Buttered Brussel Sprouts + Guanciale

It's hard to believe I hated brussel sprouts growing up.  Now I simply adore them. They're what I call "Bruta ma buono" ugly, but good.  I especially love it when I can find them still on the stalk. Somehow, I think they taste better when I have to slice each head off individually from the stem.  I guess when you have to work a little harder for your meal, the appreciation factor goes up.  

{I love brussels sprouts mostly plain and simple: smothered in butter with a sprinkling of sea salt.}

  Occassionally, I like to up the anty and add some crispy guanciale cracklings.  Surely now everyone will eat their veggies. 

BUTTERED BRUSSEL SPROUTS AND GUANCIALE

1 oz. Guanciale or pancetta 

1 pound brussel sprouts 

1 Tablespoon sea salt 

2 Tablespoons sweet cream butter 

cracked black pepper to taste 

Slice the guanciale or pancetta into 1⁄4 inch pieces. Slowly render the 

meat over low heat until crisp and brown. Remove the meat from the 

pan with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Set aside until ready to use. 

In a medium saucepan, heat six cups of water over medium heat until 

boiling. Add a small pinch of salt. Wash, trim and cut each brussel 

sprout in half. Cook brussel sprouts just until fork tender, about 3-4 

minutes. Drain and set aside. 

In the same saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the 

 brussel sprouts and cook just until heated through. Toss with the 

 guanciale and season with the pepper. Taste before seasoning with salt, 

as the guanciale may have enough salt from the curing to season the 

dish. Serve warm. 

 Buon appetito!
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry

Eggplant Involtini

 For those of you that love your veggies, you will be in heaven with this dish.

It's a vegeterian {and gulten- free} riff on the traditional stuffed ravioli.  Instead of stuffing pasta, you're stuffing baked or grilled slices of eggplant.  The filling is made with fresh ricotta and chopped basil.

Simple. Easy. So far so good.

And then there's the sauce. Depending on the time of year, you can use what's on hand. Since the summer abundance of tomato season hasn't arrived yet, I'm using a Passata . Any pasta sauce will do. If you want it slightly spicy, you can use an Arrabiata . If you prefer a sweeter sauce, try a Peperonata  made with caramelized onion and sauteed golden + red bell peppers.  In summer, you can roast or grill fresh tomatoes of any variety and puree or emulsify as they are, or add a few cloves of fresh garlic, basil and salt + pepper for seasoning.

See? This is a dish that will make everyone at the table happy.  Buon appetito!

EGGPLANT INVOLTINI
For those of you that love your pasta, use uncooked fresh lasagna  pasta sheets in place of the eggplant.

1 large eggplant cut lengthwise into thin strips

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbs. Kosher salt

 ¾ cup ricotta cheese

 ¼ parmesan cheese

 2 Tbs. fresh basil leaves, torn

 1 tsp. black pepper

 1 whole egg

 1 tsp. fresh mint leaves, chopped or 1 Tablespoon Mint and Pistachio Pesto 

 ½ cup  Eggplant Pesto * optional

 2 cups  Organic Passata al Pomodoro pasta sauce

 8 oz. Mozzarella Cheese

Arrange eggplant slices on a plate and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Grill over a medium flame on a grill until golden brown on both sides, about one minute per side. (*Alternatively you can sauté the eggplant with extra virgin olive oil  or roast in a 350 degree oven until light brown on both sides ) Set eggplant strips aside  to cool until ready to fill.

To make filling:

 In a medium mixing bowl add the  parmesan, ricotta, basil, black pepper, salt, egg, mint, and eggplant pesto {optional}. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

To assemble:

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Pour passata into a medium-sized oven proof casserole. 

 Take one slice of eggplant and place 2 Tablespoons on the filling mixture at one end and slowly roll it loosely to the other end.  Continue with the remaining slices of eggplant.

Place one slice of the mozzarella over each piece and bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted, slightly brown and bubbly.

Garnish with torn fresh basil leaves and a grating of parmesan and serve with crusty toasted slices of Italian bread rubbed with a fresh garlic clove. 

Serve four.

Buon appetito!
copyright 2010 Alisa Barry

Summertime Succotash Salsa + Poached Cod in Tomato Broth

It was so hot + humid yesterday, I couldn't figure out which was the lesser of two evils- standing over a hot grill in 100 degree humidity or heating up the nicely air conditioned house with a hot oven. After a few minutes of pondering, I decided the I didn't have to settle for either evil! I finally got wise and decided to poach. A few minutes on the stovetop and no sweat on the brow.

We were having friends over for dinner and I wanted to serve something light and refreshing. We decided on fish, so I headed to our local market. The choice was easy- I bought whatever my fishmonger said was the freshest. I settled on a pearly white wild caught cod about 2 inches thick.

I hadn't yet decided how I was going to cook it, so I surveyed the rest of the kitchen for ingredients that would inspire.
Fresh summer flavors from the farmer's market was a good place to start - tiny little lemon cucumbers, sweet, white corn in its husk, vine ripe tomatoes just off the vine.

I settled on a nice light tomato broth with a summer succotash salsa. Simple. light. delicious.

