Green Bean Souffle

I've always thought of the soufflé as this really scary concoction that requires ultimate precision otherwise it comes out a mess. I haven't changed my mind.  However, now that I have tackled the ominous first soufflé, the idea of doing it again does not necessarily make me quake in my booties.  Check back with me when I decide I've lost my mind enough to try a dessert soufflé and we'll see if I've maintained a façade of cool.

It's really the whole idea of folding in ingredients.  And the egg whites.  Yea, definitely the folding and the egg whites.

I did manage to get the egg whites nice and stiff..... so stiff that the egg white was this giant fluffy puffy ball inside of the whisk attachment to my Kitchen Aid. 

Then the whole folding thing needed to take place.  The entire time I'm very slowly and very carefully placing my wooden spoon in the bowl at the end farthest from me and sliding it down to the bottom, bringing the spoon along the bottom over to me, and then slowly back up again and over the top of the mixture, thinking to myself that this is insanity.  I'm looking around at an empty apartment desperately trying to use the powers of my mind to make someone else magically appear so I have can ask, "is this right?". There are just globs of egg white and cream sauce mixture semi sort of floating together in this bowl.  Folding is madness.  All I wanted to do was take my spoon and whip it together with all the power my muscle-lacking arms could muster. But no, its a friggin soufflé, which means I have to carefully fold so as not to lose air.  Losing air means no rise when it cooks.  No rise means that I don't know what I've cooked but I do know it isn't a soufflé.  Not having a soufflé at the end of this madness would defeat the purpose of my making a green bean soufflé.  Stupid green bean soufflé.

But I did it and I even got a little rise.  I know I got a rise out of my soufflé because there was obvious sinkage an hour later.  I'll count it as a win and one more challenge tackled.

Green Bean Soufflé

Soufflé di Fagiolini

Ingredients:

1 box frozen cut string beans

5 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1 c. whole milk

3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese - grated

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg yolk

2 egg whites  - beat stiff with 1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Fill a sauce pot with two quarts water and 1 Tbsp salt.  Bring to a boil then add string beans.  Cook for 20 minutes or until tender.

In a small sauce pot, melt half of the butter then add flour.  Mix into a paste then add the milk.  Put heat on low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stir constantly.  Sauce should thicken to the consistency of cream.  Stir in salt.

Remove from heat and rapidly stir in egg yolk and cheese. Set aside.

Drain the green beans.  Melt the rest of the butter in a sauté pan then add the green beans.  Sauté for approximately three minutes.  Put the beans through a sieve then mix with the cream sauce.

Fold in the egg whites.

Place mixture in a buttered baking dish.  Even the top with the back of your spoon.

Currently not looking very appealing...man I hope this works.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350F for 30 to 35 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Heartache from the stress of baking this dish aside, it tasted pretty great.  It had a light creamy texture with a weird bit of sweetness to it.  This recipe is a keeper...I just need to practice my folding technique.



Cauliflower Soup

It's been a weird fall, almost seems like we missed it somehow.  The weather has been warm except for a few cold days here and there.  However, it is currently mid-November and we are finally looking down the barrel of what should prove to be the longest cold stretch we've had since the season officially started.  What does this all really mean you ask?  It means that I am currently heating my apartment with an oven producing delicious food.  Now, I'm not advocating for using your stove as a primary heating device, that would be dangerous, but Sunday saw the production of 3 quarts of cauliflower soup, 8 baked and Cajun seasoned pork chops, 1 lb of boiled potatoes, and a serving of steamed carrots.  Not a bad day!  And made even better when you realize that most of those items (including the meat) were farm fresh.

The carrots and potatoes were picked up at my local farmer's market.  The pork chops and the bacon that was in the soup, however, now those were from Cugno's Farm in Colchester, Connecticut.  This farm raises a small number of pigs each year that people can buy into.  If you've never done this before you are missing out.  Buy into half a pig and you will end up with a freezer packed with delicious meat you know was raised humanely.  I will recommend against naming your pig though.  Many people seem to have an issue with eating things with names.  I do not suffer from this particular affliction...Loralai Pigginstein made quite the delectable pork chop.  Too far?  Do you want me to go back to the soup?

Cauliflower Soup

Minestra di  Cavolfiore

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower

1/4 c. bacon

1/4 c. olive oil

2 shallots

3 qts. chicken broth

1 Tbsp tomato paste - dissolved in a 1/3 c. of the broth

1 c. ditalini 

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Remove leaves of cauliflower and cut off any bruised spots.  Place it upside down in a large bowl of cold salted water for half an hour.  I am completely baffled as to why Maria Luisa wants me to do this, but I did it anyway.  Honestly, as far as I'm concerned, it did  nothing for the process except waste 30 minutes of my time.

