, the refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

59 RECIPE 26

RICE AND PEA SOUP Risi e bisi is a classic soup from the Veneto region of Italy. While I look to Southern Italy for the best vegetable preparations, Northern Italy really knows how to soup. While we tend to think of sunshine and gelato when we think of Italy, Veneto is damp and foggy for much of the year and this soup was designed to hit the spot.

Ingredients Serves 6

 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1/4 pound of pancetta, cut into 1/2 inch cubes  1 cup of leeks, sliced very thin  1 tablespoon kosher salt  1 pound of frozen peas  2 cup of carnaroli rice  Freshly ground black pepper

Method

 In a large soup pan, add the olive oil, leeks and heat over a low flame. When the leeks wilt and start to brown, add the pancetta

60 cubes and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5-8 minutes or until the pancetta starts to crisp.  Add 2.5 quarts of warm water to the pot, then raise the flame to medium high, cover the pot, and let come to a rapid boil.  Lower the heat to medium, add the frozen peas and cook for 20 minutes, uncovered. Then add the rice and the salt, and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender but not mushy.  Serve hot with a lot of freshly ground black pepper and a dusting of parmigiano reggiano if you like.

61 RECIPE 27 MAFALDE WITH SHRIMP, BREADCRUMBS & BUTTER This pasta draws inspiration from seafood oreganata, one of my favorite dishes at Mario’s on Arthur Avenue. It’s either a stuffing or crunchy topping composed of breadcrumbs, oregano, butter and olive oil. This recipe includes shrimp, but if you don’t eat seafood, the dish is still delicious with just the oreganata and a sprinkle of grated pecorino cheese. I chose mafalde for this recipe —a flat noodle with ruffled edges. Feel free to use fettuccine, pappardelle or even broken lasagna noodles.

Mafalde With Shrimp, Breadcrumbs & Butter Serves 4 Ingredients  8 oz mafalde pasta or other flat pasta  1 pound jumbo shrimp, cleaned and chopped into small pieces  4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil  1/2 stick of unsalted butter  1/2 tablespoon kosher salt  1 cup breadcrumbs plus a little extra for finishing the dish  1 tablespoon dried oregano

62  Splash of sweet vermouth  Prepare a large pot with 2 quarts of salted water to come to a boil. (Salty like the sea.)

Method

 In a saute pan, warm the olive oil and butter over a low flame until the butter is melted. Raise the flame to medium and add all the shrimp. Sprinkle in the oregano and 1/2 tablespoon of kosher salt, then stir to coat all the shrimp with the butter and oil. Cook until the shrimp turns pink, about 5 minutes.  When the pasta water is at a rapid boil, add the mafalde to cook until al dente, 8-12 minutes depending on the brand.  Pour the breadcrumbs into the pan with the shrimp and stir everything together. The breadcrumbs will absorb all the juices and begin to brown and get crispy. Turn the flame down to low if the breadcrumbs begin to burn. When the breadcrumbs start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add the vermouth to deglaze, making sure to scrape any brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon.  When the pasta is fully cooked, use tongs to transfer it directly to the sauté pan with the shrimp. The starchy pasta water left on the pasta will help bring all the flavors together. Mix everything together until every strand of mafalde is well coated.  Plate your pasta and top it with an additional sprinkle of breadcrumbs and plenty of cracked black pepper. You may also like to add red pepper flakes.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This delicious shrimp pasta dish pairs ideally with one of my favorite white wines: Caruso e Minini Cataratto $20 Clean, racy, refreshing and minerally. Also organic!

