Italians seem to possess an amazingly strong passion for food, much more so than the rest of the world.
There is a really great site, Italian Food Net, which serves up delicious authentic Italian recipe videos. Their chefs speak Italian in the clips, but they have done such a wonderful job with the subtitles and ingredient conversions that the recipes are simple to follow.
Some recipes are incredibly simple to make but somehow give the impression that you’ve spent hours slaving over them. This would be one of those! In the video, chef Alessandro prepares an Italian salmon carpaccio with oranges served over arugula. Head over to their site to view the written recipe, browse around a bit and pretend you’re a student in an Italian culinary school!
Tiny bites of ingredient education:
Carpaccio is defined as an appetizer using thinly sliced raw fish or meat.
The peppercorns used in the recipe are brined, Whole Foods should have them, you may need to look in the area where jarred pickles are.
The recipe calls for the greens “rocket”, and rocket = arugula!
Today we are featuring Executive Chef Eric Hulme of the CA based Tender Greens restaurants, in this quick and easy recipe of wild mushroom bruschetta on ciabatta bread, topped with manchego cheese.
For this simple appetizer you will need: 2 cups of your favorite mushrooms, chopped garlic, chopped shallot, rosemary sprigs, butter, olive oil, 1/4 cup both chicken stock and white wine, 3 slices of ciabatta bread, and shredded manchego cheese. (If you haven’t tasted manchego cheese, you’re in for a treat! This slightly salty Spanish sheeps milk cheese has a gorgeous, buttery, nutlike flavor. You should be able to find it in your local supermarket, or Whole Foods.)
Also feel free to check out this recent post which discusses the history, legends, and correct pronunciation of bruschetta.
What to do when unexpected guests stop by? Uncork a bottle or two of wine, and serve a quick appetizer, relax, and enjoy. Small finger foods are a wonderful option, and are perfect for the coffee table or the patio tray. In this video, Chef Eric Ripert creates scrumptious warm fresh goat cheese truffles blended with herbes de Provence and breadcrumbs, a simple treat that will take you less than 10 minutes to execute.
P.S. Did you ever wonder exactly what herbes de Provence is? Consisting of thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, rosemary, savory, fennel, and often lavender, this delicious mixture varies by the manufacturer. Pronounced “EHRB duh proh-VAWNS” the spice plants are abundant in southern France in the summer, and can be used to season anything from meats, fish, fruits, and even vanilla ice cream. You can grow your own, mix your own recipe, or simply buy a spice blend. Our favorite online spice shop (and no, it’s not because of the name!) is the Savory Spice Shop, which we discovered in Downtown Denver several years ago and have been devoted to ever since. Owners Mike and Janet Johnston offer freshly ground spices, blends, recipes, and even classes if you are lucky enough to live in the Denver area. We highly recommend them!
Savory Tv loves cheese as an appetizer. Are you planning a cheese tray for your holiday party, and looking for tips beyond the ordinary as we are? We love this helpful video from cheesemonger and author of The Cheese Primer Steven Jenkins, as he discusses the perfect cheese appetizer plate with Serious Eats, which includes a combination of sheep, goat, and cow cheeses. He recommends staying fairly mild to please all of your guests, and to choose no more than 3 to 4 cheeses, and ensure that all are different from each other in both texture and flavor. Steve says to opt for cheeses that are unique, primitive, or rustic in appearance. In the video, he chooses a few of his favorites, including a Poitu Chevre (goat – France), a Tomme de Cabrioulet (raw goat – France), Torta del Casar (sheep – Spain), Serpa (raw sheep – Portugal), and a Smokey Blue (cow – US) from Oregon’s Rogue Creamery that has been smoked with hazelnut shells.
What is a cheesemonger exactly? Basically a cheese expert. Although not having the strict educational requirements as a sommelier has for wine, cheesemongers often are top experts in their field, and are well respected and appreciated in the culinary world. In our world of chain stores and the sad decline of Mom and Pop, cheese mongers can be tricky to find if you are not in a large metropolitan area. Our best advice is to Google “cheesemonger” (or “cheese shop”) and the name of your city, and to search the message boards at Chow.com. You can also ask your favorite restaurant chef if he has suggestions for a reliable source. The best shops will encourage tasting and help you with wine pairings.