Drain and break cauliflower into flowerets.  I left mine fairly large because I knew that in the end I would be taking a potato masher to it.  Set aside for the time being.

Pour oil into a large sauce pot and over medium heat, saute shallots and bacon.  

FARM FRESH BACON!

Add the tomato paste mixture and simmer for 5 minutes.  Add the cauliflower and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Add broth, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.  Using a potato masher, crush the cauliflower into tiny bits. Season to taste.  Add the ditalini and cook until tender, approximately 10 more minutes.

Now, if you are not a cauliflower fan you will not be a fan of this soup.  Once again, this is not an affliction which I suffer from.  I think this soup is great.  It has a savory flavor and hits the spot at lunchtime. 

Minestrone Milanese

Soup, soup, soup, soup.  I really cannot find the right words to describe why soup makes me so happy, but it does.  It's comfort food at its finest, only made better when using fresh produce from the farmer's market.  Today's offering is Minestrone Milanese and this recipe will have you swimming in soup for the rest of the week.  Now that's an image!

The only hiccup in this, in all other ways wonderful, recipe was the need for salt pork.  What in the h-e-double hockey sticks is salt pork?!  Well, the what is not quite as difficult as the where.  Salt pork is salt-cured pork belly, basically.  The where is the difficult piece to answer since I do not believe it's been in a grocery store since Maria Luisa was compiling these recipes.  I hit up the World Wide Web to see if salt pork is something that can be made at home and, SURPRISE, you can.  Of course, my decision to make salt pork could not possibly go without its own hiccup.  I didn't really have the necessary ingredients for proper salt pork....seriously who sells juniper berries! And, what the hell is quatre épices?

My head was already beginning to explode so I just decided I was going to fake it.  My local grocer sells pork trimmings, which I decided was good enough.  I also decided that I could get away with a salt-ish pork concoction that involved sea salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, and a bay leaf.  I let that sit in the fridge overnight and decided that since I only need 1/3 of a cup for the soup that whatever I pulled out of the zip lock in the morning would suffice.  I have no idea what my "salt pork" did or didn't add to my minestrone, but since I decided my minestrone tastes pretty darn amazing I am a happy woman.

Once I got the whole salt pork situation sorted, I was able to get down to business...

Minestrone Milanese

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter

1/3 c. salt pork - diced

1 medium onion - chopped

2 medium potatoes - diced

1 lg carrot - diced

1 medium stalk celery - chopped

2 small zucchinis - chopped

1/2 head small cabbage - shredded (I used red, but that was because that was all the vendor at the farmer's market had.)

1 15 oz can red kidney beans - rinsed and drained

3 qts. beef broth

1 c. uncooked rice

1 Tbsp parsley - chopped

1 clove garlic - minced

1/8 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/3 c. Parmesan cheese - grated

Directions:

Melt butter in a large sauce pot.  Saute the onions in the butter, along with the salt pork, making sure not to brown the onion.  Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, cabbage, and beans.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stir occasionally.  

Add broth and potatoes.  Bring up to a boil then simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Increase heat to high, add the rice, and cook for 10 minutes.  Add the parsley, garlic, basil, and thyme, cook an additional 8 minutes.  Remove from stove and stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.

Just thinking about this soup makes me hungry.  I love chunky soups and this dish just hits the spot.  I do want to note that Maria Luisa actually took this recipe from a restaurant in Milan, Caffe Ristorante Savini.  Apparently it is still there.  Guess I'm adding Milan and Caffe Savini to my ever growing list of places to go.

Loin of Pork Bologna Style

This cookbook never ceases to confuse.  I honestly do not believe that I would be exaggerating when I write that when everyone hears or sees the words "Bolognese sauce," they think hearty meat sauce with chunks of tomato.  Bolognese sauce, in my opinion, is a stick-to-your-ribs, perfect for a winter day, sauce that is meant to top any broad flat pasta.  No one thinks, "oh, milk." I'm face palming right now.  I'm face palming so much there is a bruise on my forehead.

But, BUT, I decided to give Maria Luisa the benefit of the doubt and I took to Google the way I always do in such confusing situations.  First, I googled the English title to her recipe.  I received some disheartening results all related to pork bologna... that overly processed pressed meat poser.  I immediately pictured a slice of bologna and a slice of a Kraft single between two slices of Wonder Bread, felt dirty, and had to shower.  Once I cleansed, I returned to the internet.  Maria Luisa's Italian translation only gave me the results I expected when I typed "Bolognese."  Every result was a different website and their version of a hearty meaty red sauce, the Bolognese we all recognize. 

