PAPPA AL POMODORO

Took a fantastic trip to Florence with a new, young, female entrepreneur ANNALISA FERRARI who grew up in Florence and now takes groups to cooking demonstrations in her friends villas in Florence and Tuscany as well as museums and best of all shopping trips to the PRADA factory outlet as well as Gucci and many others.  What a trip!  If you want to organize a private group of 6-10 people, I strongly encourage you to do this.  Check out AFERRARIKITCHEN.

One day we went to this villa in the hills of Tuscany into a beautiful, old, classic kitchen and learned this soup - PAPPA AL POMODORO.  It's easy, really satisfying, can be made a day in advance, served hot or room temperature.

PAPPA AL POMODORO

(Tuscan Bread Soup)

Serves 6-8

10 cups Tuscan bread (crusty rustic bread)

½ cup olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 leeks, cut in half and sliced* mostly white and light green part

1 can Italian Plum Tomatoes (28 oz.), crushed

bunch of fresh basil (approx. ½ cup), torn

4 cups (32 oz.) vegetable broth (or beef)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Optional:  fresh grated pecorino cheese

Cut bread in small cubes - leave out to dry - like Thanksgiving stuffing.

Add olive oil to soup pot, garlic, and leeks.

* LEEKS – be sure to clean carefully – peel first 2 layers away, cut in half crosswise so you can see into all the layers – rinse out all of the sand – this is very important!  I don’t use the darker green parts as they are too tough.

Cook gently on low for approximately 10 minutes – until golden.

Add bread and cook about 5 minutes – mix with a spoon occasionally.

Add tomatoes – I like to buy whole peeled and then put them in the blender – you can also buy chopped.

Add basil and simmer for 3-5 minutes – Italians never cut basil they gently tear it in pieces.

Add hot broth – start with 3 cups – you can add more if you need to.

Cover and gently simmer approximately 30 minutes – stir often until creamy consistency.  Add more warm broth if you need to.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup, like all soups can be made one day in advance.

Serve hot or room temperature with grated cheese on the side for guests to add to their bowls if they like.

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN AND HARISSA CHICKPEAS

A 2014 goal of mine is to experiment with legumes.  This recipe has chickpeas in it which are very good for you and something that I did not grow up eating in New Jersey.  It also has harissa in it which while going up and down the aisles at the food store, I didn't even know where it would be.
Experimenting with eating healthier is alot of fun.  The textures and the flavors make cooking and eating a new adventure.  I think one of the reasons why people don't like to cook is that they are bored making the same dishes.  Please try this recipe - you may be pleasantly surprised!

Adapted from Bon Appetite magazine recipe from January 2014

1 tablespoon olive oil

6-8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

½ - 1 small onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 can tomato paste 6 oz.

2 15 oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed

¼ cup harissa paste

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

Flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish

Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Working in batches, cook chicken until browned, approximately 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to a plate while other pieces are cooking.

Pour off some of the pan drippings.

Add onion and garlic to pan, cook stirring often until softened, approx. 3 minutes.

Add tomato paste, stirring until it begins to darken, approx. 1 minute.

Add chickpeas, harissa, and broth.  Bring to a simmer.

Nestle chicken, skin side up, on top of chickpeas.

Transfer skillet to oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes.

Top with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

TOASTED FARRO SOUP WITH KALE AND WHITE BEANS

Something that I wanted to do in the new year is to experiment with a variety of grains.  Growing up in an Irish/Italian home in New Jersey we mostly had pasta, with an occasional rice dish (stuffed peppers with white rice), and barley only in my mother's beef barley soup.  Now when I go grocery shopping I'm amazed at the variety of grains - things I have never heard of never mind eaten before.

This soup is delicious - please try it.  It's loaded with vegetables, it's really healthy, and it's satisfying!

Adapted from a Bon Appetite recipe in January 2014 issue

1 medium onion, chopped

1 small fennel bulb, cored and chopped

2 carrot, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving

3 oz. pancetta, cut into ¼” pieces

1 cup faro

1 can of tomato paste (6 oz.)

¾ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

8-12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4-5 leaves of kale, stems cut away, coarsely chopped

1 15oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed

Kosher salt and crushed black pepper

Shaved Parmesan (for serving)

The recipe called for spelt and for putting vegetables in Cuisinart to chop but I really liked farro with this and chopped vegetables myself without bothering to take out Cuisinart.  You can always substitute escarole for kale.

Chop your onion, fennel, carrots, celery and garlic. 

Heat your olive oil in a big soup pot and add your pancetta – cook for approximately 3 minutes until pancetta turns golden.

Add farro – stir often, until grain turns darker – approximately 3 minutes.

Add onion, fennel, carrots, celery and garlic – sauté until veggies get soft – approximately 6-8 minutes.

Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes – cook about 1 minute.

Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer partially covered until farro is tender – approximately 60 minutes.  (I generally do 8 cups but what I found is the next day the farro absorbs a lot of the broth so I then add more broth the next day.  I always make soups 1 day in advance).

Stir in kale and beans – cook another 4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Served drizzled with olive oil and topped with fresh parmesan.

I always make my soup 1 day in advance – it enhances the flavors.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

This Christmas instead of a pie I decided to make Chocolate Bread Pudding.  I learned this from my girlfriend Sandy who is a fantastic cook.  It's really delicious.  Some like to serve it with ice cream but I like to serve it with fresh whipped cream as an option.  Of course, if you are watching your calories you may not want to add either...

Serves 8-10

1/2 - 1 loaf of white or Challah bread - cut into 1” cubes

12 oz. chocolate (dark or semi-sweet chips) equals 1 1/2 cups

4 tablespoons butter

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of cinnamon

9” x 13” baking dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place bread cubes in a 9” x 13” baking dish.

Melt chocolate and butter in a pot.

Cool chocolate mixture.

Mix egg and sugar together with a whisk.

Warm half and half with vanilla and cinnamon together.

Mix chocolate mixture with the eggs.

Add the cream a little at a time to the egg and chocolate mixture and mix well.

Pour over bread cubes making sure to saturate each cube.

Let sit for 10 minutes before putting in oven.

Place in a bain-marie (a larger pan with about 1” of water).

Bake 45 minutes till set.

Cool for about 45 minutes and serve with whipped cream.

CORN PUDDING

This recipe for CORN PUDDING is a family favorite.  We are not a family that follows many hard rule family traditions of what we eat for the various holidays.  For instance, we don't always eat Turkey for Thanksgiving, Roast Beef for Christmas, and Lamb for Easter.  I always ask my 3 sons what they feel like having.  However, the one item that has creeped into our family gatherings consistently is this CORN PUDDING recipe.  It was passed to me from a girlfriend in my book group - Thank you Ruthanne!

Serves 10 people

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted

4 eggs, well beaten

3 teaspoons baking powder

4 cans (12 oz.) corn, drained well

9” x 13” baking dish or 2 quart casserole

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium saucepan, heat butter and sugar until sugar is melted: use low heat.

Stir in flour with whisk until well blended.

Remove saucepan from heat.

Gradually stir in milk.

Add eggs and baking powder; whisk until well blended.

Fold in corn.

Pour into buttered 2 quart casserole or 9” x 13” baking dish.

Bake uncovered for at least 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Could take up to 60 minutes.