Foccacia Pugliese

Francesco Mucci hails from Puglia and brings the region’s specialties to his restaurant in Sarasota, called Vino Vino. All of Italy takes great pride in their breads, and Puglia is no exception!

Here is his special recipe:

Focaccia Pugliese

- 2.2 lbs. fine durum wheat flour (semolina)

- 1 tsp of active dried yeast

- 3.5 cups water

- 3.6 tsp. salt, plus extra for sprinkling

- Extra virgin olive oil for oiling and drizzling

- Cherry tomatoes, cut in half

- Handful of breadcrumbs

- About 1 tbsp. dried oregano

In a large bowl, combine the flour, yeast, water and salt. Knead the dough for a few minutes until it comes together. Place the dough in a bowl oiled with olive oil and leave in the fridge for 24 hours to rise.

Roll out the dough on a floured surface, folding the dough in half, turning 90 degrees, folding in half again, turning 90 degrees and folding in half a third time. This adds strength and elasticity to the dough. Roll it out to a thickness of about 2 cm and place the dough in a large rectangular baking tray dusted with breadcrumbs, spreading to the edges. Arrange the cherry tomato halves on the top of the dough. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle salt and oregano on top. Let it rise for another hour.

Place on the bottom rack of a hot oven (220ºC) for 15 minutes (this helps the bottom get nice and crisp), then move to the middle rack and continue baking a further 10 minutes. It should be golden and crisp when completed. 

Tuscany

Lucca is a captivating city in Tuscany, Italy which blends rich history with delectable cuisine. Possibly dating back to 180 B.C., the city on the Serchio river is famous for the still-standing Renaissance wall surrounding the city. Within these walls is a famous restaurant for tourists and locals alike called “La Buca de Sant Antonio.” We had the opportunity to visit this historic establishment, which originally opened in 1782 and was revived after World War II. The Barbieri and Pacini families still run the restaurant and greeted us with great warmth and incredible food.

The Tuscan diet reflects the Mediterranean Diet model, which emphasizes how a variety of nutrients can be consumed in a balanced diet - even sweet treats and wine. The use of olive oil, whole grains, lean proteins, and fresh vegetables are a hallmark of this diet and align with Lucca’s culinary offerings. Tuscany is known for antipasti, where cured meats, artisanal cheese, and bruschetta with fresh tomatoes and olive oil are staples in any meal. Lucca is known for the pasta dish “pappardelle al cinghiale,” pasta with wild boar sauce. A regional specialty in Tuscany is “bacala alla lucchese,” a local fish dish with salted cod, tomatoes, olives, and herbs. Tuscany is also renowned for its wines, and Lucca is no exception – Chianti or Sangiovese are commonly enjoyed. The city invites tourists and locals alike to savor the flavors of Tuscany while strolling through historic streets.

Buon appetito!

- AIFC Co-Chair Susan Molinari

Emilia-Romagna

Susan and Lucy had the opportunity to attend the NIAF gala once again, which honored the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.  Emilia-Romagna is a region renowned for its delectable cuisine; it has earned a reputation as the “Food Valley” of Italy. The region is celebrated for producing some of the world's culinary treasures, including Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, balsamic vinegar from Modena, and Prosciutto di Parma. Emilia-Romagna's culinary prowess extends to its seafood dishes along the Adriatic coast, where fresh catches are transformed to delectable meals. Bologna is the capital of this region, and it is where Bolognese sauce originates. This inspired Lucy to make her own sauce!

LUCY’S BOLOGNESE 

In my recipe it’s all about the meat; and several different kinds of meat.                                                                

I use ground beef, pork, veal, and pancetta. I start with a soffritto, though, using a generous blend of onions, carrots, and celery. The other ingredients are olive oil, white wine, garlic, squeezed whole tomatoes, beef bone broth, and other condiments, below. That’s it! The idea is to have a very thick, meaty dish. You can see this in the picture I took after preparing my Bolognese. Here’s my breakdown.                                                      

1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced 2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 ounces of pancetta, diced 1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground veal
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup dry, white wine
1 large can of whole tomatoes. 1 cup beef bone broth
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat half the olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrots and sauté until the carrots and celery are soft (they take a little longer to soften than the other ingredients). Remove the mixture and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and heat. Then add all the meats and cook for 5 minutes over moderate to low heat, stirring often until cooked (don’t let the meat get too done). While the meat is cooking, squeeze the tomatoes so that you have texture and liquid. Add back the vegetables to the pan. Add the wine, tomato mixture, bay leaf, the broth, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Stir and cook uncovered for 1 hour over low heat. 

