Eating through Italy

I have been eating so many Thanksgiving leftovers this past week, that I thought I'd take a little trip down memory lane and pull out some pictures from a European trip of a few years ago.  While on this trip, I decided early on that I would document each day by what food I ate and would connect that to the day's stories.  This was the beginning of my journey of writing about food.  During my trip, I sent out weekly emails to my family and friends, highlighting my menu selections.  Below is a little window into my journey...Buon Appetito!

Two years ago, I took a solo trip to Europe for five weeks.  I had always wanted to do the backpack around Europe via train and hostel trip that a lot of people did after college.  It was quite a culinary adventure.  I ate my way through Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.  But what I am about to highlight, only encompasses Italy.  I spent two and half of my five weeks trekking through Italy, which was by far my favorite of all the countries.

My Eurail map

Venice was my first stop, and it was as though the air became sweeter and warmer the second the train pulled into the station.  I felt a sense of calm as I took a huge exhale.  It was then that I realized I had been waiting my whole trip to get to Italy. 

After having spent two and half weeks hopping around four other countries, I had gotten quite good at navigating a new city.  But Venice was a whole new arena.  After settling into my bed and breakfast, I hit the cobbled pavement.  And within an hour, I tucked my map into my purse, never to be used again.  Within two turns, and up and down a few bridges, you can be immediately lost.  But then you make another turn, and see a sign for the main drag or St. Mark's square, and somehow you know where you are again.    The picture above was a respite from being lost for the first time...a piece of my first Italian pizza...thinly sliced eggplant and red and yellow peppers. 

This panini was the last vittle of food I got before leaving Venice to go to Florence.  It consisted of roasted eggplant, zucchini and peppers with a healthy amount of fresh mozzarella, polished off with a nice glass of red wine.

The pizza below was my lunch looking out the window of Rome.  I had never had shredded zucchini on pizza before this trip.  What a brilliant idea!  I saw it upon arriving in Rome, and couldn't get the olive oiled shreds of zucchini out of my head.  And I loved the way they sell the slices of pizza there.  It was all by weight.  I had no idea how much to order the first time, so I just made a shape with my hands to indicate the size, and didn't mind when he cut a piece one and a half times that.

Rome was also one of my fondest memories of the trip.  I stayed in a cute little apartment overlooking a small neighborhood right down the street from the Vatican.  I would get a voucher every morning for a pastry and a coffee in the shop below my apartment.  The following is what I got four days in a row:

And I was so lucky to be right across the street from a busy restaurant crammed with people all hours of the night.  My usual routine was to go walking and sightseeing  all day (after having 'said' breakfast), and then I would come home and relax before dinner.  The first day I was so excited to try out the little restaurant after a long day of walking at least ten miles.  It was only about 6:30 and was beside myself, when I learned I had to wait until 7:30, to try the purple cabbage and blue cheese pizza!  Ah!  So I went back up to my room and ate a free cookie I had gotten on the airplane to tide me over.  But it was well worth the wait.



Before Milan, which was my last Italian stop, I popped into Cinque Terre.  I had been hearing so many mythical stories of this place, which literally means 'five lands' in Italian.  The most interesting aspect of it is that you can hike from town to town, stopping in each one for shopping, food or wine...or you can just keep going.  I stayed in the first town, Riomaggiore and hiked all the way to the end.  And the best part is that you can take the train back!  I enjoyed this so much, that the next day I did it again.  The reward was that at the end, you can get a glass of wine and a little cup of olives and sit on the beach, soaking in the Mediterranean breeze. 

I stayed above the most amazing deli that had fresh pesto, marinated artichoke hearts, figs, fresh mozzarella, foccacia and salami.  This is what I had each night I was there:

I actually had reservations to go to Milan one night, but decided I just couldn't leave quite yet.  So I double booked myself for a room in Cinque Terre and Milan...which was well worth the money.  How could I leave a place with food like this and a view like this??

I will close this chapter with warm thoughts of the Mediterranean breeze and fresh pesto and olives.  Next time I have a lot of leftovers, I will open another chapter.

Thanksgiving Morning Festivities

This year for Thanksgiving morning, my friends M and K invited me to join their yearly tradition of cooking together in the morning.  I was so honored to be invited!  We started off the day with a yoga class taught by M, following by a glass clinking with mimosas...and then we turned on the oven.

The plan for cooking was to triple each of our recipes, so that we could share our food, and then in the afternoon, when we'd go our separate ways, we would have three things to bring. 

M and K made a savory cranberry chutney and pumpkin cheesecake.  I made a quinoa, orzo and sweet potato salad.  With all three recipes cooking, the kitchen had many layers of holiday goodness. 

