The Tuscan Grills are loading off the dock. Our first shipment from Italy! Hand forged by metal smith artisans in the charming hill town of Chianti. It doesn't get any more authentic than this.
What's so special about the Bella Cucina Tuscan Grill?
1. Handforged by Italian metalsmith artisans. Like our food, our kitchen tools are hand crafted with care. Good materials, structure and a lot of love goes into these grills. They are special and one of a kind.
2. The flavor! These grills are made for cooking over hardwood. Hickory, oak, grapevines or branches from fruit trees. There is nothing more flavorful than the smokey aroma of hickory wafting from the grill. The flavor is like nothing you can imagine, until you try it. Meat, fish, chicken, vegetables are all infused with so much flavor.
Nice and crisp, seared texture on the outside, moist, juicy, tender on the inside. need i say more?
3. The experience. We are all so busy and it can seem like a chore to get it together and get a meal on the table that we are proud to share and love to eat. The grill is easy. no really! it make take a bit of time to get the flames fanning, but that is the perfect way to give yourself permission to unwind, relax and enjoy time around the fire chatting about your day. If you are really in a hurry, Alice Water's recommends using chemical free lump charcoal. Check out Page 57 in her latest book, The Art of Simple Food.
4. Alice Water's endorses this Slow Food favorite! We've got the official stamp of approval and we are proud to be the exclusive ambassador for Alice's treasured grill. Alice fell in love eating on a grill while traveling through Italy many years ago. She wanted to share it with others, and designed a grill. We have her original design, which we call Orginale. Last year, I traveled to Italy and created the Grande. A double size grill. Great for cooking for family and entertaining a crowd.
Enjoy the weather and your al fresco feasts!
Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry
Showing posts with label The Art of Simple Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Art of Simple Food. Show all posts
The Art of Simple Food
I finally bought Alice Water's new book today. The Art of Simple Food is what I would consider to be a bible for cooking. It takes all of the essential elements of Chez Panisse's cafe menu and simplifies them for the home cook. It is a "go to" reference when you need inspiration about artful eating, selecting seasonal menu ideas or finding a favorite recipe for ingredients you just hauled home from your local farmer's market or specialty grocer.
The introduction to the book is enlightening and inspiring. It really speaks to the food movement today, even though she was singing that song years ago. I think it is a testament to all of the work she has done to bring education about finding, cooking and eating good food to a cultural awareness. I, for one, am grateful for her perservance and contribution to the food community.
If you are not one to library a cache of hundreds of recipes and cook from there, you will love this book as a single source for where to start. I am typically inspired by ingredients and then figure out what to do with it. I have my standby favorites and, occassionally, I try a new recipe from a cookbook or try to recreate something I have seen on PBS or Foodnetwork, but mostly, I am just discovering something new in the kitchen. When I am stuck and uninspired, I usually pick of one of Alice's or Chez Panisse cookbooks {Lindsey Shere's Desserts is my favorite for sweets} . You are sure to find a recipe that honors seaonal selections and is at least fairly easy to prepare.
When I first started my cafe in 1993, a dear friend gave me a stash of Alice Water's beautiful woodcut art deco posters with graphics and illustrations by David Goines, Alice's long-time friend the designer who created the original Chez Panisse logo and many of the annual posters they have become so famous for. The collection was originally published in 1968 and To my surprise, one of the recipes from my collection is now featured in Alice's new book some 30 years later! Timeless, indeed.
here goes....enjoy!
Alice Waters, "The Art of Simple Food"
This salad tastes best when the carrots have time to marinate and absorb the flavors of the spices.
INGREDIENTS
• 4 large carrots
• Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon each cumin and coriander, toasted and ground
• One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• A pinch of cayenne
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
DIRECTIONS
Peel and cut 4 large carrots into little batons about 2 inches long and 1/4 inch square.
Cook in salted boiling water until almost tender; they should be pliable, but still crisp in the center. Drain and season with salt
In a small bowl, mix together
1/2 teaspoon each cumin and coriander, toasted and ground
One 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
A pinch of cayenne
Pour over the warm carrots and toss gently. Marinate for a few hours or in the refrigerator overnight. Just before serving whisk together:
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley
Pour over the carrots and toss gently. Taste for seasoning and add salt and lime juice as needed.
TIPS
Variations
Garnish with green or black olives.
Use mint instead of cilantro or parsley.
Buon Appetito!
Copyright 2007 Alisa Barry
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