I like Bolognese over lots of dishes, but if I’m serving pasta, it should be penne or rigatoni. They work well with this delicious meat sauce.                                                          

Bon Appetit !  

Veneto

We got to visit a wonderful Italian restaurant in Sarasota called La Violetta. It is owned by Emilio and Rosario Ferrara. The Ferraras came to the US from one of the food capitals, Parma. Parma is in Northern Italy’s Emilia-Romanga region, famous for its cheese and ham.

On our visit, they prepared for us a dish from the northeastern region of Italy, Veneto, called Baccalà Manecato! Baccalà Mantecato is a whipped fish spread often made with dried salted cod. The process of drying and salting food is known as the world’s oldest known preservation method. Baccalà is typically eaten during Christmas celebrations. Our presentation was also enhanced by the vehicle of grilled polenta. Baccalà is a simple, yet wonderful Italian dish that is often customized according to different family traditions.

Baccalà Mantecato is the symbolic recipe of the city of Venice. A dish known and appreciated all over the world, thanks to its simplicity and its unmistakable flavor. The long cooking makes the lean meat of this fish very tender, also thanks to the addition of milk which softens the strong taste typical of dried cod.

INGREDIENTS
Stockfish 800 g
Sunflower seed oil or extra virgin olive oil 500 g
2 bay leaves
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 cups milk

GARNISH
Parsley to taste
Black pepper to taste

PREPARATION
To prepare the Venetian-style Baccalà Mantecato:

Rinse the stockfish several times under cold running water, and remove the bones by pulling them out with tweezers. This step is easiest with raw stockfish. Cut the stockfish into large pieces and place it in a tall pan, preferably made of steel.

Add the bay leaf and pour in cold water and milk to cover the fish. From the moment the liquid boils, calculate another 30 minutes of cooking. While it is cooking, gradually remove the foam.

When the cod starts to fall apart it will be time to drain it. Transfer the fish to the bowl of a planetary mixer, mount the whisk, and operate it at medium-low speed.

Gradually pour in the seed oil, salt, and ground pepper to taste while running the fish mixes. Then, increase the speed and continue to work the mixture until it is creamy. It will take about 10 minutes in total in the mixer. Then, with the help of two spoons form the quenelles, arrange the quenelle on toasted croutons or polenta croutons.

Season with fresh chopped parsley and more ground pepper to taste.

Then, the Venetian creamed cod is ready to be tasted!

Note: Do you know the difference between cod and stockfish? It is still cod, but the method of preservation changes: in the first case, the fish is put in salt, while in the latter it is dried in cold air.

Lazio

Mangia Bene: Lazio

With Special Guest Sandi Stuart

Let me tell you a bit about our week at La Cucina Sabina, a cooking school/resort located about 40 minutes outside of Rome. This region of Lazio is known for its exceptional olive oil.

The villa where we stayed was originally the country home of a wonderful Italian family who lived in Rome, and is situated among olive groves. Giuseppe Micheletta and Michael Di Girolamo created La Cucina Sabina; Giuseppe is the son of the original owners. Here, the family grew olives and produced a superb extra virgin olive oil, Sabina DOP.

A few years ago, the eight-bedroom villa was renovated with updated bedrooms, in-suite bathrooms and a large “cook’s kitchen” was added for cooking classes. Chef Riccardo and Nonna Carla, along with guest chef, MargaretAnn Burchaell of St Pete, FL were our teachers.

We spent seven days and six nights at this delightful place: cooking, eating, walking around the countryside, and taking excursions to Orvieto, Rome, the Renaissance villa and gardens of Villa d’Este, as well as a wonderful winery in Umbria. There were 13 people in our group, each with a connection to the guest chef. Most of us did not know one another, but everyone got along beautifully and bonded over our scrumptious meals of meat, fish and of course, pasta and wines.

