10/30/13 Potato Gratin with Mascarpone and Porcini Mushrooms
Italian Cookie Gifts Shipped Worldwide! Imagine the look on that special someone's face when they receive your homemade Italian cookie gifts, made to order, fresh and…straight from Italy! These gifts of great Sicilian taste are sure to please.
"I received my cookies and they are wonderful. I've been serving them to my friends and they think they're the best they've ever had. I served some to my 91 year old uncle who is Italian (as we all are) and he ate as many as he could and took the rest home. He said that at Christmas he doesn't want cigars, he just wants a box of your cookies. Ciao!" Mary Lou K. (Binghamton, New York)
"Gettare troppa carne al fuoco." (Throwing to much meat on the fire.) Welcome to another recipe edition from Angela's Organic Oregano Farm!
This week's Italian recipes:
-Fried Cardoons
-Potato Gratin with Mascarpone and Porcini Mushrooms
-Mushroom Ravioli in Porcini Broth
"Ciao bello!" Thanks for reading! We appreciate you stopping for a moment in your busy day to take a look at what Italian recipe could light up your kitchen with wonderful sights and aromas.
Thanks again for reading!
Yours Truly,
Angela Reina
Recipe: Fried Cardoons
Fried Cardoons
Cardi Fritti
Ingredients:
2 and 1/4 pounds cardoons (1 large bunch)
About 6 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons water
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions:
Discard any discolored outer stalks and small leaves from the cardoons.
Trim base, tips, and outermost stalks, removing strings from stalks with a vegetable peeler (as for celery), then cut cardoons crosswise into 2-inch pieces.
Soak cardoons in 2 quarts of water with 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl, chilled, at least 8 hours.
Drain cardoons.
Transfer to a 6-quart pot, then generously cover with cold water and add 2 tablespoons salt.
Bring to a boil.
Simmer, uncovered, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife, 20 to 25 minutes.
Drain on several layers of paper towels and cool 5 minutes.
Heat about 1 and 1/2 inches vegetable oil to 360?F in a 4 to 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat.
Whisk together flour and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl.
Whisk together eggs, water, and cheese in another shallow bowl.
Toss one fifth of cardoons (all at once) with flour, shaking off excess.
Transfer to egg mixture and turn with a fork to coat.
Lift out coated cardoons 2 at a time, letting excess drip off.
Carefully drop into hot oil.
When all of batch has been added, fry, turning occasionally, until golden, 2 to 4 minutes.
Transfer with a slotted spoon to fresh paper towels to drain.
Coat and fry remaining cardoons in 4 batches. (Return oil to 360?F between batches.)
Season with salt. Makes 8 appetizer servings.
That's it!
Recipe: Potato Gratin with Mascarpone and Porcini Mushrooms
Potato Gratin with Mascarpone and Porcini Mushrooms
Gratin di Patate con Mascarpone e Funghi Porcini
Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 lbs russet potatoes (about 5 large),
4 ounces dried Porcini mushrooms
1 and 1/2 cups mascarpone cheese (from about 1 and 1/2 seven-ounce containers)
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano cheese
1 cup whipping cream
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Directions:
Peel and cut the potatoes crosswise into 1/8-inch thick slices.
Place Porcini mushrooms and 1 cup boiling water in a medium bowl.
Place small bowl atop mushrooms to keep submerged.
Let soak 20 minutes.
Drain and coarsely chop mushrooms.
Melt butter with olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat.
Add mushrooms and saute until beginning to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Remove from heat.
Whisk 1/4 cup Parmigiano cheese, mascarpone cheese, whipping cream, garlic cloves and nutmeg.
Season with salt and pepper.
Preheat oven to 325?F.
Butter wide shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Arrange 1/4 of potato slices in bottom of dish.
Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
Scatter 1/4 of mushrooms over.
Repeat.
Spread half of cheese mixture over, shaking dish to settle.
Repeat with remaining potatoes and mushrooms in 2 layers each.
Spread remaining cheese mixture over.
Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmigiano cheese over.
Place gratin dish on rimmed baking sheet.
Bake gratin until top is brown and sauce is bubbling at edges, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Let gratin rest 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
That's it!
Recipe: Mushroom Ravioli in Porcini Broth
Mushroom Ravioli in Porcini Broth
Ravioli di Funghi in Brodo di Porcini
Ingredients:
8 ounces purchased fresh or frozen wild mushroom ravioli
2 ounces dried Porcini mushrooms (about 3 cups)
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onion tops
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, minced (about 3/4 cup)
3 cups water
Cheesecloth
4 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons dry Sherry
1 and 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions:
Bring 3 cups water to a boil in medium saucepan.
Add Porcini mushrooms.
Remove from heat.
Let soak until mushrooms are soft, about 20 minutes.
Place strainer over medium bowl.
Line strainer with cheesecloth.
Strain mushroom soaking liquid.
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat.
Add shallots.
Reduce heat to medium-low and saute until shallots are soft, about 5-6 minutes.
Add mushroom soaking liquid, then chicken broth, wine, Sherry, salt, and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Cook ravioli in large saucepan of boiling salted water until 'al dente'.
Drain.
Add ravioli to hot mushroom broth.
Ladle into bowls.
Sprinkle with green onion tops and serve. Makes 6 servings.
That's it!
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Scarlatti Recreated: Transcriptions and Hommages
An inspired & original project by Italian pianist Sandro Russo, Scarlatti Recreated presents 19 tracks which are transcriptions of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas and works inspired by and in the style of Scarlatti. These compositions for piano range from the 19th century to the present day, including 4 world-premiere recordings.
Sandro Russo displays his own inventive and masterful playing style on this collection of works by Enrique Granados, Carl Tausig, Louis Brassin, Carl Czerny, Ignaz Friedman, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Jean Francaix, Raymond Lewenthal, and Michael Habermann.
"Sandro Russo is a musician's musician, and a pianist's pianist. There is no technical challenge too great for him, but it is his musicianship that ultimately makes the greatest impression. His interpretations reveal a unique and profound artist at work." (Lowell Liebermann)
Only In Italy!
"Only In Italy" is a daily news column that translates & reports on funny but true news items from legitimate Italian news resources in Italy. Each story is slapped with our wild, often ironic, and sometimes rather opinionated comments. And now, for your reading pleasure, a sample of today's edition:
Sheep Upset Over Police Seizure of Marijuana
L'Aquila – October 2, 2013 – Italian police inspected a piece of farmland where a flock of sheep grazed on more than just the usual grass. The land was also used to cultivate marijuana plants.
The landowner had admitted to being the owner of the marijuana plants that were immediately eradicated and seized. The sheep lived and grazed where the marijuana plants were grown, and became accustomed to grazing on them.
When a drug police squad moved in on the sheep owner's land in Coppito, L'Aquila and started to remove the marijuana plants, the sheep suddenly became nervous and jittery. They followed the police officers carrying the 2-foot plants away and attempted to eat whatever they could.