The Art of Food

An Evening with Eliza Rickman

Bella Cucina porta via is creating an evening of sumptuous sustenance and soul-soothing sounds you won't want to miss.

An Evening with Eliza Rickman

San Francisco singer Eliza Rickman, whom we met and fell in love on a wintery Christmas Eve, will spend an evening at our store singing soul-filled melodies from her latest album, O, You Sinners. A seasonally inspired Sunday supper will served before the music-making begins. Join us for the feast!

Please join us for an evening full of nourishing food, gorgeous music and good company.

Sunday Supper plus Eliza Rickman event
Complimentary Cocktail Hour begins 6:30pm
Dinner starts at 7:00 pm
Music begins at 8:00 pm

Did we mention the FREE wine with dinner? Yep. A glass of our new Bella Cucina Bianco white and Rosso Red. Salute!

Tickets: $85 per person includes Sunday Supper and Eliza Rickman concert

A limited number of seats are available for the Eliza Rickman concert only.
Tickets: $25

To reserve your space, Please call us at (404) 815-1826. Payment via Credit Card or Cash, call or come by the store to sign up.

Buon appetito!

French Flageolets with Meyer Lemon Relish

French Flageolets with Meyer Lemon Relish

The namesake for these small, auspicious beans originates from a member of the flute family. These heirloom beans have a wonderful, light flavor and pair beautifully with lemons.

{If unable to get flageolets, try navy beans instead}

Ingredients:

1 cup flagolet beans

2 Tablespoons Bella Cucina Meyer Lemon Relish

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 Teaspoon salt

Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough cold water to cover the beans by at least 4 inches {they will expand significantly.}

Rinse the soaked beans and place in a saucepan with the Meyer lemon relish, stock, garlic and salt.

Cooking over medium heat, bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, over medium low heat until the beans are very tender, but not mushy, and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with roast chicken, braised lamb or veal shanks {osso bucco}, or grilled tuna.

Buon appetito!

And the winner is......

It’s been a bit hectic in the Bella Cucina kitchen these past few weeks preparing for the upcoming Fancy Food Show this week in DC. {will you be there? If so, drop by to have a taste of something good and say “hello”.} No excuses, but a wholehearted apology is in order for the delay announcing the WINNER of the Tuscan Grill.

The good news is, I feel so guilty that I’ve decided to sweeten the deal. In addition to the grande prize winner of the Tuscan Grill, I’m also giving away 5 autographed signed editions of my cookbook, La Bella Vita. See, worth the wait, wasn’t it?!

Thanks to all of you who have signed up to our Daily Sustenance newsletter. Although you might not have won anything this time, there’s sure to be some nice little offerings coming your way via our newsletter in the near future.

And now, without any more delay......

Grande Prize Winner of the Tuscan Grill:

Mark Hair

La Bella Vita Cookbook winners:
Deborah Woodward
Cheryl Owens- Long {ATL local!}
Mary Blair
Cy brcher
Angie Marchetti

congratulations to our bella winners!

Please be sure to send your address and phone number to alisa@bellacucina.com so we can get your goodies shipped to you piu presto!

buon appetito bellissimi!

Buon appetito! copyright 2012 Alisa Barry

Easy Entertaining: Preserved Lemon Hummus

Preserved Lemon Hummus

Easy appetizer or lunchbox healthy snack, there's nothing more satisfying than a hearty hummus.

What makes this hummus different from all the rest? A hint of preserved lemon adds that extra something special that makes this humble hummus into a luscious spread.

Ingredients:

1- 6oz jar of Bella Cucina Lemon & Garlic Chickpeas

1 wedge of Bella Cucina Preserved Lemon, rinsed and seeds removed

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1 Tablespoon Tahini

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

2 Tablespoons warm water

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in food processor and lightly pulse until mixture reaches desired consistency. Serve with baked pita chips or garden veggies.

* OPTIONAL VERSIONS

Add one of the following to the preserved lemon hummus base recipe:

- add 2 Tablespoons Sweet Pepper Pesto

- add 2 Tablespoons Mint & Pistachio Pesto

Grazie & Gratitude: Louise Fili

Bellissima!