A few of the ingredients

Sliced sweet potatoes getting ready for the boiling pot



Quinoa, orzo and sweet potato salad

K brought over the new addition to her house, Penny, who got a special spoonful of the pumpkin cheesecake batter.  She and M's two little cats were also participants of the morning yoga class.



I have a few notes on the cranberry chutney recipe.  We didn't have crystalized ginger, and substituted fresh ginger, which I actually liked better.  But either would do.  If you want a fully sweet, more traditional cranberry sauce, omit the onion.  But it does add a different dimension to the chutney.  As M said, it is interesting to have one bite with ginger and pear, and then the next bite has onion and cranberry.  Also, it is an open-ended recipe.  You can add oranges, or lemon zest, or any type of apple or pear.  You can add regular raisins, or dried cherries or dried apricots.  The options are pretty endless! 


Cranberry Chutney Recipe

from Marian's cookbook called The Thanksgiving Table by Diane Morgan

4 cups whole fresh cranberries

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup water

6 whole cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp salt

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled cored and diced

2 Bosc/Anjou pears, peeled, cored and diced

1 small onion, diced

1 cup golden raisins

1/3 cup crystalized ginger or 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, toasted, skins removed and halved (or crushed)

In a 6 quart saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, water, cloves, cinnamon sticks and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar.  Cook until cranberries pop, about 10-12 minutes.  Bring to a simmer.  (This is a good time to toast the hazelnuts)  Stir in apples, pears, onion, raisins and ginger.   Continue to cook, stirring frequently until thick, 10-15 minutes longer.

Remove from heat, stir in hazelnuts and cool to room temperature.  Discard the cinnamon stick and cloves, if you can find them!  Refrigerate in sealed containers.  Serve with Thanksgiving dinner, as a spread on a sandwich, or on French toast.



Lentil Carrot Soup

For a really cold night, what a better dish to make than soup.  I have been branching out lately, by using ingredients I already have at home.  So tonight, I pulled the following ingredients out of my freezer: cooked lentils, chicken broth, vegetable broth, a few tablespoons of pureed tomatoes, and frozen broccoli.  I actually ended up not using the broccoli in the soup, but I will eat it tomorrow in an omelet with some leftover squash. 

I pulled out carrots from my fridge next.  From the spice rack, I used dried parsley, za'atar, dried thyme, salt and pepper and garlic.  Za'atar is a spice blend that occasionally appears in recipes that I have looked through.  It is a Middle Eastern blend of herbs, usually including thyme, oregano, marjarom, mixed with toasted sesame seeds and salt, sometimes dried lemon peel and other herbs.   There is green za'atar and red za'atar.  Sumac makes the red one red.  I had green za'atar on hand, so that is what is in this recipe.

A few notes on this recipe.  This was developed by using 100% of ingredients in my kitchen, so you have a lot of leeway here!  If you have anything like a potato, sweet potato, zucchini or squash...these would work really well instead of or in addition to the carrots.  Any of your favorite spices would work.  I added the butter for a little extra flavoring because there wasn't any fat in the recipe.  You could also stir in sour cream or plain yogurt after taking off heat, for a creamy soup.  Topping the soup with a drizzle of lemon juice or vinegar gives it a mouth watering tang.

Lentil Carrot Soup
Makes about 4-6 servings

2 cups cooked lentils
1/3 lb. fresh carrots
5 cups broth (any mixture of veg, chicken, turkey)
3 Tbsp pureed tomatoes
1 Tbsp za'atar
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp butter
1 extra cup water if needed
Top with lemon juice or vinegar

In a large pot or Dutch oven, bring broth to a boil and add carrots.  Let them cook for about 10 minutes, or until they can easily break in half with a fork.  Add the pureed tomatoes, and boil for a few minutes.  Transfer to a bowl and allow to partially cool.  Puree in food processor or blender until smooth.  Transfer back to same pot or Dutch oven.  Stir in lentils and all the spices, garlic, salt and pepper.  Bring to a simmer and cook, covered for 10-15 minutes.  Add the butter and stir until fully integrated.  Taste, and adjust seasonings if needed.  If the soup has gotten too thick, add the extra water until desired consistency.  Stir in vinegar or lemon juice at last minute.  Serve with warmed bread or biscuits on a cold night.

Cracked Wheat Pilaf

A few years ago, my mom came to visit and we took a trip up to Victoria B.C.  There was a cozy little restaurant called Rebar in the downtown area.  You walk in from the cold outside, and are immediately warmed from the colorful ambiance, small groups of happy people at tables, and the kitchen's busy stovetops and ovens with a mix of homecooked smells.  The food was so memorable at lunch, that during a walk in the afternoon, we decided to go back for dinner.  And then the next day we went back to buy the cookbook!

