Chef2Chef Recipe Club Member Forum: http://forums.chef2chef.net -------------------------------------------------- Hello Recipe Club, A Recipe Club member shared this bit of wisdom with me yesterday and I thought I should share it with you… Remember, if you're singing Christmas songs on your neighbor's lawn at night with a group, it's called "caroling." But if you're doing it alone with no pants on, it's called "drunk and disorderly." -------------------------------------------------- Pizza and Beyond - The food of Southern Italy Southern Italy is very different from the regions of the north and the center. The predominant presence of the sea makes it a truly Mediterranean territory, with a cuisine rich in piquant food, tomatoes, and fish. Naples was the capital of southern Italy for centuries, and it is famous for its pizza, pasta, and tomatoes. The Calabria and Lucania regions, mountainous areas where life remains simple and frugal, contrast with the Apulia region, a flat agricultural land where produce and pasta prevail. After the barbaric invasions southern Italy was stabilized for a few centuries. Then, in 1016, the destiny dramatically changed: a local baron brought into the area a group of Norman mercenaries. During the next few decades the Normans seized most of the southern regions from the Byzantines and threw the Saracens out of Sicily. The Normans established their capital city in Palermo and created a multicultural kingdom that lasted for more than a century, where Christians, Greek Orthodox, Jews, and Muslims could live together. In 1220, Frederick II—one of the most extraordinary figures of the Middle Ages—was crowned king. He was a munificent monarch, a diplomat and a warrior, as well as an architect and poet. In those times of violence and intolerance, he reigned in harmony with the people. For his astonishing qualities he was called stupor mundi ("wonder of the world"). After his death a series of events brought southern Italy under the dominion of the Spanish crown. For a long time, the country was treated as a colony, exploited for its products. In addition, the barons of the latifundiums, the large agricultural estates into which the south was divided, remained the most influential authority, able to bargain power for themselves with any succeeding government. After a short occupation by the French during Napoleon's empire, the "Reign of the Two Sicilies," became an independent state under the Bourbons, creating a time of fairly grandiose rule. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw vast palaces built, the economy revived, and intellectual life improved. After the discovery and excavation of the Roman city of Pompeii, which had been destroyed by the Vesuvius volcano in Roman times, Naples became one of the most important centers to visit in Italy; it attracted many intellectuals from all over Europe. Southern Italy during the past centuries had a complex history. Although the rich conducted a life similar to that of the upper classes of other parts of Italy, the poor were really poor. In Naples and in the Campania region, the cooking style reflects this, where the dishes of evident Spanish or French influence come together with those of the common people. Naples is particularly rich in inventive dishes, the fruit of the resourcefulness of the people. Complicated dishes like the sartu' (rice timbale filled with peas and meat balls), ragu' (thick tomato sauce), and gatto' (potato casserole), all of French origin, live side by side with an extensive cuisine of seafood. Two dishes of the poor, pizza and pasta, became extraordinarily successful. Both dishes have traveled successfully with Italian emigrants, establishing roots all over the world, and pasta in particular has become a dominant phenomenon in Italian cooking culture. At the basis of Neapolitan cooking is an ingredient that would deserve a separate chapter: the tomato. We cannot think today of cooking Italian without it. The tomato arrived in Europe from South America, but people began using it a couple of centuries later. The spread of the tomato as a cooking ingredient began only in the eighteenth century. Then it quickly took the kitchen by storm and entered into most of the preparations. Fresh tomatoes go on the pizza and on hundreds of pasta and fish dishes. In the Campania region, the quality is excellent and a large industry flourishes producing tomatoes—canned, whole, or concentrated. The diffusion—if not the "invention"—of dry pasta is still one of the greatest accomplishments of southern cooking. The technique for drying was perfected in the town of Gragnano, a few miles from Naples, allowing industrial production of this most Italian of the foods. -------------------------------------------------- BIG NEWS, I've just been told that Signature Secrets Culinary Thickener is now available at the King Arthur Flour, Bakers Catalogue site, packaged in 8 ounce containers for consumers! And it's only $3.95! Use this link and use what the chefs' use! Click Here http://www.kingarthurflour.com/cgibin/start/catalogue/linkin3.html?whichprod=2808~ -------------------------------------------------- Vermicelli alla Marinara Spaghetti with Oregano and Tomato sauce This is the basic meatless tomato sauce, probably considered the precursor of all ragu' and tomato sauces of Italy. In spite of the name (the word "marinara" refers to seafood), the sauce has no fish in it. 