Louise Fili is an iconic legend in the world of type, design and all things Italianissimo. We've worked with her since almost the beginning of Bella Cucina's birth. Her refined taste and classic style has been a big influence on Bella's branding and beauty.

Louise is known as a goddess of type in design circles and she's celebrated all over the world. She's created identities for most of the best restaurants in New York City, that alone should be her claim to fame, but her beauty and brilliance goes just beyond design for others. She and her talented husband, Stephan Heller, could open a library

with all of the books they've penned and published between the two of them.

Check out Louise Fili's site HERE.

1. Italianissimo: The Quintessential Guide to What Italians Do Best {Image via Louise Fili}

Celebrate the weekend: Bella's Apricot Bellini

Bella's Apricot Bellini

Celebrate the start of this spring weekend {and brunch!} with this luscious cocktail.

1- 750ml bottle prosecco, chilled

5 each of Bella Cucina Organic Apricots in Syrup

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon syrup from apricots

To make the bellini, place the pitted apricot halves along with the syrup and juice into a blender. Puree the apricots until smooth. Use more of the syrup to adjust for sweetness and consistency. Pass the puree through a sieve.
Put two tablespoons of the apricot puree in the bottom of
chilled glasses.

Top off with ice cold prosecco.

Salute!

1. Apricot Bellini {image via Serious Eats}

Baked Oysters Bella

If you like celebrity chef Tyler Florence's recipe for the classic Oysters Rockefeller,

you're gonna LOVE this recipe!

We've created the same classic -style recipe flavor with half of the ingredients and prep time.

More time to enjoy eating!

{Baked Oysters Bella}

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Spinach Artichoke Bruschetta Topping

1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese

pinch chili flakes, optional

kosher salt

2 dozen fresh oysters, shucked and oyster left on shell

Directions:

Top each oyster with 1 teaspoon of the spinach artichoke topping.

Sprinkle the cheese and chili flakes on the topping.

Bake in a 425 degree until topping is brown and bubbly.

Serve immediately, preferably with Prosecco!

buon appetito!

Preserved Plum Tea: a Reflection

Preserved Plum Tea

{Tea is a religion of the art of life.}

quote by Okakura

One cannot help but love the ceremony of making and drinking tea. Warm tea offers a comforting invitation to slow down, sip and savor life's quiet moment. Iced tea provides a welcome and refreshing repose to the hot summer humidity. However this beautiful crimson-colored tea is served, choose beautiful cups that will delight the senses as much as the tea itself.

Enjoy it in the spirit of the ancient tea masters.

To make preserved plum tea:

1 tea bag or 2 Tablespoons loose plum, pomegranate, or strawberry tea

4 Bella Cucina Organic Plums in Syrup

Bella Cucina Organic Acacia Honey

In a tea kettle, heat spring or purified water until boiling.

Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.

Pour the water into the tea pot with the tea bag and plums.

Steep 4 to 5 minutes, then remove the tea bag.

Serve warm with honey or stir in honey to taste and refrigerate until cool.

If serving cold, pour chilled and sweetened tea into glasses filled with crushed ice and a sprig of garden herb {mint, marjoram, rosemary or lavender}. Garnish with a slice of preserved plum.

Preserved Plum Tea {photography Andrew Thomas Lee Photography}

Spring Flavors: Preserved Lemon & Parsley Pesto Pasta

Preserved Lemon & Parsley Pesto Pasta

Spring is in the air here in Atlanta, and there's nothing that harkens back to warm weather better than the scent of fresh lemons. Preserved lemons are a savory condiment used in Morroco when preparing the lamb tagine. They add a depth of flavor to dishes never attained before. Separate the rind from the pulp and mince. Stuff the rind under the skin of a chicken and roast, or puree entire lemon slices with olive oil and a flavorful savory salt for a delightful vinaigrette. Here, the preserved lemons are paired with a light parsley pesto that provides a fresh bite. This combination is perfect for a light spring meal. It tastes even better when dining al fresco!