For more cheese suggestions, absolutely check out these great cheese plate tips and recipe ideas from chef Michael Chiarello. Michael recommends soft and aged goat cheeses, Teleme, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Gorgonzola, Camembert, to serve with bread, and offers wine pairing and plating suggestions.
Do you have a favorite cheese that your party guests love? Let us know please in the comments section!
Jacques Pépin is truly one of our favorite chefs of all time. Author of 25 cookbooks and host of over 300 cooking shows on public television, his elegant recipes and detailed instructions command a deep level of respect from both home cooks and culinary experts throughout the world.
In this video from Food & Wine magazine, Jacques and his daughter Claudine prepare a 10 minute recipe of cured salmon gravlax pizza, a quick and delicious appetizer that would bring holiday cheer to your Christmas party with minimal effort!
What is gravlax you ask? Scandinavian in origin, gravlax literally translates to “salmon dug into the ground”. In the middle ages, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Estonian fisherman had a special technique to cure their freshly caught salmon. They salted it and fermented it (to preserve the fish) by burying it into the sand for several days. Modern preparation of gravlax is much simpler, thinly sliced salmon is simply cured with a dry rub of salt, sugar, and often dill.
Jacques Pépin’s recipe for salmon gravlax pizza calls for the following ingredients: thinly sliced raw salmon, kosher salt, pepper, brown sugar, sour cream, horseradish, a cooked thin pizza crust (you may use a frozen pizza dough to prepare this), thinly sliced red onion, black olives, capers, and basil.
Salmon Gravlax Pizza
Chef Jacques Pepin
For the gravlax:
½ pound skinless boneless salmon fillet
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A little oil
For the pizza:
1 flour tortilla
Olive oil
¼ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon horseradish, homemade or store-bought
¼ cup red onion, sliced very thin
6 black oil-cured olives, pitted and cut into pieces
7 or 8 fresh basil leaves
Fleur de sel, for garnish
Directions
For the gravlax, cut the salmon into 8 thin slices, and arrange them in a single layer on a flat plate or platter. Mix together the kosher salt, light brown sugar, and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle half of this mixture evenly over the salmon slices, turn the slices over, and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture. Spread a thin coating of oil on the slices, just enough to make the salmon shiny, and press a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the salmon. Refrigerate to cure; it will be ready in an hour or less, although you can leave it overnight or even up to a day. (We are using only 4 slices of gravlax on our pizza. Make a second pizza, or enjoy the leftover gravlax with cucumber and/or sliced onion and buttered black bread.)
Preheat the oven to 500°F. Precook the tortilla for this pizza. Coat the tortilla with olive oil, using about ½ teaspoon on each side. Place the oiled tortilla on a cookie sheet and, to prevent it from curling up and bubbling in the oven without the weight of toppings to hold it down, place a rack or cake stand upside down directly on top of the tortilla. The rack will hold it flat as it cooks. Bake for about 5 minutes to brown the tortilla nicely and make it crisp. Let cool before continuing.
When the tortilla is cool, coat with the sour cream, and then spread on the horseradish. (My friend Claude has enormous and pungent horseradish in his garden that he peels, grates, and puts in a jar with a little vinegar, salt, and water.) Arrange 4 slices of gravlax on top, so the salmon covers most of the surface, although it’s attractive if a little sour cream shows through here and there. Sprinkle the sliced red onion on top, and then scatter the olives over the surface. Finally, coarsely tear the basil leaves into pieces, and top the pizza with the basil. Cut the pizza into 8 pieces. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.
Colorful, warm, hearty, vegetarian and simple, Mark Bittman‘s artichokes provençal is a strong contender for the perfect holiday appetizer. In this video, Bittman shares his special recipe of braised baby artichokes, garlic, black olives, thyme, and small tomatoes garnished with parsley. Serve it with slices of warm buttered baguette, and prepare yourself for praise!
