Browsing Tag

eggs

Mario Batali’s Ricotta Frittata Recipe

From the Food and Wine classic in Aspen, Colorado, this video with chef Mario Batali features his recipe for a delicious frittata with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.

Mario sings the praises of farm fresh eggs versus store bought, an important component of a perfect frittata. What exactly is different about them? Besides the obvious age factor, farm fresh eggs tend to have a richer flavor, and are fluffier when cooked. If the chickens are eating greens, the yolks from the farm will have a darker yellow color, a result of carotenoid plant pigments called xanthophylls.

We wrote an earlier post on the origins of the frittata here.

Read on for the recipe and more eggy musings!
Continue Reading

Breakfast Recipes

Chef Lidia Bastianich, Spring Snow, and Asparagus with Eggs

Chef Lidia Bastianich, of the PBS cooking series “”Lidia’s Italy”, celebrates spring and asparagus in this video filmed in the spring snow! She prepares a simple breakfast or brunch of asparagus with eggs, scallions, olive oil, salt and pepper, served with a side salad.

Her asparagus tips? Lidia says to choose stalks that snap easily rather than bend, and she prefers the skinnier stalks to the fatter ones, for a more intense flavor. She shaves the outside of the bottom of the stalks with a peeler, as they tend to be tough and fibrous.

Watch CBS Videos Online

The written recipe is here.

Not just for breakfast, the Frittata!

A frittata is an Italian omelet, which, unlike a traditional omelet, is is served open rather than folded, and is typically started on the stovetop and finished in the broiler. Filled with meats, cheese, or vegetables, frittatas are an excellent avenue for leftover food. In Naples, Italy, frittatas (not surprisingly) typically also contain pasta.

It is thought by devoted food historians that the frittata has origins predating the omelet, and may have gained popularity in Italy during the observation of Lent. Traditional Italian frittata fillings include fontina cheese, garlic, nutmeg, italian sausage or ham, and sweet peppers. The American frittata craze is noted to have began in 1952, when the New York Times published the first frittata English language recipe.

Frittata’s are perfect for using random leftovers when your food stock is slim, and make an excellent impromtu meal.

In this video clip, owner and executive Chef Jay DeLong of Canape Specialty Chef Services in Seattle prepares a hearty cheese and veggie frittata recipe for a perfect anytime entree.