What can I make for lunch?

You know when you're moving out of a place and you don't want to buy more groceries, but you have a bizarre assortment of food items? What on earth can you make for yourself?!

This afternoon, I found myself wondering exactly that. The grocery here in Italy closes at 1 on Sundays and I'm on a mission to use up what I have. I'm notorious for buying new things and ye olde Italian rule of not working on Sundays made me get creative.
In looking through my cabinets I found I had potatoes, frozen peas, pasta, eggs, cans of tuna, a smidge of milk, butter, garlic, some kind of spreadable cheese, parmesan (a block that seems to be endless) and a box of sugary hazelnut filled crunchy cereal (nom). I stared at everything in hopes something would magically make itself, but alas. I had to do a little work. I decided to choose just a few of those ingredients and what I came up with was quite fantastic.


Instructions for quick, lunchtime happiness:
Cook pasta, whatever kind you have.

In a small pot, cook the peas as per the instructions.

In a small pan, melt butter and add garlic. Add the smidge of milk. Add the spreadable cheese. It will take a little time for this to melt, but it helps to thicken the sauce. You can leave this out if you're using cream or more milk or just don't have it. I only had 3 TBSP of milk left. I needed to add a little something more. While this is heating, grate parmesan and hope to whittle away at the massive block of cheese that seems to grow when you aren't looking.

When the peas are cooked, drain them and add to the sauce, as many as you'd like. If you had a bit of ham or bacon, that would be utterly delicious in this recipe. Once the pasta is done, drain and put the peas and sauce on top. Top with parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Quick, easy, high in dairy fat, will clog your arteries probably. But hey. At least you had lunch, right?

Pour me a glass

In the past two weeks, much has changed in my life. Still in Italy, the news grapevine is a long one. Being so far away from my daily grind alienates me from what's happening at home, but not always for the worst. I've learned my mother's godmother has recently passed, my brother is today a freer man, and I have been freed from my binds as well. I am beginning to pluck the grapes off the vine to make celebratory wine for all the good things in life. I have been surrounded by intelligent, interesting people this summer and have expanded my mind. I know I have more to achieve and have every tool to do so.

With all that, I must say nothing beats a homemade meal in an Italian piazza with friends, strangers, men in tights with drums, fire and scrolls. Here in Amelia, the locals embrace their history with proud hands and buckets of wine. What place on earth do you know of where teenage boys willingly wear tights and dress up in medieval garb to march around town playing drums and throwing flags? Amelia. That's where. We're gearing up for the Palio di Colombi (Race of the Doves) and it's been a medieval party for the past two weeks. On Sunday, the whole town will go watch the five contradas (neighborhoods) race their horses, joust, and the first crossbowman to hit a target and release the doves wins the Palio for his contrada. I get fitted for my costume tonight.

Sitting in that piazza, surrounded by four generations of these families and my classmates and teachers reminded me how small a world it is. We all, regardless of age or language, love good food, good company, and plenty of wine.

I'm not sure exactly what we ate, but you don't question such things when an Italian woman with a face that could tell you the stories of the world puts a plate in front of you. You say grazie and dig in. In between bites, be grateful for the sound of laughter, the cheers and chants of the young men of the neighborhood, and the seconds and thirds that are put on your plate from over your shoulder as you say something to your friends.

I was sitting at a table with a well known lawyer from NY who had previously given a lecture on restitution and we all just chatted. It was like dinner after an Open Studio in my previous life, but better. We shared stories and poked good humored fun at each other until the sensible people decided it was time to go home. The rest of us drank more wine and stayed up longer, are now very sleepy, but we were trying to hold on to those moments that were quickly floating off on clouds of cigarette smoke.

The moral of this story is enjoy the little things. The little things appear everywhere. Treasure these as these memories will always come back to you when you hear a song or smell home cooked food or catch a whiff of an oh-so-familiar perfume. They'll reappear when you least expect it and it's always better to remember with a smirk than a snarl.

Amelia and Simplicity

I am sitting on my terrace in Amelia, Italy, looking at grassy hills, olive trees, and in the distance, the old Roman town surrounded by a old stone wall complete with those little hole from which to shoot arrows. (My ancient architecture brain is failing me). I feel like I'm in summer camp with all the new things to explore, but an adult summer camp full of scents, sounds and tastes that only an adventurous creature would want to experience.