Our series of holiday appetizer videos are designed to help your winter party be the smash of the season! Serving a variety of gourmet appetizers will ensure you please the pickiest Christmas party epicures, and we love this video featuring Italian chef Mateo from Academia Barilla whipping up a decadent yet simple Italian eggplant and prosciutto starter. Check it out!
Rolled eggplant with prosciutto and pecorino cheese
Chef Mateo Carboni
Serves 4
1 eggplant,
12 slices ham (prosciutto)
3 oz Academia Barilla Pecorino Gran Cru (an Italian sheeps milk cheese)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
chives to taste
salt to taste
Preparation
30 minutes preparation
First slice the eggplants, then spread some extra virgin olive oil on both sides of each slice before grilling them for two minutes max on a pre-heated grill.
While the eggplant slices are still hot off the grill, sprinkle some grated Pecorino cheeses, then pair the slice with a slice of Prosciutto di Parma, and carefully roll them together, using chives to secure each roll, adding a final touch of flavor and presentation.
Author and Master Chef Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine show us their family French recipe of fromage fort, meaning “strong cheese” in English. This creative appetizer utilizes all of the random small pieces of cheese that you may have stashed in your fridge! Use camembert, swiss cheese, goat cheese, brie, or whatever you happen to have available. Combined with white wine, garlic, and pepper, the end result is a warm cheese blend that may be served on baguette toast or crackers for a heavenly appetizer or snack.
1/2 pound cheese pieces
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup dry white wine
Black pepper
Salt
Put 1/2 pound of cheese pieces in the bowl of a food processor, add 1 garlic clove, about 1/4 cup of dry white wine and a big grinding of black pepper. Salt is usually not needed, but taste the mixture and add some if it is. Process for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is creamy but not too soft, and then pack it into small containers. The fromage fort is now ready to use. You may serve it cold or spread on bread and broiled for a few minutes. Broiling will brown the cheese and make it wonderfully fragrant.
Although winter squash can be purchased year round in markets, now is the peak squash season for most of us with gardens. When harvesting winter squash, look for heavy squash with a skin that is glossy and free from cuts or soft spots. Most winter squash (with the exceptions being acorn, dumpling, and delicata) will benefit from a curing stage, which is simply a room temperature storage for ten to twenty days.
Winter squash is high in vitamins A, C, potassium and fiber, as well as the antioxidant lutein.
(As with pumpkin, the seeds of most winter squash can be roasted for an excellent snack! Known as Pepitas in Mexico, you can make these by rinsing the pulp from the squash or pumpkin seeds and allowing them to dry. Add butter or oil to a skillet on medium low heat, add the seeds, chopped chipotles or chipotle powder, and a dash of brown sugar, and stir frequently for about 5 minutes until the seeds puff. Serve with salt and a squeeze of fresh lime. )
Now onto the recipe! Chef Keith Snow from Harvest Eating shows you how to make a hearty butternut squash soup using apples, chicken stock, fresh nutmeg, celery, and onions, garnished with chopped chives.
Chef Snow does have a full written recipe for butternut squash soup on his site which you can view here, which is slightly different from the video recipe.
We’ve transcribed the video recipe instructions as follows:
Butternut Squash Soup
1/2 diced onion
1 small diced apple
1 stalk of celery chopped
2 cups of water
fresh nutmeg, one pinch
raw butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 garlic clove chopped
(optional: 1 tbs fresh ginger grated)
organic heavy whipping cream 1/2 cup
2 cups of organic chicken broth
3 tbsp of organic butter
chopped chives for garnish
salt
pepper
Melt butter in a saucepan, add the chopped celery, onion, garlic, ginger if desired (optional), salt, and pepper. Sweat this mixture over medium low heat while stirring for approximately 5 minutes. Add the diced apple and squash, water, and chicken stock. Simmer the mixture for 20 minutes until the squash is softened. Add the cream and a pinch of nutmeg, taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Use a stick blender, and blend until smooth. Ladle into bowls, and add a dollop of chopped chives for garnish.