1 Wedge of Bella Cucina Preserved Lemons

2 cups Italian parsley leaves

1 clove garlic, peeled

1 teaspoon capers, rinsed

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

pinch of pepper

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound of pasta

{a short cigar shaped pasta, like fiori {flower}, gemelli, or a ricotta-filled tortelloni}

Remove the pulp and seeds from the preserved lemon. Discard the seeds and add the pulp a food processor. Chop the lemon into fine dice. Slice the lemon rind length-wise into thin strips, then turn and cut into small dice cross-wise. Add the parsley, garlic, capers, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Process until the mixture is finely chopped. Drizzle in the olive oil and continue processing until the mixture is pureed.

Cook the pasta al dente, according to the directions.

Toss the pasta with the parsley pesto mixture until the pasta is well coated.

Add the diced preserved lemon.

Serve as is or with grilled shrimp or chicken.

Let's Eat: Good Ingredients

GOOD FOOD TASTES GOOD.

It’s really that simple.

Food tastes better when it’s made with good ingredients. Less is more and enough is enough when eating and enjoying food that offers both substance and sustenance. Eating doesn’t always have to turn into an extravagant foodie feast and, in fact, sometimes the simpler the better. Let the beauty of the ingredients shine. Simple, but not always easy.

Until good food becomes affordable and accessible for everyone, mediocrity and unhealthy choices will abound. But that doesn’t mean having to buy in to believing one must eat tasteless food that has little nutritional value. Everyone must eat, so figuring out how to eat well is the first step. One meal at a time is where to start.

Thankfully, the cultural revolution has already begun.

Sure, good food costs more. So does anything of exceptional quality. Where are the dollars spent?

One simply has to learn how to shop, cook and eat.

Home cooked meals can be just as cost effective as the fast food found at drive-thrus and school cafeterias. Fresh produce can cost less than processed foods and all of their extraneous packaging. Most local farmer’s markets now even take food stamps! When we choose to support local farmers and artisan producers, more money goes into everyone’s pockets. And that is very, very good.

Sustenance on a Cloudy Day: Fennel & Tomato Soup with Preserved Orange Arancini

With daylight savings fresh upon us, it takes some time getting used to the darkness that greets me in the morning. The soft snickering of birds reminds me that dawn is on the rise, along with the subtle, faint glow of a darkened sky. Every day I hope for sunshine, warmth and beauty, and being in the south, I'm usually blessed with such. But prior to the blossoming of spring, Atlanta has its fair share of cloudy days, that can escalate into stormy weather. Today began as one such cloudy day, with a spot of rain mid-morning. I can always rely on a warm bowl of soup and a hearty piece of bread {or in this case, a satisfying arancini} to brighten even the darkest day. As I prepare my cloudy day sustenance, the thick expanse of clouds has given way just enough to allow a bit of sunshine into my afternoon. My hearty soup will taste just as delicious, if not more so with a glint of the sun's rays.

Fennel and Tomato Soup with Preserved Orange Arancini

To make the soup:

3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup thinly sliced fresh fennel, cores removed

1 Tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 Tablespoon chopped Italian flatleaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

3 cups Bella Cucina Passata al Pomodoro tomato sauce

2 slices Bella Cucina Farmhouse Oranges, finley chopped

4 cups chicken stock

ground black pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons Bella Cucina Tangerine oil

1 teaspoon Bella Cucina Wild Oregano & Sage Savory Salt

In a large heavy-bottomed pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, garlic , parsley, salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are soft, stirring constantly for about 5 to 10 minutes so the onions do not brown. Add the passata, minced oranges and stock. Cover and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. Garnish with Tangerine oil and a sprinkling of the oregano and sage savory salt

For the Arancini:

½ cup arborio or canaroli rice for risotto

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups chicken stock

¼ cup white wine

1 shallot, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese

1 Tablespoon Bella Cucina Fresh Basil Pesto

1 slice Bella Cucina Farmhouse Oranges, minced

1 ½ cup panko bread crumbs

kosher salt, to taste

ground black pepper, to taste

2 quart canola oil

Heat broth on a low simmer until ready to use.

In a medium- size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt and pepper and saute until translucent and soft. Add the rice and stir until the rice begins to look translucent. Add the wine and reduce by half, stirring occassionally to make sure all of the rice is evenly coated and does not burn on the bottom. Stir in the oranges. Turn heat to medium high. Stirring continuously, add the warm broth in 1/4 cup increments. As the liquid evaporates add more broth, stirring constantly, until the rice is creamy and the texture is al dente. This will take about 20 minutes.

