Nonna cooks Pollo con Limone~

Recently, I received an e-mail from Alessandra filling me in on all the happenings back in Viterbo. I mailed the Feb House Beautiful with the article on our house (http://www.mark-leslie.net/2010-starts-with-a-bang) to them back in early January and, when I hadn’t heard from them, I sent an e-mail making sure that they had received the magazine.

Of course, they received it and loved the house and article. Alessandra had to translate the interview for Nonna and Lillo, who don’t speak English. Alessandra also reminded me that I hadn’t spoken to them since our visit in November… “Marco, sei un molto cattivo ragazzo—Mark, you are a naughty, naughty boy.” That is how Alessandra scolds me when I fall short of expectations. We both laugh and laugh when she says this, as if I have been caught sneaking a cookie out of the jar.

There are times when I miss being with the Stefanis—their humor, laughter, and good-nature. The video shows how much fun we have together. The first lesson I posted (http://www.mark-leslie.net/lesson-number-1) showed Nonna making the cabbage risotto that was served as the first course before she served the Chicken with Lemon.

In this video clip, she is telling me how she prepared the chicken:

            -Roast the chicken pieces in oil (sunflower oil). Nonna cuts her chicken into small pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, and each breast half into 2 pieces— for a grand total of 10 pieces).

            -Add salt.

            -Add white wine and cook until it is almost evaporated.

            -Add water and cook until it evaporates.

            -Add fresh sage.

            -Finish the dish with the juice of 1 lemon, a teaspoon of raw sugar, pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Nonna reminds me that she did not teach me this recipe when I lived with them in 2005, which is true. This was a new one for me. She said it is a recipe from her old house and the name of the dish is “Pollo con salsa piconnoti.” Now, I will admit that I did not understand the last name she said. It sounds like “piconnoti” but it could have been “biconnoti” as well—or some other variation. When I was living with them, I always had Nonna spell out every recipe title for me. I should have done that here, too. She and Lillo got into a discussion of what the name means and, sadly, I can’t understand what they were talking about. Remember, I only speak like a 2-year-old, so plenty still escapes me in everyday conversation.

Lillo and I go on to have a laugh about me having a restaurant with Nonna’s recipes and then we joke about me making a film of her cooking.

As I said earlier, they are great fun and I miss them. I hope you enjoy hearing what life is like when you are a student in a full emersion program (*). At times, it can be daunting, but being served wine with every meal certainly helps take the edge off!

Buon appetito!

Mark

(*) Here is the link to the full immersion program that I enrolled in: http://www.dantealighieri.com/italian_language_school_viterbo.html

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 Le presento Nonna~

The New Year has started and we are all in a deep freeze. It is time to warm up with a little video of Nonna.

To bring everyone up to speed: Nonna is the grandmother of the family that I lived with in Viterbo, Italy, in 2005 through a university program in Siena (http://www.dantealighieri.com/italian_language_school_viterbo.html). She is the reason why I have written my book (BEYOND THE PASTA: 28 Days of Recipes, Language, and Life with an Italian Family) and I hope it will be published so, at the very least, I can give her a copy. I really do enjoy cooking with her and I am crazy about the entire family.

The video is not very long, nor is it a full cooking lesson. It is a brief clip of Nonna explaining how she was preparing Riso con Cavolo—Rice with Cabbage. Both of us were a little preoccupied while I was shooting this. Nonna’s great-granddaughter was sitting in her highchair at the table, which had been set for lunch. Lillo, Nonna’s son-in-law, had pushed the highchair into the table because he thought we were about to sit down, but then he went upstairs to get something, and I started shooting the video. During the clip you will hear Thais, the baby, in the background and then you will see why we should always keep an eye on her.

Yikes! Thais waving around a steak knive—MAMMA MIA! We had no clue that Lillo had pushed her close enough to the table to be able to lean forward and grab a knive. Luckily, she didn’t hurt herself and Nonna noticed her quickly.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a glimpse of what my life was like with the Stefanis for the month of August in 2005. It should be easy to understand what Nonna was saying, even if you don’t understand Italian. There was nothing pretentious about my lessons and I really got to live a truly Italian life. Bellissimo!

 Two more videos of Nonna are coming soon and I will intersperse them with the days of our most recent trip to Italy. Venice is the next city we visited and I can’t wait to share it with you.

Buon Appetito!

Mark

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The house gets published~

2010 promises to be an exciting year and it has already started off with a big bang.

Our house has been published in the 2010 February “Makeovers” issue of House Beautiful magazine on news stands now. Yes, House Beautiful has already sent the February issue to its subscribers and some of our friends have already found it on sale in stores. Please check your favorite local store—whether it is a grocery store, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, Borders, or convenient store. If you cannot find it, ask the store when the 2010 February issue of House Beautiful will be appearing on their racks. Once you find it, buy it! There is no way to view the magazine on line and we’d love for our issue to sell out.

