Friday Night Lights: Schiacciata con L'Uva

Leave it to the Italians to put grapes on a pizza, though I have had champagne grape pizza at Grandaisy Bakery in NYC.

It truly is a special thing.

Schiacciata (pronounced ski-ah-CHA-ta) con L'Uva is an Etruscan grape bread or pie and is made to celebrate the grape harvest in Tuscany in the fall.

No grape harvest here and no Concord grapes to be found, so red grapes will have to do!

I tried Mario Batali's recipe but added cooked fennel along with the fennel seed.



I sliced a small fennel bulb super thin and sauteed it in olive oil and added a few fennel seeds for a nice anise flavor.



Many traditional versions of this yeast bread recipe use rosemary instead of fennel.
I will certainly be trying them both!

You can use purchased pizza dough to make life easier.

Rub some olive oil over the dough.
Slice grapes in half and lay them over the dough, open side down, pushing the grapes down into the dough so some of the juice gets on the bread.
Spread some of the cooked fennel around and sprinkle with sea salt.



Bake at 450F for 12-15 minutes, until pizza looks done.
Garnish w/ fennel fronds if you like.



This was lovely served with Friday night antipasto along with cheese and olives and a nice bottle of vino.

What's for Dinner: Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry

Frozen shrimp saves me during the week when I get home too late to think about dinner.

The shrimp defrost so quickly under cold running water and I can either grill them or toss them with a pasta.

Think, think, as I was driving home. What can I do with those frozen shrimp tonight?

I had some asparagus in the fridge, so a stir fy it was going to be.

I used Trader Joe's Soyaki sauce and the world was right again.



Stacey's Easy Stir fry w/ Shrimp & Asparagus:

1 lb. bag of frozen shrimp, defrosted and shells removed (I slice them in half when using the jumbo shrimp)
1 bunch of asparagus, woody stems discarded. Good pieces and tops sliced into 1" pieces on the bias and steamed
peanut oil
2 garlic cloves, sliced or chopped into decent size pieces (not too small or they will burn)
shake or 2 of red pepper flakes (gives it a nice heat)
1/4 cup of Trader Ming's Soyaki or Soy Vey sauce (any Asian marinade that you like)
2 Tbsp of sesame seeds
White rice or Jasmine rice for serving

Note: Here is the easiest and best part of this recipe (besides using bottled Asian sauce).
In a glass bowl, add a little water and steam your asparagus pieces in the microwave for 1 minute on high! They will finish cooking in the skillet.



In a heavy skillet or wok, heat a few tablespoons of oil and saute your garlic until fragrant.

Add the asparagus tips and pieces (make sure you get rid of the water after steaming them) and the hot pepper flakes.



Stir fry the asparagus with garlic about 3 minutes.
Remove the asparagus and garlic to a dish and set aside.

Add a little more oil and saute your shrimp for about 3 minutes until turning pink.



Now add the asparagus back into the pan with the cooked garlic and sprinkle with sesame seeds.



Add the sauce and turn heat down to low and simmer one minute.

Serve over white rice and everyone will think you went out for Chinese takeout!

On the Fly: Sweet & Savory

Here's the story, of a lovely lady,
who was busy making up 5 nice hors d'oevres.

All of them had toasted bread,
like crostini. Even some with herbs.

But then the lady burned the bread very badly.
She was pissed and didn't know just what to do!

But she always has a fresh baked loaf of datenut,
That is how she made this recipe up for you!

(If you didn't sing the Brady Bunch song in your head while reading that, then you are too young).

I always burn the crostini toasts. Always.

I walk away from the oven for only 2 minutes and they are ruined.
EVERY SINGLE TIME.
What is wrong with me? I need to sit by the oven and watch them. No more excuses.

But this time I was happy that I burned the bread.
Otherwise this recipe would never have come to fruition.

I had a party recently and was pressed for time, making all the last minute appetizers, and I was planning on that fantastic David Lebovitz fig tapenade for raisin crostini, however you know the outcome.

So.....I looked at the freshly baked datenut bread sitting on the counter, and decided sweet and savory it was going to be.

I cut the loaf into little jewel box squares, swiped with some tapenade, and little slices of cornichon pickle on top to create the most wonderful little appies.

So, if you happen to have datenut bread lying around, make these, they were so good!

David Lebovitz's Fig & Olive Tapenade:

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) stemmed & quartered, dried Black Mission figs
1 cup water
1 cup black olives; Nicoise, Lyon, or Greek, rinsed and pitted
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1 small garlic clove, peeled
2 anchovies, rinsed in warm water
1/2 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or thyme
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper and salt, if necessary

In a medium-sized saucepan, simmer the figs in the water for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Drain, reserving a few tablespoons of the liquid.

If using a food processor, pulse the pitted olives, drained figs, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, capers, and fresh rosemary to create a thick paste. Pulse in the olive oil until you've achieved a chunky-smooth paste. Season with black pepper and salt, if necessary. (The spread can be thinned with a bit of the reserved fig poaching liquid.)