Add ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese and mix just until blended. Remove the rice mixture from the heat and spread evenly on a butter sheet pan and set aside to cool.

Put cooled risotto into a large bowl and stir in the pesto. Form the risotto into evenly shaped balls, about 2 inches in diameter. Up until this step this recipe can be made a day ahead.

In a wide, deep pot with a heavy bottom that can hold at least 4 qts of liquid,

heat the oil to 325 degrees.

Take care with heating the oil as fat expands when heated and adding ingredients to the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the bread crumbs, 1/4 cup of Parmesean cheese, and 1 teaspoon salt and mix well. Dip the arancini rice balls in the bread crumb mixture until well-coated. Let the arancini sit for about 10 minutes to let the breadcrumbs adhere to the rice well.

Fry the arancini in batches for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the outside and warm inside. Drain on paper towels and serve along side the soup.

1. Fennel and Tomato Soup {photo via Food52}

Q&A with Bella

Alisa Barry

What inspired you to create Bella Cucina?

There's nothing more that I love than sitting around the table sharing good food with friends. Small bites and a glass of wine. That's the way I like to eat and entertain.   From oven to table and jar to platter, you only need a few fresh ingredients to make it a festive feast.   And, I believe how we eat is just as important as what we eat. From sweet little plates that fit in the palm of your hand, to hand-carved wooden serving pieces as elegant accoutrements. They all enhance the experience.

I first fell in love with the art of eating when I lived in Europe many years ago. Every time I returned, I was reminded that taking time to savor is one of the simplest luxuries we can afford ourselves, everyday. Bella Cucina first started as a small lunchtime café. Inspired by Alice Water's philosophy of using what's in season, I would buy whatever the organic farmer's harvested for the week and create my menu around the ingredients. I was the cook, the caterer and the clean-up crew.   Soon after we opened, customers were asking how they could enjoy the flavors of the food in their own kitchen. Within a short year, I was bottling up freshly picked basil pesto, baking Death by Chocolate cookies and and preserving a Mediterrean condiment called preserved lemons. Within a short time, I had a complete line of Italian-inspired pantry provisions.   Fast forward a decade and some years later; Bella Cucina has become an award-winning artisan-made product line sold around the world.

For more Q&A with Bella, check out www.bellacucina.com

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SPRING FLING SALE!

Going on RIGHT NOW at

1044 N. Highland Ave. Atlanta, GA 30306

404.815.1826

SPRING FLING SALE

In addition to drastic savings on many of our food products, come check out one of a kind furniture and antiques!

Mirrored carved wood doors, set of 2
Oval mirrors are the centerpiece of these intricate carved wood set of doors. Can be used for closets on rolling mechanism or modified for doors.

Large Bins from the Champagne Region of France $695
Used to harvest grapes, but make a beautiful place for storage!

Large Antique Tea Dispenser

Antique Iron Light Fixtures $55-$85

White pneumatic clock $2200

Large Train station clock $275
Perfect piece to bring a bit of history to your loft or restaurant!

Antique outdoor overhang light $895

Wicker Table and Chair Set $325
Just the right set for spring and summer entertaining

Vintage Velvet Ottoman $295
Wonderful addition to your dressing table or as occasional seating for your living room

Heavy white doors, set of 2 $675

This set of doors would make the perfect addition to a pantry with an Italian flair!

19th C Large grey entrance doors, set of 2 $2250
Want to make a grand entrance? here's your chance!

19th Century iron bed with equestrian theme detail, head and foot board $2275

Check out these and much more today!

Can't make it to our store? Check out our website

http://www.bellacucina.com/

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey Dipping Sauce

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Lime Blossom Honey

Dipping Sauce

Fresh shrimp from the savannah coast is reason enough to keep it on the menu often.
We've given you another reason, our lime blossom honey.
This is just one of many ways you can pair the two lovelies together
for a refreshingly sweet and savory snack.

12-16 shrimp

zest and juice of one lime

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons Lime Blossom Honey

Soak 8 inch wooden skewers in water for about 30 minutes.

