February 2008: An Evening in Tuscany

This month we will be cooking Italian food from the region of Tuscany and I was thinking we could do all the proper courses. Be sure to indicate the course you will be making next to your name. (We'll have to double up on a couple of courses) Also, could someone make breadsticks? Fresh, whole foods with an unmistakable, Italian flair: what could be better? We'll be meeting at Sarah and Hannah's on Thursday, March 13th at 7:30. Buon Appetito!

Aperitivo

Apéritif usually enjoyed as an appetizer before a large meal.

Antipasti

literally "before (the) courses", hot or cold appetizers.

Primo

"first course", usually consists of a hot dish like pasta, risotto, gnocchi, polenta or soup.

Secondo

"second course", the main dish, usually fish or meat. Traditionally veal, pork and chicken are the most commonly used meat, at least in the North, though beef has become more popular since World War II and wild game is very popular, particularly in Tuscany. Fish are those which are caught locally.

Contorno

"side dish", may consist of a salad or cooked vegetables. A traditional menu features salad along with the main course.

Formaggio and frutta

"cheese and fruits", the first dessert, usually served together

Dolce

"dessert", such as cakes and cookies or GELATO

Bethany: (Contorno) Garlic Broccoli with Sopressatta, (Secondo) Roast Chicken
Hannah: (Antipasti) Prosciutto Pinwheels
Heather: (Aperitivo) Italian Soda and (Dulce) Gelato
Jenny: (Primo) Homemade Pasta
Jeri: Breadsticks and (Dulce) Poteca (a bread with walnut filling)
Sarah: Formaggio and frutta

Roast Chicken with Fennel Seed

1 Chicken (3 1/2 lbs)
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 fresh sage leaves, torn into pieces
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 oz pancetta, cut into small cubes (I used ham)
2 tsp. fennel seed, crushed
2 large garlic cloves, sliced

Preheat oven to 375F. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the inside of the cavity with salt, pepper and the sage. Set aside. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, warm the 2 Tbsp. olive oil. Add the pancetta, 1 tsp fennel seed, and garlic saute gently until the mixture is fragrant and not brown; about 3 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta mixture to the chicken cavity. Set aside the oil from the pan for basting the chicken as it roasts. Tuck the wings behind the back so they stay close to the body. Draw the drumsticks together and tie securely with kitchen string. Place the chicken, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of fennel seed.

Roast, basting occasionally with the reserved oil, until the exterior is a deep golden brown, the juices run clear when a thigh is pricked with a fork, and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh registers 180F, about 1 hour.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Serve.

Bethany's note: I used ham instead of pancetta and inserted a cut up lemon in the cavity as well. I also used the advice for general chicken roasting from my "America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook" and placed (read: smushed) about 2 Tbsp butter under the skin of the breast to keep it juicier. I also placed seasoned (and olive-oiled) red potatoes and carrots in the roasting pan about an hour before it was time to take it out... I would recommend 1 1/2 hours next time.

Prosciutto Pinwheels
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), thawed
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
3/4 cup (packed) finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)

1. Place pastry sheet on work surface. Arrange half of prosciutto on one rectangle, leaving 1/2-inch border along one side. Sprinkle prosciutto with half of basil, then top with half of cheese.
2. Starting at one side, roll up pastry jelly-roll style, pressing gently to seal long edges. Wrap in plastic.
3. Repeat with remaining pastry, prosciutto, basil, and cheese to form second log. Refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
4. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
5. Cut logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds. Arrange rounds on prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
6. Bake 1 sheet at a time until pastries are golden brown, about 16 minutes. Using metal spatula, transfer pastries to racks and cool slightly. Serve warm.

Formaggio y Frutta

Not that there is much of a recipe, but the cheeses I brought were peppered goat cheese, etorki, and swiss. The fruits - bartlett pears, apples, grapes, and cantaloupe.

Spaghetti all'Amatriciana

1 package of bacon (mmmmmm)
4 cans of diced tomatoes (the 16 oz cans)
red pepper flakes
1 onion
salt, pepper

Fry the bacon till you get a bunch of fat, then throw in the diced onion. Fry till the onion is golden. Throw in all the tomatoes, a bunch of red pepper flakes (the hotter the better), a bit of salt and pepper. Cover and cook for at least 40 minutes (add water if necessary). I usually cook this for at least an hour.

Everyone loves this, and people like FoxyJ will be thrilled to find out that it's full of fat (remember when you don't throw out all the fat from the bacon?). And if I can make a recommendation, this is my adaptation of the recipe found in Il Cucchiaio d'Argento, which can now be found in English---called The Silver Spoon. I highly recommend it. It's the Bible of Italian cooking. (From Alma Loveland) Also yummy served with softened goat cheese on top of each plate. MMMMMMMM

Garlic Parmesan Breadsticks

1 1/8 cups water (70 to 80 degrees F)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Lecithin (optional)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon minced fresh basil
3 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted

Add yeast and sugar to warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Yeast mixture should be creamy and foamy (if it isn't, throw your bad yeast out and start over with a new jar).
Mix together oil, cheese, garlic, Lecithin, salt, basil and 1 cup of the flour. Add yeast mixture and mix well. Add one more cup of flour and let the mixer run for a minute so that gluten starts to form in the dough. Slowly add the rest of the flour using your dough hook, or by hand until your dough pulls together. Knead it for 8 minutes. Rub olive oil over surface and let rest in a covered bowl in a warm place (a closed oven with a pan of boiling-temp water works nicely) for 40 minutes. Cut into 20 pieces, roll into long breadsticks, cover and let rise again. Bake in a 350 oven for 18-22 minutes. Brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle more Parmesan over if desired.

Walnut Potica

41/4 to 41/2 cups flour
1 package yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
Mix 1 1/2 cups flour and yeast in mixing bowl. Warm milk, sugar, butter and salt until warm. Mix into flour adding eggs until blended. Scrape down bowl and beat for 3 minutes. By hand, add enough of remaining flour to make moderately stiff dough. Knead for 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth. Grease dough and place in covered bowl to rise (about an hour). It doesn't rise a lot the first time.

Divide dough in half and roll each into a 24x14 rectangle Spread with half the walnut filling. Roll up jelly roll style, pinch sends to seal. Coil loosely on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise for 30-45 minutes . Bake at 350* for 20 minutes, cover loosely with foil and bake
for another 15-20 minutes. Can be decorated with a powered sugar icing topped with chopped walnuts.

Walnut Filling
Melt 1/4 cup butter, stir in 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup milk, 1/4 cup honey and 1 teaspoon cinnamon and bring to rolling boil. Stir in 3 cups walnuts, finely ground. Cool slightly, stir in 2 beaten eggs and 2 teaspoons lemon juice.

And for those of you who still wonder or care, Lecithin is an emulsifier. Which means that theoretically it can bond to the fat in your digestive system and clean it out. It contains choline and omega-3 fatty acids. Also it's just plain good for you.