So far I've walked miles, found myself amongst buildings from 1134 (which I'll note is mildly inaccurate) navigated a grocery store, and sat at a corner cafe for hours. Not bad. What I've discovered are the simple things. Sitting with a coffee, talking. The smell of rain. The sweet taste of a simple slice of bread and butter. A beautiful red tomato. Fresh garlic with the stems still attached, opening a fresh container of mozzarella and having it feel just like it did when I made it from scratch. In a place where sensory overload is entirely possible, it's the simple things that are prized.

Since I started this entry, I've found myself in the garden of a palazzo owned by the same family for nearly 500 years. I sat with my classmates and some staff at a pizzeria over, I think, 10 litres of wine. The pizza I ate...I don't think there are words. It was topped with sausage, spicy pepperoni, bell peppers and mozzarella. Mama, the owner, will take good care of us while we're here, I've been told. If she lets me sit, laugh, eat and drink for hours like we did, I'm sure we'll all be just fine.

Today, I'm sitting in Porto Vino, having a glass of wine and a bit of salsicce secche. I've never had such delicious sausage, salami, and ham as I have here. I mean, it's hard to go wrong with a pig. They're mighty tasty. But this...un-effing believable. Truly. I think I need a new vocabulary. I don't own the words that could possibly describe the festival of flavors in my mouth. The casing has aged and dried to a chewy perfection. The meat is spiced with earthy pepper, leaving a sophisticated zip on your tongue. The little bits of fat melt in your mouth like butter and it coats your tongue with a duvet of little pig shaped clouds. And the olive oil on my bread. Fruit and earth and sweet and chewy and...and...and...I don't think I could ever need anything other than what's on my plate right at this moment. If I walked into the teeny, narrow Medieval street right now and was run over by a crazy driver in a Fiat taking that hairpin turn way too quickly, it would be okay.

I'm at the point of my siesta snack where I have just three bites left of my salsicce and a bit of bread and maybe a few sips of wine and I'm starting at it. I know when I take the next bite, it will be one fewer bite to my name. The next sip will be closer to an empty glass. This is all very sad. Until the next meal or snack and the next post...

Ice Cream Delirium

Part of my ice cream adventures have been to master one that doesn't crystallize before you can have your next bite. As a result, I have discovered the secret to the most velvety and seductive ice cream. Ever. This base has a mouth feel that you can only experience for yourself. I'll do my best to explain (without shorting out the keyboard from drooling). Your experience may be quite different. And I'm not responsible for resulting food coma and/or egg and cream shortage in your pantry. I made a batch for a birthday party and promptly ate it. All of it. I had to make another batch.

Let's discuss ice cream. Specifically, Earl Grey ice cream. I wanted to try something different, something mild, sophisticated, simple yet complex, and bottom line: delicious. I succeeded. This ice cream is a cross between a cup of tea and a spoonful of clouds and hugs. It's thick and creamy, light and delicate. If satin could be a taste, I think this might be it. While I have a soft spot (mainly my thighs) for chunky, crunchy-topping filled ice cream slathered in hot fudge and butterscotch, there's something so deliriously satisfying about a dish of this. It's unobtrusive, sleek and if ice cream could be, polite.

You can control the strength of the Earl Grey flavor based on how long you steep and how much tea you use. I haven't tried yet, but I'm sure this would also work well for all other kinds of tea. Chai and Jasmine come to mind...

The base, sans the tea, can be used for anything. Add a vanilla bean, add cocoa powder, add any kind of flavoring. You may need to experiment a bit as liquids obviously add more volume and may damper the custard making. But it's a flexible base and so good. You could also just make the base and top it with anything your ice cream loving heart desires. There's nothing wrong with that!

Earl Grey Tea Ice Cream
makes about 1 quart

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbs. dry non-fat milk (this is the oh-so-secret trick to smooth and dreamy ice cream!)
3/4 cup sugar
5-6 tea bags (or fewer, or more, whatever you'd like)
5 egg yolks (bring them to room temperature. It works better this way)

Warm the milk, cream, dry milk and sugar in a saucepan. Remove from heat, place tea bags in the pan, cover and steep at room temperature for an hour. Remove tea bags. Do your best to keep your spoon out of this. I mean, what could possibly be wrong with cream and sugar infused with the glorious, ethereal Earl Grey tea?

Set up an ice bath - large bowl filled with ice, medium bowl that fits nicely on top of the ice. This is to chill the mixture before putting it in the machine. May seem unnecessary, but it really helps. You ever notice that the ice cream takes forever to churn, the stuff on the sides of the maker turns into ice cubes, and it never really sets right? Yeah. Use an ice bath.