5-6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1 lb (450 gr.) tomatoes, puréed in a blender Salt and pepper 3 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped 2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves, chopped 1 lb. (450 gr.) spaghetti In a skillet over medium heat, pour olive oil and add garlic. Before the garlic begins coloring, add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 20-25 minutes, until the tomato sauce thickens. Stir in the parsley and oregano and turn heat off. Cook the spaghetti in abundant salt water following manufacturer's instructions, checking for readiness from time to time, until al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked). Drain the pasta and transfer it to a bowl. Top with the tomato sauce, toss and serve at once. -------------------------------------------------- Recipe Club, Get your own Holiday Presents at Chef2Chef.net GatewayGourmet, we would like to offer you the opportunity to win 6 pucks (1.5 oz containers) of More Than Gourmet's Classic Stock Reductions. Demi-Glace, Chicken Sock, Venison Stock, Veggie Stock and more: http://www.gatewaygourmet.com/chef2chef_special.htm Win a 6-month Salsa Kiss Club of the Month Membership valued at $150! That's one specially selected free salsa and one free gourmet hot sauce every month for 6 months delivered to your door. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=374 Register to a copy of the Chef of the Month, Jerry Traunfeld's cookbook, The Herbfarm Cookbook. A must have for your cookbook collection http://marketplace.chef2chef.net/sweep/ What's new at Chef Revival? They have got a new handy and cleanable First Aid Kit, A New Drizzler Kit, The Famous CutRuler, A beautiful new Line Spoon and the "Got to Have" Bonetector! !0 winner's will each receive a set of all of these new items. Register http://ads.chef2Chef.net/goto.php?id=36 Sign up for a FREE Subscription to Food Arts Magazine. The Magazine for the Foodservice and Hospitality Industry. U.S. residents only. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=242 -------------------------------------------------- Insalata di Frutti di Mare Seafood Salad Serves 6 2 lbs. (approximately 1 kg) clams 2 lbs. (approximately 1 kg) mussels 1 lb. (450 gr) scallops 1 lb. (450 gr) raw shrimp 1 lb. (450 gr) small squid 2 lemons, juiced 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped 2 sticks celery, finely sliced 1/2 cup (120 cc) extra-virgin olive oil salt and pepper Wash the clams and mussels to eliminate sand and impurities. Wash the scallops and the shrimps in fresh water. Wash the squid and eliminate the skin and the interior. Separate and chop the legs and cut the bodies in little rings. In a large skillet, pour approximately 1 cup (250 cc) water and add the clams and mussels. Place the lid on the skillet and cook until the shells open. Remove the clams and mussels from the shell and place them in a bowl. Filter away the sand and residues and keep the cooking water. In a medium-size pan, pour 2 cups (approximately 500 cc) of water, and bring to a boil. Place the scallops in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until they begin coloring. Drain the scallops with a slotted spoon. Again bring to a boil the cooking water used for the scallops. Place the shrimp in the boiling water and cook them until they become red, in about 2-3 minutes. Drain with a slotted spoon. Let the shrimp cool and eliminate the shells. Bring the water to a boil again and blanch the squid for about 30 seconds. Drain the squid in a colander; place them for few seconds in cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and dry, patting them with tissue. Drain all the seafood thoroughly. Combine the clams, mussels, scallops, shrimp and squid in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, garlic, parsley, celery, olive oil, salt, pepper and ½ cup (120 cc) of the reserved clam cooking water. Stir into the bowl with the fish. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes before serving. -------------------------------------------------- Venison America Premier Supplier of American Farm-Raised Gourmet Game and Specialty Food. http://html.chef2chef.net/goto.php?id=149 -------------------------------------------------- Gatto' di Patate Potato Mold Serves 6 2 lb (900 gr) potatoes 1 egg 2 tablespoons (30 gr) butter, diced 2 oz (60 gr) parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated 2 oz (60 gr) mozzarella cheese, diced 2 oz (60 gr) cooked ham, diced 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped grated rind of 1 lemon pinch of nutmeg 1/2 cup (120 cc) milk, or heavy cream salt and pepper 2 tablespoons bread crumbs Boil potatoes, peel and mash them in a food mill while still hot. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C). In a bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, the egg, 1 tablespoon of the butter, the parmigiano, mozzarella, ham, parsley, lemon rind, nutmeg, milk, salt and pepper together. Brush the bottom of a round oven pan, approximately 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. Pour the potato mixture in the pan, level it with a spatula. Top with the bread crumbs and the remaining 1 tablespoon diced butter. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the surface is golden. Serve hot. -------------------------------------------------- QUESTIONS, Comments, Technical Support: http://forums.chef2chef.net |
