White Fish with Lemon Vinaigrette
October 5, 2005 | Filed Under Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes, Lemon Vinaigrette, Seafood, Tilapia, Vinaigrettes/Salsas/Sauces | Leave a Comment
Last night, I made a fish dish from Giada’s show, Everyday Italian — Tilapia fish, covered with cannellini beans, mixed with radicchio and fish broth; lemon vinaigrette drizzeled over the talapia.
The vinaigrette consisted of fresh lemon juice, Italian parsley leaves, garlic, finely grated lemon zest, extra virgin oil, salt and pepper – just the right finishing touch.
The tilapia fish was tasty and flaky. The cannellini beans, soft and melted in my mouth.
Everything about this dish was perfect. Well almost.
The radicchio tasted bitter. Very bitter. Is that the way radicchio is supposed to taste or was it spoiled? Yuck!
I liked the dish and tried again. This time, I used a different kind of beans (I don’t remember which) since I didn’t have cannellini available. Unfortunately, I had the same problem with the radicchio. Again, it tasted bitter — so bitter that it was inedible. I will try the recipe again, but I will not use radicchio. It’s official. I do not like it radicchio.
Paz
White Fish with Lemon Vinaigrette
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 3 shallots, thinly sliced 1 large head radicchio (about 12 ounces), coarsely chopped 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed 1/3 cup fish broth Salt and freshly ground black pepper 6 (5 to 6-ounce) whitefish fillets, such as tilapia All-purpose flour, for dredging Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the radicchio and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 14-inch (or 2 smaller) nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely. Shake off the excess flour and fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Spoon the radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.
Lemon Vinaigrette: 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves 2 cloves garlic 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.
Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken)
September 16, 2005 | Filed Under Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes, Poultry | Leave a Comment
I felt like having some fried chicken (pollo frito), something I haven’t had in a long time. Giada De Laurentiis on the Food Network channel has a nice recipe, which I tried for the second time.
The first time I prepared this recipe, I didn’t fry the chicken in the oil long enough. The outside was golden brown but the inside was still raw. I tried to ignore that fact and act as if everything was fine. My sister brought me back to reality very fast! She refused to eat the chicken. I was highly annoyed. She could have eaten it, after all the work I went through slaving over a hot stove with a pot of hot oil! Just joking. I don’t blame her.
I’m happy to say that today, my chicken came out perfectly! I had no problems putting the ingredients together and results came out very well – a light lemony-tasting fried chicken.
Paz Pollo Frito (Fried Chicken)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 to3 lemons, depending on size) 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 (3 1/2-pound) whole frying chicken, cut into 8 pieces 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 cups olive oil (approximate amount) 1 cup all-purpose flour (approximate amount) Lemon wedges, for garnish 6 sprigs fresh Italian parsley, for garnish
In a large casserole dish, whisk the lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and salt to blend. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day, turning the chicken pieces occasionally.
In a large cast iron frying pan or other heavy frying pan, add enough oil to come 1/3-inch up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil over medium heat. Meanwhile, drain the marinade from the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with pepper. Working in 2 batches, dredge the chicken in the flour to coat completely. Shake off the excess flour and then carefully add the chicken to the hot oil. Fry until the chicken is golden brown and just cooked through, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate to drain the excess oil.
Arrange the fried chicken on a warm platter and serve with the lemon wedges and parsley.
Pesche Ripiene al Forno
September 10, 2005 | Filed Under Desserts/Sweets, Fruits, Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes, Peaches | Leave a Comment
Recently Angelika of The flying Apple wrote a special post with me in mind. Thanks, Angelika! You certainly know how to make a gal feel special. 
In it, she featured the Italian dessert – Pesche ripiene al forno.
The main ingredients include ripe peaches, Amaretti cookies, almonds, mascarpone cheese, sugar, and egg yolks.
I decided to make the dessert and first went to purchase the main ingredients.
I had no problem finding the mascarpone cheese, because I’d used it for the first time for another recipe and now knew were to find it.
I went to one of the grocery stores in my neighborhood that usually sells good foods, fresh fruits and vegetables. Since I was making the dessert dedicated to me, I wanted the best and freshest ingredients.
I bought their peaches, which were large and good looking. There were more expensive than the peaches in the other neighborhood food stores, but I figured they’ be worth it. When I got home and took a bite from one of the peaches, it tasted awful – like cardboard and something else horrible. It turned out that they all tasted horrible and belonged in the garbage.
I later bought some peaches sold in the street. Unlike the first peaches, they were tastier and cheaper.
Peaches bought in the street — ripe, tastier, and cheaper
Next, I looked for the Amaretti biscuits. I went to my neighborhood store, Milano, an Italian foods specialty store. I remembered my sister buying the cookies from there before. Except, this time, I couldn’t find them and the staff didn’t know what they were. What a wierd episode. I looked throughout the store on my own and found a bag labeled “The Original Quadrantini Amaretto Italian Selection.†I snatched two bags and paid for it without really examining them. When I arrived home and opened the bag, I discovered that I’d bought the wrong kind of cookies – Almond cream-filled wafers. Oh, no!
Amaretto wafers – I bought the wrong kind of cookies
I eventually found the right kind of Amaretti cookies at Zabars. Yay! Now, I was getting somewhere! Time to start making my pesche ripiene al forno! The rest of the dessert preparation was event-free.
Amaretti cookies – the right kind! I greased my baking dish with butter, peeled my peaches, removed the pits, halved them, and put them in the dish. Then I made the Amaretti filling and put them in the peach centers.
Peaches with Amaretti cookies and almond filling I made the cream topping and folded the mascarpone into it, as the instructions called for. Unlike my first time, I understood what “fold,†meant. 