Rewarm tea-infused milk. Whisk egg yolks together in a separate bowl. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the bowl with egg yolks, whisking constantly. This is called tempering. If you have your whisk going with one hand and pour veeeeerrrrryyyyy slowly with the other, you won't end up with scrambled eggs. Everyone cautions cooks about scrambled eggs in their custards - don't be scared, don't think you can't do it, just be mindful of what you're doing.

Return the milk and egg mixture to the saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring and scrapping the bottom of the pan constantly until the mixture thickens to a custard and coats the spatula.

Cool the mixture over the ice bath and freeze in your ice cream maker. Serve with a big spoon, in a big bowl and I went the extra step to serve with shortbread cookies. Mm. I made my own, recipe will be soon to follow, but you can buy them. I won't judge.

Tips, Tricks, etc.

- Use the dry milk! Seriously! You can make this without it, but honestly, why screw with a good thing? It keeps well in your pantry, use it in all your ice cream endeavors, use it in sticky buns. There's no excuse.

- Be patient with the custard, but keep a close eye on it. Also do your best not to just eat it straight out of the bowl. I'm contemplating a pastry with this as it's cream...

- If you do this on a whim and your eggs are in the fridge, pull them out and set into a bowl of warm water. There is less chance of tempering going wrong with room temp. eggs.

- If you're going to add crunchy bits (cookie bits, nuts, whatever) to this ice cream or any other you make, wait until the very last moment to add them. Also, don't chop too finely. The churning blade with crush up everything a bit more and you don't want to end up with a deliriously good ice cream with cookie mush.

Fleur de what?

Complex flavor personalities excite me. While nothing is quite as delicious as the simple sweetness of a New Jersey beefsteak tomato or the earthy, primal flavor of a proper steak, a flavor you need to dig through and think about is just plain exciting. It's amazing how different flavors interact and balance each other, heighten the sensation of flavors or mellow each other. If you want an extra chocolatey chocolate for fudge or truffles, add a smidge of put-hair-on-your-chest coffee. If you want to enliven something sinfully sweet, sprinkle a little salt into it. Ever notice salt in cookie recipes? There's a method to the madness.

The chemistry and science of cooking also excites me, which is probably why I love rich, decadent caramels. Watching sugar dissolve into water, thickening, bubbling, then browning. Amazing! I won't get into the depths of science for this explanation, you can look it up if you're curious as to why all that happens. All I have to say is pay attention to what you're doing. Not just so it doesn't burn and set your kitchen on fire, although that is important, but really pay attention to the stages of cooking. You'll be better for it in the end - you'll have a better relationship with and understanding of the food you make. Cooking is not just measuring out the right ingredients, it's a tactile interaction that becomes more successful when you really get into it. Most of the recipes I've learned from the family were all measured out by the feel and texture of the ingredients together. This familiarity allows you to problem solve in the kitchen - my cream sauce is too thin, I'll whisk in a quickie rue! Or, this is way too sticky, I'll add some more flour! Being able to pinpoint a problem and quickly solve it saves you heaps of time and stress. Cooking is fun! Don't let your food beat you into submission.

Making caramel is part mad scientist, part confectioner and part culinary master. In theory it's very easy with simple ingredients, but you must have patience and must be able to react quickly. It's a finicky treat that must be loved and seduced so it gives you exactly what you were looking for. I've made three batches and the first two ended up toffee. Delicious. Tough. Frustratingly tasty. At least I could get a little frustration out when breaking the toffee with a hammer! What I've learned is there are guidelines for high altitude candy making. Of course there is, but I just didn't think about it. My toffee escapades, jaw fatigue, and resulting TMJ symptoms were a result of over cooking. Oops! For every 1,000 feet above sea level you are, reduce the final temperature by 2 degrees. (Therefore, for every 500 ft, reduce by 1 degree.) Also, have all your tools at hand and prep the pan before you start heating anything. Candy making is all in the timing and you'll need to work quickly.

With all that said...Fleur de Sel caramels. I know you've seen them in fancy pants stores and probably think you couldn't possibly make them yourself. But you can!

Fleur de what? Fleur de Sel. It's a sea salt from France. It sounds a little pretentious, I know. French sea salt? Why the heck would I need sea salt, let alone French sea salt? Have yourself a little taste test. Your standard iodized table salt will taste like salty chemical death compared to sea salt varieties. I use sea salt for everything now, fine grained for my S & P shakers, coarse for cooking. Trust me.

Fleur de Sel translates to salt flower and it's harvested by hand off the very tippy top of salt pools. It's kinda gray in color, very delicate and almost flakey, moister than other salts, and can be pricey. It dissolves quickly, so it's not to be used as other salts for seasoning while cooking, it's more of a garnish. Since so little is used at a time, it makes up for the sticker shock. Invest! Research good prices! And Dean & Deluca is having a sale on their salts. Also check out Salt Traders. Even if you just use it for these caramels, it's so worth it. You will look like the culinary rock star you always believed you were.