The article is entitled “Reimagining a Grande Dame” and appears on pages 66 through 75. Mimi Read (http://www.mimiread.com) wrote the article and insightfully brought to life the interviews that she did with each of us separately—I was in Hilton Head Island while Richard was home in Montgomery. William Abranowicz (http://www.williamabranowicz.com/HOME.html) photographed the house and it was thrilling to watch him work the natural light that floods our house. Peter Frank (http://peterfrank.com/) cleverly styled the house, arranging flowers and using items that we already had throughout the house. House Beautiful’s Design Director Scot Schy originally “scouted” our house and started the ball rolling, plus he is a genius with an iron. The architecture firm that Richard works for (www.mcalpinetankersley.com) repeatedly has their work featured in House Beautiful, both architecture and interior design.

For the photo shoot I made an Heirloom Tomato and Onion Tart and it can be seen on the kitchen island, page 71. I have included the recipe for it below (*). This is not the most opportune time of year to make a tomato tart, but we can all read it and dream of a warm summer and the taste of tomatoes. If you do happen to find delicious tomatoes now, make this recipe and enjoy a bit of summer in winter.

Enjoy our house and the rest of the articles in the 2010 February issue. If you’d like to write to House Beautiful and let them know how much you enjoyed the article on our house and this February issue, they can be reached at: readerservices@housebeautiful.com.

Thanks for indulging me on this slight diversion from the blog’s usual content. With the New Year, I have also slightly altered the blog’s format, which now includes a “Tags” section. This is a glossary of previous entries categorized by topics. The “Tags” appear on the right side of the blog below my bio. You can still scroll down and read beyond the most recent entry, but with the addition of the “Tags” listings, the blog can now be searched for common subjects between all the entries.

Ciao e a presto~

Mark

*Here is the recipe:

Heirloom Tomato and Onion Tart with Pancetta, Basil, and Mint

by Mark Leslie

3 large heirloom tomatoes (2 ¼ - 2 ½ pounds)

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 slices (approximately 5 ounces) ¼-inch-thick cut pancetta, cut into ¼-inch-thick cubes

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced into half-rounds

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

¼ cup chiffonade of fresh mint

2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs, divided

¼ cup chiffonade of fresh basil

1 (8 ounce) ball fresh mozzarella, cut into seven ¼-inch-thick slices

½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Deseed each tomato by slicing across just under the stem end, and using your finger or the handle of a spoon, remove the seeds from the tomato’s cavities, leaving the firm flesh walls of the tomato intact, and discarding the seeds and any of the tomato’s juices. Cut each tomato into ¼-inch-thick slices, liberally salt and pepper both sides of each slice, and place on three layers of paper towels to weep.

3. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the pancetta and cook until lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the onions and cook with the pancetta until the onions are soft and start to turn a light golden brown, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in the vinegar until well combined. Allow the mixture to cool in the pan.

4. Lightly butter a non-stick 10-inch tart pan with removable rim. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out until it is large enough to fill the tart pan. Fit it into the tart pan and trim off any overhanging pieces of pastry. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill for 10 minutes.

5. To assemble the tart, spoon the cooled onion mixture onto the chilled pastry, evenly distributing the onions and pancetta. Scatter the mint over the onion mixture. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon bread crumbs over the top. Overlap the tomato slices in a circular pattern, using the smaller slices to fill in the center of the tart. Scatter the basil over the tomatoes and evenly space the mozzarella slices on top of the basil. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon bread crumbs over the entire tart, followed by the Parmigiano. Drizzle with olive oil.

6. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the crust’s edge and mozzarella are golden brown. (Place a baking sheet on the rack below if the tart starts to drip while baking.) Remove the outer rim and let the tart cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes before slicing, and serving warm. The tart may also be left to cool completely before slicing and serving at room temperature. Serves 8 to 10.  

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Brrr…it’s getting cold in here. Well, not so much~

“Are you still going to eat that?” I can hear Ian’s voice in my head as I am about to descend from my room into the kitchen this morning. I am in Hilton Head, SC, finishing up a production of CABARET (http://artshhi.com) and my three roommates (Ian, Laura Beth, and Bruce) are in the cast.

Yesterday, I made a pasticcio (a baked egg casserole) for dinner. I had a package of frozen spinach and some toasted pine nuts in the freezer that needed to be used before I leave Hilton Head and return home to Alabama. In the fridge door, there was a ½ pint of heavy whipping cream, three eggs, and in the drawer I had some Grana Padano cheese. With all of those ingredients I thought a pasticcio would be the best way to use them all up. I would hate for any of it to go to waste.

I sautéed an onion and some garlic in olive oil, added red pepper flakes, the thawed and drained spinach, squeezing out all of the excess water, and about a ¼ cup of chicken broth (that was hanging out in the door, too). I cooked that mixture until all of the liquid had evaporated, stirred in the pine nuts, seasoned it with some Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper and removed it from the heat to cool.