Lazio is a central region of Italy, home to its capital city, Rome. The region’s most famous and known cuisine is pasta, and sauces often contain guanciale, a cut of pork, or pecorino romano cheese. Spices are widely used, with some of the most common being the lesser cat-mint, squaw mint (commonly known as “menta romana”), laurel, rosemary, sage, juniper, chili, and grated truffle. Lazio is also home to unique meat dishes, such as saltimbocca alla romana, and abbacchio alla romana.

The dish I am featuring is a “deconstructed“ Ravioli with mushroom sauce. We made our own ravioli, as well as the sauce. What a difference freshly made pasta makes!

📍Rome

There are few foods that scream “Italy“ than gelato!  Gelato is a delicious frozen dairy dessert with less fat than traditional ice cream. It also churned at a slower speed than ice cream so it has less air, resulting in a very creamy texture. Gelato literally means “frozen” and is believed to have been created in the 16th century by Bernardo Buontalenti. Historians speculate two other Italians, Ruggieri and Coltelli, may have also played a role in its founding. However, it was Giovanni Basio who left his home in Genoa, Italy, and created a sensation in America with his new take on ice cream, what we now call gelato.  

Gelato grows in popularity every year.  Fortunately for me, I have a gelato store down the street! “Made in Rome” was started by couple from Rome. Massimo was born and raised in Rome, and Diane lived there for 30 years. Massimo’s family has been making gelato for over three generations, and they still use the very same recipe. While they make their gelato magic in America, they source their pistachios from Sicily and hazelnuts from Piedmont. All their ingredients are organic. 

Usually, we like to give you a recipe that you can try at home.  However, Diane and Massimo understandably wouldn’t give me their recipe. So hopefully, you have a gelato shop nearby! 

📍Piedmont

Hello again, lovers of Italian food! 

This month, I’ve explored the Piedmont (Piemonte) region of Italy, situated in the northwest corner of the country where it borders France and Switzerland. Piedmont’s largest city is Turin (Turino), which is steeped with history and boasts magnificent architecture. Piedmont holds several festivals and events throughout the year to celebrate everything from truffles to jazz, making the region a popular destination for both cultural and culinary enthusiasts. Piedmont is also known for some of Italy’s famous wines, produced from the Nebbiolo grape. 

Since Piedmont grows the best hazelnuts in the world, I zeroed in on a recipe for a cocoa Hazelnut flourless cake. Its gluten free and oh-so-easy to prepare.

I love to cook, but the recipes I’ve shared with you up to now are entrée dishes, which are my strength. Baking desserts has always been a challenge for me, so I was delighted to find this great recipe that only requires hazelnuts, cocoa, egg whites, and sugar. I found a recipe on the website christinacucina.com, and made slight edits that are inconsequential to the outcome. 

I did it! I baked the cake, and it was delicious…very rich…but mouthwatering! I hope you give it a try.

Ingredients

• 3 cups toasted, peeled hazelnuts. I toasted the hazelnuts by spreading them out on a parchment covered cookie pan, then roasting them in the oven for 15 minutes.

• 1 ¼ cup of sugar

• 2 Tbsp of dark, unsweetened cocoa

• 4 egg white

  Instructions

• Line a round cake pan, 8 inches across, with parchment paper. Butter and flour the pan.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Grind hazelnuts with sugar until fine. Be careful not to grind to a pasty texture. 

• Add cocoa.

• Beat egg whites to stiff peaks.

• Gently fold the hazelnut, sugar, cocoa mixture into the egg whites just until combined. Be careful not to overmix. 

• Pour into the cake pan and bake for about 30 minutes. 

• Put a toothpick into the cake. The toothpick should come out clean when done.

• Let the cake cool for 15 minutes.

• Pour warm chocolate sauce over the cake and/or serve with gelato.

📍THE AMALFI COAST

There are few places more beautiful than the Amalfi Coast. The only rival to the region’s breathtaking shoreline is the cuisine. 

The Amalfi coast is known for its rich history, architectural heritage, and stunning views of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The region is a popular hiking destination, with visitors scaling the rocky coastline to appreciate spectacular views. If hiking isn’t your style, boat tours to explore the hidden coves and beaches along the coast are popular as well. 