63 RECIPE 28

PORCHETTA This recipe is for a cheater’s porchetta. The real thing is an artistic endeavor that is ideally left to the professionals. True Roman porchetta is a pork roast wrapped in a pork loin, encased by the skin, stuffed with fragrant herbs and then spit roasted over a low open flamefor 8 hours. You can order one from the Calabria Pork Store on Arthur Avenue, direct from a Pennslyvania farm that specializes in them. That’s not what we’re making today. Recreate the flavors of a real Roman porchetta with an herb mixture stuffed into a very ordinary pork roast that you cook in the oven. Here’s how:

Porchetta Serves 4 Ingredients

 7- to 8 lb bone- in, skin-on pork shoulder roast, or a 6- to 7-pound boneless roast, tied with twine in 2 inch increments. (You can ask your butcher to do this.)  1/2 cup fresh rosemary, chopped plus 4-6 whole rosemary sprigs to place on top when roasting

64  1/2 cup fresh thyme, chopped  4 teaspoons fresh sage leaves, chopped  8 garlic cloves, grated or mashed to a paste  2 tablespoons kosher salt  2 teaspoons fennel seed  1 teaspoon black pepper  1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method

 With a mortar and pestle (or a food processor) combine all the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil as you mash everything together until it forms a paste.  Using a very sharp knife, cut 4 incisions deep into the center of the pork roast on each side. (8 total.) Use a butter knife to then stuff the herb mixture into each incision. Use the last bit of the mixture to rub over the top of your pork roast. Wrap it tightly in plastic or foil, then place it in the refrigerator overnight.  Let the pork come to room temperature for at least 1 hour before you’re ready to cook it. Place the rosemary sprigs on top of the roast for extra fragrance. (It will make your house smell cozy.)  Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place the pork in a shallow roasting pan and roast for 35 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and cook for 3- 4 hours. (Pork shoulders with the bone will take longer than boneless ones.) Use a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece and remove the roast when it reads 180 degrees.

Christian’s Wine Notes

This most classic of Roman meat dishes calls for a serious wine. As such, Angelo Gaja’s Ca’ Marcanda Promis $56 is my aspirational pairing here. The quintessential glamorous yet still affordable Super Tuscan is just what the doctor ordered: 55% Merlot 35% Syrah, and 10% Sangiovese to balance the richness of the meat.

65 RECIPE 29

TUSCAN POTATOES I wonder if the extraordinary volume of tourism that consumed Florence, Venice and Rome will return as the world begins to try and re-open. The infrastructure of cheap airlines and apartment rentals that brought many thousands of people a day to these cities hasn’t been dismantled, so everything could easily resume, but our safety in crowds and our tolerance for them remains a giant question mark. My hope is that in the meantime, or for the long term, these extraordinary cities have a chance to regenerate themselves for the people that live there. Case in point: Florence, 2001-02, when everything would close on Sunday’s except for the rosticceria — a rotisserie, that was open for just a few hours between 11 and 2 or 3pm, where Florentines would line up for a roast chicken, a side of white beans soaking in the best olive oil you could ever imagine, and these perfect potatoes.

Tuscan Potatoes Ingredients

 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and 1-inch-diced  8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with the back of your knife  4 branches fresh rosemary  4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

66  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  Course sea salt

Method

 Preheat the oven to 425 degrees  Place the potatoes in a large bowl, add the garlic, rosemary, lemon, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and toss until everything is coated with oil. Spread out in one layer on a cookie sheet.  Roast for 40 minutes, turning the potatoes with a spatula or tongs after 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are browned and crisp on the outside and tender inside. Remove the rosemary branches, sprinkle with course sea salt and serve hot.

67 RECIPE 30

SBRICIOLATA Ingredients

For the crust  2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour  3/4 cup sugar  1 teaspoon baking powder  1 teaspoon salt  1 tablespoon cold butter  1 stick unsalted butter, melted  1 large egg, beaten  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the filling  2.5 cups whole-milk ricotta  ¾ cup sugar  ½ cup chopped dark chocolate

Method

 Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Use the cold butter to grease the bottom and sides of a round 9-inch springform cake pan.