If using a mortar and pestle (I used a meat tenderizer, because I don't have a mortar and pestle), mash the olives with the garlic, capers, and fresh rosemary. Pound in the drained figs. Once they are broken up, add the olive oil and season with black pepper, fig poaching liquid, and salt, if necessary.

Spread some of the tapenade on toasted raisin bread slices or in this case, datenut squares and top with a sliced cornichon pickle!



Necessity is the Mother of Invention!

Enjoy!

Another Tart? Yes

Yes, I am posting another tart.

Please don't judge me.

My friend Steve at My Favorite Flavours pointed out that I have 18 tarts on my blog and I may have a problem.

I love them, I can't help myself.
Savory tarts being my favorite.

With a basic custard recipe, you can turn anything into a beautiful light supper with a salad.

Tarts are not only delicious, but visually appealing as well.
You can use different size tart pans and decorate the top however you like.

I liked Eileen's idea of decorating the top with roasted peppers, so I followed her lead.
It made my usual spinach Gruyere tart just a little more special!



Basic Custard Recipe:

3 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1 cup of milk or heavy cream
salt & pepper

Whisk these ingredients together in a bowl, and there, you have your custard.
Easy.



The rest of the ingredients you will need:

1 large or 2 small red bell peppers (for roasting)
1 onion, sliced thin
1 package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted (make sure you squeeze all the water out)
salt & pepper
3 slices of bacon
1 cup of shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese

Roast a red bell pepper or two (if you have extras, save for sandwiches).
For easy roasting pepper method, click here.
Cut the peppers into thin strips and set aside.

1 recipe for savory pie crust or use a defrosted frozen pie shell.

Roll out your pie crust and press into tart pan with removable bottom. I like a deep dish tart pan to hold all the ingredients better. Keep the prepared tart pan in the fridge till ready to fill.

Fry up the bacon crisp and lay on paper towels to drain. Crumble into pieces.

Now in the same skillet, fry up your onion slices and add defrosted spinach at the last minute to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Set your prepared tart pan on baking sheet, so it doesn't leak all over your oven.
Lay the bacon pieces on the bottom of the prepared pastry.

Next layer with the onion spinach mixture.



Add your shredded cheese and mix in with the egg milk custard to combine.
Carefully pour over the spinach onion bacon mixture.



Fan the thinly sliced roasted red pepper slices decoratively around the top.



Bake in a 375F oven for about 30 minutes until golden and crust looks done.



Enjoy!

Perfect Filet Mignon with Anchovy Butter

Filet Mignon is a no brainer.

I usually don't buy my favorite cuts of meat, which are Porterhouse and Rib eye, because they are so expensive and if they don't come out just right (which often happens to me with meat), then they are ruined, and I have wasted all that money on good prime meat.

But the filet is forgiving. You can cook it accidentally too long, and it will still be juicy and tender.

The only downfall is that there is no bone for flavor, no fat for flavor and basically, no real FLAVOR, if you ask me!

As Anthony Bourdain says, "The filet is the Paris Hilton of steaks: no flavor and no personality".
Well said.

But here is a method to make the fancy filet mignon flavorful.

I buy the whole tenderloin when it is on sale and have the butcher cut it into steaks for me, then I freeze them.

I make a compound butter of anchovies and garlic and wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil to keep in the freezer for steak night (it's also great on grilled shrimp and broccoli!).

During the winter months, my favorite method to cook a steak is in a cast iron skillet w/ butter.
Just my opinion, but believe me, it is good.

In the summer, I like to grill them outdoors.

Take your meat out of the fridge one hour before cooking and season with kosher salt and lots of cracked black pepper. Keep at room temperature for one hour.

When your grill is hot, place your steaks on for 5 minutes (for 1 1/2" thickness).
Flip over, you should have nice grill marks, and cook another 4 minutes for medium.



When you remove them from the grill, let them rest on a platter for a few minutes so the juices redistribute. Place a slice of anchovy butter on top and sprinkle with fresh parsley.



I know it sounds so simple, but simple is best when it comes to food.

Enjoy!

Random Bites in the Desert

I snuck out for a few days last week for some desert sun and tequila tasting, but didn't tell anyone (except my husband), shhhh.

Arizona is my favorite winter/spring getaway. It's such a different vibe from NYC.





You can always depend on blue skies and hot sun with mountains everywhere you turn.
It's dependable like that.
You can also depend on some great food and terrific people.

Everyone says "good morning" (what a concept!).
The cashiers smile at you when bagging your groceries (you mean I don't have to bag them myself like I do in NJ?), and ask "how is your day going?", and actually seem to care about the answer.

Though New Yorkers are nicer than you think, we just don't have that laid back, take your time, have a nice day, the sun is shining attitude.
(But if you really needed a hand, there is no one like a New Yorker to give you GOOD directions though they might step over you in the street).



I stayed at the gorgeous Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and had the opportunity to meet Iron Chef Beau MacMillan, the head chef of Elements Restaurant, where I had fabulous lunches and dinners and great cocktails with the best view in the valley.



A tequila tasting at the new Prado Restaurant at the Intercontinental Montelucia, where I tried every Reposado (rested), Anejo (aged), Blanco (white), and every other premium brand of the Blue Agave based plant Mexican liquor.

