| Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 036 - November 5, 2001. Forum, Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information are at the end of this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Day and welcome to a new week of exciting recipes. This week we will sample some of the many recipes from Sharon Sanders new book on Italian Cuisine. To find out more about Sharon, visit her website: http://www.simpleitaly.com Without further babbling on my part, here is day one. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Cooking Up an Italian Life: Simple Pleasures of Italy in Recipes and Stories By Sharon Sanders, CCP "Eat Italian, Be Happy" Few things make me as happy as Italian food. It stimulates and satisfies my senses. Italian food brings grace notes to my life, so I try to play that tune every day. I'm motivated by the gustatory results, of course, but I also cook for other reasons: the pleasures of working with my hands and of connecting with something genuine to name just two. In this week of flavorful, Italy-style meals, I've tried to capture the simple pleasure that cooking and sharing meals brings to me. Items for a basic pantry follow. If these few staples are stocked on the shelves, the shopping lists for each meal are amazingly short! Many of these meals are contained in a single dish. Other meals include recipes or instructions for a salad, vegetable, fruit, or other accompaniment. Some side dishes require no cooking at all, in keeping with the Italian emphasis on choosing fine ingredients and not messing with them. Plus, simple meals mean less clean up - often only one pan. So, take some time to smell the pasta. Cook Up an Italian Life for yourself this week. Pantry Items for Cooking Up an Italian Life Week garlic extra-virgin olive oil plain dry breadcrumbs granulated sugar confectioners' sugar flour salt and pepper red or white wine vinegar Mostaccioli in Fiery Tomato Sauce Sweet and Sharp Carrots Serves 4 to 6 Inspired by pasta all'arrabbiata-"angry pasta"-this dish takes its fire from dried red peppers. The amount of pepper in this recipe produces a pleasant glow. Mostaccioli: 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 4 ounces prosciutto, cut in slivers 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1 tablespoon salt 1 pound dried mostaccioli 2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese Carrots: 1 pound baby carrots 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons red or white vinegar To prepare the mostaccioli: Set a covered large pot of water over high heat. In a medium sauté pan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the prosciutto. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes, or until any fat is melted. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the tomatoes and red pepper to the pan. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until softened, crushing some of the tomato chunks with the back of a large spoon. When the water boils, add the salt and mostaccioli. Stir. Cover and return to the boil. Uncover and boil, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the mostaccioli and return to the pot. Add the reserved prosciutto. Toss. Add the tomato sauce and parsley. Toss, adding some of the reserved water to loosen the sauce, if needed. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan. To prepare the carrots: Place the carrots, oil, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Add about 2 tablespoons of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer about 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender and the water evaporates. If any water remains, uncover and cook about 2 minutes, or until the carrots are dry. Remove from the heat. Add the vinegar and toss. [Note] If you can find pancetta at your supermarket, by all means use it instead of prosciutto. Pancetta is pork belly-the same cut of meat as bacon-that has been salt-cured and sometimes seasoned with cloves and pepper. It will add a wonderful depth of flavor to this dish. Cook the pancetta slowly in the olive oil until all the fat melts into the pan. Shopping List 1 pound baby carrots Fresh flat-leaf parsley 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes 1 pound dried mostaccioli 4 ounces prosciutto 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Simply the best daily recipe Club on the Web! Free delicious recipes delivered daily via email. Encourage your family and friends to subscribe! http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm Discussion Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net Unsubscribe requests honored instantly http://chef2chef.net/news/subscribe.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |