Had a busy cooking weekend. Where to start? lol. Since this topic is Italian, I’ll start with an Italian dish I made last night… MERLUZZO IN PADELLA…such a popular dish in Southern ITalian culture and many ItalianAmericans know it as a dish that shows up on Christmas Eve. Merluzzo is fresh Cod, Baccala’ is dried salt cod, both versions show up in a simmering pan of Tomatoes, Olives, Garlic, Wine, Peperoncino.
I JERSEY-ED this up using some ripe locally grown tomatoes from Matt’s Farm Market in West Belmar. the Cod was beautiful and fresh, from New Hampshire via Local 130 in Asbury Park. Instead of the usual peperoncino to spice it up…I used 1/2 a fresh Hatch Chile, finely diced. A friend in Denver sent me 10 lbs!! A memorable Saturday night dinner, ITalian style.
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oh there’s capers in there too.
Restaurant Passerini in Paris still encourages this kind of meal, albeit I haven’t noticed fruit as a course. Heartily recommend. http://www.passerini.paris/
and re fruit, one of the joys of meals in small restaurants in Italy was the presentation of a bowl of whole fruit in ice water at the end of a meal. The fruit was not what you’d find in a US supermarket, or even farmer’s market. It was usually quite small, often oddly shaped, what we might classify as “seconds”. But the FLAVOR!!! Every apple, pear, cherry was the essence of that fruit, unadulterated by chemical fertilizers and pesticides. I wonder if this custom and, indeed, product exists today.
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Interesting about the fruit. I’ll ask our Italy dwelling friends when we see them soon if fruit is often offered in this manner. (We typically visit in the colder months, usually in conjunction with a conference or business trip.)
Matt’s has the best tomatoes around. I buy pounds of their plum tomatoes every time I pass. I roast and freeze them to get me through the winter.
Their corn is pretty damn good too.
Also quite normal in Portugal, though not in ice water but simply in a huge bowl or basket. Many Portuguese eat fresh fruits after a big meal. The restaurants have them ready on a big table somewhere. Always, neatly positioned and nicely presented.
They don’t tell tourists this option, however. You have to ask.
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I would like to tout a superb Italian market that some of you might find convenient, even worth a joy-ride. Russo’s Italian Market in Reading, PA is a supermarket entirely stocked with Italian product. Several aisles of pasta, a long aisle of tomatoes alone, condiments and seasonings. If you’re there in person, a huge deli and prepared food selection, bakery. Online orders also.
They take their work seriously. When I was noticed taking pictures of the beautifully arranged aisles, I suddenly found several men approaching from different directions, asking my intentions and telling me that they didn’t allow photos. They soon decided I was a civilian.
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Pilgrim, do you knead your dough by hand or use a food processor? I have done it both ways but I never seem to get just the right texture with the processor, even if I do a few minutes by hand at the end.
By hand.
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So you don’t use any tomatoes in Italian cooking? After all they were not introduced until the 16th century so they aren’t authentic or classic. Do you perhaps mean old? What is your threshold? 500 years? 100 years? Or just what is in your own recipe file?
Chicken thigh. Flavored with lemon, garlic, white wine , and capers . White beans with tomato.
Wine to drink .
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There is something magical about that combo, especially if you add some sausage or another pork product. Looks delicious.
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last few times I visited Costco, they did not have mussels. Asian stores do carry them but I hate cleaning the hair! Looks delish!
Mussel Season is beginning in Spain and goes through February and just returned from Marseille … They are in Mussel Season now …
Plump and simply divine … Restaurant Le Petit Nice, Marseille.
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Nice plate. Very nice.
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Yes, it was quite lovely …
Have a wonderful weekend.