Naturally, there is an abundance of fresh seafood in Amalfi. Almost every restaurant includes linguine piled with vongole clams, olive oil, and a touch of garlic. Dishes like spaghetti alle vongole and fried anchovies are local favorites. However, after several days of meals from the sea, I was craving something different. While we were dining at La Caravella - the first restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star in southern Italy - the owner and head chef prepared a simple but incredible chicken dish that his grandmother had made for him as a young boy. He was generous enough to share the recipe with me, and I am happy to pass it along to you.

I am amazed by the power of food to bring us together across generations and around the world.

Buon appetito! 

Susan 

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Grandmother Marietta’s Chicken Dish

by Chef Antonio Dipino

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500 grams free-range chicken fillet

• 2 large slices of stale bread

• Basil

• Oil

• A sprig of parsley

• 8 lemon leaves (large and untreated)

• Pine nuts

• Rasins

• Seasoned provolone (grated)

• Brocoletti

Instructions

• Chop the meat with a knife, bread (softened in water), and finely chopped parsley. Add raisins and pine nuts and a few leaves of basil. Add salt and pepper.

• Let stand for 30 minutes.

• Before baking, place the dough in the center of the lemon leaf, roll up and close with a toothpick, then bake in the oven at 320 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

• Sauté the raw broccoli tops in a pan with garlic, oil, and chili pepper.

• Serve the lemon leaves in the middle of the plate, beside the sautéed broccoli.

📍NAPLES

Pasta e Lenticchie

Today I'll share a recipe from an area near Naples that straddles the Campagnia and Puglia regions of southern Italy.

The Naples area is famous for inventing Neapolitan-style pizza, a flatbread dish that is popular worldwide. If you visit Naples, be sure to see the Greek, Roman and Renaissance art and architecture. When I'm there, I feel as though a peek under nearly any building's flooring will reveal the ruins of an ancient or medieval civilization. Not too far east of Naples is the Puglia region of Italy, with its expansive wheat farms and olive groves. My recipe today understandably originated in this region of the country. An important reason Italy is known for its delicious cuisine is its use of fresh, nutritious, and locally sourced ingredients - And so it is with this recipe.

It's called Pasta e Lenticchie, or Pasta and Lentils - Neapolitan style. It’s easy to prepare, great for those who want lots of protein without meat, and for those who simply love pasta. My great grandfather Giancento Morfese (the Italian spelling of our name), and his sister, Filomena , both pictured below, no doubt cooked this dish and passed along the recipe to my grandmother, Lucia. And then she passed it along to my Dad...who passed it along to my brother, Bill, and me. A typical Italian American family tradition!

My brother, Bill Calautti, recently made the dish, after watching our Dad prepare it.  Bill prepared it in part from memory and in part from a cookbook.

Buon Appetito! 

- Lucy

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Pasta e Lenticchie

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lentils, either green or brown (It’s not necessary to soak the lentils - Just pick them over dry to discard the ones you don’t want to use. Dry lentils make this dish thicker and less like soup.)

•  6 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 clove of garlic, cut into pieces

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 1 stalk celery, finally chopped

• 1 carrot, finely chopped (carrot is a good sweetener in this dish.)

• 9 cups water or chicken/vegetable stock

• 1 leaf fresh sage or 1/8 tsp dried sage

• 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 2 1/2 half cups ditalini pasta

• 1/4 cup finely chopped ham (optional) 

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil over medium heat with the chopped ham if you're including meat.

• Add onions and garlic. 

• Stir for 2 minutes.

• Stir in celery and carrots for 5 more minutes.

• Add the lentils to coat.

• Add the stock or water or both.

• Add sage and thyme.

• Bring to a boil and cook 1 hour or until the lentils are tender.

• Add uncooked ditalini and cook just until done - about 10 minutes.

• Serve! 

• In my brother Bill's photo below, note that he generously added parmesan cheese and parsley sprigs.

📍CALABRIA

Pollo alla Calabrese

Recently, my family and I traveled to Calabria to find my extended family. There, we enjoyed the same foods my parents taught me to cook in America. Inspired by Calabria, this week I made pollo alla Calabrese.

