| Note: A glitch today may cause this email to arrive twice. We apologize. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 040 - November 9, 2001. Forum, Subscribe & Unsubscribe Information are at the end of this message. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Good Morning Recipe Club. It's Friday and wait until you see what author Sharon Sanders has cooked up for you! A full blown Tuscan Dinner, with multiple courses, wine selections, music and even a table plan! Your family or guests will talk about this meal forever! Our many thanks to Sharon for her contributions to our Recipe Club. If you like what you saw this week drop a note into our Recipe Club Forum or if you have an idea for an upcoming theme, let us know here: http://forums.chef2chef.net Contributor Bio - Sharon Sanders' writing and recipes have appeared in Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Washington Post, and other national publications. Sanders, a Certified Culinary Professional (CCP), is a former food reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. She lived and worked in Florence, Italy for several years, meeting and marrying her husband Walter Sanders there. She has traveled extensively throughout central and northern Italy. Visit her at http://www.simpleitaly.com and leave her a note if you enjoyed her recipes or order her cookbook right online. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tuscan Dinner Cannellini Bean Salad Antipasto Roast Pork with Rosemary and Garlic Stir-Sautéed Spinach Rustic Bread Frozen Chocolate Torte with Cappuccino Cream Wines Vernaccia di San Gimigiano (with the antipasto) Chianti Classico 1997 (with the pork roast) Music Choose from classic Luciano Pavarotti arias, evocative film soundtracks such as A Room with a View, Big Night, or Fellini's Amacord. Or just for fun, play some vintage Louie Prima tunes. The table White linen or simple place mats on a polished wooden table. Create a centerpiece with small sunflowers and lavender to evoke the Tuscan countryside. Light candles throughout the home to create an atmosphere that's removed from the everyday. Meal Service Most of these dishes are prepared in advance, or like the roast, require little hands-on attention. This allows the cook to dine Tuscan-style, which means serving each course separately, with plenty of stimulating conversation to whet the appetite for the next one. Cannellini Bean Salad Antipasto Serves 6 to 8 Other Italians tease Tuscans as mangiafagioli, "bean eaters," because they are so crazy for legumes. This hearty Tuscan-inspired antipasto is simple to put together from pantry staples and delicatessen ingredients. 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup roasted red bell pepper, cut into slivers 3 ribs celery heart, sliced 1/2 small red onion, chopped 1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano Lettuce leaves Peperoncini In a large bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, and salt. Add the beans, pepper, celery, onion, parsley, and oregano. Toss gently. Serve on lettuce leaves. Garnish with the peperoncini. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Roast Pork with Rosemary and Garlic Serves 6 to 8 In Tuscany, this roast is called arista. It is the home cook's more manageable version of suckling roast pig, a savory centerpiece for a summer outdoors gathering. Pork Roast: 3 1/2 to 4 pounds boneless pork roast Salt and ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary 1/2 cup hot water Spinach: 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 large clove garlic, minced 2 bags (10 ounces each) spinach, stems removed, leaves torn into pieces 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper Rustic Bread To prepare the pork: Preheat the oven to 375°F. On a work surface, open the roast with the boned side facing up. Cut a slit the length of the roast. Season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil. Spread about two-thirds of the garlic and rosemary evenly over the surface. Roll the pork and tie at intervals with kitchen string. With a thin knife, make about 8 slits in the outside of the roast. Insert some garlic and rosemary into each slit. Season the outside with salt and drizzle with olive oil. Place the roast on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Roast for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until an instant-reading thermometer registers 155°F when inserted into the center. Remove from the oven and allow the roast to sit for at least 10 minutes, or until temperature rises to 160°F. Pour off any fat in the roasting pan. Add the hot water to the pan. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned particles. Pour into a glass measuring cup. Microwave for 1 minute. Season with salt to taste. To prepare the spinach: Place the oil and garlic in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven. Cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant. Don't allow the garlic to brown. Add the spinach and toss to coat with the garlic oil. Cover and cook over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted. Uncover and toss until no liquid remains. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper. Toss. Cut the pork into thin slices. Place on dinner plates. Drizzle with the reserved pan juices. Spoon the spinach on the side. Slice the bread and place it on a baking sheet. Warm in the oven for 10 minutes. Serve with the pork and spinach. [Note] Select a boneless double top loin roast, a boneless center loin roast, or a boneless sirloin roast. Frozen Chocolate Torte with Cappuccino Cream Makes 12 servings This rich crowd-pleasing dessert may be prepared days in advance of serving. Chocolate Torte: 4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, chopped 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch of salt 2 sticks (1/2 cup each) butter, softened 1 3/4 cups sugar 4 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Cappuccino Cream: 1 tablespoon instant espresso or regular instant coffee 1 teaspoon cold water 2 cup whipping cream 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar Bittersweet chocolate shavings (optional) To prepare the chocolate torte: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 10-inch round springform pan with no-stick spray. Put the chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir. If lumps remain, microwave for about 20 seconds. Stir and set aside. On a sheet of waxed paper, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter for about 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the reserved dry ingredients. Mix just to incorporate. Spoon into the prepared pan. Spread evenly. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove to a rack to cool. Remove the outer ring of the pan. Place a freezerproof serving dish over the torte. Invert the torte onto the dish. Run the blade of a long thin knife between the top of the torte and the pan bottom to separate. Allow to cool. To prepare Cappuccino Cream: In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, stir instant espresso or regular instant coffee with water to dissolve. Add cream. Whip on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Add sugar. Whip for 1 to 2 minutes, or until peaks hold their shape. Spread, swirling into peaks, over the top and sides of the cooled torte. Place in the freezer, uncovered, for 2 hours. For longer storage, cover tightly with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 week. To serve, unwrap and allow to sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Bittersweet chocolate shavings may be scattered on top for decoration. Shopping List 2 bags (10 ounces each) spinach 3 ribs celery heart 1/2 small red onion 1 small head leaf lettuce 1 small bunch fresh rosemary 1 small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 sticks (1/2 cup each) butter, softened 4 eggs 2 cups whipping cream 3 cans (19 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained 1 cup delicatessen roasted red bell pepper 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 1 small jar peperoncini 3 1/2 to 4 pound boneless pork roast 2 loves (1 pound each) Rustic Italian Bread 4 squares (4 ounces) unsweetened chocolate 1 teaspoon baking powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 tablespoon instant espresso or regular instant coffee 1 bar bittersweet chocolate ©PergolaWest, Inc. 2001 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Simply the best daily recipe Club on the Web! Free delicious recipes delivered daily via email. 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