Great Tasting, Grate-able Cheese!

With the rapid approach of Easter, many of my Italian friends and family will be turning to a few culinary traditions to grace the holiday table.  The Italian Easter pie or a tray of everyone’s favorite lasagna, both bursting with the now easily accessible, grating cheeses known as Pamigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, never fail to satiate one’s cravings for traditional Italian food.

Many home cooks cavalierly use these two cheeses interchangeably.  However, they are in fact two very different cheeses.  For starters, Parmigiano-Reggiano is a cow’s milk cheese, whereas Pecorino Romano is produced from sheep’s milk.  Parmigiano-Reggiano is the result of labor-intensive and attentive aging to acquire that pale golden straw hue and tiny little granular crispies and boast a symphony of subtle flavor sensations that include nutty, rich, wine, milky and simultaneously sweet and mildly sharp.  Pecorino Romano is salt-cured for eight months, not aged, and offers a sharper flavor than Parmigiano Reggiano.  The curing process renders a simpler, saltier tasting experience when sampling Pecorino Romano.

There have been numerous imitators of grated Italian cheese, from the dry, almost powder-like stuff contained in the glass shakers that can be found on tables in pizzerias across the nation to those unmentionable green cans of salty sawdust that infiltrated our supermarket shelves several decades ago.  Today, there is no excuse for using one of these flavorless products.  The proliferation of  the real thing now abounds in every full-service supermarket.  While Parmigiano-Reggiano and Pecorino Romano can be purchased in wedges or grated and packaged in those ubiquitous plastic tubs, the freshest flavor will be imparted into your dish and permeate your taste buds if you opt for the wedge and grate only what you need at the moment that you need it for your cooking needs.  Once grated and left in a container, the flavors fade quickly.

Both cheeses can be used in an extensive array of culinary presentations.  They may be grated and sprinkled over pasta dishes, risottos and soups.  They can be shaved into paper-thin curls to scatter over salads, gnocchi entrees and carpaccios.  They can be generously sprinkled over pizzas, gratins or other baked dishes to melt in the oven or broiler.  They can also be savored simply as part of a cheese course with a glass of red wine.  What to do with the rind?  It makes a perfect flavor booster when heaped into homemade soups to simmer along with the other ingredients.  So yes, when making your own culinary creation, you certainly can use the two interchangeably.  Both variations of your dish will be delicious, just understand that they are in fact two different styles of cheese and the flavor differences will vary the dish.

Need an appetizer for your Easter celebration dinner? Here’s an option that offers up several flavors of Italy, including a perfectly-matched couple from Parma: Prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Crostini with Prosciutto Arugula and Parmigiano-Reggiano

Ingredients:

1 loaf of ciabatta bread

Extra virgin olive oil

1 recipe pesto (see recipe here)
1 pound thinly sliced imported Prosciutto di Parma

1 large wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 container baby arugula

Freshly cracked black pepper

Make the pesto and set aside. Preheat oven to 450-degrees.  Slice the ciabatta in half lengthwise horizontally, then cut the two halves crosswise into eight pieces.  Brush the cut sides liberally with the olive oil and place the bread on a baking sheet.  Place in the oven for ten minutes, or until the bread is crisp and the cut sides appear slightly toasted.  Remove from the oven. 

Spread a tablespoon of pesto over the cut side of each bread.  Loosely top each bread with a few slices of the pancetta, simply dropping the slices so that they fall into a ruffled appearance.  Scatter some arugula over each.  Thinly shave wide curl and slivers of the Parmigiano-Reggiano and sprinkle them on top of the arugula.  Finally, drizzle each crostini with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper and serve.  Makes 8 first-course servings or four lunch entrees.

Next time you feel like embarking on a cheese-tasting comparison, toss wedges of both cheeses on your cheese board, along with two other similar Italian cheeses: Asagio, a cow’s milk cheese that is also commonly grated for use in Italian cooking and can be purchased at various years of aging, and Grana Padano, another hard, grate-able cow’s milk cheese.  Pour a fine Italian red wine and enjoy!

Irish or Not: It's a Day to Eat a Lot!

As we all take part in our wearing of the green on St. Patrick’s Day, all eyes turn to festive parades complete with Irish step dancers, high school marching bands, fire fighter companies, bagpipes, concertinas and Irish flags and shamrocks.  Shamrocks everywhere!  All noses and palates then turn to Irish stouts, corned beef and potatoes.  Let’s face it folks, the traditional notion of boiling the green right out of the cabbage leaves the house smelling less than appetizing, and the flavor is, well, no better.  The traditional Irish American St. Patty’s Day spread consisted of the entire meal boiled for hours in one pot: the corned beef, the cabbage, carrots and potatoes.  Not exactly tasty eats.  In my eighteen years of cooking, I have never once served up this blandness on what is supposed to be a festive holiday. 

