Poultry

Chicken Picatta

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Chicken Picatta

Chicken picatta isn’t something that I grew up with. My mother and aunts made a tremendous array of Italian dishes but no chicken picatta. I sometimes wonder if it’s a real Italian recipe and not something like Fettuccini Alfredo, which was invented in America. It’s a dish that I enjoy and order often when we go out to eat. Chicken with a lemon sauce, what’s not to like? Since I didn’t have a family recipe to go on, I looked through a few online. I put together a combination of things that appealed to me.
Chicken Picatta
Ingredients:
  • 1 ½ lb cutlets
  • Salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup flour
  • Olive oil for browning
  • 1 tbsp. finely chopped shallot (optional)
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½  lemon cut into thin wedges
  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • 2 tbsps. rinsed capers
  • 1 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 3 tbsps. butterChicken Picatta
Chicken Picatta
If you can’t get cutlets, 3 chicken breasts should give you 9 cutlets. Season the room temperature cutlets with salt and pepper and dredge in the flour. Shake off any excess flour and lightly brown in oil and remove. Cook in batches so you don’t crowd the pan. Pour off chicken fat from pan if any. Add more oil and cook the shallots on low until soft. Add the wine and deglaze the pan.
Chicken Picatta
Add the lemon slices and sauté for a few minutes before adding the chicken stock. Simmer for a few minutes and then lower the heat. Add the lemon juice, capers, parsley, and whisk in the butter.  Pour the sauce over the cutlets and serve.Chicken Picatta

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Seafood

Rhode Island Calamari

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Rhode Island Calamari

Rhode Island Calamari – I didn’t know there was such a thing. At the Democratic National Convention  last night, during the roll-call Democratic Party chair, Joseph McNamara,  endorsed Joe Biden and praised his state’s official appetizer on a short video. 

Here’s the video (you can skip any ads).

 

If you’d like to try making it here’s a recipe from  King and Prince Seafood.
Rhode Island Calamari
Rhode Island Style Calamari Rings and Tentacles #041250. Mrs. Friday’s. King & Prince Seafood, Brunswick, GA.
If you want to order it in New York, you can go to Café Fiorello near Lincoln Center. They just call it fried calamari on the menu and don’t mention Rhode Island  but the peppers make the difference.

Rhode Island Calamari

 

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Drinks

Italian Coffee Pots

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Italian Coffee Pots

Some cultures – Irish, Indian, Chinese, etc. – drink tea and others prefer coffee. Italians like coffee and they’re fussy about how its made. Caffés and patisseries have large high-pressure espresso makers that are too big and expensive for home use and the traditionalists among us don’t use pods, percolators, Mr. Coffees, or Chemexes for our espresso.Italian Coffee Pots
For a long time, at least 200 years, a typical home espresso maker has been the Napolitano Maganette. This is the one where you add the coffee and water in the pot, put it on the stove upside down, and when the water boils, flip it over. That’s the type of pot my mother used when I was growing up.
We also had a Vesuvianna. It’s made of one piece of cast aluminum in a mid-century modern design. It makes great espresso and is beautiful to look at. The one I have is electric. They aren’t made any more, but you can still find them on EBay.Italian Coffee Pots
The espresso pot we use most of the time is our Moka. It was invented in Italy just after World War II and is the most ubiquitous coffee pot in the world. It’s easy to use and makes perfect espresso.
Italian Coffee Pots1957 ad for a Moka

Translation – “Where’s Dad?”  “He’s in the kitchen with the Moka Express.”

Italian Coffee PotsNice cups are important too.

Italian Coffee Pots

Medaglia D’Oro is the espresso brand I grew up with and still use today.

There’s an informative article in Atlas Obscura on Moka pots.Italian Coffee Pots

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Miscellaneous

Rye Bread

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Rye Bread

A great article on beautiful bread from Colossal –
Rye Bread

Twisting Vines and Leafy Botanics Carved into Crusty Breads by Blondie + Rye

By Grace Ebert

“North Carolina-based baker Hannah P. has planted herself firmly at the intersection of art and food as she transforms her crusty rye loaves and spelt focaccias into edible canvases for her botanic projects. Through her Instagram account Blondie + Rye, Hannah shares hundreds of flour-covered creations replete with twisting vines and leafy stems. Some pieces even feature layered fruits and vegetables that resemble verdant gardens and floral bouquets. . .”

 

Rye Bread

 

For the complete article click here.Rye Bread

 

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Desserts

Little Bird Cookies

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Little Bird Cookies

These Little Bird Cookies were a typical Easter dessert when I was growing up. Well, Easter was different this year due to COVID 19 so we’re having them in August. My Aunt Vicky’s family was from Abruzzo where these cookies originated. When she made them, they really did look like little birds. Some of ours resemble chickens and others look more like fish but they still taste good.