I LOVED IT ALL. Scary.



The restaurant prides itself on using local ingredients, and uses a "slow food movement" philosophy, with an Italian flare.
The chef told me they use local produce and Colorado beef and buy directly from Arizona organic farms.
Though the prosciutto was domestic, from Iowa, it was very close to the real thing.



On to the Share Our Strength Great American Bake Sale hosted by Arizona food bloggers Theresa from The Food Hunter, and Janet from Ladue & Crew.



S.O.S. is a national campaign raising money so no child in this country ever has to go hungry.
There were some gorgeous treats, my favorites being the Fleur de Sel sables and the pistachio cranberry biscotti. It was a successful event and great to meet new friends in the Valley of the Sun.

Spiedini w/ Rosemary Skewers

Is it summer yet?
Can I officially use my grill on a nightly basis?

Well, I'm doing it anyway.

Spiedini is the Italian word for skewers of meat or fish cooked over a flame.
Not to be confused w/ spiedini alla Romana (bread and cheese skewers w/ anchovy sauce...yum!).

My poor rosemary bush from last summer did not make it thru the winter and was on its last legs. Time to get a new one. (Ah, the pleasures of living in the Northeast).

I decided to use all the nice woody stems as skewers for Friday night grilling.

Any combination of meat or fish will do for this recipe.
The rosemary oil is released on the open flame and imparts a wonderful flavor to any grilled meat.
I used chicken, shrimp and sweet sausage, along with red onion slices, because that's all I had left by the end of the week!

Make a simple marinade of grainy mustard, any vinegar or lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, garlic and a little honey.

Cut your sausage links (works best if the sausage is partially frozen when threading on to the skewers) into chunks, leaving the casings on (important, so they don't fall apart).

Cut boneless chicken breasts into 1" cubes, and depending on the size of the shrimp, cut in half, or leave whole.

Marinate the shrimp and chicken together in a bowl with the mustard mixture for up to an hour in the fridge. I don't marinate the sausage.

Make sure you soak the rosemary skewers in water for an hour, so they don't burn.



It sounds like a lot of steps, but it's so easy, I promise.

Now for the messy part.



Make sure each rosemary skewer has a sharp point at the bottom and thread chicken, sausage, shrimp and red onions, alternating meats, leaving enough room in between for thorough cooking.

On medium high heat, lay your spiedini on the grill and rotate 4 times, making sure the chicken is cooked thru on all sides and has nice grill marks. I can't tell you how long, just keep an eye on it, you'll know when it's done.



Let rest 5 minutes and serve. We slide the meat off the rosemary branches and serve over rice!



Have a nice weekend and enjoy!

Duck Confit & Lentil Salad

I have had these 2 cans of duck confit that I brought back from an Ile St. Louis specialty shop last September sitting in my cupboard, with high hopes of making a cassoulet this past winter.

However, winter has come and gone, and no cassoulet was made.

It is now spring, but feels more like summer, so you know the French duck, sausage and bean casserole will have to wait till next year's chilly temperatures.

Reading thru the Best of the L.A. Times Recipes, I found Regina Schrambling's recipe for a duck confit and lentil salad. It had the word salad and lentils in the title, and I was hooked.

I have been reading Regina's blog Gastropoda for years. She is a hilarious food writer and NYC restaurant critic who writes for various news publications and magazines, I had no idea that she actually cooked too!

I am also including Luisa's link to the recipe, because she shows a photo of the finished product as well as easier recipe instructions.



Make the lentil salad first:

1 cup of dried Lentils du Puy (French green lentils)
1 leek, white part only, diced or chopped
1 carrot, peeled and cut in half (I diced mine and kept it in the salad...read on)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole (to be removed later)
2 bay leaves

After you have sorted and rinsed your lentils, put them in a heavy pot with 2" of water to cover.

Add the chopped leeks, whole garlic cloves and carrots, 2 bay leaves, some salt and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 17-20 minutes until lentils are still a bit firm, not mushy.

Drain the liquid and remove the garlic cloves, bay leaves and carrots (I left my carrots in because I liked the color and flavor in a lentil salad).



Dressing:

2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons of champagne or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup hazelnut oil (I used olive oil)
salt and pepper

Whisk together to form an emulsion and add all but a tablespoon of the dressing to the warm lentils. Set aside.

Now make the duck!

2 pieces of duck confit (you can make your own w/ duck legs, click here for method)

Lay the duck legs on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil them 6 inches from the heat source, turning once, until the skin is well crisped and the meat is warmed through, about 10 to 15 minutes.



Using a fork and knife, shred or chop the meat and skin into rough pieces, trimming excess fat.



The rest of the salad ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped chives
1 tablespoon chopped tarragon (I did not use, not a big fan)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 small head frisée, washed, dried well and torn into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped hazelnuts



Add the meat to the lentils and mix well. Add the chives and tarragon and salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, toss the frisée with the remaining 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and distribute it among 4 salad plates. Top with the lentil mixture. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.

This is a great hearty main dish salad for any season.

C'est Magnifique! Bon Appetit!