Corned beef is just flavorful, fatty goodness, and the leftovers provide satisfying sandwiches the next day.  This is the one course of the meal where I opt not to deviate from the package’s cooking instructions.  Serve the corned beef with a couple of high-end condiments such as a good mustard and a creamy horseradish. 

There are so many ways to serve up potatoes, for instance.  You could open the meal with a piping hot bowl of steaming Yukon gold potato soup, for example.  Mashed potatoes can be prepared in a host of variations, from basic mashed potatoes with a heaping amount of parsley whipped in to give them a green tint, to potatoes mashed with some additional winter root vegetables such as parsnips, turnips and celery root.  How about potatoes au gratin with a cheddar sauce?  A stellar option is the crispy golden potato pancakes that I put together last year.  You can serve them up this year, using the recipe below.

Next we have the cabbage.  There are a couple of options.  One is to slice the raw cabbage thinly, until the entire head is left as a pile of shreds, and then sauté them in a skillet in some olive oil until the cabbage is crisp-tender and still green.  Season it with salt and pepper and that’s that.  You can also think outside of the box.  Brussels sprouts resemble what exactly?  Baby cabbages!  Last year I served a bowl of lightly steamed little green orbs with a cheddar beer sauce that Brian whisked up. 

When it comes to carrots, please don’t boil the life out of them.  Arrange baby carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven at 450-degrees for about a half hour, turning once during cooking time, or until they have started to caramelize.  You can also peel and cut some parsnips to similar sized pieces, and toss them to roast in the same pan with the carrots.  If you happen to be seeking the simplest dinner preparation, boil the corned beef in one pot, and then arrange all of your vegetables together in a large roasting pan and roast them in the aforementioned manner.  You can combine the carrots, parsnips, turnips, Brussels sprouts, baby potatoes and even beets.  Use any veggie combo you like, as long as the requisite carrots, potatoes and baby cabbage is included in the mix, you won’t be in festivity violation.

If you are hosting a simple gathering without the corned beef dinner, pull your fondue pot out of the deep, dark recesses of your highest kitchen cabinet.  Gather your guests around the kitchen’s island or coffee table and treat them to a cheddar-beer fondue.  For dippers, set out baby carrots, baby potatoes, Brussels sprouts and broccoli and cauliflower florets.  A second classic nibble to serve comes in the form of smoked salmon, served with thin slices of red onion atop horseradish-brushed slices of bread.  Offer some winning Irish brews to accompany such as Brooklyn Brewery’s Irish Stout and Sam Adams Irish Red.  For my Long Island readers, be sure to pick up a growler of Long Ireland’s Celtic Ale for a rewarding beer tasting experience.

Dessert can be as simple as some Irish coffee, crowned with a generous dollop of whipped cream and served with shamrock-shaped sugar cookies that have been sprinkled with green casting sugar.  If you are indeed up for some baking time - St. Patrick’s Day does fall on the weekend this year, after all – consider some chocolate cupcakes with green mint frosting or molten chocolate cakes containing Crème de Menthe in the batter.  Bailey’s Irish Cream, it’s not just for sipping anymore; it is now a star flavoring ingredient in cheesecakes and homemade ice cream.  Lastly, an slice of old-fashioned unleavened Irish Soda Bread slathered with a good artisan butter hits the spot with a steaming cup of Irish breakfast tea.  This bread is also perfect for breakfast on the big day, as well as an afternoon treat.

Crispy Gold Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

8 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled

2 large onions, peeled

4 eggs, beaten

6 tablespoons flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) (or more, depending on the size of your pan)

Using a box grater or a food processor fitted with the steel, grating disc grate all of the potatoes and the onions.  Line a colander with a dish towel.  Transfer the shredded potatoes and onions to the prepared colander and set the colander in the sink for about a half-hour. 

Wring the towel tightly, squeezing out as much excess moisture as possible.  Transfer the potatoes and onions to a mixing bowl.  Add the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.  Stir until combined.

Heat 2 tablespoons in an extra-large skillet, frying pan or griddle (if you have a panini press that has griddle plate attachments, that’s a perfect option).  When the butter is melted and the pan is hot, drop a ladle of the batter into the pan.  Do this with as many as can fit in the pan without them running together; three usually works.  Allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, until the underside appears golden and crispy, and then flip them with a spatula, cooking the other side for another 3-5 minutes.  Remove from the pan and place on an ovenproof serving platter in the oven on the warm setting (the lowest that your oven will go!).  Repeat, starting with melting another 2 tablespoons of butter and ending by adding the cooked pancakes onto the platter in the oven, continuing until all of the batter has been cooked.

Remove the platter from the oven, give one last sprinkle of salt and then serve.

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 cup buttermilk

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon Cointreau (orange liquor)

3/4 cup raisins

Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.  Grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.

Using the paddle attachment of a mixer bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour and the mixture resembles large crumbs.

