Recipes
On this page, you’ll find some of my favorite recipes. Some are new, some old, some from cookbooks (and duly credited) some from friends and neighbors (also credited) and some from my own kitchen.
These are all from Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the Modern American Family, by Marialisa Calta (Perigee Books, June, 2005)
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SHRIMP CREOLE |
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4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
several dashes hot sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (de-veining is optional)
3 cups cooked rice (from 1 cup uncooked), for serving
Melt the butter in a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the celery, garlic, onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, reserving some of the juice. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (if using) and the marjoram. Adjust heat so the mixture simmers; cover and cook for 15 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about 5 minutes.
Serve hot, over rice.
Yield: 4 servings
A box of Mac and cheese requires you to cook the noodles in a pot, add the powdered cheese stuff, milk and butter (or margarine). This recipe requires you to cook the noodles in a pot, and add flour, cheese and milk. If you buy the cheese already shredded, this recipe takes almost exactly the same time to prepare as the boxed kind, but the flavor is way better. And if you use 1 percent milk and reduced fat cheese, it has one third the fat and twice the protein as the boxed kind, if you make the boxed kind with 1 percent milk. (The nutritional profile is even better if you compare it to the boxed kind made with whole-fat milk and margarine).
Freeze: up to 1 month
8 ounces (1/2 pound) elbow noodles or other small-shaped pasta
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup regular, reduced-fat or skim milk
2 cups shredded regular or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
Bring a large pot of salted water (page 000) to a boil over high heat, add the noodles, cover and bring back to a boil. Remove the cover and cook, boiling, according to package directions for “al dente” (”to the tooth”), that is, not raw-tasting but still firm. Drain well.
Return the noodles to the pot and sprinkle with the flour, stirring well to coat the noodles. Return the pot to the stove, and set the heat to low. Add the milk and stir until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted and creamy, 2 minutes or so.
Serve hot.
Yield: 4 servings
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BLACK BEAN SOUP |
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Vegetarian friendly (when made with vegetable broth)
Make ahead: Up to 1 day
Freeze: Up to 1 month
1 (16-ounce) jar salsa, medium, mild or hot according to your taste
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5-ounce) cans vegetable or chicken broth
1 (28-ounce can) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
2 cups frozen or canned corn kernels
1 or 2 canned (1 to 2 tablespoons) chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, optional (see note)
salt and pepper
For serving:
cider vinegar
any or all of the following: chopped scallions, chopped chili peppers, chopped onions, chopped fresh cilantro, low-fat or no-fat sour cream, shredded regular or reduced-fat Cheddar, Colby or Jack cheese, hot sauce
In a saucepan set over medium heat, combine all of the ingredients, reserving the juice from the tomatoes. Cover; reduce the heat so that the liquid simmers, and cook for about 15 minutes. If the soup seems too thick, add some of the reserved tomato juice.
Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into bowls, and pour a teaspoon of cider vinegar on each serving; this brings out the flavor. Serve with desired toppings.
For the carnivores: Add crisp, cooked bacon, smoked, cooked sausage such as andouille or kielbasa, or leftover cooked ham, cut into bite-sized chunks.
Serving suggestion: Serve with cornbread or warm flour or corn tortillas, heated according to package directions and lightly brushed with melted butter.
Note: Chipotle chilies in adobo sauce are very hot and savory smoked jalapenos, and may make this soup too spicy for some. They are available, canned, in the supermarket; check the Hispanic, international or “gourmet” aisle. Transfer the unused portion to a jar or other container; covered and refrigerated, it will keep for weeks.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Recipe from Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the Modern American Family, by Marialisa Calta (Perigee Books, June, 2005)
“MEXICAN” PIZZA
For the crust:
flour, for rolling dough
1 pound pizza dough, homemade or store-bought (see note)
corn meal
olive oil
For the toppings:
1/3 cup salsa, mild, medium or hot
1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotles in adobo sauce
1 to 2 cups canned black beans, drained, rinsed and drained again
1 to 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels, cooked and drained
1 (2.25 –ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
chopped scallions (optional)
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
1 to 2 cups grated regular or reduced-fat Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese, or “Taco” blend sold in bags in supermarket
Preheat the oven to 450° F.
Roll out the dough on a floured board to the thickness you desire. Don’t worry if it’s not a perfect circle.
Sprinkle cornmeal on a baking sheet or pizza stone, and place the uncooked crust on top. Brush with oil, then add the toppings in the order listed. Bake until the crust is brown and the cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Note: Most supermarkets carry pizza dough, simply packaged in a plastic bag.
Yield: about 6 generous slices
FLORENTINE SPECIALTIES
My daughter spent last year studying in
We tried, my daughter and I, to extract the recipe from the woman who runs the place. “It’s nothing!” she said. “Just beans.”
Me: “And olive oil?”
Her: “Of course, olive oil!”
My daughter: “And basil?”
Her: “Of course, basil!”
And so it went. But when I tried the dish back at home, I realized we must have forgotten to ask about some key ingredient. The beans were mushy and tasteless. I looked on-line. When I found www.divinacucina.com, I thought I had hit pay dirt.
Judy Witts Francini, a cooking-school operator in Florence and creator of the website, clearly loves Pork’s. From her, I learned that the woman who runs the place is Benita and that she works with her sons, Luigi and Filippo. From her, I learned Benita’s recipe for grilled eggplant. But no white beans. Back in my kitchen, I tried again, and this time I think I got it. My recipe for Beans in the Style of Pork’s is below. I also offer slow-roasted red peppers a la Pork’s (these are incredible!).
STEWED WHITE BEANS IN THE STYLE OF PORK’S,
1 pound (3 cups) dried white kidney (cannellini) beans
about 6 cups water
1 quart chicken broth, or more, as needed
1 small leek, trimmed, rinsed well and chopped (white and light green parts)
1/2 to 3/4 cup good-quality, extra-virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil, or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves, or 1 and 1/2 teaspoons dried
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, chopped, or 1 to 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 bunch fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Pick over the beans, discarding weird-looking ones. Rinse them several times to remove dirt. Put the beans in a pot and add enough cold water to cover them by about 2 inches. Cover, bring to a boil, boil 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for 1 to 24 hours. Drain and add enough chicken broth to just cover the beans by 1/4-inch or so. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce immediately to a simmer and simmer until the beans are quite tender, about 1 hour. Check occasionally; if the beans begin to look dry, add more chicken broth or water. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
Heat 1/2 cup of the oil and cook the leeks, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, oregano, thyme and sage and most of the chopped parsley, reserving a few spoonfuls for garnish. Cook about 5 minutes more. Add the drained beans and stir to mix gently. Cook until warmed through. If you want the beans a bit creamier, add more olive oil or some of the reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with the reserved parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, as part of an antipasti plate or as a side dish with roasted or grilled meat or poultry.
Yield: 6 to 8 side-dish servings
SLOW-ROASTED PEPPERS A LA PORK’S
at least 1 red bell pepper per person
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil per bell pepper
dried oregano, to taste
salt and pepper to taste
balsamic vinegar, to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Select a baking dish large enough to hold all the sliced peppers in a single layer, and line it with aluminum foil (makes cleanup easier). Lightly oil the foil.
Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, and remove the stems, seeds and any tough, whitish ribs inside. Slice into strips about 2 inches wide. Lay them in the prepared pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper. Bake until the peppers are very tender, and the edges are beginning to blacken, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove to a serving platter and drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, as part of an antipasti plate or as a side dish.
Yield: 1 serving per pepper