This will prevent the wood from burning on the fire.

Remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving on only the tail.

Starting at the tail side first, thread the pointed end of the skewer through the middle of the shrimp until you have skewered the entire shrimp. the end of the shrimp should be at the edge of the flat end of the skewer, without any edges showing. Continue until you have skewered all of the shrimp.

Refrigerate until ready to toss with sauce and grill.

To make the marinade and dipping sauce:

In a medium bowl, add the lime zest and juice, vinegar, salt and honey. Whisk until smooth.

Divide the mixture in half. Toss the skewered shrimp with one part of the sauce just before cooking. Let the shrimp marinate with the sauce for about 15-20 minutes. Use the remaining sauce to serve with the grilled shrimp. Serve the shrimp warm or at room temperature.

Serves 6- 8 as an appetizer

4 as a main course. *

*Serve with a gorgeous green jade pearl bamboo rice from our friends at Lotus Foods.

Chickpea Pasta with Parmesan & Kale

It’s a cold but brilliantly sunny early winter afternoon. It’s just me and my dog jack, both curled up on the couch. Me with a book and he with his eyes closed and an occasional twitch of his two hind feet.

My stomach reminds me that it hasn’t yet eaten lunch, which propels me to the large double doors where the pantry provisions are stored. Pasta! I spot a jar of garlic chickpeas and remember a few wilted leaves of the last of the garden kale buried in the bottom drawer of the refrigerator.
I love the idea of using a few odds and ends to throw together a feast.

Chickpea pasta with parmesan & kale

Ingredients:

2 cups of bite-sized dried pasta, such as rigatoncini, orecchiete or

a few leaves of kale , cut into thin ribbons {use any garden greens on hand}

2 Tablespoons garlic chickpeas in their oil, slightly crushed

grated parmesan cheese

Heat a pot of salted water until it comes to a rolling boil.

Toss a handful of the cut kale into the boiling water along with the pasta.

Cook the pasta until it’s tender to the tooth.

Though I don’t normally cook kale to death, this method is more a matter of ease.
Surprisingly, it yields a delicious melt-in-your mouth texture.

While the pasta and kale drain of it’s excess water in a colander, I grab what’s left of a once-substantial piece of parmesan. Tender snowflakes of cheese fall gracefully into a ceramic bowl, inviting the other ingredients to join the feast.

Toss the pasta, kale, parmesan and chickpeas together . Grate another Tablespoon or two of the parmesan on top.

Buon appetito!

Caesar Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing

Caesar Salad with Meyer Lemon Dressing

3 eggs

1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
juice of half lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3 Tablespoons Meyer Lemon Relish
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 filets anchovies {salt pack is best}
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese {use the good stuff, please}

1 head of romaine lettuce, tender young leaves best

Fill a small sauce pan with water and bring to a boil.

Carefully lower in the eggs, trying not to crack the shell.

Cook one egg for five minutes, and the other two eggs for eight minutes, removing in soaking in cold water to stop the cooking. Let cool. Set aside the eggs cooked for eight minutes.

Cut the five minute egg in half. Remove the runny yolk into a
large mixing bowl {big enough to toss the greens}.

Add the lemon garlic, salt and pepper. Mix until smooth.
Rinse and remove any bones of the anchovies, as needed.
Chop the filets {use less or more depending on preferred taste}.

Add the meyer lemon relish, lemon juice, anchovies and 2 Tablespoons of the
Parmesan cheese and stir to incorporate all the ingredients.

To assemble the caesar salad:

To prepare the salad, remove any big, tough outer leaves of lettuce and set aside for another use.

Slice the remaining head of lettuce into four quarters. Remove the core and disgard.

Toss the lettuce with the dressing until well coated, but not drenched.

Place the dressed lettuce onto a plate or platter. Scatter a Tablespoon or two of grated Parmesan over the dressed salad greens. Cut the eggs in half and arrange around the lettuce leaves. Sprinkle the eggs with fresh cracked pepper. Serve with Parmesan crostini.

To make crostini:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Slice a baguette into ½ inch slices and place on a sheet pan. Brush the baguette slices lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon grated parmesan cheese onto each slice. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 2-4