Pollo alla Calabrese is a healthy, quick, and easy meal to prepare that combines a variety of rich, flavorful seasonings. Calabria is in the toe of Italy’s boot and known for its cucina povera, or modest ingredients, transformed into delicious meals. Despite limited lowland area, farming is the mainstay of Calabria’s economy. One of the seasonings used in pollo alla Calabrese, pepper, underscores Calabria as the pepper capital of Italy. Calabria is the main producer and consumer of chili peppers, which may be enjoyed raw, pickled, stuffed, or sautéed. Though traditionally cooked with dark meat, I opted to use chicken breasts in my meal for a heart-healthy option. I’ve included the recipe I used from the cookbook “My Calabria” by Rosetta Costantino and Janet Fletcher.

Calabria offers a variety of delicious, nutritious meals. Consider trying these other recipes from the Calabria region: Zuppa Di Asparagi, Melanzene Ripiene, Lagane E Cicciari, Cuddruriaddri

Buon appetito!
- Lucy

My Calabria: Rustic Family Cooking from Italy’s Undiscovered South

by Rosetta Costantino with Janet Fletcher

Pollo Alla Calabrese

Serves 4 to 6

This simple, home-style recipe is prepared in Calabria with chicken and rabbit. The meat juices infuse the potatoes, and in the end, both meat and vegetables are cloaked in a savory glaze. The use of oregano and hot red pepper is the Calabrian signature. I prefer to make the dish with chicken legs and thighs because they take about as long to cook as the potatoes do. You can use a whole cut-up chicken or just bone-in breasts, but you will need to remove the breasts when they are done. They cook faster than the potatoes. My cooking students tell me that this dish has become their “comfort food,” a nutritious dinner that takes almost no time to prepare.

Ingredients

• 3 pounds bone-in chicken legs and thighs, trimmed of all visible fat

• 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 2-inch chunks

• 3/4 pound ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks

• 1 large yellow onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

• 3 garlic cloves, halved

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano or 1 tablespoon dried oregano

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

• Ground hot red pepper

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit, and position a rack on the lowest level.

• Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons of the salt, and several grinds of black pepper.

• Put the potatoes, tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken in one layer. A 9-by-13 inch glass or ceramic baking dish works well.

• Sprinkle the vegetables with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt.

• Place the chicken in the baking dish, add the oregano (crumbling the dried oregano, if using, between your fingers as you add it), and drizzle with the oil.

• With your hands, toss the chicken and vegetables to coat them thoroughly with the seasonings. Then remake the bed of vegetables, arranging the chicken on top, skin side up.

• Sprinkle the chicken with hot pepper to taste.

• Place the baking dish in the oven on the bottom rack and bake until the skin is crisp and golden, 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and continue baking until the chicken juices run clear, the potatoes are tender, and most of the pan juices have been absorbed, 20-30 minutes.

• Serve immediately, spooning the remaining pan juices over the chicken.

📍SARDINIA

Su Finlindeu

My co-chair, Lucy, is an expert Italian chef. On the other hand, I am an expert Italian food patron. Recently, my family and I discovered an incredible and unique dish while visiting the magical Island of Sardinia.

Sardinia is a large island in the Mediterranean sea, with a unique culture shaped by geographic isolation and historic civilizations. The island is known for over 1,800 km of magnificent sea line, complemented by inland rocks that have been weathered over centuries. Costa Smeralda is a special retreat, with crystal clear water unlike anywhere else in the world.

We discovered a very special pasta dish, su filindeu, found only in Sardinia and perfected by locals. Su filindeu translates to “veils of God '' or “the threads of God,” and dates back to the 17th century. The dish is made from dough, semolina wheat, water, and a pinch of salt. The magic is created by pulling the dough to form thin threads, placing the strands in wooden trays, and drying it in the sun. Known as Italy’s most rare pasta, supposedly only a few people know the true secret recipe.

Sardinian cuisine is simple, fresh, and delicious. Some other must-try dishes include malloreddus, a traditional Sardinian pasta made with semolina flour and saffron, and porceddu, a roasted suckling pig cooked on an open flame. Pecorino cheese is also a specialty of the island and comes in a range of flavors, depending on how long it has been aged. Sardinia's seafood is particularly fresh and tasty, with dishes such as spaghetti with bottarga, a cured fish roe, being a local favorite.

Buon appetito!
-Susan