Little Bird CookiesDough –
  • 16 oz. all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup olive oil
  • 2/3 cup white wine:
  • 3 tbs. granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
Put the flour in a large bowl and add the liquids, sugar, and salt. Mix and knead to form dough. Cover and let it rest for at least 1 hour.
Filling –
  • 5 oz. blanched almonds, toasted and ground
  • 2 oz. grated dark chocolate
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 10 oz. Montepulciano grape jam (not so easy to find – I used raspberry preserves)
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 tbs. dark rum

Dried currants for eyes

Place the almonds in a dry frying pan and toast on medium heat until they lightly color. Grind them in a food processor to a coarse powder. Chill the chocolate in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it easier to grate. Put all the filing ingredients in a pot and heat on low for 15 minutes. Let it cool before using it.Little Bird Cookies
Pre-heat the oven to 340 degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll the dough out into a thin sheet. Use a bowl or glass to cut circles. Re-knead and roll out the scraps. The bowl I used was 4 ½ inches in diameter and I got 15 cookies.Little Bird Cookies
Put a teaspoon of filling in the center of a circle. Fold it in half and press the edges to seal. Shape a head and make a triangular cut for a beak. Use a current for an eye. Poke a few holes where the wing should be to let the steam escape and cut a few lines to represent feathers in the tail. If you’re artistic and take your time it should look like a little bird. If not, just shape it into a half moon. Bake for 20 minutes, let cool and serve.Little Bird CookiesLittle Bird Cookies

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Meat, Miscellaneous

Prosciutto

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Prosciutto San Daniele DOP

By Toni Brancatisano

. . . “Prosciutto Crudo is an Italian dry-cured ham that is usually served raw and thinly sliced. The word crudo means raw, as opposed to prosciutto cotto,  which is cooked.  It is characterised by a pinkish-red color and is slightly veined with thin streaks of fat. The fat or lard around it, which is pure white, is delicate and complements the meat so, when eating Prosciutto Crudo,  both the meat and the fat should be enjoyed together. . .”
Prosciutto

Read the complete article here.
Prosciutto

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Sides, Vegetarian

Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

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Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

I recently did a post on Garlic Scapes. At the time I didn’t know what they were but got some feedback from subscribers who were familiar with them. I found scapes at a local greenmarket and was able to try the Italy Magazine recipe that I referred to, as well as another recipe that I got at the green market. 
Here’s the recipe directly from Italy Magazine:Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
Ingredients
  • 1 pound (454g) garlic scapes
  • 2 cups (470g) white wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Equipment: 2 sterilized pint-size (1/2 L) jars
Preparation:
  1. Cut the scapes into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, removing any tough parts at the bottom and the thinnest part at the top above the small bulbous tip.
  2. Bring the vinegar to a boil over medium-high heat in a saucepan large enough to hold the scapes. Stir in the salt and let it dissolve. Add the scapes to the pot and cover. Boil, stirring once or twice, until the scapes have lost their bright green color, 4 to 5 minutes.Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
  3. Drain the scapes in a colander set in the sink. Spread them out on a clean kitchen towel and let dry for about 1 hour. Shuffle them around a few times so they dry on all sides.Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
  4. Pack the scapes into the jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Cover the scapes completely with oil, pressing down on the scapes to submerge them. Screw the lids on tightly and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.
  5. Transfer the scapes to the refrigerator and let cure for one week before using. Store in the refrigerator for up to 12 weeks. To serve, remove from the jar only as many scapes as you plan to use and let them come to room temperature. Top off the jar with more oil as needed to keep the remaining scapes submerged.  Serve  on  sandwiches, in salads or in an antipasto.  Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes
This is the recipe I got at the green market for sautéed garlic scapes:
Ingredients:
  • 1 bunch of garlic scapes
  • Olive oil for sautéing
  • Salt and black pepper
Preparation:
  1. Same as above – Cut the scapes into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, removing any tough parts at the bottom and the thinnest part at the top above the small bulbous tip.
  2. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add cut scapes and boil for 5 minutes (no need to dry them as thoroughly as above).
  3. Sauté in olive oil with salt and pepper. Serve as a  side dish, on a sandwich or in an omlette. Garlic Scapes – 2 Recipes

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Miscellaneous

Piemontese Palate

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Piemontese Palate

Piemontese Palate

An interesting article from L’Italo-Americano –

The Piemontese Palate: Rich, Traditional, and Delicious

By Paula Reynolds

“There is one region, however, that is perchance lacking credit where credit is due…Piedmont/Piemonte. A northernmost province, Piedmont sits mirthfully tucked in the north-west cuff of the boot, sharing the largest portion of its border with France. The capital city of Turin is potentially the best-known in the region, her accolades to include Fiat and The Shroud. However, there are many gastronomic wonders to be found throughout the smorgasbord of culinary richness that is the Piemontese palate. . . “
Read the complete article here.

Piemontese Palate

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Miscellaneous

New York Restaurants and Covid 19

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New York Restaurants and COVID 19

New York Restaurants and COVID 19New York Restaurants and COVID 19
We had dinner on Broadway. I mean really on Broadway, right in the street. The City has granted restaurant owners the right to set up tables in what used to be the parking lane in the street fronting their restaurants.
We ate at Telio, one of our favorite locals. They went a step further and had a singer at dinnertime. The whole scene was very festive.New York Restaurants and COVID 19
On some avenues, there’s a bike lane between the curb and the parking lane, so ‘Watch Out.’New York Restaurants and COVID 19New York Restaurants and COVID 19
Some of them have gotten very creative and set up platforms, colorful barriers and planters under canopies and umbrellas that look like a small  oasis.New York Restaurants and COVID 19New York Restaurants and COVID 19New York Restaurants and CORVID 19
I don’t suppose this will work well in winter, but for now it offers an opportunity to eat out without going into a restaurant.

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Reveries and Recipes