In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, beat the buttermilk, egg and Cointreau together with a fork until blended. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Add the raisins and continue to mix until they are incorporated throughout the dough.

Turn out the dough onto a very well floured surface, knead the dough a few times and then shape it into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared baking sheet.  Using a very sharp knife, slit an X on the top surface of the loaf.  Bake for about 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle.

St. Patrick’s Day is a day to eat, drink and be merry.   It’s a perfect excuse for a mid-March party to cast aside the last of winter’s doldrums.  Dress the table in green linens, and dress yourself in your favorite green apparel.  Imbibe some good Irish-style craft beer, and when you begin to see leprechauns, it may be time to dig into the pot of corned beef or cheddar beer fondue before you start chasing imaginary rainbows in search of the legendary pot of gold.  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

             

She Stuffs Seashells

Everyone loves baked pasta entrees.  From macaroni and cheese to lasagna hearty baked ziti, these dishes are warming, satisfying comfort foods.  One particular dish's popularity, however, seems to have faded quietly into the archives of recipe files.  Although still listed on some menus today, it has now been relegated to the 'Remember when...' trips down nostalgia road.  I am referring to stuffed shells.

Stuffed shells were once as coveted as today's lasagna.  The pasta's shape, conchiglioni, is an attractive and perfect little vessel into which fillings can be spooned before pour the tide of red sauce poured over them.  Personally, I love this dish.  Why did it fall by the wayside in so many home and restaurant kitchens alike?  When is the last time you have heard someone declare that they just consumed stuffed shells for dinner?  Perhaps laziness has set in among home cooks who prefer the less tedious method of merely laying down wide lasagna noodles and slathering on the layers of fillings, sauce and cheese with somewhat reckless abandon.  Sure, it tastes just as divinely, so why not?

The filling for stuffed shells is infinitely versatile.  If it can be made to fit inside a pasta shell, then the ingredient qualifies.  Ricotta cheese typically forms the base into which to stir other tasty additions.  Cooked crumbles of Italian sausage with finely diced peppers or mushrooms or finely shredded cooked chicken with spinach or peas create hearty combinations.  Stuffed shells are usually covered with a tomato-based red sauce; however, a creamy tomato pink sauce, creamy pesto, classic Alfredo and béchamel sauces are all acceptable alternatives to change things up.  Most would agree that cheese makes everything better, so scatter some shredded fresh mozzarella over the sauce for good measure before transferring he baking dish to the oven.  Lastly, before serving, a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley, basil or chopped pistachios creates a crowning finish.

In many areas, including here on Long Island, cool weather prevails with the last chilling breaths of Old Man Winter.  Take advantage of it to spark one more fire in the fireplace and serve a hearthside comfort meal of stuffed shells.  All you'll need with the dish is a bottle of Chianti, a simple salad of greens tossed with an olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette and, of course, a favorite winter dessert of your choice. 

Here are three variations of stuffed shells to try.  First, you will need to make the red sauce.

Seafood-Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

16 jumbo pasta shells

4 cups red tomato basil sauce

1 pound cooked lobster meat, shrimp or scallops, coarsely chopped

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.  Bring a large pot of salted waster to a boil over high heat.  Cook the pasta shells in boiling water until just al dente.  Drain.  Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the shellfish, ricotta, Romano, egg, parsley and garlic.  Spoon this mixture into cooked pasta shells, filling each.  Spread one ladle full of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer in the pan.  Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the shells and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted.  Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh parsley and serve.  Makes four first-course servings or two main dish servings.

Spinach-Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:

16 jumbo pasta shells

4 cups red tomato basil sauce

16 ounces fresh baby spinach

1 15-ounce container ricotta cheese

¼ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 ounces shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375-degrees.  In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat.  Add the spinach and sautee until it has all wilted.  Remove from heat and transfer the cooked spinach to a fine mesh sieve and allow all of the moisture to drain.  Bring a large pot of salted waster to a boil over high heat.  Cook the pasta shells in boiling water until just al dente.  Drain.  Squeeze out remaining excess liquid from the cooked spinach.  In a bowl combine the spinach, ricotta, Romano, egg, parsley and garlic.  Spoon this mixture into cooked pasta shells, filling each.  Spread one ladle full of sauce in the bottom of a baking dish.  Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer in the pan.  Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the shells and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted.  Sprinkle with additional chopped fresh parsley and serve.  Makes four first-course servings or two main dish servings.

Enjoy any filling that you dream up.  Stick with the basic ricotta and egg and then add anything that can be made to mix into the ricotta.   Spring is indeed imminent at last.  Take advantage of a few more oven-friendly cool days left in March and dish up some baked pasta for dinner.  Stuffed shells are as beloved as ever, they just need to be brought back into the spotlight.  For other baked pasta alternatives, try macaroni and cheese, lasagna and seafood stuffed manicotti.