(Due to some bizarre technical difficulties, the recipe follows in another post)

Fleur de what recipe

Fleur de Sel Caramels:
Special tools needed are a candy thermometer (digital or plain old) and parchment paper

1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon fleur de sel
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. I find it easiest to cross two rectangular pieces of parchment over each other rather than trying to fit a big square into a pan. Think of the pan as the four directions - one piece north to south, the other east to west. Then lightly oil parchment. Non stick spray will work as long as it's not the butter flavor and you spray lightly.

Bring cream, butter, and fleur de sel to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside.

Heat sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel. Be patient, this might take a little while. But keep a close eye on it. If it burns, you'll have to toss it and start again.

Carefully pour in cream mixture while stirring the sugar (mixture will bubble up violently. Stand back a bit!) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248°F (if you're at sea level) on thermometer, 10 to 15 minutes. If you're higher up in elevation, reduce the final temperature by 2 degrees for every 1,000 ft above sea level. Pour into baking pan and cool 2 hours. You may sprinkle a bit more salt over the top and press into the caramel gently. Cut into 1-inch pieces, then wrap each piece in a 4-inch square of wax paper, twisting 2 ends to close. Or you can get candy wrappers from a craft store or specialty foods store and make it pretty.

These make wonderful Valentine's gifts, Birthday gifts, Christmas gifts...or you could just eat them all yourself. I won't judge.

Memory, seduction, figs and sausages

The sense of taste is apparently the second strongest sense, right behind smell. For me, taste is stronger than any other sense. I bite into something and immediately remember. The taste transports me to a place, time, being with a person, anything and it is so vivid it's like I've just stepped out of a time machine. Until now, I've only experienced this with food that other people have made prior to my attempts, like Grandma. When I recreate one of her recipes, and I succeed, I feel like I'm standing in the kitchen with her, watching her and learning.

I sat down to a birthday celebration dinner this past weekend. We laughed, we shared memories, we had a great time. But part of our hors d'oeurves was a left-over from a previous meal Lauryn made. I had made this same dish once before. The part she served was a fig sauce made with cloves, red wine vinegar and a bit of lemon amongst other ingredients. This is to be served with sausage and over rice. I bit into a fig and just stopped dead, remembering the night I served this. There's a reason dates revolve around food. It's a shared joy and pleasure that is both vital and seductive.

But these figs. Goodness. It was like an absolute emotional maelstrom whizzed through me while i was trying to decipher the textures and flavors. The plump, chewy figs with the ever so delicate crunch of the seeds followed by a zing of acidity from the red wine vinegar, then the warm spice from cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon. This is such a complex flavor personality that it makes you stop and think about it. The sweet, the savory, the tart, the seductive flavors. There's no wolfing down of this dish. It's meant to be savored and studied. It's the type of sensual explosion that requires giving yourself over to every single sensation. Truly an amazing dish and worth every minute of prep time. Since you take the time to savor each bite, you pay a different kind of attention to your surroundings. As a result, when these same sensations are triggered, it all comes flooding back.

You know those movie montages that are snap shots like seeing life flash before your eyes? I had that.

The recipe comes from "Intercourses," by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge, which is a cookbook filled with a delicious how-to instructional of seduction via food. But keep in mind, the sauce must be made a day ahead. Prepare accordingly. And remember, this isn't to inconvenience you. It's to get your imagination going. Anticipation is one of the greatest factors of food and romance.

For the fig sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 stick cinnamon
2 cloves
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 slice lemon
1 pound fresh or canned figs, drained

For the fig sauce, combine the sugar, vinegar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and lemon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the figs. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the syrup has reduced and thickened slightly. Cool the syrup overnight in the fridge.

For the sausages:
3/4 pound spicy Italian sausage links
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

For the sausages, set a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the oil. Add the sausages to the hot oil to brown. (I found it more efficient to slice the sausage into medallions or at least smaller pieces to cook) Pour in the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. (Cripsy bits!) Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook until the sausages are cooked through and the wine has evaporated. (If the sausages are starting to burn, add 1/2 to 1 cup of water and cook until all the water has evaporated.) Add the figs and their syrup to warm through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the sausages with the whole figs and spoon with the fig syrup.

Try it. The anticipation of making this, the anticipation of the reaction of the person you're feeding it to...just try it. You won't be disappointed. Perfect for Valentine's Day? I think so, yes.