Peaches with filling and cream topping
I put the peaches in the preheated oven at 375ºF and 30 minutes later, I had my pesche ripiene al forno. Looking good – golden brown, bubbling warm cream! Thanks, Angelika. It was a fun and delicious cooking adventure.
Paz
The finished product from the oven – Pesche ripiene al forno
A Proper Roman Dish: Saltimbocca
August 25, 2005 | Filed Under Books, Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes, Lamb | 1 Comment
The character Bruno in The Food of Love describes the Saltimbocca meal as a proper Roman dish.
It’s basically veal, prosciutto, and fresh sage leaves dipped in flour, salt and pepper and fried. A sauce is made out of Marsala wine, butter, lemon, and the juices of the fried veal.
The recipe calls for pounding the veal with a rolling pin to thin it out. So, I went out and bought a rolling pin and you should have seen and heard me banging away on the piece of meat. Oh, the noise I made – my poor neighbors below! I’m surprised that no one pressed my doorbell to complain.
I’ve since found out that I could save myself the trouble (and noise) by simply buying veal scallopini, which are already thinly sliced veal and therefore causes no need to abuse the meat (or my kitchen counter).
It may be a proper Roman dish, but it is also a simple one to make.
Paz
Saltimbocca
For two, you need 4 slices of veal. Wrap them in waxed paper and beat them until very thin with a rolling pin. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of each one, then a couple of fresh sage leaves. Traditionally you should hold this together with a toothpick, but I find it’s easier to just fold the veal over and bang it all into place with the same rolling pin…. Dip them in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and maybe a few chile flakes. Then you just fry them for a minute or so on each side. Remove & keep warm. Pour a glass of white wine or marsala into the juices and reduce quickly. Add some butter and a squeeze of lemon before pouring over the meat.
Added notation: It’s really good if you take another half-dozen sage leaves and fry them in a little oil that’s VERY HOT until they go transparent. Take the leaves out of the pan and put them on some papertowels to soak up the excess oil. Sprinkle a little salt on them; they’ll be crispy, which is nicer than raw sage leaves, which are a bit leathery. Serve them as a side dish or garnish to the meat.
Coda alla Vaccinara (Oxtail soup)
August 23, 2005 | Filed Under Beef, Books, Italian Cuisine, Italian Recipes, Soups/Chowders/Gumbos | 3 Comments
A couple of successful recipes later, my family and friends who know that I’ve taken an interest in cooking start calling me “Chef Paz.” It’s all in jest but soon the moniker sticks. My family actually begs for my food…. Okay, okay… They don’t beg, but do ask me whether I’m going to cook. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?
“What’s for dinner?” I’d frequently hear. They’re a vocal group and will let me know if they like something or not. Lately, they seem to be happy with the dinners I prepare and I don’t hear any complaints from them. Good. Very good.
So, my cooking adventures continue as I jump at the chance to try another one of the recipes from The Food of Love: Coda alla Vaccinara – oxtail soup.
I LOVE oxtails. Always have. I’m not sure why. Sometimes I wonder if it’s a taste that I developed from the time that I was in my mother’s womb. Really!
I remember a story that my mother mentioned a long time ago. It’s about one of her eating habits when she was pregnant with me in her third trimester:
Just before my mother’s due date, a woman gave birth to quintuplets. To help with the financial burden of an instantaneous large family, people and companies donated gifts ranging from a long-term supply of diapers, to baby food, and clothing. The Government also arranged free spacious housing for the quintuplet family.
In an interview, the press asked the new mother what she had eaten during her pregnancy. She told them that she’d eaten a lot of oxtails because it was the cheapest meat in the supermarket and that was all she and her husband could afford.
The next day, oxtails were sold out in the meat section. My mother was one of those people who ran to the supermarket for the oxtails. Hoping for quintuplets, she ate it for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Poor lady, she got me instead – one child with the energy of five. However, four more children eventually followed after me. So, she did end up having the five children she wanted; it just didn’t happen at once.
I’m unsure if my mom’s story is the reason for my love of oxtails but it certainly comes to mind.
This oxtail recipe is good at anytime. Contrary to what the instructions call for, I now leave out the nutmeg, cinnamon, bitter cocoa powder, and raisins. The first time I made the soup, I included them but didn’t care for the sweet taste that it gave the soup. I had to add water to the soup to dilute the taste.
I didn’t bother looking for ox or pork cheek, for which the recipe calls. One day I will. I think it’ll be an adventure looking for it, as I wonder if they are readily available at the butcher’s. At the moment, I’m a bit intimidated to go asking for them.
I did use bacon instead, and I added chopped celery. I like the crunch that the celery adds to the soup. This oxtail soup makes a satisfying meal. Here are the instructions.
Paz
Coda alla Vacinara (Oxtail soup)
You’ll need an oxtail, about 3-4 pounds, washed and chopped across the joints. Boil for ten minutes and remove any scum. Add 1 carrot, 1 leek, 1 celery stalk, and some parsley or thyme. Simmer for about 3 hours. If you can get ox or pork cheek, put that in, too. Keep the liquid.
Next, in a different saucepan, heat some lard or oil and gently fry a chopped onion, chopped carrot, the pork cheek, also chopped (or some bacon if you couldn’t get pork cheek), an a chopped garlic clove. Add some chopped parsley and the oxtail. Pour in half a bottle of dry white wine and allow some to evaporate. Then add half a dozen chopped tomatoes (i.e., about a tin an a half) and a big spoon of tomato paste. Nutmeg and cinnamon could also make an appearance. Simmer for 2 hours, adding a little of the stock from the other pan whenever it gets dry.
You could also add some boiled, sliced celery hearts, raisins, pinenuts, and even some bitter cocoa powder. If so, add at the end and cook for 10 minutes extra.