I did not despair, however.  Even if Maria Luisa's names failed, there was still one more option - the literal description of what I was cooking.  I searched "pork loin in milk sauce" and finally found what I was looking for - confirmation that this recipe is actually a thing.  According to the Italian Kitchen Secrets, pork in milk sauce is a thing.  She writes that this was something she ate regularly growing up.  There are several other recipes for pork in milk sauce.  The themes running through those, which are sadly lacking in the version I now possess, would be herbs and fat.  The other recipes include garlic and rosemary.  One adds sage as well.  They all, also, require the use of whole milk.  Maria Luisa does not explicitly state what type of milk to use.  Maybe in 1955 there were no other options, but I could have benefited from some spelling out of the fat content.  So, once again, I have a good tasting meat with a sadly lacking sauce.  And, lest we forget, the idea that this recipe should be considered Bologna style is debatable.

Loin of Pork Bologna Style

Maiale al Latte alla Bolognese

Ingredients:

4 lbs lean pork loin

6 Tbsp butter

1 qt milk (use whole milk)

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rub salt and pepper into the pork and let sit in the refrigerator for about 8 hours.  When ready to cook, melt butter in a large saucepan.  Brown the meat on all sides.

Add the milk and simmer, covered, for about an hour and a half.  Before you take it off the heat, check that its internal temperature is at least 145F. 

The sauce left in the pan should be a creamy consistency and Maria Luisa suggests adding white canned truffle to it then serving with the pork. The other recipes I found suggest cooking this a day ahead of time and serving cold.

I ate this the same night I cooked it (i.e. it was warm) and did not add the truffles.  The meat was nice and tender and did have a slight creamy taste from having been cooked in milk for over an hour.

I will say this for Maria Luisa, so far the majority of her recipes do not take much effort and include things most of us already have in the pantry or refrigerator.  If we do not already have the ingredients, it is just a quick trip to the store.  For anyone who prefers to keep things simple in the kitchen, these recipes should be very appealing.



Eggs Florentine

I learned a new skill over the weekend - how to poach an egg.  Poaching an egg is no easy task; it is  incredibly fussy.  Of course that means I did not bother to practice awhile and get my technique down before taking on a recipe that required me to poach six eggs.  "Who practices?" She asks while she rolls her eyes at herself knowing full well that smart people practice.  Nope, you will be witnessing my first ever poaching attempt.  I warn you now, they were tasty but a few look pretty darn ugly. On the bright side, I officially knocked out two more of Maria Luisa's recipes and none of the yolks broke prematurely.

However, no Italian Cookbook Challenge posting would be complete without some sort of complaint.  Don't roll your eyes at me, you know you find my unnecessary anger hilarious.  There are 420 recipes in The Italian Cookbook.  I'm fine with that because I wholeheartedly believe that not only are there 420 Italian recipes worthy of being in a cookbook, there are likely a half dozen other recipes not included for every one that makes it in.  Therefore, I find it more than a little annoying that she gave space to a recipe entitled "Spinach in Butter."  Why?  Why must "Spinach in Butter" take up page space in this book?  Why couldn't she just include "saute spinach in butter" as part of the directions for all the recipes that required buttered spinach?  I love spinach, but this recipe does not deserve the two inches of real estate it took up on a 7 1/2 inch page. [Yes, I measured.]  That being said, you will still find the recipe below.  At this point, it would be plain unfair to not include it after ranting about it.

Spinach in Butter

Spinaci al Burro

[Disclaimer first...I am only giving you the Spinach in Butter recipe first because it is required as part of the first sentence in the Eggs Florentine directions.  These recipes are listed in order of necessity not importance.]

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs spinach

6 Tbsp butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Fill a large sauce pot with about an inch or two of water and add some salt.  Bring to a boil and then add the spinach.  Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.  Drain well.  Melt butter in a large saute pan and add cooked spinach.  Sprinkle on some salt and pepper.  Stirring occasionally, cook for about 5 minutes.  You want some of the excessive moisture to evaporate off.

Eggs Florentine

Uova alla Fiorentina

Ingredients:

6 lightly poached eggs

1 recipe Spinach in Butter

1/2 recipe Mornay Sauce

3 Tbsp Parmesan cheese - grated

pepper to taste

Directions:

Take the previously prepared spinach and place in a 9 x 9 baking dish.  Level the top with the back of a spoon and place the poached eggs on top.  I poached my eggs for 3 minutes each in simmering water.

Pour the Mornay Sauce on top and sprinkle with cheese.  At no point in these directions does she ever mention the "pepper to taste" ingredient.  I'm going to tell you to add some pepper here or maybe add it prior to the addition of the cheese and sauce.  You could also wait and crack some pepper on top after it's baked...whatever rocks you culinary world.

Bake for 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F.

I was a little worried that baking the eggs would cook the yolk completely, but they were still wonderfully runny when I finally pierced them with my fork.  While the poaching process was a little stressful, it was worth it in the end.  The next time I make breakfast for friends they might just find themselves feasting on this recipe.