cia – Page 161 – Writing With My Mouth Full

Grilled Squid with Parsley and Caper Salad

Adapted from a delicious. Magazine recipe using caperberry

Ingredients:
4 squid hoods, cleaned
1 small bottle of capers
a handful of flat parsley, finely chopped
1 preserved lemon, sliced thinly
red wine vinegar
croutons
olive oil

1. Rub the squid all over with olive oil. Heat a chargrilled pan and cook for 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat, drizzle with more olive oil and sprinkle with some of the parsley.
2. Combine the rest of the parsley with the lemon slices, capers and croutons. Toss with red wine vinegar and serve with the squid.

Banana Fritters with Caramel Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

Adapted from delicious. Magazine

Ingredients:
4 small bananas, halved lengthwise
1 cup flour, sifted
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 tbsps unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup thin cream
3 tbsps brown sugar
French vanilla ice cream
salt
oil for frying

1. Make caramel sauce. In a small pan, melt butter and stir in sugar, thin cream and vanilla over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Stir ocassionally until syrup is thick. Set aside.
2. Place the flour, turmeric and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Whisk in a little bit of water until combined but not too much to avoid toughening the batter.
3. In a deep frying pan, heat some canola oil. When ready to fry, dip banana pieces in batter and fry for 1 minute per side. Turn and fry for another minute. Drain on paper towels, serve with ice cream and top with caramel sauce.

Coffee Panna Cotta

Adapted from an Everyday Italian recipe using espresso

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 tsps unflavored powdered gelatin
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 tbsps of coffee powder
1/4 cup sugar
a pinch salt
1 small white chocolate bar and 1 small dark chocolate bar, for garnishing

1. Place the milk in a heavy, small saucepan. Sprinkle the gelatin over and let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Stir over medium heat just until the gelatin dissolves, but the milk does not boil, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the cream, coffee, sugar, and salt. Stir over low heat, until the sugar dissolves, about 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
3. Pour the cream mixture into 2 martini glasses, dividing equally. Cover and refrigerate, stirring every 20 minutes during the first hour. Chill until set, at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
4. When ready to serve, use a vegetable peeler to shave about 1 tablespoon each of the white and dark chocolate shavings. Sprinkle the shavings over each panna cotta and serve.

Italy: Cianbotta or Cianfotta

Lisa’s dad said that this Italian version of ratatouille has two names, depending on whether you live in the south of Italy or the north. Whether you grew up calling it cianbotta or cianfotta, it means “tasteful and colorful.” It’s a rural dish that farm folks learned to make after experiencing the hardships caused by the second World War. Lisa’s mom remembers this as very delicious and nutritious; the vegetables taking the place of meat, which was unaffordable during those times. Even though the recipe still represents poverty to a lot of the older generation, it’s a comfort food that evokes unforgettable childhood memories. Harold McGee recommends you salt the eggplant pieces after you slice them. This draws out the moisture and collapses their spongy texture, so they don’t absorb all the oil when you start cooking them.

Ingredients:
1 large red bell pepper
6 small red-skinned potatoes
3 plum tomatoes
1 zucchini
1 eggplant
1 large onion
a handful of fresh basil leaves
olive oil, salt and pepper

1. Cut all vegetables into 1/4-inch pieces. In a small pot, boil potatoes in salted water until half cooked. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and cook until soft. Add potatoes and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Add the rest of the vegetables including the basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Enjoy as a side dish or as a main course, served with fresh Italian garlic bread.

Cooking The World: Global Gastronomy

So I need your help. Starting July 2006, I’m going to be cooking. A lot. More so than I do now. The idea is to cook a traditional family recipe from someone’s country. I’d like to represent as many countries as I can. I want to learn more about other cuisines but at the same time, I also want to go in search of new ingredients in New York City. I don’t have a name for the project yet so I could use some suggestions for that, too. Send me an email with your family recipe and I’ll add it to my list. If you can attach your personal story with it, that would be great. I’d like to understand where it’s coming from.

Update: Thank you for all your suggestions and recipes so far. Keep them coming!

A lot of you suggested naming this project The World on a Plate but after some Googling, I found out that the name is already being used. I also like the Around the World idea but I’m keeping the category name to group the entries under it as Cooking the World–for now–because I wanted the verb “cook” in there. Someone else suggested Global Gastronomy and even though gastronomy is such a huge word, it gave me an idea to add my own notes and research to each of my entries. I’ll be studying and learning at my own pace throughout this project, too, so I think all the interdisciplinary activities involved in gastronomy might apply.

I honestly don’t know where this will go but join me as I search for recipes from all over the world and listen to the stories attached to them through friends and acquaintances.