The following recipe is the first thing I made from the cookbook.  It was one of my first adventures of my New Year's Resolution to make recipes from existing cookbooks.  E and I made it for one of our Tuesday night dinner extravaganzas.  I had recently decided to venture out from my pantry's usual grain staples, and bought bulgur, also know as cracked wheat.  This was a grain I had cooked a small handful of times in my life, solely when making tabouleh.  To go along with the pilaf, we also made chicken stuffed with parsley and garlic butter.  It was a very fulfilling, homecooked meal, reminiscent of Rebar.

This recipe has warm Thanksgiving flavors, so it could be a new addition to the table this year!



Cracked Wheat Pilaf
Adapted from Rebar A Modern Food Cookbook
Makes 4-6 servings

2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups bulgur, dry
2 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 fennel bulb, diced small
1 small red pepper, diced small
1 small zucchini, diced small
2 carrots, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 tsp dried summer savory
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 bunch fresh italian parsley, minced

Heat vegetable stock and keep warm.  Dice the fennel, zucchini, red pepper, carrots and celery into small cubes and set aside.

Heat olive oil and butter in a medium-sized pot or dutch oven.  Add onion and garlic and saute over low to medium heat until soft and golden.  Add bulgur, 1 tsp salt and bay leaf.  Saute for several minutes to toast the grains until they become aromatic.

Turn up the heat and stir in the diced vegetables and dried summer savory.  Saute for several minutes, then add the white wine.  Let wine absorb and add the warm vegetable stock and the remaining salt.  Bring to a boil, stir, cover and reduce heat to low.  Cook for 25 minutes, uncover pot and check to see if stock is fully absorbed and bulgur is tender.  If not, cover, and let steam for a few more minutes until cooked and tender.  Fluff with a fork and gently stir in parsley.  Add additional seasoning of necessary.  Spoon into a small bowl.  Place a plate on top of small bowl.  Flip over and release bowl, so that the bulgur is in a nice molded shape on plate.  Add chicken, or fish and salad to make a meal.

Fava Bean Quinoa Salad

Before I dive in to talk fava beans, I have to give a huge high five to Erin for the beet burger recipe!  I have gotten so much good feedback on them, that I just had to mention it!  I also added a link to the Beet Burger recipe posting, for Erin's column.  Be sure to go back to the Beet Burger post from last week, to get the link for great cooking and lifestyle ideas. 

Back to the favas.  The other day my friend T (of ATM) invited me over to hang out for dinner and wine.  I have been in the spirit of using my creativity and cook with ingredients in my pantry and fridge and freezer, so I surveyed the goods.  I recently bought dried fava beans at PFI, in an attempt to try my hand at dried beans.  In all the years of my home cooking, I have never cooked beans from dried.  This was my chance to see what it is all about. 

So on Thursday morning before work, I poured the beans into a glass bowl of water and covered them with plastic wrap.  I have very limited experience with fava beans, so I broke the intimidation by leafing through my New American Table cookbook.  He combines them with rice and spices, which gave me the idea to pull out the cooked quinoa I had in my freezer.  

After a birthday party at work on Friday, where we made minestrone soup, there was leftover fresh parsley.  The meal was coming together!  I had fava beans, quinoa and parsley...and a leftover red pepper.  A simple dressing with half of a lemon would compliment these ingredients.  As in most of my recipes, there is room for change.  You can soak and cook any type of bean.  You can also use any leftover grain such as rice, couscous, or anything else.  If you don't have any leftover grain, cook up whatever you would like.  Use any vegetable and fresh herbs to color the dish.

So I ended up taking the below recipe over to T's where we also had Thai red curry vegetables and rice, with homemade toasted pumpkin seeds and wine...a pretty culturally diverse dinner plate!

Fava Bean Quinoa Salad
Makes about 3 cups of salad

1 cup fava beans, dried
2 cups cooked quinoa
1/2 red pepper, diced
3 Tbsp fresh parsley diced

Dressing

Juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp cumin
A few dashes red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Soak the dried fava beans (or any type of bean) in medium sized bowl, covered with plastic wrap.  Let soak at least 8 hours or overnight.  Drain and rinse beans after soaking.  Bring medium pot of water to a boil and add beans.  Cook until beans are tender, about 30-40 minutes.  Test tenderness with fork or by tasting a bean a few times toward end of cooking.  Drain and toss with a little salt and pepper, and set aside.

Mix the quinoa, red pepper and parsley.  Add fava beans.  Make the dressing, by whisking all ingredients except olive oil.  Slowing drizzle the olive oil into the dressing mixture and whisk until fully integrated.  Pour dressing over quinoa and mix well, making sure to coat every ingredient evenly.  Serve as a side dish at pot luck, or with a main dish for dinner.