68  In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the mixture then add the melted butter. Whisk everything together, then add the egg and vanilla and continue whisking until you have a bowl of big and small crumbs.  In a separate bowl, mix together the ricotta and sugar. Gently add the chocolate pieces and use a fork to combine everything.  Add three-quarters of the crumb mixture to the bottom of your spring form pan. Use your fingers to gently press it down so that the crust is even, but not too tight. Use a spoon to place the ricotta filling as the second layer, smoothing it out so that it’s even. Finally, add the remaining crumb mixture to completely cover the top.  Bake for about 50 minutes or until the crumb topping is golden brown and crunchy. Don’t remove the cake from the springform until it is completely cool or else it will fall apart. Finish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

Christian’s Wine Notes

I saved the best for last. When my wife makes the Italian version of chocolate crumb cake when I’m on a Keto diet, I have an excuse for an epic cheat meal, so naturally, I’m breaking out the big guns. I first tasted Ben Rye (or “divine wind” in Sicilian) when I worked at Del Posto. It’s like the Italian version of Sauternes. Ben Rye is a passito (or late harvest dessert wine) that is so good it will haunt your dreams.

69 BONUS 1

SPAGHETTI POMODORO I really want you to never buy jarred sauce again. It’s a $10 jar of pureed tomatoes (which cost $3 or $4 dollars on their own) and then a lot of powdered spices and preservatives. With good acidic tomatoes and high quality pasta made to absorb the sauce, you’ll never buy the jarred sauce again.

Spaghetti Pomodoro Serves 4 Ingredients

 1.5 tablespoons salt  4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  1 package high quality spaghetti  2 cans of cherry tomatoes  1/2 tablespoon oregano  4 tablespoons grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

70 Method

 Fill a large pot with 4 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon of salt. Cover and put over a medium flame to bring to a rapid boil, then add the spaghetti.  In a large saute pan, add the olive oil, half a tablespoon of salt, then place pan over a medium flame. Carefully empty both cans of tomatoes and their juices into the pan, With a clean water glass, crush about half of the tomatoes. Activate the oregano’s aroma buy rubbing it between your fingers, then sprinkle it into the tomatoes, stir everything together, then turn the flame to medium low and let cook undisturbed for 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, taste the pasta to see if it’s done. When the pasta is cooked through, but still a a little hard (cooked to about 75% done), remove from the pot with tongs and place in the saute pan with the tomatoes. Stir to coat all the spaghetti strands with the sauce. Add half a ladle full of the starchy pasta water, stir and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes or until the water has cooked off.  Turn off the flame and use tongs to plate your spaghetti. Top with the grated parmigiano reggiano.  RECOMMENDED WINE PAIRING: NATIV AGLIANICO IRPINIA DOC 2013 $19.99

71 BONUS 2

SUNDAY RAGÙ That Sunday special that Italian-Americans call either sauce or gravy is properly called ragú. Every nonna in Naples has her own recipe which are all variations on essentially the same thing: slow simmered meat smothered smothered in pureed tomatoes. An authentic ragù is time consuming because it must cook slowly over a whisper of a flame, but the recipe is very easy. Here is everything you need for a Sunday ragù as good as anything you would be served in Naples.

Sunday Ragù Ingredients

 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil  4 garlic cloves  1 medium bone-in pork shoulder with fat  Two 28-oz. cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with you hands  1 tube of tomato paste  1 tablespoon Turkish oregano or wild Calabrian oregano (Most oregano in American grocery stores is Mexican and lacks the flavor of Mediterranean oregano.)

72 Method

 Cover the bottom of a large pot or dutch oven with a quarter of an inch of the olive oil. Peel the garlic and smash it with the side of your knife. Add to the oil and place the pot over a very low flame. Use a wooden spoon to move the garlic through the oil to season it as it becomes soft and translucent (about five minutes) and then remove and discard.  Raise the flame to medium and add your pork shoulder. Let it brown, about 3-4 minutes on each side.  Add the crushed tomatoes right over the pork shoulder and stir with a wooden spoon to combine the tomatoes with the oil and fat from the pork. Stir slowly and add the oregano. Once warm add the entire tube of tomato paste and stir to combine once again.  Cover the pot and turn the flame down to the lowest possible whisper. Let it cook for 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally.  Return to the pot and use a spoon to remove the ribbons of fat oil that have risen to the top. Stir once again letting the chunks of meat fall into the sauce. Serve over pasta or with a “scarpetta”, a hunk of bread nicknamed “little shoe” in Italian.

73