I buttered an 11-inch, round shallow baking dish and in a separate small bowl beat the eggs and the cup of heavy cream together. Added a ½ cup of finely grated Grana Padano to this mixture and stirred until well combined. Once the spinach mixture was cooled, I spread it out in the bottom of the dish, poured the egg/cream/cheese mixture over the top and baked it in a 300-degree oven for 30 minutes. I let it cool on a wire rack. Perfetto! (Hint, hint~ I just gave you a recipe!)

I let it cool completely before wrapping it in plastic wrap, but I left it on the counter and did not put it in the fridge.

While I was living in Italy in 2005, the one thing that I almost immediately noticed was the lack of refrigeration—or, should I say the lack of use of refrigeration. Nonna always used the toaster oven as the overnight storage container for baked dishes. I was a little nervous, like Ian, that the food might have spoiled overnight. In America, we refrigerate everything immediately. Not so in Italy. I never got ill eating the leftovers that came from the toaster oven, or from under the paper towel that covered some things as they hung out on the counter while we slept, or from the covered pan on the stovetop that held the last remnants of our previous night’s pasta course. No one in the house flinched, no one was ever ill, and I soon got over my fear of a bacteria-ridden lunch. At the grocery store I noticed the same lack of use of refrigeration. Eggs were not refrigerated. The cartons were stacked on shelves on the aisle’s end-cap—the non-refrigerated end-cap shelves. Also, there was not a huge number of cartons, either. Nonna and I went to the grocery store rather late one day and all the eggs were gone. Can you imagine walking into a grocery store in America and having the refrigerated egg case completely empty? Or, better yet, seeing the egg cartons sitting out on an unrefrigerated display? That store would be out of business in a week. In Italy, however, that is not the case.

In some way I guess that over-refrigeration only leads to higher energy usage and to eventual spoilage from the unused overhead. I wonder if Italian grocery stores have less waste than their American counterparts. Hmmm, I don’t know.

Anyway, I am about to head downstairs and put the wrapped, leftover pasticcio into the fridge. I can hear Ian clunking around in the kitchen and I wonder if he’ll say anything about the dish being left out over night.

I guess I’ll soon find out~

Ciao e a presto,
Mark
(**FYI- the photo is of our refrigerator (http://www.subzero.com) back home in Montgomery. I do miss it!)

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Cream Filling (single batch):
4 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
2 egg whites
Pinch Salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream
18 ounces mascarpone, room temperature

For assembly:
2 (7.05-ounce) packages of ITALIAN lady fingers (not all will be used). I used Vicenzi brand “Vicenzovo”
purchased at the World Market store.
6 double espressos (not 12 single espressos, but 6 double espressos). Do not use coffee (it is not strong
enough).
Unsweetened cocoa, to dust over top

NOTE:
For an 11x13” casserole or cake pan I make a DOUBLE batch of the cream filling. If you use a smaller pan (8”x10”) you can use a single batch of cream filling. But, I recommend the 11x13 and a double batch of cream filling. Regardless of pan size: You do not have to double the lady fingers or espresso amounts for a double batch of filling. You just need the extra filling due to the size of the pan. Otherwise, the tiramisù isn’t moist enough.

PREPARATION DIRECTIONS:
-Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed until the sugar is dissolved and the egg yolks are light in color (5-10 minutes). Make sure the sugar is dissolved, otherwise the cream will be grainy.
-In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks.
-In a chilled bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peaks.

-Add mascarpone, a quarter at a time, to the egg yolk/sugar mixture beating until smooth with each addition.
-Using a spatula, carefully FOLD the egg whites into the egg yolk/mascarpone mixture. Do not over mix or you will deflate the egg whites.
-Using a spatula, carefully FOLD the whipped cream into the egg yolk/mascarpone/egg white mixture.

TO ASSEMBLE:
-Spread some of the cream mixture in the bottom of the pan. Only a thin layer is needed here.
-Place the double espressos in a small container (I use a shallow, square Zip-Loc/Glad disposable container). Dip each ladyfinger, one at a time, into the espresso. The secret is to put the ladyfinger in, turn it over, and immediately remove it from the espresso shaking off any extra drops of espresso. Do NOT let it soak in the espresso. The ladyfingers are amazingly absorbent. SO, it is literally: into coffee, turn, remove, shake off and then place on top of the cream layer in bottom of the pan. Place the ladyfingers next to each other so they touch. At the end of the pan, break the ladyfingers (before you dip) to size to fit the last row.
-Spread a layer of the cream mixture (1/3) over the ladyfingers (this can be a thicker layer than the bottom).
-Dip and layer another row of ladyfingers TURNING AND LAYERING THEM IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION from the first layer. Again, break the ladyfingers at the end if necessary to make them fit.
-Spread another layer of the cream mixture (another 1/3).
-Dip and layer the final row of ladyfingers turning and layering in THE SAME DIRECTION as the first layer but make sure the broken ladyfingers are at the opposite side of the pan from the first layer.
-Top with remaining cream (the last 1/3).
-Dust top with a solid layer of cocoa so the cream is no longer visible.
-Refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours to allow the ladyfingers to absorb the cream. Actually, 8+ hours is best.

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