POACHED COD IN TOMATO BROTH + SUMMERTIME SUCCOTASH SALSA

4 or 5 vine ripe, locally grown tomatoes
1 cup water
1 splash of Pernod
Few sprigs of fennel fronds
1 clove of garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
1 pound fresh fillet of wild catch cod
1 Teaspoon Wild Oregano + Sage Savory Salt
1 ear white or yellow corn {go for sweetness} Little kernels are best.
1 lemon cucumber , smallish in size {you can substitute with a European cucumber if you can't find lemon}.
1 handful of cilantro



Core the tomatoes and cut in half. Place a strainer over a bowl and squeeze out all of the flesh and seeds.
Reserve the skin {it will have a thin layer of flesh remaining}. With the back of a curved spoon, push the tomato flesh and seeds through the strainer to yield about 1 to 1 + 1/2 cup of tomato juice. Cut the tomato skins into 1/4 inch dice.
In a large saute pan, place the tomato juice, tomato skin pieces, water, Pernod, fennel and garlic. Simmer over low heat.
{Do not boil, as you do not want to evaporate the liquid}.

Cut the cod into 6 oz. filets. Season with the salt. When the broth is heated, gently place the fillets in the pan. Cover and cook until the fish is translucent white and starting to flake {about 4-6 minutes, depending on size and thickness}.

While the fish is cooking, remove the kernels from the corn. Cut the cucumber into a fine dice. Chop the cilantro coarsley, enough for about 2 Tablespoons of cilantro. Toss the corn, cucumber and cilantro together in a small bowl.

Place the corn mixture in a circle on the outer side of the plate. Gently remove the fish one fillet at a time onto the middle of each plate. Spoon the tomato broth around the fish and over the corn mixture. Garnish the top of the fish with a sprig of the cilantro.

Serves four.

Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Blueberry Crostata with Meyer Lemon Cream

Fresh berries are synonymous with summertime at my house. I can find a thousand ways to eat fresh berries. savory. sweet. scrumptious.

I am a savory girl and desserts are not really what I live for. And, when its berry time, I have my simple tried and true repetoire of desserts that are easy to make and hard to mess up.

Chez Panisse Desserts has always been my cookbook bible. Not being a baker, this is an easy-to-make recipe cookbook that always delivers on delicious.

And, my new seasonal favorite, Chez Panisse Fruit . Whatever fruit is in season, you will love the simple, fresh recipes it suggests. {Try the peach and polenta tart-one of my summer staple favorites!}

and then there is the classic Italian dessert favorite, The Italian Baker by Carole Field. From the early days of culinary school, this was my favorite go-to book. Like the Italians, I am not a big fan of too much sweet, but I do like to finish a meal with something good.
A nice crusty crostata made with fresh blueberries and Meyer Lemon Cream will do nicely for the summertime. simple. easy to make. easy to eat. gone. done. finished. yum!

But don't take my word for it. Try this recipe.

PS: don't tell. but I cheated. Pre-rolled pastry tart dough. easy. easy. easy. In case you really do cook, I have included an excellent crostata dough recipe. {find it in your specialty grocer or bakery's freezer section}

BLUEBERRY CROSTATA WITH MEYER LEMON CREAM

For the crostata tart dough:

2 cups Unbleached all-purpose Flour
⅜ teaspoon Salt
⅛ teaspoon Sugar
5 tablespoons Cold salted butter
6½ tablespoon Cold unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Vegetable shortening
3 tablespoons Ice water -- plus
1 teaspoon Ice water

This is a good basic pie crust recipe from Lindsey Shere at Chez Panisse. It is flaky and has a good butter flavor. MIX THE FLOUR, SALT AND SUGAR in a bowl. Cut the salted butter in pieces 1/3-inch thick and quickly cut them into the flour mixture until it is the texture of cornmeal. You can do this with a pastry blender, with your hands by rubbing quickly and lightly Cut in the unsalted butter and the vegetable shortening until they are in larger pieces, about 1/8- to 1/4-inch in diameter. This helps to make the dough flaky. Sprinkle in the 3 tablespoons ice water, tossing the dough lightly with a fork to moisten it e During this time, the enzymes in the flour will mellow the gluten to permit the water to be absorbed completely; this conditioning will help to prevent shrinkage and toughness later. Makes enough for two 9-inch pie shells. DEBORAH MADISON - PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK

For the crostata filling:

1 cup Meyer Lemon Cream
1 pint fresh blueberries, or other fruit in season
1 Tablespoon organic sugar
1/2 + 1 Tablespoon heavy whipping cream
1 egg yolk

To assemble the crostata:

Roll out the dough into a 1/8 inch thick round. Place on a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet . Leaving about a 2 inch border on the crust, spread 1/2 cup cream evenly on the bottom of the tart dough. Place the berries on top of the cream. Starting on one side, roll the sides of the dough over and over, tucking under the dough at the end.


Brush the edges of the crostata dough lightly with a mixture of lightly beaten egg yolk and 1 Tablespoon cream.
Sprinkle the sugar over the berries and on the edges of the crust.

Bake for 12-20 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the berries are just beginning to bubble.

serve with Meyer lemon whipped cream {1/2 cup meyer lemon cream and 1/2 cup cream whipped by hand or mixer}.

buon appetito!



Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

simplicity for the summertime

Carrot and Cumin Salad with Italian Parsley

1 pound seasonal carrots in any combination
2 Tablespoons Bella Cucina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 teaspoon wild oregano & sage savory salt
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 handful Italian parsley leaves *
2 Tablespoons Italian chestnut honey

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash, trim and cut carrots in half lengthwise. Cut into 2 inch pieces. {if carrots are small enough-leave whole}. Wash parsley leaves and dry. Toss carrots with olive oil, parsley and spices. Place on sheet pan and roast in the oven just until caramelized and easily pierced with a fork, about 30-45 minutes or cook on the grill.

NOTE: i like to leave a bit of the green top on. when cooked, it is tender and delicious and adds a beautiful bit of color on the plate.

Warm honey in water bath and drizzle on top of carrot salad. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves four

* Cilantro also works well in this dish. Add cilantro after cooking carrots for a brighter, fresher flavor.

Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry